Pope Retreats on Bishop Promotion

The Vatican has done an about face and stopped the promotion of a priest to Bishop who has said God punished New Orleans with Hurricane Katrina because of "spiritual pollution". Pope Benedict formally rescinded the offer to Gerhard Maria Wagner. He also described the Harry Potter novels as “satanic”.

Amazing Race: Episode Three

This season's edition of The Amazing Race has a connection to the Evangelical community. Mel White is a one-time speechwriter for Pat Robertson and Billy Graham who has now turned to gay-rights activism. He’s teamed with his son, Mike White who wrote the screen play for the films School of Rock and Nacho Libre.

Episode three of the Amazing Race 14 took teams to Dracula’s homeland. During last night’s show, one team member from each group was required to perform a series of moves at the gym where Olympian Nadia Comaneci trained. Mel worried it might be too physical for an old guy, so Mike good-naturedly makes his way through the routines.

They won a trip to Costa Rica by ending the show in first place.

Recession & Church Attendance

A Texas State University study finds evangelical churches see attendance figures balloon 50% during recessions between 1968 and 2004. However, Gallup Polls taken over the past year suggest church attendance has remained about the same level during this recession.

Faith & the Recession

Governor Tapped as New Health Secretary

President Barack Obama has named Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius as his choice for secretary of health and human services. Although the Democratic governor is a Catholic, she supports abortion rights. She has had confrontations in the past with the archbishop of Kansas City.

More than One Million Stolen from Church

Columbus, Ohio prosecutors says the former pastor of World of Pentecost Church stole more than one million dollars from the congregation. A jury indicted David Thompson on charges of money laundering, theft and filing false tax returns. They say he spent the money on a home, expensive vehicles and other personal items. He even sold church property to the city and kept the $900,000 payment. Thompson has not entered a plea yet but faces up to 87 years in prison.

Catholics Ask Mormons to Halt Plans

The Mormon church has agreed to stop plans to build a temple in the capital of Honduras that would overshadow a nearby Catholic church. The Baiclica of the Virgin of Sayupa objected to the effort, along with city leaders. The Church of Latter-day Saints claims to have some 120,000 members in Honduras.

Study of Religion and Medicine

Center for Spirituality and The Mind - University of Pennsylvania
Brain Scans: A workshop for high-tech imagery: this is your brain on prayer--or meditation or speaking in tongues. Researchers also study changes in blood pressure, hormones and immune-system function during spiritual practices.

Center for Spirituality & Healing - University of Minnesota
Shaman Outreach: Fifty faculty members from a dozen academic areas conduct research into alternative medicine and healing traditions, including those of shamans serving the local community of Hmong immigrants from Southeast Asia.

Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health - Duke University
Community of Scholars: Academic powerhouse that promotes research to improve our understanding of "spirituality, health and human flourishing." Aims to push the interdisciplinary field into a "new era of significance, visibility and impact."

National Center for Complementary And Alternative Medicine - National Institutes of Health
Federal Faith: Alternative medicine established this beachhead with the Federal Government in 1991. NCCAM funds research and serves as a clearinghouse for consumer information on acupuncture, herbs, hypnosis and more.

Templeton Foundation - West Conshohocken, Pa.
Private Philanthropy: Family foundation established by the late philanthropist Sir John Templeton. Its mission is to address big questions and foster dialogue between science and religion through grants, prizes and book publishing.

Source: TIME Magazine

The Biology of Belief

"Social demographer Robert Hummer of the University of Texas has been following a population of subjects since 1992, and his results are hard to argue with. Those who never attend religious services have twice the risk of dying over the next eight years as people who attend once a week. People who fall somewhere between no churchgoing and weekly churchgoing also fall somewhere between in terms of mortality."

From a TIME Magazine article says a growing body of scientific evidence suggests that faith may indeed bring us health. Here's more.

Pope to Visit Israel

Pope Benedict XVI will visit Israel in May. He will be escorted by Israeli President Shimon Peres. The last Papal visit to Israel took place nine years ago. John Paul II visited Bethlehem in the West Bank at the time.

Israel and the Vatican have been at odds recently after the pope removed the excommunication of a Bishop who questions the Holocaust.

Obama Ahead of Jesus in Hero Poll

Who are your heroes?

