DEEPA BHARATH

Congregants of the 104-year-old Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, which burned down in the Eaton fire, gather for their Shabbat dinner at the First United Methodist Church in Pasadena, Calif., Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Jewish families channel Passover story after devastating losses in Los Angeles wildfires
Members of a 104-year-old Pasadena synagogue that was burned down in the Los Angeles fires in January are getting ready to celebrate Passover. Many community members lost more than just their homes.
 
A sign displayed at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, a Hindu temple, is defaced with anti-India and anti-Hindu graffiti in Chino Hills, Calif., on March 7, 2025. (BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha via AP)
Southern California Hindu temple desecrated with anti-India and anti-Hindu graffiti calls for peace
 
Cardinal Robert McElroy of San Diego, who was named in January as the archbishop of Washington, D.C. by Pope Francis, speaks during a news conference Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Cardinal McElroy calls for compassion in immigration policy as he prepares to lead in Washington
Cardinal Robert McElroy, the bishop of San Diego who is preparing to take over as archbishop of Washington, D.C. next month, has called for a compassionate approach toward refugees and immigrants who are in the United States illegally.
 
Junaid Aasi, center, a volunteer imam at Masjid Al-Taqwa, leads a prayer during a community gathering to discuss plans for Ramadan, held for members of the burned Altadena mosque, at a school in Pasadena, California, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Their mosque burned down in LA-area wildfire. They’re still determined to gather for Ramadan
Members of Masjid Al-Taqwa, a mosque which burned down in one of the recent Los Angeles-area wildfires, are scrambling to find a space where they can gather, pray and support one another during the holy month of Ramadan.
 
Rev. Esteban Rodriguez, who leads Centro Cristiano El Pan de Vida, prays for congregants during a church service in Kissimmee, Fla. Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Alan Youngblood)
Latino evangelical churches gear up to face possible immigration enforcement in churches
A number of Latino evangelical churches in Florida and in the southeast United States are gearing up to protect their sacred spaces.
 
Pico Iyer, the bestselling author of "The Art of Stillness," presents his new book "Aflame: Learning from Silence" at Vroman's bookstore in Pasadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in the wake of the devastating Eaton Fire that recently swept through parts of Pasadena and Altadena, forcing over 30,000 people to evacuate and burning thousands of structures. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Author’s story of coping after a wildfire resonates with community affected by latest LA-area fires
The timing is uncanny for Pico Iyer’s new book “Aflame: Learning from Silence,” a memoir about losing his family’s Santa Barbara home and everything he owned in a 1990 wildfire.
 
The Rev. W. J. Mark Knutson looks at a map of Oregon hanging above a bed at the Augustana Lutheran Church during a tour of the church on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Trump won’t ban immigration arrests at churches. Now clergy are weighing how to resist
Numerous faith leaders across the U.S. say the immigration crackdown launched by President Donald Trump’s new administration has sown fear within their migrant-friendly congregations.
 
The home of the late Amada Cardenas, who was one of the first federally licensed peyote dealers, alongside her husband, to harvest and sell the sacramental plant to followers of the Native American Church, Monday, March 25, 2024, in Mirando City, Texas. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
Why this Mexican American woman played a vital role in the US sacramental peyote trade
Amada Cardenas, a Mexican American woman who lived in the tiny border town of Mirando City in South Texas, played an important role in the history of the peyote trade.
 
The property of the late Amada Cardenas, who was one of the first federally licensed peyote dealers, alongside her husband, to harvest and sell the sacramental plant to followers of the Native American Church, in Mirando City, Texas, Monday, March 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
What is the Native American Church and why is peyote sacred to members?
The Native American Church is the most widespread religious movement among the Indigenous people of North America. It considers sacred the peyote cactus, which grows naturally only in some parts of southern Texas and northern Mexico.
 
A peyote plant blooms while growing in the nursery at the Indigenous Peyote Conservation Initiative homesite in Hebbronville, Texas, Sunday, March 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
Peyote sacred to Native Americans threatened by psychedelic renaissance and development
Peyote, a cactus that contains mescaline, a hallucinogen, grows naturally in South Texas and northern Mexico. It is sacred to many Indigenous people, playing a central role in their ceremonies, spiritual practice and medicine.
 
