Religion 2012 Archive | PBS NewsHour

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RELIGION


	2012 DECEMBER Dec. 25, 2012 Appeals for Peace Around the World as Millions Celebrate Christmas Pope Benedict greeted thousands of followers on Christmas Day, calling for an end to violence in Syria and better resources for the displaced and wounded. In Nigeria, in a region where a radical Islamic sect has previously staged attacks, gunmen killed five Christians. And in Newtown, Conn., worshippers marked a somber holiday.

	Dec. 21, 2012 Doomsday Averted; Long Live Doomsday Predictions As everyone knows by now, the apocalypse has been averted. This unlikely doomsday story has become a prominent thread in the national conversation. And if it resembles everything that Americans expect in a Hollywood blockbuster, that's probably because it's mostly an American creation, not a Mayan one.

	Dec. 18, 2012 Median Age of Faithful Is Clue to Future of Religion Worldwide The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released a new study Tuesday, "The Global Religious Landscape," that provides a comprehensive look at religious affiliation by country and worldwide.

	Dec. 17, 2012 Weekly Poem: 'Messiah: Christmas Portions' Poet Mark Doty reflects on one of the great traditions of the holiday season: Handel's "Messiah."



	NOVEMBER Nov. 30, 2012 The Daily Frame Japanese craftsman Sumikazu Nakata adds the final touches on a Daruma dolli at his studio in Tokyo. The doll is believed to bring good luck and represents the Indian priest Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism in China.



	OCTOBER Oct. 8, 2012 In 'Joseph Anton,' Salman Rushdie Writes Novelistically About His Own Life In his new memoir, Salman Rushdie recounts, in the third person, his upbringing as a secular muslim trying to understand his religion, as well as living under fatwa, a period when he says he discovered his own resilience. Jeffrey Brown talks to the author about recent clashes over free speech and Islamic ideology.

	Oct. 3, 2012 Vatican Tries to Distance Itself from Scandal, 'Sensitive' Leaked Documents Did the Pope's former butler act alone? And how has the Vatican reacted to the revelation that someone so close to the Pope stole documents? Jeffrey Brown talks to Reuters' Vatican reporter Naomi O'Leary about motivations and fallout surrounding the case.

	Oct. 3, 2012 Witnesses Testify Against Pope's Butler Who Stole, Leaked Papal Documents Paolo Gabriele, former butler of Pope Benedict XVI, appeared in Vatican Court this week, on trial for stealing confidential papers and leaking them to the press. Though Gabriele already confessed to the crime, the trial must proceed under current Vatican law. Jeffrey Brown reports.



	SEPTEMBER Sept. 21, 2012 French Cartoons, Anti-Islam Film are 'Agitprop Designed to Provoke' Hard-Liners Muslims have reacted violently to French cartoons and a film from the U.S. that crudely portray the Prophet Muhammad. Jeff Brown talks to University of Maryland's Shibley Telhami and Washington State University's Lawrence Pintak who say these statements from the West are being seized by Muslims for their own goals.

	Sept. 21, 2012 Anger Over Drone Strikes, Anti-Islam Film, Provokes Deadly Protests in Pakistan The Pakistani government declared a national holiday to honor the Prophet Muhammad and encourage peaceful protest. But violence quickly escalated, the brunt fueled by anti-American sentiment over continued U.S. drone strikes and an anti-Islam film that defamed the Muslim prophet. So far at least 17 have died. Jeff Brown reports.

	Sept. 20, 2012 Ancient Papyrus Suggests Some Early Christians Thought Jesus Was Married A Coptic text by early Christians on a fragment of ancient papyrus has been revealed, which makes reference to Jesus having a wife. Jeffrey Brown talks to Smithsonian Magazine's Ariel Sabar for more on whether this is a biographical statement on Jesus or a commentary on some early Christians' beliefs on Jesus' marital status.

	Sept. 20, 2012 Crowdsourcing Proof for an Ancient Artifact, Suggests Jesus Was Married With the discovery of a fragment of papyrus, no bigger than a credit card, there may be evidence that Jesus was married. But this evidence hinges upon whether scholars can verify the authenticity of the artifact.

	Sept. 19, 2012 News Wrap: Romney Insists Americans Would Fare Better Under His Presidency In other news Wednesday, Mitt Romney, trying to move past remarks made at a private fundraiser last May, insisted average Americans would do far better under him. Also, a French satirical magazine published crude cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, which threaten to ignite a new wave of protests throughout the Muslim world.

	Sept. 17, 2012 Facing Uncertainty, Middle Eastern Christians Are Increasingly Emigrating A century ago, 20 percent of the Middle East was Christian. Today, they are only 5 percent of the total population. As stricter, more conservative interpretations of Islam have become more widespread in the Middle East, Christians have chosen to leave their homelands fearing harassment or violence. Ray Suarez reports.

	Sept. 17, 2012 Pope in Lebanon: 'Love One Another' Pope Benedict XVI visited Lebanon last weekend with a message to young people to "love one another" and reject violence. View a slideshow of his trip.

