Religion

The proposed statutes are "disastrous not only for women and religious and gender minorities, but for all Indonesians," said Human Rights Watch.

"We feel deeply for Isaac, Negede, and Paulos, who have suffered harsh conditions for more than half their lives," a church spokesperson told Newsweek.

The men were convicted of being part of "an extremist organization," but church leaders insist they were jailed "for their peaceful Christian worship."

"That's real smart strategy... Mock and make fun of everybody who believes that God is powerful," she said at MSNBC's Climate Forum 2020 on Thursday evening.

Sean Cormie and his boyfriend, Gary Gardner, attended service to make Cormie's family proud. Now they want the church shuttered for good.

"Thoughts and prayers for others should be employed selectively," says an economist behind a new study on the value of the phrase.

"We cannot minister to every victim who comes forward and help them out if we don't go this route," said Bishop Salvatore Matano.

Rwandan gospel singer Albert Nabonibo, 35, says he's faced "horrible" rejection from family, friends and strangers alike.

"I couldn't stay silent anymore," said one student. "I would like to see President Falwell address this himself and for there to be an investigation into the allegations."

During the Day of Ashura, Shiite Muslims engage in acts of self-flagellation, cutting, chest-beating and face-slapping.

"It is illegal for coaches to organize or participate in religious activities with students, including baptisms," the Freedom From Religion Foundation wrote to the school superintendent.

Church United founder James Domen claims his ministry "helps pastors counsel others that are on their own journey toward a heterosexual identity."

Cesar Gonzales' family promised to keep a lock of his hair uncut if he recovered from meningitis. The Mathis Independent School District, however, claims his long, thin braid is a violation of school dress code.

Lawyers for the alleged victims call Monsignor Otto Garcia a "fixer" for pedophile priests and "the Michael Cohen of the Brooklyn Diocese."

A dozen leaders of a California church are charged with subjecting dozens of homeless people to forced labor. "Human trafficking robs victims of their most basic human rights," said FBI agent Scott Brunner.

"Loving Jesus doesn't always cure suicidal thoughts," Wilson tweeted on Monday. "Loving Jesus doesn't always cure depression."

"Let's get out where the people are, where the students are [and] take this golf cart out and do confessions on the go," said Father Patrick Baikauskas, who runs a campus ministry at Purdue University.

The pharmacist testified that male circumcision has "great religious and cultural significance" to Christianity.

"I have always believed we should look at polygamy more subjectively," says Khawla Al Ali, a woman running for the legislature in the United Arab Emirates.

Mindar, a gender-neutral android that presides at the 400-year old Kodaji Temple in Kyoto, cost about $1 million to produce.

Staff and clergy at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church report a painting of the Blessed Virgin was weeping tears.

"For socialism to rise and really take root, they've got to get rid of religious liberty," Todd Starnes claimed. "They've got to take away the foundation of this country."

The announcement of a religious-freedom bill comes three months after rugby player Israel Folau was fired for claiming "Hell awaits" gay people.

According to the Israeli Health Ministry, more than 4,300 people were infected with measles between July 2018 and July 2019. Is another surge coming this month?

By focusing on politics and war, rather than culture, education and religion, newspapers "may make it harder for readers to see Muslims as part of mainstream American society," say researchers at Middlebury College.

"He lived the Christian convictions of his upbringing in his faith," said an attorney for John Good. "Now the government charges that [his] religious convictions, when put into active expression in life, are felonies."

Focus on the Family founder James Dobson has argued gays and lesbians can be cured and find "wholeness in their newfound heterosexuality."

Leaders of two congregations that met inside Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue oppose prosecutor's request for the death penalty against Robert Bowers, charged with killing 11 people inside the temple on October 27, 2018.

Charles Thomas Sebesta was arrested Monday on a federal grand jury indictment; Sebesta is accused of using over $11 million of church money for personal expenses.

Monsignor Joseph McLoone joined St. Joseph Catholic Church outside Philadelphia in 2011, after his predecessor was charged with concealing parish priests' child sex abuse accusations.