National Day of Prayer

The 59th annual National Day of Prayer is next Thursday, May 6th. A federal judge in Wisconsin ruled this month that the day is a call to religious action and deemed it unconstitutional. The ruling can't take effect until all appeals are exhausted. Congress first established a National Prayer Day in 1952. In 1988, lawmakers set the first Thursday in May as the official day for presidents to issue proclamations asking Americans to pray.

Racist Remark from 1st Baptist, Dallas

The First Baptist Church of Dallas is apologizing for an ethnic slur made by the interim president of Criswell College Sunday that was heard over the radio on KCBI-FM. Lamar Cooper was about to teach a Sunday school class when he could be heard using the word wetbacks while talking about the controversial illegal-immigration law in Arizona. The church has received many complaints Cooper will apologize during next Sunday's class but it will not be broadcast as the remark was.

Complaint of Prayer at Public School

The Freedom From Religion Foundation claims the band director at Oxford High School in Oxford, Alabama is illegally leading his symphonic band class in prayer. School officials say that's not happening. The group also charges the instructor has threatened to fail students who don't attend a concert taking place at local Baptist church. The school's principal says the concert was not mandatory and only students lead prayers.

The Next Southern Baptist President

3 pastors are likely to vie for the Southern Baptist presidency when the convention meets in Orlando during June. The three are:

• Ted Traylor, pastor of Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida
• Bryant Wright, senior pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Georgia
• Jimmy Jackson, president of the Alabama Baptist State Convention

The three will be competing for the position now held by Johnny Hunt, pastor of First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Georgia.

Abortion Measure Passed in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Senate has voted to override the Governor vetoes of two anti-abortion measures. KWTV reports.

High Court: Cross Staysc

The Supreme Court says the a cross in the Mojave desert on public land can stay. It was put there 1934 to honor fallen soldiers. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said the 1st Amendment called for a middle-ground "policy of accommodation" toward religious displays on public land, not a strict separation of church and state. The justices split 5-4. Roberts and Alito joined Kennedy's opinion. Scalia and Thomas agreed but has different reasoning. Retiring Justice John Paul Stevens spoke for the dissenters saying The government should "avoid endorsement of a particular religious view." Ginsburg, Sotomayor and Breyer agreed.

Christian Singer Comes Out

A San Diego megachurch pastor confronts singer Jennifer Knapp on CNN's Larry King about her decision to "come out of the closet."

Most 'Millennials' don't Pray, Read Bible or Attend Church

Most Americans between the ages of 19 and 30 say they are Christians but seldom pray, read the Bible or go to church. That's the finding of a new survey conducted by LifeWay. The researchers estimate that no more than 15% of the 80 million young adults known as "Millennials" have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

31% pray at least once a day
20% say they never pray
67% say they rarely or never read any sacred writings
8% say they read the Bible every day
25% attend religious services at least once a week
75% rarely or never attend a house of worship

Read more here.

Noah's Ark Discovered?

A group of Evangelicals from Turkey and China claim to have found what's left of Noah's ark. The 15 member team from Noah's Ark Ministries International says it recovered pieces of wood from a structure on Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey. They say carbon dating suggests the specimens are about 4800 years old, near the time the ark is said to have been afloat.

Graham Meets Obama

President Obama met and prayed with Billy Graham today at Graham's North Carolina home. They met for a half-hour along with Graham's son, Franklin. The Army recently decided to not have Franklin speak at a Pentagon prayer service because of his comments about Islam. The evangelist gave Obama a Bible for himself and one for the first lady.