peace2alldotme

By Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com Religion Editor

Washington (CNN) -- For many conservative Christian leaders, it was a nightmare scenario: Barack Obama decisively re-elected. Same-sex marriage adopted by voters in some states. Rigorously anti-abortion candidates defeated in conservative red states.

On multiple levels, Tuesday’s election results raised questions about the Christian right’s agenda on American politics, eight years after the movement helped sweep President George W.

By Jacques Berlinerblau, Special to CNN

Editor’s note: Jacques Berlinerblau is associate professor of Jewish Civilization at Georgetown University. His book, How to Be Secular: A Call to Arms for Religious Freedom has just been released.

As far as the Republicans are concerned, President Barack Obama is secularism’s go-to guy in Washington. Newt Gingrich refers to him as a “secular-socialist.” …

By Dan Merica, CNN

When Ron Johnson takes take his pulpit on Sunday, he will willfully break the law. After presenting his views on President Barack Obama’s handling of religious issues –- like abortion, gay marriage, and religious freedom -- Johnson will ask his congregation a question.

“In light of what I have presented,” Johnson says he will say, “How can you go into that election booth and vote for Barack Obama as president of the United States?”

Follow Wednesday's presidential debate coverage starting at 7 p.m. ET on CNN TV, CNN.com and via CNN's apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. Web users can become video editors with a new clip-and-share feature that allows them to share favorite debate moments on Facebook and Twitter.

By Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com Religion Editor

(CNN) -- Will religion factor into the first 2012 presidential debate in Denver on Wednesday night?

By Ashley Fantz, CNN

(CNN) -- Restrictions on religion spiked throughout the world between mid-2009 and 2010, including in the United States, says a new study by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life.

The U.S. was among 16 countries, including Switzerland, where hostilities jumped during that time period. Pew examined 197 countries, assigning a score between from zero to 10.

From Erinn Cawthon, CNN

New York (CNN) -- A controversial advertisement that critics say is hateful toward Muslims will appear in New York City subway stations starting next week, despite the city's attempts to halt the campaign.

New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority initially rejected the ad, which reads: "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man.

By Ben Brumfield and Shirzad Bozorgmehr, CNN

Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- They may be a far cry from their Western counterparts fighting for the acceptance to breast feed -- or go topless -- in public, but two girls clobbered a cleric recently in a small town in Iran, when he admonished one of them to cover herself more completely.

(CNN)--Joel Osteen stopped by to talk on Tuesday night with Piers Morgan about negative campaigns and attack ads.  You can see the clip above.

You can also see the Belief Blog interview with Osteen, the pastor of the biggest church in the US here:

Five things we learned from Joel Osteen's visit

By Jim Bittermann, Pierre Meilhan and Holly Yan, CNN

Paris (CNN) -- After a week of deadly, international protests against an anti-Islam film, a French satirical magazine is fueling the debate between freedom of expression and offensive provocation.

The magazine Charlie Hebdo published cartoons featuring a figure resembling the Prophet Mohammed in an issue hitting newsstands Wednesday.