Prison for Box of Ammo

A South Carolina pastor is facing a sentence of more than three years in prison for trying to bring a $25 box of hunting rounds into Russia. Phillip Miles of Christ Community Church in Conway has been in a Moscow jail since February. He was bringing the .300-caliber cartridges to a fellow pastor who had recently bought a new rifle. Miles says he didn't know bringing ammunition into Russia was illegal and that he had asked US airline officials before boarding his plane and was assured there would not be a problem.

ORU Lawsuit

Two former Oral Roberts University professors say they’ll drop their lawsuit against the school for two-and-a-half million dollars, according to the Associated Press. They claim the school forced them out after they blew the whistle on financial and ethical wrongdoing. The school has already made an out of court with a third professor.

Former ORU president Richard Roberts is accused of illegal involvement in a local mayoral race. His wife, Lindsay, are accused of spending school funds on shopping sprees, home improvements and a stable of horses. The lawsuit also claims she spent the night in a school guest house with an underage male several times. Roberts resigned last year after the allegations became public. Both he and his wife have denied any wrongdoing.

A "Control Freak"

The former head of New York State’s Charities Bureau says televangelist Kenneth Copeland is a “control freak”. That’s because, according to CBS News, ministry bylaws allow Copeland to veto any resolution of his church board. It’s unlikely there would ever be a conflict though. Copeland's wife is vice president while his son-in-law is Senior Pastor, Secretary and Treasurer. His son, John, is the Operations Vice President and CEO. In most churches, authority comes from the congregation and they get to decide who becomes pastor. But in Copeland's set up, he has all the power. He recently gained national attention for refusing to give Senate investigators details of his ministry's finances. The church spent $28 million on salaries of the $100 million it took in during 2006.

Expelled Debut

A movie critical of evolution has cracked the box office top ten. Ben Stein’s Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, debuted at number nine by pulling in more than $3 million. That makes it on track to become one of the most commercially successful documentaries. Expelled shows interviews with academics who say their views on evolution have led to threats and intimidation. The film had been criticized by scientists who say it is inaccurate and misleading.

Christian TV Host "Comes Out"

The host of a syndicated Christian TV show says he’s gay. Azariah Southworth is seen on the NRB and JCTV networks on The Remix. It goes behind the scenes to see what life is like for popular Christian groups and averages more than 200,000 viewers each week. Southworth says he had a Pentecostal upbringing but was inspired to reveal his homosexuality by last year’s controversial documentary For the Bible Tells Me So. He expects The Remix will be canceled but hasn’t heard yet about its fate.

Obama.. Osama

A sign outside a church is stirring controversy in a little South Carolina town. Pastor Roger Byrd of the Jonesville Church of God that reads: Obama Osama. Humm Are They Brothers? Byrd says the sign is not racist or an attempt to make a political statement, just to make people think. But Obama has made it clear his is not a Muslim and has attended the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago for many years. Byrd says members voted unanimously to keep the sign up. Jonesville Church of God does not have any members who are Black.

Stadium Packed for Pope's Appearance

Pope Benedict spoke to a crowd of nearly 60,000 people at Yankee Stadium today. The outdoor Mass was the largest public event during his six-day visit to the US. Earlier in the day, he blessed the World Trade Center site at ground zero and spoke to a small group of survivors and families of the victims of the 9/11 attack.

Pastor Donating Kidney

The pastor of a Denver area church is giving a member of his church one of his kidneys a week from Tuesday. Jeremy Jacoby of Family of Christ Lutheran Church in Frederick is making the donation to Jon Adams who was born with a medical condition that eventually will shut down his kidneys. Jacoby started his mission church just a year ago. Jon was his first hospital call.

Maher Apologizes

Bill Maher has apologized for accusing the pope of being a Nazi during his HBO show. Maher then said that if a CEO were in charge of an institution that housed molesters, he would be fired. And now Maher’s admits that Joseph Ratzinger was forced to join a German youth organization (from which he fled at the first instance).

Bethrothals

Betrothals are rising in popularity among conservative Christians. For some, that means a prearranged marriage. For others it’s more of a chaste courtship. One of its advocates is Jonathan Lindvall who runs Bold Christian Living. He’s written several pamphlets on what he calls Spiritual Romance.

Nice Guys Finish..

Nice guys finish first and punishers are the losers, according to a new Harvard study. Students playing the same game many times showed those who escalate conflict wind up hurting themselves. Researchers say the results indicated it’s in your own self-interest to be nice because the players who punished their opponents the least, or not at all, made the most money. This runs against Game Theory that says punishment makes two equals cooperate. Details of the new study are in the latest issue of the journal Nature.

Doves Fly Soon

The Dove Awards take place Wednesday in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry House. The show can be seen on Gospel Music Channel from 8–10pm, Eastern and XM radio on 32 The Message. Among those appearing during the awards ceremony are Rick Skaggs and Charlie Daniels.

