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Editor's note:
Ayahuasca, derived from Amazonian plants, can be brewed into a psychedelic tea that has been used for centuries in South America. Its use is illegal in the U.S. under federal law, yet courts have allowed some church groups to use it under religious-freedom grounds. It’s become increasingly popular among people seeking spiritual enlightenment and relief from various physical and metal afflictions. AP Religion Team visual journalist Jessie Wardarski and a Boston-based colleague, Michael Casey, gained the trust of leaders of one of these psychedelic churches, and were given full access to a weekend-long ayahuasca ceremony in southern Utah. Their resulting all-formats story included a vividly detailed description of the ceremony and accounts from participants about their motives for attending. Woven into these accounts was authoritative background on the legal and scientific questions being raised as use of ayahuasca for spiritual purposes increases.
Religion News
In bitter wartime winter, missionary warms Ukrainians with stoves, blankets
Ken Ward’s ministry colleagues compare the missionary, who has spent the equivalent of more than two months in Ukraine, to well-traveled biblical figures. By Adelle M. Banks/Religion News Service
Massachusetts diocese publishes nameless clergy abuse report
A Catholic diocese that covers central Massachusetts has published a report about clergy sexual abuse of minors between 1950 and 2022, but unlike similar reports released by many other dioceses, it did not include the names of the priests found to have committed abuse. By Wilson Ring/The Associated Press
For decades, Missouri executions played out in similar fashion: An inmate was strapped to a gurney in a drab room, alone except for the eyes of witnesses staring through thick glass. Now, under a 2022 Supreme Court ruling, it allows spiritual advisers in the execution room, to pray with and comfort the condemned inmate. By Jim Salter/The Associated Press
Pope, Anglican, Presbyterian leaders denounce anti-gay laws
Pope Francis has been backed by the ceremonial head of the Anglican Communion and a top Presbyterian minister in calling for gays to be welcomed by their churches as he again decried laws that criminalize homosexuality as unjust. By Nicole Winfield/The Associated Press
As Pennsylvania’s ‘Bible belt’ evolves, clergy look to one another for mutual support
The difficulties of the pandemic and the widening gap between people of different political persuasions have put a strain on the clergy of one small town in this historically religious region. By Elizabeth Evans/Religion News Service
Commentary and Analysis
Tu BiShvat has religious roots, but early Zionists embraced the day in new, more secular ways. By Shay Rabineau for The Conversation
A political scientist explains the history of blasphemy laws in Muslim-majority nations and how they play a role in silencing dissent. By Ahmet T. Kuru for The Conversation
Ancient Greece and Rome may have handed down the image of rosy-cheeked Cupids, but their myths about him explore the messier – sometimes scarier – sides of love. By Debbie Felton for The Conversation
The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is a political one; it must remain that way. By Daoud Kuttab/Religion News Service
Pope Francis, second from left, watches traditional dancers perform at the Martyrs' Stadium In Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. Francis is in Congo and South Sudan for a six-day trip, hoping to bring comfort and encouragement to two countries that have been riven by poverty, conflicts and what he calls a "colonialist mentality" that has exploited Africa for centuries. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
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- This Week in Religion is a publication of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative, a collaboration among the Religion News Service, The Associated Press and The Conversation U.S.
- The three news organizations work to improve general understanding and analyze the significance of developments in the world of faith.
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