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 ARCHIVES FOR DECEMBER 2008 
 
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Saturday & Sunday, December 27th-28th
Jerusalem Post: World Leaders Call for Halt to Violence At Gaza
World leaders appealed for a halt to violence in Israel and the Gaza Strip on Saturday after at least 190 Palestinians were killed in an IDF offensive against Hamas and dozens of rockets were launched into Israel in response, killing one and wounding several others.    READ MORE
HAMAS THREATENS TO UNLEASH 'HELL'
...Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the Israeli air campaign was "criminal" and urged world powers to intervene.  Egypt said it would keep trying to restore the truce between Israel and Gaza.  Hamas threatened to unleash "hell" to avenge the dead, including possible suicide bombings inside Israel.    READ MORE
Santa Gunman Lost Job, Wife Before Gory Attack
Bruce Pardo's ambitions rarely panned out quite as he envisioned. He lost his electrical engineering job. His marriage ended after two years. Even his planned getaway to Canada after a murderous rampage at his former in-laws' house...    READ MORE
Tony Blankley Op-Ed: A Disturbing Book Worth Reading
I recently read a book that deserves the widest possible readership: "The Trouble with Textbooks -- Distorting History and Religion," by Gary A. Tobin and Dennis R. Ybarra. I never have met or talked with either of these gentlemen, but I can't say enough good things about this book.    READ MORE
Fla. Woman Claims 'Merry Christmas' Got Her Fired
A Christian woman claims she was fired from her job because she greeted callers with "Merry Christmas," but the vacation rental company says it's no Scrooge and the woman is just a disgruntled employee.    READ MORE
Judge Allows Va. Anglicans to Leave Episcopal Church, Keep Property 
Eleven Anglican congregations in Virginia -- including some of the largest and most historic churches in the country -- have won the legal right to split from the Episcopal Church and keep their church buildings and property.      READ MORE
Gang Rape of Lesbian Investigated in Calif.
A woman in the San Francisco Bay area was jumped by four men, taunted for being a lesbian, repeatedly raped and left naked outside an abandoned apartment building, authorities said Monday.     READ MORE
American Thinker: A Conservative Vision Statement
For the next few weeks our Democratic friends will be focusing on the inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States.  It's a good opportunity for conservatives to have an "off-site."...The first thing to do at an off-site is to develop a Vision Statement.  That's a blue-sky definition of what your organization does, a statement of its values.     READ MORE
American Thinker: The Greatest Book Ever Written
As we ponder, each in our own way, this most special of holidays, I have a suggestion: read (or reread) the greatest book ever written -- the Gospel of John.     READ MORE
American Thinker: God and the Auto Bailout
This auto bailout has reached far beyond economics and politics...A New York Times article stated that one preacher claimed desperately, "We have never seen as midnight an hour."  One church attendee called for prayers, hoping to "see a miracle next week."  And one sermon included a study of the Book of Romans which read, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." But will God choose to be intimately concerned with the rescue of one of the most poorly managed industries in America?  Though we should never assume to know God's intentions, perhaps we can guess what He may be thinking.     READ MORE
Homosexuals Showing 'Radical Intolerance' of Rick Warren
A leading black conservative pastor and political activist says the high level of anger in the homosexual community over president-elect Barack Obama's selection of Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration next month "shows the nature of the culture war we are in."      READ MORE
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Friday,  December 26th
Olmert Delivers 'Last Minute' Warning to Gaza
 Israel moved closer to invading Gaza, saying it had wrapped up preparations for a broad offensive after Palestinian militants fired about 100 rockets and mortar shells across the border in two days.     READ MORE
Esquire Magazine: Why Obama Really Might Decriminalize Marijuana
Famously, Franklin Delano Roosevelt saved the United States banking system during the first seven days of his first term. And what did he do on the eighth day? "I think this would be a good time for beer," he said.    READ MORE
Russia To Raise Nuclear Missile Output Fourfold
 Russia has thrown down a new gauntlet to Barack Obama with an announcement that it will sharply increase production of strategic nuclear missiles.    READ MORE
Man in Santa Suit Kills 8, Self on Christmas Eve
The bloodbath began when an 8-year-old girl attending a Christmas Eve party answered a knock at the door. A man dressed as Santa and carrying what appeared to a present pulled out a handgun and shot her in the face, then began shooting...    READ MORE
Scientists Warn Christmas Lights Harm The Planet
Scientists have warned that Christmas lights are bad for the planet due to huge electricity waste and urged people to get energy efficient festive bulbs.    READ MORE
Christian employee refuses to secularize Christmas, gets fired
A squabble over a Christmas greeting has gotten a Florida woman fired.   READ MORE
Reaching out to autistic church members
A pastor in Missouri is reaching out to members of his congregation who suffer from autism.     READ MORE
Christmas Made An Official Holiday In Iraq
raq's Christians quietly celebrated Christmas on Thursday with a present from the government, which declared it an official holiday for the first time.      READ MORE
Amateurs Try Genetic Engineering at Home
Using homemade lab equipment and the wealth of scientific knowledge available online, these hobbyists are trying to create new life forms through genetic engineering.   MORE
Ahmadinejad Delivers “Alternative” Christmas Message on British TV
Ahmadinejad: .....We believe, Jesus Christ will return, together with one of the children of the revered Messenger of Islam and will lead the world to love, brotherhood and justice. The responsibility of all followers of Christ and Abrahamic faiths is to prepare the way for the fulfilment of this divine promise and the arrival of that joyful, shining and wonderful age.     READ MORE
Muslims Erect ‘Allah Has No Son’ Banner in Nazareth 
As Nazareth’s Christians prepare to celebrate Christmas, they are playing down the appearance of a confrontational Islamic banner that challenges an elemental Christian belief.      READ MORE
Woman Buried In Snow For 3 Days Found Alive
A Canadian woman who went missing last week in a blizzard has been found alive, buried under almost a foot of snow for four days.     READ MORE
Armstrong Williams Op-Ed: The Blessings of a Simple Christmas Season 
This Christmas, blessings will be counted in different ways. And that may be the very best gift of all. With an economic repression officially upon us...  READ MORE
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Thursday, December 25th
Vatican Says Galileo Was A Good Guy After All
Galileo Galilei is going from heretic to hero. The Vatican is recasting the most famous victim of its Inquisition as a man of faith, just in time for the 400th anniversary of Galileo's telescope and the U.N.-designated International Year of Astronomy next year.  Pope Benedict XVI paid tribute to the astronomer and physicist, saying...   READ MORE
