Facing Death, a Top Pastor Rethinks What it Means to Be Christian

"Ed Dobson is not afraid of dying. It’s the getting there that really scares him. A former pastor, onetime Christian Right operative and an icon among religious leaders, Dobson has Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. When he was diagnosed, doctors gave him 3 to 5 years to live. That was 11 years ago."

Rick Warren and Church Tackle Obesity

"Studies indicate that people who try to lose weight or adopt healthier habits in groups are more likely to be successful than individuals working independently."

Preaching a Healthy Diet in the Deep-Fried Delta

"For over a decade from his pulpit here at Oak Hill Baptist in North Mississippi, the Rev. Michael O. Minor has waged war against obesity and bad health."

Archbishop Defends Catholic Healthcare Merger With Hospital

"Louisville Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz said Thursday he would only approve a merged hospital system under Roman Catholic ownership if all the participants, including University Hospital, agreed to follow the church's ethical rules for medical care."

Religion Benefits Traumatic Brain Injury

"If traumatic brain injury victims feel close to a higher power, it can help them rehabilitate, U.S. researchers found."

Religiosity, Spirituality Impact Health

"A person's religiosity and spirituality independently predicts health outcomes after a collective traumatic event like Sept. 11, 2001, U.S. researchers say."

Lourdes Calls Cure "Remarkable," Shuns "Miracle"

"The Roman Catholic shrine at Lourdes has announced the 'remarkable healing' of a French invalid, avoiding the traditional term 'miracle' because its doctors increasingly shy away from calling an illness incurable."

Research: Frequent Churchgoers Frequently Fatter

"Young, religiously active people are more likely than their non-religious counterparts to become obese in middle age, according to new research. In fact, frequent religious involvement appears to almost double the risk of obesity compared with little or no involvement."

Research Shows Grateful People Are Healthier

"A growing body of research suggests that maintaining an attitude of gratitude can improve psychological, emotional and physical well-being."

Faith Can Provide Motivation for Exercise

"U.S. researchers say faith-based interventions helped encourage exercise in older African-American women."

Losing Your Religion May Be Unhealthy

"Forty percent of members of strict religious groups say they are healthy, but that drops to 20 percent if they leave the religion, U.S. researchers suggest."

The Medical Hazards of Spiritual Care

"Two studies recently have found a striking association between faith and the medical decisions of terminal cancer patients at the end of life. In both cases, religious faith often led patients to choose more aggressive medical care at the end of life."

Amish Prove Clean Living Pays Off

"U.S. researchers say an examination of cancer rates among the Amish underscores the virtues of exercise, not smoking, healthy food and fewer sex partners."

Spiritual Needs Rank High as Death From Cancer Nears

"Addressing the spiritual needs of someone with advanced cancer could be just as important as taking care of their medical needs, a new study suggests."

Spiritual Outlook Can Affect Mental Health in Breast Cancer

"Among breast cancer patients, a positive religious attitude is not linked to measures of well-being, but a negative religious or spiritual outlook can lead to worse emotional and mental health, a recent study suggests."

Study: Purpose in Life Associated With Longer Life

"If you have a purpose in life -- lofty or not -- you'll live longer, a new study shows."

Study: Jehovah's Witnesses More Likely to Die in Childbirth

"Pregnant women who are Jehovah's Witnesses are six times more likely to die during childbirth and three times more likely to have serious complications than the general population, according to a new study by Dutch researchers."

Medicine, Religion Collide in Chemo Refusal

"A non-profit group called Children's Healthcare Is a Legal Duty is tracking five criminal prosecutions around the U.S., all cases that involve children being denied health care because of religious beliefs. Including the Wisconsin case, there are two cases in Oregon; one case in Tennessee; and one case in Pennsylvania. Since 1983 the group, which says it works to stop abusive religious and cultural practices, has tracked 66 similar prosecutions."