Peter Smith
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I am the consumer health writer, working primarily in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Health and Science section but also for the daily.
Articles by Peter Smith
Sister June Carpenter, one of the few remaining Shakers, dies at 88
Sister June Carpenter, one of the last members of the only remaining community of the Shaker religious movement, died Tuesday. She was 88. Carpenter had been struggling with health problems and limited mobility, according to an announcement from the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in Maine. Carpenter was one of two longtime members of the Sabbathday Lake community of Shakers in New Gloucester, Maine, along with Brother Arnold Hadd. A third member joined the community last year, Sister April Baxter.
Southern Baptists vote to advance a formal ban on churches with women pastors
ORLANDO, Fla. — Thousands of Southern Baptists overwhelmingly voted Wednesday to advance a formal ban on women pastors in the nation's largest Protestant denomination, sending a clear message that men alone should preach to these conservative evangelical congregations. The amendment would tighten existing restrictions in the Southern Baptist Convention, which already has a faith statement opposing women pastors.
'If my people': Here's why the Bible passage Trump read aloud is so potent and polarizing
The scriptural passage that President Donald Trump read in a livestreamed Bible-reading marathon dates back to the depiction of an ancient event — but it’s one that carries a highly charged significance in the current religious and political climate. It has long been quoted and promoted by those who believe America was founded as a Christian nation and should be one. It's from the seventh chapter of 2 Chronicles, a book in the Hebrew (Old Testament) portion of the Bible.
Trump and other top Republicans will read passages in a marathon Bible event
President Donald Trump and many of his leading Christian supporters and top Republicans are taking part this week in a marathon reading of the Bible in an America 250-themed event billed as encouraging a “return to the spiritual foundation that has shaped our country.” The America Reads the Bible event — with each participant reading a passage aloud — is being livestreamed this week from the Museum of the Bible in Washington and other locations.
Patriarch Filaret, who fought for an independent Ukrainian Orthodox church, dies at 97
Patriarch Filaret, of Kyiv — who worked for decades to establish an independent Ukrainian Orthodox church that was free from Moscow's religious authority, a schism that foreshadowed the Russia-Ukraine war — died Friday. He was 97. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine announced his death, citing the “exacerbation of chronic diseases.” Patriarch Filaret had a more limited role in recent years as the cultural and religious divide between Ukraine and Russia widened into full-scale warfare.
160 Ukrainian energy workers have been killed as Russia pummels the power system
KYIV, Ukraine — Friends often ask Mykhailo whether the Ukrainian power plant worker hides in a shelter when Russia bombards the energy system. “If all the turbine operators hid during attacks, there’d be no energy left,” he said, standing inside the machine hall of a thermal power plant. “We have to stay at our posts. Who else would do the job?” Almost four years into Russia’s invasion, keeping Ukraine’s lights on has become a battle of its own — fought along a moving front line.
How a top New Zealand police officer's downfall provoked public fury and scrutiny of police powers
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — He was one of the most powerful police officers in New Zealand and a year ago almost won the country’s top law enforcement job. But the public didn’t know Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming was facing claims of sexual abuse during an affair with a young staffer and would soon be charged with viewing illegal sex images, including of child abuse, on his work computer.
In the violence plaguing Nigeria, many say everyone - Christian or Muslim - is a potential victim
LIGARI, Nigeria — The villagers in northwestern Nigeria were settling in for church service when motorcycle-riding gunmen invaded, shooting at random and seizing at least 62 people, including the pastor and several children. They were marched into the nearby bush, then forced to walk for two days to a forest hideout.
Fear and vigilance rise as attacks on houses of worship intensify worldwide
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Every week hundreds of millions of people around the world gather to worship in peace. But for some, there comes a day when deadly violence invades their sacred spaces and shatters that sense of sanctuary and safety. It happened recently at a synagogue in England and two churches in the U.S. Before that, there were high-profile attacks at mosques in New Zealand, Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill and a Sikh temple in Wisconsin.
By Peter Prengaman Verified, Marco Di Marco, David Crary Verified, Peter Smith Verified, Tiffany Stanley
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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Verified
In Iceland, a town still shaken by volcanic eruptions tries to recover
GRINDAVIK, Iceland — Vignir Kristinsson smiles as two women, the only customers all morning, enter his gift shop filled with handmade things of oak. After perusing decorations ranging from animals to kitchen cutting boards, one woman bought a small black-stained tree. After decades of making cabinets for a living, Mr. Kristinsson, 64, said his daughter persuaded him to turn passion for woodworking into a business.
Bishop Emeritus Lawrence E. Brandt, the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Greensburg, dies at 86
Bishop Emeritus Lawrence E. Brandt, the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Greensburg who oversaw wrenching decisions to overhaul the diocese through significant shifts in population and financial struggles, died Sunday. He was 86. Greensburg Bishop Larry J. Kulik said in a social media post that Bishop Brandt, who served in the diocese from 2004 until his retirement in 2015, suffered a “cardiac incident” last week that required hospitalization and surgery.
