Religion

This archive gathers 60 stories about meaningful progress at the intersection of faith, community, and public life. From interfaith cooperation on climate and poverty to congregations expanding social services, these articles document what religious communities are doing — and achieving — across the U.S. and around the world.

Exterior of a traditional Norwegian wooden church in winter for an article about the Church of Norway apology to LGBTQ+ members

Church of Norway apologizes to LGBTQ+ members for decades of harm

Church of Norway apology marks a significant moment in global Christianity, as the denomination formally acknowledged that its historical teachings caused real harm to LGBTQ+ members over many decades. Delivered in 2025, the statement goes beyond the church’s 2017 approval of same-sex marriages by directly naming institutionalized exclusion and taking responsibility for it. For generations of LGBTQ+ Norwegians shaped by the church’s teachings, the apology offers validation that policy changes alone cannot provide. As one of the most visible national churches to speak this plainly, the statement adds meaningful weight to a wider reckoning unfolding across global Christianity.

Banisteriopsis caapi vine

Church of the Eagle and the Condor can now drink ayahuasca legally in the U.S.

Ayahuasca is a psychoactive brew traditionally used by Indigenous cultures in the Amazon and Orinoco. It is now often used to help treat depression, PTSD, trauma, and other mental illnesses and to promote spiritual and emotional development. The Church of the Eagle and the Condor is officially the first non-Christian church in the U.S to obtain legal protections to use it as a sacrament.