Pastors Reject Hype, Preach Humble Christmas Story 
Stages are set, sermons are ready, and tickets are nearly all reserved for the thousands of seats in megachurches across the country as they begin numerous Christmas services this week.   READ MORE
Poll: Most Americans Say 'Merry Christmas'
A vast majority of Americans still say “Merry Christmas” instead of the more politically correct greeting “Happy Holidays,” a recent poll shows.     READ MORE
Police in India Reinforce Security for Christmas
To ensure a peaceful Yuletide celebration for Christians countrywide, police and security forces in India have beefed up their security, especially in violence-ridden Orissa and Karnataka.    READ MORE
Top Ten Ridiculous Global Warming Claims Made in 2008
FOXNews.com takes a look back at 10 things that global warming allegedly caused — or will no doubt soon be responsible for — as reported in the news around the world in 2008.      READ MORE
Quebec Parents Pull Children from Religion Class
A new religion course taught in schools across Quebec was intended to improve inter-cultural understanding, but so far it is generating deep division as hundreds of parents pull their children out of class.     READ MORE
Liberal Kristof Admits Conservatives More Generous Than Liberals
Columnist Nicholas Kristof once again displayed his counterintuitive bona fides. In his Sunday column, “Bleeding Heart Tightwads,” Kristof admitted to being disturbed by a survey showing that liberals, for all their talk of compassion, are less charitable than conservatives when it comes to spending their own money.       READ MORE
Illinois Court Revives Suit Over 'Morning-After' Pill
Illinois pharmacists who object to dispensing emergency contraception won another day in court to fight a rule they claim forces them to choose between their livelihood and conscience.     READ MORE
Free Speech & Inauguration Day... Are the Two Compatible? 
A Christian activist says it appears that First Amendment rights may be denied to pro-life demonstrators during next month's presidential inauguration.    READ MORE
Ministries Fear Restrictions Under Obama Administration 
Christian ministries are bracing for what they fear will be restrictions on religious liberty once Barack Obama is sworn in as president.    READ MORE
Churches Are More Informal, Diverse Than a Decade Ago 
American churches have a more informal worship style and ethnically diverse congre- gation than ten years ago, found a recent study on religious congregation trends.        READ MORE
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Wednesday, December 24th
Bush Pardons Christian Man Who Helped Israel During Wartime
In a gesture of forgiveness for a decades-old offense, President George W. Bush on Tuesday granted a pardon posthumously to a man who broke the law to supply aircraft to Jews fighting in Israel's 1948 war of independence.   READ MORE
Rick Warren Sets the Record Straight
Evangelical Pastor Rick Warren believes America is being destroyed by "the demonization of differences" and the media is to blame. As the media creates or fuels conflict, it's creating more polarization and causing people to be more rude and inflamed.    READ MORE
Dow Falls for 5th Straight Session on Grim Data
Wall Street pulled back again Tuesday in muted trading ahead of the holiday, as another round of reports showed further deterioration in the housing market and broader economy.    READ MORE
Obama chooses Lincoln's Bible for swearing in ceremony
President-elect Barack Obama plans to take the oath of office with his right hand on the same Bible used to swear in Abraham Lincoln, the Presidential Inaugural Committee announced Tuesday.    READ MORE
Pope Condemns Homosexual Behavior
Saving mankind from homosexual and transsexual behavior is just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction, said Pope Benedict on Monday.   READ MORE
Humanist Parents Want a Church-Like Atmosphere For Kids
They are not religious, so they don't go to church. But they are searching for values and rituals with which to raise their children, as well as a community of like-minded people to offer support. Dozens of parents came together on a recent Saturday to participate in a seminar on humanist parenting and to meet others interested in organizing a kind of nonreligious congregation, complete with regular family activities and ceremonies for births and deaths.   READ MORE
Carter Laments: Terrorists Lack 'Defense' Against Israel 
The Lebanese Hezbollah terrorist organization lacks missiles to "defend" itself from Israeli aircraft, former President Jimmy Carter claimed upon returning from a trip last week to Lebanon. "The general showed us a graph of the many flights of Israeli planes over all parts of Lebanon, averaging about a dozen each day. Neither Hezbollah nor the Lebanese Armed Forces have any anti-aircraft weapons for defense," wrote Carter in a first-person report posted on his Carter Center website.     READ MORE
Christian Businessman Wins Battle With State of New York
A New York man has won a battle with the New York Department of Transportation over a trailer he parked on his private property along a public highway that was targeted because of its Christian message.  Daniel Burritt installed a tractor-trailer for his company, Acts II Construction, Inc., on private business property along U.S. Route 11 in 2007.  In May he got a letter from the New York State Department of Transportation stating that his trailer violated a state law and constituted a "public nuisance." The NYDOT said a permit had to be obtained or the trailer would be forcibly removed and legal action would follow, even though the agency does not require permits for commercial messages being displayed.   READ MORE
Financial Collapse May be as Significant as Fall of Berlin Wall
The collapse of major banks and financial institutions may have as great an impact on the world as the fall of the Berlin Wall, says the Bishop of Gibraltar.   READ MORE
Rick Warren to speak at King memorial
Just one day before giving the invocation at President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration, a local pastor will be the keynote speaker at the Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Commemorative Service, officials at Saddleback Church said.   READ MORE
Rick Warren's Biggest Critics: Other Evangelicals 
Rick Warren is in a place he never expected to be: at the center of a culture war. The pastor chosen by President-elect Barack Obama to give the inaugural invocation backed Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in his home state of California. But he did so belatedly...   READ MORE
Ben Shapiro Op-Ed: Why Atheism Is Morally Bankrupt 
If you walk around Washington, D.C., on a regular basis, youre likely to see some rather peculiar posters...Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness sake, say the signs, in Christmas-colored red and green.   READ MORE
Conservatives Praise Paul Weyrich, and Mourn His Death 
Paul Weyrich, one of the principal figures of the conservative movement, died Thursday, the same day his last opinion column was published.   READ MORE
Campbell's Soup Promotes '2-Mommy' Families 
The Campbell's Soup Company purchased a pair of two-page advertisement spreads in one of the nation's leading pro-homosexual magazines, including an ad highlighting a lesbian couple and their son, reports the American Family Association. READ MORE
Is Baghdad Now Safe Enough For Christmas Parties? 