Christian theme park owner with replica Noah’s Ark preaching creationism 100 years after landmark trial
In the rolling hills of northern Kentucky, a colossal structure rises, a testament to one man's unwavering belief in the literal truth of the Bible: a full-scale replica of Noah's Ark. Ken Ham, the driving force behind the Ark Encounter theme park, frequently guides visitors through the enormous wooden vessel, emphasising its impressive dimensions – one and a half football fields long, "The biggest freestanding timber-frame structure in the world," he proudly proclaims.
Episcopal Church says it won't help resettle white South Africans granted refugee status in US
The Episcopal Church's migration service is refusing a directive from the federal government to help resettle white South Africans granted refugee status, citing the church's longstanding “commitment to racial justice and reconciliation.” Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe announced the step Monday, shortly before 49 South Africans arrived at Dulles International Airport outside Washington on a private charter plane and were greeted by a government delegation.
Iglesia Episcopal dice que no ayudará a reasentar a sudafricanos blancos en EEUU
PETER SMITH 12 de mayo de 2025, 1:58 p.m.·4 min de lectura El servicio de migración de la Iglesia Episcopal está rechazando una directiva del gobierno federal para ayudar a reasentar a sudafricanos blancos a quienes se les ha concedido el estatus de refugiados, citando el “compromiso con la justicia racial y la reconciliación” de la iglesia.
Villanova Catholic leader and longtime friend says Pope Leo XIV is ‘for a better world for all’
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The Rev. Art Purcaro has known Cardinal Robert Prevost, now known to the world as Pope Leo XIV, for decades, spending time with him just last week in Rome. But when he saw his longtime friend walk onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday and announced as the newest head of the Roman Catholic Church, he was “perhaps more stunned than the world,” he told CNN. Rev.
By Nicole Winfield Verified, Franklin Briceno Verified, Peter Smith Verified, Elisabetta Povoledo Verified
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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Verified
Nuevo papa lideró la Orden de San Agustín, dedicada a los pobres y al servicio
PETER SMITH 8 de mayo de 2025, 3:09 p.m.·2 min de lectura El cardenal Robert Prevost, el primer papa de Estados Unidos en los 2.000 años de historia de la Iglesia Católica, anteriormente lideró una orden religiosa católica. Prevost, de 69 años, quien eligió el nombre de papa León XIV, fue anteriormente el prior general, o líder, de la Orden de San Agustín, que se formó en el siglo XIII como una comunidad de frailes "mendicantes" —dedicados a la pobreza, el servicio y la evangelización.
Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, overcame a taboo against a U.S. pontiff
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis brought Robert Prevost to the Vatican in 2023 as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church. On Thursday, he ascended to become Pope Leo XIV — the first American pontiff. Prevost, 69, had to overcome the taboo against a U.S. pope, given the geopolitical power already wielded by the United States in the secular sphere.
Protestant denominations cutting staff, trying new ideas amid declines in members and money
FILE - The Rev. David Meredith, left, and the Rev. Austin Adkinson sing during a gathering of those in the LGBTQ community and their allies outside the Charlotte Convention Center, in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Smith, File) When the Episcopal Church recently announced cuts to its national staff, it was the latest in a long-running cycle among historic U.S. Protestant denominations — declines in members leading to declines in funding and thus in staff.
El vicepresidente JD Vance, católico, reconoce la crítica del papa a la represión migratoria en EEUU
PETER SMITH 28 de febrero de 2025, 1:38 p.m.·4 min de lectura El vicepresidente JD Vance reconoció las críticas del Papa Francisco a la represión de la inmigración ejercida por el gobierno de Trump, pero no respondió a ninguno de sus pormenores ni a la aparente crítica del pontífice al uso que Vance hace de la tradición católica para justificar esas políticas. Vance, un converso al catolicismo, habló el viernes en el Desayuno Nacional de Oración Católica en Washington.
Las fuerzas armadas de EEUU valoran la diversidad religiosa. ¿Cambiaría algo con Hegseth al mando?
Fue un evento histórico: en una capilla en Fort Liberty, Carolina del Norte, la teniente segunda Khady Ndiaye de pie, orgullosa, usando un hiyab, se convertía en la primera mujer musulmana comisionada por el Ejército de Estados Unidos como candidata a capellán. Presidiendo la ceremonia en junio estaba el mayor general Bill Green, jefe de capellanes del Ejército. Él dijo que los capellanes sirven a más de 200 grupos religiosos, “mientras cuidan de toda la familia del Ejército...
Beyond evangelicals, Trump and his allies courted smaller faith groups, from the Amish to Chabad
A social-media tribute to Coptic Christians. A billboard in Amish country. A visit to a revered Jewish gravesite. While Donald Trump's lock on the white evangelical vote is legendary, he and his campaign allies also wooed smaller religious groups, far from the mainstream. As it turned out, Trump won by decisive margins, but his campaign aggressively courted niche communities with the understanding that every vote could be critical, particularly in swing states.