1. Barack Obama
2. Jesus
3. Martin Luther King Jr.
4. Ronald Reagan
5. George W. Bush
6. Abraham Lincoln
7. John McCain
8. John F. Kennedy
9. Chelsey Sullenberger
10. Mother Teresa

Source: Harris Poll

Challenging the Ten Commandments

The Supreme Court has issued a ruling in a case involving the public display of the Ten Commandments. Here’s more details on the ruling. This video is CNN’s report on the group that wants to put up a monument in a park next to a Ten Commandments monument.

Dobson Resigns

James Dobson has resigned as chairman of Focus on the Family. He made the announcement at a chapel service this week. The Colorado Springs-based ministry has nearly 1000 employees - though more than 200 were laid off last year. The 72-year-old Dobson says he’s healthy but wants to focus on grandparenting and leave running the organization to a younger crowd. He’ll remain the voice on the ministry’s daily radio show (with more than one-and-a-half million listeners) and he'll keep writing the Focus newsletter that goes to even more supporters. Former Air Force General Patrick Caruana will take Dobson’s place as chairman. Dobson's wife, Shirley Dobson is also stepping down as a director. No word on her replacement. Executive leadership continues in the hands of current president Jim Daly who took over guidance of the $138 million annual budget a couple of years ago. .

Ten Commandments Ruling

The Supreme Court has issued a ruling in a case involving the Public displays of the Ten Commandments. A lower court in Denver told Pleasant Grove City, Utah that it had to let the followers of the Summum religion put up a monument in a public park if it allowed the display of a Ten Commandments monument. The city refused and the group filed a lawsuit. A federal judge ruled in favor of the city. Then a three-judge panel reversed that decision. Next, the full 10th Circuit Court of Appeals heard the case. It split, leaving the decision against the city to stand. Now the Supreme Court is weighing in.

The justices say there’s no need to make room for the new monument. In an unanimously ruling, the high court decided permanent monuments in public parks do not have to go through the same rigors of free speech as speeches and leaflets in public forums.

A First for Regent

It's a first for Pat Robertson’s school. Regent University now has a young Democrats' group. Regent Democrats got official recognition as a student organization in late January. Evangelical colleges with student Democratic organizations include: Wheaton College, Anderson University, Biola University.

Faith-based Charities Steady

An Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability survey finds 72% of parachurch ministries have exceeded, met or came close to their contribution goals in the final quarter of 2008. Forty-one percent put a hold on salary increases, 38% froze or reduced hiring and 18% laid off staff.

Thirty percent have stopped capital projects, 23% postponed or cut back on computer upgrades,

Meanwhile, the National Association of Church Business Administration says 57% of churches congregations had experienced a drop in contributions.

Gay Ordination Vote

The Presbyterian Church, USA in central North Carolina has voted to allow gays in partnered relationships be ordained. The vote was 177 in favor and 139 opposed. The proposal needs a majority of the 173 presbyteries and at least half of them are expected to have voted by the end of February.

Dove Awards

Here are the nominations for the Gospel Music Association's 40th annual Dove Awards.

Gay Comments Cause Uproar

Colorado State Senator Scott Renfroe has sparked outrage for calling homosexuality an “abomination” and “offense to God” as he quoted from the Bible during a debate on giving same-sex partners health benefits if they are state employees. Here is a audio tape of his comments provided by KUSA-TV.

High Court to Rule on Cross

The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether its constitutional to have an eight foot cross, a memorial to fallen US soldiers, sitting on federal land in California. The cross is located in the Mojave National Preserve in San Bernardino County. The Veterans of Foreign Wars placed a smaller wooden cross there in 1934 and the larger cross was added later. When a group wanted to add a Buddhist shrine along side the cross, they were turned down. That’s when the ACLU sued to get the cross removed. A federal appeals court sided with the ACLU, preventing Congress from transferring ownership of the land to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. This past fall the Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court.

Kentucky Trust Plates Move Forward

Kentucky’s House Representatives have passed a bill that would allow the state to issue license plates that have the phrase In God We Trust printed on them. The Governor threw his support behind the effort last year. The measure now goes to the State Senate.

Texas Abortion Bill

Texas lawmakers may soon pass an Abortion bill. KXAN-TV in Austin has more.

