# Religion

Comfort Food Delivered for Families Dealing with Birth or Death

Thanks to Quail Lakes Baptist Church in Stockton, CA, and a host of 60 meal delivery volunteers, the load is lightened for families who would otherwise need to prepare meals at critical times, like after a newborn joined the family or before funerals.

# Religion

Muslims Encouraging Christmas Celebrations in UK Schools

"Muslim leaders join the U.K. Commission for Equality and Human Rights in urging Britons to enjoy Christmas, and not worry about offending non-Christians. The urging comes amid reports of schools cancelling nativity plays in order not to offend Muslims and students of other religions."

# Religion

Evolution Celebration Among Clergy Says Dichotomy Between Faith and Science is False

A growing number of churches view Charles Darwin's 200th birthday this week and the 150th anniversary of his seminal work The Origin of Species as something to celebrate. More than 900 congregations in the U.S. and elsewhere are signed up for Evolution Weekend 2009, held on this day as an annual event.

# Religion

Bishops Urge Cutting Back on Carbon for Lent

Bishops in London and Liverpool are championing a new kind of 40-day fast calling on Britons to cut back on carbon, rather than chocolate or alcohol, for the Christian period of Lent this year.

# Religion

What Iran's Jews say

Iran is home to the largest jewish community in the Middle East and the reality of Iranian warmth toward Jews in its midst tells us a lot about the country, its sophistication and culture.

# Religion

Intended to Incite, Irish Killings Draw Former Enemies Together

Former enemies filed into the church on Friday to mourn as one at the funeral of a slain policeman. It is the latest and most powerful demonstration of the ways in which Northern Ireland's people and its leaders have united against a return to the violence that racked the province for 30 years.

# Religion

Palm Sunday Goes Green With Fair-Trade Fronds

Christian churches in the U.S. are turning over a new leaf for Palm Sunday with about 2,500 congregations from every major denomination used fair-trade palm fronds to celebrate Palm Sunday, the annual observance of the day Jesus arrived in Jerusalem a week before his crucifixion. They say it's the Christian thing to do

# Religion

Obama's 'Olive-branch' Cairo Speech Named Top US Religion Story

President Barack Obama's speech in Cairo in which he pledged a new U.S. relationship with Muslim countries, has been named the top religion story for 2009 by secular journalists who cover religion in the United States.