Trying to demonstrate just how much safer Baghdad is these days, Iraqi officials threw a party for Christians on Saturday, complete with huge posters of Jesus Christ.    MORE
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Tuesday, December 23rd
US Military Buildup in Afghanistan Taking Form
The Pentagon is poised to announce the deployment of at least one more combat brigade to Afghanistan in the coming weeks, as the expected force buildup of U.S. soldiers and Marines begins to take form.    READ MORE
Mom Accused of Smoking Marijuana With Teen Kids 
A 39-year-old woman was arrested last week on suspicion of smoking marijuana with her two teenage children. Douglas County sheriff's deputies said the woman was detained after they responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle.  READ MORE
Religious Displays to be Debated in Calif. High Court
California jurists next year will rule on the constitutionality of crosses on public land, teachers' speech rights and students' Bible clubs.   READ MORE
AIG Bailout Promotes Shariah Law, Lawsuit Claims
The U.S. government's bailout of the American International Group is helping promote Shariah law, a lawsuit filed in federal court in Michigan alleges. The suit — brought with the support of the Thomas More Law Center, a non-profit law firm that promotes conservative Christian values — claims that making U.S. taxpayers comply with Shariah, the Islamic legal framework based on the Koran, is unconstitutional.   READ MORE
Europe's Megachurch Pastor Linked to Business Scandal
The pastor of the largest church in Europe has recently been drawn into a financial dispute concerning $100 million invested in a failed business venture that he had allegedly encouraged church members to participate in.  READ MORE
Where'd the bailout money go? Shhhh, it's a secret
It's something any bank would demand to know before handing out a loan: Where's the money going? But after receiving billions in aid from U.S. taxpayers, the nation's largest banks say they can't track exactly how they're spending the money or they simply refuse to discuss it.   READ MORE
Amish defend religion against city ordinances
Amish people in several American towns are having problems complying with local building codes.    READ MORE
Rick Warren Defends Obama's Invite to Pray at Inauguration
Under fire for opposing gay marriage, influential evangelical pastor Rick Warren said Saturday that he loves Muslims, people of other religions, Republicans and Democrats, and he also loves "gays and straights."   READ MORE
Dick Morris Op-Ed: U.S. & Israel Are On a Collision Course
With the election of Barack Obama, the United States has moved dramatically to the left in its foreign policy at just the time that Israel, which seems likely to return Bibi Netanyahu to office in early February, is moving to the right. A collision is almost inevitable.     READ MORE
Tennessee School Calendar Ignores 'Christmas Day'
A Tennessee mom is upset that political correctness is stepping on her daughter's religious freedom.      READ MORE
Thoughts on Deputation, from a Missions Professor
Although I believe that the best means of supporting missions is the one that we presently have-semi-autonomous missionaries seeking support from autonomous churches-the system is clearly broken, and in need of repair.   READ MORE
Pro-Life Leaders Call for Meeting with Obama to Discuss Ending Abortion
Leaders from the pro-life community are asking for a face-to-face meeting with President-elect Barack Obama – the first of its kind – to discuss ways to “work together to build a ‘culture of life’ which honors human rights and ends abortion.”    READ MORE
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Monday, December 22nd
Poll Finds No Boost in Church Attendance during Economic Crisis 
While tens of thousands of Americans have been laid off in recent months and religious leaders have blamed corporate greed for the economic crisis, churches have not seen a jump in attendance numbers as many might have expected, according to a new poll.   Over the last three months, about 42 percent of Americans reported...     READ MORE
N.C. Law Could Bar Registered Sex Offenders from Attending Church 
The Rev. Ben Robertson believes church doors should be open to everyone - even registered sex offenders.  Congregations are grappling with a new state law that prohibits certain sex offenders from being within 300 feet of child care centers, which include church nurseries and playgrounds. If worship services are held in close proximity to church child care, the law could prevent some from attending.     READ MORE
EU Leadership Shocking In Its Intolerance of Conservatism
An “EU assault” is what Christopher Booker of the London Telegraph has called the December 5th meeting between Vaclav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic, and members of the Conference of the Presidents of the European Parliament. Booker said the meeting was a “bizarre confrontation” that confirms that the EU is a “one-party state.”      READ MORE
Rick Warren Talks to Muslim Group About Tolerance
Rick Warren has told a Muslim group in California that ' You don't have to see eye to eye to walk hand in hand." And at the same gathering Warren also admiited he's a big fan of lesbian activist Melissa Ethridge and has all her albums.  READ MORE
Illinois Supreme Court Decision Supports Conscience Rights of Pharmacists
Yesterday the Illinois Supreme Court ruled in Morr-Fitz v. Blagojevich that individual pharmacists and pharmacy owners do have legal standing to challenge a rule requiring them to dispense Plan B, which abortion activists call “emergency contraception,” regardless of their religious, moral, or conscientious beliefs.   READ MORE
California Attorney-General Turns Against Prop 8
California's attorney general has changed his position on the state's new same-sex marriage ban and is now joining forces with homosexual activists to overturn the results of Proposition 8.     READ MORE
Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae Gave Large Donations to Gay Activists
As mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae hurtled to financial ruin, their charitable foundations continued to pour money into homosexual causes, reports the organization Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX).  Their largest single gifts came in the last year — just months before both companies collapsed and were taken over by the government.    READ MORE
Maine Begins Battle to Preserve Traditional Marriage
Christians in Maine are mobilizing for a major fight against same-sex so-called marriage.  READ MORE
Support Plummets In Muslim Countries To Criminalize Christianity
The Islamic nations whose leaders want Christianity criminalized sustained a severe blow at the United Nations today when the momentum on their religion "anti-defamation" proposal suddenly shifted.     READ MORE
Surviving Houston Octuplets Turn 10 Years Old
As the cake candles flickered, relatives and friends singing to seven surviving octuplets on their 10th birthday Saturday had to pause and consider after "happy birthday to ..."  They continued, "... dear everyone. Happy birthday to you!"    READ MORE
Palin Church Burning -A 'Hate Crime' Virtually Ignored? 