Divine Employment

WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids has the story of a new organization working through churches helping the unemployed find work.

Hat in Church Leads to Stabbing

Baltimore police are looking for a man who stabbed his son over a hat. The two argued near the Carter Memorial Church of God when his 19-year-old son refused to remove his hat. The man got a knife from his car and stabbed his son in the left buttock.

Graham Slashing Jobs

Billy Graham’s organization plans to cut about 55 jobs. That’s 10% of its workforce. They’ll have a month left at the job and get a severance package. Billy’s son, Franklin, now runs the ministry. Donation levels remain flat for the North Carolina nonprofit over the past year.

Colbert on Prayer

The Daily Show's Stephen Colbert talks about prayer during last nights program.

One Year Ago.. Christian Singer Dies

A pioneer of contemporary Christian music passed away one year ago today. Larry Norman died of heart failure in Salem, Oregon at the age of 60. Norman stirred controversy in the 70’s with songs like Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music? and I wish We’d all Been Ready. The Gospel Music Association inducted him into the group’s Hall of Fame in 2001. He introduced Randy Stonehill to Christianity and produced Stonehill's first few albums.

40 Days for Life

KLRT-TV in Little Rock reports on a campaign to end abortion.

Police Investigate Death of Priest

Connecticut's WFSB-TV has the story of a police investigation of the death of a priest from the Norwich church rectory.

Sex and Porn in Little Rock

A church in Little Rock tackles the topics of sex and porn. KLRT-TV has the story.

Abortion Signs at Clinics

The North Dokota Senate has voted to require signs be posted at clinics that offer abortion services. KXMB-TV has the story.

Assemblies of God Leader Resigns

The Assemblies of God general secretary has resigned. John Palmer has admitted to having committed “ethical misconduct”. The denomination’s News and Information Service says there was a "one-time incident" that involved “inappropriate interaction with a woman that did not involve any physical intimacy.” James Bradford, pastor of Springfield, Missouri's Central Assembly of God will take over as the new general secretary.

Offensive Show Mocks Jesus & Mary

The host of a well-known Israeli TV show is apologizing for its attack on Christianity. The late-night comedy talk show is called Shlein and hosted by comedian Lior Shlein. It airs on one of Israel's three main TV stations, The Israeli foreign ministry says the offensive clip won’t be shown again. Among other things, viewers were told that Mary become pregnant at 15, thanks to a schoolmate and that Jesus was too fat to walk on water.

Suicide at Crystal Cathedral

A Southern California man shot and killed himself in front of a cross inside of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove yesterday. It’s unclear why he decided to commit suicide at Robert Schuller’s church. Police say he handed a note and his driver’s license to two ushers before shooting himself in the head at the cross. Church officials say he was not a member.

Baptists May Kick Out Texas Church

The Southern Baptist Convention is trying to decide whether to allow a Texas church to remain a part of the denomination. The SBC’s Executive Committee is asking Fort Worth’s Broadway Baptist Church to explain what it teaches about homosexuality. There is a controversy inside the church over whether to allow same-sex couples to be photographed together in a church directory. Rather than create separate family portraits, the church avoid the issue by shooting candid shots of parishioners. The Committee will meet in June to make a decision on whether Broadway is out or in.

Megachurch Pastor Resigns

The downtown branch of Willow Creek Community Church is losing its pastor. Steve Wu says he’s resigning because of "sexual impurity." Wu has lead Willow Creek Chicago since 2006. The congregation meets at Auditorium Theatre. Bill Hybels leads the main campus of the megachurch in South Barrington. Willow Creek has more than 20,000 members meeting in six locations. The church says Wu “has expressed a desire to participate in a restoration process” having brought the issue to the attention of church leaders himself. Todd Katter will serve as interim campus pastor while the church looks for a replacement.

North Dakota Abortion Bill Passes

KXMB-TV in Bismarck, North Dakota reports on an abortion bill making its way through the legislature.

Christian Group Donates Headquarters

Gospel Communications International donates its headquarters in Muskegon, Michigan to house several charity organizations.

Biologists Skip Louisiana

A group of biologists have decided not to hold their annual convention in New Orleans because of Louisiana law about teaching evolution in public schools. The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology say they’ll meet in Salt Lake City for their 2011 convention. They say Louisiana law weakens science education and specifically attacks evolution in science curricula. Nearly 2000 biologists attend the convention. Last year, the state decided to let local school boards decide what materials science teachers can use to go along with the evolution materials.

