By Daniel Burke Religion News Service (RNS) Despite a deep drop in the number of Americans who identify with a particular faith, the country could...

The religious neutrality in our schools is, I would argue, one of our strengths. Teachers cannot inhibit or deride religion. But this does not mean that we've taken God out of public schools.

I am not suggesting that the IRS necessarily wipe out all current distinctions between various kinds of not-for-profit organizations, but it does seem reasonable to suggest that we would all benefit from a greater degree of transparency from religious organizations.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A disagreement over the ownership of a set of Torah finial bells from Colonial times that is worth millions has led to duelin...

There is only one U.S. religious group that is expected to grow to 100 million adherents by the middle of the century. Yet, to hear some critics, one might think the Catholic Church is slowly sinking in the U.S. religious landscape.

Happy 36th Kwanzaa! Celebrated in the week between Christmas and the new year (Dec. 26-Jan. 1), Kwanzaa is based on seven principles: unity, self-d...

Certain individuals usher us into great moments in our lives. I was a guest speaker at a Kentucky campus in the early 1960s when, to my surprise, I received an invitation to visit one of the world's renowned religious leaders, Thomas Merton.

Common folks within the church now read the Bible for themselves to decipher what is truth. The church was pushed out of the business of having the trademark of truth. The biggest challenge for the church now is postmodernism.

Jihad, Jihadi, jihadist, even -- most ridiculous of all -- counter-jihadist. These labels are used by laypeople and journalists alike, often using jihad as a synonym for "any violence undertaken by Muslims." So what does jihad really mean?

For religious communities in America, our message is simple: To be religious in the 21^st century means you have to be inter-religious. 

Each of us can decide whether we will feed conflict or feed peace. As Americans, we can play the role of bridge-builder, innovator, bringing together parties in conflict -- to listen to the pain and grief that are embedded in stories currently in circulation.

Many of us are shocked every time we hear it, but this type of thinking -- to blame the victim while claiming to read the mind of God -- is not a new thing.

Today, it is apparently easier to place King back in history than to live with what he still has to say. But when it comes to peace and justice, MLK is as unyielding in death as he was in life.

Public expressions of discontent simply add to the negative impressions of Christians as insensitive, whiny and -- let's be honest -- jerks.

I do not at all care how often the word "Christmas" is (not) used by politicians, entertainers or my local barista. As a Christian, I do not think that it is our God-given right to display Christian symbols on public land as if we have claimed the U.S. as Jesus' primary mailing address.

It is one thing to wish someone a "happy holidays" in reference to the multitude of secular and religious winter holidays. It is quite another to declare that an evergreen tree is a universal holiday symbol.

The discovery of a cohort of "Mixed Religion" adherents in the U.K. serves as a reminder that the demographic reality of religious double-belonging among adults can no longer be ignored.

Every year as a kid in the 1960s my family celebrated Christmas as a festive holiday. The funny part of this to some of my friends is that my family was Jewish. Why not enjoy all the holidays during December?

Bias hurts both the general public and specific communities. The American Muslim community, in particular, has been exploring new ways of addressing Islamophobia -- the irrational fear of Muslims.

Ancient Christian saints, theologians and evangelists would be horrified that those who claim to stand for tradition have forgotten the most important aspect of it. Jesus Christ was not born that human beings would spend December shopping or saying, "Merry Christmas."

What has happened to us as a nation that it is so rare and courageous for a Christian to speak the truth of the Christian tradition in public life and challenge us to do better for the poor?

The Bible, with its vision of men one day beating swords into ploughshares and its promise of a future of eternal peace, sees war as savagery in every case but self-defense. The men of Arthur's roundtable may be born for adventure. But the biblical knight of faith is born for service.

Strangely, those who most want us to "remain" a Christian nation are those most opposed to the principles of Jesus: Welcome strangers. Love your neighbor. Feed the hungry. Care for the battered and sick, those with disabilities, the outcast, the imprisoned and the oppressed.