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NPR
National
Pastor Tim Theriault preaches during a Sunday morning service at Biker Church USA, housed inside a large brick building in Bangor, Maine. The church purchased the building this year and has turned it into a warming shelter for homeless residents.

Bikers Get A Bad Rep, So They Started A Church Where They Feel Welcome

Feb 29, 2020
Though it began as a way to reach bikers in Bangor, Maine, the mission has now become broader, with a focus on teaching the Bible and offering services to those in need.
NPR
World
Protesters throw stones at security officers during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Gauhati, India, on Wednesday.

India Passes Controversial Citizenship Bill That Would Exclude Muslims

Dec 11, 2019
The legislation would fast-track citizenship for scores of other immigrants living in the country.
KNPR
KNPR's State of Nevada

Presidential Candidate Marianne Williamson Addresses Social, Political Ills

Nov 22, 2019

Marianne Williamson may be the most unconventional candidate of the primary season.

NPR
World
Sergei Klimov is the eighth Jehovah's Witness to be sentenced since ban calling the banned the religious group as an extremist organization went into effect in 2017, Reuters reports.

Russian Court Sentences Jehovah's Witness To 6 Years In Prison For 'Extremism'

Nov 05, 2019
A string of Jehovah's Witnesses have been convicted since Russia's Supreme Court banned the Christian denomination as an "extremist organization" in 2017.
NPR
National
Amish families passing on the road in Lancaster, Pa., one on foot and the other on horse-drawn carriage. The high cost of farmland is driving some Amish to move to where land is more affordable.

As Amish Leave Farming For Other Work, Some Leave Their Homestead

Sep 17, 2019
The Amish country of Lancaster, Pa., is changing as only about a third of the fast-growing religious group still farm. Most Amish heads of household work in businesses and construction these days.
NPR
Religion
Pastor Earnie Lucas of Friendship Baptist Church in Appomattox, Va., posted this message on his church sign around the same time that President Trump tweeted that four Democratic members of Congress — all women of color — should "go back and help fix

In Virginia, 2 Churches Feel The Aftermath Of Trump's Racist Rhetoric

Aug 12, 2019
Two small-town Virginia churches with the same name, but very different congregations, recently found themselves tangled in controversy related to the president's tweets.
KNPR
Newscast headlines

States Sue Over Rule Allowing Clinicians To Refuse Abortions

May 21, 2019
NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly two dozen states and municipalities sued the federal government Tuesday to stop a new rule that lets health care clinicians decline to provide abortions and other services that conflict with their moral or religious beliefs.
 
The laws
KNPR
Newscast headlines

Mormon Church Opposes LGBT Nondiscrimination Measure

May 14, 2019

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is coming out against a comprehensive nondiscrimination bill that faces long odds in Congress.

NPR
Book Reviews
<em>Why Religion?: A Personal Story</em>, by Elaine Pagels

Through Personal Testament, 'Why Religion?' Explores Belief In The 21st Century

Nov 07, 2018
Distinguished scholar of Christianity Elaine Pagels sets out to explain why religion is still around today, through the lens of her lived tragedies — the deaths of her son and husband 30 years ago.
NPR
Religion
Eleven people were killed in a mass shooting at the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood on Oct. 27.

After Synagogue Shooting, Religious Leaders Evaluate Security

Oct 31, 2018
Faith leaders are stuck in a quandary. They're trying to balance a mission of keeping houses of worship welcoming spaces with a responsibility to tighten security.
NPR
Law
Ryan Coleman, 34, accused his former employer — a construction company in Oregon — of firing him for refusing to attend required Bible study meetings.

Construction Worker Sues Company, Says He Was Fired For Not Attending Bible Study

Aug 30, 2018
The $800,000 lawsuit contends that Ryan Coleman, 34, was required to attend weekly meetings against his wishes. The company said the requirement was not illegal and employees were paid to attend.
NPR
Politics
American pastor Andrew Brunson is being held in Turkey on accusations of terror and espionage.In a tweet, President Trump called Brunson "a great Christian, family man and wonderful human being."

Who is Andrew Brunson, The Pastor Prompting Sanctions Threats Against Turkey?

