Mark A. Kellner

End of the world as pope knows it? Francis’ latest remarks stir prophetic interest

Pope Francis on Monday said he sees "still greater omens of greater destruction and desolation" in the world and called on people "to put aside selfishness, indifference and antagonism."

December 13, 2022

Forever stamp to honor Rep. John Lewis, civil rights activist, in 2023

Rep. John Lewis, the late civil rights leader and Georgia Democrat, will be portrayed on a U.S. commemorative postage stamp in 2023, the U.S. Postal Service announced Tuesday.

December 13, 2022

More happiness, sexual satisfaction in marriage come with high ‘dosage’ of religion: Study

Religious adults who attend worship services more than once a week are happier, have higher levels of "life meaning" and say they are more sexually satisfied in their marriages than those who minimally participate in faith activities or avoid religion entirely, according to a new study.

December 13, 2022

Aging leadership at Christian nonprofits raises succession questions

The leaders of America's largest Christian organizations increasingly have something in common: they're closer to eligibility for Medicare than their college graduation, a new study finds.

December 12, 2022

And then there were ‘nones’: Americans identifying as nonreligious plateaus in yearly Gallup survey

There's been a rise in the number of Americans identifying as claiming no religious affiliation -- often referred to as "nones" -- but the surge may have hit a speed bump.

December 9, 2022

Trial of Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai could feed mainland revolt, Catholic cleric says

Imprisoned Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai -- the 74-year-old founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper -- is facing trial on charges that he violated Hong Kong's strict new national security laws.

December 9, 2022

Federal court halts Biden’s decree that doctors must provide gender-transition treatment

Religious doctors and hospitals will not have to perform gender-transition procedures in violation of their conscience, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.

December 9, 2022

Ex-NSO violinist Jenny Oaks Baker touring with family in Christmas concert series

Violinist Jenny Oaks Baker, who spent seven years as first chair for the National Symphony Orchestra, is now also a musical entrepreneur of sorts.

December 8, 2022

Idaho Christian law students, adviser, claim victory in settlement with university

Three members of a Christian student group and their faculty adviser settled a lawsuit against the University of Idaho after officials agreed to pay $90,000 and drop sanctions imposed after a complaint about the group's stance on marriage.

December 7, 2022

Pregnancy center fundraiser disrupted by shouting pro-abortion demonstrators

Protesters disrupted the annual fundraising banquet held by the Capitol Hill Pregnancy Center at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington Thursday. While local police helped remove the demonstrators, no arrests were made.

December 4, 2022

Nigeria skates on State Dept. rights blacklist for second consecutive year, critics charge

The State Department drew fire Friday for again omitting Nigeria from its "Countries of Particular Concern" list of states with religious freedom violations.

December 2, 2022

Conn. school board drops Jewish holy days from school calendar, rejects Hindu festival of Diwali

Parents in Farmington, Connecticut, are fuming over the local school board's decision to drop Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, two of Judaism's "high holy days," from the list of school closings, as well as its refusal to add Diwali, a Hindu observance.

December 2, 2022

A Christian nation no more? Census numbers fuel debate on Britain’s identity, Christianity’s future

Its king is the "defender of the faith" and the supreme governor of the Church of England. More than half of the church's archbishops of the Church of England sit by right in the House of Lords. The national anthem is "God Save the King."

December 1, 2022

Vermont agrees to pay religious school tuition where public schools are unavailable

Parents in Vermont can now use the state's tuition assistance for towns without public education at faith-based schools, attorneys announced Thursday, ending a 20-year dispute.

December 1, 2022

Former Southern Baptist leader accused of sexual abuse not restored to ministry, says president

The Rev. Bart Barber, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, on Wednesday said no group of pastors can declare another minister accused of sexual abuse as being "restored" to ministry and that efforts to return the cleric to public ministry are "repugnant."

November 30, 2022

Britain, Wales see dramatic drop in Christian populations, U.K. census reveals

For the first time in a census of England and Wales, fewer than half the population -- 46.2% -- described themselves as Christian in a 2021 headcount, the Office for National Statistics said Tuesday.

November 29, 2022

23% of world’s nations used force to halt religious gatherings in 2020: Pew report

Governments in nearly a quarter of the world's nations, including the United States, used force to prevent religious gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, a new Pew Research Center study says.

November 29, 2022

Tennessee county should drop ‘Judeo-Christian values’ from document, Atheist group says

Officials in Sumner County, Tennessee, are under fire for including a reference to "the Judeo-Christian values inherent in our nation's founding" in a document outlining "standing rules" for county commissioners.

November 28, 2022

Pope Francis admonishes U.S. bishops group, says to shun polarization in Jesuit magazine interview

Pope Francis said Roman Catholics in the United States should shun polarization.

November 28, 2022

Higher Ground: a whopping 70% of FBI’s abortion-related probes involve threats to pro-life outfits

"We have quite a number of investigations as we speak into attacks or threats against pregnancy resource centers, faith-based organizations, and other pro-life organizations," FBI Director Christopher Wray said.

November 27, 2022