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December 29th, 2011
04:06 AM ET
Nigerian churches call Christmas bombings 'declaration of war'By Soni Irabor for CNN Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) - Nigeria's Christians are losing faith that the government will protect them from attacks by Islamic extremists and will "respond appropriately" to future killings, the country's leading church group warned Wednesday. In a public message to President Goodluck Jonathan, the Christian Association of Nigeria called the Christmas Day targeting of churches in several cities "a declaration of war on Christians and Nigeria as an entity." The group also criticized its Muslim counterparts for failing to condemn the Islamic militants blamed for Sunday's attacks, calling their responses "unacceptable." "The Christian community is fast losing confidence in government's ability to protect our rights to religious liberties and life," its president, Pentecostal pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, said in the statement. "The consensus is that the Christian community nationwide would be left with no other option than to respond appropriately if there are any further attacks on our members, churches and properties." FULL STORY
December 28th, 2011
12:34 PM ET
Police storm Church of the Nativity to break up brawling priestsFrom Enas Muthaffar and Kevin Flower, CNN Several dozen Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests were cleaning the interior of the church Wednesday morning when, according to witnesses, two of them began fighting. The fight quickly escalated, and soon, 50 to 60 priests were exchanging blows with broomsticks.  American Jews as a group are becoming more ethnically diverse due to intermarriage, immigration, adoption and conversion.
December 28th, 2011
12:08 PM ET
Increasing diversity redefining America's JewryBy Stephanie Siek, CNN (CNN) – "But you don’t look Jewish," Jen Chau remembers being told often as a child. But then again, what is a Jew supposed to look like? The usual implication in those words was that it was not supposed to look like Chau, who was raised Jewish by her European-American mother and Chinese father. "I still think society's idea of a Jew is someone who looks like Jerry Seinfeld or Woody Allen," said Chau, 34. "They don’t look at someone like me and think, 'Oh, she could be Jewish.'" But the face of Judaism in America is changing, as the community becomes more diverse through intermarriage, adoption, immigration and conversion. Read the full story here from CNN's In America Blog
December 28th, 2011
04:31 AM ET
Belief Blog's Morning Speed Read for Wednesday, December 28
By Dan Merica, CNN Here's the Belief Blog’s morning rundown of the top faith-angle stories from around the United States and around the world. Click the headlines for the full stories. From the Blog: CNN: Korean American pastor seeks reunification through humanitarian aid CNN: Charismatic movement growing quickly worldwide
December 27th, 2011
05:48 PM ET
Korean American pastor seeks reunification through humanitarian aidBy Stan Wilson and Casey Wian, CNN Los Angeles (CNN)–When Chang Soon Lee reflects on his childhood years in North Korea, his joy quickly turns to deep sadness. Like millions of Koreans caught in the middle of the Korean War in the early 1950s, Chang at the age of 15 was forced to flee his native homeland. His father, a prominent minister who survived World War II, disappeared just days after communist-led forces invaded Pyongyang. "After the (World War II) liberation of Korea, my father often visited churches and preached but one day we waited for him and he never returned home," says Chang.
December 27th, 2011
02:09 PM ET
Charismatic movement growing quickly worldwideBy Stacey Samuel, CNN Laurel, Maryland (CNN) - At the end of a row of neatly arranged banquet chairs, Sandra Ashford sat reverently, still in awe of what she says is her mother’s miraculous recovery from cervical spinal stenosis. “If it wasn’t my mother,” Ashford said, “I wouldn’t believe it." She explained how after a “laying of hands,” her 74-year-old mother, Delsie McDougall, no longer experiences the symptoms from what was becoming a debilitating condition. When she arrived in early December from her native Jamaica in search of treatment options, McDougall said, she couldn’t “walk straight.” When her neurologist prescribed surgery, she sought an alternative, one more in keeping with her faith.
December 27th, 2011
01:42 PM ET
Reward offered for fugitive pastorBy Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor (CNN) - A pastor on the lam from Las Vegas now has a price on his head. Otis Holland, the 55-year-old former pastor of United Faith Church, skipped court appearances and has been missing for a year. He was accused of sexually assaulting teenage congregants, CNN affiliate KLAS reported. A $10,000 reward has been offered for information about the former pastor.  Judas, the Holy Spirit, Doomsday, Islam in America, and biblical authorship were just some of the topics tackled in "My Take."
December 27th, 2011
12:35 PM ET
My Take: 2011 year in reviewBy Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor (CNN)–2011 brought a host of My Takes here at the Belief Blog. It was a chance to hear from people on a broad range of topics that touched on matters of faith. Submissions came in from across the religious spectrum and regularly sparked the most comments on the site. Our top ten My Takes for 2011, in no particular order, focused on Judas, the Holy Spirit, Doomsday, Islam in America, and biblical authorship.
December 27th, 2011
04:31 AM ET
Belief Blog's Morning Speed Read for Tuesday, December 27
By Dan Merica, CNN Here's the Belief Blog’s morning rundown of the top faith-angle stories from around the United States and around the world. Click the headlines for the full stories. From the Blog:  Our top five stories for 2011, in no particular order, focused on a U.S. senator, a Muslim congressman, a recovering atheist alcoholic, a labyrinth walker, and an unlikely patriot. CNN: My Faith: 2011 year in review CNN: Ulta-Orthodox demands spark debate in Israel A Muslim convert, an unlikely patriot, a U.S. senator, an atheist recovering alcoholic, and a labyrinth walker all share "My Faith."
December 26th, 2011
02:36 PM ET
My Faith: 2011 year in reviewBy Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor (CNN)–This year, here at the Belief Blog, one of our most popular features was My Faith. It was a chance for people to explore and explain their faith - or faithlessness. There were submissions from across the religious spectrum and a host of comments from our loyal readers. Our top five stories for 2011, in no particular order, focused on a U.S. senator, a Muslim congressman, a recovering alcoholic who's an atheist, a labyrinth walker, and an unlikely patriot. |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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