Ruth Gledhill

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  Nearly half of Americans prefer religious freedom over sexual freedom, new study shows

  While just 48 per cent say religious freedom is more important when faith and sexuality clash, Nashville-based LifeWay Research finds one in four say sexual freedom is more important and more than one in four are unsure.

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  The Christian pastor who was raped on her wedding day – and has forgiven her attackers

  Christian pastor Terry Gobanga, from Kenya, didn't show up for her own wedding – because she had been gang raped on that same day and left for dead by the roadside. Then her husband, Harry, died just 29 days after their marriage. Now she is helping other rape survivors.

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  Christian charity welcomes ruling on Northern Ireland's strict abortion laws

  Christians have welcomed a legal ruling today that Northern Ireland's strict abortion legislation is not incompatible with human rights after three judges in the Court of Appeal in Belfast ruled it was not up to the courts to decide on abortion law but local government.

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  Children suffer and Britain faces perilous future as poverty deepens across the nation

  A Church of England bishop is leading calls for change as a new report shows a worrying failure by successive governments over two decades to narrow the gap between the rich and poor.

• Franklin Graham hails quarterback Derek Carr: 'Derek isn't ashamed to talk about his walk with Jesus Christ'

  Evangelist Franklin Graham has spoken out in praise of Oaklands Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, a committed Christian, after he said the first thing he will do with his new record earnings is tithe to his church.

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  Hillsborough: Six police charged over, including David Duckenfield for manslaughter

  Two senior police officers are among six people who have been charged with criminal offences relating to the deaths of 96 people at the Hillsborough disaster.

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  Facebook is the new church, says Mark Zuckerberg

  Zuckerberg, founder and head of Facebook, says his creation can now fill the role once held by churches, and organisations such as Little League

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  Methodist Church may get bishops for the first time in UK in mutual recognition pact with Anglicans

  Methodists and Anglicans are embarking on a process of historic proposals that would recognise the ministers and priests of both churches for the first time since they split in the late 18th century. And for the first time ever, the proposals, if agreed, would give Methodists in the UK a bishop.

• Half of all Americans still say grace before meals, a new poll finds

  The poll found that saying grace crossed all divides, and was common among Americans in both town and country, from north and south, across Christian denominations and across all political parties. Even some non-religious people admitted they like to say grace.

• UK's Conservative Party agrees £1 billion deal with the Northern Ireland's Protestant DUP

  Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that does not permit gay marriage. The DUP is ultra-conservative on issues such as gay rights and abortion and the deal is certain to alarm social liberals on all sides of the political divide.

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  Nigerian Christian leader pleads for help to stop death and destruction by Islamist Fulani militia

  A Christian church leader from Nigeria has described the horrors of the growing persecution of Christians by Fulani herdsmen, describing it as 'ethnic cleansing'. And so far, he said, the authorities have done little or nothing to help.

• Mayor of Rio who is also an evangelical bishop cuts funding for Brazil's Rio Carnival

  The future of the famous Rio Carnival is in doubt after the public subsidy to the 13 samba schools that organise it was halved