http://www.mail.com/subjects/1562-christianity.html Mail.com - the best personalized free web-based Email en en http://sec-s.uicdn.com/mail.com/2.23/img/mailcom_logo_rss.png http://www.mail.com/subjects/1562-christianity.html http://www.mail.com/scitech/health/1862168-obama-offers-faith-groups-birth-control-rule.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing a wave of lawsuits over what government can tell religious groups to do, the Obama administration is proposing a compromise for faith-based nonprofits that object to covering birth control in their employee health plans. Some of the lawsuits appear headed for the Supreme Court, threatening another divisive legal battle over Presid... Sat, 02 Feb 2013 07:23:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/health/1862168-obama-offers-faith-groups-birth-control-rule.html 2013-02-02T07:23:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/us/1858708-la-archbishop-relieves-retired-cardinal-duties.html LOS ANGELES (AP) — Retired Cardinal Roger Mahony, the former head of the nation's largest Roman Catholic diocese, was stripped of his duties Thursday by his successor as the Los Angeles archdiocese released thousands of pages of personnel files of priests accused of child molestation. "I find these files to be brutal and painful reading," Archbishop Jose ... Fri, 01 Feb 2013 07:17:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/us/1858708-la-archbishop-relieves-retired-cardinal-duties.html 2013-02-01T07:17:00Z http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/1860306-evangelical-churches-refine-message-gay-issues.html NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Rev. Robert Jeffress has changed the way he talks about homosexuality from the pulpit. The pastor of the 11,000-member First Baptist Dallas hasn't stopped preaching that homosexual sex is sinful, but he no longer singles it out for special condemnation. Now, Jeffress says he usually talks about homosexuality within "a bigger co... Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:50:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/1860306-evangelical-churches-refine-message-gay-issues.html 2013-01-31T21:50:00Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1860372-furor-proposed-shift-scouts-no-gays-policy.html NEW YORK (AP) — The Boy Scouts of America faces intensifying criticism from the left and right over a proposal to move away from a mandatory no-gays membership policy and allow troop sponsors to decide the matter for themselves. The Human Rights Campaign, a major gay-rights group that initially welcomed the BSA's possible shift, said Thursday that it was ... Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:13:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1860372-furor-proposed-shift-scouts-no-gays-policy.html 2013-01-31T21:13:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/us/1857430-victim-portrayed-contradiction-ariz-trial.html PHOENIX (AP) — Attorneys for a woman charged with killing her lover worked Wednesday at her trial to portray the victim as a liar and cheat who repeatedly deceived his girlfriends, friends and family members in the months before his death. Jodi Arias, 32, is accused of fatally shooting and stabbing Travis Alexander in June 2008 at his suburban Phoenix hom... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 23:41:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/us/1857430-victim-portrayed-contradiction-ariz-trial.html 2013-01-30T23:41:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/us/1857340-priest-teacher-convicted-pa-church-abuse-case.html PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A jury on Wednesday convicted a priest and teacher in a pivotal church-abuse case that rocked the Philadelphia archdiocese and sent a church official to prison for child endangerment. The verdict upholds the stunning account from a troubled 24-year-old policeman's son that he was sexually abused as a boy by two priests and his sixth-gr... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 23:19:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/us/1857340-priest-teacher-convicted-pa-church-abuse-case.html 2013-01-30T23:19:00Z http://www.mail.com/entertainment/music/1856010-pussy-riot-cathedral-video-banned-extremism.html MOSCOW (AP) — Footage of feminist rockers Pussy Riot's irreverent protest against President Vladimir Putin in Moscow's main cathedral last year has been banned in Russia and must be removed from the country's Internet. Moscow City Court on Wednesday rejected band member Yekaterina Samutsevich's appeal of a lower court's ruling in November, meaning that it... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 12:13:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/entertainment/music/1856010-pussy-riot-cathedral-video-banned-extremism.html 2013-01-30T12:13:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/us/1854380-mexico-breaks-up-alleged-border-sex-slavery-cult.html MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican officials broke up a bizarre cult that allegedly ran a sex-slavery ring among its followers on the U.S. border, Mexican immigration authorities said Tuesday. The "Defensores de Cristo" or "Defenders of Christ" allegedly recruited women to have sex with a Spanish man who claimed he was the reincarnation of Christ, according to an... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:24:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/us/1854380-mexico-breaks-up-alleged-border-sex-slavery-cult.html 2013-01-30T08:24:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1854740-scouts-future-uncertain-ban-gays-dropped.html NEW YORK (AP) — The Boy Scouts of America's proposed move away from its no-gays membership policy has outraged some longtime admirers, gratified many critics and raised intriguing questions about the iconic organization's future. Will the Scouts now be split between troops with gay-friendly policies and those that keep the ban? What will a National Jambor... Tue, 29 Jan 2013 21:06:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1854740-scouts-future-uncertain-ban-gays-dropped.html 2013-01-29T21:06:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/us/1852876-under-pressure-boy-scouts-ease-no-gays-policy.html NEW YORK (AP) — Facing diverse and ceaseless protests, the