Will Smith on Scientology and Religion

Actor Will Smith in an interview with Newsweek:

"For me I'm certain about my relationship with the model of perfection of human life that's laid out with the life of Jesus Christ. So I'm at home and not fearful when I sit in a mosque or a synagogue or a Buddhist temple, the same way that I'm home in the Church of Scientology.

I like anywhere people are searching for the truth, and I respect their path and I'm intrigued by their path. I think when you are certain in and of what you believe in, you can open your mind to seeing the ways of others. I'm not bothered when someone says "Allah" because they're talking about God—we are talking about the same person. I was in India recently and my hotel was near the Taj Mahal. Five times a day there would be a call for prayer, and it was the most beautiful thing. I was lying in my bed thinking, no matter what your religion is, it would be great to have that reminder five times a day to remember your Lord and savior.

(So you a not a Scientologist?) No, but when people are afraid of religion they have to go back and get in touch with the Good Book. Fear of other religions means you're questioning your own understanding, and that's just not where I am.

(You were raised Baptist, right?) Yes, but I grew up in a neighborhood with all religions, and so I'm very used to studying and being around different faiths. So whatever religion does that— Jewish, Muslim, Scientology—it's cool because the end result is the same."

Bible Used in Robbery

Police in Tacoma, Washington are looking for a man that robbed a bank this morning using a Bible. He handed the Bible to the teller and told her to open to a specific page. That’s where he had written a note demanding money or he threatened to shoot her. He told her that he would pay her back later and left.

The Princess Diana Bible

A pro-gay "translation" of Scripture called The Princess Diana Bible is coming out soon. It’s being put together by New Mexico filmmaker Max Mitchell, who runs Revision Studios. His last film, Horror In The Wind, told the story of a scientific formula that turned the world gay. The regular Bible gets replaced with a Princess Diana Bible. Mitchell liked the idea so much, he decided to create a real Princess Diana Bible. He named it after Diana for her “good deeds”. The company’s press release claims the “gay Bible is divinely inspired.” It says Adam and Eve were both women and that homosexual relationships were commonplace during Biblical times but heterosexuality was considered sinful.

Column on Gay Rights Leads to Firing

A college administrator at Ohio’s University of Toledo is suing the school because she fired over a column she wrote in the local newspaper about gay rights. Crystal Dixon says the administration has no right to try to control her expression of personal opinions outside the school. Dixon argued in the piece for the Toledo Free Press that gay marriage could not be compared to the civil rights movement because homosexuality is a choice. She wrote, “I take great umbrage at the notion that those choosing the homosexual lifestyle are 'civil rights victims. I cannot wake up tomorrow and not be a black woman.. There are consequences for each of our choices, including those who violate God's divine order." Dixon held the position of associate vice president for human resources. Dixon is being represented by the Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a Christian law firm.

Atheists to Sue Homeland Security

A group called American Atheists plans to file a lawsuit this morning against the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security. That’s because state law requires the agency to stress "dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth." Ten non-religious Kentuckians have joined the suit. State Representative Tom Riner added a requirement to credit God for Kentucky's protection in the 2006 homeland security legislation. Riner is a Southern Baptist minister.

Atheist Placard

There is a holiday tree on display at Washington’s state Capitol in Olympia along with a Nativity scene. And now there is a atheist placard. It was put there by the Freedom From Religion Foundation and says: ""At this season of the Winter Solstice may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds." A metal plaque will be added to the display when it comes in.

100's of Thousands Stolen from Baptists

The Southern Baptist Convention had decided not to press charges against a man who allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars intended for earthquake relief - and now has done it again. According to the Mobile Press-Register, The SBC’s International Mission Board won a judgment of more than $359,000 against Benton Gray Harvey for criminal embezzlement in 2005. Harvey was a financial accountant for a Baptist outpost in Istanbul. Police say Harvey and a partner scammed hundreds of thousands more by selling fake insurance policies to people in Alabama for homes that most insurance companies don't want to cover because they are susceptible to damage by hurricanes. He was working for the Starfish Insurance Agency in Gulf Shores, Alabama but has apparently fled the country.

Lutheran Cutbacks

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is making cutbacks at its publishing arm. Augsburg Fortress will shutting down nine bookstores by April and eliminating more than 50 jobs.

What if Starbucks Marketed like the Church?

Richard Reising is a former marketing exec-turned church consultant. He's created this video for a blog called Beyond Relevance. It considers what would happen if Starbucks was like a Protestant church.

