Dec 25th, 2008 · Host Alex Cohen talks with Kevin Eckstrom, editor of Religion News Service, and David Kuo, former deputy director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, about how President-elect Obama plans to utilize the initiative. Cohen also talks with Lori Lipman Brown, the director of Secular Coalition for America, about the role secular values will play in the next administration.
Dec 23rd, 2008 · While others are lighting Hanukkah candles and decorating Christmas trees, atheists and humanists are holding their own December celebrations. The secular holiday is known as HumanLight. And while there are no set traditions, many of these gatherings use familiar rituals such as singing and candle lighting to highlight reason and human achievement.
Dec 4th, 2008 · The Bible has gotten a makeover: Two new editions target a young — even secular — audience. One is a slick, illustrated version of the New Testament; the other is an environmentally-friendly edition that takes advantage of the popularity of the green movement.
Nov 12th, 2008 · Jerusalem's new mayor, Nir Barkat, is a high-tech entrepreneur who defeated an ultra-Orthodox rabbi in a contest that underscored the divisions between Jerusalem's secular Jews and the ultra-Orthodox community.
Jul 31st, 2008 · The highest court in Turkey narrowly voted against disbanding the ruling party Wednesday. The party had been accused of trying to impose Islamic law. Turkey's population is overwhelmingly Muslim, but the country has long had a strict secular system of government.
Jul 28th, 2008 · Two bombs went off Sunday in a crowded neighborhood of Istanbul, Turkey. It was the deadliest attack against civilians in Turkey in five years, and it happened on the eve of court deliberations on whether to ban the Islamic-oriented ruling party for allegedly trying to undermine secularism.
Jun 11th, 2008 · Novelist Ron Hansen is best known for his tales of Western bandits and whiskey runners, but he claims his inspiration for these unsavory characters is divine. The author of Exiles discusses writing, faith and his status as a Catholic deacon in a secular literary world.
Apr 14th, 2008 · Pope Benedict XVI arrives in the United States on Tuesday for his first papal visit. He comes with a reputation as a rigid enforcer of dogma, but the German-born pontiff may receive a much warmer welcome here than he has been getting in increasingly secularized Europe.