	Sept. 17, 2012 Pope Visits Lebanon Amid Worldwide Protests Amid continuing protests in the Middle East, Pope Benedict XVI delivered a message of peace during a weekend visit to Lebanon.

	Sept. 14, 2012 The Nature of Muslim Protests and Police Response to Disorder Jeffrey Brown talks to McClatchy Newspaper's Nancy Youssef, who explains the nature of the Muslim protests and police response throughout Middle East and Africa. Then, International Crisis Group's Robert Malley argues the protests and disorder are larger signs of the economic and security vacuum created by the Arab Spring.

	Sept. 14, 2012 Muslim Protests in 20 Countries, Violent Demonstrations Focus on U.S. Embassies Muslim protests and demonstrations continued in countries throughout the Middle East and Africa. Though some were peaceful, others have been violent assaults on U.S. embassies and American-owned businesses. Meanwhile, the bodies of the four Americans who died in the Benghazi attacks reached U.S. soil. Jeffrey Brown reports.

	Sept. 14, 2012 Protestors Attack U.S. Embassies in Africa and Middle East as Anger Boils Over Demonstrations and intense clashes with police broke out at U.S. embassies and businesses in Sudan, Egypt, Yemen, Nigeria and Lebanon, among others. An American-made film that insults the Prophet Mohammad was widely blamed for inciting the violent protests.

	Sept. 13, 2012 Details on Embassy Attacks, How an Anti-Muslim Video Has Arab Muslims Riled Judy Woodruff talks to McClatchy Newspapers' Nancy Youssef for a detailed account of the attacks in Libya and to freelance journalist Bel Trew who reports on the protests in Cairo. Then, Jeff Brown talks to the Los Angeles Times' Rebecca Keegan for more on the anti-Muslim film that has sparked violence in the Middle East.

	Sept. 13, 2012 Anti-Muslim Video Sparks More Violent Demonstrations Across Muslim World Protests, some violent, broke out in Yemen, Iraq, Iran and Egypt, in continued response to an incendiary anti-Islamic U.S. video. Overnight, President Obama talked to Egypt's President Morsi about the events and Secretary of State Clinton rebuked the filmmaker, who is reportedly a California resident. Judy Woodruff reports.

	Sept. 12, 2012 Libyan Salafists Assert Power with Embassy Attacks, Hoping to Catch Public Eye Since Libya established a secular democracy, conservative Muslims in Libya known as Salafists have felt disenfranchised. Gwen Ifil speaks to Frederic Wehrey of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and journalist Robin Wright about the link between Salafi Muslims and the latest attacks in the Middle East.

	Sept. 12, 2012 Attacks Linked to Web Video Leave Four Americans Dead at U.S. Consulat in Libya U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three others were killed after gunmen launched a rocket attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, setting it on fire. The attacks in Libya and protests in Cairo, Egypt, are reportedly in response to an Internet film defaming the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. Margaret Warner reports.

	Sept. 10, 2012 Democracy Still Fragile in Iraq, Where Sectarian Tensions Reach Breaking Point Recent bombings and shootings have raised doubts over the effectiveness of Iraq's coalition government to bridge divides between Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds. Margaret Warner talks to the National Endowment for Democracy's Laith Kubba and Indiana University's Feisal Istrabadi on the challenges to ending violence and sharing power.

	Sept. 2, 2012 Religious Leader, Media Mogul Rev. Sun Myung Moon Dies at Age 92 The Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the controversial self-proclaimed messiah figure who founded the Unification Church and built a business empire from scratch, died Monday at a hospital near his home in South Korea, two weeks after being admitted with pneumonia. He was 92.



	AUGUST Aug. 27, 2012 Shields and Brooks on Mitt Romney's Faith, Ann Romney's Speech Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks discuss 'Day Zero' of the Republican National Convention, how Mitt Romney's Mormon faith may factor into this election, and what David calls "the most important speech of the convention," the upcoming remarks by Ann Romney.

	Aug. 20, 2012 Islamic Militants in Failed State of Mali Seize Control and Impose Sharia Law In April 2012, Islamists and local Tuareg rebels entered the city of Timbuktu and seized control, imposing sharia law. Now, popular militias train to take back the northern part of the country from the militants, who are backed by al-Qaida and other foreign jihadis. Lindsey Hilsum of Independent Television News reports.

	Aug. 8, 2012 The Daily Frame An Indian artist paints an idol of Lord Krishna at a roadside stall on the outskirts of Amritsar, India, on Wednesday. The idols are in heavy demand ahead of the upcoming Hindu festival of Janmashtami, which marks the birth of Lord Krishna.

	Aug. 6, 2012 Details Emerge on Alleged Gunman in Wisconsin Sikh Temple Shooting The man law enforcement officials say went on a rampage at the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisc. was identified as Army veteran Wade Michael Page. Jeffrey Brown talks to Milwaukee Public Radio's Latoya Dennis and the Sikh Coalition's Amardeep Singh for more on the alleged gunman and the response from the Sikhs around the world.

	Aug. 5, 2012 Seven Killed, Including Suspected Shooter, at Sikh Temple Near Milwaukee Police SWAT officers surround a Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin where at least six people were killed when a shooter, who was shot dead by a police officer, opened fire on congregants.

