captioning sponsored by the lilly endowment >> abernethy: welcome, i'm bob abernethy. it's good to have you with us. president obama continued pushing his health care agenda this week, calling on congress to move forward with a reform package. much of the discussion centers on rising health care costs, and a special report on that is coming up. obama calls health care reform a moral issue, and many in the religious community have been lobbying for new measures. but their efforts are complicated by new debates over whether tax-funded abortion coverage should be included. the u.s. catholic bishops warned congress not to make abortion part of health care reform. the religious coalition for reproductive choice said including abortion coverage is a matter of justice. obama has long urged finding common ground in the overall battle ababt abortion, and this week, a broad coalition of activists and clergy said they have found some. advocates and opponents of abortion rights announced their joint support for a new bill designed to reduce the number of u.s. abortions. the bill i

captioning sponsored by the lilly endowment >> abernethy: welcome. i'm bob abernethy. it's good to have you with us. in iran, after weeks of protest, the country's religious authority validated the disputed presidential election and widened efforts to quash dissent. the guardian council, a body of clerics and islamic law experts, this week formally certified president mahmoud ahmadinejad as the winner after a partial ballot recount. meanwhile, a senior cleric, ayatollah ahmed khatami, said the protesters were "at war with god" and should be "dealt with without mercy." he said iran's supreme leader rules by god's design and should not be defied. riverside church in new york city, one of the nation's best- known congregations, has accepted the resignation of senior minister brad braxton two months after his installation. lucky severson reports. >> reporter: braxton was controversial from the start. some congregants complained that his compensation package was excessive. others, that his evangelical preaching style made them uncomfortable. >> fear not, fear not. i'm gonna

>> abernethy: coming up: the u.s. episcopal church says gays and lesbians are eligible to become bishops. we have a special report. also, new scientific research on the effects of meditation on the brain. >> we've learned that being religious or spiritual has a very profound effect on who we are has a very profound effect on our biology and on our brain. captioning sponsored by the lilly endowment >> abernethy: welcome. i'm bob abernethy. it's good to have you with us. after decades of debate and division, the u.s. episcopal church this week said, overwhelmingly, that gays and lesbians are eligible to become bishops, or serve in any other ordained ministry of the church. at their general convention, episcopal leaders also moved toward developing an official rite for blessing same sex unions. these decisions are likely to widen the divide between episcopalians and the worldwide, 77-million-member anglican communion of which they are a part. kim lawton has our special report from anaheim, california. >> reporter: at the

>> abernethy: cominup, does expense health care mean better health care? not aays. >> we know that morcan be injurious to people, andore health care svices, more aggressively providing tho services, can result in wer lels of care. >> abernethy: and, in l angeles, thirish priest who came to be accepted by bot blacks and latin, in the troubled neighborhood watts. >>ne time, i was talking to the black ds and this little rl said to me, "father pete you aren't white, you'rerish." captioning sponsored by the lilly endment >> abernethywelcome, i'm bob ernethy. it's good to have yowith us. president obama continued pushing hisealth care agenda this week, caing on congress to move forward wh a reform packag much of the discussn centers on rising alth care costsand a special report on thais coming u obama calls health care refm a mal issue, and many in the religious communy have been lobbying for new meares. but their effts are complicated new debates over whether tax-funded aboron coverage should included. the u.s. catholic bishs warned congress not to make aboion

captioning sponred by the lly endowment >> abernethy: welcome. m bob abernethy. it's good to have you withs. after decades of debatend division,he u.s. episcopal crch this week said, erwhelmingly, that gays and lesans are eligible to become bishops, or serven any other ordained nistry of the church. attheir general convention, epiopal leaders also moved tord developing an official rite fo blessing same sex unions. these decions are likely to widen the divideetween episcopalians and the rldwide, 77-million-member anglica commion of which they are a part. kim lawton has ourspecial report from anaheim, cifornia. >> reporter: at eir meeting in anaheim this week, episcopa bishops, clergy and lay representives tackled a host of social iues, from global poverty to justice for dieyland hotel workers. t the most divisive top, on again, was homosexuality. >> it wouldn't a meeting of the episcopal church orhe anglican communion if weidn't mehow engage matters of hum sexuality. >> reporter: despite concns from many global anglin partners, convention delegat overwhelmingly vo

i'm tim'brien, sitting in for bob abernethy. it's good to have you witus.ders of the wld's wealthiest industrializ nations said their cmitment to poor and developing countrs remains strong, despi the global financial crisis. they have agreed to raise $2 billion dollars withithe next three years for fd and agricultural aid developing countes. the leaders weren italy this week for the annual gup of eight, or g8, summit relious leaders, including pope bedict, had urged them not to andon the needy. the day before the summit ened, benedict issued a new encyclical callg for a global economic system sed on ethics rather than profits. he sd greed and "moral failure" in the businessorld elped create the current financial isis. after the-8 summit concded, presidt obama had his first face-to-face meeting th the pe in a private session at t vatin. nedict granted a rare afternoon audience in orr to accommote obama's schedule. despite diffences over abortion, t president has said thewo share concerns about a host of isss including global poverty, climate chan and middle

i'm tim o'brien, sitting in for bob abernethy.s good to have you with us.ls wealthiest industrialized nations said their commitment to poor and developing countries remains strong, despite the global financial crisis. they have agreed to raise $20 billion dollars within the next three years for food and agricultural aid to developing countries. the leaders were in italy this week for the annual group of eight, or g8, summit. religious leaders, including pope benedict, had urged them not to abandon the needy. the day before the summit opened, benedict issued a new encyclical calling for a global economic system based on ethics rather than profits. he said greed and "moral failure" in the business world helped create the current financial crisis. after the g-8 summit concluded, president obama had his first face-to-face meeting with the pope in a private session at the vatican.edicanted a rare afternoon audience in order to accommodate obama's schedule. despite differences over abortion, the president has said the two share concerns