A religion columnist and journalism professor says the mainstream media's coverage of the fire that gutted Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's home church has been thin, but it's
hard to say exactly why it's been underplayed.      READ MORE
Shutdown Called Off in India to Allow for Peaceful Christmas
Christians in Orissa, India, can cheerfully celebrate Christmas this year. The state government has officially called off the proposed statewide shutdown called by the Sangh Parivar on Dec. 25.      READ MORE
Gay Couples Can Now List Both Names on New York Birth Certificates
omosexual couples in much of New York who have been "married" out of state can now list both their names on children's birth certificates.  While New York law does not allow same-sex unions to be called marriages, the new birth certificate...    READ MORE
'Change' Is Coming to US Abortion Laws 
Go to Change.gov, the Web site of President-elect Barack Obama, and you'll find a document titled "Advancing Reproductive Rights and Health in a New Administration."  READ MORE
Bush Says He Didn't Compromise His Soul To Be Popular 
President George W. Bush knows he's unpopular. But here'swhat matters, he says: "I didn't compromise my soul to be a popular guy."     READ MORE
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Weekend, December 19th-20th
Churches Could Experience Year-End Giving Drought
The founder of a Christian research firm is predicting a decline in end-of-year giving to churches and non-profit organizations.  That projection is based on a recent survey conducted by The Barna Group, which found that churches are already feeling the effects of the economic meltdown. George Barna believes many churches and non-profits operate on the same strategy.   READ MORE
UN Passes Islamic ‘Defamation’ Measure, But Critics Hail ‘Backlash’
A "defamation" of religion resolution stating that "Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human rights violations and terrorism" passed in the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday – but with fewer votes than in previous years.    READ MORE
Washington State rewrites holiday display policy
Washington's governor has put a moratorium on new holiday displays, after an atheist sign placed next to a nativity scene sparked a controversy.    READ MORE
Haggard Says He Still Struggles with Sexuality
Disgraced evangelical leader Ted Haggard says in a new documentary that he still struggles with his sexuality yet is committed to his marriage for the sake of his children.       READ MORE
No Room In Bethlehem Inns Signals Upswing in Tourism
For the first time in years, Bethlehem hotels are fully booked this Christmas season, a sign of an upswing in the local economy that has taken a beating as a result of Palestinian violence and Israeli countermeasures.   READ MORE
Illinois Christians angry over atheist display
Christians in Illinois are upset over an atheist sign being placed next to a nativity scene at the state capitol.       READ MORE
American Thinker: Israel's Choice
...At this point in history, Israel is facing a dilemma as it seriously contemplates the consequences of a threatened nuclear attack from Iran.  Does Israel act preemptively to potentially protect its territory and six million citizens and potentially precipitate a full-on regional conflict or anxiously wait while Iran inches closer to nuclear capabilities and follows through with its threats of "Death to Israel?"       READ MORE
Rick Warren To Give Invocation at Obama Inaguration 
President-elect Barack Obama has invited evangelical pastor Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration in January, sparking disgruntled complaints from the gay rights camp angry at Warren for supporting Proposition 8 in California.   READ MORE
Christians fear added persecution over Christmas
Christians in the northern Indian state of Orissa are preparing for a violent Christmas.    READ MORE
'Catch 22' custody crisis for Christian mom
A Virginia mother is fighting off attempts by her former lesbian partner to gain visitation rights to a child.      READ MORE
Multicultural displays 'neutering' Christmas
Christmas is being compromised in one New York town in the name of inclusivity. MORE
Survey: Many Believe Christianity Not the Only Way to Eternal Life
Most American Christians believe many religions can lead to eternal life and among them, the vast majority says you don't even have to be Christian to go to heaven, a new survey shows.      READ MORE
Joe Kovacs Commentary:  Both Newsweek and Bush Are Bible Morons
What in the name of all that is good and godly is going on?  In a season supposed to be filled with glad tidings of God echoing  throughout the land, we have the president of the United States  questioning the Bible's literal content and a major news magazine suggesting the Good Book has no problem with same-sex marriage.     READ MORE
Obama's New School Chief Supported Creating Gay High School in Chicago 
So, how often do you think that the Old Media will mention that Barack Obama's choice for Secretary of Education, Chicago  schools chief Arne Duncan, supported to be opened in Chicago a gay, lesbian and transgender high school? Any takers?      READ MORE
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Thursday, December 18th
Obama looking at $850 billion jolt to the economy
Anxious to jolt the economy back to life, President-elect Barack Obama appears to be zeroing in on a stimulus package of about $850 billion, dwarfing last spring's tax rebates and rivaling drastic government actions to fight the Great Depression.   MORE
Jamie Weinstein Op-Ed: Obama’s ‘Umbrella’ No Protection For Israel
According to a report in the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz, President-elect Barack Obama plans to offer Israel a "nuclear umbrella" to protect it from the rain – the rain in this case being a potential Iranian nuclear missile. In other words, Obama will promise Israel that if it is destroyed by a nuclear Iran, the United States will avenge its death by taking out its murderer in a nuclear wonderland.     READ MORE
New Bombs Change Middle East Dynamics
A new bomb technology developed by Australia and the U.S. will allow Israel's jet fighter pilots to strike inside Syria or Lebanon without ever leaving their own airspace should there be another conflict in the region, changing the dynamics of the Middle East conflict, according to a report...   READ MORE
Ga. Judge Jails Muslim Woman over Head Scarf 