High School Ethics

A survey of the ethics among high schoolers:

Have you stolen something in the last year?
From a store: 30%
From a parent or relative: 23%
From a friend: 20%

Have you cheated on a test in the last year?
Once: 64% (60% in 2006)
Twice or more: 38% (35% in 2006)

Have you used the Internet to plagiarize an assignment?
Yes: 36% (33% in 2004)

Have you sometimes lied to save money?
Yes: 42%

Are you satisfied with your own personal ethics and character?
Yes: 93%

Would you agree with the statement: "when it comes to doing what is right, I am better than most people I know."
Yes: 77%

Source: The Josephson Institute

Pledge Pastor Dies

The man who’s sermon led to Under God being added to the Pledge of Allegiance has died. George M. Docherty was pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in 1954 when President Eisenhower visited. Docherty urged that the pledge to the flag be amended to add the two words used by Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address. He died of a heart ailment at his Pennsylvania home at the age of 97.

Prayer Lawsuit Ends

A lawsuit against a mayor’s involvement in National Day of Prayer has been dropped. Patrick Greene filed the suit in an effort to stop San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger from taking part in the event on the front steps of City Hall. Hardberger has annually reads a declaration in support of the event. Greene says he dropped the effort because the Mayor now says he didn’t know the sponsoring organization excluded other faiths.

Christians and Pornography

A documentary on pornography addiction among Christians premieres tomorrow on the ION Television Network. The network used to be known as PAX TV. The film is called Somebody's Daughter: A Journey to Freedom from Pornography. Three men and a couple talk about their struggle with pornography. Somebody's Daughter will later air on on INSP, the Daystar Television Network and Faith TV.

Henry Brandt Dies

The man considered by some to be the father of Biblical counseling has died. Henry Brandt died Wednesday from complications related to Parkinson's disease. He was 92 years old. A conference speaker and author, he’s best-known for his book Heart of the Problem. Brandt has a new book coming out called Soul Prescription.

New Warren Book Cracks Top 5

The Purpose of Christmas has nudged into the New York Times’ top 5 bestselling Hardcover Advice books. The new Rick Warren book is #25 USA Today’s weekly top 150 best sellers. It’s based on a Christmas message Warren gave at his California Saddleback Church two years ago. The 125-page gift book comes on the heels of his mega-bestseller The Purpose Driven Life which has sold 52 million copies. Profits for the new book go toward the church’s global initiative called the PEACE Plan.

Foster Kids

Some 1500 people showed up this past weekend at New Life Church in Colorado Springs for a gathering on adoption and foster children in the state. Colorado officials say it was the first-of-its-kind. The gathering included state and local governments, churches, ministries and adoption agencies. They hope Wait No More: Finding Families for Colorado's Waiting Kids will serve as a template for other states with similar problems.

Inside Bob Dylan's Jesus Years

Joel Gilbert's documentary called Inside Bob Dylan's Jesus Years: Busy Being Born.. Again! delves into the years when the Dylan became a born-again Christian. Born Robert Zimmerman, he left his Jewish roots and temporarily converted to Christianity in 1979. The singer was reeling from his recent divorce and hooked on heroin. He went on to record two albums wth Christian lyrics. But after two and a half years, Dylan came to believe that his Christian advisors were exploiting him and he joined Chabad-Lubavitch, a Hasidic movement within Orthodox Judaism. Inside Bob Dylan's Jesus Years is unauthorized and contains few frames of the man himself. Bill Dwyer of Los Angeles's Vineyard Christian Fellowship gets a lot of attention. He was the one Dylan called in 1978 seeking counseling.

A Dying Boy's Wish

Hundreds respond to a dying 11-year-old boy's wish to help the homeless. KOMO-TV has more.

(Brenden Foster died over the weekend)

Church Fire

An Indianapolis church vows to continue its ministry despite a devestating fire. WISH-TV has the story:

Search for Church Gunman

A gunman is on the loose after shooting two people at a New Jersey church this morning.

Turkey Giveaway

A Syracuse church gave away hundreds of turkeys yesterday. WSYR-TV has the story.

Terror Texts

A Christian College in Iowa is staging an unusual musical based on the Bible. Terror Texts presents six Old Testament stories taken verbatim from the King James version of the Old Testament with themes like cannibalism and rape. The actors at Northwestern College dress in Goth and are supported by a rock band and mosh pit. The show first ran in February and was brought back this fall. A line in the opening song, “Our story here begins with blood and ends with even more."

Janet Paschall

Christian singer Janet Paschal tells her story of battling breast cancer in the book Treasures of the Snow. She has a new album to accompany the book called Treasures. It’s filled with songs she has re-recorded.

Arizona Choose Life

Arizona will soon have its own Choose Life specialty license plate. The Arizona License Plate Commission had turned down a request by the Arizona Life Coalition for the plate but an appeals court has ordered the agency to accept the application. The decision came out of a law filed in 2003.

Religious News Stories During the Election

The religion storyline that got the most attention during the general election was rumors that Barack Obama is a Muslim (30%). According to a new Pew Forum study, there were only 283 stories in which religion or religious issues played a significant role.