A Survey of US Christian views on Jerusalem

Jerusalem should remain the undivided capital of Israel in any peace agreement with the Palestinians:
Yes - 50%
Unsure 33%
Favoring Division 17%

The percentage of US Christians who want Jerusalem to remain under Israeli control by denomination:
Protestants- 53%
Catholics - 44%
Evangelicals - 62%

Source: The Joshua Fund

Obama's Gifts to Charities

Among Barack Obama's charitable donations reported on his 2007 tax return was a $26,270 gift to Trinity United Church of Christ. The former pastor of the church has created problems for Obama because of his controversial sermons. The Obamas' largest charitable donation was $50,000 to the United Negro College Fund. They also gave $35,000 to CARE.

Barak Pastor To Texas

Barack Obama's former pastor plans to speak at Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas on April 27th. Jeremiah Wright will help the congregation celebrate the 25th pastoral anniversary of pastor Frederick Haynes. Wright decided to skip plans to speak in the area last month after controversial remarks he made from the pulpit became known around the country.

Teacher Refuses to Remove Bible

A rally for an embattled science teacher brought out some 75 people to the town square of Mount, Vernon, Ohio today. John Freshwater was ordered to remove the Bible and a collage that included the Ten Commandments. He took the collage off the way but not the Bible from the desk. He’s taught at Mount Vernon Middle School near Columbus for more than two decades. School district officials haven’t decided what step to take next.

Benedict at the White House

Full text of Pope Benedict's White House Remarks

Actor Dumps Scientology

Acotr Jason Beghe has left the Church of Scientology. He took courses from the organization for 14 years and even appeared in promotional spots. But in a YouTube video he calls Scientology “destructive” and a “rip-off." Beghe played Demi Moore’s love interest in the movie G.I. Jane and has been featured in numerous TV dramas.

Seeing Gray

Pastor Adam Hamilton tells the story of a parishioner who wrote him a letter describing her teenage pregnancy, the pressure from her parents to have an abortion and her decision not to do so. That letter was from his mother. It’s one of the stories he tells in the book Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White. But what will surprise many readers is that the Kansas evangelical megachurch pastor supports abortion rights – and wants Christians on both sides of the issue to join forces to reduce the number of them. He argues that ministers are responsible to try "to support people no matter what decision they make."

Pope Benedict’s Schedule

Today, 4 pm
Arrives at Andrews Air Force Base and is greeted by President and Mrs. Bush.

Wednesday, 10:30 am
Benedict visits the White House, only the second time that a pontiff has done so.

Wednesday, 5:30 pm
The pope meets with the 350 bishops of the US at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Thursday, 10 am
Mass at Nationals Park

Thursday, 5 pm
Benedict speaks to Catholic educators

Thursday, 6:30 pm
Benedict meets with representatives from other religions at Catholic University.

Friday, 10:45 am
The pope flies to New York and address the United Nations

Friday, 6 pm
Benedict visits a synagogue before attending an ecumenical prayer service.

Saturday, 9:15 am
Mass for religious orders at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan.

Saturday, 4:30 pm
The pope meets young Catholics in Yonkers

Sunday, 9:30 am
The pope will visit Ground Zero

Sunday, 2:30 pm
Mass at Yankee Stadium

Sunday, 8 pm
The pope leaves for Rome

Sean Hannity "Stuck on Stupid"

Barack Obama's retired pastor returned to the pulpit yesterday. It was the first public appearance by Jeremiah Wright since the controversy began over his negative comments about the US. Wright preached about Jesus calming a storm and made no political remarks. The congregation at Bank Street Memorial Baptist Church in Norfolk, Virginia gave Wright standing ovations before and after his sermon.

But Wright took a swipe at Fox News when he spoke in Chicago at the funeral of a judge on Saturday at Trinity United Church of Christ. Although reporters were banned from the church, the Chicago Sun-Times got one inside who recorded Wright saying the judge "befriended "Jews, Muslims, rabbis, imams, fathers in the Catholic church and (Louis) Farrakhan in the Islamic faith. He got a standing ovation for the remark. Fox News can't understand that. O'Reilly will never get that. Sean Hannity's stupid fantasy will keep him forever stuck on stupid when it comes to comprehending how you can love a brother who does not believe what you believe."

