Some devout Muslims believe the Koran forbids them from paying any interest. So when preparing to make a large purchase such as a house, they seek out not a lender, but a partner. Although not common, some financial institutions exist that allow customers to finance purchases in a way compliant with shariah law.

For Tibetan Buddhists, the new year is celebrated with dancing, and R&E sat in as members of the Drepung Loseling Monastery in Washington, D.C. performed. Our guide was Geshe Lobsang Tenzin, who spoke of the power of negative and positive energy, and about the legends associated with snow lions and the Black Hat Masters.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is generating controversy on another issue. Scalia criticized the Roman Catholic Church's stand against the death penalty. At a forum on religion and the death penalty, Scalia said he does not agree with the Church's position on capital punishment.

There are always risks enrolling children in clinical trials. The problem is weighing the possible benefits of the test against the dangers to the participants, who are too young to give informed consent.

Howard Thurman had a profound spiritual impact on civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. Yet for much of the last half century, Thurman's contributions have often been overlooked. Now, more than 20 years after his death in 1981, Howard Thurman is finding a new audience.

In France, the government has stepped into a furor over whether there is or should be a right not to be born. The highest court implied there should be, but the National Assembly said no. The issue came to a head when the court awarded money on behalf of a handicapped child, saying that he could claim damages because doctors had not detected his disability in the womb.

Should a pastor offer people any counseling on sex other than to maintain abstinence outside of marriage? Does saying anything about safe sex seem to condone behavior the Bible forbids? It's a real issue in the deep South, especially in black churches, and especially regarding women.

During the Christmas season, many places around the world have a long-standing tradition of displaying manger scenes, or creches, that depict the birth of Jesus. Here in the United States, the nativity scene tradition has often been one of church-state controversies over public creche displays. But apart from controversy, there is an active and growing movement to promote the creche tradition.

Hanukkah is a holiday of freedom, recalling the successful Jewish revolt against the Syrians who had conquered and occupied Jerusalem. We heard the story at the home of Rabbi Bentzion Geisinsky, in Potomac, Maryland.

When a person has a religious experience, what happens within the brain? What kind of changes take place? In one experiment, brain scans examine the parts of the brain that are activated during prayer. In another, mystical and religious experiences are simulated by using bursts of electrical impulses. These experiments have created no small amount of controversy.

There have been many estimates around the world about the desperation of people in Afghanistan. The country has suffered years of war and years of drought, and many advocate that this is the poorest country in the world. Before the current situation, Afghans were in tragic circumstances. Now, some of the people are starving and many are relocating to other areas in search of a better life.

More than five weeks later, America remains deeply shaken by the events of September 11th, no more so than in New York. Correspondent Betty Rollin spoke with four religious New Yorkers of different faiths to see how they were affected.

As Congress worked on the antiterrorism bill, proponents argued that the FBI and police need new tools to keep up with modern technology, while others expressed concern about violating privacy and other rights. Lucky Severson reports on the new search for the right balance between national security and civil liberties.

During the weeklong Jewish holiday of Sukkot, many Jews build lean-tos, open to the elements, called “sukkahs,” to recall the way their ancestors lived for 40 years in the desert after their escape from slavery in Egypt.

As of early October 2005, 30,000 U.S. troops had been deployed to the Middle East and Central Asia, and among them were some of the country’s 2,800 military chaplains. How do chaplains help prepare U.S. forces for whatever lies ahead? In particular, how are they counseling American military personnel who are Muslim?

As the U.S. builds coalitions and deploys troops in response to last month’s attacks, an old moral question has resurfaced: In order to fight a great evil, how much evil do you have to condone? For instance, in order to get the help of unsavory governments in the fight against terrorism, does the U.S. have to abandon its pressure on those same governments to recognize human rights?

Two American aid workers in Afghanistan, 29-year-old Dayna Curry and 24-year-old Heather Mercer, were arrested by security officials and accused of preaching Christianity, which is strictly forbidden by the Taliban. They, along with six other foreigners and sixteen afghans, were detained, and their trial is proceeding.

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn day of the Jewish calendar. Observant Jews spend all day in synagogue fasting and repenting. The cantor, also known as the hazzan, leads the congregation in ancient, sung prayer, pleading for God's forgiveness. We spoke with Cantor Abraham Lubin of Congregation Beth El in Bethesda, Maryland, as he prepared for the high holidays.

In the wake of the horrific terrorist attacks on September 11, we discuss questions about justice, forgiveness, and retribution with four religious leaders and scholars.