As It Happens

USA TODAY
Obama Weighed Religious Politics Before Contraceptive Decision
BusinessWeek
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, a Catholic and a two-term governor of Kansas, was joined by several female Obama advisers in urging against a broad exemption for religious organizations. To do so would leave too many women ...
White House contraception rule at risk of angering Catholics in NovemberPhiladelphia Inquirer
Obama against the CatholicsNew York Daily News
White House seeks to soothe concerns over contraception ruleWashington Post (blog)
Politico -Chicago Tribune -Statesman Journal
all 1,420 news articles »

A bad move for religion's sake
Albany Times Union (blog)
In the name of religion, religious freedom is on the line. Our nation's founders knew that religion was not just another pastime, but something special. So special, in fact, that they devoted the first words of the First Amendment of the Constitution ...

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Daily Beast
Prop 8's Aftermath: With Gay Rights, Religion Still Lags
Daily Beast
Since I've come out, I have made it my artistic mission to be an example for gay youth who feel the isolation and fear of growing up gay in intensely religious or homophobic environments. Almost 20 years later, last week, as I was hopping into a cab ...

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USA TODAY
White House contraception rule at risk of angering Catholics in November
Philadelphia Inquirer
By Thomas Fitzgerald Just when employment and the president's job-approval numbers were ticking upward, a new Obama administration mandate has sparked an uproar over religious freedom that risks alienating American Catholics, a key group of swing ...
Obama against the CatholicsNew York Daily News
White House seeks to soothe concerns over contraception ruleWashington Post (blog)
Obama risks Catholic vote with birth-control mandateChicago Tribune
Huffington Post -Media Matters for America -Reuters
all 1,381 news articles »

John M. Barry: A Puritan's 'war against religion'
Times Herald-Record
By John M. Barry In January, while conservative Christians and GOP presidential candidates were charging that "elites" have launched "a war against religion," a federal court in Rhode Island ordered a public school to remove a prayer mounted on a wall ...
Ala. school defends Bible assembliesOneNewsNow

all 2 news articles »

Catholic News Agency
Crossroads for freedom of religion
News & Observer
Even atheists recognize that such a mandate would violate the First Amendment's protection of religious freedom. Yet a similar intrusion has occurred via the Obama administration's decision that Catholic institutions, such as universities, ...
Obama Admin Silenced Catholic Army Chaplain on New MandateLifeNews.com
New Federal Healthcare Regs Affecting US Army Catholics, ChaplainsNCTechNews (press release)
Archbishop to US Troops: Obamacare Reg 'Is a Blow to Freedom'Catholic Online
Human Events
all 27 news articles »

Religious, spiritual knowledge can provide positives for all people
BG News
by Bobby Waddle When people ask me about religion, I often tell them that I simply don't think about it - I prefer to live my life in the moment and worry about the spiritual realm later. In proclaiming my agnosticism, however, I am still taking my own ...

Telegraph.co.uk
Romney's Mormon faith still an issue
The Detroit News
(Brandy Baker / The Detroit News) Detroit— Mitt Romney's front-runner status in the race for the GOP presidential nomination has once again raised questions about his religion and voters' acceptance of his candidacy. While polls show a decline in ...
Jack R. Van Der Slik: Christians, others, have an obligation to understand ...TCPalm
Romney's faith a bonus rather than deciding factorIrish Times
Mitt's prerogativeThe Economist (blog)
CBS News -News24 -New Statesman (blog)
all 124 news articles »

Editorial: A bad move for religion's sake
Albany Times Union
Our nation's founders knew that religion was not just another pastime, but something special. So special, in fact, that they devoted the first words of the First Amendment of the Constitution to protecting it — and guarding against its misuse.

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Charlotte Observer
Let's keep religion out of politics
Charlotte Observer
Is it also necessary that our religious beliefs match those of the candidate we endorse? It would seem so, especially after Mormon Mitt Romney entered the Bible Belt last month and was handily defeated by Protestant Newt Gingrich.

