Government Archives

Lawmaker’s invocation reignites dispute over prayer in AZ House

Apr 24, 2017

Arizona House Majority Leader John Allen issued an informal directive this year defining what constitutes a prayer. It should be “short, focused on a higher power, and serve no political platform.” That definition of prayer is not agreed to by all the representatives leading to tension.

Let’s face it: There’s nothing unbiased about secularism

Jan 7, 2017

In the public forum, secularism presents itself as a neutral space, a type of safe answer to the challenge of pluralism. In truth, however, secularism is a partisan system which is intolerant of transcendence and lacking in true acceptance of religious creed or spiritual experience.

Pope Francis turns down $1 million donation by Argentine government
- Jun 16, 2016
After Pope Francis spurned a $1 million donation from the government of Argentine President Mauricio Macri, some are styling it a deliberate snub, some say it’s just Francis being Francis, and still others think the pope said no because the amount in Argentinian Pesos contains the Biblical number “666.”

By Inés San Martín
German Catholics petition state to reinstate God references in constitution
- Oct 14, 2014
BERLIN – Germany’s Roman Catholics are launching a campaign to reinstate references to God in the preamble to the newly drafted constitution of the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Last week, the state parliament voted with a two-thirds majority to exclude mention of God from the new constitution, becoming the seventh

By Religion News Service
NY governor wants to create faith-based services agency
- Oct 10, 2014
ALBANY, N.Y. – New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he wants to create a new state Office of Faith-Based Community Services. The Democratic governor announced his plan Thursday night in Harlem during remarks to a convention of the United Missionary Baptist Association. The agency would help religious organizations and houses

By Associated Press