Muslims Look for Piety First in Partners: Poll

"Muslims consider piety and religious compatibility the most important criteria when looking for a partner, according to a new survey from an online Muslim matrimonial service."

4th Century Icons of Peter and Paul Discovered

"Catacomb archeological superintendent Fabrizio Bisconti points to frescoes discovered with the earliest known icons of the Apostles Peter and Paul in a catacomb located under a modern office building in a residential neighborhood of Rome."

More Preachers Bivocational

"About three-quarters of Southern Baptists churches draw fewer than 100 people on Sunday morning. That means they often can't afford to pay a preacher a full-time salary. So about half of Southern Baptist churches nationwide, and two-thirds in Tennessee, rely on bivocational ministers."

Are Social Media Changing Religion?

"The boundary between private and public information is becoming murkier every day, a blurring that is perhaps inevitable in the world of online surfing and social networking. But how about religious communities? The boundaries are shifting there as well, because of a growing emphasis in congregations on honest and open sharing in small groups."

Evangelical Leaders Say Spill Raises Moral Issues

"Leaders of a group that encourages evangelical Christians to care for the environment say the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico raises moral challenges for the country."

Ultra-Orthodox Jews Protest School Ruling

"Tens of thousands of black-clad ultra-Orthodox Jews staged mass demonstrations on Thursday to protest a Supreme Court ruling forcing the integration of a religious girls' school."

Islamic World Confidence in Obama is Slipping: Poll

"A year after President Barack Obama sought a new beginning with the Islamic world in a speech from Cairo, confidence in the U.S. leader has dropped sharply in many Muslim countries, according to surveys released on Thursday."