Rev. Miriam Gentle is the pastor at Northwest United Protestant Church in Richland, Wash. (Credit: Anna King / NWPB) Listen (Runtime 3:27) Read Religious leaders east of the Cascades in […]Read More
As people gather for the holidays, some use the opportunity to discuss difficult but important family topics. That includes what folks want to happen when they die and how they want to be remembered. Often when a death occurs, the next of kin hands the arrangements over to a funeral director in the moment of grief and stress. But some families are choosing to stay with the Read More
Christians, Jews, Sikhs and Quakers go to Olympia mosque to show support after explosion. People of many faiths gathered outside the Islamic Center of Olympia before Friday prayers to demonstrate […]Read More
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday sided with Catholic Social Services in a battle that pitted religious freedom against anti-discrimination laws in Philadelphia and across the country. Read More
For the fifth time, the U.S. Supreme Court has sided with religious adherents and against California's COVID-19 restrictions. This time, the court barred the state from enforcing a rule that for now limits both religious and non-religious gatherings in homes to no more than three households.Read More
The Roman Catholic Church cannot bless same-sex marriages, no matter how stable or positive the couples' relationships are, the Vatican said on Monday. The message, approved by Pope Francis, came in response to questions about whether the church should reflect the increasing social and legal acceptance of same-sex unions.Read More
The Equality Act, which would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, has twice passed the House. Republicans in the Senate have until now blocked its consideration, but Democratic control there should finally ensure at least a hearing.Read More
Pope Francis has touched down in Iraq for the first-ever papal visit to the predominantly Muslim country, beginning a four-day visit in Baghdad, where yellow and white Vatican flags and likenesses of the pontiff flutter above hastily weeded traffic circles.Read More
During the early decades of the 20th century, Mark Matthews became one of the most powerful religious leaders in the United States. His Seattle congregation was the largest Presbyterian church in the world with more than 10,000 members at its peak.Read More
Justices said the Gov. Andrew Cuomo's executive order limiting attendance in places of worship violates the First Amendment.Read More
Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, D.C., is among 13 church leaders who will be elevated to cardinal at a ceremony at the Vatican next month.Read More
When young composers explore old musical formulas, exciting things can happen. Mass for the Endangered is a contemporary twist on an ancient tradition. Read More
In 1965, two young fans heard the jazz giant John Coltrane play at a San Francisco club and had a religious epiphany. Their church is an idiosyncratic and joyful blend of devotion to the divine — and to jazz.Read More
The debate over whether a Spokane religious group can hold services in front of a Planned Parenthood facility is getting so loud and heated that it is headed toward a courtroom, where noise ordinances, the right to health care and the First Amendment are all likely to be debated.Read More
The TV series, which debuted on the streaming service this month, has sparked debates about colorism, classism and caste-ism.Read More
The opinion upheld a Trump administration rule that significantly cut back on the Affordable Care Act requirement that insurers provide free birth control coverage under almost all health care plans.Read More
"He did not pray. He did not offer a word of balm or condolence to those who are grieving," says the bishop who oversees the church. Washington's mayor was more direct: "Shameful!"Read More
Former Vice President Joe Biden visits a predominantly African American church in his hometown, at times taking notes as community leaders offer suggestions for how to address racial inequality.Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is allowing religious services to resume – but with restrictions. In Phase 1 counties, outdoor services with up to 100 people are now allowed. In counties approved for Phase 2, indoor services are allowed at 25-percent capacity or with fewer than 50 people, whichever is less.Read More
The pair of cases is the second time in less than a decade that the court has been asked to consider arguments involving discrimination lawsuits from teachers fired by parochial schools.Read More
Some see government bans on large public gatherings as attacks on religious freedom when they are applied to houses of worship.Read More
The new Netflix series was inspired by Deborah Feldman's best-selling memoir about ending her arranged marriage. In the TV adaptation, the young woman leaves her home in Brooklyn and moves to Berlin.Read More
Climate change isn’t a new topic for progressive churches like Shalom United Church of Christ in Richland. But it is perhaps tinged with new urgency. Survey results from the Pew Research Center show that congregations are delving into environmental awareness recently. And so are farmers.Read More
The dedication at the Washington National Cathedral of an official Bible of the new U.S. Space Force is being criticized as a violation of laws separating church and state.Read More
The unanimous Montana Supreme Court decision found that religious institutions are not always obligated to report child sexual abuse to authorities due to an exemption in Montana state law.Read More
A group of leaders from the United Methodist Church announced a plan Friday to split the Protestant denomination over its beliefs on same-sex marriage and LGBTQ clergy. Read More
Pope Francis recently opened the door to the possibility of women as deacons in the Catholic Church. Some women have sought official recognition for the ministries they already perform.Read More
Even before the synod began, traditionalists were angered by the suggestion that, to offset a shortage of priests in the Amazon, married men might be ordained to serve in remote communities.Read More
The hit comedy follows teenagers in a Catholic school in the 1990s. Even with The Troubles as the backdrop, it's "put Northern Ireland on the map for all the right reasons," says one Derry Girls fan.Read More
As the percentage of Americans who belong to a church, mosque or synagogue declines, congregations are selling their buildings. Some of those former houses of worship are finding new life.Read More
The high court's conservative majority sided with those advocating for "religious freedom" in a win for groups like the American Legion.Read More
The largest Protestant denomination in the U.S. faces allegations of sexual abuse by ministers and controversy over its opposition to women preachIng in church.Read More
Three men and a 16-year-old youth have been arrested and authorities say 20 weapons and three improvised explosive devices have been seized. The alleged target was Islamberg, outside Rochester.Read More
A suspicious fire early Friday morning destroyed the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Lacey, Washington. If confirmed as arson, this would be the sixth attack on the faith in Thurston County this year.Read More
John Allen Chau, a 26-year-old American missionary, was killed when he sneaked onto an island in the Bay of Bengal. For centuries, the islanders have resisted all contact with the outside world. Read More
A man in Oregon says he was fired from a construction job because he did not want to attend weekly Bible study meetings.Read More
A panel of lay advisers to U.S. Catholic bishops sees a "systemic problem" in the church that can only be addressed independently of Catholic authorities.Read More
![The Islamic Center of Tri Cities (ICTC) hosted 400 people for Eid-al Fitr this year. Hala Abdelall (left) is a volunteer who helped organize the festivities and Ridha Mabruki [right] is the President of the center. The ICTC plans to expand this year with 10 additional classrooms and a bigger prayer hall for the growing community. CREDIT: ESMY JIMENEZ/NWPB](https://www.nwpb.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Eid_Tri_Cities_CREDIT_-_ESMY_JIMENEZ-1140x620.jpg)
The Islamic Center of Tri-Cities hosted around 400 people for Eid-al Fitr June 15, marking the end of Ramadan. To celebrate, the Center hosted an event complete with food, bounce houses for kids, and even pony rides. Read More
What began as a hopeful experiment spiraled into a historic battle between a new-age spiritual group, their rural neighbors — and eventually the federal government.Read More
Billy Graham, the most famous minister of his era, died Wednesday at his home in Montreat, N.C. In his 99 years, Graham changed the face of evangelical Christianity in America.Read More
Comments Donald Trump made on the campaign trail led to concerns that he would create a database to track Muslims in the U.S.. In a unanimous vote Tuesday, the Washington state House has said “no” to cooperating with such an effort.Read More
