The Columbian

Churches & Religion

Hood River church criticized for anti-Islamic sign

May 13, 2016, 11:16am Churches & Religion

A church in Hood River is being criticized for displaying anti-Islamic messages on its reader board. Read story

Rocksolid announces new executive director

May 13, 2016, 6:03am Churches & Religion

Marcy Sprecher, who served as manager at Rocksolid Community Teen Center for 10 years, is the nonprofit group's new executive director. Read story

Pope Francis arrives for a special audience with Superiors General of Institutes of Catholic Women Religious in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican on Thursday. Pope Francis said Thursday he is willing to create a commission to study whether women can be deacons in the Catholic Church, signaling an openness to letting women serve in ordained ministry currently reserved to men.

In major step, pope says he’s willing to study women deacons

May 12, 2016, 10:23am Churches & Religion

Pope Francis said Thursday he is willing to create a commission to study whether women can be deacons in the Catholic Church, signaling openness to letting women serve in ordained ministry currently reserved to men. Read story

Priest guilty of trying to lure girl

May 10, 2016, 8:07pm Churches & Religion

A Catholic priest entered a guilty plea Friday, court records show, to trying to lure a 14-year-old girl into his car as she was walking home from school in Vancouver’s Image neighborhood. Read story

Priest Narayan Shastri, left, conducts a puja via Skype for the Shubhpuja company in Noida, India.

For Hindus far from home, online religious services can be a valued connection

May 7, 2016, 6:00am Churches & Religion

Four Hindu priests sat cross-legged on the floor in front of silver trays of rice, flowers and vermillion powder, chanting in low baritones that reverberated off the bare walls of the old brick temple. Read story

A scar from a brain surgery crosses Chase Sims' head at Prestonwood Baptist Church on April 20 in Plano, Texas. (Jae S.

Trusting God in the wake of a brain tumor

May 2, 2016, 6:04am Churches & Religion

When you’re 28 years old, in your third year of marriage and your first as a singles minister at a church with a membership larger than your Mississippi hometown’s population; when you and your wife are helping raise a 13-year-old boy; when you hike and play basketball and are so… Read story

Vancouver native works on Bono documentary

April 28, 2016, 6:03am Churches & Religion

Years ago, Bono invited a Christian writer to meet him, and the writer turned him down. Read story

An inmate in the Nebraska State Penitentiary says he is a member of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and sought religious accommodations.

Pastafarianism stirs questions of religion

April 23, 2016, 6:02am Churches & Religion

Officials have appealed a Pierce County court commissioner’s order that could result in the new head of Western State Hospital being jailed. Read story

Bid to override Haslam veto of Bible as Tennessee book fails

April 20, 2016, 12:45pm Churches & Religion

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A bid to override Gov. Bill Haslam's veto of a bill to make Tennessee the first state to designate the Bible as its official book failed in the state House on Wednesday. Read story

Second Hand Solutions store manager Julie Murray, right, with Judy McMorine, Open House Ministries development director, talk about the new vintage and antique shop opened at the nonprofit's retail building.

Open House Ministries expands retail offerings with vintage store

April 18, 2016, 6:00am Churches & Religion

A thrift shop that supports a downtown homeless shelter run by Open House Ministries has expanded to include a new antique and vintage room. The growing retail operations, which occupy the upper story of Second Hand Solutions Thrift Store, 915 W. 13th St., will also provide job training for residents. Read story