A Muslim woman arrested for refusing to take off her head scarf at a courthouse security checkpoint said Wednesday that she felt her human and civil rights were violated. A judge ordered Lisa Valentine, 40, to serve 10 days,...   READ MORE
Social Gospel is 'Marxism in Christian Clothing,' Says Warren 
Best-selling author, social activist and megachurch pastor RickWarren described the social gospel supported by many of the mainline churches as “Marxism in Christian clothing.”    READ MORE
U.S. Military Involvement in Christian Reality Show Raises Flags
A watchdog group that guards against the promotion of Christianity in the U.S. military is crying foul after it came across three episodes of a Christian reality show that were filmed in Afghanistan.      READ MORE
Physicians rally against assisted suicide
A campaign to stop assisted suicide is now going to physicians nationwide.  MORE
Pro-lifer protests too close to abortion clinic
A Wisconsin pro-life counselor could be heading to jail again.    READ MORE
Episcopal Head Addresses Controversies, Challenges Media
The world is hungry for hope and the head of The Episcopal Church has challenged the media to take the less traveled road of feeding the public with more stories of encouragement than of scandal and controversy.    READ MORE
Dowry demanded from Pakistani captor of Christian girl
After a judge placed new financial and social pressure on the captors of a Pakistani girl who was kidnapped and converted to Islam, attorneys have guarded optimism they can return her to custody of her Christian parents.   READ MORE
More Americans Believe in the Devil, Hell and Angels Than Evolution 
That very large majorities of the American public believe in God, miracles, the survival of the soul after death, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the Virgin birth will come as no great surprise.     READ MORE
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Wednesday, December 17th
Pastor Says Blagojevich Tells Ministers He's Innocent
Gov. Rod Blagojevich prayed with several ministers in his home before heading to his office Friday, telling them he is innocent and will be vindicated "when you hear each chapter completely written," according to one of the pastors.   READ MORE
Attorney Says U.S. Government Financing Terrorist Activities
Attorney Richard Thompson says an "internal cultural jihad" is under way against America -- and it's being financed in part by taxpayer money.  READ MORE
Homosexual Group Defends Ousted Evangelical Lobbyist
The nation's largest homosexual activist group is rushing to the defense of the ousted Washington lobbyist for the National Association of Evangelicals.   READ MORE
Presbyterians to Address Risks of Churches Leaving, Property Disputes
The departure of congregations from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) poses major risks, including the threat to both church unity and independence from the state, says one leader in the denomination.      READ MORE
Student Says School Persecuted Him for Being Conservative
A former student at the Rhode Island College School of Social Work is suing the school and several of his professors for discrimination, saying he was persecuted for being a conservative.       READ MORE
Details Emerging About Pope’s Trip to Holy Land
 Details are emerging of Pope Benedict XVI’s planned visit to the Holy Land, which now appears set for May 8-15, according to the German Bild newspaper.  Sources familiar with the papal trip told the paper that the visit will begin in Jordan and include pilgrimages to Nazareth and Bethlehem.   READ MORE
David Limbaugh Op-Ed: Obama Plans a 'Reboot' of U.S. Muslim Image
 When I first heard that Barack Obama said he had decided to include his middle name, "Hussein," in his swearing-in ceremony, I wondered...Surely, after Obama's acolytes scolded commentators for using Barack's Muslim-sounding middle name during the campaign, the president-elect himself wouldn't so quickly reverse course. But in fact, he did.    READ MORE
Another Indiana Planned Parenthood Caught Covering up Felony Rape
The group responsible for an undercover exposé of a Bloomington Planned Parenthood clinic's disregard for Indiana law has just today released more footage, revealing nearly identical behavior in an Indianapolis clinic.  READ MORE
Orissa Christmas Will Be Fraught with Fear
When Christians should be celebrating the birth of their Savior, those in Orissa will instead be facing uncertainty and fear in a “very threatening environment,” said Dr. Carl Moeller, president of Open Doors USA, on Monday.   READ MORE
American Thinker: It's Time to Speak Out Against the 'Mormon Boycott'
Supporters of gay marriage have reacted with anger at the  passage of California Proposition 8, which amended the California state constitution to provide that only marriages that fit the traditional definition (one man, one woman) will be       recognized.   READ MORE
Scientists Develop Software That Can Map Dreams 
A team of Japanese scientists have created a device that enables the processing and imaging of thoughts and dreams as experienced in the brain to appear on a computer screen.    READ MORE
Albert Mohler: Newsweek Turns Bible on Its Head For Gay Marriage
Newsweek magazine, one of the most influential news magazines in America, has decided to come out for same-sex marriage in a big way, and to do so by means of a biblical and theological argument.    READ MORE
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Tuesday, December 16th
Anti-Faith 'Rant' Will Stay, Says Washington Governor
Washington's governor is permitting display of a Christmas-bashing atheist sign. As Liberty Counsel's Mat Staver explains, the holiday display in the... READ MORE
Colson - 'A Converted, Broken Sinner' - Honored by Bush
Prison Fellowship founder Chuck Colson has been honored with the Presidential Citizens Medal.    READ MORE
Federal Reserve May Cut Interest Rates To 0% Soon
The Federal Reserve is expected to slash a key interest rate to near zero and signal that it will step up its use of other, less conventional methods to... READ MORE
Sarah Palin's Home Church Damaged by Arson 
Gov. Sarah Palin's home church was badly damaged by arson, leading the governor to apologize if the fire was connected to "undeserved negative attention" from her failed campaign as the Republican vice presidential nominee.  READ MORE
Scientist says he has found oldest spider web
The tiny tangled threads of the world's oldest spider web have been found encased in a prehistoric piece of amber, a British scientist said Monday. Oxford University paleo- biologist Martin Brasier said the 140-million-year-old webbing provide...   READ MORE
Pillsbury Bibble College: True To the End!
