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Archives for MARCH 2010

Update for Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

Bachmann: Media Portray Tea Partiers as ‘Hillbillies’ and 'Rubes'
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) told CNSNews.com that the media are falsely portraying “people who are in the Tea Party movement as toothless hillbillies, as rubes from the backwater, who don't know what they're talking about.” In a video interview, CNSNews.com asked Bachmann if she saw or heard anything at the Tea Party rally on Capitol Hill the day before the health care bill was passed that was consistent with the widely reported claim of Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) that attendees at the rally had shouted racist remarks. MORE

Group Takes Offense at 'Christian Warrior' Media Coverage
Mainstream media outlets are bias in their reporting about the nine self-identified “Christian warriors” accused of plotting to kill law en- forcement officers, contends a group whose mission is to respond to anti-Christian defamation. Even though members of the militia group call themselves Hutaree, which they say means “Christian warrior,” their alleged violent plan “is absolutely contrary to Christianity,” said Dr. Gary Cass... MORE

Pepsi Accused of Funding Gay Religious Doctrines
Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX) is calling on all PepsiCo shareholders to vote for a shareholder proposal that asks PepsiCo to divulge its standards for donating over $75 million in corporate assets to controversial groups. MORE

Baptists to Cut Ties with Ga. Church Over Female Pastor
A more than 95-year-old church in Atlanta may be ousted from the Southern Baptist Convention over a woman pastor. The Rev. Mimi Walker has been serving as co-pastor at Druid Hills Baptist Church with her husband, the Rev. Graham Walker, since 2003. But earlier this month, leaders of the Georgia Baptist Convention recommended cutting ties with the local congregation. MORE

Glenn Beck Tells Pro-Lifers: ‘There is a Profound Evil Coming our Way’
Before a sold-out audience of 1,200 enthusiastic pro-life supporters, Glenn Beck warned of a “profound change” coming to America that he said would wreak havoc on the sanctity of life. Beck’s comments came at the Vitae Foundation’s 18th annual pro-life benefit dinner in Jefferson City, Mo., on March 13. MORE

WSJ: Obama Becoming More Aggressive Politically
President Barack Obama, after a year of fitfully searching for compromise, is taking a more aggressive tack with his Republican adversaries, hoping to energize Democratic voters and possibly muscle in some Republican support in Congress...Republicans are "on the defensive," the official said, "and as long as they're not cooperating, we ought to keep them there." MORE

Jay Adams: How Religious Movements Mature
Isn’t it strange how things repeat themselves? “What, in particular, do you have In mind?” The way a movement or cause surges ahead, only to have some of those who benefit most from it, later in rising to leading positions, begin to reject, transform and set forth their own ways of pursuing it. MORE

Update for Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

John Piper to Take Leave to Reexamine Soul
Well-known evangelical preacher John Piper announced Sunday that he will be taking his first-ever break from ministry to reexamine his soul. The long-time preacher apologized to his congregation for not a specific deed but for the "sins of my own soul," "ongoing character flaws" and stresses that they have caused to others. "I see several species of pride," Piper told Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. "They may not rise to the level of disqualifying me for ministry. Nevertheless, while I don't think they do, I grieve over them." MORE

FBI Goes After Christian Militia in Series of Weekend Raids
A Christian militia group was a target of at least one of a series of weekend raids the FBI conducted in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, a Michigan militia leader says. The FBI said Sunday that it had conducted raids in the three states, resulting in at least three arrests. Federal warrants were sealed, but a federal law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity said some of those arrested face gun charges and officials are pursuing other suspects. Some of the suspects were expected in court Monday. It wasn't clear what prompted the raids, but Michael Lackomar, a spokesman... MORE

Christian Militia Accused of Plotting to Kill Cops
Nine alleged members of a Christian militia group that was girding for battle with the Antichrist were charged Monday with plotting to kill a police officer and slaughter scores more by bombing the funeral - all in hopes of touching off an uprising against the U.S. government. Seven men and one woman believed to be part of the Michigan-based Hutaree were arrested over the weekend in raids in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, and another was still being sought. MORE

C. Michael Patton: Why I Don’t Like “Once-Saved-Aways-Saved”
I have often said that it is easier to tell when someone is a true Christian than to tell if they are not...Others, however, it is hard to tell. They may say they are saved, but I am not convinced with the same degree of conviction. They may be convinced, but I am not. I am not saying they are not saved, I just don’t know. Some live in a perpetual state of doubt, failure, and terrible sin. They may be in the race, but they are not running. MORE

After ObamaCare, Only 38% Think America’s Best Days Lay Ahead
Only 38 percent of Americans think the nation’s best days lay in the future, according to a Rasmussen Reports survey. The finding comes on the heels of President Barack Obama signing the new, national health care reform bill into law. The survey, taken March 23-24, shows that only 38 percent of Americans think that America’s best day are ahead of her, a figure close to the all-time low of 32 percent Rasmussen reported in October 2009. MORE

Christians Concerned Over Mandatory Sex Lessons for 5-Year-Olds
Church and faith school leaders in the United Kingdom have criticized a bill passing through Parliament that seeks to make sex and relationships education compulsory for schoolchildren from the age of five. In a letter to The Sunday Telegraph, the faith leaders said parents and guardians should be allowed to bring up their children in accordance with their own values and culture. MORE

Update for Monday, March 29th, 2010

Businesses React to Rising Cost of ObamaCare: They're Cutting Benefits
Remember the part in the ObamaCare pitch when they said if you like your current healthcare, it won't change?
Turns out it might. Companies are already announcing that their healthcare premium costs are going through the roof. Some are responding by firing people. Some are cutting benefits. And some are presumably eating it. But costs they are a-rising. MORE

Federal Agents Raid 'Christian' Militia Group In Michigan, Arrest Seven
At least seven people have been arrested in raids by a FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana as part of an investigation into an Adrian-based Christian militia group, a person familiar with the matter said...On Sunday, a source close to the investigation in Washington, D.C. confirmed that FBI agents were conducting activities over the weekend in connection to Hutaree, a Christian militia group. MORE

Hutaree Militia Was Preparing For 'End-Time' Battles
Federal agents conducted raids over the weekend that reports say may be related to some members of Hutaree, a Christian-militia group in Michigan...The website for Hutaree says that it is "preparing for the end time battles to keep the testimony of Jesus Christ alive." The group's logo is a cross with the initials CCR, Colonial Christian Republic. In one of its videos, a group of men in military gear take down a burning United Nations flag and replace it with their flag, which has a cross. MORE

Florida Church to Pay Light Bills for Guests on Easter
A Jacksonville, Fla., church has a message for the community: Come hear the message of hope this Easter and get your light bill paid! In the run-up to Easter, The Bridge Church is reaching out to neighbors through road side signs, billboards, radio and television to communicate to the city that they care. MORE

Sarah Palin Speaks To Tea Party Rally:Don't Sit Down, Don't Shut Up!
Sarah Palin told thousands of tea party activists assembled in the dusty Nevada desert Saturday that Sen. Harry Reid will have to explain his votes when he comes back to his hometown to campaign. The wind whipped U.S. flags behind the former Alaska governor as she stood on a makeshift stage, holding a microphone and her notes and speaking to a cheering crowd. She told them Reid, fighting for re-election, is "gambling away our future."... MORE

Colorado Gets Another Shot at Banning Abortion
Two years after a failed attempt to end abortion in Colorado, a state pro-life group has another shot at the ballot. The secretary of state confirmed on Friday that Colorado-based Personhood USA submitted enough signatures to put an amendment that would protect the preborn to a statewide vote this fall. MORE

States Consider Legislative Plan to Opt-Out of ObamaCare’s Abortion Mandate
Legislators in over a dozen states are considering a pro-life plan that would opt their states out of a major abortion mandate in the health care reform bill passed last Sunday. The legislation, developed by Americans United for Life (AUL), intends to take the abortion-health care fight to the states. MORE

Mennonites Rely on Faith to Get Them Through Tragic Crash
As members of a close-knit Mennonite community prepared to bury their own, they sliced through wooden planks with electric saws Saturday and wrestled with the loss of a family of nine killed in a central Kentucky crash. MORE

Top Vatican Cardinal Defends Pope Amid Scandal
The Vatican said Saturday that recent attacks on the church over its handling of clerical sex abuse cases have been harmful, but insisted the pope's authority had not been weakened. Instead, the Vatican spokesman said, Pope Benedict XVI's authority and the commitment of the Vatican doctrinal and disciplinary office "have been confirmed in their support and guidance to bishops to combat and root out the blight of abuse wherever it appears." MORE

London Times: Britian's Special Relationship With United States Is 'Over'
Btitian's special relationship with the US — forged by Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt in the second world war — no longer exists, says a committee of influential MPs. Instead, America’s relationship with Britain is no more special than with its other main allies, according to a report by the Commons foreign affairs committee published today. MORE

Dave Welch Commentary: We Don't Fear God
...There are many reasons we are in this condition, but the most important, in my humble opinion, is not that the Democrats have a majority in Congress and control the White House, but that we have a nation filled with people who no longer fear God. MORE

Judge Rejects Ex-inmate's Religious Suit
A federal judge has rejected the civil rights lawsuit of a former inmate who claimed that federal law on prisoners' religious rights requires prisons to provide things like sweat lodges and raw meat for practicing Wicca. MORE

Crystal Cathedral Owes Vendors Money
Vendors who provided services for the annual "Glory of Christmas" pageant at the Crystal Cathedral say they're owed tens of thousands of dollars. Church administrators sent an e-mail to vendors saying the Crystal Cathedral can't afford to pay them. The California megachurch is $55 million in debt and announced layoffs this year. MORE

Judge Intervenes In Divided Congregation's Dispute
A judge has been been asked to settle a Pennsylvania church's dispute over the removal of two elders because one was allegedly quarrelsome and the other didn't speak in tongues. MORE

Update for Weekend, March 27th-28th, 2010

Israeli Court Says No Passover Sacrifice In Jerusalem Again This Year
The Israeli Supreme Court has rejected a petition requesting that Jews be enabled to offer the Passover Sacrifice this coming Monday, the eve of the holiday. Similar petitions have been submitted and rejected in recent years. Tuesday, a rally demanding “freedom of Jewish worship” on the Temple Mount was held in Jerusalem. MORE

Socialism is Not Compassionate, and Why This Should Matter to Christians
Christians should care about politics because, ultimately, we care about people. Government has an increasingly large influence on the lives of people, thus we cannot ignore politics. Further, almost every law reflects someone’s idea of morality. Since God’s morality is ultimate and universal, society benefits by the Christian’s participation in the public square. That is, society benefits when biblical truth is reflected in law. MORE

Clergy Abuse Threatens to Tarnish Pope's Legacy
The Vatican is facing one of its gravest crises of modern times as sex abuse scandals move ever closer to Pope Benedict XVI — threatening not only his own legacy but also that of his revered predecessor. Benedict took a much harder stance on sex abuse than John Paul II when he assumed the papacy five years ago, disciplining a senior cleric championed by the Polish pontiff and defrocking others under a new policy of zero tolerance. MORE

Jesus Did Not Wear a "Kick Me" Sign
Yesterday evening I checked my mailbox. Junk mail. As usual.But this time, one of the advertisements caught my eye. It was a postcard from a church in my area—an invitation to their special Easter services. The front of the advertisement read: “We’re nearly as harmless as, well…a bunny.” MORE

Rome Police Detain 4 US Church Abuse Victims
Four American victims of clergy sexual abuse say they were detained and questioned by Italian police in Rome after showing photos of the pope during a news conference outside St. Peter's Square. Barbara Blaine, one of the victims, said Thursday after emerging from a police station near the Vatican that officers told them a judge will decide if they will be charged...they were detained because they didn't have a permit for a news conference. MORE

Seattle Mom: School Sent My Daughter for Secret Abortion without Telling Me
A Seattle mother is furious after learning that her 15-year-old daughter was sent by her school's health center for a secret abortion, reports ABC-affiliate KOMO. The mother, identified only as “Jill,” says her daughter was given a pregnancy test at Ballard High School's Teen Health Center, which came back positive. Rather than informing the parents, she said, the center gave the girl a pass and put her in a taxi for the abortuary, all during school hours. "They just told her that if she concealed it from her family, that it would be free of charge and no financial responsibility," Jill said. MORE

Speaker Pelosi Praises United Methodist Support for Obamacare
During closing remarks before the House of Representatives approved passage of health care legislation, Speaker Nancy Pelosi thanked religious left groups for their enthusiastic support. Specifically cited among them was the United Methodist Church for having lobbied Congress to "Say yes to health care reform." MORE