Christian Themed Movies

(gross in millions)
1 - The Passion of the Christ (2004) - $264
2 - Prince of Egypt - $101
3 - Ben-Hur (1959)- $74
4 - The Ten Commandments (1956) - $65
5 - Chariots of Fire (1981) - $58
6 - The Robe (1953) - $36
7 - The Bible (1966) - $34
8 - Dogma (1999) - $30
9 - Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie (2002) - $25
10 - Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) - $13
11 - The Omega Code (1999) - $12
12 - The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) - $12
13 - The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) - $8
14 - The Omega Code 2 (2001) - $6
15 - The Jesus Film* (1979) - $4
16 - The Gospel of John (2003) - $3
17 - Jesus of Montreal (1989) - $1.6
18 - (Frank Peretti's) Hangman's Curse (2003) - $1.5
19 - Godspell (1973) - .1
20 - Life of Brian (1979) - .1
*shown to millions of people at no charge by Campus Crusade

Adjusted for Ticket Price Inflation
1 - The Ten Commandments - $541
2 - Ben-Hur - $442
3 - The Robe - $394
4 - The Passion of the Christ - $ 264
5 - Chariots of Fire - $105
5 - Prince of Egypt - $101
6 - The Greatest Story Ever Told - $70
7 - Jesus Christ Superstar - $54
8 - The Last Temptation of Christ - $11

The Compassion Forum

Quotes from tonight’s The Compassion Forum at Messiah College in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Hillary Clinton
"I don't pretend to even believe that I know the answers to a lot of these questions. I don't."

Does life begin at conception?

Barak Obama
"This is something that I have not, I think, come to a firm resolution on. I think it's very hard to know what that means, when life begins. Is it when a cell separates? Is it when the soul stirs? What I know is that there is something extraordinarily powerful about potential life and that that has a moral weight to it that we take into consideration when we're having these debates."

Hillary Clinton
"I believe the potential for life begins at conception. For me, it is also not only about a potential life. It is about the other lives involved. I have concluded.. that individuals must be entrusted to make this profound decision.”

Obama was asked about his controversial pastor:
"Pastors are imperfect. Certainly, the membership is imperfect. I, as somebody who is sitting in the pews as a sinner, is imperfect," he said. "And, you know, that doesn't detract from, I think, what the church is supposed to be about, which is to worship God and proclaim the good news."

Obama was asked about his recent comment about “bitter” Pennsylvanians clinging to religion:
"Scripture talks about clinging to what's good. And so it's very important. My words may have been clumsy, which happens surprisingly often on a presidential campaign.. religion is a bulwark, a foundation when other things aren't going well. That's true in my own life, through trials and tribulations. And so what I was referring to was in no way demeaning a faith that I, myself, embrace. What I was saying is that when economic hardship hits in these communities, what people have is they've got family, they've got their faith, they've got the traditions that have been passed onto them from generation to generation. Those aren't bad things. That's what they have left."

Clinton was asked if she thought God thought she should be president:
"I could be glib and say we will find out. I don’t presume anything about God, I believe Abraham Lincoln was right that in admonishing us not to act as though we knew God was on our side. In fact, our mission should be on God's side. And I have tried to take my beliefs my faith and put it to work my entire life and it has been gratifying to view the little I’ve done to try and help other people, which is really what motivates me."

The JoBros

The Jonas Brothers hail from Wyckoff, New Jersey where their father (Kevin Jonas) pastors the Wyckoff Assembly of God. The group is made up of three brothers: Joseph, Nicholas, and Kevin Jonas. Nick started performing on Broadway at the age of seven. He signed with a major label at the age of 12 as a Christian pop artist. The brothers wear purity rings to affirm their belief in no sex before marriage and have no questionable lyrics in their songs. With Disney backing them, the brothers' self-titled album has gone platinum. Their Disney Channel movie Camp Rock will premiere this summer and show called J.O.N.A.S where they will play secret agents whose cover is a teen band.

When Presidents Meet Popes

The Pope’s Washington visit on Wednesday morning to see President Bush will be just the second time the leader of Roman Catholics has been to the White House. President Bush will pick him up at the airport - the first time Bush has done that for any foreign leader. On top of that, Wednesday will be the pontiff's 81^st birthday. This will be the 25th meeting between a pope and a sitting president. The first came 1919 between Woodrow Wilson and Pope Benedict XV at the Vatican. In 1984, President Reagan stirred controversy by establishing formal US diplomatic relations with the Vatican. Four years ago, George W. Bush presented Pope John Paul with the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. The next year, Bush became the first sitting US president to attend a papal funeral.

Catholics and the Sacraments

A new survey called Sacraments Today: Belief and Practice Among U.S. Catholics found less than a third of adult Catholics (31%) attend mass on any given week. Here are some of the other findings.

67% doubt there is a hell
59% have a statue of picture of Mary on display in their home
52% say they pray the rosary
32% say they wear or carry a crucifix or cross
29% say they wear or carry a religious medal or in of a saint or angle
23% say they carry roaries

Can you be in good standing with the church without going to weekly Mass? Yes - 68%

I attend Mass at least once a month:
64% - older Catholics
36% - younger Catholics

I go to confession less than once a year - 30%
I never go to confession - 45%

Sacraments are essential to my faith. Yes – 62%

I am somewhat or very satisfied with the bishops' leadership.
2008 - 72%
2004 - 58%

Source: The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University.

