Friday, July 29, 2011

NASCAR Prayer is now a song

You may have heard of the pastor whose unusual prayer at a NASCAR event has garnered national attention. Joe Nelms, pastor at Family Baptist Church in Lebanon, Tennessee, thanked got for his "smokin' hot wife" and ended his prayer with "Boogity, boogity, boogity. Amen." Now, the Gregory Brothers ("schmoyoho" on YouTube and best known for creating the Bed Intruder Song) has posted a song using Nelms's prayer using Auto-Tune.

Link Complaint

An atheist group is asking the state of Wisconsin to remove a link from its website to an anti-abortion group. Care Net is a faith-based ministry helping pregnant women. The Madison-based Freedom From Religion Foundation says a state link to Care Net is a state endorsement of religion, despite a disclaimer to the contrary on the site. The state Department of Administration is reviewing the complaint.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Evangelical women rise as new ‘feminists’

The Washington Post looks at the "rise of Evangelical feminists" here.

Atheists Lawsuit over Ground Zero Cross

Church of "Swing" Sued

Dallas authorities allege a minister is operating clubs as churches. The pastor claims his religious rights are being violated. WFAA-TV has this video report.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Schuller Gets Vote Back

After getting criticized for the move, the board of the Crystal Cathedral has given founder Robert H. Schuller his voting rights back. The California megachurch is going through bankruptcy and announced there will be five new members added to the board.

Comstock Canceled

Nebraska's Comstock Music Festival (including Christian Fest) will not take place this year. Organizers blame financial trouble. The festival typically takes place each August and leaders hope to put on another one next year. Ticket holders can get a refund or tickets to the 2012 event.

Stott Dies

John Stott died in London today at the age of 90. The theologian's health had deteriorated recently. He was a primary architect of the 1974 Lausanne Covenant, which included a declaration of Evangelical beliefs. Read widely in Britain and the US, Stott never married and turned his royalties for books like Basic Christianity into scholarships for students, especially those from developing countries. He was ordained by the Church of England in 1945, serving as rector of All Souls Langham Place.

Reaction to "Smokin' Hot Wife" Prayer

The New NIV Bible

Zondervan says its new edition of the New International Version Bible are on the upswing. The publisher says it has no plans to reprint the old version, despite the fact that some pastors prefer it to the new one. The Southern Baptist Convention has asked its own bookstore chain, LifeWay, not to carry the new version. Southern Baptist leaders object to its gender neutral language. LifeWay is considering the request.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Dan Peek Dies

Founding member of the '70s band America, Dan Peek, died over the weekend at the age of 60. His wife found him in their house in Farmington, Missouri, not far from St. Louis. Peek had three platinum albums and three gold albums with band mates Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell. They also had eight Top 40 hits including A Horse With No Name, Lonely People and Don't Cross the River. Peek left the group in 1977 because of his Christian faith, launching a career in Contemporary Christian Music. He was nominated for a Grammy for the song All Things Are Possible which topped the Christian charts in 1979. He wrote a memoir titled An American Band: The America Story.

Corporate Giving

Look for charitable giving by America's biggest companies to fall flat this year. That's the finding of a survey by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Giving rose 13% last year, after a 7.5% decline in 2009. Wal-Mart gave the most of any company in the survey: $319.5 million.

9/11 Cross Lawsuit

The group American Atheists wants to stop the display of a Cross at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. The organization has filed a lawsuit in New York to prevent the steel beams found in the rubble of the Twin Towers from being shown at its new home. It was moved to the museum this past weekend. Both New Jersey and New York City, along with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie are named in the suit.

Monday, July 25, 2011

God Is in the Basement of the Empire State Building

New York Magazine looks at the Christian college located in the basement of the Empire State building here.

American Becomes Foster Mom To 13 Girls

A former Tennessee homecoming queen, now 22 years old, has moved to Uganda and adopted 13 children because of her Christian faith. Listen to NPR's report on her story and why some people object to what she has done, here.

Harry Potter and Religion

CNN takes a look at Harry Potter and religion in this video.