Dec. 12, 2008, the last day of the semester!...the end of 52 years for Pillsbury Baptist Bible College, Owatonna, Minn. A bastion of Biblical Christianity since 1957, Pillsbury has been forced to close mostly due to the current economic situation and a less-than-anticipated fall student enrollment. The closing has been a difficult, yes tearful, time for everyone involved—students, faculty, administration, parents, churches, and supporters.  READ MORE
Regulations hobble Turkey’s Protestant churches
In the city of Samsun on the north coast of Turkey, the beleaguered congregation of the Agape Church Association struggles against local Islamic hostility toward its presence.    READ MORE
St. Michael’s Catholic Hospital in Toronto Flying Gay Pride Flag in Lobby
St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, a Catholic hospital, is flying the gay pride flag in its lobby, LifeSiteNews.com has discovered.  The Toronto Catholic hospital has a history of supporting the gay pride agenda.  READ MORE
Planned Parenthood protecting child rapist ... again
Another incident has surfaced involving an underage girl receiving an abortion and no attention being paid to the child molester who impregnated her. READ MORE
Free Presbyterians Defend Position On Gays Even If It Means Jailtime
The British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has issued a decree banning an advertising campaign by a Presbyterian church entitled "The Word of God against Sodomy," which communicates the Bible's condemnation of homosexual behavior. The campaign, run by Sandown Free Presbyterian Church, featured an advertisement that denounced offensive behavior in last year's "gay pride" march in Belfast, Northern Ireland.       READ MORE
South Carolina Ordered To Stop Making Religious License Plates 
A federal judge says South Carolina must stop marketing andmaking license plates that feature the image of a cross and the words "I Believe."  The judge issued a temporary injunction  during a court hearing Thursday after opponents said the plates  violate the separation of church and state.
California Pastor Beaten While Decorating Church For Christmas 
The pastor of a Highland church is in critical condition after he was beaten and robbed by two men while trying to decorate his church with Christmas lights.  READ MORE
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Monday, December 15th
Russia Plans 'Liquidation' of Christian Ministries 
Dozens of Christian organizations that have been providing social services, ministry and other help inside Russia are being targeted for "liquidation" by the nation's Ministry of Justice, according to a new report.   READ MORE
Protecting Baby Jesus with GPS
When Baby Jesus disappeared last year from a Nativity scene on the lawn of the Wellington, Fla., community center, village officials didn't follow a star to locate him. A GPS device mounted inside the life-size ceramic figurine led sheriff's deputies to a nearby apartment, where it was found face down on the carpet.   READ MORE
Noteworthy Book Recommendations 2008
The Christmas season is upon us, and some of you may still be finishing up your shopping for gifts. Others of us are hoping that there will be some “book money” in the stocking.  Here are some recomendations for our readers... READ MORE
Palin's Congregation Undaunted by Burned Church
Members of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's church are showing high spirits after a suspicious fire that damaged their building.      READ MORE
Will Christian Mom Lose Daughter To Lesbian?
The decision by the U.S. Supreme Court this week not to hear the case of Lisa Miller v. Janet Jenkins may, effectively, send a Christian mother to jail for not sharing Thanksgiving – and her 6-year-old daughter – with her former lesbian partner.   MORE
Rick Warren's 'Punish Evildoers' Comment Raises Flags
Megachurch pastor Rick Warren is under a bit of fire after using the Bible to explain how "evil cannot be negotiated with" and "has to just be stopped." READ MORE
Report Sats Missionary Plane Was Victim of 90s Drug War
The top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee says the Peruvian air force, with the help of the CIA, shot down 15 small civilian aircraft suspected of carrying drugs between 1995 and 2001.     READ MORE
Schuller Quits, Crystal Cathedral Searching for New Senior Pastor
The Rev. Robert A. Schuller is no longer the senior pastor of Crystal Cathedral and hasn’t been for the past two weeks following a quiet resignation that managed to elude the media spotlight until this past weekend.  READ MORE
Death on TV Reveals Switzerland Is Haven for Suicides
...Drawn by Switzerland's reputation as a trouble-free place for foreigners to end their lives, more than 100 Germans, Britons, French, Americans and others come to this small commuter town just east of Zurich each year to lie down on a bed in an industrial park building and drink a lethal dose of barbiturates. READ MORE
Will United Nations cave to homosexual pressure?
France has introduced a resolution before the United Nations General Assembly to decriminalize homosexuality.    READ MORE
Sharper Iron: Preparing Missionaries for Cross-Cultural Church Planting
he issue of adequate preparation for missionary candidates is not new. Years ago J. Herbert Kane lamented the practice of sending unqualified individuals to engage in cross-cultural ministry...     READ MORE
New Quest for Historical Jesus Draws Skeptics, Scholars 
A new group of historians, biblical scholars, and theologians has embarked on the quest for the historical Jesus to objectively determine what can be “reliably recovered” about him, his life, his teachings, and his activities. READ MORE
Bush Says He's Not A Bible Literalist; Talks of Belief in God 
President George W. Bush said his belief that God created the world is not incompatible with scientific proof of evolution.  In an interview with ABC's "Nightline" on Monday, the president also said he probably is not a literalist when reading the Bible...   READ MORE
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Friday, December 12th
Retail Sales, Wholesale Prices Fall Again in November
consumers reduced their spending at retail stores again in November while the costs of goods before they reach store shelves also continued to drop, more bad signs in a recession that appears to be deepening.    Read More
Court to Decide on Bible Distribution at Public Schools
A federal appeals court in St. Louis heard arguments Thursday in a case involving the distribution of Gideon Bibles to children in public schools. Outside religious groups were previously allowed to distribute Bibles during the school day.  Read More
Six Alleged Islamic Extremists Charged in Belgium 
Belgian authorities on Friday charged six suspected al-Qaida-linked extremists with membership in a terrorist group, including a woman whose husband was involved in the assassination of Afghanistan's top anti-Taliban warlord shortly before the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.    Read More
Driving Continues To Decline as Gas Prices Drop 
 Drivers clocked 9 billion fewer miles on the nation's roads in October even while gas prices were dropping, suggesting a downturn in driving that began a year ago is attributable to more than just energy costs.  Read More
Survey: Fewer Doctors Believe in Importance of Prayer
Physicians today are less likely to believe in the importance of prayer in everyday life than they were just four years ago, according to two national studies. “Might the rapidly changing social and economic environment have some effect on physicians’ religious beliefs?”     Read More
GET RELIGION:  Please Don't Use the Bible to Justify Gay Marriage! 