Politics in Pennsylvania

The next presidential primary will be held in Pennsylvania a week from Tuesday (April 22). Here's how the Christian vote stacks up:

Catholics make up 29% of the state's population
36% of Democrats in Pennsylvania

Evangelicals are 18% of the state's population
32% of Democrats in Pennsylvania

Source: a Pew and Franklin Marshall poll conducted last month

Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama will appear in Harrisburg at Messiah College tonight at The Compassion Forum.

Scientology Protest

Mostly faceless protesters gathered at the Church of Scientology located in Biloxi, Mississippi this weekend (it's actually called Mission of the Gulf Coast Church of Scientology). They wore a variety of masks to hide their identities out of fear of reprisals from the group. hey called it Operation Re-connect as opposed to a Scientology's own term disconnection - meaning breaking away from family members. Leaders say they plan to gather again next month. Here's what one of their earlier protests looked like:

Is it Episcopal or Episcopalian?

You may have heard reporters refer to Episcopalian bishops and the Episcopalian Church. But here's how it should work.

Episcopal is an adjective (She is an Episcopal priest). Episcopalian is a noun referring to a member of the Episcopal Church (She is an Episcopalian).

An Episcopalian can be a minister, in the sense of ministering to others, and this can be either a lay or an ordained ministry.

Priests are usually referred to as the Reverend So-and-So, not Reverend So-and-So. (And they're generally addressed as Father So-and-So, not Reverend that's like addressing a judge as Honorable.)

Bishops are usually the Right Reverend So-and-So, and addressed as Bishop So-and-So.

Bishops can be identified because they wear purple. Bishops are important in the Episcopal Church.

Catholic Schools Closing

There were more than 12,000 Catholic schools in the US during the 1960s, teaching about 5-and-a-quarter million students. The number of schools has dropped by nearly 5,000 since then - and there less than half as many students attending Catholic schools these days. Since 2000, enrollment is down about 14%. More than 12,000 have closed in the last 8 years. Source: National Catholic Education Association

"I Believe" License Plates

Drivers in Florida may soon have some new options for a personalized license plate: One that features the words I Believe set among a resplendent sunrise and the image of a cross in front of stained-glass window. Another would read In God We Trust. The bills are moving through the state House and Senate and would require organizers to submit a new petition for the plates before the state would start selling them. The tags would cost an extra $25. The extra money earned from the sale of the 'I Believe plate would go to an Orlando based nonprofit called Faith in Teaching.

Favorite Bible

More than two-thirds of Evangelical leaders in the US say the New International Version is the of favorite translation of the Bible. Nearly half had no other favorite choice in a survey conducted by the National Association of Evangelicals. Other translations that got mentions: The New Living Translation, The Message, the New English Bible, the New Testament in Modern English and the King James Version.

Criswell and Southwestern

Despite persistent rumors, Criswell College in Dallas will not become part of nearby Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The college's trustees voted yesterday that the college would not become part of the seminary in the future.

My Lame Sex Life

Banners outside the locations of the Daystar Fellowship Christian Church in Greensboro, North Carolina tell passersby to check out mylamesexlife.org. The church plans a four-part series starting April 20^th on the subject. The presentation will includs a discussion with former porn star Harmony Dust and tips on having a good sex life.

McCain & the Faith Vote

"This is what is so fascinating about his no-show. (McCain) is the one apparently who is least comfortable talking about issues of faith and how his faith might intersect with his public vision and this would give him a chance to do so." - David Gushee, a theology professor at Atlanta's Mercer University commenting in a Reuter's interview about John McCain's decision to skip Sunday night's Faith Forum taking place at Messiah College in Pennsylvania. Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton have agreed to attend.

American Idol Edits "Jesus" Out of Song

In Wednesday's grand finale of American Idol Gives Back, the eight Idol finalists performed the worship song Shout to the Lord by Darlene Zschech of Australia's Hillsong Church. Except the words were changed to leave out the name of Jesus. My Jesus was changed to My Shepherd. Just a week earlier, several songs by Dolly Parton were performed that mentioned Jesus. Jesus was not edited out when the same song was used the following night. Here's the video where the song was edited:

The Lord's Boot Camp

CBS will air a one-hour special this weekend called Lord's Boot Camp. The documentary was made Loki Films, the same group that brought us the Oscar-nominated Jesus Camp. The new film follows three about the 700 teenagers who train to become Christian missionaries at the Teen Missions International in Merritt Island, Florida. Critics complained that Jesus Camp left viewers with a negative portrayal of Christians. After the film was released in 2006, the charismatic summer camp in North Dakota was vandalized and eventually shut down. Lord's Boot Camp can be seen Saturday at 8 pm, Eastern.

Christian School Sues NCAA

Houston Baptist University is suing the NCAA for refusing to give it full membership for the past seven years. The school already filed a lawsuit in state court last month and yesterday filed a federal lawsuit. The NCAA says the antitrust claims by HBU have no merit.

