Girl's Brain Tumor Gone after Prayer

Can prayer make a difference? One east Texas mother sure thinks so. Her 11-year old girl was diagnosed with a brain tumor that covered a quarter of her brain. That’s when her church down to some serious praying. KLTV news explains what happened next.

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Former Librarian Sues over Harry Potter

Deborah Smith has filed a lawsuit with the help of the ACLU against her former employer the Poplar Bluff Public Library in Missouri. Smith alleges she was punished for not promoting the Harry Potter book series.

Smith is a member of Temple Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff and says the books promotes the occult. She was suspended for not taking part in the library’s Harry Potter event last summer and her duties changed following her return. She later quit the job. The city denies her allegations.

Osteen Takes Stand

The wife of megachurch evangelist Joel Osteen took the stand in her trial over a confrontation with an airline flight attendant who's accusing her of assault her over a spill on a first-class seat. KTRK-TV in Houston has this report.

Obama & the Antichrist

Some Democrats and religious scholars say a new McCain for president internet ad links Barack Obama to the antichrist. The ad is called The One and it’s gotten more than a million hits. But McCain’s people say it’s only a bit of humor making the point that Obama is sometimes self-aggrandizing.

Elvis' Boyhood Church

The church where Elvis Presley learned to sing and play the guitar is opening its doors again. The Elvis Presley Memorial Foundation is restoring the First Assembly of God Church in Tupelo, Mississippi after being closed for more than a half-century. A ceremony tomorrow will mark it’s reopening. The small wooden chapel only seats 48 people and has no steeple or stained-glass windows. Presley lived down the road from the church and attended for some 13 years.

The Purpose of Christmas

Rick Warren has another book coming out soon. The Purpose of Christmas will be out in October. The founder and pastor of the 22,000-member of Saddleback Community Church in southern California is author of The Purpose Driven Life which has sold more than 10 million copies.

James Dobson Bests Howard Stern

James Dobson’s Focus on the Family radio program will be the first religious program inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in Chicago. In national voting, Dobson beat out shock-jock Howard Stern, talk show host Laura Schlessinger and sportscaster Bob Costas. He’ll go into the Hall on November 8^th along with radio show host Art Bell.

Chapman on Larry King Live

Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman and his family appeared on CNN's Larry King Live last night to talk about his daughter's death. Here's a part of that interview.

Christian Motorcycles Arrested

Six members of the Christian motorcycle club Set Free Soldiers are behind bars for “conspiring to commit murder”. They are accused of stabbing two members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang but deny the charges. The six were taken into custody by police in Newport Beach, California - along with three Hells Angels following a bar brawl last week. Three people were injured in the melee. The Hells Angels are accused of assault and drug possession.

Seminary President Resigns

The president of Criswell College has resigned. Jerry Johnson is leaving after recent brush ups with the First Baptist Church of Dallas, the church that founded the school. Johnson has accused First Baptist pastor Robert Jeffress of trying to gain control the school and sell off its assets in order to raise money for a new church sanctuary. Jeffress denies the allegations.

Segregation on Sundays

Of the 5% or of American churches that are racially integrated, half of them are in the process of becoming all-black or all-white, according to Curtiss Paul DeYoung, co-author of United by Faith.

Church Protests over New Movie

A growing list of churches and Christian ministries are protesting a new movie called Hamlet 2. The film tells the story of a failed actor who becomes a drama teacher and plans to stage a high school sequel to Shakespeare's Hamlet. One of the musical numbers is called Rock Me Sexy Jesus. The movie is scheduled for wide release two weeks from Friday (August 22). Here’s the movie trailer:

Jury Seated in Osteen Case

A report on Victoria Osteen's court case from KTRK-TV in Houston.

Chapman on GMA (long version)

Here is the long version of Steve Curtis Chapman's appearance on today's edition of Good Morning America. He lost his daughter in a recent tragic accident.

Osteen Trial Gets Underway

A jury is expected to be picked today in Houston in a lawsuit against the wife of megachurch pastor Joel Osteen. Joel Osteen, his wife and 2 children agreed to leave a Continental flight after Victoria Osteen got into an argument with a flight attendant. The pastor of Houston's Lakewood Church, the largest in the nation, was headed to Vail, Colorado for a skiing vacation.

