Religion and Faith

Ex-archdiocesan official contradicts Nienstedt's sworn testimony over abuse claim
A former top archdiocesan official contradicted Archbishop John Nienstedt's account of how top officials responded to a sexual abuse claim against a Catholic priest, according to sworn testimony made public today.
Author's plea to suicides: 'Stay'
Jennifer Hecht studies the history of suicide to argue against it.
A federal judge is about to start weighing whether a Wisconsin law requiring abortion providers to get admitting privileges at nearby hospitals is constitutional.
Opening Mideast trip, Pope Francis calls for an end to Syrian war
Pope Francis opened the first leg of his Middle East trip on Saturday by calling for an end to the civil war in Syria and for more religious tolerance across the world.
None of the men's names had previously been disclosed by the Twin Cities archdiocese, even though media reports had named two of them previously and one former cleric had been convicted of sexual misconduct.
Religious Tolerance and Pluralism at Home and Abroad
There are striking differences in tolerance and religious pluralism in countries around the globe. What are the historical and current challenges faced by America and other countries? William Antholis spoke April 23, 2014 at a University of Minnesota Humphrey School event.
Amir Aczel on how God and science can co-exist
"Science and spirituality are both integral parts of the human search for truth and meaning," he writes.
Southern Baptist leaders seek softer approach on homosexuality
For an organization that has previously used opposition to gay marriage as a rallying point, statements here from church leaders, like Kevin Smith of Kentucky, shocked an auditorium of pastors into silence. "If you spent 20 years and you've never said anything about divorce in the church culture, then shut up about gay marriage," Smith said.
Al-Shabab recruiting video shows a fake Minnesota airline boarding pass
Extremist group al-Shabaab released a video in English this week that calls for supporters to carry out a "lone-wolf mission" of terrorism or travel to Somalia to join the terrorist group. The video closes with a mock-up of an airplane boarding pass showing Minnesota as the point of origin and the slogan, "Next flight to Mogadishu the only one missing is you."