Souther Baptist Numbers

Southern Baptist membership fell about half a percentage point to 16.16 million during 2009, according to a report from LifeWay Christian Resources. The nation’s largest Protestant denomination also saw a slip in giving to missions down to $1.33 billion, a decline of 1.8%.

Large Cross Stolen

A seven-foot-tall cross in the Mojave Desert that sparked a Supreme Court dispute has been stolen. Fox News reports.

Seminary President's Claims Investigated

The Jerry Falwell founded Liberty University has launched a formal inquiry into claim as to whether the head of its seminary made up parts of his testimony about growing up as a Sunni Muslim before converting to Christianity. Ergun Caner, president of the Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary & Graduate School, is accused in blogs as fabricating parts of his background for speaking engagements. One blogger says Caner was not born in Turkey but Sweden and he's been in the US since the age of four.

Police: Singers Stole from Churches

Authorities in central Georgia say two gospel singers face burglary charges for breaking into several churches and stealing $100,000 worth of equipment. The Washington County Sheriff's office says drummer Rico Blackshear from Dublin and Deshawn Thomas of Sandersville have been linked the pair to at least two dozen incidents beginning last November. The case was broken when officers received a tip about the pair performing with gospel bands at the churches where thefts occurred. They apparently went back and broke into the churches later.

Cable Show about Jesus

Comedy Central has a cartoon series in the works about Jesus called JC. The production company behind The Office and The Biggest Loser (Reveille) is behind the effort. According to producers, the program shows Jesus as a "regular guy" who moves to New York to "escape his father's enormous shadow." His Heavenly Father is portrayed as more interested in playing video games than listening to his son.

Atheists: Arrest the Pope!

Atheist authors Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens are lobbying to have Pope Benedict XVI arrested for “crimes against humanity” when he visits Britain in September.

Writing in Newsweek, Christopher Hitchens says the Pope once sent a letter to all Catholic bishops instructing them to say nothing about rape or molestation allegations to anyone outside the church. Failing to report a crime is a crime in itself. There’s also evidence that Ratzinger was “lenient or negligent” with a number of priests known to be pedophiles.

Dawkins, in the London Guardian suggests thinking of the situation where a teacher is molesting pupils but the administrator simply moves the offender to a new school, explaining in a letter to colleagues that it would harm the government’s reputation to admit that a pedophile had ever been employed. If such a letter ever came to light, that official would “immediately have to resign in ignominy, and face prosecution himself.”

Gay Policy Remains

Michigan's Hope College will not change its policy condemning homosexual behavior and advocacy. The board of the Christian college voted Friday to keep things as they are, despite a petition from alumni, student and community groups asking for a change. The effort was triggered by a visit from the maker of the movie Milk which told the story of a gay San Francisco politician. The school would not allow the film to be shown last year. It's historically associated with the Reformed Church in America.