A spill on Victoria Osteen's first class seat was not cleaned to her satisfaction and resulted in an argument with a flight attendant. In a letter, posted on the church’s website shortly after the incident, Victoria Osteen wrote that she regretted what happened, emphasizing that she chose to leave the plane and was not forced to do so. However, wire reports quote the FBI as saying Victoria Osteen, "failed to company with the flight attendant's instructions and they were asked to leave the plane." What's not in dispute is that the incident led to an hour delay for everyone on board. They took a later flight to Colorado.

No charges were filed. But the FAA fined Victoria Osteen $3,000 for interfering with a crew member during the flight.

But that wasn't the end of it. Flight attendant Sharon Brown decided to sue. She alleges Victoria Osteen assaulted her during the flight by throwing her against an airplane bathroom door and elbowing her in the chest. The Osteen’s denied these allegations.

Chapman on Good Morning America

Steve Curtis Chapaman lost his daughter in a recent tragic accident. He and his wife appeared today on Good Morning America. Here's the short version.

See more of the interview.

Ernie Chambers vs God

Video report on lawsuit against God from KMTV, the CBS affiliate for western Iowa.

Abuse Accusations

A Harlem pastor is denying allegations he sexually abused a minor two decades ago. Wallace Harris was one of the organizers of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to New York. The archdiocese says he will not be allowed to serve as a pastor until it completes an investigation. The New York DA’s office says it will not be involved because the statute of limitations for the complaint has run out.

Wright Needs Help with Medical Bills

The family of Timothy Wright is asking for help to cover his medical expenses. The Grammy-nominated gospel singer was critically injured in a car crash that killed his wife and grandson in Pennsylvania. His car was hit by a driver going the wrong way. His family now says his insurance has run out. Wright is being treated at the Kessler Institute in New Jersey and may be in the hospital for months and is weeks away from breathing on his own. He was on his way back from a promotional stop in Detroit. Donations for his medical bills can be sent to his church, Grace Tabernacle in Brooklyn, New York.

Chapman to Talk about Daughter's Death

Steven Curtis Chapman will make the rounds on the TV talks shows this week to talk about his 5-year-old daughter’s death. He’s confirmed for Good Morning America tomorrow and Larry King Live Thursday night. Maria Sue was accidentally hit by an SUV driven by her brother. Chapman will tour this fall with Michael W Smith. Maria was one of three girls the Chapmans had adopted from China and the accident has led to a surge in donations to Shaohannah's Hope, a non-profit organization the family started to help adoptions.

$4 Million for Columbus Radio Station

A Christian Talk radio station in Columbus, Ohio is being sold for $4 million. Christian Voice of Central Ohio is buying WRFD 880-AM from Salem Communications. Christian Voice already owns 8 stations in Ohio, Indiana and Alabama.

Smith & Chapman Tour

Christian singers Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman plan to tour together this fall, stopping in more than 20 cities. The United Tour starts October 9^th in Columbus, Ohio and ends November 8^th in St. Augustine, Florida. The two have recently worked together on bhalf of the charity Compassionart. Smith has a new worship album due out in late October called A New Halllelujah.

New York Christian Station Switches Formats

New York City Christian radio station 970AM is switching formats. Going by the name Radio Frank, the station is playing nothing but Frank Sinatra songs before it moves to an all talk format later in the week. The new lineup of shows has not officially been announced by Salem Communications, the big company that owns the station, but it’s expected to include programs already on network – including Bill Bennett, Michael Medved and Mike Gallagher. The station's call letters WTTT will be dropped in favor of WNYM. The station was at one-time known as WWDJ.

Solzhenitsyn Dies

Writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn has died at the age 89. His writings were rooted in an Orthodox Christian faith. His books helped to bring down the Soviet Union. He lived in exile in the US for a number of years before finally returning to his Russian homeland after the Soviet System collapsed. In 1978, Solzhenitsyn delivered the commencement address at Harvard, offering harsh comments about laziness, materialism and godlessness in the West.