Jailed US Missionary Faces Business, Personal Woes
As an Idaho woman sits in a jail in Haiti, her Internet business is closing and her ex-husband is seeking sole custody of their 5-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son. Terry Silsby also has asked the courts to demand immediate return of his children's passports and require that Laura Silsby obtain "medical clearance" before having contact with them. MORE

What Pastors Owe Their Churches
Two thousand years ago the apostle Paul, church planter and pastor par excellence, declared that he was a debtor to those to whom he ministered. He sensed an obligation to discharge, a duty to perform, and a debt to pay—both to the unsaved and to the saints in Rome (Romans 1:11–15). MORE

DNA Identifies New Ancient Human Dubbed 'X-Woman'
Scientists have identified a previously unknown type of ancient human through analysis of DNA from a finger bone unearthed in a Siberian cave. The extinct "hominin" (human-like creature) lived in Central Asia between 48,000 and 30,000 years ago. An international team has sequenced genetic material from the fossil showing that it is distinct from that of Neanderthals and modern humans. MORE

Greek Churches to be Taxed in Govt’s Response to Economic Crisis
The Greek government has announced it will start taxing churches as part of its efforts to get out of its financial crisis. A new draft bill to be tabled in parliament next week imposes a 20 per cent tax on the Orthodox church's real estate income, reportedly worth over 10 million Euros (US $14.8 million) a year, reports say. MORE

Brazilian Couple Receive Criminal Conviction for Homeschooling
Despite the fact that his children passed difficult government imposed tests, and even qualified for law school at the ages of 13 and 14, homeschooler Cleber Nunes and his wife Bernadeth have been slapped with fines equivalent to a total of $3,200 for refusing to submit their children to the Brazilian school system. MORE

Update for Friday, March 26th, 2010

Fidel Castro Endorses Obamacare Law as 'Miracle'
It perhaps was not the endorsement President Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress were looking for.
Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro on Thursday declared passage of American health care reform "a miracle" and a major victory for Obama's presidency, but couldn't help chide the United States for taking so long to enact what communist Cuba achieved decades ago. MORE

Netanyahu Stood His Ground With Obama
What in the world was going on behind the scenes of the Obama-Netanyahu meetings? Why were the talks so tense, and so shrouded in secrecy? Wednesday night, I was able to gain some clues. It’s not good. The Obama administration has been applying intense and unprecedented pressure on the Netanyahu government to make huge unilateral concessions to the Palestinians even before direct peace talks begin. MORE

Religious Liberty in America Up for Grabs In Upcoming Court Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments next month in what some say is one of the most important religious liberty cases before the high court in the past decade. In 2004, the University of California's Hastings College of the Law refused to recognize the Christian Legal Society as a student group on campus because it requires that its officers and voting members subscribe to its Christian beliefs. MORE

Baltimore Sun: Belief that Obama is the Antichrist Becoming Widespread
A quarter of Republicans believe President Barack Obama might be the Antichrist, according to a Harris Poll released Wednesday. In a survey by the same organization a year ago, Obama edged out Jesus as the figure most often named a hero by Americans. Now 24 percent of Republicans, and 14 percent of Americans overall, believe he might be the adversary of the Christ, Harris Interative reports. MORE

Obama Signs Exec Order on Abortion Amid Doubts
President Obama signed an executive order Wednesday to maintain restrictions on federal funding of abortion under the new health care reform law. In a closed door event, Obama signed what the White House said is an executive order to reaffirm the Hyde Amendment’s abortion funding restrictions. MORE

Recession Impacts Church Donations
The nation's churches are staggering under the depressed economy, with more than one-third reporting decreases in giving last year, according to a survey. A "State of the Plate" survey of 1,017 churches sponsored by Christianity Today International (CTI) and the Colorado Springs firm Maximum Generosity reported that 38 percent saw their income drop in 2009, compared with 29 percent seeing drops in 2008. MORE

Obama Ally Targets Yor 401(k) Dollars To offset Budget Deficits
A key labor union ally of the Obama administration has mounted an effort to create government-mandated worker retirement accounts as an entitlement program, with the possibility that a portion of all private retirement funds could be forced into U.S. Treasury debt. MORE

NY Man Arrested, Jailed for Praying In a Public Park
Praying in a public park has led to a nine-day prison sentence for a New York man. Elmira Police arrested and jailed Julian Raven in relation to another arrest in 2007 when he and other Christians entered a public park to pray for the participants of a "gay pride" event. MORE

American Thinker: Secularism's Ongoing Debt to Christianity
... it is rational to conclude that religious faith has made possible the advancement of Western civilization. That is, the glue that has held Western civilization together over the centuries is the Judeo-Christian tradition. To the extent that the West loses its religious faith in favor of non-judgmental secularism, then to the same extent, it loses that which holds all else together. MORE

Evangelist Beats City of Chicago in Court
Jailed Chicago evangelists have had their day in court and will seek injunctive relief against the city. On July 12, 2008, ten members of Garfield Ridge Baptist Church and Pastor Frank Teesdale traveled to the public St. Symphorosa Family Fest to evangelize by handing out tracts and speaking over a megaphone. Attorney Andy Norman of Mauck & Baker tells OneNewsNow police officers did not like what was going on. MORE

Biden's 'Effing' Remark Obama's Favorite Part of Signing Ceremony
....On Wednesday night in Baltimore, the vice president told supporters at a fundraiser that Obama was not upset by his use of profanity in the setting. According to the AFP report, Biden quoted President Obama as saying he considered "Joe's comment" as the "best thing" about the nationally televised signing ceremony. MORE

Rep. Patrick Kennedy: Federal Funding of Abortion ‘Not a Question of Morality’
Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), a professed Roman Catholic, told CNSNews.com Wednesday that federal funding of health plans that cover elective abortions is “not a question of morality” but “a matter of health -- public health.” “Obviously there’s going to be some legal decisions that are going to be coming forward, I’m sure, that are going to adjudicate this,” Kennedy said at the Capitol. MORE

American Thinker: How Obama Is Turning America Against Israel
At best, Barack Obama committed the latest big mistake in his conduct of foreign policy last week. At worst, the president carried out a deliberate operation intended to weaken the U.S.-Israel relationship and turn the public against the Jewish State. MORE

National Anthem Causes Stir on Christian College Campus
Demonstrations of protest and of support were passionate but peaceful Tuesday when a Mennonite college in Indiana played the national anthem for the first before a sports event. Though debates over Goshen College’s decision to play the national anthem sparked strong sentiments from both sides in the days and weeks before the historic day, they remained – for the most part – civil. MORE

Christian Woman Jailed under Pakistan's 'Blasphemy' Laws
Police in Alipur have arrested a Christian woman on a baseless accusation of "blaspheming" the prophet of Islam and tried to keep rights groups from discovering the detention, a Christian leader said. MORE

Bees in Even More Trouble After Bad Winter
The mysterious 4-year-old crisis of disappearing honeybees is deepening. A quick federal survey indicates a heavy bee die-off this winter, while a new study shows honeybees' pollen and hives laden with pesticides. MORE

Fox Show Mocks Terri Schiavo's Death
Just days before the fifth anniversary of Terri Schiavo's death, Fox's TV show The Family Guy featured satire on her case. "Well, I mean...it's just terrible. It just ridicules my sister in a horrible way, a vulgar way," contends... MORE

Egyptian Security Destroys Church, Assaults Pastor
State security agents in the upper Egyptian city of Luxor destroyed an Anglican church and assaulted the church’s pastor when he tried to save the building last week. Pastor Mahrous Karam of the Anglican Church in Luxor reported that he was still negotiating with city authorities about replacing the community center building on the church’s compound the day before the demolition occurred. MORE

Oklahoma May OK Bible Courses
Oklahoma may be the next state to pass a law which would develop curricular standards for using the Bible in public school elective courses. The bill, working its way through the Oklahoma legislature, specifies curriculum distributed by the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools. MORE

Update for Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

Pakistani Christian Couple Refuses to Convert: Husband is Burnt Alive, Wife Raped by Police
Arshed Masih, 38, is still fighting for his life in Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi, a city not far from Pakistan’s capital. With the help of police, Muslim extremists last Friday set him on fire for refusing to convert to Islam and raped his wife, local sources told AsiaNews. The incident occurred in front of a local police station. In 2005, Masih and his wife began working for a wealthy Muslim businessman, he as driver and she as his wife’s maid. Recently, the two fell out of favour with their employer and his family because they insisted on remaining Christian. MORE

Netanyahu Defiant ahead of meeting with Barack Obama
The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, came out fighting against American pressure to end construction of Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem just hours before a potentially difficult meeting today with Barack Obama.
As relations with Washington reach an unusually low ebb, Netanyahu told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a powerful pro-Israeli lobby group, that he would not bow to a new wave of US demands amid accusations from Washington that his policies are jeopardising the prospects of peace with the Palestinians and America's security. MORE

Obama Signs Health Care Bill
President Obama on Tuesday signed a $938 billion health care reform bill into law. "Today after almost a century of trying; today, after over a year of debate; today, after all the votes have been tallied, health insurance reform becomes law in the United States of America," he said. While supporters celebrate the historic overhaul of the health care system, many conservatives and pro-life groups are plotting how to retaliate against those responsible for “the pro-abortion” legis- lation. Twelve state attorneys general have already filed suits against the bill. They argue that the requirement that everyone... MORE

Phyllis Schlafly: The Myth of the 'Pro-Life' Democrat
Just prior to the health care vote, Eagle Forum President, Phyllis Schlafly, predicted that the vote on the health care bill would expose the “myth of the pro-life Democrat.” She’s right. No truly pro-life individual could belong to a party that has done the most to not only defend but promote and expand the killing of innocent children in the womb. Rep. Stupak is just one more pathetic example of the moral cowardice that exists among politicians when it comes to defending life. MORE

UK Christians Petition Move Allowing Civil Partnerships in Churches
More than 6,000 Christians have signed a petition calling on the government to drop a controversial clause in the Equality Bill that allows churches to conduct civil partnership ceremonies in places of worship. It specifically calls on the government to “listen to the large proportion of the electorate who perceive the government’s acceptance of this amendment as a further attempt to progress so-called ‘equality’ today, while ultimately compromising tomorrow’s religious ‘freedom.’" MORE

Woods Promises to Wear Buddhist Bracelet Forever
Rehabilitation and religion were the two themes Tiger Woods was most open about discussing in his first television interviews Sunday since revelations about his marriage infidelities emerged last November. Woods has long been connected to Buddhism through his Thai mother and he said his detachment from the religion had been behind his fall from grace. MORE

Arizona Town Officials OK Home Bible Studies
The Gilbert, Ariz., town council agreed on Monday to amend an ordinance that banned one small church from meeting in homes. "I'm not willing to regulate what goes on in peoples' homes," Councilmember Jenn Daniels said, according to The Arizona Republic. MORE

The Pope Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Shortly after he ascended the papal chair, Pope Benedict XVI declared that one of his goals was to re-Christianize a secular Europe. If anyone has had the know-how for the project, it is surely he. But it looks like it’s going to be a long haul. After chastising the American bishops for their irresponsible handling of sexual abuse cases among the clergy in 2008, he has to tackle the scandal here. First in Ireland, then Holland, then Austria, and now in the pope’s homeland of Germany, the storm has broken out anew. It is only a question of time when charges against clergy will be brought forward in another country. MORE

Pastors Seek to Quash Prosperity Gospel in Black Churches
A group of black pastors is looking to spread biblical teaching and quash the prosperity gospel teachings that have been proliferating in their churches. Lance Lewis, pastor of Christ Liberation Fellowship in Philadelphia, says the health and wealth gospel is as much a threat to the historic black church as theological liberalism was to the evangelical church in the early part of the 20th century, as reported by By Faith magazine. MORE

High Court Rejects Challenge to Abortion Clinic 'Buffer' Zones
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal Monday from anti-abortion protesters who challenged a Massachusetts law that created a protest-free zone around the entrances and driveways of clinics. The justices offered no comment in turning down the appeal, letting stand the law that creates a “buffer” zone around abortion clinics. MORE

Update for Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

Health Care Bill Passes; Pro-Lifers Not 'Fooled'
The House on Sunday voted to pass a health care reform bill that pro-life groups say is the biggest expansion of abortion funding since Roe v. Wade. Despite a last-minute deal between Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and President Obama who promised to issue an executive order making clear that no federal money would pay for abortions, some Christians and conservative groups say they are not "fooled." MORE

Israel Has Higher Approval Than Obama
A conservative activist and former presidential candidate says while the Obama administration is very anti-Israel in its foreign policy, the Jewish state has higher support among the American people than does Obama. As previously reported on OneNewsNow, the Obama administration recently lambasted Israel for announcing that it is moving forward with plans to build new Jewish settlements in an area of east Jerusalem that had never been on the negotiating table with the Palestinians. The decision has sparked the worst feud between Israel and the U.S. in recent memory. MORE

