belief

A woman poses for a photo surrounded by red Christmas ornaments in Bangkok, Thailand.

Photos: The world celebrates Christmas

What does Christmas look like around the world? Here's a peek from Thailand, Pakistan, Iraq, Australia, China and several other countries.

Photos: The world celebrates Christmas
Suhaib Webb

Why both ISIS and some US right-wingers are threatening to kill this American imam

Why both ISIS and some US right-wingers are threatening to kill this American imam
Juan Carlos Villegas, from Bello, Colombia, came from a Catholic family. He started going to a Pentecostal church as a teenager, later he became a pastor, and ultimately he became an ordained rabbi and converted – along with hundreds of members of his chu

Members of a Colombian mega church who've converted to Orthodox Judaism are part of a trend

Members of a Colombian mega church who've converted to Orthodox Judaism are part of a trend
Leucippis, thought by many to be the father of atomist philosophy (Wikipedia Commons)

If the multiverse is real, what does that mean for modern-day religion?

If the multiverse is real, what does that mean for modern-day religion?
Taio Kaneta with his signature "Cafe de Monk" truck that he uses for his pop-up cafes. As a Buddhist monk, Kaneta wanted to offer something special to those still reeling from the triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown.

At Cafe de Monk, tsunami survivors can get coffee, cake and someone to listen to their woes

At Cafe de Monk, tsunami survivors can get coffee, cake and someone to listen to their woes
President Barack Obama and First lady Michelle Obama were there in person to welcome Pope Francis at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland for the pontiff's first visit to the United States on September 22, 2015.

Pope Francis wants the Vatican to serve the people

Pope Francis is trying to remake the Catholic Church by reforming the Vatican. He's definitely got his work cut out for him.

Pope Francis wants the Vatican to serve the people
A photo of Bangladeshi American blogger, Avijit Roy, last year holding a book on Rabindranath Tagore. Roy blogged about scientific thought and apathy towards religion, taboo subjects in his home country of Bangladesh.

An atheist blogger in Bangladesh is hacked to death by religious fanatics

Bengali American blogger Avijit Roy, an atheist, "carried a huge target on his back" in increasingly conservative Bangladesh for his writings. His death by machete on Thursday is just the latest sign that religious dissent is under threat in Roy's native country.

An atheist blogger in Bangladesh is hacked to death by religious fanatics
Tanzila "Taz" Ahmed and Zahra Noorbakhsh are the women behind the new podcast: Good Muslim/Bad Muslim.

How to eat pork, drink booze and be a 'good' Muslim

What's the difference between a "good" Muslim and a "bad" one? Two women and their podcast are on a mission to find out.

How to eat pork, drink booze and be a 'good' Muslim
Shabe Yalda

Join in on a winter celebration that helps keep the evil spirits away

Munching on pomegranates and nuts, listening to music and poetry: It's all part of a winter festival that's celebrated in Iran and by Iranians abroad.

Join in on a winter celebration that helps keep the evil spirits away
Pope Francis after his selection in March.

Time's 'Person of the Year' has moved fast to rebrand Catholicism

Time magazine has named Pope Francis "Person of the Year." He's the third Pope to have that distinction. Tom Reese, of the National Catholic Reporter, says, even though he hasn't been in office very long, he has rebranded Catholicism.

Time's 'Person of the Year' has moved fast to rebrand Catholicism
A shrine in Xuanwu Lake park in Nanjing is a popular spot where people submit personal wishes - written on red ribbons - to a higher power.

In atheistic China, people use ribbons in a park to appeal to 'higher powers'

China's atheistic communist rulers now say that certain religious beliefs are worth promoting for the sake of national development. Only a generation ago, nearly all forms of religious worship were essentially banned in China. The World's Matthew Bell toured a park in the Chinese city of Nanjing, where people seek help from "higher powers."

In atheistic China, people use ribbons in a park to appeal to 'higher powers'
A young boy lights Hanukkah lights in Jerusalem's Nachlaot neighborhood.

Hanukkah is a block party in Jerusalem — with olive-oil menorahs lighting up the streets

Jews scattered across the world are celebrating the last of the eight nights of Hannukah. And while the texts and songs and traditions are remarkably similar, Hanukkah in Israel is more a public affair than a private one.

Hanukkah is a block party in Jerusalem — with olive-oil menorahs lighting up the streets