You’ve heard about people taking advantage of Colorado’s medical marijuana laws by faking an illness, getting a doctor’s prescription and getting licensed to smoke pot. But now there’s a ministry where you can get higher than the heavens, smoke your sacrament, without any license required. And you’ll find it right in the heart of Boulder,... Continue Reading

After a lengthy battle, a San Francisco lesbian is a step closer to being ordained as a clergywoman in the Presbyterian Church (USA). The Presbytery of San Francisco voted Tuesday (Nov. 10) to permit the ordination of Lisa Larges, 46, after she stated under a “scruple” policy that she objects to the PCUSA’s rules preventing... Continue Reading

The reserved greeting at Killeen’s First United Methodist Church contrasted sharply with the effusive cries of parishioners several blocks away at the Christian House of Prayer. But across this Army town in search of recovery, the message was the same. Pastors, chaplains and priests echoed themes of remembrance, forgiveness and healing in the first Sunday... Continue Reading

Rep. Lynn Woolsey, a California Democrat dismayed by the House vote over the weekend to prohibit taxpayer subsidies for insurance policies that cover abortion in the healthcare overhaul, is saying maybe the IRS should investigate the tax-exempt status of the Catholic Church following its lobbying effort for the restriction. “I expect political hardball on any... Continue Reading

By Deborah Potter, Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly LEIPZIG, Germany — St. Nikolai Evangelical Lutheran Church hasn’t changed much since the 16th century. Bach once played the organ here and the music remains alluring, but it is the church’s more recent history in the last days of the Cold War and its role in the fall... Continue Reading

Kimberly Ladouceur The Iranian Government passed a ruling on October 31 that the Central Assemblies of God Church in Tehran was to shut its doors for Friday services as they are no longer allowed to take place. This termination of services is being seen as a way of ‘intimidating’ Christians, according to one source, and... Continue Reading

The EPC Interim Committee on Women Teaching Elders held its initial meeting on Thursday, November 5, at Second Presbyterian Church, Memphis, Tennessee. The 29th General Assembly, which elected this Interim Committee, instructed them to “explore ways to include those pastors and churches with conflicting positions on Women Teaching Elders in the presbyteries of the EPC.”... Continue Reading

By Cindy Wooden The Vatican said it experienced “surprise and sorrow” when a European court ruled that the crucifixes hanging in Italian public schools violate religious freedom. The European Court of Human Rights ruled Nov. 3 that the crucifixes hanging in every public classroom in Italy were “a violation of the freedom of parents to... Continue Reading

The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission — the highest court in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — has declined in two new rulings involving controversial cases to take on some of the central questions involving departures of conscience from the denomination’s ordination standards. The new rulings, both issued Nov. 2, come in cases involving Lisa Larges,... Continue Reading

An English Gothic landmark Tampa (FL) church built in the 1920s has been resurrected as the first permanent home of Holy Trinity Presbyterian (PCA), ending a decade-long quest. The exterior of the impressive red-brick building is relatively unchanged, but improvements within give a fresh look to the 1927 structure. “It’s come a long way,” Pastor... Continue Reading