Evangelicals Side with Catholics on Insurance Mandate

WASHINGTON (RNS) Catholics who have pushed back against a White House policy that would require many religious insurers to cover contraception are getting a high-profile assist from dozens of evangelical leaders. “We write in solidarity, but separately—to stress that...

Obama Defends His Israel Policy at Jewish Conference

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (RNS) President Obama told a supportive crowd of Reform Jews here on Friday (Dec. 16) that no other administration in U.S. history “has done more in support of Israel’s security.” “Don’t let anybody else tell you otherwise. It is a fact,” Obama...

2012 Candidates Asked to Sign Religious Freedom Pledge

(RNS) An advocacy organization for persecuted Christians has asked the 2012 presidential candidates to sign a pledge stating they would make religious freedom a priority in the United States and overseas if they win the White House. Open Doors USA joined with...

Crystal Cathedral is Cautionary Tale for Pastors

(RNS) The cash-strapped Crystal Cathedral’s pending transformation from a Protestant megachurch to a Roman Catholic cathedral should teach pastors not to spend millions on ornate buildings, a megachurch scholar says. A bankruptcy judge on Thursday (Nov. 17) approved...

Catholic College Sues over Contraception Mandate

(RNS) A small Catholic college has sued the Department of Health and Human Services, saying a new requirement to provide contraceptives contradicts the school’s religious beliefs. Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, N.C., said Thursday (Nov. 10) that the mandate,...