Author – The Durango Herald

Church membership in U.S. plummets over past 20 years

NEW YORK – The percentage of U.S. adults who belong to a church or other religious institution has plunged by 20 percentage points over the past two decades, hitting a low of 50% last year, ...

DATE: May 4, 2019 | CATEGORY: Religion

United Methodists confront possible split over LGBT issues

The United Methodist Church’s top legislative assembly convenes Sunday for a high-stakes, three-day meeting likely to determine whether America’s second-largest Protestant denomination will ...

DATE: Feb 23, 2019 | CATEGORY: Religion

Women strive for larger roles in male-dominated religions

Women have been elected heads of national governments on six continents. They have flown into space, served in elite combat units and won every category of Nobel Prize. The global #MeToo mov...

DATE: Jan 19, 2019 | CATEGORY: Religion

Before shooting, anti-Semitic incidents were on the rise

NEW YORK – Swastikas scrawled into Jewish students’ notebooks. Headstones toppled and desecrated by vandals at Jewish cemeteries. Jews falsely blamed for challenges facing the nation. ...

DATE: Oct 29, 2018 | CATEGORY: Religion

Episcopal Church confronts past of sexual exploitation

Dioceses seeking to share victims’ stories of abuse

DATE: Oct 20, 2018 | CATEGORY: Religion

Kavanaugh-Ford hearing: A dramatic lesson on gender roles

NEW YORK – He let his anger flare repeatedly, interrupted his questioners and cried several times during his opening statement. She strived to remain calm and polite, despite her nervousness...

DATE: Sep 28, 2018 | CATEGORY: Nation & World

Voters open to candidates who aren’t very religious

But many see a role for religion in public life

DATE: Sep 15, 2018 | CATEGORY: Religion

Usage remains low for pill that can prevent HIV infection

NEW YORK – From gritty neighborhoods in New York and Los Angeles to clinics in Kenya and Brazil, health workers are trying to popularize a pill that has proven highly effective in preventing...

DATE: Jan 15, 2018 | CATEGORY: Health

Moms of boys have mixed emotions over misconduct saga

Of the many American women dismayed by the wave of sexual misconduct scandals, there’s a subgroup with distinctive hopes and fears: mothers of boys. Among them are women who have ...

DATE: Jan 14, 2018 | CATEGORY: Nation & World

Opponents in LGBT case agree: It’s not about wedding cake

Oral arguments before Supreme Court begin Tuesday

DATE: Dec 1, 2017 | CATEGORY: Nation & World

Stalled in Congress, LGBT rights advance at the local level

At the U.S. Capitol and in most statehouses nationwide, supporters of LGBT rights are unable to make major gains these days. Instead, they’re notching victories in seemingly unlikely venues,...

DATE: Nov 13, 2017 | CATEGORY: Nation & World

It’s Boy Scouts vs. Girl Scouts

NEW YORK – Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts pledge to be friendly and helpful. But their parent organizations may find that promise hard to keep as they head into a potentially bitter competition ...

DATE: Oct 12, 2017 | CATEGORY: Nation & World