Dobson Group Banned

Focus on the Family has been banned from schools around Australia's capital city. The country's education department is looking into allegations about its practices related to homosexuality and promoting religion without parental consent. Focus programs have offered students information about marriage, pornography and abstinence.

Nativity Scene

WJBK-TV in Detroit reports on a Nativity scene removed suddenly after 63 years.

GMC Growth

The Gospel Music Channel is the fastest growing cable channel. From offices in Atlanta, it has gone from reaching about one million homes in 2004 to more than 46 million subscribers today. That's more than TeenNick (44 million) and NBA-TV (39 million). Charley Humbard, son of televangelist Rex Humbard, runs the privately held network. He previously worked at the Discovery Channel as a senior vice president. The network focuses on Christian music videos of every style. Some estimates put annual revenue for the Gospel Music Channel at more than $13 million.

Dobson Leaving Radio

You will soon no longer hear James Dobson's voice on the daily radio show Focus on the Family. He's leaving the organization's flagship daily broadcast at the end of February. Six years ago, the 73-yearl-old Dobson first started reducing his role in the ministry he founded. He gave up his position as board chairman in February.

Bible Suit Dismissed

A Knoxville, Tennessee jury has ruled against a students' claims that he could not read and discuss Bible passages during recess. Samuel and Tina Whitson filed a lawsuit on behalf of their son Luke asking for $1. But Knox County Schools says it is a misunderstanding of the school policy against adult-led Bible classes during school hours. Administrators insist student Bible reading is fine if they do it on their own.

Frat Suit Dismissed

An appeal by a Christian fraternity has been dismissed. Beta Upsilon Chi filed suit against the University of Florida because it refused to recognize it as an official organization. The 11th Curcuit decided the issue was merely academic because the university had amended its policy and allowed to register.

Grandma's Letter

A grandmother in England was scolded by local police complaining in a letter about a gay pride parade. 67-year-old Pauline Howe is the wife of a Baptist minister near Norwich. She wrote the parade was a "public display of indecency" and "offensive to God." Local officials investigated her as to whether she was engaged in "hate speech." Howe says her letter was not hate-based but she was "simply speaking as a Christian." She told the media she felt threatened when officers arrived at her door and gave her a tongue-lashing.

Scientology Decision

The Church of Scientology is calling a decision by a French court a "modern Inquisition." The church plans an appeal of today's verdict, convicting the cult and six of its members of organized fraud. They will spend as much as two years in prison and pay as much as $595,000 in fines. The 3-judge panel did not ban the church as prosecutors asked them to do. The issue came to court when two former members said the group defrauded them out of money.

Breakaway Churches

Three California congregations in the Presbyterian Church, USA are leaving the denomination. The three are:

• Trinity Presbyterian Church in Clovis
• First Presbyterian Church in Fresno
• Fowler Presbyterian Church

Each breakaway church has joined the more conservative Evangelical Presbyterian Church based in Michigan. The congregations will keep their church properties.