Boy Scouts of America is signaling its readiness to end the nationwide exclusion of gays as scouts or leaders and give the sponsors of local troops the freedom to decide the matter for themselves. If approved by the Scouts' national executive board, possibly as soon as next week, the change would ... Tue, 29 Jan 2013 10:47:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/us/1852876-under-pressure-boy-scouts-ease-no-gays-policy.html 2013-01-29T10:47:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/us/1851576-scouts-considering-retreat-no-gays-policy.html NEW YORK (AP) — The Boy Scouts of America may soon give sponsors of troops the authority to decide whether to accept gays as scouts and leaders - a potentially dramatic retreat from a nationwide no-gays policy that has provoked relentless protests. Under the change now being discussed, the different religious and civic groups that sponsor Scout units woul... Tue, 29 Jan 2013 01:24:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/us/1851576-scouts-considering-retreat-no-gays-policy.html 2013-01-29T01:24:00Z http://www.mail.com/sports/baseball/1848202-stan-musial-remembered-funeral-mass.html ST. LOUIS (AP) — Stan Musial was remembered during a funeral and memorial outside Busch Stadium on Saturday as a Hall of Famer and a St. Louis icon embraced by generations of fans who never had the privilege of watching him play. Broadcaster Bob Costas, his voice cracking with emotion at times, pointed out during a two-hour Mass that in 92 years of life, ... Sat, 26 Jan 2013 22:04:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/sports/baseball/1848202-stan-musial-remembered-funeral-mass.html 2013-01-26T22:04:00Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/health/1848400-obama-birth-control-mandates-loosens-lawsuits.html NEW YORK (AP) — The legal challenges over religious freedom and the birth control coverage requirement in President Barack Obama's health care overhaul appear to be moving toward the U.S. Supreme Court. Faith-affiliated charities, hospitals and universities have filed dozens of lawsuits against the mandate, which requires employers to provide insurance th... Sat, 26 Jan 2013 21:05:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/health/1848400-obama-birth-control-mandates-loosens-lawsuits.html 2013-01-26T21:05:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/us/1847904-feds-monsignor-meth-dealt-drug-bought-sex-shop.html HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — To onlookers, Monsignor Kevin Wallin's fall from grace at his Connecticut parish was like something out of "Breaking Bad," the television series about a high school chemistry teacher who becomes a methamphetamine lord. The suspended Roman Catholic priest was arrested on federal drug charges this month for allegedly having methamphet... Sat, 26 Jan 2013 15:37:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/us/1847904-feds-monsignor-meth-dealt-drug-bought-sex-shop.html 2013-01-26T15:37:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/us/1846562-philly-priest-abuse-case-hands-jury.html PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The credibility of a 24-year-old heroin addict whose sex-abuse complaint took down a Roman Catholic church official in Philadelphia — and helped bring thousands of secret church files to light — is now in the hands of a jury. The policeman's son came forward in 2009 with the stunning claim that he'd been raped as a boy by two priests a... Fri, 25 Jan 2013 20:15:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/us/1846562-philly-priest-abuse-case-hands-jury.html 2013-01-25T20:15:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1846634-religion-to-davos-forum.html DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Who created Davos, and why does it exist? Questions about God and religion were rife at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos this year — providing a philosophical break from the more temporal concerns that tend to dominate the annual gathering of business and political leaders. "Religion is mo... Fri, 25 Jan 2013 20:04:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1846634-religion-to-davos-forum.html 2013-01-25T20:04:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1845648-pope-tweets-shout-out-wdc-anti-abortion-rally.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI is giving a shout-out to an anti-abortion rally in Washington, tweeting that politicians should protect the unborn and "promote a culture of life." Benedict sent the message Friday as thousands of people gathered at the National Mall and in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the lan... Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:56:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1845648-pope-tweets-shout-out-wdc-anti-abortion-rally.html 2013-01-25T12:56:00Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1842720-pope-social-networking-virtual-real.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI put church leaders on notice Thursday, saying social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter aren't a virtual world they can ignore, but rather a very real world they must engage if they want to spread the faith to the next generation. The 85-year-old Benedict, who tweets in nine languages, used his annual message ... Thu, 24 Jan 2013 14:07:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1842720-pope-social-networking-virtual-real.html 2013-01-24T14:07:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/us/1836918-bishop-apologizes-role-hiding-priest-abuse.html LOS ANGELES (AP) — Prosecutors who have been stymied for years in their attempts to build a criminal conspiracy case against retired Los Angeles Archdiocese Cardinal Roger Mahony and other church leaders said Tuesday they will review newly released priest files for additional evidence. Thousands of pages from the internal disciplinary files of 14 priests ... Wed, 23 Jan 2013 04:55:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/us/1836918-bishop-apologizes-role-hiding-priest-abuse.html 2013-01-23T04:55:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1837392-obamas-bidens-attend-cathedral-prayer-service.html WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama began the first full workday of his second term with a rousing, spiritual appeal for unity and strength from church leaders of different faiths. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were joined by their wives Tuesday at the Washington National Cathedral for the traditional post-inaugural national prayer service. Ther... Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:06:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1837392-obamas-bidens-attend-cathedral-prayer-service.html 2013-01-22T22:06:00Z http://www.mail.com/entertainment/celebrity/1837656-remains-yugoslav-king-returned-to-serbia.html BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — The remains of Yugoslavia's last king — Peter II Karadjordjevic, who died in the U.S. in 1970 — were flown back to Serbia in a solemn ceremony on Tuesday, despite protests by some Serb royalists in America. The former king fled the Nazi occupation of Yugoslavia at the start of World War II and never returned because Communists took... Tue, 22 Jan 2013 17:06:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/entertainment/celebrity/1837656-remains-yugoslav-king-returned-to-serbia.html 2013-01-22T17:06:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1837358-german-cardinal-ashamed-rape-victim-treatment.html BERLIN (AP) — A senior German bishop is publicly apologizing after two Catholic hospitals turned away a rape victim seeking treatment that included emergency contraception. Cardinal Joachim Meisner said the hospitals should have provided the woman with medical help, though they would have drawn the line at treatment that would have prevented a pregnancy. ... Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:17:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1837358-german-cardinal-ashamed-rape-victim-treatment.html 2013-01-22T12:17:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1835232-nation-honors-king-day-obama-inauguration.html ATLANTA (AP) — Commemorative events for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. slid seamlessly into celebrations of the swearing-in Monday of the nation's first black president, with many Americans moved by the reminder of how far the country has come since the 1960s. "This is the dream that Dr. King talked about in his speech. We see history in the making," sai... Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:17:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1835232-nation-honors-king-day-obama-inauguration.html 2013-01-22T00:17:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1834822-obama-starts-inauguration-day-with-visit-to-church.html WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama began inauguration day listening to a church pastor counsel him to use his power to benefit others, and the nation. It was part of the sermon at St. John's Episcopal Church near the White House, where Obama and his family attended services Monday morning. The presidential motorcade arrived shortly after 8:30 a.m. u... Mon, 21 Jan 2013 14:17:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1834822-obama-starts-inauguration-day-with-visit-to-church.html 2013-01-21T14:17:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1834790-russia-moves-to-enact-anti-gay-law-nationwide.html MOSCOW (AP) — Kissing his boyfriend during a protest in front of Russia's parliament earned Pavel Samburov 30 hours of detention and the equivalent of a $16 fine on a charge of "hooliganism." But if a bill that comes up for a first vote later this month becomes law, such a public kiss could be defined as illegal "homosexual propaganda" and bring a fine of up to $16,000. ... Mon, 21 Jan 2013 12:16:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1834790-russia-moves-to-enact-anti-gay-law-nationwide.html 2013-01-21T12:16:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/us/1831840-vatican-welcomes-obama-gun-control-proposal.html VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican praised President Barack Obama's proposals for curbing gun violence, saying they are a "step in a right direction." The Vatican's chief spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said Saturday that 47 religious leaders have appealed to members of the U.S. Congress "to limit firearms that are making society pay an unacceptable pr... Sat, 19 Jan 2013 14:17:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/us/1831840-vatican-welcomes-obama-gun-control-proposal.html 2013-01-19T14:17:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1830922-vatican-oks-catholic-leader-ireland.html DUBLIN (AP) — The Roman Catholic Church's much-criticized leader in Ireland announced Friday that the Vatican has approved his successor, a reform-minded priest who has been outspoken on the need for more church accountability on child sex abuse. Cardinal Sean Brady, who resisted calls to resign in 2010 despite being implicated in covering up abuse of chi... Fri, 18 Jan 2013 20:47:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1830922-vatican-oks-catholic-leader-ireland.html 2013-01-18T20:47:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1830060-inauguration-day-marks-rare-intersection-with-king.html ATLANTA (AP) — President Barack Obama plans to use a Bible that belonged to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as he takes his oath of office on the holiday honoring the slain icon, marking what some say is an inextricable tie between the nation's first black president and the civil rights movement. It's only the second time Inauguration Day has coincided wi... Fri, 18 Jan 2013 19:32:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1830060-inauguration-day-marks-rare-intersection-with-king.html 2013-01-18T19:32:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1829542-sectarian-unrest-flares-anew-southern-egypt.html LUXOR, Egypt (AP) — Police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of Muslim protesters trying to storm a Coptic Christian church in southern Egypt Friday, after a word spread that a Christian man sexually assaulted a 6-year-old girl. Witnesses in Marashda village in the province of Qena said several shops and cars owned by Coptic Christians were torched over... Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:02:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1829542-sectarian-unrest-flares-anew-southern-egypt.html 2013-01-18T15:02:00Z