Category Archives: Religion

Local Presbyterian Body Defies National Church on Same-Sex Marriage Rebuke; Interview With Rev. Jane Spahr

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From the Marin Independent Journal on Tuesday: In an unprecedented defiance of a church judicial commission, representatives of Northern California Presbyterian churches Tuesday refused to rebuke a retired pastor for marrying 16 same-sex couples when gay marriage was legal in … Continue reading »


Shasta-Trinity's Winnemem Wintu Tribe Pickets Forest Service Over Closure Request

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The Winnemem Wintu Tribe, a band of indigenous people located in Northern California, have appealed to the United States Forest Service’s Regional Forester to temporarily close of part of McCloud River, located in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Forty to 60 … Continue reading »


Photo: Bay Area Episcopal Clergy Don Hoodies in Response to Trayvon Martin Shooting

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Last Tuesday, clergy members of the Episcopal Church's Diocese of California donned hoodies in front of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco to make a statement related to the Trayvon Martin case. The hoodie, one of which the 17-year-old African-American Martin … Continue reading »


Sacramento Exhibit Celebrates Contributions of Catholic Sisters and Nuns

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They’ve run schools, orphanages and hospitals since the nation’s earliest days. They've participated in civil rights marches and dialogued with government leaders both at home and abroad. Yet, the story of America’s Roman Catholic nuns and sisters remains largely untold. … Continue reading »


Harold Camping Says Oops, My Bad; Full Text of Letter to Followers

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Serial failure in the end-of-the-world prediction biz Harold Camping has issued an acknowledgment of sorts that his forecast last year that the the Apocalypse would occur on May 21 was kind of erroneous. "We humbly acknowledge we were wrong about … Continue reading »


Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Says Sufi Complex Can Go Forward

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KQED's Stephanie Martin reports that the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors unanimously denied appeals of the Planning Commission's approval of a planned 66,000-square-foot complex by Sufism Reoriented in a quiet residential area just outside Walnut Creek. Some minor language … Continue reading »


Comments on the Proposed Sufi Sanctuary in Contra Costa County

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Tomorrow at a special meeting of the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors, this agenda item: HEARING to consider appeals filed by Sufism Reoriented, Saranap Homeowners Organization, Sherilyn Fry, Marvin and Carol Rasmussen, Mark Redmond, Patricia Perry, Steven Siegal, Terrence Barnum, … Continue reading »


East Bay Sufi Sanctuary Under Scrutiny; View Design Plans

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A Walnut Creek-based Sufi congregation is facing community opposition to its plans for a new complex. Sufism Reoriented's proposal calls for a 66,000 square-foot facility including a worship hall, classrooms, a cafe, a bookstore and a chorus rehearsal room. But … Continue reading »


Walnut Creek Residents and Sufi Congregation Clash Over New Sanctuary

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Next Wednesday, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors will hold another day of public hearings over a controversially large construction project planned near Walnut Creek. Sufism Reoriented, a congregation of about 350 members, is seeking to build a 66,000-square-foot … Continue reading »


Video: Watch Obama Statement on Contraception Policy

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President Obama made a statement this morning on the modification to the federal rule on contraception coverage that has caused such a stir. CSPAN has the video here. The new policy states that organizations operated by religious institutions will not … Continue reading »