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United Methodists scrap their anti-gay bans. A woman who defied them seeks reinstatement as pastor

United Methodists scrap their anti-gay bans. A woman who defied them seeks reinstatement as pastor

Twenty years ago, Beth Stroud was defrocked from her beloved job as a United Methodist pastor in Philadelphia.
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India's parliament has fewer Muslims as strength of Modi's party grows

India's parliament has fewer Muslims as strength of Modi's party grows

MALAPPURAM, India (AP) — Preventing Muslim migrants from gaining citizenship . Revoking the semi-autonomy of the country’s only Muslim-majority region. Building a Hindu temple where a violent mob razed a mosque.
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Young South Koreans are increasingly drawn to Buddhism via social media-savvy influencers

Young South Koreans are increasingly drawn to Buddhism via social media-savvy influencers

SEOUL (AP) — A South Korean deejay dressed as a Buddhist monk bounced up and down on stage while playing electronic music and shouting: “This too shall pass!” The performance brought cheers from a crowd of thousands at an annual lantern-lighting fest
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Parishioners subdue armed teenager at Louisiana children's service

ABBEVILLE, La. (AP) — Parishioners subdued a teenager with a gun who entered a Louisiana church during a service for dozens of young children, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.
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Suspect in shooting of 2 Jewish men in Los Angeles last year agrees to plead guilty to hate crimes

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 29-year-old man accused of shooting and wounding two Jewish men as they left synagogues in Los Angeles last year has agreed to plead guilty to hate crimes and firearms offenses, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.
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The Rev. William Lawson, Texas civil rights leader who worked with Martin Luther King Jr, dies at 95

The Rev. William Lawson, Texas civil rights leader who worked with Martin Luther King Jr, dies at 95

HOUSTON (AP) — The Rev. William “Bill” Lawson, a longtime pastor and civil rights leader who helped desegregate Houston and worked with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement, has died. He was 95.
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Abuse victim advocates pushing Missouri AG to investigate Christian boarding schools

Abuse victim advocates pushing Missouri AG to investigate Christian boarding schools

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Advocates for victims of abuse at Missouri boarding schools on Monday urged the state's attorney general to launch an investigation, work with local prosecutors and take other steps aimed at stemming the tide of abuse.
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Thousands replaster Mali's Great Mosque of Djenne, which is threatened by conflict

Thousands replaster Mali's Great Mosque of Djenne, which is threatened by conflict

DJENNE, Mali (AP) — Thousands of Malians carrying buckets and jugs of mud joined the annual replastering of the world's largest mud-brick building this weekend, a key ritual that maintains the integrity of the Great Mosque of Djenne in the center of
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Vatican Museums staff challenge the pope with a legal bid for better terms and treatment

Vatican Museums staff challenge the pope with a legal bid for better terms and treatment

ROME (AP) — Forty-nine employees of the Vatican Museums have filed a class-action complaint with the Vatican administration demanding better seniority, leave and overtime benefits in an unusual, public challenge to Pope Francis’ governance.
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Buddha's birthday: When is it and how is it celebrated in different countries?

The birthday of the historical Buddha or Shakyamuni Buddha, known as Vesak in several countries, celebrates the birth of the child who became Prince Siddhartha around the end of the 4th century B.C.
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