Jul 26, 2018
In a move that is winning praise from religious conservatives, the Trump administration threatened sanctions if Turkey does not release an American evangelical pastor.
NPR
Hidden Brain
Muslim women praying together in the Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Creating God

Jul 16, 2018
The world is full of complex religious beliefs. This week, we'll explore how religions have evolved, almost like living organisms, to help human societies survive and flourish.
NPR
Law
The Rev. Brad Wells, left, the Rev. Patrick Mahoney and Paula Oas, kneel in prayer in front of the Supreme Court, as the court hears the Masterpiece Cakeshop case.

Religion, The Supreme Court, And Why It Matters

Jul 07, 2018
With President Trump set to name the next justice to the high court soon, it's worth noting it was once dominated by Protestant Christians. Now, it is now more Jewish, Catholic and conservative.
NPR
National
When the First Congregational Church of Oakland decided to hang a Black Lives Matter sign, they started a conversation that led them to try to stop calling police, especially on people of color.

Oakland Church Steps Out On Faith And Pledges To Stop Calling Police

Jun 26, 2018
In California, members of First Congregational Church of Oakland says it's a reaction to white people using law enforcement as a first resort when interacting with people of color.
NPR
Politics
In his resignation letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan, the Rev. Patrick Conroy noted that he was stepping down "as you have requested" and has since made it clear that he had no interest in leaving Capitol Hill.

Ryan's Dismissal Of House Chaplain Sparks Outrage And Suspicion

Apr 27, 2018
Speaker Paul Ryan's quiet firing of the House chaplain, the Rev. Patrick J. Conroy, has erupted into a partisan fight on Capitol Hill.
NPR
National

Young People More Likely To Shift Toward Supporting Abortion Rights, Poll Finds

Apr 16, 2018
The generational divide uncovered by a survey from the Public Religion Research Institute may be linked to changing attitudes about religion.
NPR
The Two-Way
A woman wears a crown and holds an unloaded weapon during services at the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary, on Wednesday in Newfoundland, Pa.

AR-15s Are Biblical 'Rod Of Iron' At Pennsylvania Church

Mar 01, 2018
The church in Newfoundland, Pa., was founded by the son of the late Korean Rev. Sun Myung Moon, but is an offshoot of the worldwide Unification movement.
NPR
Politics
President Richard Nixon chats with the late Billy Graham, as they look over the Crusade program in Knoxville, Tenn. in 1970, a Graham-organized event that drew 75,000 people.

Billy Graham Walked A Line, And Regretted Crossing Over It, When It Came To Politics

Feb 24, 2018
The evangelical preacher sought to be seen as above the partisan political fray. But in his actions and associations, Graham often proved how difficult such an attitude can be to achieve or sustain.
NPR
Parallels
At flower stalls near a bridge in Karachi, workers stripped thorns off roses, arranging them into bouquets for Valentine's Day.

In Pakistan, Valentine's Day Brings Out Roses And Culture Wars

Feb 14, 2018
Conservative Pakistanis keep trying to ban any celebration of the Christian saint of love, but flower sellers keep turning up for couples who mark the day.
KNPR
KNPR's State of Nevada

Being Transgender - And Religious

Feb 05, 2018

When you think of places transgender people find community, church might not be the first place that comes to mind.

But churches in Las Vegas are, in fact, welcoming trans people.

NPR
The Two-Way
Pope Francis baptized 34 babies Sunday in an annual ceremony in the Sistine Chapel. He repeated advice from previous years: mothers should feel free to breastfeed during the service.

Pope Francis Once Again Encourages Mothers To Breastfeed In The Sistine Chapel

Jan 07, 2018
During an annual baptism ceremony in the Sistine Chapel Sunday, Pope Francis once again encouraged mothers to breastfeed if their infants were hungry, saying this was a "language of love."
NPR
13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Can Celebrity Scientists Change The Way People Think About Science And Religion?

Dec 04, 2017
Do people like Richard Dawkins and Francis Collins impact public opinion on how science and religion relate? Tania Lombrozo considers a study on the influence of big-name scientists on the debate.
NPR
The Salt
An indulgence with a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_rose">Lutheran seal</a> of approval

Recipes For Reformation: A Menu To Mark Martin Luther

Oct 28, 2017
To mark the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the cathedral door in Wittenberg, Germany, we offer up a menu for a coffee-and-fellowship hour buffet of indulgences.
NPR
Code Switch
A New Orleans Saints fan holds a voodoo doll at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans in 2016.

On Halloween, Remember: Voodoo Isn't Black Magic

Oct 13, 2017
Halloween is nigh. Does your costume pass the racial sensitivity test? That's our topic this week on Ask Code Switch.

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