Israel Gov't Warns Passover Sacrifice on Temple Mount Would Provoke Muslims
The state of Israel has petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court to forbid Jews bringing sacrifices to the Temple Mount for the historic Biblical sacrifice for the Passover lambs because such and activity would provoke the Moslem world. The state of Israel says that the Passover sacrifice would be a dangerous provocation of Moslem sensitivities and deal a severe blow to public safety and security in the city of Jerusalem. MORE

Ohio School Discards 'Belief In God' From Mission Statement
The Lake Township (Ohio) Board of Education has dropped "belief in God" from its mission statement. On behalf of some local atheists, the Board decided December 14 to temporarily remove the phrase, but the Freedom from Reli- gion Foundation is threatening to sue if the phrase is not kept out permanently. Pastor Jack Coontz of Uniontown Chapel of Faith suggests that majority rules. MORE

Denver Post: Churches' Legal Protection Questioned
...The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 2000 and has been used primarily to defend religious institutions in land-use disputes. It also is used to guarantee the religious rights of the incarcerated. MORE

SC County Councilman's Prayer Sparks Protest
A South Carolina councilman's prayer to Jesus against abortion and same-sex "marriage" to open a county council meeting has drawn at least one complaint. The Herald-Journal of Spartanburg reported Sunday that Councilman O'Neal Mintz opened the March 15 meeting thanking God for "His Son, Jesus Christ" and saying that America's problems are attributable in part to abortion. He said the U.S. needs prayer because of same-sex marriage. MORE

Yahoo Sports: NASCAR-Rhemed Religious Tract Takes a Curious Approach
Scattered across airport chapels throughout the country are NASCAR pamphlets with the title "A World of Danger," and so when I came across one recently, I couldn't help but wonder what the heck the message was. Inside, quotes from various personalities are used to show the danger of the sport, and maybe not-so- coincidentally, the picture on the inside of the brochure is from the 2001 Daytona 500, when we all know what happened. MORE

President Pokes God in the Eye
Jerusalem - the city about which Jesus prophesied while sitting atop the Mount of Olives, giving the many signs that comprised the end of the age and His Second Advent - is directly in the news bull's-eye with this story. Jerusalem is the most important city on the planet, in God's holy eyes. And it is in this regard that this news item takes on such gravity, particularly for the United States of America. The Scrip- ture to consider is this: Thus saith the LORD of hosts: "After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me." (Zch. 8-9) MORE

College Students Lead Hundreds of Spring Breakers to Christ
College students spending their weeklong Spring break sharing Christ have helped more than 1,500 people put their trust in Jesus. Just three weeks into Campus Crusade for Christ's annual Big Break project, students have witnessed to thousands at Panama City Beach, Fla. MORE

Pastors Still Value, Use Seminary Education
Protestant pastors put high value on their seminary education and regularly integrate their learning into the way they lead and serve their congregations, newly released information from LifeWay Research shows. MORE

Update for Monday, March 22nd, 2010

Late Sunday Night...Obama, Dems Ready to Pass Health Care
Triumph in their grasp, President Barack Obama and House Democrats demonstrated command of the votes needed to pass landmark health care legislation Sunday night, a climactic chapter in a century-long quest for near universal coverage. The House argued its way through a thicket of Republican objections toward a late-evening vote on the bill to extend coverage to 32 million Americans who lack it... FOR THE VERY LATEST, CLICK HERE

Caroline Glick: Obama's War on Israel
Why has President Barak Obama decided to foment a crisis in US relations with Israel? Some commentators have claimed that it is Israel’s fault. As they tell it, the news that Israel has not banned Jewish construction in Jerusalem – after repeatedly refusing to ban such construction – drove Obama into a fit of uncontrolled rage from which he has yet to recover. While popular, this claim makes no sense. MORE

Israel To Ask US For Bombs In The Fight Against Iran's Nuclear Sites
Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, will use a visit to Washington this week to press the US to release sophisticated bunker-busting bombs needed for a possible strike on Iran’s nuclear sites. The trip comes as both sides strive to defuse the crisis provoked by Israel’s announcement during a visit by Vice-President Joe Biden this month of the building of 1,600 houses in east Jerusalem. Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary-general, said in Ramallah yesterday: “Let us be clear: all settlement activity is illegal anywhere in occupied territory, and this must stop.”

Arizona Town Apologizes, Allows Church Meetings
An Arizona town is backtracking its zoning laws after halting house church meetings. Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) attorneys jumped into action after they received contact from the Oasis of Truth Church. "The town had issued a ban on a seven-member church from being able to hold any type of meeting -- whether the meeting was a church service, or a Bible study, or a potluck dinner -- no matter how few people were there or how infrequently they met at the home," explains Daniel Blomberg, ADF attorney. MORE

Prayers Over PA System End at Alabama High School
The Christian influence at the public high school in Alexandria, Alabama, is still visible, but as of this week it's a little less overt. At Alexandria High School, flyers printed with Bible verses hang on the walls, weekly Bible studies are held before class and, until recently, prayers were spoken over the school's intercom system. MORE

Pastor Says Prosperity Gospel Is Hindering Church Revival
Revival is not about a large crowd but it is about broken people who want to get right with God, said the Baptist pastor whose church made the hit films “Facing the Giants” and “Fireproof.” Depending on the time, place and people, revival can look different, said Michael Catt, senior pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga. But all revivals share a few common elements: repentance, confession, restoration and brokenness. MORE

Glenn Beck Keeps 'Social Justice' Debate Alive
Fox News host Glenn Beck has revealed that he will be spending "a lot of time" talking about social justice in the coming days. After drawing fire earlier this month for equating social justice with communism, the conservative host doesn't plan to back away from the polarizing debate. He has not specified when he will re-engage the issue, but his earlier comments – that "social justice" and "economic justice" are code words for communism and Nazism and that believers should run from churches that advocate it – continue to spark debates among Christians. MORE

California College Says Teacher Wrongly Cited Bible
A California college says one of its teachers ran afoul of campus regulations prohibiting religious indoctrination "by assigning readings from the Bible, reading the Bible in class, and otherwise relying on the Bible as an authority in the assigned subject matter." MORE

Wal-Mart To Slash Grocery Prices
Wal-Mart Stores Inc will cut food prices and mount a new ad campaign over the next six weeks, a threat to other U.S. grocers that sent an industry shares index down more than 2% on Friday. MORE

Georgia Pastor In Running for President of SBC
A Georgia pastor will be nominated as the next president of the Southern Baptist Convention, according to Baptist news reports. The Rev. Bryant Wright, senior pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, will be nominated to succeed Johnny Hunt, who is completing his second one-year term. MORE

Update for Friday, March 19th, 2010

Albert Mohler: The Scandal of Apostate Pastors
Are there clergy who don't believe in God? That is the question posed by a new report that is certain to receive considerable attention -- and rightly so. Few church members are likely to be disinterested in whether their pastor believes in God. MORE

Mark Levin: We Will Sue Over Health-Care Trick
A lawsuit has been prepared by the Landmark Legal Foundation to be filed immediately – if members of the U.S. House use a trick that has been dubbed the "Slaughter rule" to advance President Obama's vision of government-run health care in the United States. MORE

Calif. Home Bible Group Ordered to Stop Meeting or Get Permit
City officials ordered a small home Bible study group in Southern California to either stop meeting or obtain a permit. The home Bible group in Rancho Cucamonga must have a Conditional Use Permit by Good Friday, April 2, in order to continue gathering. The Bible study group was referred to as a “church” in a letter sent by the city. All churches are required to obtain a CUP in residential areas, it stated. MORE

Deficits Making U.S. Military Nervous
With the Obama administration pressing for a government takeover of one-sixth of the U.S. economy to grant health-care benefits to all Americans, the U.S. military is worried that the United States is already losing the ability to afford national defense. MORE

Sharper Iron: What Christians Owe Their Pastors
Years ago a minister was called “the parson,” meaning “the person.” He was a VIP. He was honored as the preacher of the gospel, a molder of public opinion, and the conscience of the community. Not so today. A recently published survey revealed the most respected people in the average American community. Ministers ranked far down on the list, behind doctors, judges, psychologists, civic leaders, and police officers. Why? MORE

Second Wave of Attacks Leaves 13 Christians Dead in Nigeria
Less than two weeks after a massive attack in Nigeria that killed 500 Christians, Muslim Fulani herdsmen on Wednesday unleashed more horrific violence on two Christian villages in Plateau state, killing 13 persons, including a pregnant woman and children. MORE

New Smithsonian Exhibit on Human Origins Devoid of References to God
A new exhibit at the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum will answer "profound questions" about human origins, the curator said, but it does not include any references to God, creationism, or pre-natal existence. MORE

Tony Blair to Launch Faith Foundation in US
In 2008, Tony Blair launched an effort dedicated to bringing different faiths together for reconciliation. When his Tony Blair Faith Foundation was started, Blair described as one of its major goals to "counter extremism in all six leading religions." He wanted to deal with global poverty and conflict and open up communication between people of different faiths in order to "educate, inform and develop understanding." MORE

Christian Philosopher Explores Causes of Atheism
James S. Spiegel has an uncomfortable thesis to propose. He contends: Religious skepticism is, at bottom, a moral problem. A professor of philosophy and religion at Taylor University in Upland, Ind., Spiegel has written a 130-page book, The Making of an Atheist, in response to the New Atheists. But unlike the numerous responses that have emerged from Christian apologists, Spiegel's book focuses on the moral-psychological roots of atheism. MORE

Update for Thursday, March 18th, 2010

Southern California City Says Home Bible Group Must Get Permit
For the second time in six months, the city has ordered a group of Christian worshippers who meet inside homes to get a permit or shut down. It's the latest incident in which religious groups in Southern California have been targeted by cities for home gatherings, though many of those groups were eventually allowed to meet without obtaining permits. Rancho Cucamonga is trying to halt Friday night meetings at a home after receiving a complaint in February from a neighbor that 40 to 60 people were gathering weekly in the San Bernardino County location. MORE

Ryan: Obama’s New Budget Will ‘Literally Crash the U.S. Economy’
Rep. Paul Ryan (R.-Wis.), the ranking member of the House Budget Committee, told CNSNews.com that the new fiscal year 2011 budget proposed by President Barack Obama will “literally crash the U.S. economy” with the additional debt it plans for the federal government. “They literally crash the U.S. economy, if these kinds of deficits that he’s proposing persist,” Ryan said, referring to the fact that the Congressional Budget Office has reported that the president's 2011 budget proposal would nearly triple the publicly held portion of the federal debt over the next ten years. MORE

Sharper Iron: Our Nasty Attitudes Toward God
Every believer experiences deteriorating attitudes toward God sometimes. Some believers are out of touch with their “inner man” and live with their heads in the spiritual sand. As a result, they may not recognize this tendency within themselves (and that is tragic). Denying reality is an old coping mechanism, but a dishonest one. Perceived or not, the attitude problem within us is real. Here are two issues related to these attitudes... MORE

Churches Suffer Losses Under New FCC Rule
As the Federal Communications Commission seeks out more broadband space, the agency is being asked to consider possibly the largest group that would be affected by the move – that is, churches. Churches across the country that use wireless devices have already been affected by FCC's 2008 decision to auction off rights to the 700 MHz band. But their new push for even more spectrum is sure to create more losses and interferences. MORE

LA Times: Taking a Look at Religion In the Web Era
Like many Americans, Doug Pagitt grew up outside the world of organized religion. Neither his parents nor his grandparents were churchgoers, and there was no expectation that he would be any different. Today, with his goatee, ear stud and funky clothes, he could easily pass for the sort of Gen X hipster who lives an entirely secular life. But at 17, Pagitt saw a Passion play that hit him like a thunderbolt, and he wound up becoming a Christian pastor. His church in Minneapolis, Solomon’s Porch, is blazing a trail in a new movement that could be called Church 2.0..... MORE

Decade-Old Religion Case Reaches Supreme Court
A case involving a kindergarten student's religious rights has been in the courts for a decade and may soon appear before the Supreme Court. A little more than ten years ago, a teacher at an elementary school in Baldwinsville, New York asked the kindergarten class to use cutout pictures to create a poster on how to take care of the earth. MORE

Christianity Today: Is Cosmetic Surgery Immoral?
...Death is still inevitable, it turns out. But people are doing their best to fight against aging by getting nipped and tucked wherever they can. I'm one of those people who frown on cosmetic surgery. Ever since I realized my friends were getting nose jobs for their 16th birthdays, I felt that body modification was somehow cheating. And when I see aging celebrities with lips that look like they belong on a duck, I actually cringe. MORE

