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LOS ANGELES — In what could be the closing chapter in a landmark legal battle, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million to victims of clergy sexual abuse dating back decades in the largest settlement involving the Catholic Church.

Attorneys for 1,353 people who allege that they suffered horrific abuse at the hands of ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Is it wrong to look on the bright side of life when things go bad? My friends say I live in a fantasy world but it seems like we need to try harder to see that good can even come out of bad things. Is that fantasy or hope? – F.H.

A: Some equate hope as a fanciful wish. But the word explodes with ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Somewhere between 900 and 1,000 people have filed claims in the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s bankruptcy case, alleging they were sexually abused as children by people in the Catholic Church’s employ, an attorney said in court.

Edwin Caldie, a lawyer for a committee of abuse survivors tasked with representing the interests of all...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I’ve been told that the “golden years” are known as the years following retirement – the time to enjoy the fruit of one’s labor. When I retired my life fell apart. Does society know that there is no such thing as retirement bringing a time of rest and leisure? It’s a time of sickness ...Read more

For many who grew up in predominantly Black church congregations, the importance of public involvement was intertwined with historical and theological teachings.

“Part of the importance to me about civic engagement was absolutely passed down as a young person,” said Valerie Cooper, associate professor of Black church studies at Duke ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Is America in danger of going the way of other once great and powerful nations? When I read world history and see the fall and rise of the nations, I can’t help but wonder how our nation will be judged in the future. – J.N.

A: While America has been the most generous nation on Earth toward ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: What does it mean to be Spirit-filled, and how can a person seek this out and find its guiding light? – S.F.

A: The tides of civilization have risen, the courses of nations have been changed, and the pages of history have been brightened by people who have been filled with the Spirit of God.

...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A former Catholic priest with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has pleaded no contest to possession of child pornography and several related special allegations, authorities said.

Rodolfo Martinez-Guevara, 39, who was a member of the archdiocese at the time of the allegations, admitted to possessing over 600 images of child sexual...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I’m beginning to realize the Christian’s battle is not with other people but rather unseen powers. I’m asking God to give me more love for others because many people don’t fully understand that the real battle in life is in the unseen world. – U.W.

A: The world, the flesh, and the devil ...Read more

One of the big takeaways from the flood of God winks I am receiving from you, dear readers, is that even spooky God winks are not always scary. Sometimes we receive messages from dead loved ones that violate natural law but those who receive them are not frightened by them at all. They are taken to be what they seem to be: a simple message from ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: In spite of the incessant search for world peace, we are watching our country – and the world – "implode" before our eyes. It’s actually embarrassing to watch the governments of the world cry peace when none of them want it at all. Why can’t people just STOP the insanity and start all over ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I’m doing an internship in a recovery program as an addiction therapist. I came from an abusive home myself because of alcoholic parents and have a special tenderness for those who are caught in this horrible trap. I’ve specialized in teaching the importance of temperance. At first I thought it ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I’m a Christian and retired. I anticipate great years ahead, but some of my friends make me feel guilty because I want to live life as long as possible to explore all I missed while raising my family. They say I need to talk about Heaven more because it will be more glorious. Who’s right? – E....Read more

BALTIMORE — The Seventh-day Adventist Church is suing Maryland, arguing that its fair employment law prevents religious organizations from being able to hire — and fire — people based on their beliefs, bridging those groups’ constitutional right to religious independence.

The church said in its lawsuit, filed Wednesday in the U.S. ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: My sister’s teenage children were kept from her funeral. Is it too overprotective to keep children from the loss of loved ones, funerals, and the mourning that is a part of life? – D.F.

A: Geoffrey Gorer, an Englishman, began a study of the change in attitudes toward death and mourning as a ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: We’re taught that reaching our goals is what life is all about and that if we don’t check off our wish list, we haven’t been successful. I’ve done everything I set out to do – and I’m in great despair. I have a lot of money, and even after retirement I’m young enough to do whatever I ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Is anger inherited or learned? Didn’t God show anger? – A.I.

A: Every human being is capable of demonstrating anger. Think of a tiny baby who exhibits fits of temper before they can even talk. A toddler can fly into a fit of anger and upset the entire household. Husbands and wives react out of ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Police departments in the Los Angeles area are ramping up patrols around synagogues during Rosh Hashana this week — though authorities say they have not received any specific reports of threats or planned demonstrations.

The Beverly Hills Police Department has partnered with private security and increased patrols around ...Read more

The only question now is, “What does Oct. 7 mean?”

The prophet Zachariah taught in chapter 4, verse 6, lo b’ chail v'lo b’koah ki im beruchi,“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” This was the philosophy of Jewish survival for 2,000 years when we had to make due with piety ...Read more