i'm bob abernethy. it's good to have you with us. a study released this week says mormons are the fastest growing religious group in the united states, followed by muslims. the religious congregations and membership study -- done every ten years -- is based on self-reported figures from u.s. congregations and religious bodies. the church of jesus christ of latter day saints, the mormons, reported adding 2 million regularly attending members in the u.s. since the year 2000, bringing their total to a little over 6 million. muslims reported 2.6 million, an increase of about 1 million over the last decade. mainline protestant denominations, meanwhile, lost about 13% of their members. and catholic membership declined by 5%. nevertheless, catholics remain the largest faith group in america at 59 million. >>> leaders of the united methodist church have voted against changing language in their church doctrine that calls homosexuality incompatible with christian teaching. meeting at their general conference, hel

i'm bob abernethy. it's good to have you with us. religious groups had strong reactions this week after president obama publicly announced his support for same-sex marriage. speaking to abc news, the president said although he had in the past opposed the practice because of religious concerns, his new position is rooted in his christian faith. he cited the golden rule, saying it was important to quote "treat others the way you would want to be treated." many moderate and liberal religious groups praised the president's decision as a matter of justice. but others, including the u.s. catholic bishops and evangelical groups said this would undermine what many call the sacrament of marriage. experts are debating the political implications. although polls show growing public support for gay marriage, opinion is almost equally divided, and the most religious remain the most opposed. >>> in north carolina, on tuesday, a majority of voters -- 61% -- approved a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as

i'm bob abernethy. you can follow us on twitter and facebook, find us on youtube, and watch us anytime, anywhere on smart phones. there's also much more on our web site, including more of kim lawton's interview with serene jones. you can comment on all of our stories and share them. audio and video podcasts are also available. join us at pbs.org. as we leave you this memorial day weekend, scenes from arlington national cemetery.

i'm bob abernethy. it's good to have you with us. as world leaders gather at camp david this week for the annual g8 summit, several humanitarian and faith-based aid organizations urged them to address issues of hunger and poverty alongside discussions of the financial crisis in europe. the groups called on the g8 to fulfill earlier pledges to fund a large-scale hunger initiative. adam taylor is a vice president of world vision. >> we know this is a very tough financial time for europe and for the united states, but we believe those leaders can still maintain those commitments and even increase them even in tough economic times and it's the right thing to do, it's the moral thing to do. on friday, prior to leaving for camp david, president obama announced a new international alliance to promote secure access to food and nutrition. the alliance will include public and private investments. the president called promoting food security, "a moral imperative." also this weekend, obama prepares to join internat