Justice Stevens Mulls Supreme Court Retirement
Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, the court’s senior justice in age and in tenure, intends to decide in about a month whether he will go on for another year or retire at the end of this term. Though Stevens is a little more than two years away from having the longest tenure in the court’s history and about one year away from becoming the oldest-ever serving justice, the 89-year-old judge made clear in an interview with The New Yorker that he has no... MORE

Christians Launch Appeal Over Expulsion from Morocco
Village of Hope workers on Tuesday launched a public appeal to be reunited with the foster children they were forced to abandon. A week after being expelled from the North African country over proselytism allegations, the Christian workers held a press conference in Gibraltar to raise awareness about... MORE

Abortion Statement Declared 'Out of Bounds'
A Catholic newspaper has been hauled into court for its statements about abortion. The Katowice Appeal Court upheld a lower court's verdict against the Sunday Visitor and Fr. Marek Gancarczyk, the paper's editor-in-chief. Joseph Meaney, director of international coordination for Human Life International (HLI), reports the allegation is that the newspaper referred to abortion as "killing" a child. MORE

Hispanic Churches Push for Immigration Reform
The nation’s largest Hispanic faith-based network launched a nationwide grassroots campaign on Tuesday to push lawmakers to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year. MORE

Update for Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

Ties Between Israel And US 'Worst In 35 Years'
Israel's ambassador to the US has said relations between the two are at their lowest for 35 years, Israeli media say.
Last week, Israeli officials angered visiting US Vice-President Joe Biden by announcing the building of 1,600 new homes in occupied East Jerusalem. The US said it was waiting for a formal Israeli response to its concerns. The US said it was waiting for a formal Israeli response to its concerns. Palestinian leaders say indirect talks with Israel are now "doubtful". Israel's PM said Jewish settlements did "not hurt" Arabs in East Jerusalem. MORE

Tea Partiers Rally on Capitol Hill in Opposition to Health Care Bill
Tea Party activists from across the country began to rally outside Congress in Washington today to protest the health care bill and demand meetings with their members of Congress. Tea Party activists from across the country rallied outside Democratic congressional offices in Washington on Tuesday to protest the $875 billion health care bill and demand meetings with their respective members of Congress. MORE

House Churches Become Illegal In Arizona Town
Gilbert, Arizona has illegalized house churches. Members have tried to work with the city, but according to Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) attorney Daniel Blomberg, the efforts have reached no avail. In the church's defense, the law firm has appealed the town's zoning Board of Adjustment. "It's a situation where a small house church that has been meeting in its members' homes on a rotating basis has been ordered to stop holding those meetings," Blomberg explains. "And they can't have any type of meeting, whether they be a church service or they be a Bible study or a church leadership meeting." MORE

Pro-Lifers Take Final Stand Ahead of Health Care Vote
Conservative and pro-life groups are mobilizing Americans to make a final stand against a contentious health care bill that is now on the fast track toward a final vote. Opponents of the legislation, including members of Congress, are scheduled to take part in a national townhall at the Family Research Council's headquarters in Washington, D.C., Tuesday night. "This national townhall webcast will mobilize tens of thousands of Americans for a final stand against a bill that would force Americans to support Planned Parenthood in the killing of.... MORE

Elton John's Lover Committed Suicide, Struggled With Sexuality, Faith
Sir Elton John has disclosed that a former lover threw himself to his death under a passing lorry because he could not reconcile his homosexuality with his Christian beliefs. The singer, 62, said he was deeply traumatised by the suicide of the man, with whom he had been involved in a relationship before he "married" David Furnish, a film-maker 15 years his junior, in 2005. MORE

Obama Specifically Recruited Homosexual Activist to Be 'Safe Schools Czar'
Kevin Jennings, the long-time homosexual activist who is now the Obama administration's safe schools czar, never sought public office. Rather, he said, the Obama administration recruited him. MORE

Need for Online Missionaries Rises as Web Outreach Booms
Building off of the momentum from 2009, the media arm of Campus Crusade for Christ says it is poised to touch even more lives throughout 2010. “We believe that God has given us the technology and the strategy,” says Allan Beeber, the Orlando director of Global Media Outreach, and “as more and more believers get involved, we think it’s possible to see the Great Commission fulfilled, five to ten times over in ten years.” MORE

Battle for Religious Freedom in Califorina
A move is under way in California to protect the free-speech rights of Christians. According to Pastor Allan Esses of Yes Jesus Christ is Lord Ministries, the amendments will allow Christians (1) to freely share their faith and (2) to publicly take a stand on issues of the day without fear of retribution from authorities. MORE

Tony Beam: Texas Takes a Stand for Accuracy in School Textbooks
For far too long conservatives have allowed themselves to be intimidated into silence as liberals waged a very successful battle to remove all conservative and traditional references out of books used in public school... MORE

Update for Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

Child Abuse Claims Sweep Catholic Church In Europe
It often starts as a voice in the wilderness, but can swell into an entire nation's demand for truth. From Ireland to Germany, Europe's many victims of child abuse in the Roman Catholic church are finally breaking social taboos and confronting the clergy to face its demons. MORE

9th Haiti Volunteer Welcomed Home as Team Faces New Charges
After six weeks of being detained in a Haitian jail, Charisa Coulter finally arrived home in Idaho Saturday night. Dozens, including her father, Mel, and some of the volunteers who had been jailed with her, sang "Amazing Grace" as they welcomed her at the Boise, Idaho, Airport. Coulter, 24, was the ninth of 10 Christians to return home after Haitian judge Bernard Saint-Vil ruled that there was no evidence to support charges of kidnapping and... MORE

Liberalism Takes Hit in Textbook Debate
So far, so good - that's the message from conservatives as the Texas State Board of Education works to set curriculum standards for social studies that could have a national effect within the next decade. MORE

Decline of 'Churchianity' Will Lead to Growth of Genuine Faith
With Britain heading towards financial, moral and social bankruptcy, it is hard to be optimistic about the nation’s future, admits J. John. But in spite of all the gloom, he still sees rays of encouragement and hope. In the latest edition of Charisma, the popular evangelist and author mulls over the shape of the church in Britain by 2020. MORE

Dems to Stupak: More Abortions = Fewer Babies = Lower Gov' t Costs
Democrats explaining their stubbornness to maintain the abortion funding in the Senate health care bill have admitted that a primary motivation for doing so lies in encouraging more abortions, lest more children born put a strain on government funds, said Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) as reported by National Review Online. MORE

Few Plan to Invite Friends to Easter Service
Less than half of American churchgoers plan to invite unchurched people to Easter worship service this year, a new survey found.Only one out of three active churchgoers (31 percent) said they would definitely invite someone they know who does not usually attend church to join them for Easter service, according to a Barna Group survey that examines Americans’ view on Easter. MORE

Homeschooling to be Criminalized in Sweden
The government of Sweden is taking a hard line against homeschoolers, proposing a bill that will only allow home education under “extraordinary circumstances,” reports the Home School Legal Defense Association. The bill is expected to pass in the Swedish parliament, following a review by the Supreme Administrative Court, and will allow for homeschooling families to face criminal charges. MORE

New Nickelodeon Series Has Questionable Content For Kids
The Parents Television Council (PTC) is sounding a warning about a cartoon on the children's network, Nickelodeon...."[In] the first few episodes that aired, there were references to pornography," she explains. "There's a running joke about the family pet, which is a dog. More recently, an episode featured the main character, Glenn Martin, performing in a male strip club trying to earn money to work off gambling debt." Henson believes the show marks a new direction for the network. MORE

Georgia Targets Abortion Motivated by Race and Gender
Georgia legislators have moved forward a bill in the state House of Representatives that would ban abortionists from soliciting or performing abortions based on race, color, or sex. MORE

England's Evangelicals Outraged by Bishop's Pro-Gay Comments
...Bishop Jones called for the Church to tolerate a range of attitudes to homosexuality, as it does to pacifism. He said: "Just as the church over the last 2000 years has come to allow a variety of ethical conviction about the taking of life and the application of the sixth Commandment so I believe that in this period it is also moving towards allowing a variety of ethical conviction about people of the same gender loving each other fully. MORE

Wyoming's Bible Colleges Safe After Legal Scare
Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) has helped prevent the closing of Wyoming Bible colleges. A Christian school received a rude awakening which finally motivated the legislature to take action and clarify a poorly written state statute. MORE

Update for Monday, March 15th, 2010

Bible Prophecy Today: Crisis in U.S.-Israel Relations
...the situation has worsened significantly. The State Department called in Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren and reprimanded him severely for the Israeli action. Three days after the incident, Secretary of State Clinton called Netanyahu and reamed him out for 43 minutes, saying the Obama administration saw the housing announcement as “insulting.” A spokesman for President Obama went further, calling the Israeli move “dangerous”... MORE

Poll: Abortion Support Falling Among Young Adults
Over the last 20 years, support for legal abortion has continued to drop among young adults, a new Gallup poll shows. In 2009, only 24 percent of Americans aged 18 to 29 said abortion should be legal under any circumstances, a drop from 28 percent in the year 2000 and 36 percent in 1990. Even compared to 30- to 64-year-olds, the young cohort is now less likely to support abortion, the Gallup survey on Friday revealed. MORE

Arizona Church Fights Ban Against Meeting in Homes
A Christian legal group filed an appeal this week to fight a ban against a church meeting in homes. With only seven members, Oasis of Truth Church was ordered to stop holding all activities, including Bible studies, leadership meetings and fellowship activities, in Pastor Joe Sutherland's home in Gilbert, Ariz. Alliance Defense Fund attorneys contend in the appeal that was filed Wednesday that banning religious meetings of any size or frequency in a home is unprecedented and unconstitutional. M ORE

Vatican Denies Celibacy Led to Sex Abuse Scandal
The Vatican has strongly denied that its celibacy requirement is the root of the sex abuse scandal convulsing the church in Europe and has again defended Pope Benedict XVI's handling of the crisis. MORE

White House: Israel Construction Plan an 'Insult'
The White House isn't relenting in its strong criticism of Israel for plans to build 1,600 new apartments for Jews in east Jerusalem, which Palestinians are seeking as their future capital. Israel announced the construction plans this past week just as Vice President Joe Biden was visiting the region. MORE

Muslim Attack Injures 23 Coptic Christians
Twenty-three Coptic Christians were injured by Muslim extremists Friday after an attack on a church community center, said an Egyptian Bishop. MORE

IMB Head Stresses Need for SBC to Change
Jerry Rankin, outgoing president of the International Mission Board, is making a strong case for change within his denomination as he prepares to step away from the helm of its missions arm following 17 years of service. MORE

Catholic Hospitals Endorse Obamacare
A group representing Catholic hospitals Saturday rallied behind President Barack Obama's health care bill ahead of a House vote in which pro-life lawmakers could play a decisive role. The chief executive of the Catholic Health Association, Carol Keehan, wrote on the group's Web site that although the legislation isn't perfect, it represents a "major first step" toward covering all Americans and would make "great improvements" for millions.... MORE

Indiana Student Sues to Stop Graduation Prayer
The top-ranked senior at a suburban Indianapolis high school is asking a federal judge to stop a graduation prayer that the class voted to approve. The lawsuit by 18-year-old Eric Workman claims the prayer and the vote at Greenwood High School unconstitutionally subject religious practice to majority rule. MORE

Morocco Begins Large-Scale Expulsion of Foreign Christians
Moroccan authorities deported more than 40 foreign Christian aid workers this week in an ongoing, nationwide crackdown that included the expulsion of foster parents caring for 33 Moroccan orphans. Deportations of foreign Christians continued at press time, with Moroccan authorities expressing their intention to deport specifically U.S. nationals. Sources in Morocco told Compass that the government gave the U.S. Embassy in Rabat a list of 40 citizens to be deported. MORE

Update for Weekend, March 13th-14th, 2010

Washington Post: Meet President Obama's 'Spiritual Cabinet'
Near the end of a bumpy first year in office, President Obama readied for a Christmas vacation in Hawaii, but before he left, he called on a group of five ministers for a spiritual recharge. Like previous prayer calls, this one was more personal than political. "He certainly does not ask us how we would run the country and what issue to pursue or not pursue," said Bishop Charles Blake of the LA-based Church of God in Christ, who was on the call. MORE

Focus Denies Dobson 'Pushed Out' of Radio
Focus on the Family denied allegations by a high-profile ally that its founder, Dr. James Dobson, was "pushed" out of his 33-year-old radio program as part of the ministry's alleged effort to become more acceptable to mainstream society. Rev. Ken Hutcherson, a well-known pro-life and traditional-marriage advocate in the... MORE