I knew we had to take a look at this week’s Newsweek’s cover story when I read the
first line. It was just that bad. It was written by senior editor Lisa Miller who oversees all of the magazine’s religion coverage.  Read More
'Day Without A Gay' Participation Spotty 
A daylong work stoppage for which people were encouraged to call in "gay" to express support for same-sex marriage drew spotty participation Wednesday. More
NAE VP Resigns after Culture War Controversy
Long-time evangelical lobbyist Richard Cizik has resigned as the vice president of governmental affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals, the group announced Thursday.     Read More
Abortion Clinics -- 'Modern-Day King Herod'
A Planned Parenthood clinic in Indiana is being investigated for providing abortions to underage girls and failing to report incidences of statutory rape.   Read More
Media Misconceptions on the Bible and Homosexuality 
In the aftermath of the passage of California's Proposition 8, Newsweek and Hollywood are the latest players to launch their attacks on traditional marriage supporters and the biblical case against homosexuality.   Read More
References to God Disappearing In New  Capitol Visitor's Center 
The new $621 million capitol Visitor Center does more than spare Harry Reid from having to smell the unwashed masses. It also advances the campaign to replace meaningful religion with worship of the State...    Read More
Churches Stand to Lose Billions In Donations Due to Economic Downturn 
Tens of millions of Americans have already suffered substantial financial losses in the wake of the sub-prime mortgage crisis and subsequent financial challenges.  Read More
Court To Decide Whether Campus Evangelism Is a Crime 
The so-called "free-speech code" of Yuba Community College District is under federal court scrutiny.        Read More
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Thursday, December 11th
Obama Hopes To Reboot US Image Among Muslims
President-elect Barack Obama says he will try to "reboot America's image" among the world's Muslims and will follow tradition by using his entire name - Barack Hussein Obama - in his swearing-in ceremony.      Read More
Newsweek Accused of 'Journalistic Malpractice' For Religion Hit Piece
A conservative media analyst says a Newsweek cover story suggesting that the Bible condones same-sex marriage is evidence the publication is a "fully owned subsidiary of the gay rights movement."     Read More
Suicide On TV Condemned In Britain 
The scene is difficult to watch, even for viewers inured to the subject of dying by a steady diet of violent Hollywood and television fare. Craig Ewert, a former computer scientist from Chicago, is shown lying in bed with his wife at his side while...   More
John 3:16 a No-Go for Vermont Car Tag
Religious expression is being barred from license plates in Vermont.  Read More
More Than 650 Scientists Dissent Man-Made Global Warming Claims
The current UN global warming conference is about to face a serious challenge from over 650 dissenting scientists from around the globe who are criticizing the climate claims made by the UN .      Read More
Traditional Catholics Persecute Christians in Southern Mexico
Christians are facing oppression throughout parts of Mexico.    Read More
Israel Unveils New Anti-Rocket Radar
The new radar will be able to provide artillery cannons with a 360-degree view of a battlefield and detect the exact location of rocket launchers.     Read More
Iowa Supreme Court Hears Challenge to State Marriage Laws
The Iowa Supreme Court just concluded hearing oral argument today in a case that will ultimately either protect or destroy the definition of marriage in Iowa.   More
California Is Running Out Of Money
California lawmakers just got an ultimatum from state officials: If they don't act, the state could be forced to suspend road, bridge, and other public-works projects as early as next week       Read More
Cardinal: Religion Treated as 'Private Eccentricity' in Britain
The head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales expressed frustration this week that religion is seen as a “private eccentricity” in Britain, where it is increasingly treated with hostility.     Read More
Widower Doesn't Blame Pilot for Family Loss, Asks for Prayer
Overwhelmed with anguish, Dong Yun Yoon walked unsteadily to a pile of rubble where his home once stood and pleaded for advice on how to cope after losing his family.        Read More
Is the Global AIDS Crisis Overblown? Some Dare To Say 'Yes' 
With Brazil's government caving in to homosexual activism, many fear America is not far behind.         Read More
Brian Rooney Op-Ed: The Failure of Our Pro-Life Leadership
I recently attended a meeting of pro-life leaders from around the country, called in order to formulate a national strategy on how to defeat...  Read More
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Wednesday, December 10th
Hundreds Protest Atheist Sign at Washington State Capitol
Hundreds rallied outside the Washington Capitol on Sunday to protest a holiday sign erected by a group of atheists that disparages religion as a "myth" and declares there is no God.  A crowd of 500 protesters gathered on the Capitol's steps to decry the sign which Gov. Chris Gregoire had permitted an atheist group to include as part of a Christmas-themed display inside the rotunda.      Read More
Cancer To Be World's Top Killer By 2010, Health Organzation Says
Cancer will overtake heart disease as the world's top killer by 2010, part of a trend that should more than double global cancer cases and deaths by 2030, international health experts said in a report released Tuesday. Read More
Christians Counter 'Why Believe in God?' Ad Campaign
Two Christian-based groups have purchased advertisements with Washington D.C. Metro buses to counter the atheist "Why Believe in a God?" bus campaign with their own pro-God Christmas ads.     Read More
Planned Parenthood Suspends Employee Caught In Sting Operation
Planned Parenthood suspended a Bloomington abortion clinic employee after new footage from an undercover camera was released Wednesday showing the staff member deliberately ignoring the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl by a 31-year-old and advising her to seek an abortion in another state to avoid Indiana's strict parental consent laws.    Read More