Johnathan Nealy plays the violin as part of a string music program at New Hope Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)
From Bach to Beyonce, why a church orchestra aims to lift up young musicians of color
The Black pastor of a multiethnic congregation in Anaheim, California, has started a string orchestra for young musicians of color. The Rev.
 
Fire crackers and smoke fill the city skyline as a part of Diwali celebrations at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, India, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.(AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)
What is Diwali, the Festival of Lights? How is it celebrated in India and the diaspora?
Diwali is the most important festival of the year in India and for Hindus in particular. It is celebrated across faiths in the world’s most populous nation and the diaspora.
 
Pastor Arturo Laguna speaks during services at Casa de Adoracion, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024 in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Chris Coduto)
Latino evangelical voters torn between their faith and harsh rhetoric around immigration
Latinos are the fastest-growing group of American evangelicals. According to a 2022 Pew Research Center survey, 15% of Latinos identify as evangelical Protestants. They are an influential voting bloc, particularly in swing states.
 
Pastor Owen Lee sings during a service at the Christ Central Presbyterian Church, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024 in Centreville. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
Asian American evangelicals’ theology is conservative. But that doesn’t mean they vote that way
Asian American evangelical Christians are an evolving group of voters who are increasingly seeking to distinguish themselves from their white counterparts. A vast majority are not single-issue voters.
 
Janet Berkeley stops by a voter registration desk during a Comeback California Tour event at Revival Fellowship, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Menifee, Calif. (AP Photo/Zoë Meyers)
What is ballot gathering? And what are the laws around this controversial practice?
While the practice of ballot collection is legal in 35 states, the rules vary significantly from state to state. In some states, the laws are so vague that they are open to interpretation.
 
Revival Fellowship volunteers Janie Booth, left, and Lucky Harutunian register voters during a Comeback California Tour event, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Menifee, Calif. (AP Photo/Zoë Meyers)
Conservative Christians were skeptical of mail-in ballots. Now they are gathering them in churches
Conservative Christian churches in California and prominent figures around the United States like activist Charlie Kirk are urging congregations to get involved in ballot gathering or ballot harvesting.
 
President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints greets his family prior to a photo during his 100th birthday celebration at the Little Theatre of the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Jeffrey D. Allred/The Deseret News via AP, Pool)
The Mormon church’s oldest-ever president has turned 100
Leaders of worldwide religions commonly stay at the helm well past retirement age, but it’s not often you find centenarians overseeing major faiths.
 
Hunter Biden leaves federal court, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles, after pleading guilty to federal tax charges. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A look at the winding legal saga of Hunter Biden that ended in an unexpected guilty plea
The legal saga surrounding Hunter Biden has taken an unexpected turn. He pleaded guilty Thursday to nine federal tax counts.
 
Hunter Biden, center, and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden, arrive in federal court for jury selection for his trial on felony tax charges Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Hunter Biden enters surprise guilty plea to avoid tax trial months after his gun conviction
President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, has pleaded guilty to federal tax charges months after his conviction in a separate gun case.
 
FILE - Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and his wife Usha Vance arrive to speak at a campaign rally, July 27, 2024, in St. Cloud, Minn. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
Is Usha Vance’s Hindu identity an asset or a liability to the Trump-Vance campaign?
Usha Vance’s presence in the Trump-Vance campaign has energized some Indian Americans, particularly Hindu American conservatives. South Asians largely identify as Democrats.
 
FILE - This image made with a fisheye lens shows people attending the twice-annual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on April 7, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
LGBTQ advocates say Mormon church’s new transgender policies marginalize trans members
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has issued a slew of new guidelines which would limit the role of transgender members in local congregations.
 
The Apache Christ painting hangs behind the altar of St. Joseph Apache Mission church in Mescalero, New Mexico, Saturday, July 13, 2024. The painting, an icon that depicts Christ as a Mescalero medicine man, was the forefront of a tension-filled episode between the community and the local Diocese when it was removed by the church's then priest when the region was reeling from wildfires. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
Apache Christ icon controversy sparks debate over Indigenous Catholic faith practices
The congregation at St. Joseph Apache Mission in the Mescalero Reservation in New Mexico, is struggling to deal with the hurt caused by their priest removing a cherished painting called the Apache Christ, which portrays Jesus as an Indigenous holy man.
 