ACLU Lawsuit Challenges Bible Belt Traditions
An attorney says a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) against a North Mississippi school district is an attempt to try and keep officials there from recognizing traditional morality. MORE

Disney Disregards Ex-Homosexuals
The Walt Disney Company has declined a motion to add former homosexuals to its sexual orientation and non-discrimination policy and diversity training, a measure that would have meant protections for those who have left that lifestyle. Greg Quinlan, director of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX), presented the... MORE

Survey Tracks Trends in Evangelical, Oldline Congregations
Nearly two-thirds of U.S. congregations said they feel at least a little competition from nearby churches, a new survey shows. Oldline Protestant churches were most likely to say competition with nearby congregations is an obstacle to attracting new people, according to a national survey called American Congregations 2008, which was released Friday. MORE

Some Skip Islamic Prayer in Virginia House
By the invitation of a Virginia lawmaker, a controversial Muslim cleric delivered the opening prayer on Thursday at the start of the House of Delegates' session. "I'm going to be somewhere else saying the Lord's Prayer," Delegate John Cox (R-Ashland) told CBN News. "It's not something that I feel like I can condone as an individual." MORE

Jews Tell the World: 'Let All Non-Muslims Pray On Temple Mount'
A Temple Mount activist organization here has declared next Tuesday "International Temple Mount Awareness Day" and is calling on the world community to express solidarity with the rights of non-Muslims to pray on the site. "The Temple Mount is the holiest spot in the world, yet the majority of the world's population is barred... MORE

Censored Jesus Poster Case May Go to Supreme Court
A legal group on Thursday filed a petition requesting the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case of a kindergarten student’s poster that was censored by a school because it contained the image of Jesus. MORE

U.S. Rights Report Criticizes China Over Missing Christians
The United States accused China of various human rights abuses in its new State Department report, including the disappearance of several Christian leaders. In the human rights report, issued Thursday, the U.S. State Department specifically mentioned the disappearance of human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who often represented Chinese house church Christians in court, and underground Catholic bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo of Zhengding... MORE

Nigerian Women Carry Bibles, Protest Massacre
Thousands of Nigerian women dressed in black and carrying Bibles, wooden crosses, pictures of victims, and branches symbolizing peace marched in a central Nigerian state on Thursday to protest the massacre of about 500 villagers, who were mostly women and children. MORE

Update for Friday, March 12th, 2010

Appeals Court Says 'Under God' Is Constitutional
A federal appeals court in San Francisco upheld the use of the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance and "In God We Trust" on U.S. currency, rejecting arguments on Thursday that the phrases violate the separation of church and state. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel rejected two legal challenges by Sacramento atheist Michael Newdow, who claimed the references to God disrespect his religious beliefs. MORE

More Americans Think Global Warming Is Exaggerated
A strikingly higher percentage of Americans believe that the threat posed by global warming is exaggerated, a new Gallup survey found. Nearly half of the public (48 percent) think that the seriousness of global warming is generally exaggerated, up from 41 percent in 2009 and 31 percent in 1997, when Gallup first asked the question. Gallup noted that the percentage of Americans who believe global warming is overblown is the highest on record. MORE

Pakistan’s 'Blasphemy' Laws Claim 3 More Christians
A Christian couple was sentenced to 25 years in prison for violating Pakistan’s widely condemned “blasphemy” laws last week, and another Christian convicted without basis under the same statutes the previous week received the same sentence. MORE

Mississippi School Axes Prom After Lesbian Date Request
A northern Mississippi school district decided Wednesday not to host a high school prom after a lesbian student demanded she be able to attend with her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo. Instead, the school board met and issued a statement announcing it wouldn't host the event at Itawamba County Agricultural High School in Fulton, "due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events." MORE

American Thinker: Obama Aims to Impose a Solution on Israel
President Obama intends to impose a solution on Israel. During the lead up to his election victory, he surrounded himself with a host of vehemently anti-Israel advisors including Lee Hamilton, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Samantha Power, Susan Rice and Gen Jones, many of whom advocated imposing a solution on Israel.. MORE

Chuck Missler: NATO Is Not Dead Yet
NATO appears to be in trouble. Europe lacks full commitment to the organization and its military is underfunded. Last week, the US Defense Secretary lamented over NATO's deterioration and fueled the fires of those who argue that NATO has long outlasted its usefulness. MORE

Update for Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Workers For Christian Organization Murdered in Pakistan
A World Vision office in Pakistan was attacked by gunmen on Wednesday, leaving at least five staff members dead. The international humanitarian organization said the attack was unprovoked. Initial reports say the militants detonated grenades and opened fire on the office, which is located in the Mansehra District of Pakistan, north of the capital, Islamabad. The office received no threatening letters prior to the attack. MORE

Time: Protestants Flirting with Catholic Devotion
Had the Rev. Brian Maguire hit on the idea 30 years ago, he might have found himself facing some very annoyed congregants. Four hundred and fifty years ago, someone professing similar notions might even have been hanged. The 35-year-old pastor's brainstorm concerned a scheduling conflict on the day of the Annunciation. The holiday, which celebrates Mary's learning from the angel Gabriel that she will give birth to the Messiah, always falls on March 25, precisely nine months before Christmas. But this year the 25th is also Good Friday, when Christians somberly recall that same Messiah's Crucifixion. Roman Catholicism, which traditionally observes both dates, has rules for this eventuality: Catholics worldwide will mark the ... MORE

TX Planned Parenthood Holds Gala to Raise Money for Abortion ‘Super Center’
Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas is holding a gala next month to raise money for its new abortion clinic, which will be specially equipped for performing late-term abortions. MORE

Catholic Chief Exorcist Says Devil Is In the Vatican
Sex abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church are proof that that "the Devil is at work inside the Vatican", according to the Holy See's chief exorcist. Father Gabriele Amorth, 85, who has been the Vatican's chief exorcist for 25 years and says he has dealt with 70,000 cases of demonic possession, said that the consequences of satanic infiltration included power struggles at the Vatican as well as "cardinals who do not believe in Jesus, and bishops who are linked to the Demon." MORE

Christians Counter Global Atheist Convention
Atheists and humanists are preparing for what they say will be the biggest gathering of freethinkers in Australia's history. The 2010 Global Atheist Convention is sold out, with some 2,500 people expected to attend the March 12-14 event at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center. Some Christians are countering the event with creationist seminars and book giveaways. MORE

Christian College Professor Encourages 'Gay Identity'
A conservative activist is asking a Christian college in Pennsylvania whether it supports the "sexual identity therapy" of one of its professors who is unwilling to discourage some of his clients from remaining in the homosexual lifestyle. Dr. Warren Throckmorton of Grove City College was once a spokesperson for the... MORE

Southern Baptists Embrace Great Commission Resurgence Report
Following the release of a report that directs the country's largest Protestant denomination in a new direction, Southern Baptists have expressed new energy and anticipation for the future. "Our denomination has much room for improvement, but I am more excited today about Southern Baptists than I have ever been," said Chuck Lawless, dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. MORE

Church Bells Will Chime Amid Legal Clatter In Phoenix
Church bells will toll in Phoenix now that a court order has been secured and the city's noise ordinance has been silenced. "What had happened is the city of Phoenix had sentenced Bishop Rick Painter to jail for simply playing church bells at his church, Christ the King Cathedral," explains Erik Stanley, attorney with the Alliance... MORE

AFA Appoints New Chairman, VPs
Several leadership changes are now official at a prominent pro-family organization. Last week, it was announced that Rev. Don Wildmon, founder of the Mississippi-based American Family Association, resigned as chairman of the board after battling an extended illness. During a special meeting of the ministry's board of directors... MORE

Update for Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

9th Haiti Volunteer Freed; Returns to U.S.
The ninth of ten American volunteers who were jailed in Haiti on child abduction charges was freed and landed in Miami Monday night. Charisa Coulter, 24, was released by Haitian judge Bernard Saint-Vil who ruled that there was no evidence to support charges of kidnapping and criminal association against her. Now only Laura Silsby, the leader of the American Christian team, remains in the Port-au-Prince jail. MORE

USA Today: Top Home-School Texts Dismiss Evolution for Creationism
Home-school mom Susan Mule wishes she hadn't taken a friend's advice and tried a textbook from a popular Christian publisher for her 10-year-old's biology lessons. Mule's precocious daughter Elizabeth excels at science and has been studying tarantulas since she was 5. But she watched Elizabeth's excitement turn to confusion when they reached the evolution section of the book from Apologia Educational Ministries, which disputed Charles Darwin's theory. "I thought she was going to have a coronary," Mule said of her daughter... MORE

Christians Expelled, Forced to Abandon 33 Foster Kids in Morocco
Christian volunteers and foster parents at a Moroccan orphanage were forced to abandon dozens of children on Monday after they were accused of proselytizing. Moroccan authorities raided Village of Hope and said they were expelling the 20 workers and parents. The 33 children who were being cared for cried out "hysterically" for their foster parents as they were left behind. MORE

Halt to Church Services In Public Housing Questioned
Questions are being raised about halting church services for a public housing apartment complex in Dallas. Lake Highland United Methodist Church has provided church services at Audelia Manor for 14 years, serving a largely elderly group of residents. But last week the Dallas Housing Authority ordered the church to stop over separation of church and state issues. MORE

Poll: Young Adults Turn Toward GOP
Young adults between 18 and 29 are anxious about being able to pay for their educational, housing and health care needs. Those are findings from a new poll that suggests many worry they will never be better off than their parents. The poll by Harvard's Institute of Politics found that six out of 10 of those surveyed worry they may not... MORE

Pope's Brother: I Ignored Physical Abuse Reports
The pope's brother said in a newspaper interview published Tuesday that he slapped pupils as punishment after he took over a renowned German boys' choir in the 1960s. He also said he was aware of allegations of physical abuse at an elementary school linked to the choir but did nothing about it. MORE

Lutheran Head Rejects Claims of Scripture Abandonment
The head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America returned to Web stage on Sunday to take questions from a divided denomination. Much like at the first online town hall forum in December, many of the questions at Sunday's live event focused on the recent legislative decision to allow practicing homosexuals to be ordained. MORE

Update for Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Christian Student's Speech Deemed 'Hateful Propaganda' By College
A Christian student in the Los Angeles Community College District is carrying his free-speech case to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Jonathan Lopez had an assignment in a public speaking class and was required to give an informative speech on any topic. Lopez chose to speak about his Christian beliefs. "And during that speech, when he mentioned that marriage is between a man and a woman according to his Christian beliefs, the professor called him this horrible name, refused to let him finish the assignment, and told other students in the class, 'If you're offended, you can leave,'" Hacker explains. MORE

Will Toyota Bail On the USA?
A scholar and New York Times bestselling author believes Japanese auto giant Toyota might abandon the U.S. for greener pastures in light of the shrinking auto market in America and the government's investigations into its recall problems. Last week, a House committee questioned how rigorously Toyota tested for sudden acceleration in its vehicles and asked the automaker for more records on the safety issues. The House Energy and Commerce Committee wrote in a letter to Toyota executive Jim Lentz that there is "an absence of documents" showing that the manufacturer has thoroughly investigated the possibility of unintended acceleration. MORE

England: Clergy May Be Forced to Conduct Same Sex Weddings
British lawmakers have tentatively approved a bill to allow churches to host same-sex marriages, prompting warnings that the measure would be one step from forcing clergy to perform the homosexual ceremonies. Even the head of the nation's top homosexual activist group, Ben Summeriskill of Stonewell, is concerned about the implications for churches, according to the Christian Institute. MORE

Sherwood Baptist's Next Film Focuses On Fatherhood
The script for the latest movie from Sherwood Baptist Church, the Georgia-based church that produced Fireproof, has been written and is being revised. The new film Courageous focuses on four police officers who excel at their jobs but find fatherhood a daunting challenge. "Protecting the streets is second nature to these law enforcement officers," says the movie website. "Raising their children? That will take courage." MORE

Texas Pastor Died of Accidental Overdose
Family and friends will gather Tuesday afternoon to mourn the loss of a Frisco, Texas, pastor who died of an accidental overdose. Barry Keldie, founding pastor of Providence Church, died Friday. He was 31. According to a brief statement released by The Village Church in Highland Village, from where he was dispatched to plant Providence Church five years ago, Keldie had long suffered from insomnia and developed an addiction to prescription sleeping pills. MORE

