The Supreme Court held that taxpayers cannot sue over faith-based initiatives.   See story from Christian Science Monitor   Dissenting Justices: Breyer, Ginsburg, Souter, Stevens

In a very partisan vote, the House refused to allow religious-based hiring in the Head Start Program.  See vote 

Amid the rising heat of this latest culture clash, though, a few people on both sides are finding calmer ways to engage, seeking to build bridges and even learn from one another. Some Christians, concerned that millions of Americans never cross the threshold of a church, want to understand why, as well as learn what it is in evangelistic efforts that turns people off. Some atheists, worried that polls show they are the least accepted social group in the country, want to break down stereotypes and change people's attitudes.  See story from Christian Science Monitor

The House voted to prohibit courts from reimbursing the legal costs of plaintiffs who prevail in lawsuits over taxpayer-funded religious displays such as Nativity scenes and postings of the Ten Commandments. See vote

Pope Benedict XVI's challenge to secularism meets with receptivity during his German visit.  See story from Christian Science Monitor

A court ruling last week against an Iowa prison program suggests that there are limits on governmental faith-based initiatives. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Long overshadowed by the Christian right, religious liberals across a wide swath of denominations are engaged today in their most intensive bout of political organizing and alliance-building since the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movements of the 1960s, according to scholars, politicians and clergy members. See story from Washington Post

More than a dozen congregations have defected from the U.S. Episcopal Church since the first of the year in a growing rebellion triggered by the ordination of an openly gay bishop in 2003. See story from USA Today

Some prominent American evangelical leaders have launched a campaign to persuade their congregants that more needs to be done to stop global warming. By embracing a cause normally advocated by environmental groups, these evangelical leaders have broken with many of their colleagues and the Bush administration on the global warming issue. See story from Voice of America

America's churches are weighing in on the immigration debate. See story from Christian Science Monitor

In Africa, Islam and Christianity are growing - and blending. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Large numbers of Europeans, especially women, are converting to Islam. See story from Christian Science Monitor

There is a quiet revolution spreading among young European Muslim women, a new generation that claims the same rights as their Western sisters while not renouncing Islamic principles. See story from International Herald Tribune

The defiant Somali-born lawmaker, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who has been targeted for assassination by Muslim extremists remains steadfast in her belief that the Muslim religion must change. "If you want to integrate migrants and especially Muslims, then you will have to address cultural issues. People are talking, carefully, very carefully, about, 'Yes, there must be something in Islam that's not compatible with democracy. And yes, some migrants do have some cultural traits that are not compatible with modernity, that are not compatible with a society based on universal human rights principles.'" See story from Los Angeles Times

In a broad update of the Head Start program, the House voted to let preschool providers consider a person's faith when hiring workers - and still be eligible for federal grants. See story from Associated Press   See vote

As political leaders prepare to meet at a UN summit, religious leaders are working to keep global antipoverty efforts high on that agenda, which will also address UN reform. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Churches are beginning to react to the epidemic of pornography. Surveys show that 40 million Americans regularly view Internet pornography, which accounts for $2.5 billion of the $12 billion US porn industry. Some 25 percent of search-engine requests are porn-related; 20 percent of men and 13 percent of women admit accessing porn at work. For years, churches were in denial about the scope of the problem, but the toll on marriages, careers, and faith communities has grown, Christian leaders say. And it involves not only congregants, but pastors. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Every major religion except Islam is declining in Western Europe. The drop is most evident in France, Sweden and the Netherlands, where church attendance is less than 10% in some areas. See story from USA Today

In a major showdown over the presentation of religious symbols and sacred text on public property, the US Supreme Court has made it somewhat easier for government officials to justify displays like the Ten Commandments. But at the same time, the nation's highest court put officials on notice that their motives must be clearly secular for such displays to pass constitutional muster. See story from Christian Science Monitor

After a year in which religion played a polarizing role in U.S. politics, many religious leaders are eager to demonstrate that faith can be a uniter, not just a divider. The buzzwords today in pulpits and seminaries are crossover, convergence, common cause and shared values. See story from Washington Post

The United Church of Christ's rule-making body voted overwhelmingly Monday to approve a resolution endorsing same-sex marriage, making it the largest Christian denomination to do so. See story from Associated Press