# Religion

Christians Respond to Muslim Leaders' Historic Letter

A 29-page letter (pdf document) drafted by 138 prominent Muslim leaders to leaders of the world's Christian churches has been met with enthusiasm and encouragement.The historic Muslim document, entitled, "A Common Word Between Us and You," received a warm embrace from leaders of the Yale Divinity School in the form of a response that has been cosigned by the Harvard and Princeton seminaries...

# Religion

Church Meets $1 Million Katrina Goal

"Parishioners at Fountain Baptist Church in a New York City suburb reached their goal this month: to raise $1 million for communities hit by Hurricane Katrina. It is one of the largest amounts ever raised by a single U.S. church."

# Religion

Homeless Memorial Service Encourages Hope

"Believing it's important to bring awareness to the homeless plight, especially the homeless veterans, the Luzerne County Homeless Coalition held its second annual Homeless Memorial Service at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church."

# Religion

In Memorial: Maharishi Passes on in 91st Year

The founder and leader of the Transcendental Meditation movement, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 91, has passed on, leaving behind some five million followers worldwide. The one-time spiritual advisor to the Beatles taught that people could achieve inner peace by meditating twice a day in half hour sessions.

# Religion

Former Gang Rivals Embrace Each Other in Ministry Outreach

The California Cease Fire Ministry, run by ex-gang members, successfully persuades California's murderous Latino gangs to embrace each other and rebuild their lives in the church.

# Religion

Saved by… the Bible

Two Gideon Bibles in the shirt pocket of a man in Jacksonville saved him from a bullet as he exited a Christian outreach organization he runs.

# Religion

Vatican, Muslim Clerics Lay Groundwork For Landmark Talks

For a second day, Muslim and Catholic leaders sat down at the Vatican in Rome yesterday for talks to pave the way for what some are billing a historic meeting of the faiths later this year. The preparatory talks by five Muslim leaders and five Vatican officials are the result of a Muslim call for dialogue.

# Religion

Polish Priest Wins Templeton Prize for Uniting Science and Religion

Michael Heller, a Polish Roman Catholic priest and cosmologist whose intellectual and religious life has been grounded in the insights of both science and religion, has won the 2008 Templeton Prize, believed to be the largest yearly monetary award given to a single individual.