Update for Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Westboro Baptist Ch: Justices to Hear Case Over Protests at Military Funerals
A small Kansas church that has gained nationwide attention for protesting loudly at funerals of U.S. service members will receive a Supreme Court hearing over free speech rights. The justices Monday accepted an appeal from the father of a U.S. Marine killed in Iraq over efforts to keep members of the Topeka-based Westboro Baptist Church from demonstrating near memorial services and burials. The Marine's family won a $5 million judgment from the protesters, which lower courts overturned. MORE

ABC News: Economists Warn Another Financial Crisis On the Way
Even as many Americans still struggle to recover from the country's worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, another crisis – one that will be even worse than the current one – is looming, according to a new report from a group of leading economists, financiers, and former federal regulators. MORE

Cardinals Petition Pope To Proclaim Mary Mother of Humanity & Co-redemptrix With Christ
Five cardinals have invited every cardinal and bishop in the world to join them in petitioning Pope Benedict XVI to solemnly proclaim the Mother of Jesus as the "Spiritual Mother of humanity” as an ecumenical service of clarification to other religious traditions and to proclaim the full Christian truth about Mary. An English copy of the letter which the five cardinals sent to all the world's cardinals and bishops in various languages on January 1, as well as a Latin “votum” or petition and its English translation has been released by His Eminence, Luis Cardinal Aponte Martínez, Fatima Symposium cardinal co-patron, with permission for publication. MORE

CBN: Pat Robertson Comments About Chile Quake 'Completely False'
The Christian Broadcasting Network released a statement Friday defending its founder after comments attributed to Pat Robertson regarding the earthquake in Chile began circulating on the World Wide Web. “The story currently circulating on the Internet is completely false and was posted by someone as a joke,” the network stated. “However, some very ill informed bloggers are now reporting it as if it were true.” MORE

Sectarian Violence Leaves Hundreds Dead in Nigeria
As many as 500 people may have been killed in attacks on Sunday on two predominantly Christian villages near the Nigerian city of Jos. The worst hit was the village of Dogo Nahawa, where Muslims reportedly set fire to homes before killing villagers as they attempted to flee. MORE

Group Outside Boulder Church Protests Barring of Child From Catholic School
A crowd holding signs protesting the treatment of a student with lesbian parents exchanged smiles and waves with parishioners walking into a Boulder church for Sunday Mass. Before Mass started, church members citing their Catholic hospitality crossed the street to offer donuts and fresh coffee to the group of about 30 protesters. Despite the friendly gestures, protest signs underscored why demonstrators were there. "Teach acceptance. Celebrate all of God's children," read one banner. Last week, a standing policy of the... MORE

Supreme Court Refuses to Review 10 Commandments Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to take up the case of a privately-funded Ten Commandments display that sits on the lawn of a county courthouse in Oklahoma. With the high court having denied the petition to review the decision of a federal appeals court, Haskell County is now legally obligated to remove the eight-foot tall and three-foot wide monument, which lists the Commandments on front and the Mayflower Compact on back. MORE

Prayer 'Settlement' Doesn't Set Well With Tennessee Community
A school board in Tennessee has settled a lawsuit with the ACLU which had claimed the school district promoted religion. But some local citizens believe the settlement goes too far. Under terms of the agreement between the Cheatham County School Board and the American Civil Liberties Union, school officials will no longer "promote, advance, endorse, participate in, or cause prayers during or in conjunction with school events for any school within the school district." MORE

Huckabee Urges Christians to Engage
in 'Rotting' Realms of Culture
There are many believers who would view the decision of a pastor to enter into politics as a move away from that which is Christian to that which is secular. And while such a view may be correct, former pastor and governor Mike Huckabee makes it clear that it’s not just “evil” people who go into “evil” places. “Being a light in the midst of darkness – where everyone happens to be – I believe, is what God calls each of us to be,” he said during a Q&A at the 2010 convention of the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) this past week. MORE

Tens of Thousands Protest Abortion Law in Spain
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of multiple cities in Spain on Sunday to protest a new law that would allow abortion on demand. Carrying banners and balloons and chanting, “No to abortion! Yes to life!,” pro-lifers demonstrated against the law that would allow a woman to have an abortion up to 14 weeks into her pregnancy. MORE

Update for Monday, March 8th, 2010

Al-Qaida Calls on US Muslims to Attack America
Al-Qaida's American-born spokesman on Sunday called on Muslims serving in the U.S. armed forces to emulate the Army major charged with killing 13 people in Fort Hood. In a 25-minute video posted on militant Web sites, Adam Gadahn described Maj. Nidal Hasan as a pioneer who should serve as a role model for other Muslims, especially those serving Western militaries. MORE

NY Times: Defectors Say Church of Scientology Hides Abuse
Raised as Scientologists, Christie King Collbran and her husband, Chris, were recruited as teenagers to work for the elite corps of staff members who keep the Church of Scientology running, known as the Sea Organization, or Sea Org. They signed a contract for a billion years — in keeping with the church’s belief that Scientologists are immortal. They worked seven days a week, often on little sleep, for sporadic paychecks of $50 a week, at most. But after 13 years and growing disillusionment, the Collbrans decided to leave the Sea Org, setting off on a Kafkaesque journey that they said required them to sign false confessions about their personal lives and their work, pay the church thousands of dollars it said they owed for courses and counseling, and accept the consequences as their parents, siblings and friends who are church members cut off all communication with them. MORE

Peter Hitchens: How I Found God and Made Peace With My Atheist Brother
...I set fire to my Bible on the playing fields of my Cambridge boarding school one bright, windy spring afternoon in 1967. I was 15 years old. The book did not, as I had hoped, blaze fiercely and swiftly. Only after much blowing and encouragement did I manage to get it to ignite at all, and I was left with a disagreeable, half-charred mess. Most of my small invited audience drifted away long before I had finished...It would be many years before I would feel a slight shiver of unease about my act of desecration. Did I then have any idea of the forces I was trifling with? MORE

Stupak Showdown: 'Mr. President, Put it in There!'
At the same time as President Obama has stepped up the pressure on Congress to "get it done" on health care reform, Rep. Bart Stupak, the author of the amendment banning abortion funding in the House health care bill, has issued a challenge of his own. "Mr. president, put it in there," the Michigan Democrat urged, referring to placing his amendment into the Senate bill, in an appearance on FOX Business. MORE

Dallas City Agency Halts Church Services at Public Housing Unit
A Dallas church that has held Sunday worship service at a public housing apartment complex for the elderly for 14 years has been ordered to stop. Dallas Housing Authority president MaryAnn Russ told the Dallas Morning News that the church services violate separation of church and state and the agency's contract with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which funds public housing programs. MORE

Texas Church Community Mourns Death of Lead Pastor
The founding pastor of Providence Church in Frisco, Texas, passed away Friday after being admitted into the Intensive Care Unit with liver and kidney damage. A funeral for Barry Keldie has been scheduled for Tuesday at The Village Church in Highland Village, Texas, from where he was dispatched to plant Providence Church... MORE

Son Says Billy Graham Still Writing, Counseling
Rev. Billy Graham has retired from preaching, but the 91-year-old evangelist is still writing books and offering spiritual counsel to callers and visitors. Rev. Franklin Graham says his father has spoken on the phone in recent months with President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush, and was visited by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. "He's not offering political advice, but he will offer spiritual advice to anyone who comes to him," says Franklin. "He's in pretty good health. His mind is just as sharp as a tack." MORE

Court: Daughter Appeared Traumatized by Visits with Lesbian 'Mother'
The daughter of ex-lesbian Lisa Miller appeared to have suffered emotional trauma following forced visits with Miller's ex-partner, according to sworn testimony submitted to a Vermont court. The affidavits, recently obtained by LifeSiteNews, give credence to claims by Miller that her daughter was being emotionally harmed by the visitations with her ex-partner Janet Jenkins, which were ordered by a Vermont judge following the breakup... MORE

Shreveport Area: Boy Kidnapped, Raped In a Church
A 15-year-old boy walking to school was invited out of the rain and into a church van for a ride but was kidnapped and raped at a church instead, according to the Caddo sheriff's office. The driver, who was unknown to the boy, has since been identified as Robert James Washington Jr., 34, of the 800 block of Pinetree Drive in Shreveport. Wash- ington, a member of New Beginnings Faith Tabernacle Baptist Church, was arrested Friday on one count each of aggravated rape and aggravated kidnapping. MORE

Update for Weekend, March 6th-7th, 2010

Washington Post: Obama Will Add Almost $10 Trillion to Debt in 10 Years
President Obama's policies would add more than $9.7 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, congressional budget analysts said Friday, including more than $2 trillion that Obama proposes to devote to extending a variety of tax cuts enacted during the Bush administration. The 10-year outlook by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office is somewhat gloomier than White House projections, which found that Obama's policies would add $8.5 trillion to the debt by 2020. While the two agencies are in relative agreement about the short-term budget picture, with both predicting a deficit of about $1.5 trillion this year and $1.3 trillion in 2011, the CBO is less optimistic about future years, predicting that deficits will grow rapidly after 2015. MORE

John MacArthur: How Did We Make Such an Evangelical Mess?
You don’t have to be an astute observer of the evangelical scene to notice the unrelenting barrage of outlandish ideas, philosophies, and programs. Never in the history of the church has so much innovation met with so little critical thinking. Giving a thoughtful biblical response becomes harder and harder all the time. Merely sorting through all the evangelical trends and recognizing which of these novelties really represent dangerous threats to the health and harmony of the church is challenging enough. Effectively answering the huge... MORE

Radical Feminist Movement Finds Friend in Obama
The Obama administration is pushing for a new United Nations super-agency dedicated to radical feminism. The new agency has the support of the Gender Equality Architecture Reform Campaign (GEAR), a conglomeration of feminist organizations, and the U.N. also has a number of commissions devoted to gender equity. MORE

Episcopal Clergy Permitted to Wed Gay Couples in D.C.
Episcopal clergy in Washington, D.C. have been given the green light to preside at same-sex marriages. Bishop John Bryson Chane of the Diocese of Washington made the announcement Thursday, a day after gay and lesbian couples began applying for marriage licenses. "Through the grace of Holy Baptism, there are no second class members of the Body of Christ, " Chane said in a statement. "We are of equal value in the eyes of God, and any one of us may be called by the Holy Spirit into holy relationships as well as Holy Orders." MORE

Mark Driscoll: 'Avatar' Is the Most Satanic film I Have Ever Seen
...Though his "Avatar" comments made up just a fraction of the Feb. 14 sermon, Driscoll managed to condemn the film in both religious and nonreligious terms. He denounced its "demonic paganism," but also a message that "primitive is good and advanced is bad." He resented its portrayal of a "false Jesus" and a "false heaven," but also the idea of "connecting, literally, with trees and animals and beasts and birds." His main objection appears to be that "Avatar" preaches a worship of "created things" rather than the creator. Of nature rather than God. MORE

Chuck Missler: Hunting Down the God Particle
...Science, like religion, often requires us to take a leap of faith. Any honest scientist should admit that despite centuries of scientific discovery and technological advances, most of our universe remains a mystery...Science continues to develop and change as scientists discover new evidence, and it is one of the great joys of being human to explore and discover the marvelous brilliance and detail God used in putting this world together. But even as scientists analyze the data from the LHC and hope to catch a glimpse of the Higgs boson, we're certain that the name "God particle" is more accurate than some physicists would choose to admit. MORE

Sharper Iron: Financial Guru Dave Ramsey.....Godly or No?
Few people today interested in personal money management have not heard the name Dave Ramsey. Ramsey has built an empire of financial counseling that includes a nationally-syndicated radio show, a slot on Fox Business channel, and a NY Times bestseller, The Total Money Makeover....With such stunning results, it’s easy to understand why so many people are turning to Ramsey for financial advice....While Ramsey professes to be a Christian and uses Scripture liberally, I discovered profound problems with the program, both in its content, and in its use by churches as an evangelistic tool. MORE

UK Guardian: Vatican Hit by Homosexual Sex Scandal
The Vatican was today rocked by a sex scandal reaching into Pope Benedict's household after a chorister was sacked for allegedly procuring male prostitutes for a papal gentleman-in-waiting. Angelo Balducci, a Gentleman of His Holiness, was caught by police on a wiretap allegedly negotiating with Thomas Chinedu Ehiem, a 29-year-old Vatican chorister, over the specific physical details of men he wanted brought to him...The explosive claims about Balducci's private life have caused grave embarrassment to the Vatican, which has yet to publicly comment... MORE

Hologram Preachers Appear in Churches
Holographic preachers are stirring another technology-gone-too-far debate among Christians. While the dust over beaming preachers on a video screen on multi-site campuses has somewhat settled, the new 3D tool is raising more questions and concerns among some believers. "Since so many of us in the west are convinced that entertaining pew fodder is critical to advancing 'the gospel' and that only a very few have the necessary gifts to preachertain – this will become the 'perfect' solution,"...What has Kinnon and many other Christians talking is the holographic technology that music artist Madonna famously used at the Grammy Awards in 2006 and that one company wants... MORE

