For years, nonprofit organizations have teamed up with fireworks companies to sell the colorful, whistling fountains, flowers and sparklers to raise needed funds.

Fourteen-year-old Eesim Oon of Durham's Bethesda Baptist Church practiced her Bible verses with Megan Russell for an hour each day before the national Bible Drill.

When Megan Russell memorized the 15-verse passage containing the Ten Commandments, she took it to heart.

A group of walkers is making a pilgrimage in the summer heat to protest the death penalty. Though North Carolina executions have been on hold, two recent court decisions removed the remaining legal obstacles to reinstating the practice.

A North Carolina judge is allowing some claims in a lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte to move forward.

Evangelical Protestants -- born-again, Bible-believing, ever-ready to spread the Word -- make up the country's biggest religious group, encompassing 26 percent of all U.S. adults.

Photojournalists document how people live their beliefs.

On a normal Sunday morning, the offering brought to the altar consists of baskets filled with nonperishable food -- cereal, canned beans and pasta for the local food pantry.

Barack Obama just might be the president to improve the strained relationship between the Muslim world and the United States, local Muslims say, but they're not ready to believe it until they see it.

Photojournalists document how people live their beliefs.

Ruth Bell knew early what she wanted to do in life: be a missionary in Tibet. Then she met and married a farm boy from Charlotte named Billy Graham.

The Performing Arts Center is used to big-name performers, but few of them preach Jesus from the stage.

A popular Miami priest nicknamed "Father Oprah" said Sunday that "church is about forgiveness" during his first sermon since leaving the Roman Catholic Church to become Episcopal amid an uproar over published photos of him kissing his girlfriend on the beach.

North Carolina's Roman Catholic bishops say changes by the state Senate to a bill designed to prevent racial bias in the death penalty are "beyond comprehension."

The Sri Venkateswara Temple in Cary is the newest addition to the Triangle religious community. Temple openings are rare events, and Hindus believe they bestow on participants health, longevity and prosperity.

By all appearances, Elevation Baptist Church is a traditional-looking church. The red-brick sanctuary off U.S. 64 has a tall, white steeple. The padded pews in the sanctuary are standard-issue.

The Catholic orders responsible for abusing Ireland's poorest children say they're struggling to come up with money to help their victims.