Calling In 'Gay' To Work Is Latest Form Of Protest
Some same-sex marriage supporters are urging people to "call in gay" Wednesday to show how much the country relies on gays and lesbians...    Read More
Victor Davis Hansen Op-Ed:  California, An Example of What NOT To Do
I think the wretched state of California, now looking at a fiscal disaster of roughly a $20-30 billion annual shortfall, should be a wake-up call for the Obama administration. Whatever California is doing — please don't follow suit! Read More
Barack Obama And Basic Christian Doctrine
"The One" has caused some controversy by contradicting the Bible on who can get into heaven...      Read More
Happiness Is Contagious, Study Says 
Happiness is contagious, researchers reported on Thursday. The same team that demonstrated obesity and smoking spread in networks has shown that the more happy people you know, the more likely you are yourself to be happy.   Read More
Albert Mohler Commentary:  Death by Gift Certificate
Planned Parenthood of Indiana is now selling gift certificates redeemable "for services or the recipient’s choice of birth control method."  Those "methods" include abortion.       Read More
China 'Faces Mass Social Unrest' 
Rising unemployment and the economic slowdown could cause massive social turmoil in China, a leading scholar in the Communist Party has said.  Read More
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Tuesday, December 9th
Liberals Voice Concerns About Obama
Liberals are growing increasingly nervous – and some just flat-out angry – that President-elect Barack Obama seems to be stiffing them on Cabinet jobs and policy choices.       Read More
What's Ahead for the Fractured Episcopal Church?
United in their aversion to the liberal drift of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada, a group of conservatives on Wednesday launched a new North American branch of the Anglican Communion.   Read More
Newsweek Draws Fire on Gay Marriage Cover Story
Leading social conservatives blasted Newsweek for its current cover story, "The Religious Case for Gay Marriage," which they said misinterprets both biblical scripture and their movement.   Read More
Hollywood Celebrities Mock Christians in Anti-Prop. 8 Video
Opponents of the California same-sex marriage ban have released a Web video satire entitled "Prop 8: The Musical" that mocks Christians as hatemongers and Jesus as a Bible critic.   Read More
The Worst Video Games Your Kids May Be Playing
An organization that conducts research on publicly traded companies has released a list of the most violent and sexually explicit video games.   Read More
Gays Organize Nativity Scene With Manger with Two Josephs
A Dutch gay group has organized a "Pink Christmas" festival for the first time in Amsterdam, featuring a manger stall with two Josephs and two Marys. Read More
Israel Lacks 'Gumption' To Strike Iran?
A former Muslim terrorist-turned-Christian doesn't believe Israel can launch a preemptive strike against Iran's nuclear facilities without the assistance of the United States.       Read More
Rev. Wright Preaches Again at Trinity UCC
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright - most famous for being President-elect Barack Obama’s ex-pastor - returned to the pulpit of Trinity United Church of Christ on Sunday to give a special sermon – the first time he did so since his retirement... More
Crackdown on Christian College Students In China
Persecution against Christians continues to increase in China, this time focusing on college-age students.       Read More
Liberal Episcopals vote for more homosexual clergy
The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles has joined seven other dioceses in passing a resolution asking the church to let lesbians as well as homosexual men become bishops.  Read More
Time Mag: German Christians Faced Down Hitler At Christmas In 1940
Not you, Herr Hitler, but God is my Führer. These defiant words of Pastor Martin Niemoller were echoed by millions of Germans. And Hitler raged: "It is Niemoller or I."      Read More
David Limbaugh Commentary: The Christian's Future in the GOP
A good friend of mine (let's call him Bob) is convinced that unless the GOP puts abortion "aside as its focal point, it simply cannot win and regain power." Read More
Jonah Goldberg Commentary: An Ugly Attack on Mormons
...At a pro-gay-marriage rally in Los Angeles after the vote, chants of "Mormon scum!" were reported. Envelopes containing white powder have been sent to Mormon temples in California and Utah; vandals hit other temples. Read More
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Monday, December 8th
Muslim Plea to Obama: Return to 'Islamic Roots'
Claiming Barack Obama has roots in the Islamic religion, an Egyptian cleric has broadcast a plea urging Obama to convert to Islam while warning if the U.S. doesn't withdraw its troops from the Middle East and provide aid to Muslims, those "eager for [death]" will attack America.   Read More
Price of Gas Hits Lowest Point in Nearly 5 Years
The average price of U.S. gasoline fell 22 cents a gallon during the past two weeks, bringing it to its lowest level in nearly five years, according to a national survey released Sunday.    Read More
Ex-Muslim Forms Party to Defend Europe's Christian Values
An Egyptian-born writer who renounced Islam and was baptized a Roman Catholic by Pope Benedict XVI said he has formed a political party that would enter candidates in next year's European Union elections.    Read More
Obama Pledges not to smoke in White House
Barack Obama says you won't catch him lighting up a cigarette in the smoke-free White House.  "There are times where I've fallen off the wagon," the president-elect said when asked in a broadcast interview whether he has kicked the habit.   More
Moral relativism - the 'troubling' future of America's children
A new study highlights the problem of dishonesty among America's school-age children. Focus on the Family's Bill Maier finds the results quite troubling. More
Tensions Flare Over Egypt's Underground Churches
Tempers are flaring as Islamic conservatism gains ground in Egypt and Christians grow increasingly resentful about discrimination by the Muslim majority. Read More
Authors suggest Apostle Paul faked his conversion
A biblical expert disagrees with the idea that the Apostle Paul was a Roman spy. Read More
Barna advises churches to revisit budgets
A new