Israel Confronts Spanish Anti-Semitism
The leader of a Messianic Jewish ministry isn't surprised by the recent report of blatant anti-Semitism in Spain. The Israeli Haaretz news service has reported that the government of Israel lodged a formal complaint with Spain, charging that anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism are being instilled in elementary pupils across the country. MORE

Oklahoma Schools Closer to Offering Bible Course
The Oklahoma Senate on Thursday passed a bill that will allow public schools in the state to offer elective courses on the Bible beginning with the 2011-12 school year. The measure, which was authored by Sen. Tom Ivester (D-Elk City), was approved in a 38-4 vote. According to the bill, the purpose of an elective course on the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), the New Testament and their impact is to teach students knowledge of biblical content, characters, poetry, and narratives that are prerequisites to understanding society and culture. MORE

Washington Bishop: Religion Is Fault Line in Many Conflicts
U.S. diplomacy should involve religious voices because many conflicts in the world are caused by religious division, said the Episcopal bishop of Washington at a Christian-Muslim event this week. Bishop John Bryson Chane was among four religious “principal leaders” at a March 1-3 summit hosted by the Washington National Cathedral to brainstorm on how Christian and Muslim leaders can promote peace and reconciliation worldwide. MORE

Update for Friday, March 5th, 2010

Some Democrats Would Kill Health Care Bill Over Abortion Language
A dozen House of Representatives Democrats opposed to abortion are willing to kill President Barack Obama's healthcare reform plan unless it satisfies their demand for language barring the procedure, Representative Bart Stupak said on Thursday. "Yes. We're prepared to take responsibility," Stupak said on ABC's "Good Morning America" when asked if he and his 11 Democratic allies were willing to accept the consequences for bringing down healthcare reform over abortion. MORE

Some Democrats Wary of Obama’s Final Health Care Push
Rank-and-file Democrats in Congress remain wary of health care legislation in spite of President Barack Obama's closing argument for overhauling the system, well aware that success is far from assured and political perils abound. "I think he has succeeded in prying open a window of opportunity, but it's a very narrow window," said first-term Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. "And he and the leadership here had better clamber through that narrow window while they can." MORE

Detained U.S. Missionary: I'd Come Back to Haiti
A U.S. Baptist missionary who's jailed on suspicion of child trafficking in Haiti says she'd be willing to return to the earthquake-ravaged country to work with children. Laura Silsby told The Associated Press from her jail cell that she and nanny Charisa Coulter expect to be released soon, but would both readily come back despite their troubles here. A lawyer for the Americans says he has asked that they be released without bail and believes it will happen by the end of the week. The decision is up to the judge in the case. The Idaho missionaries were detained with eight other Americans on Jan. 29 while trying to take 33 children from Haiti without the proper papers.

Baptist Pastor Stands by Anti-Catholic Booklets Passed Out at Local School
A Pigeon Forge baptist church is drawing attention after one of its members passed out anti-Catholic literature at school. One of the teens who received the tract at Pigeon Forge High School attends Holy Cross Catholic Church just down the street. "This girl came up to her and said, 'This will make you very mad,'" said Holy Cross Catholic Church Pastor Father Jay Flaherty. One of the booklets is titled "The Death Cookie". "It says that our eucharist is of the devil," Father Flaherty said. MORE

Christianity Today: The Myth of the Perfect Parent
My family and I were traveling in Guatemala a few years ago. We visited a man who had given his life to serving a poor congregation. We sat at the kitchen table with him, a man who had been bent into humility by the burdens of pastoring in a struggling nation while raising four children. Still in the muddy trenches of parenthood with our five sons and one daughter, we confessed to him our feelings of inadequacy. "Your children are grown. What have you learned looking back on your years of child-raising? Do you have any advice for us?" MORE

Iranian Pastor Has Visible Marks of Torture, Says Wife
An Iranian evangelical pastor who was suddenly arrested and then imprisoned has visible marks of torture, his wife said after she visited him. Pastor Wilson Issavi of the Assyrian Evangelical Church in Kermanshah, a remote city in western Iran, is living in dreadful condition and appears to have been tortured while in prison, his wife Medline Nazanin told reporters and human rights activists in Iran, according to Farsi Christian News Network. MORE

Bible Belt School Policy Under Attack
A battle is brewing in a North Mississippi community over the upcoming high school prom. The American Civil Liberties Union recently demanded that officials with the Itawamba County School District change the policy regarding same-sex prom dates. MORE

Homeschooling Outlawed In Germany? Parents Emigrate To USA
Uwe and Hannelore Romeike may have been considered outside the norms of civil society in their native Germany, but not in Morristown, Tennessee, where they and their five children now live. The Romeikes are homeschoolers who are determined to provide the education for their children, ranging in age from two to twelve. In Morristown, that is about as controversial as bass fishing, but in Germany it is a crime. MORE

Don Wildmon Resigns as AFA Chairman
Don Wildmon, founder of the American Family Association, on Wednesday announced that he has resigned as chairman of the pro-family activist group. After heading AFA for more than 30 years, Wildmon decided to step down from the leadership role because of health reasons. MORE

Update for Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Bible Prophecy Today: Economists Warn of Another Financial Crisis
A new report released by a group of leading economists, financiers, and former federal regulators says that even as the world struggles to recover from the present global economic crisis, there is another one coming that will be worse than the current one, the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. This doomsday economic report says that without enforced reforms, another crisis is inevitable and the report calls for putting in place regulatory reforms before we move into the next financial crisis MORE

Haitian Judge Not Ready to Release 2 U.S. Missionaries
Two Americans still jailed on kidnapping charges in Haiti will have to wait for their freedom. A Haitian judge says he's not ready to release his decision after holding a final hearing. Judge Bernard Saint-Vil says he's consulting with prosecutors on the charges against Laura Silsby and Charisa Coulter. Saint-Vil had said earlier he would probably order their release after Tuesday's hearing. He declined to explain the delay. MORE

Bible Prophecy Today: Chile Quake Caused Earth's Axis To Move!
In the immediate aftermath of Chile's 8.8 magnitude earthquake, many around the globe held their collective breath waiting to see how much the Pacific Ocean had been jostled by it, millions fearing the quake may have unleashed a gigantic tsunami... SPACE.com is reporting that the Chile quake "may have changed the entire Earth's rotation and shortened the length of days on our planet." Richard Gross, a research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California is quoted as saying the length of an "Earth day" may have been shortened by 1.26 milliseconds...hat doesn't sound like a lot of change but we're talking about the earth's axis being moved! MORE

Shirley Dobson Dismissed From Lawsuit Against National Prayer
A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed all claims against Shirley Dobson, the wife of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, in a lawsuit challenging the National Day of Prayer. Shirley Dobson is chair of the National Day of Prayer Task Force and was among the names listed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation in a lawsuit filed in October 2008. “Prayer proclamations are a long-established and cherished American tradition going back to the Founding Fathers,” said Alliance Defense Fund senior legal counsel Joel Oster. M ORE

High Court Denies Request to Block D.C. Gay Marriage
Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday denied a last-minute request by traditional marriage supporters to stop Washington, D.C.'s same-sex marriage law from taking effect. As a "matter of judicial policy," Roberts said in an opinion that it has been the practice of the U.S. Supreme Court not to intervene in local matters. The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009, permitting same-sex couples to marry in... MORE

Living Together First Does Not Improve Marriage Chances
Couples who live together before marriage and those who don't both have about the same chances of a successful union, according to a federal report out Tuesday that turns earlier cohabitation research on its head. The report, by the National Center for Health Statistics, is based on the National Survey of Family Growth, a sample of almost 13,000. It provides the most detailed data on cohabitation of men and women to date. MORE

Wildmon Steps Down From American Family Association
The founder of a prominent pro-family ministry has resigned following a lengthy illness. Dr. Donald Wildmon, founder of the American Family Association, was stricken with St. Louis encephalitis after he was bitten by a mosquito last summer. From August through November he spent 121 days in the hospital and rehabilitation and later underwent surgery for cancer in his left eye. MORE

Chaplain Corps Threatened by Policy Change
A pro-family leader and former military officer is very concerned about the future of the U.S. military Chaplain Corps if President Obama is successful in ending the ban on homosexuals serving in the military. MORE

Montana Judge Rules Against Religious Expression
A judge in Montana has ruled against a high school valedictorian who wasn't allowed to speak at her graduation ceremony because she wanted to give God credit for her success. Rennee Griffith is now in her second year of college. She graduated from Butte High School in 2008 as one of the valedictorians, but when she submitted a draft of her speech to school authorities, her First Amendment rights were violated. MORE

Prominent Conservative Unseated in Texas Ed Board
A Christian conservative lost his seat on the Texas State Board of Education in a closely-watched race. Don McLeroy, who is considered an outspoken Christian, was defeated by Mount Pleasant Republican Thomas Ratliff, a moderate. The March 2 Republican primary for several seats on the State Board of Education, which is the most influential in the country, came ahead of an upcoming board vote on a new social studies curriculum. MORE

Update for Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Arson Suspects Grew Up Together in Texas Church
Even as authorities closed in, one of the two suspects in a string of east Texas church fires attended a Sunday service and went to a Baptist ministry on his junior college campus for a free meal. Such activity wasn't unusual for 19-year-old Jason Robert Bourque, a former Eagle Scout and high school debate champion who grew up in a small church not far from 10 others that authorities believe have been set ablaze since Jan. 1. But officials say they found weapons and books detailing atheism and devil worship during a pre-dawn raid at a home where Bourque was arrested Feb. 21. In a separate raid in San Antonio, authorities captured Daniel George McAllister, Bourque's childhood friend from First Baptist Church in tiny Ben Wheeler. MORE

Wisconsin School Official: Carrying Bible Could Lead to Fight
An expression of faith could lead to a fist fight, or so that's what a school official told a high school student. A 16-year-old boy from Racine was recently sent to the principal's office for carrying his Bible. Nathan de La Garza tells the Racine Journal Times his pastor had challenged him to carry his Bible with him at all times. It didn't go over well at Park High School, where an assistant principal told him to keep religion discussions out of school. De La Garza tells the Journal Times the assistant principal was concerned he might offend somebody and entice a fight. MORE

Haiti Judge Expects to Release U.S. Missionaries
A Haitian judge says he will likely order the release of the last two Americans detained for trying to take 33 children out of the country after the earthquake. Judge Bernard Saint-Vil tells The Associated Press he expects to resolve the case after a hearing Tuesday. Saint-Vil said Monday he plans to have missionaries Laura Silsby and Charisa Coulter in court for the closed hearing. He will also take testimony from people who were helping them set up... MORE

Pro-Bible Ad Campaign Runs on Fox, MSNBC
A national media campaign to promote the authority of the Bible began running commercials on Fox News, FoxNews.com and MSNBC.com on Monday. The “I Am Not Ashamed” campaign, organized by apolo- getics ministry Answers in Genesis, will run commercials from March 1 to April 25 featuring individuals from different backgrounds, nation- alities, ages and cultures saying they are not ashamed of the Gospel. Organizers hope to convey the message that despite physical differ- ences, people around the world hold in common a respect and appre- ciation for the relevance of God’s word in today’s world. MORE

Ministers Attempt to Halt D.C. Gay Marriages
Gay and lesbian couples will be able to apply for a marriage license in the nation's capital beginning Wednesday. But traditional marriage supporters are making a last minute effort to stop the new law, which was passed in December, from taking effect. Washington, D.C.-based pastor Walter E. Fauntroy, a former member of the U.S. Congress, was among those on Monday who filed court papers with Chief Justice John Roberts, arguing for the people’s right to vote on the matter, according to The Associated Press. MORE

Farrakhan Blames 'White Right' for Obama's Struggles
A conservative black pastor and activist isn't surprised that Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan is blaming the "white right" for Barack Obama's current political troubles. On Sunday, Farrakhan predicted trouble ahead for President Barack Obama when he announced to roughly 20,000 people at a heavily guarded event at Chicago's United Center that the "white right" was conspiring to make Obama a one-term president. M ORE

Abortion Is Devastating the African American Community…Anyone Noticing?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, African American women have 40 percent of the nation's abortions, but make up only 13 percent of the population. That black children are being aborted at such a high rate has not been a subject of discussion among the Democrats in the Congress and the White House, who insist on leaving the door open for abortion funding in the health care bill. MORE

Federal Judge: Teacher has Right to Display Banners that Mention 'God'
A California federal judge ruled Friday that the San Diego's Poway Unified School District violated math teacher Bradley Johnson’s constitutional rights when it ordered him to remove two patriotic banners from the walls of his classroom because they “over-emphasized” God. MORE

Montana Judge: School May Censor Religious References in Valedictory
Last Wednesday Judge Gregory Todd ruled in a summary judgment that a student at Butte High School was not unconstitutionally censored for refusing to remove references to Christ and God from her valedictory speech. Her attorney has said that they will appeal to the Montana Supreme Court. MORE

Bible-Based Financial Programs for the Surge in Popularity
Can the Bible help you pay off your credit cards? Christian debt-elimination programs, which use Old and New Testament passages as a framework to encourage financial responsibility, are surging in popularity, with seminars offered at churches across the United States. In South Florida, Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University has proven especially popular. Nine Palm Beach County churches and 15 in Broward are offering the course. Across the country, 4,000 churches started classes between Jan. 1 and Feb. 6, said Meg Alcorn, a Ramsey... .MORE

40 Lawsuits Traced Back to Philly Abortionist
More information is surfacing about an abortionist and his closed abortion clinic in West Philadelphia. Kermit Gosnell's abortion facility was closed last week by state officials after his patient Karnamaya Mongar died from a high dose of pain killers illegally administered by an unlicensed worker. The investigation into the patient's death has revealed the deaths of other patients and a number of women hospitalized with serious injuries and infections after their visits with Gosnell. MORE

S.C. Pastor Exposes 'Practical Atheists' Among Christians
Most Americans claim belief in God but many are living as "Christian atheists," according to some pastors. "I'm sick and tired of the fact that people can attend church for ten to 20 years and never change," said NewSpring Church Senior Pastor Perry Noble. "Here's the deal: we believe in Jesus enough to get us out of hell but not actually enough to change the way we live and that's a problem in the church," the S.C. pastor said Sunday to his... MORE

Carrie Underwood: My Fiance Improved My Walk with God
Grammy-winning, country music superstar Carrie Underwood said she shares a deep Christian bond with her new fiancé, whom she credits for improving her faith. “Mike has improved my walk with God,” Underwood told People magazine in its latest issue. “It’s important to me, because down the road, I want someone who will help shape our kids into people who make the world a better place.” MORE

Aid Groups Expand Relief Efforts to Chile
Churches and aid organizations already have massive relief efforts going on in Haiti but that's not stopping them from looking more south where Chile is reeling from one of the strongest earthquakes on record. MORE

Update for Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Texas College Students Urged To Trade Their Bibles for Pornography
In the lobby of the University of Texas at San Antonio's humanities building, a hand-drawn poster announces, "Free porn: Just trade in your holy books (Bible, Koran, Vedas) for porn." A student group at the university called The Atheist Agenda is reviving its Bibles-for-porn program, called "Smut for Smut," for three days beginning March 1, according to a report from San Antonio's KENS-TV. "The idea is that religious texts are so appalling," said Atheist Agenda group member Brian Talker in a 2006 interview with UTSA student publication The Independent. "They are so full of genocide, misogyny and ludicrous ideas that far overshadow any banal common-sense platitudes like loving thy neighbor, that you are better off having porn, which isn't nearly as smutty." MORE

Catholic Bishops Contradict Pelosi That Health Bill Doesn't Fund Abortion
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) insisted on Friday that the Senate health care bill does not allow tax-funding of abortion, and added that she had spoken with “Catholic bishops” about the issue. However, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops told CNSNews.com that anyone who had spoken to the bishops about the legislation should know that it does fund abortion and that the bishops oppose the bill. MORE

George W. Bush Appears at Fort Worth Christian School Fundraiser
Former President George W. Bush shared insights from his White House years as well as his thoughts on faith and leadership with a rapt audience of adults, teens and children from Fort Worth Christian School on Saturday night. "Now that I've left office, people ask if I intend to be public. No," said Bush, who spoke for an hour and answered questions from elementary students. "Nor will I be criticizing my successor. ... There are enough critics in America." Optimism, faith and good advice were his keys while in office, Bush said. "Even in our country's toughest moments, I was optimistic that things could be better and more hopeful," he said. MORE

EU Moves to Protect Rights of Persecuted Christians
The European Union has reportedly formed an association to protect the rights of Christians in countries where they face persecution. "We’ve set up a working group and are defining what bilateral action can be taken between Europe and the individual countries where Christians’ rights are in danger,” said Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini. Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern, welcomed the move... MORE

Tennessee Students Set Bus On Fire With Pages From Bible
Investigators said arsonists in Rutherford County used an unthinkable item to add fuel to their fire, the Bible. Authorities said a group of teens used the pages to set fire to a church bus. Fire officials believe this is the work of some teens trying to have fun, but investigators and church members are not amused one bit. "The disrespect to God's property is how we see it," said Assistant Pastor Joel Young. Charred corners of the Bible are still scattered on the Middle Tennessee Baptist Church parking lot, now part of an arson investigation scene. MORE

Pence Says Obama Needs to Fire Catholic-Bashing Adviser
Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) said it is long overdue for President Barack Obama to fire Harry Knox, a member of the White House Advsisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships who has repeatedly bashed the Pope and the Catholic Church. MORE

Iraqi Christians Protest Killings
Hundreds of Iraqi Christians on Sunday protested against the recent flare up of violence against them in northern Iraq. The largest demonstration was in the town of Hamdaniyah, about 25 miles east of Mosul. Protesters at the Hamdaniyah rally carried olive branches and were led by priests, including the second most senior Chaldean bishop, Shlemon Warduni, according to BBC. MORE

Dissident Lutherans Forming New Denomination
A new Lutheran denomination is being formed for congregations opposed to the homosexual-friendly policy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Last August, the ELCA national assembly voted to allow pastors in committed same-sex relationships. Opponents say the new policy contradicts scripture, and have announced plans to establish the North American Lutheran Church, a new denomination that will recruit dissident congregations. Several hundred congregations are moving toward a permanent split with the ELCA, but so far that's... MORE

Utah Bill Criminalizing Illegal Abortions Sparks Debate
A bill in Utah that would criminalize illegal abortions currently awaits the signature or veto of Gov. Gary R. Herbert.
Passed by the state Senate last month, the measure could bring charges of criminal homicide if a woman induces a miscarriage or obtains an illegal abortion. The bill has drawn fire from abortion advocates who say the language of the bill could lead to the prosecution of even "well-intentioned" women. MORE

No 'Blind Eye' Toward New York Homosexual Group
A new political action committee (PAC) has been formed in New York as homosexuals continue to push their marriage agenda. The group called Fight Back New York is prepared to pump funds into campaigns aiming to defeat incumbent senators who voted against homosexual "marriage." But Jason McGuire, legislative director at New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedom, reports that activist groups in the state are actually in a state of disarray. MORE

Update for Monday, March 1st, 2010

CNN Says Liberals and Atheists Have Higher IQs Than the Rest of Us!
"Political, religious and sexual behaviors may be reflections of intelligence, a new study finds." So began an article published at CNN.com Friday guaranteed to anger conservatives from coast to coast. The piece continued, "Evolutionary psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa at the the London School of Economics and Political Science correlated data on these behaviors with IQ from a large national U.S. sample and found that, on average, people who identified as liberal and atheist had higher IQs." MORE

Former President Bush Says Faith Helped Him in the Tough Times
Former President George W. Bush says he turned to his faith during tough times in his eight years in office. He told more than 1,100 people at a banquet Saturday night for Fort Worth Christian School that he didn't see how he could be president without prayer. The former president also says he doesn't plan on staying in the public eye. He says he won't be "out there opining" or criticizing his successor. MORE

Pelosi Says Representatives Should Sacrifice Their Political Careers for Health Care Bill
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged her colleagues to back a major overhaul of U.S. health care even if it threatens their political careers, a call to arms that underscores the issue's massive role in this election year. Lawmakers sometimes must enact policies that, even if unpopular at the moment, will help the public, Pelosi said in an interview being broadcast Sunday the ABC News program "This Week." "We're not here just to self-perpetuate our service in Congress," she said. "We're here to do the job for the American people." MORE

N.Y. High School Sued for Disbanding Christian Student Club
A "Christ-centered" legal group has filed a federal lawsuit against a high school in New York, accusing it of religious discrimination after it disbanded a student Christian club while leaving dozens of other clubs active. The Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund claims the Christian club, called Ichthus, was cancelled without notice after being in operation for four years. ADF filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Islip on behalf of a student at Half Hollow Hills High School East in the Long Island town of Dix Hills. ADF attorney David Cortman said Ichthus was disbanded even though there was student interest in keeping it going. MORE

Miami Considers Ban on Feeding the Homeless Without Training
The Miami City Commission is set to consider a proposal next month that would prohibit unauthorized people and groups from feeding the homeless downtown, an ordinance proponents say will cut down on litter and ensure the safety of the food the homeless do eat. Miami residents may have to think twice before giving up their leftovers to the homeless. The Miami City Commission is set to consider a proposal next month that would prohibit unauthorized people and groups from feeding the homeless downtown, an ordinance proponents say will cut down on litter and ensure the safety of the food the homeless do eat. MORE

Calif. Megachurch Seeks Dismissal from Presbyterian Church (USA)
A Presbyterian megachurch will begin a series of town hall meetings this weekend as the congregation moves toward severing ties with their denominational family. Community Presbyterian Church in Danville, Calif., already initiated the process to be dismissed from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It will use the next six months for discussions and prayer as it discerns its future path. MORE

Bible Group Sends Soldiers Daily Dose of Hope
Every day, Pfc. Jason receives a one-minute phone call from a stranger in a soothing voice that tells him about the peace and hope found in God. Jason had served as an American soldier in Afghanistan and thought his life would be better once he returned to the United States. But he suffered extreme loneliness, loss of purpose, and resorted to downing a bottle of whiskey to fall asleep once back in the States. He had Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. MORE

American Spectator: The Coming Great Recession of 2011-2012
Are you ready for the Great Recession of 2011–2012? You should be, for it is getting under way even as you read this. Just as the 2009 “greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression” actually began back in 2007, so we are in the early days of the next cycle. Only this recession is going to be a doozy. And the aftershocks will be felt long after President Hillary Clinton leaves the White House in 2024. The coming crisis should be no surprise, for we all have had plenty of advance warning. If it is a surprise, blame those chat-show economists who have become so politicized that they ignore the truths of their own science in order to acquire celebrity. MORE

USA Today: Christian Churches in Canada Are Fading Out: Is the US Next?
Olympics fans heading to Vancouver might want to visit a vanishing cultural treasure while they're in Canada -- local churches. Canada has become a "post-Christian society" where once-dominant Anglicanism has "moved to the margins of public life," according to a bleak study reported by Michael Valpy at the Globe and Mail. A new assessment of the state of the church in Canada looks at the Anglican Diocese of British Columbia and then across the country and concludes that, "..at the present rate of decline -- a loss of 13,000 members per year -- only one Anglican would be left in Canada by 2061..." MORE

UK Religious Schools Forced to Promote Abortion, Gays Under Sex-Ed Bill
Britain’s Labour government clarified this week that an amendment to the Children, Schools and Families bill, that says faith schools may teach the mandatory Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE) program “in a way that reflects the school’s religious character,” does not, in fact, give the schools freedom to oppose abortion, contraception and homosexual activity on moral grounds. The clarification has been hailed by a local pro-life and pro-family group as evidence that the spectre of "totalitarianism" has reappeared in Britain. MORE

Christians in Nigeria Decry Police Inaction in Church Burnings
The head of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Zamfara state told Compass that he was disappointed in the lack of response by state police to recent church burnings by Muslim youths. “It is unfortunate that there has been no response from the police, and even the state governor has refused to meet with us,” said the acting state chairman of CAN, the Rev. Edwin Okpara. MORE

Beauty Queen Quotes Bible, Accused of 'Promoting Death of Gay People'
In a flashback to last year's Miss California controversy, another California beauty queen has sparked protests for quoting a Biblical injunction against homosexuality to explain her view against gay "marriage." The furor erupted when Lauren Ashley - the "Miss Beverly Hills" contestant seeking the title of Miss California USA - told FOX News this week that she based her stance against same-sex "marriage" in the words of the Bible. MORE

Sting Catches California Abortionist Practicing in Violation of Suspension
The California Medical Board has asked for the emergency suspension of Andrew Rutland's medical license after an undercover sting conducted by Board investigators caught him doing first trimester chemical abortions, even though he has been banned from the procedure. Yet at an emergency hearing yesterday, Judge James Ahler allowed Rutland to keep his restricted license, and indicated that he may continue to do early medical abortions that do not require surgery. MORE