Wright to Speak at Dinner

The Detroit branch of the NAACP has tapped Barak Obama's longtime pastor as keynote speaker for its 53rd Annual Fight for Freedom Fund dinner. Jeremiah Wright will address the civil rights organization on April 27th. Past speakers have included Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama. Wright has not spoken publicly about remarks he made from the pulpit including a claim that the government is purposely spreading AIDS in the black community, that the 9/11 attacks were payback for the past sins of the nation and that God should damn the United States for racism.

Defending Obama's Pastor

“Is it really fair to take a minister’s remarks, no matter how provocative or ill-advised, out of context and to broadcast them incessantly, as if they were the only thing that minister ever said or believed? What purposes are served by this sort of propaganda?” - Ordained Presbyterian minister and Princeton University professor George Hunsinger commenting on the controversy surrounding Jeremiah Wright who was Barack Obama's longtime pastor.

Copeland Appeals to IRS

Kenneth Copeland wants an IRS audit. The televangelist is asking for the examination because he claims an invetigation by Iowa Senator Charles Grassley is improper. Grassley is looking into several Christian organizations for alleged lavish spending and Copeland has resisted provided information to Grassley's Senate committee. Copeland's attorneys say lawmakers can get their info from the IRS after the agency audits his ministry.

Unsealed Documents

An unsealed court document explaining why Texas rangers raided a polygamist compound says a 16-year-old accuses her husband of sexually assaulting and beating her after she was forced into marriage. Authorities believe she may be among the more than 400 children removed from the church grounds. She may be afraid to come forward and identify herself. A former member of the Yearning For Zion Ranch says gave Texas Rangers details of the sect's practice of marrying teen girls to older men, revealing the group kept a bed inside their temple used by adult men to have sex with underage girls after wedding ceremonies.

Numbers of Catholics vs Muslims

A researcher who tracks population by religion is questioning Vatican claims that the number of Muslims has just passed the number of Catholics in the world. Todd Johnson is director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He says the Muslims to outnumbered Catholics more than 20 years ago. Johnson says there were 962 million Muslims by 1990 and about 32 million fewer Roman Catholics. In fact, he claims that Sunni Muslims outnumbered Roman Catholics by 2007.

Catholic Population

US - 66.4 million or 22.8%

Most heavily Catholic states:
Rhode Island - 61%
Massachusetts - 48.5%
New Jersey - 43.7%
New York - 40.9%
Connecticut - 37%

Largest Catholic Population:
California - 32.7 million

Source: Catholic Almanac

Grandmother Forgives at Funeral

An Atlanta-area grandmother who lost two grandchildren and a great-grandchild in a five-car wreck Tuesday says she forgives the man who allegedly caused the accident. Molly Dubach-Preston make the remark at the funeral of one of the children at Voices of Faith Baptist Church in Stone Mountain. She asked the congregation to pray for her husband who's still in the hospital. She said, "We need to live every single day like it's your last because you are not guaranteed tomorrow," she said. "If you do that you should have no regrets," according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. One of the other drivers is in jail, facing four counts of vehicular homicide and other offenses.

Oral Sex in the Classroom

A Wisconsin school board must make a decision about oral sex. Milwaukee's Christian Civil Liberties Union is threatened protests if the Elmbrook School Board agrees to include oral sex in the sex education curriculum for 6th graders. After parents objected, the proposal was changed to teach 8th graders about its potential for spreading sexually transmitted infections. More meetings are scheduled before a final decision is made.

Google Abortion Suit

An antiabortion Christian group in the UK is suing Google. The Christian Institute wants to put up ads about abortion. But the search engine company says its policy doesn't allow the advertisement of websites about abortion or religion. The refused ad would have read,

"UK abortion law: news and views on abortion from the Christian Institute. http://www.christian.org.uk".

The Christian Institute complains there are groups that advocate abortion rights groups who allowed to advertise - such as Marie Stopes International.

Our Favorite Books

What's your Favorite Book? The answer is clear for Americans. The Bible is the number one choice among all groups listed below. But the question of which book is number two gets a different answer depending on who you ask.

By Gender
The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien (men)
Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell (women)

By Age
The Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling (age 18-31)
The Stand - Stephen King, Angels and Demons - Dan Brown (age 32-43)

By Region
Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell (Southern and Midwestern states)
The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien (Eastern States)
The Stand - Stephen King (Western states)

By Race
Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell (Whites, Hispanics)
Angels and Demons - Dan Brown (Blacks)

Other top favorites:
The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand
Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

Source: Harris Poll

Benedict's US Visit

Pope Benedict XVI will visit New York City and Washington, DC from April 18-20 following his 81st birthday (April 16). He'll make 13 public appearances including stops at the United Nations, the White House and a Synagogue. It will be the first time a pope has visited a synagogue in the US and only the third such papal visit to any synagogue. He was invited by Holocaust survivor Rabbi Athur Schneier.