Jeremiah Wright, Michael Pfleger and John Hagee alone made up 11% of religion coverage in the general election.

Five percent of the religion-focused coverage dealt with James Dobson’s criticism of Obama’s positions.

Less than one percent of campaign news coverage related to abortion issues gay marriage or stem cell research. Most of the stories on abortion involved Sarah Palin’s parenting choices and the Saddleback forum at Rick Warren’s church.

Bob Jones Apologizes

Bob Jones University is apologizing for its "racially hurtful" policies. The 81-year history South Carolina school refused to admit blacks until 1971 and prohibited interracial dating until 2000. The grandson of the man who founded the school, Bob Jones III, issue this statement.

Ordination of Gay Man Move Forward

The Presbyterian Church, USA is allowing a gay man to enter the final stages of ordination. John Knox Presbytery (covering parts of Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) voted to let Scott Anderson more forward in his bid for ordination. The Princeton Theological Seminary graduate was ordained by Sacramento Presbytery in 1983. But when two members of Sacramento’s Bethany Presbyterian Church publically announced he was gay, Anderson set aside his ordination. He worked for the Northern California Council of Churches for more than a decade and now leads the Wisconsin Council of Churches. A final vote on his candidacy will take place a year from now.

Report: CIA at Fault for Missionary Deaths

The CIA was negligent when it helped Peru’s air force shoot down a small plane carrying missionaries in 2001. That’s the finding of the agency's inspector general. A new report says a CIA surveillance plane was confused over whether or not the missionary aircraft was running drugs. But procedures were ignored and the plane was shot down – killing Veronica Bowers and her infant daughter. The report says the program to intercept drug-runners was poorly run Congressman Pete Hoekstra, the top Republican on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, criticized the CIA, saying the agency caused "needless" deaths. Three years ago, while the report was still classified, the Justice Department decided not to bring charges against those at fault.

Church Can Use Santuary Again

Guatay Christian Fellowship near San Diego can use its sanctuary again. The church had been barred from meeting there since May because it had been zoned for a bar. It was alright to serve liquor there but not hold religious services. A federal judge overruled the county yesterday. County officials said there were eight serious code violations when they inspected the church.

Potluck Law Almost Stops Church Gathering

An 85 year celebration was put in jeprody when the city of Albuquerque told a church it could not serves food at the gathering. KOB-TV explains how the community has rallied to help the church.

EHarmony and Same-Sex Matches

EHarmony has agreed to offer same-sex matches. It’s part of a civil rights settlement. The Pasadena-based dating website was founded by Neil Warren and has been endorsed by Evangelical leaders. Eric McKinley complained to New Jersey's Division on Civil Rights when his subscription was turned down because EHarmony has never allowed gay matches. Warren has said part of the reason for not making same-sex matches is that he didn't know enough about gay relationships. As part of the deal, the company must:

▪ Implement the new policy by March 31
▪ Give the first 10,000 same-sex registrants a free six-month subscription
▪ Pay $50,000 to the state for administrative costs
▪ Give $5,000 to McKinley

ORU Makes Cuts

Oral Roberts University is cutting about 10% of its workforce by January. That’s nearly 100 jobs at the Tulsa school. ORU has just under 1000 employees.

The school just recently announced it had cut ties with Richard Roberts – former president and son of the school’s founder. Trustees agreed to pay Roberts $223,600 a year for the remainder of a three-term appointment. Robert’s resigned last year under a cloud of suspicion, after former professors filed a lawsuit. The accused him of misusing school funds for personal use.

Georgia Baptists Reject Money from Church

The Georgia Baptist Convention is no longer accepting contributions from the First Baptist Church of Decatur, who has a woman as senior pastor. Julie Pennington-Russell came to the pulpit a little over a year ago. First Baptist has been a part of the Southern Baptist Convention for nearly 150 years.

Licence Plate Rejected

Elizabeth Ferris is suing the state of Indiana after officials refused to renew her personalized license plate. It says Be God's. The Cambridge City woman has has had the message on her license plate for eight years.

Chapman's Daughter Marries

The oldest daughter of Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman has gotten married. Emily Chapman married Tanner Richards last month at the Chapman’s Franklin, Tennessee home.

Just six months ago, the Chapman's 5-year-old daughter Maria Sue was killed in a car accident by a vehicle driven by her brother. The family buried her in a bridesmaid dress to match those worn at her oldest sister's wedding.

More Children Taken From Alamo Ministry

Nearly two dozen more children from the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries in Arkansas are in state custody. KATV has more on Alamo and the child sex charges he faces.

Prince: Very Angry

Rolling Stone is reporting that Prince is “very angry” because of the way he his religious views and opinion about gays is portrayed in a recent New Yorker article. The pop singer says the magazine misquoted him.

Layoffs at Focus on the Family

Focus on the Family is laying off about 200 of its employees. That’s about 20% of its workforce. James Dobson’s group would still have about 950 employees – down from a high of about 1500.

Focus was the seventh largest donor to contribute to the effort to pass Proposition 8 in California which bans same-sex marriage. The ministry put $539,000 in cash and $83,000 in non-monetary support into the effort. More than $73 million was spent by both sides.

Demonstration in Church

A group interupted services at a Michigan church this past Sunday to protest the church's view on gay marriage. Fox News has the story.

Church Sign Draws Protesters

KWCH-TV reports on a confrontation over a Kansas City church sign about Barack Obama.

Prince on Gay Marriage & Abortion

This week’s New Yorker includes an interview with pop singer Prince. He became a Jehovah's Witness seven years ago and was a asked about social issues like gay marriage and abortion. The New Yorker writes:

Prince tapped his Bible and said, “God came to earth and saw people sticking it wherever and doing it with whatever, and he just cleared it all out. He was, like, ‘Enough.’ ”

Priest Rebuked for Obama Letter

A South Carolina priest wrote a letter to parishioners at St. Mary’s Catholic Church saying those who voted for Barack Obama shouldn’t take Holy Communion because of his support for abortion rights. But the Diocese of Charleston says Jay Scott Newman shouldn’t have done that. Here’s background on the story from CNN.

Largest Gift in Ministry's History

Do we need more translations of the Bible? Someone apparently does. Someone with a lot of money. An anonymous donor is giving Wycliffe Bible Translators $50 million to support the organization’s literacy and Bible translation program. The gift for Wycliffe's Last Languages Campaign is the largest in the ministry's 75-year history. The campaign gets an official launch this Saturday at Wycliffe US headquarters in Orlando. The campaign’s goal is to speed up the process of translating the Bible for the world's remaining language groups from 125 years down to 17 years. Besides supporting literacy, Wycliffe supports developing communities with water purification systems and Aids education.

The Bible’s Buried Secrets

PBS goes after the Old Testament again in a two-hour show tomorrow called The Bible’s Buried Secrets. A preview last summer proved controversial. The program challenges a literal reading of the first five books of the Bible. The producers argue largely from silence. Suggesting that since archeologists haven't found items related to many of the stories in the Bible, they never happened. Actress Stockard Channing reads verses during the show. It airs at 8pm Eastern.

Focus on the Family Shoppers' Guide

The political action arm of Focus on the Family is posting an online shoppers guide. There are three categories: Christmas-friendly retailers, Christmas-negligent retailers and Christmas-offensive retailers.

The friendly retailers are so designated because they prominently use Merry Christmas and other Christmas-specific references in their catalogs and in-store promotions.

Those on the Christmas-offensive list use secular phrases such as happy holidays and have "apparently abandoned" the use of the word "Christmas."

Christmas-negligent companies "marginalize" their message by using Christmas in some cases and holidays in others.

Focus launched its first shoppers guide during the 2007 holiday season.

Episcopals Lose Fort Worth

The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth is leaving the denomination. Just as several others have recently done. The vote today was overwhelmingly in favor of breaking away to align with the more conservative Province of the Southern Cone, based in Argentina. The clergy vote was 73-18 in favor of leaving. Among the lay orders, it was 101-26.

Barack Obama's Beliefs

I am a Christian. So, I have a deep faith. So I draw from the Christian faith. On the other hand, I was born in Hawaii where obviously there are a lot of Eastern influences. I lived in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world, between the ages of six and 10. My father was from Kenya, and although he was probably most accurately labeled an agnostic, his father was Muslim. And I'd say, probably, intellectually I've drawn as much from Judaism as any other faith. So, I'm rooted in the Christian tradition. I believe that there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people.

My mother remarried an Indonesian who wasn't particularly, he wasn't a practicing Muslim. I went to a Catholic school in a Muslim country. So I was studying the Bible and catechisms by day, and at night you'd hear the prayer call. So I don't think as a child we were, or I had a structured religious education. But my mother was deeply spiritual person, and would spend a lot of time talking about values and give me books about the world's religions.

(Did you actually go up for an altar call?) Yes. Absolutely.. And it was a powerful moment.

Jesus is an historical figure for me, and he's also a bridge between God and man, in the Christian faith, and one that I think is powerful precisely because he serves as that means of us reaching something higher. And he's also a wonderful teacher. I think it's important for all of us, of whatever faith, to have teachers in the flesh and also teachers in history.

I find it hard to believe that my God would consign four-fifths of the world to hell. I can't imagine that my God would allow some little Hindu kid in India who never interacts with the Christian faith to somehow burn for all eternity. That's just not part of my religious makeup.

(What is sin?) Being out of alignment with my values.

Barack Obama in a 2004 interview with BeliefNet

Electing Obama a Sin?

A Wichita, Kansas pastor says the election of Barack Obama is a sin and the country should repent. KSN-TV reports:

Preist Facing Excommunication

Roy Bourgeois faces excommunication from the Catholic Church after taking part in a ceremony to ordain a woman as a fellow priest. Janice Sevre-Duszynska, a member of a group called Roman Catholic Womenpriests, faces excommunication as well. Bourgeois plans to appeal. He lives in Fort Benning, Georiga.

Hunter Credits God for Rescue

A hunter from Grand Rapids, Michigan returned home to an emotional reunion after several desparte days, lost in the Colorado mountains. WOOD-TV says he's crediting God with sustaining and rescuing him.

"Godless Americans" Lawsuit Dropped

Kay Hagan is dropping her lawsuit against Senator Elizabeth Dole. Hagan beat Dole in the North Carolina Senate race but was upset over a TV ad that associated Hagan with a political action group called Godless Americans. A woman’s voice could be heard saying “There is no God” on the ad. Hagan, a member of the Presbyterian Church, USA, took part in a fundraiser at the home of a couple who are involved in the group.

Ancient Church Unearthed

The remnants of an 8th century Christian church has been discovered northeast of Damascus, Syria. Archaeologists from Syria and Poland found it in the city of Palmyra, a hub of caravan trade in the ancient world. They say the church’s columns are about 20 feet high and the sanctuary measures about 90 feet by 150 feet. There was an amphitheater in the courtyard, probably used for church rituals.

New Bama Bible Text

Alabama public schools now have a new option for text books in Bible classes. The State Board of Education has approved The Bible in History and Literature published by the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools. The Bible and Its Influence put out by the Bible Literacy Project has already been approved criticism from some conservatives.

Haggard Now Claims Sexual Abuse

Former Evangelical megachurch pastor Ted Haggard now says he was sexually abused as a child. He was fired from New Life Church in Colorado Springs for sexual misconduct when a former male prostitute alleged they had a cash-for-sex relationship and accused Haggard of using methamphetamine. The church issued a statement in February saying Haggard should not be allowed to return to the ministry because he did not complete his counseling rehabilitation. CNN has this report on Haggard, who now lives in Phoenix.

Ten Commandments Before Supreme Court

A Ten Commandments legal battle that arrived at the Supreme Court yesterday. The high court heard the plea of Pleasant Grove, Utah. It wants the high court to reverse a lower court decision requiring it to accept the Seven Aphorisms (part of a New Age religion that believes in UFOs) along with a Ten Commandments display in a park – or remove the Commandments entirely. The Bush administration joined 14 states and a coalition of veterans groups to file briefs opposing a lower-court decision. A decision is expected before the court term ends in late June.

Gay Rights Protesters Interrupt Church Service

There are a few scattered reports of a radical gay rights group interrupting a church service in Lansing, Michigan this past Sunday. Local media has apparently not picked up on the story but according to the Lansing State Journal, demonstrators threw fliers at churchgoers and shouted slogans such as "It's OK to be gay," and "Jesus was a homo” at Mount Hope Church, an Assemblies of God church. Protesters set off a fire alarm and unfurled a banner. Some carried picket signs and an upside-down, pink cross.

Book of Mormon Set on Fire

A copy of the Book of Mormon was set on fire and left on the steps of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints sanctuary last night. No damage was reported. There is a possibility it may have been in retaliation to the church's stance on California’s Proposition 8 which banned same-sex marriage.

Nativity Scene at State Capitol

A nativity scene will be put up inside the Illinois Capitol Rotunda without objection from the state’s chapter of the ACLU. Other groups have been told they could also exhibit their own symbolic displays in the same area for the same number of days.

Catholic Bishops Cut Off ACORN

US Roman Catholic bishops are no longer sending money to ACORN (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now). Barack Obama once had connections with the group. It’s now involved in a controversy over voter registration fraud. The brother of its founder says nearly $1 million had been embezzled from the group. The Catholic Campaign for Human Development was set to give ACORN about $1 million to local groups.

Methodist Reference on The Simpson's

In the Halloween episode of The Simpsons titled Treehouse of Horrors XIX, Homer is a hit man. Krusty the Klown becomes one of his victims. In an act of revenge, Krusty comes down from heaven and points a gun at Homer.

Homer: Before you kill me, at least tell me: what is the one true religion?

Krusty: Eh, a mix of Voodoo and Methodist.

Humanist Ad Campaign

The American Humanist Association is launching a $40,000 holiday advertising campaign around the nation’s capital that uses lyrics from "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." The ads will go on DC buses and appear on posters saying, “Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake” starting next week. A link to a Web site will be included that directs people to WhyBelieveInGod.com.

Oldest Hebrew inscription?

The oldest known Hebrew inscription may have been found on piece of pottery in Israel. The 3000 year old shard turned up this summer on a hilltop south of Jerusalem. The area overlooks a valley where David faced the Philistine giant Goliath. The lines of faded characters are called proto-Canaanite, developed even before the Hebrew alphabet. An Israeli archaeologist says the finding suggest the Biblical accounts were based on written text and not just oral tradition. This would bolster the case for the Bible's accuracy by indicating the Israelites could record events as they happened.

Public Prayer Booth

It looks like a phone booth. But inside you’ll discover it’s a Public Prayer Booth. A pair of them are located in New York in midtown Manhattan, Jackson, Tennessee, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The booths are the work of Kansas City artist Dylan Mortimer. There's a flip-down kneeler and the word "prayer" is written on the side instead of "telephone."

Seven Days of Sex

A Texas pastor is challenging his congregation To 7 Days of Sex. WOAI-TV in San Antonio reports.

Fireproof #14

Fireproof is now the #14 movie in the country. The church-made film has taken in more than $28 million dollars since it was first released seven weeks ago. This is the first week it wasn’t in the top ten. It was made by the Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia

The Love Dare,a book featured in the movie, is number two on the New York Times' paperback advice bestseller list after spending three weeks at top spot.

Mormon Churches Vandalized

Protestors are targeting Mormon Churches and others across California because of their support for proposition 8 which bans gay marriage. KTVX-TV in Salt Lake City has this report:

Florida Megachurch Threatens to Sue Newspaper

Randy White’s Florida church is considering a lawsuit against the Tampa Tribune newspaper. Leaders at Without Walls International Church in Tampa are upset with a series of unfavorable articles about the church. During his Sunday sermon, White talked about paperwork that would prove to the congregations accusations made in the paper are wrong. He denied a bank was attempting to foreclose on the church property. Here are the newspaper stories about White and Without Walls.

Dobson into Hall of Fame

James Dobson was indicted into the Museum of Broadcast Communications this weekend over the complaints of protestors. They gathered to object to the Focus on the Family radio host receiving the honor because of his position on homosexuality. The hall of fame does not take into account a nominee's political or religious views.

Protests at Dallas First Baptist

The pastor of Dallas' First Baptist Church had about 100 protesters show up today for his sermon titled Why Gay Is Not O.K. It is part of Robert Jeffress' series called Politically Incorrect. Demonstrators sang Jesus Loves Me and carried signs saying things like Christ Taught Love Not Hate.

Protest at Rick Warren's Church

Protesters gathered outside Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church today, angry with the megachurch's support of California’s Proposition 8. The measure bans gay marriage in the state. It won with 52% of the vote.

A large anti-Proposition 8 protest gathered at Oakland’s Mormon Temple, forcing the California Highway Patrol to close two nearby highway ramps. Another protest outside a Mormon Temple in San Diego drew hundreds. Thousands gathered in front of the California statehouse in Sacramento. In Pasadena, the pastor of the 4,000-member All Saints Church spoke out against Proposition 8. Pastor Ed Bacon called it an “act of bigotry”.

Here's a report from KABC-TV in Los Angeles on the protest at Saddleback Church.

Boycott over Gay Marriage Ban

There a growing moving online calling for a boycott of Utah because the Mormon church supported a Calfornia proposition banning same- sex marriage. KTVX-TV in Salt Lake City has more.

ACLU Objects to Christian Bands

The ACLU is trying to stop Christian music groups from appearing at Louisiana’s annual Thibodeauxville Festival this weekend. According to the civil rights group, the city of Thibodeauxville supports the festival financially but the major says that isn’t true. Some 10,000 people pack the little town for the event.

Exit Polls

The White evangelical vote according to the exit polls.

2008 election:
John McCain 74%
Barack Obama 24%

2004 election:
George Bush 79%
John Kerry 21%

Most important issue:
The economy - 60%
Terrorism - 14%

Another Episcopal Church Departure

The Episcopal Diocese of Quincy, Illinois is breaking away from the denomination. Clergy and lay delegates from its 24 churches and missions voted in favor of the withdrawal 95-26. A California and Pennsylvania diocese have already left and the Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas may it be next. Representatives will vote whether to follow suit next week. All the breakaway dioceses are realigning with the more conservative Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, based in Argentina. A legal fight has begun over church property in California over the departure. Some individual Episcopal parishes have separately aligned with Anglican provinces in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

Ted Turner's Memoir

Ted Turner says religion didn’t break up his marriage to Jane Fonda. In his new book Call Me Ted, Turner says rumors that he divorced his wife after ten years because of her self-proclaimed conversion to Christianity isn’t accurate. He says he was upset, not by her decision, but the fact she didn’t discuss it with him ahead of time. In her own memoir, Fonda alleged infidelities on Turner’s part helped lead to the breakup. But both say they remain friends.

Gay Marriage Ban Protest at Mormon Temple

A rally against California’s gay marriage ban turned violent last night. Gay rights activists gathered outside a Mormon temple in Los Angeles to criticize the church's role in the passage of Proposition 8 which narrowly passed with help from the church. KTLA-TV reports:

New Rick Warren Book

A new Rick Warren book is out called The Purpose of Christmas. It’s his first since the Purpose Driven Life. is a 125-page small gift book that explains what it means to be a Christian. The Purpose Driven Life has sold 52 million copies since its release six years ago. An accompanying CD includes songs from artists like ThirdDay, Sarah McLachlan, Martina McBride, and Vince Gill. The CD is currently available exclusively at Wal-Mart.

Alabama Back's Faith

"Last year, I played as hard as I could, but I think I played for the wrong reasons. In the middle of the season last year, I found Christ. One of my goals this year was to glorify his name and run with a passion.. In high school, I was a football star and all that, but there was something missing. There had to be more, and I found it. My life changed when I found Christ."

-Alabama junior tailback Glen Coffee in an interview with ESPN who's fourth in the SEC in rushing and now speaks to church groups and youth groups.

Noose ignites tempers at Baylor

Police on the campus of Baylor University are looking into a noose found hanging from a tree at the school following Barack Obama's victory in the presidential election. Obama campaign signs were also found burning in a barbecue pit. Later, a shouting match erupted between black Obama supporters and a group of whites who threatened the black students .

The president of the Southern Baptist school has sent out an email to the student body and faculty saying, "These events are deeply disturbing to us and are antithetical to the mission of Baylor University. We categorically denounce and will not tolerate racist acts of any kind on our campus."

He told the student Senate he was embarrassed by the incidents. The student government passed a bill of disapproval on behalf of the student body and the school has created a response team to deal with reported prejudiced activity on campus.

Southern Baptists in Congress

Southern Baptists in the Senate:
Republican Roger Wicker of Mississippi
(he defeated fellow Southern Baptist Democrat Ronnie Musgrove)
Republican Lindsey Graham

Southern Baptists in Congress:
Four Southern Baptist Congressmen who are Republicans decided not to run for reelection this year:
Terry Everett of Alabama
Duncan Hunter of California
Ron Lewis of Kentucky
Chip Pickering of Mississippi

Two more Southern Baptists fought for Everett’s seat:
Democrat Bobby Bright
Republican Jay Love
Both are members of the same church: First Baptist Church in Montgomery.

Republicans:
Spencer Bachus, Alabama
Trent Franks, Arizona
John Boozman, Arkansas
Vern Buchanan, Florida
Lynn Westmoreland, Georgia
Nathan Deal, Georgia
Paul Broun, Georgia
Harold Rogers, Kentucky
Rodney Alexander, Louisiana
Sam Graves, Missouri
Frank Lucas, Oklahoma
Henry Brown, South Carolina
Gresham Barrett, South Carolina
Gresham Barrett, South Carolina
Zach Wamp, Tennessee
Steve Pearce of New Mexico (defeated)
Randy Forbes, Virginia
Louie Gohmert, Texas Mike Conaway, Texas
Randy Neugebauer, Texas

Democrats:
Steny Hoyer, Maryland
Heath Shuler, North Carolina
Lincoln Davis, Tennessee
Al Green, Texas

Graham Turns 90

Billy Graham will celebrate his 90th birthday today with a private family dinner near the near his Asheville, North Carolina home. The Evangelist is working on a book about growing older. His wife of 63 years, Ruth Graham, died last year.

Lawsuit Over Day of Prayer

San Antonio’s mayor is being sued for taking part in the National Day of Prayer. Patrick Greene is demanding that Mayor Phil Hardberger read his proclamation of a day of prayer at a City Council meeting, away from the event on steps of City Hall.

Greene is a self-proclaimed atheist who filed a lawsuit in California a decade ago to try to get a Nativity scene removed from the City Hall of Ontario.

Church Set on Fire Because of Obama Victory?

There are suggestions a church fire in Boston may have been in reaction to Barack Obama's victory. WFSB-TV has the story.

Counting Catholics Part 2

The state with the HIGHEST percentage of Catholics:
Rhode Island 59.5%
Massachusetts 42%
New York 37%
Connecticut 36.6%
Nevada 32%

The state with the LOWEST percentage of Catholics:
Tennessee 2.3%
Alabama 3.3%
Mississippi 3.7%
North Carolina 4%
Arkansas 4.1%

Source: US Conf of Catholic Bishops

Warren Back in Pulpit

Rick Warren preached again at his Saddleback Church in Southern California after dealing with his 25-year-old daughter-in-law’s brain surgery. Jaime Warren underwent 20 hours of surgery to remove a tumor. She returned to the operating table twice more in the following days. Warren stepped out of the pulpit while his family dealt with the crisis. He thanked the congregation for praying for.

Paulk Property Up for Sale

The church that Earl Paulk built is up for sale. The Atlanta-suburb campus including the 6000 seat auditorium is up for sale. Price tag: $24.5 million. The 81-year-old Paulk has had a series of sexual scandals in recent years. With declining membership, D.E. Paulk has put the property of the Cathedral at Chapel Hill up for sale. He grew up believing Earl Paulk was his uncle and later discovered the elder Paulk was his father.

Counting Catholics

State with the MOST Catholics
California 36,553,215
New York 7,166,308
Texas 6,503,844
Illinois 3,870,647
New Jersey 3,562,389

State with the FEWEST Catholics
Wyoming 47,119
West Virginia 88,974
Alaska 52,813
Montana 104,276
Mississippi 107,098

Source: US Conf of Catholic Bishops

Two Large Churches Leaving PCUSA

Two of the largest Presbyterian congregations in the Fresno, California area are breaking away from the Presbyterian Church, USA. More than 100 congregations have left the denomination in the last couple of years over the issue of gay clergy. First Presbyterian and Trinity Presbyterian in Clovis have voted to move into the conservative Evangelical Presbyterian Church. The tally was 543-10 at First Presbyterian in favor of switching. Trinity Presbyterian members cast 264 votes in favor leaving and 7 opposed.

Billy Graham on New President

"President Elect Barack Obama faces many challenges, and I urge everyone to join me in pledging our support and prayers as he begins the difficult task ahead." - Evangelist Billy Graham

Assisted Suicide

Exit polls suggest Protestants and Catholics in Washington State were evenly split on whether to legalize physician assisted suicide. But non-religious voters supported it strongly, putting it over the top.

Obama Victory Celebrated at Seattle Church

Barack Obama's win made an impact on this Seattle church. KING-TV reports.

Ballot Measures

▪ PASSED

California
A proposed constitutional amendment that would limit marriage to heterosexual couples in California appears to be passing but not all the votes are counted and it will be close. Right now, its about 52-48% in favor of it.

Florida
The Florida Marriage Amendment would "protect marriage as the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife." It needed 60% to pass and barely got 62%.

Arkansas
Arkansas passed a measure 57-43% that prohibits unmarried couples from adopting or being foster parents.

Washington State
Washington voters have decided join Oregon as the only states offering terminally ill people the option of physician-assisted suicide. The margin was 59-41%.

Arizona
A measure passed 56-43% that adds 20-words to the state Constitution, defining marriage as between one man and one woman. A similar measure was rejected in 2006.

▪ REJECTED

South Dakota
A ban on abortion on the ballot in South Dakota had an exception if a woman was raped or her health is in danger. It failed 55-45%, as did a similar measure failed two years ago.

Colorado
An amendment that would have defined life as beginning at the moment of conception was soundly defeated 73-27%.

California
A California proposal that would require parental notification before a minor could have an abortion did not pass. The vote was 53-47% against (with 91% of the state reporting). A similar measure was rejected two years ago.

Snake at Church

A surprise for one Florida woman after church services this past Sunday. She found a ten-foot boa constrictor curled up around her car engine at the Punta Gorda First Presbyterian Church near Sarasota. WPRI-TV has the story.

Schuller Rift

Here's a letter from Robert H. Schuller about why the Crystal Cathedral founder has broken from his son regarding the Hour of Power TV ministry. Here's more on the fallout.

Election Prayers

A group gathered near Mobile, Alabama to pray for these who are voting and those who are elected. WALA-TV reports.

The Evangelical Vote

CNN take a look at the Evangelical vote in this year's general election.

Hope in Louisville

A Presbyterian church in Louisville, Kentucky is offering a message of hope. WHAS-TV has the story.

Unholy Business

Six years ago, media around the world heralded the discovery of a limestone box that purportedly was the earliest known artifact to mention Jesus. An inscription on the side suggested it held the bones of James, the brother of Jesus. The James ossuary made the rounds in North America, only to be taken by the Israeli authorities. They charged the owner with fraud, not only for the ossuary but for other faked antiquities. The story of how this came about is told in the new book Unholy Business: A True Tale of Faith, Greed, and Forgery in the Holy Land. It’s written by People magazine staff writer Nina Burleigh.

Fireproof Still Burning Bright

Fireproof is still going strong. Here's an inside look from FOX News.

New Bible

A new version of the Bible include photos of well-known celebrities like Bono and Angelina Jolie. ABC News has more on the Bible Illuminated: The Book.