For Pittsburgh Jews, attack anniversary adds to an already grim October
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Catholics press on with two-month nationwide pilgrimage in river cruise near Steubenville
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Trump to make taped remarks to a Christian group that calls for abortion to be 'eradicated entirely'
INDIANAPOLIS — Donald Trump on Monday will make a virtual appearance before a Christian group that calls for abortion to be “eradicated entirely,” as the presumptive Republican nominee again takes on an issue that Democrats want to make a focus of this year’s presidential election. The former president pre-recorded a video that will be shown at an event hosted by The Danbury Institute, which is meeting in Indianapolis in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Methodists end anti-gay bans, closing 50 years of battles over sexuality for mainline Protestants
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It took just a few days for United Methodist delegates to remove a half-century’s worth of denominational bans on gay clergy and same-sex marriages. But when asked at a news conference about the lightning speed of the changes, the Rev. Effie McAvoy took a longer view. “Oh, it didn’t take days, honey,” she said. It took decades of activism for a change that was “so very healing,” said Rev.
United Methodists repeal longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — United Methodist delegates repealed their church’s longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy with no debate on Wednesday, removing a rule forbidding “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” from being ordained or appointed as ministers. Delegates voted 692-51 at their General Conference — the first such legislative gathering in five years. That overwhelming margin contrasts sharply with the decades of controversy around the issue.
4 officers killed in North Carolina were at disadvantage as shots rained from above, police say
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Law enforcement officers with an arrest warrant demanded that a man come out of a house in North Carolina before four were killed by gunfire, the victims unable to survive shots coming from inside the dwelling, a witness and officials said Tuesday.
United Methodists prepare for votes on lifting LGBTQ bans and other issues at General Conference
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — United Methodist delegates are heading into the homestretch of their first legislative gathering in five years — one that appears on track to make historic changes in lifting their church’s long-standing bans on same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy.
United Methodists endorse change that could give regions more say on LGBTQ and other issues
United Methodist delegates overwhelmingly endorsed a constitutional amendment seen by advocates as a way of defusing debates over the role of LGBTQ people in the church by giving rule-making autonomy to each region of the international church.
United Methodists open first top-level conference since breakup over LGBTQ inclusion
Thousands of United Methodists are gathering in Charlotte, N.C., for their big denominational meeting, known as General Conference. It’s a much-anticipated gathering. Typically it is held every four years, but church leaders delayed the 2020 gathering until now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the 11-day gathering runs from April 23 to May 3.
Jehovah’s Witnesses lose door-knocking quotas
Jehovah’s Witnesses are well-known for proselytizing door-to-door and handing out their literature on city streets. Less known to the general public, their adherents have been required for the past century to make regular reports to their congregation’s leaders on how many hours they put into such ministry. Those hourly reports were a key metric for a congregation’s spiritual vitality and a factor in deciding who rose to leadership.
Timekeepers no more, rank-and-file Jehovah's Witnesses say goodbye to tracking proselytizing hours (copy)
Jehovah’s Witnesses are well-known for proselytizing door-to-door and handing out their literature on city streets. Less known to the general public, their adherents have been required for the past century to make regular reports to their congregation’s leaders on how many hours they put into such ministry. Those hourly reports were a key metric for a congregation’s spiritual vitality and a factor in deciding who rose to leadership.
Timekeepers no more, rank-and-file Jehovah's Witnesses say goodbye to tracking proselytizing hours
Jehovah's Witnesses are well-known for proselytizing door-to-door and handing out their literature on city streets. Less known to the general public, their adherents have been required for the past century to make regular reports to their congregation's leaders on how many hours they put into such ministry. Those hourly reports were a key metric for a congregation's spiritual vitality and a factor in deciding who rose to leadership.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses turned preaching into a metrics game that broke up marriages and made careers, but they just changed their door-to-door strategy for the first time since 1920
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The Jehovah’s Witnesses turned preaching into a metrics game that broke up marriages and made careers, but they just changed their door-to-door strategy for the first time since 1920
But in a historic shift, that practice ended this month. For the first time since 1920, leaders of the Jehovah’s Witnesses have removed the hours-reporting requirement for rank-and-file adherents.
Timekeepers no more, rank-and-file Jehovah's Witnesses say goodbye to tracking proselytizing hours
Jehovah's Witnesses are well-known for proselytizing door-to-door and handing out their literature on city streets. Less known to the general public, their adherents have been required for the past century to make regular reports to their congregation's leaders on how many hours they put into such ministry. Those hourly reports were a key metric for a congregation's spiritual vitality and a factor in deciding who rose to leadership.
Timekeepers no more, rank-and-file Jehovah's Witnesses say goodbye to tracking proselytizing hours
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Timekeepers no more, rank-and-file Jehovah's Witnesses say goodbye to tracking proselytizing hours
1 day ago In his new book, Stanford professor Robert Sapolsky argues that free will is a myth. There are many ways to think about the history of humanity. One of them is to say that we’ve gradually lifted ourselves out of ignorance as we’ve learned more about the natural world. No one is burning witches …
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