Counting Heads

If you want to keep up the numbers on various religions, check out a site maintained by Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. It keeps up with statistics and other changing information on all the world's religions. The site is based on research from the World Christian Encyclopedia.

The Compassion Forum

The two Democratic presidential candidates have agreed to talk about faith and values at Messiah College this weekend at The Compassion Forum. While not a traditional debate, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will spend about 40 minutes answering questions including some from the audience made up of faith leaders from all over the country. The candidates will not appear be on stage at the same time. CNN anchor Campbell Brown and Newsweek editor Jon Meacham will serve as moderators at the Christian college located near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Compassion Forum is sponsored by Faith in Public Life and airs live on CNN this Sunday.

Gutenberg Bible

▪ The first major Western book printed from movable type.

▪ Printed in Mainz, Germany in the 1450's.

▪ The letters opening each book of each copy illuminated differently.

▪ 200 originally produced.

▪ 48 copies exist today.

Baptist Church Takes Polygamists

More than 80 women and children are being housed at the Eldorado First Baptist Church after a raid on a nearby polygamist compound. The church loaned state officials their buses and a grocery chain is providing food. Members are cooking and helping keep the group comfortable. First Baptist cancelled Sunday School classes. The man who sparked the raid because of a sexual abuse complaint actually lives in Arizona. In all, more than 400 people have been removed from the secretive Yearning for Zion Ranch.

Gideon Bible Gets Company

The five hotels in the Portland-based Provenance chain are offering more than Gideon Bibles to visitors. Guests can pick from a spiritual menu including the Quran, the Bhagavad Gita and other versions of the Bible. The Provenance owns hotels in Portland, Seattle, Tacoma and Nashville.

10 Years in the Making

It took 10 years but a federal court has finally dismissed a challenge to government funding of a Baptist social service agency. The judge ruled the ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State failed to show they had a right to sue to government. The case involved the Sunrise Children’s Services, once known as the Kentucky Baptist Homes for Children. An appeal is being considered.

Watch Your Mouth

A Kansas City preacher is handing out purple bracelets - like those in Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong campaign. Only these bits of jewelry are intended to keep people from complaining. Will Bowen pastors Christ Church Unity and challenges wearers to stop complaining for 21 days. Those who make it that long are eligible for a Certificate of Happiness. The campaign has reached schools. Some 500 have ordered packets that include Bowen’s book A Complaint Free World.

Barak Obama's Religion

A new polls shows how many voters mistakenly think Barak Obama is Muslim.

14% Republicans

10% Democrats

8% Independents

Source: Pew Research Center

The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points for all adults

Presbyterian Clergy Ruling

The highest court in the Presbyterian Church, USA has banned non-celibate gay and lesbian clergy. The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission ruled that an interpretation of the denomination’s constitution passed two years ago did not loosen the rules and allow exceptions for gay and lesbian candidates to ordination standards that say a candidate must practice fidelity if they are married or chastity if they are single. The GAPJC says the only way to change it is by passing a constitutional amendment.

Hagee Giving $6 million

John Hagee announced at a rally for Israel in Jerusalem today that he is giving $6 million to 16 Israeli causes. The TV preachers has been in the political spotlight after John McCain distanced himself from Hagee's endorsement over his criticism of the the Roman Catholic Church. Hagee says he's not anti-Catholic. Hagee's group Christians United for Israel supports Israeli control of all of Jerusalem.

The Pussycat Preacher

A documentary called The Pussycat Preacher is stirring controversy. The 75 minute film tells the story of one-time stripper Heather Veitch who found Jesus and started a project with some housewives from Sandals Church in Riverside. California to reach out to other strippers - only to run into objections from some church members. The movie ends with Veitch and her husband moving to Las Vegas so Veitch can reach out to the strippers there. What the film doesn’t tell you is that several months afterward, Veitch and her husband separated. Sandals Church pastor Matt Brown says the film suggests a falling out between Sandals and the a megachurch just down the road called Harvest Christian Fellowship. Brown says it never happened.

Veitch's web site is called JC's Girls – JC stands for Jesus Christ. She’s now working with Central Christian Church in Las Vegas. The Pussycat Preacher will be shown April 20th and 21st at the Nashville Film Festival. It was put together by LA filmmaker Bill Day who also made a documentary called Missionary Positions. It was about an anti-pornography ministry called the XXX Church.

Church Message to Thieves

The Kinetic Church of Concord, North Carolina has put up billboards that say things like Stealing from God… Ballsy and Church trailer thief along with the church's web site. The congregation meets in a movie theater and stores it's equipment in a couple of trailers. They were both stolen a few weeks ago. Members hope the message will help locate the thieves. It was donated by someone upset about the burglary. The pastor has posted a video about it.

Texas Polygamist Compound

Texas Child Protective Services now says more than 180 women and children have been taken from The Yearn for Zion Ranch near Eldorado, Texas. Jailed polygamous religious leader Warren Jeffs leads the group breakaway Mormon sect. Reports from local media suggested the group had first refused to allow authorities on the compound. Police are maintaining a roadblock around the secluded retreat.

