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One thing I’ve learned after more than a decade on the religion beat is to always take religious “membership” numbers with that grain of salt.

Every religious group or denomination or sect counts membership differently. Some take it quite seriously—and have a standard for what [...]

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Guess who the speakers will be at this year’s Al Smith Dinner on Oct. 16?

John McCain and Barack Obama.

I decided to take a peek at the Al Smith Foundation’s website and there they were. 6:30 p.m. at the Waldorf-Astoria.

Four [...]

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Newsweek’s cover story on the faith of Barack Obama includes this polling result: “12 percent of voters incorrectly believe he’s Muslim; more than a quarter believe he was raised in a Muslim home.”

The magazine’s thorough description of B.O.’s faith journey says:
The [...]

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Nice piece the other day in the Herald News of North N.J. about a rabbi who testified on behalf of an imam at the Muslim leader’s deportation hearing.

Rabbi David Senter and Imam Mohammad Qatanani met through interfaith work and became [...]

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In her final blogs from the Lambeth Conference, Bishop Catherine Roskam of NY writes about the bishops’ discussions on human sexuality and about saying goodbye.

Her thoughts on the “sex talks” seem quite positive:
What can I tell [...]

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Be careful if you make jokes about faith around the water cooler.

At least in Jersey.

I’m just catching up with a decision late last week by the New Jersey Supreme Court that workplace jokes about someone’s religion can be [...]

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Back when Bishop Sean O’Malley got a call from the Vatican saying he would be the next archbishop of Boston, his response was not exactly enthusiastic:

“I dropped the phone . . . it was quite a shock,” he said. “I [...]

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Monsignor Wallace Harris—president of the Priests Council of the Archdiocese of New York, the vicar of Central Harlem, and one of the best known priests in the archdiocese—has been asked to step aside as pastor of Pastor of [...]

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A lot of people have been watching to see what China will do or say about religious freedom in the time leading up to the Olympics.

Well, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom says that China is failing [...]

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Looking for a kippah or yarmulke that will show your support for Barack Obama or John McCain?

Now you can purchase an Obamica or McCippah from VanityKippah.com.

They’re $15.95. But you get free shipping…