USA TODAY
Gay-marriage amendment would exclude religious-school chapels
The Seattle Times
Although the same-sex-marriage bill the House will vote on Wednesday is more accommodating to religion than the version introduced in the Senate, some worry it still doesn't go far enough. By Lornet Turnbull Is it too much to expect the truth on this?
Safety net of marriage should be for everyoneHeraldNet
Take Two #17: What do we mean by 'Marriage?'Westseattleherald.com
Growing Public Support for Same-Sex MarriagePew Research Center for the People and the Press

all 200 news articles »

Politico
End these health mandates now
Politico
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as the “Obamacare” statute, tramples on religious liberty and makes it likely that employees of many religious institutions will lose their group health insurance.
Many Faiths Unite in Opposition to Obama Attack on Religious LibertyHeritage.org (blog)
No One is Safe Under ObamaCareLubbockOnline.com (blog)
Obamacare Awakens a Sleeping GiantThe Moral Liberal

all 28 news articles »

Ebonyi inaugurates 50-man inter-religious council committee
Nigerian Tribune
Desirous of enhancing peaceful co-existence among the religious groups in the state, the Ebonyi State government has inaugurated a 50-man Nigeria Inter-religious Council Committee (NIREC), with a charge to faithful to tolerate the ideals and ...

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White House defends contraception rules as criticism mounts
Reuters
David Axelrod, a senior campaign adviser to President Barack Obama, said the administration had heard the Roman Catholic Church's concerns and never intended to "abridge anyone's religious freedom." But he gave no sign that the administration would ...

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Los Angeles Times (blog)
White House says it will work with religious groups on birth control rule
Los Angeles Times (blog)
“We're going to continue to work with religious groups to try to allay their concerns as we implement a policy that provides this coverage to women across the country,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters in the daily briefing.
White House seeks to soothe concerns over contraception ruleWashington Post (blog)
Obama risks Catholic vote with birth-control mandateChicago Tribune
New administration rule on birth-control coverage triggers uproarPhiladelphia Inquirer
Grand Forks Herald -Huffington Post -Media Matters for America
all 1,362 news articles »

White House will 'work with' religious groups on birth control rule
Chicago Tribune
“We're going to continue to work with religious groups to try to allay their concerns as we implement a policy that provides this coverage to women across the country,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters in the daily briefing.

USA TODAY
Religious leaders call Prop 8 ruling 'insult' or 'victory'
USA TODAY
That's how some major religious voices responded Tuesday when the 9th Circuit Court upheld a lower court ruling that overturned California's ban on gay marriage, Proposition 8. Those who back same-sex marriage, however, were quick and gleeful in public ...
Prop 8: Why 18000 Is The Critical NumberABC News (blog)
Romney, Gingrich blast Prop 8 rulingCBS News
Prop 8 Decision: You Don't Get a SayYahoo! Contributors Network
Big Government -U.S. News & World Report (blog)
all 2,876 news articles »

USA TODAY
In shift, White House to seek to allay concerns of religious employers on ...
Washington Post
WASHINGTON — Hammered by Republicans and the Catholic Church, the White House hinted at compromise Tuesday as it struggled to calm an election-year uproar caused by its rule requiring religious schools and hospitals to provide employees with access to ...
Obama Seeks Deal on Birth ControlWall Street Journal
Obama risks Catholic vote with birth-control mandateChicago Tribune
New administration rule on birth-control coverage triggers uproarPhiladelphia Inquirer
New York Times (blog) -Reuters
all 1,126 news articles »

ABC News
Catholic Church ready to declare war on Obama
RT
Responding to the Obama-mandated health insurance policies, Catholic leaders throughout America are outraged over what is being perceived by some as a serious assault on their religion. Under Obama's health care plan, Catholic hospitals and ...
Gingrich Blasts Obama's Birth Control Policy as 'Outrageous Assault' on ReligionABC News
Catholic leaders: contraception mandate attacks religious freedomWBIR-TV
Kathleen Sebelius: Contraception rule respects religionUSA TODAY
Commonweal (blog) -San Francisco Chronicle -Orlando Sentinel
all 943 news articles »

Religious Freedom, Supreme Court Wayback Edition
Esquire (blog)
By Charles P. Pierce Since the topic for today seems to be "religious liberty" as defined by various columnists and cable-news stars, maybe we should fire up the Wayback Machine and take a look at a case that went all the way to the Supreme Court, ...

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