Commandments Display

More than 4,000 Ten Commandment monuments are displayed in cities around the US. Many of them were donated by the Fraternal Order of Eagles to courthouses and schools nationwide in the 1950s as part of an evangelical campaign timed to coincide with the release of the Cecil B. DeMille movie The Ten Commandments.

Religious Compound Raided

Dozens of girls have been taken from a religion compound near Eldorado, Texas run by polygamous religious leader Warren Jeffs who is in jail for rape charges related to marrying off a 14-year-old girl. The Yearn for Zion Ranch is guarded by armed men but authorities peacefully removed the children from the group that broke with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints more than a hundred years ago over polygamy. The children will be places in foster homes and will not return to the one-time exotic animal ranch.

Compassion Forum

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have agreed to take part in the religious Compassion Forum taking place next weekend at Pennsylvania's Messiah College. John McCain's campaign says he has a scheduling conflict. The event is sponsored by Faith in Public Life.

Episcolpal Breakaway

A Virginia judge has ruled in favor of a group of churches who want to break away from the Episcopal Church. They want to split from the American outlet of the Anglican church and realign with conservative Anglican bishops in Africa. In response, the Episcopal Church sued the congregations in an effort to regain control of church property.

Impact of Obama's pastor

Most voters have heard about the controversy surrounding statements made by Barak Obama's pastor Jeremiah Wright. According to a new CBS News/New York Times poll:

62% of all Americans say it has made no difference
58% of whites say the statements did not affect their views

36% say Wright's statements have caused them to have a less favorable view of Obama

Singer Meets IRS Demands

Yolanda Adams is in trouble with the IRS. The gospel singer had refused to hand over files to the agency, failing to show up for a February meeting in Houston. But after the government asked a judge to step in, Adams came up with the records. There are questions about two mortgage loan applications by the Grammy-winning entertainer in the millions of dollars.

Randy White Under Fire

A Florida megachurch founded by Randy and Paula White ordered church staffers to make political contributions to a Republican candidate for governor, according to an NBC News Investigative Unit. Evidence turned up during a month-long investigation that the church's pastor lied in a deposition about a business transaction in a deposition made under oath and misrepresented his academic credentials. NBC says Randy White's bio on the church website claimed he had earned a Bachelor's degree in Ministerial Studies and a Master's Degree in Divinity from Lee College (now Lee University). But the school says he did not graduate and only attended for a short period of time. The information has since been removed from the church website. Since then, White has admitted under oath that he did not hold a degree from Lee but he claimed he had an honorary degree from Virginia State University. That school also disputes the claim. Without Walls International is already being investigated by the Senate Finance Committee along with six other ministries. Randy and Paula White refused talk on camera about the information that turned up.

GAITHERS HONORED

Bill and Gloria Gaither have won the Indiana's highest award. Governor Mitch Daniels gave the Christian songwriters and singers the 2008 Sachem Award in a ceremony yesterday. The Alexandria, Indiana couple have won numerous Grammy and Dove awards for songs like Because He Lives.

OBAMA PASTOR WANTS REPORTS TO STOP

Barak Obama's new pastor says he the media scrutiny of his church to end - and he's laying down some news rules for reporters who attend services at Trinity United Church of Christ. Pastor Otis Moss wants reporters to leave their notebooks at home. In other words, he doesn't want quotes from his sermons to be reported by the media. Moss also wants journalists to get permission before interviewing members on church property.

CLOWNING AROUND

Bello Nock stands out at Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey's Bellobration for his vertical shock of orange hair. The wife of the well-known circus clown home-schools the couple's 3 children, using Christian curriculum. Jenny Nock also runs a nondenominational Bible studies each Friday for clowns, trapeze artists, animal handlers and other workers because they have no regular church to attend.

BCC TO PUT ITS SPIN ON BIBLE

The BBC is planning to dramatize the Bible using computer generated imagery and drama in six 60 minute episodes to be broadcast next year. The budget series will focus on well-known stories from the Old and New Testaments. The BBC recently broadcast an Easter drama called The Passion that gain four million viewers. Christian groups criticized the series for rewriting the traditional story and excusing the behavior of Judas and Pontius Pilate.

NO ROOM FOR COMMANDMENTS

Leitchfield County, Kentucky must remove the Ten Commandments from a display called Foundations of American Law and Government. A federal judge says its an endorsement of religion. A local pastor put up the display a few years ago and included a number of items including the Preamble to the Kentucky Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Mayflower Compact, and the Declaration of Independence. The decision will likely be appealed because similar displays have been upheld by higher courts. Leitchfield is located just southwest of Louisville.

TENNESSEE BIBLE CLASSES

The Tennessee Attorney General has given a green light to holding elective Bible classes in public schools - as long as the lessons are not sermons but focus on literature, art and politics. Several counties already offer Bible classes. A bill moving through the state legislature would require the state board of education to approve the curriculum.