	Aug. 3, 2012 The Daily Frame Nepalese children dressed in traditional cow costumes take part in a procession for the Gai Jatra in Kathmandu on Friday. Families who have lost a relative during the year parade a cow, a sacred animal which some believe helps the departed soul to enter the afterlife.

	Aug. 1, 2012 The Daily Frame Sri Lankan mahouts wash an elephant Wednesday near a fountain ahead of the Esala Perahera festival in the ancient hill capital of Kandy. The Buddhist festival draws thousands of tourists and spectators from around the island.



	JULY July 12, 2012 Parades Commission Blamed for Violence Around Protestant March Attempts to prevent violence at a contentious annual Protestant-Loyalist Orange Order parade in North Belfast appeared to backfire Thursday when protestors clashed with police in a Catholic part of town.

	July 11, 2012 Peace in Northern Ireland, But Religious Divide Remains Protesters have been out on the streets of Belfast in recent days in advance of Thursday's annual parade honoring Protestant King William's victory over his Catholic rival in 1690. Special correspondent Kira Kay reports on the ongoing religious tension -- 14 years after Ireland's sectarian conflict formally ended.

	July 10, 2012 Mitt Romney and Evangelical Voters: An Arranged Marriage Even if the polls don't show it, Mitt Romney is making gains with an electorate that has thus far eluded the presumptive GOP nominee in his push towards the general election: Christian conservatives.



	JUNE June 20, 2012 The Daily Frame Ultra-orthodox Jewish dancers perform in Jerusalem on Tuesday during the opening of the Israel Museum exhibition "A World Apart Next Door," a cultural exploration of the Hasidic Jews.



	MAY May 28, 2012 Pope's Butler to Cooperate in Vatican Scandal Inquiry The Vatican scandal deepened Monday when the pope's butler, arrested for allegedly releasing confidential documents last week, said he will cooperate with a Vatican criminal investigation. Margaret Warner and the National Catholic Reporter's John Allen discuss suggestions that a cardinal may be responsible for disclosures.

	May 21, 2012 Catholic Groups Sue Over Contraception Coverage A group of Roman Catholic leaders and institutions sued the Obama administration over the federal mandate to provide birth control to employees, saying it violated religious freedom. Gwen Ifill and The Wall Street Journal's Janet Adamy discuss the lawsuit.

	May 9, 2012 The Daily Frame A Buddha statue on Vesak at the Borobudur temple in Magelang, Indonesia, on Sunday. Commonly referred to as the "Buddha's Birthday," Vesak commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama Buddha.



	APRIL April 30, 2012 Inside a Madrassa in Pakistan The Jamia Binoria Madrassa in downtown Karachi is considered one of Pakistan's more moderate Islamic institutions. Within these whitewashed concrete walls, students receive a mixture of secular and religious education.

	April 19, 2012 Vatican Rebuke: Are U.S. Nuns Promoting 'Radical Feminist Themes?' A new Vatican report criticizes the largest group of U.S. Catholic nuns -- the Leadership Conference of Women Religious -- for promoting "radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith." Judy Woodruff discusses the charge with Christendom College's Donna Bethell and Fordham University's Jeannine Hill Fletcher.

	April 10, 2012 Why Churches Could Be Crucial in the Fight Against HIV in Africa In the history of the AIDS epidemic in Africa, there has long been a divide between public health advocates and churches. Religious leaders often promote ideas about HIV and the use of condoms that run counter to public health campaigns. But that's starting to change in at least one country in southern Africa.



	FEBRUARY Feb. 28, 2012 How N.Y. Politicians Have Reacted to Muslim Surveillance Associated Press reporter Matt Apuzzo and Ray Suarez discuss how elected officials from the New York City area have reacted to the revelations about New York police tactics for monitoring local Muslims.

	Feb. 10, 2012 After Uproar, Obama Revises Contraception Rule Under mounting pressure, the Obama administration today proposed an "accommodation" to a mandate that religious groups cover employee birth control free-of-charge.

	Feb. 9, 2012 Can White House, Religious Leaders, GOP Reach Consensus on Birth Control? A new birth control mandate was under duress this week as Roman Catholic officials said it violated Church teachings and Republicans said it threatened religious freedom. Ray Suarez discusses the rule with Anthony Picarello of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Methodist Federation for Social Action's Jill Warren.

	Feb. 8, 2012 How Significant Were Santorum's 3 Victories? Rick Santorum was projected to move into second place in the GOP nomination delegate count after scoring wins in three states Tuesday. Gwen Ifill and Christina Bellantoni examine the new state of play in the Republican race, then Judy Woodruff and senior Santorum strategist John Brabender discuss his candidate's campaign.

	Feb. 6, 2012 Obama Administration, Catholic Leaders Clash Over Contraception Mandate Catholic leaders are pushing back against a new Department of Health and Human Services ruling requiring employers who offer health insurance to provide contraception free of charge. While churches are exempt from the rules, Catholic hospitals and universities must comply. Betty Ann Bowser reports on the controversy.