In this photo provided by the Taiwan Presidential Office, the then President of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen meets with Cheng Yen in Hualien county, eastern Taiwan, Sept. 21, 2022. In 1966, Cheng Yen, a Buddhist nun living in eastern Taiwan, asked local housewives to contribute 50 cents a month to fund her charity. That grassroots effort grew into Tzu Chi, a global organization that responds to disasters and builds schools and hospitals around the world. (Taiwan Presidential Office via AP)
Who is the Buddhist nun who built a global charity from a tiny apartment in rural Taiwan?
In 1966, Cheng Yen, a Buddhist nun living in eastern Taiwan, asked local housewives to contribute 50 cents a month to fund her charity.
 
Tzu Chi volunteers say goodbye to a Buddhist master before setting out on a volunteer mission at the Jing Si Abode in Hualien, Taiwan, Thursday, July 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
A Taiwan-based Buddhist charity attempts to take the founding nun’s message of compassion global
Tzu Chi is an international Buddhist organization led by the Venerable Cheng Yen, an 87-year-old nun living in Taiwan. Over five decades, the nun whose work began with a small group of housewives has expanded into a global organization.
 
Beatie Deutsch, an Orthodox Jewish runner, trains in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, June 26, 2024. "I'd love governing bodies of sports to do more to accommodate religion," said the 34-year-old mother of five. She qualified to represent Israel in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but didn't compete because the women's marathon was scheduled for a Saturday, when she observes shabbat. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles
It’s been 100 years since a Scottish runner famously refused to race on a Sunday at the Paris Olympics because of his Christian beliefs.
 
FILE - In this photo taken from video released by The Telegram Channel of the head of the Dagestan Republic of Russia on Monday, June 24, 2024, a damaged Star of David is seen on the wall of the the Kele-Numaz synagogue in Derbent, Russia. Jews in the predominantly Muslim region of Dagestan in southern Russia say they are determined to regroup and rebuild following a deadly attack by Islamic militants on June 23 on Christian and Jewish houses of worship in Derbent and the regional capital of Makhachkala. (The Telegram Channel of the head of Dagestan Republic of Russia via AP, File)
Dagestani Jews look to rebuild after extremist attacks in the restive region of southern Russia
Jews in the predominantly Muslim region of Dagestan in southern Russia say they are determined to regroup and rebuild following a deadly attack by Islamic militants on Christian and Jewish houses of worship in two cities last weekend.
 
Pastor Ruth Schmidt poses for a picture at the Altadena Community Church in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Schmidt, who now serves as a pastor at Claremont Presbyterian Church and is on track to be ordained in the United Church of Christ, said she would like to see faculty and staff at Fuller get the same protections as students. Fuller Theological Seminary, an evangelical school is deliberating whether to become more open to LGBTQ+ students who previously faced possible expulsion if found to be in a same-sex union. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
California evangelical seminary ponders changes that would make it more welcoming to LGBTQ students
An evangelical seminary in Pasadena, California, is considering revisions to its sexual standards. According to a draft of those changes obtained by The Associated Press, these changes could mean more freedom for LGBTQ+ students at Fuller Theological Seminary.
 
From left, cast members Kenzo Lee, Lillian Mimi McKenzie, Kaitlyn Tanimoto, Victoria Rani, and Kimberly Green perform in "What Do I Do With All This Heritage?" on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Los Angeles. The show offers more than 14 true stories of Asian American Jews. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Theater show spotlights the stories of those who are Asian American and Jewish
A first-ever theater show to explore the lives of Asian American Jews tells 14 stories of people ranging in age from 12 to 75. This production is titled “What Do I Do with All This Heritage?”
 
FILE - Signage hangs at CNN center, April 21, 2022, in Atlanta. Alice Stewart, a CNN political commentator and veteran political adviser who worked on a number of GOP presidential campaigns, has died at age 58, the news network reported Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)
Alice Stewart, CNN political commentator and veteran political adviser, dies at 58
Alice Stewart, a CNN political commentator and veteran political adviser who worked on a number of GOP presidential campaigns, has died at age 58. That’s according to the news network.
 
Buddhists monks clean Buddha statues ahead of the upcoming birthday of Buddha on May 15, at the Jogye temple in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Buddha’s birthday: When is it and how is it celebrated in different countries?
Buddha’s birthday is an important holiday in several countries in Asia where there are large Buddhist populations. While the celebrations are largely similar in different countries, the date varies based on the lunisolar calendar.
 
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