CHILDREN & SPIRITUALITY

There’s a major relationship between a child’s spirituality and his or her happiness, according to researchers at the University of British Columbia. The results surprised researchers because it showed 6.55 - 16.5% of children's happiness can be accounted for by spirituality. For adults, that percentage is closer to 5%. They plan to try the same study in India to see if children score similar results in a country without a strong Christian influence.

JUDAISM & HAGEE

The leader of the Union for Reform Judaism, the largest branch of Judaism in America, says Christian TV pastor John Hagee is an extremist. Despite Hagee's support for Israel, Rabbi Eric Yoffie don't want synagogues working with him. The San Antonio pastor leads Christians United For Israel. Its against Israeli making any land concessions in support of the peace process with the Palestinians.

CHRISTIAN SCHOOL LOSES LAWSUIT

San Antonio's Cornerstone Christian School has lost its attempt to join a Texas public school sports league. The school founded by TV preacher john Hagee claimed University Interscholastic League eligible to join other leagues like the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools. Legislation that would have allowed private schools to join the UIL was rejected by the Texas House last year.

RUSSELL CROWE IN CHRISTIAN FILM

Australian Russell Crowe, who won a Best Actor Oscar for his role in the film "Gladiator" was once in a pastoral recruitment video for the Seventh Day Adventist Church. In the film, the 18-year-old Crowe played a farm worker who decides to devote his life to the church.

CHURCH EXPLOSION

An explosion has destroyed the First Baptist Church of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Fire officials believe a gas service line was hit. A nearby house was set on fire as well. There are reportedly injuries as a result of the explosion.

$100K FOR REPAIRS

A Baptist seminary is giving $100,000 to a Baptist University damaged by February storms. The money for Union University is coming from Louisville's Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. A tornado from the storms caused in the neighborhood of $40 million in damage.

LAWSUIT AGAINST TEACHER MOVES FORWARD

A California lawsuit against a high school history teacher for teaching against Christianity will go to trial. While he was a student at Capistrano Valley High School, Chad Farnam says he was subjected to tirades against religion from teacher James Corbett. Corbett had asked the judge to dismiss the lawsuit but was turned down. Farnam made tapes of the classroom comments including statements like "Conservatives don't want women to avoid pregnancies.. that's interfering with God's work".

ORU SUIT GOES FORWARD

A Tulsa, Oklahoma judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit against Oral Roberts University. Two professors are suing for wrongful termination lawsuit after they uncovered alleged wrongdoing by Richard Roberts, the evangelical school's former president. They say he was using school funds to bankroll a lavish lifestyle. But the judge also tossed out some allegations made by the professors including libel claims and breach of contract claims. A gag order prevents both sides from discussing the case outside the courtroom.

BARAK OBAMA ON ABORTION

Barak Obama opposed the ban on partial-birth abortion and spoke out against a Supreme Court decision upholding the partial-birth ban. While a member of the Illinois legislature, Obama opposed a bill that would prevent the killing of infants mistakenly left alive by abortion. And now, during a town hall meeting in Pennsylvania, Obama claimed that he would not want his daughters to be "punished with a baby" because of a crisis pregnancy.

DIVORCE IN AMERICA

Percentage of people in these groups who have been divorced:

38% of non-Christian faith

37% of liberals

33% of all Americans

33% of moderates

28% of conservatives

28% of Catholics

26% of evangelicals

Source: The Barna Group

TED TURNER APOLOGIZES

Ted Turner says he's sorry for calling Christianity a "religion for losers". Turner says he made the comments years ago and has grown since. The founder of CNN says no longer considers himself agnostic or atheist, telling AP he's attended church from time-to-time and "prays for sick friends because it doesn't hurt". He's now joining Lutherans and Methodists in a a $200 million effort to battle malaria. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod will raise more than $75 million for the project with their humanitarian arm Lutheran World Relief and the United Methodist Church will raise $100 million for the project.

DOBSON WILL VOTE

"Let me just say that I will certainly vote. I think we have a God-given responsibility to vote, and there are all of the candidates and the issues down the ballot that we have an obligation to weigh in on and let our voices be heard." Focus on the Family founder James Dobson in an interview with FOX news last night. Dobson once said he would not vote for John McCain “under any circumstances.”

RESPECT FROM THE MILLENNIALS

A survey of people between the ages of 21 and 29 - the so-called millennials - shows a greater respect for traditional values than expected. Here's what was found by J. Walter Thompson, the nation's largest advertising agency.

94% say they respect monogamy and parenthood
84% revere marriage
84% respect the military
25% say they are living with their spouse and children
19% with a partner
18% with a spouse
15% with their parents
8% with a roommate

Three-quarters said they were employed full-time and two-thirds said they had respect for our legal and financial systems. Three-fourths said they believe in the American Dream.