The Chicago Tribune reports that three dioceses in Illinois Joliet Springfield and Belleville have decided to end their foster care program rather than placing children in homes with same-sex couples Calling off legal efforts aimed at keeping Catholic Charities of Illinois in the foster care bu

The Pew Forum on Religion amp Public Life provides a portal into their data on all questions of religion and politics in the scope of the upcoming 2012 presidential election Visit the site here The most recent analysis breaks down the preference of religious voters for the current crop of GOP ca

I ve read a couple different stories over the last few days that offer a glimpse into the polarization of the Catholic Church on certain issues in this case homosexuality and the place of gay people in the Church First was the news that The Pilot the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston ran an

Starbucks is joining up with a network of nonprofit groups whose aim is to offer credit to individuals and businesses inunderserved communities to jumpstart job growth NPR reports Starbucks is teaming up with a network of community-based financial institutions to help create jobs Beginning Tuesda

Beginning tomorrow residents of Wisconsin will be able to apply for a permit allowing them to carry concealed weapons but nbsp the state s Catholic bishops are urging residents to leave their guns at home while attending Mass The Associated Press reports Wisconsin s bishops are urging parishione

Grisly haunted houses aren t my thing but perhaps even more disturbing is the uniquely fundamentalist Christian creation of Hell House an attraction that has been described as a modern day fire and brimstone sermon Brian Kirk at Patheos describes it Instead of vampires and werewolves guests are

The Los Angeles Times reports on a Mass offered for the twenty-fifth anniversary of a ministry program created by Cardinal Roger Mahony catering to those hit by the HIV crisis The then relatively new Roman Catholic archbishop of Los Angeles Roger Mahony spoke to an audience of gay and lesbian

Over at The Huffington Post I reflect on my recent participation in a Lutheran friend s ordination ceremony and I then explore some ways that ecumenism may begin in worship in an attempt to find common ground on doctrine From the post I was in Connecticut at a suburban Lutheran church for the or

The Minnesota Independent reports on the most recent efforts of the Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis to lend Catholic support to a ballot initiative that would constitutionally ban same-sex marriage in that state Archbishop John Nienstedt sent a letter to every priest in the state at the sta

Even as he continues to hold on to steady frontrunner status in state and national polls former Massachusetts Governor MittRomney fails to convince voters both in his party and those constituting the crucial independent bloc that he is a human being capable of a range of normal emotions Fueled p