Religion and Ethics Newsweekly

Scientists and policymakers discuss guidelines for manipulating human genes; the Supreme Court revisits the issue of diversity in college admissions policies; and faith gives the retired NFL star and his wife the strength to cope with cancer and death More →

Activists in China are successfully fighting industrial pollution in China and holding factories and their customers in the West accountable; and the first Native American Catholic saint has come to symbolize the Catholic Church’s complicated historical relationship with indigenous people.

A growing coalition says reforming America’s criminal justice system is a matter of faith; Rabbi David Saperstein says religious freedom is central to the American identity; and writer Carla Power and Sheikh Mohammad Akram Nadwi debated Islam’s holy book in search of interfaith understanding. More →

Casa del Migrante offers safe harbor to those fleeing violence and poverty in Central America; and a new novel focuses on the flawed biblical figure of King David. More →The post Mexico Migrant Center; Novelist Geraldine Brooks appeared first on Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

The pope has returned to Rome, but his words and actions are still being debated; and young Israeli-Palestinian singers of the Jerusalem International YMCA believe in “transcending conflict through song." More →The post Assessing U.S. Visit of Pope Francis; Jerusalem Youth Chorus appeared first on Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

Pope Francis energized American Catholics and others with his message of peace, compassion, justice, and human dignity; and some Catholics hope that the Church under Pope Francis will be open to reform on divorce, contraceptives, and marriage More →The post Impact of Pope’s U.S. Visit; Pope Francis and Family Issues appeared first on Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

Excitement builds for American Catholics ahead of the pope's arrival Tuesday for five busy days in Washington, New York and Philadelphia; and a coalition of demonstrators organized by the NAACP march from Selma, Alabama to Washington, DC to call for an end to discrimination and economic inequality. More →The post Pope Francis in the US; America’s Journey for Justice appeared first on Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty provides world-class heart surgery that even India's poorest can afford; and a farming fellowship offers young Jewish adults the chance to "cultivate the soil and their soul" More →The post Affordable Heart Surgery; Jewish Environmentalism appeared first on Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

A small African-American town in Louisiana has been overrun by petrochemical plants and pollution; in Alabama, churches confront predatory short-term loans at exorbitant rates that target and trap the poor; and renowned jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard talks about Hurricane Katrina, music, meditation, race, and excessive police violence. More →The post Environmental Justice in Mossville; Payday Lenders; Terence Blanchard appeared first on Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

Rebuilding continues a decade after the devastating floods, and New Orleans communities of faith see hope amidst the tragedy; and old age has not diminished the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader's role as an advocate for world peace and inner happiness More →The post Hurricane Katrina 10th Anniversary; The Dalai Lama at 80 appeared first on Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

The US has more people in prison than any other country in the world, and a disproportionate number of them are African Americans; and faith groups like Urban Village Church in Chicago are reaching out and welcoming transgender individuals More →The post America’s Incarcerated; The “T” in LGBT appeared first on Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

Growing social acceptance of same-sex marriage and other LGBT issues poses new challenges for evangelicals; Britain's former chief rabbi leads a global effort against religious extremism and violence; an ancient vision in Mexico of the Virgin Mary inspires millions of religious pilgrims. More →The post Evangelicals and LGBT; Rabbi Jonathan Sacks; Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica appeared first on Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

The spiritual leader of the world's Ismaili Muslims speaks about poverty, peace, philanthropy, and religious understanding; a chart-topping album conveys the music that is central to Benedictine monastic life. More →The post The Aga Khan; The Singing Monks of Norcia appeared first on Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

The Cuban government is showing signs of being more open to religious life in Cuba; women lead prayers and preach sermons at a new all-female mosque; and a Hindu boy's rite of passage. More →The post Religion in Cuba; Women’s Mosque of America; Upanayanam appeared first on Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

A madrasa in Pakistan is proving that an Islamic school can offer a useful education while avoiding politics and extremism; members of the Choral Society of Grace Church in New York say singing as a group feeds their souls and creates community; and after a month of fasting, Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan with a three-day festival of food and friendship. More →The post A Different Islamic School; Singing in a Chorus; Eid al-Fitr appeared first on Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

In South Carolina, a symbol of racial hatred and violence has been removed, but deep divisions remain, says Howard School of Divinity theology professor Harold Dean Trulear; First Corinthian Baptist Church, a historic African-American congregation in Harlem, is becoming more racially diverse; and volunteer doctors travel on a converted airplane to developing nations to perform low-cost eye surgeries and to teach other doctors to do the same. More →The post Moving Beyond the Confederate Flag;...

The Supreme Court's decision upholding same-sex marriage sharply divided communities of faith; a veteran community developer and urban activist advocates models of charity that let the poor thrive; and a new medical technology allows scientists to repair and replace defective genes in order to treat genetic diseases, but ethicists are concerned about the risks of gene alteration for future generations. More →The post Religious Reactions to Same-Sex Marriage Ruling; Ethics of Gene Editing;...

The Supreme Court upholds Obamacare and recognizes same-sex marriages nationwide; philosopher Nancy Sherman says combat veterans are coming home from our recent wars with deep moral injuries as well as physical wounds; and while the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints responds openly to contentious issues in its history, many Mormons continue to have doubts about the Mormon past and to leave the church behind. More →The post Supreme Court Rulings; Healing Moral Wounds of War; Former...

In south Louisiana, faith-based activists are trying to help vulnerable communities affected by climate change; and we look back at the legacy of liberation theology, a movement begun in Latin America that sided with the poor and oppressed over the rich and powerful. More →The post Faith-Based Activism on Climate Change; Recalling Liberation Theology appeared first on Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

A law that provides the poor with free access to contraceptives in the Philippines is at the center of a national debate about Catholic Church teaching, sexuality, and poverty; a community of Benedictine nuns in Colorado live a life of prayer and work on a 300-acre cattle ranch; and Muslim hip-hop group Native Deen describes what it's like to observe Ramadan when they're far away from home. More →The post Birth Control in the Philippines; Rancher Nuns; Ramadan on the Road appeared first on...