Pakistani Girl Remains in Jail

The young girl, beaten and jailed in Pakistan over accusations she burned parts of the Koran, is not being allowed to see her family or her lawyer. The 11-year-old, identified only as Rashma, suffers from seizures. Her attorney says her family is Christian and would not have had a Koran in the home - and even if they did, the girl cannot read or write. Blasphemy is punishable by death.

Teen Fired for Refusing To Wear Pants

A Texas teen is suing Burger King for firing her when she refused to wear pants because of her convictions as a Pentecostal. Read the story here.

American Bible Challenge

A new TV game show about the Bible is hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy is the focus of a Washington Post article here.

Which States Give the most?

Here are the U.S. states where people gave the most to charities and the percentage of income they gave after taxes:

1. Utah - 10.6%
2. Mississippi - 7.2%
3. Alabama - 7.1%
4. Tennessee - 6.6%
5. South Carolina 6.4%
6. Idaho - 6.4

The rankings are based on IRS information on people who made at least $50,000 in 2008, analyzed by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. The nonprofit organization says it found that "Religion has a big influence on giving patterns. Regions of the country that are deeply religious are more generous than those that are not."

The bottom two states were New Hampshire (2.5% of income) and Maine (2.8% of income).

Disaster victims in Haiti

The New York Times looks at the work two U.S. Christian groups are doing for the deaf in Haiti here.

More on Young girl held in Pakistan

We told you yesterday about the young girl being held in Pakistan, accused of burning pages of the Quran or some other Muslim holy book. CNN reports on the confusion surrounding the case.

Calvin Miller Passes

Christian writer and professor Calvin Miller died yesterday following open heart surgery. Miller was best known for the more than 40 books he wrote, including The Singer Trilogy. He last served as writer-in-residence at Samford University's Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama.  Miller was 75 years old.

Jefferson Book Gets new Publisher

Glenn Beck may publish David Barton's controversial book about Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Nelson Publishers dropped The Jefferson Lies last week after secular media and some Christian professors criticized it as inaccurate history. The History News Network labeled it the least credible history book in print last month. But former Fox News host Glenn Beck's publishing arm, Mercury Ink, is in talks to pick it up. If the new deal goes forward, Barton plans some changes to the text that he says will clear up some confusion about his position. Beck wrote the introduction to Barton's book where he said Barton "proves once and for all that our Founding Father was no secularist."

Bankruptcy sheds light on Catholic Church in America

The Economist looks at financial mismanagement in the Catholic Church here.

Young Girl Arrested for Blasphemy

Police in Pakistan have arrested the 11-year-old daughter of Christian parents for allegedly committing blasphemy. Rifta Masih reportedly burned pages of an Islamic religious text. She suffers from Down's Syndrome and lives in a village close to Islamabad. One newspaper in the region says she was beaten by locals, though police deny it. Rifta was jailed, along with her mother, after Muslims surrounded the local police station demanding action. Hundreds of Christians living in the area have gone into hiding because of the incident, according to Pakistan's Daily Times.

Fox News interviews CeCe Winans

Mark of the Beast?

A Louisiana elementary school is running into opposition implementing a school program involving a palm scanner. KPLC-TV has a video report. KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana