Religion and Faith

Best-selling author and Rabbi Harold Kushner says that when he was in rabbinical school 50 years ago, everybody thought that fundamentalist, orthodox religion was going out of style. It hasn't. Kushner, who spoke Monday night in Wayzata and considers himself a liberal, says that liberal churches and synagogues have foresworn the mystical, irrational elements of religion to their own detriment.
Hurricane Katrina has inspired a nationwide outpouring of sympathy, grief and outrage. We watched the institutions of society crumble before our eyes on television, bringing out the best in some and the worst in others. What did the storm teach us about the human condition?
John Danforth, who served three terms as a Republican in the U.S. Senate and six months as U.N. ambassador in 2004, is concerned about the growing influence of christian conservatives on the Republican Party. Danforth, who is also an Episcopalian priest, spoke about his religion and his politics with Speaking of Faith Host Krista Tippett.
Lutherans expect to debate whether the church should bless same-sex unions. Midmorning looks at how the issue of gay representation has affected many Christian denominations.
How have fundamentalists changed the world's view of Islam? A Muslim scholar discusses the challenges facing his religion and its followers.
Lawyer and Baptist minister Oliver Thomas says that the Supreme Court has blurred the line between church and state in America, and Thomas wants that line redrawn. Thomas, who wrote the American Civil Liberties Union's handbook "The Right to Religious Liberty," spoke Friday at Chautauqua Institution in upstate New York.
As details filter out about the young suicide terrorists who staged the London transit bombings, WBUR's 2004 documentary "British Jihad: Inside Out" gains new poignancy. It explores the growth of radical Islam in Great Britain's poor South Asian Muslim communities.
Midmorning launches a series about ethics. The program explores how philosophy can help make sense of everyday life.
To many, Girl Scouts are as American as the flag and apple pie. But the scouts are adapting, changing their ways to attract and keep girls who haven't traditionally joined a troop, including the children of immigrants. Scouting seems to particularly appeal to Muslims girls.
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has called off an investigation into what caused Terri Schiavo to collapse 15 years ago. Bush's decision may put to rest Schiavo's high-profile case, but American society is still deeply conflicted over how to deal with the end of life. Speaking of Faith explores the quality and meaning of death in "A Midwife to the Dying."