Part two of a five-part series exploring religious America: Today, just over half of all Americans are Protestants, worshipping in 300,000 congregations, in many hundreds of denominations — and, often, apart from any denomination. Part two reports on the experiences of being a mainline Protestant, an evangelical, and part of the black Church. More →

March 3, 2002

Some devout Muslims believe the Koran forbids them from paying any interest. So when preparing to make a large purchase such as a house, they seek out not a lender, but a partner. Although not common, some financial institutions exist that allow customers to finance purchases in a way compliant with shariah law. More →

February 8, 2002

Read commentary on human cloning, gene therapy, and other ethical issues from five members of President Bush’s Council on Bioethics. More →

January 18, 2002

In France, the government has stepped into a furor over whether there is or should be a right not to be born. The highest court implied there should be, but the National Assembly said no. The issue came to a head when the court awarded money on behalf of a handicapped child, saying that he could claim damages because doctors had not detected his disability in the womb. More →

January 18, 2002

Hanukkah is a holiday of freedom, recalling the successful Jewish revolt against the Syrians who had conquered and occupied Jerusalem. We heard the story at the home of Rabbi Bentzion Geisinsky, in Potomac, Maryland. More →

December 7, 2001

Missionary work is something of a rite of passage in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Over the course of 18 months to two years, young men and women will work 16 hours a day, six days a week. On average, each one will convert ten persons during that period. But with 60,000 missionaries in the field, that is enough to produce 300,000 new converts a year. More →

August 3, 2001

While a Bris, or circumcision ritual, has been the traditional way for Jews to welcome baby boys into the covenant, many families are now creating rituals to welcome their baby daughters. More →

June 22, 2001

To average Catholics, it may be hard to imagine their priest with a wife and children. But, to a limited extent, it is already happening. More →

June 22, 2001

In some African coutries, more than a quarter of the adult population is infected with HIV/AIDS. But in Senegal, a largely Muslim country, the rate of infection is barely one percent. More →

March 23, 2001

Pope John Paul II “did not want a monument that was just dedicated to himself, but rather an institution that really focused in on our teaching role within the Church,” says Rev. G. Michael Bugarin, director of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C. More →

March 23, 2001