Author: Staff Writer

Source: The Guardian

Wire Service: AP

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/24/greek-orthodox-church-sues-turkey

The Greek Orthodox church of Cyprus has taken Turkey to the European court of human rights over allegedly preventing the 500 Greek Cypriots living in the Turkish north worshipping at religious sites there, a church lawyer said...

Author: Corina Knoll

Source: Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-beliefs23-2009nov23,0,4185069.story

The challah was blessed, the Manischewitz wine was poured, the candles were lighted. It could have been any Shabbat dinner in Los Angeles, were it not for the fact that it took place midweek and the room was full of Catholic schoolteachers.

The 34 teachers were participants in Bearing Witness...

Author: Jake Lowary

Source: The Leaf-Chronicle

http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20091122/NEWS01/911220334

The pastor at Grace Church of the Nazarene says he and his congregation will present their "Christmas on the Cumberland" Nativity scene despite objections from the American Civil Liberties Union.

Steve Estep, the church's pastor, said Saturday the church went through all the proper channels to present the display,...

Author: Courtney Bowerman

Source: United Press International

http://www.upi.com/Features/Culture_Society/2009/11/18/Muslims-and-Hindus-find-common-ground-in-college/12584872894928/

Despite a long history of political and religious strife in India, Hindus and Muslims studying at Michigan State University say ethnic similarities are helping them overcome traditional differences....

Author: John McManus

Source: BBC News

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8359414.stm

The government is facing criticism over claims that it allows faith schools to refuse jobs or promotion to staff with different, or no, spiritual beliefs.

The National Secular Society is arguing at its conference that current legislation discriminates against well qualified, non-religious teachers,

The Department for Children, Schools...

Author: Michael Binyon

Source: Times Online

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6916192.ece

The first two months of the Coptic new year have been a sombre time for Egypt’s ancient Christian community. The new year fell on the inauspicious date of September 11. And a spate of attacks on this large and downtrodden community by Islamist extremists or villagers giving a religious pretext to petty quarrels have...

Author: Staff Writer

Source: mysinchew.com

http://www.mysinchew.com/node/31412

Malaysia's weekly Catholic newspaper has lost its publishing permit for next year amid a long-running dispute over its use of the word "Allah", the editor said Thursday.

The loss of The Herald's permit comes as it prepares for a High Court hearing on December 14 in a legal battle between the Catholic Church and the authorities over the use of the world "Allah" in the paper's...

Author: Jim Davenport

Source: Google News

Wire Service: AP

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gYuJ5cTgLZaXlvNJajXC5jJ5B33gD9BSPQV00

A federal judge says South Carolina can't issue license plates that show the image of a cross in front of a stained glass window along with the phrase "I Believe."

U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie said in her ruling Tuesday that...

Author: Staff Writer

Source: Worldwide Faith News

http://www.wfn.org/2009/11/msg00080.html

Kathryn M. Lohre, assistant director of the Pluralism Project at Harvard University and an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America representative to the World Council of Churches Central Committee, has been elected the President Elect of the National Council of Churches by the NCC Governing Board.

Lohre will assume the office January 1, 2010....

Author: Nick Hytrek

Source: Sioux City Journal

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/lifestyles/leisure/article_9914761e-ce50-11de-98cf-001cc4c03286.html

Many of us have undoubtedly heard someone urging folks to tone down the commercialism of the holiday season and "keep Christ in Christmas."

But what if you're not among those who follow Jesus Christ? What if you believe in another god or no god at...

Author: Matt Vande Bunte

Source: The Grand Rapids Press

http://www.mlive.com/living/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/11/crossing_over_locals_step_beyo.html

Learning about other religions is a little bit like picking up a second or third language, mused a senior minister at Grand Rapids’ Fountain Street Church.

It’s dipping your toes into a faith you may only have heard about in a cursory way...

Author: Julia Zappei

Source: Google News

Wire Service: AP

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h3eYxFp52iokYsD4r33qYcI26BBQD9BOMPH80

The Malaysian government has refused to release 10,000 Bibles confiscated for using the word "Allah" to refer to God, a banned translation in Christian texts in this Muslim-majority country, an official said Wednesday.

An official...

Author: Alessandra Rizzo

Source: The Hartford Courant

Wire Service: AP

http://www.courant.com/news/nation-world/sns-ap-eu-italy-religious-symbols,0,6354126.story

The Vatican on Tuesday denounced a ruling by the European court of human rights that said the display of crucifixes in Italian public schools violates religious and education freedoms.

In a decision that...

Author: Brad Shannon

Source: The Olympian

http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/1020811.html

New permanent rules formally signed Friday at the Capitol will bar religious displays and nongovernment displays inside Capitol Campus buildings.

The rules take effect Dec. 1 and are aimed at preventing a repeat of last year’s riot of displays inside the Legislative Building. However, the rules do allow a state-sponsored holiday tree...

Author: Staff Writer

Source: BBC News

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8333250.stm

Leaders from across the UK's religious communities have said there is a "moral imperative" to tackle global warming.

Leaders from the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Baha'i, Jain and Zoroastrian faiths called on G20 nations to cut greenhouse gases.

They said climate change posed a "very real threat to the world's poor"....