Movieguide Awards

Here are some of the awards handed out at the 17th Annual Movieguide awards gala this past week. The faith-based film awards ceremony is sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation.

The Most Inspiring TV Program of 2008: The Christmas Choir telecast by The Hallmark Channel (This winner took home the $100,000 Epiphany Prize)

The Most Inspiring Performance in Movies or TV in 2008: Adriana Barraza for Henry Poole Is Here

Best Movie for Families: WALL-E from Pixar and Walt Disney Pictures

The Faith and Freedom Award for Promoting Positive American Values in 2007
Winner for Movies: Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed from Rocky Mountain Pictures
Winner for TV: (Tie) HBO’s John Adams and The Medal: Celebrating Our Nation’s Highest Honor from 45 North Communications

Sex Ed and Porn Sunday

A church sign in Little Rock says, "Sex Ed and Porn Sundays". KLRT-TV has more on the controversial ad.

The Amazing Race

This season's edition of The Amazing Race started this evening with a connection to the Evangelical community. The CBS show tapped 68-year-old Mel White to take part. He’s a one-time speechwriter for Pat Robertson and Billy Graham who has now turned to gay-rights activism. He’s teamed with his son, Mike White who wrote the screen play for School of Rock and Nacho Libre. The show will feature 11 teams. Over the 12 episodes, they will travel more than 40,000 miles in 22 days to nine countries, including Switzerland, India and Russia.

Mel and Mike are in fourth place after the first episode.

State Lawmakers Vote on Removing Prayer

20 state legislators in Oklahoma voted to remove a prayer from the official record. It was given in the House of Representatives by Scott Jones, pastor of Oklahoma City’s Cathedral of Hope. The church is the largest predominantly gay congregation in Oklahoma City and Jones himself gay. The congregation is associated with the United Church of Christ. Denominational leaders say they are “outraged’ at the “discriminatory treatment”. When it came to a vote, 64 representatives voted to include the prayer, 20 opposed including it and 17 abstained.

Financial Transparency from Churches

A story from Associated Press on donors looking for Christian nonprofit groups and churches to be more forthcoming about their financies.

Free Speech Restrictions on Campus

Yuba Community College threatened a student with arrest and expulsion for handing out tracts on campus, preaching and carrying a sign with a Christian message on it without a permit. Loma Rica res dent Ryan Dozier filed a lawsuit against the Marysville, California school and has now dropped his lawsuit because school administrators decided to cave in. They'll pay his $25,000 in attorneys fees and change its "free speech" policy. Students will no longer be required to obtain a permit or be restricted to free speech periods lasting only two-hours twice a week.

Wireless Mics

Churches using wireless microphones operating on the frequencies between 698 MHz and 806 MHz will have to stop. The space will now become home to public safety and commercial users on Tuesday. Congregations that don’t vacate could face stiff FCC fines.

Prison Monument

A monument at the gates of Louisiana's maximum security prison used to have a Bible Verse on it. Not any more. The warden had it stripped off after the ACLU complained. It was Philippians 3:13. Next to go: A Prayer of Protection inscribed on the opposite side of the Bible verse. It says: The light of God surrounds you. The love of God enfolds you. The power of God protects you. And the presence of God watches over you; Wherever you are, God is.

Bills about Abortion and Ultrasounds

Three states considering laws requiring women seeking abortions to get ultrasounds. Connecticut, Indiana and Texas.

Wyoming: A committee voted down a proposal requiring women to view an ultrasound.

Nine states are considering laws that would require doctors to give women the option of seeing the ultrasound. Among them: Virginia, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, New York, South Carolina, and Nebraska.

Church Closing for One Month

The First Unitarian Church in downtown Portland is closing for a month to save money. The 1500 member church will shut its doors during July. The 35 employees on staff have decided to give up two additional weeks of pay. The church is expected to end the fiscal year $185,000 in debt.

Pastor & Son Accused of Arson

A former pastor and his son are facing arson charges in an Atlanta suburb. Prosecutors say they set fire to the New Life Deliverance Church three years ago. Barrow County sheriff's deputies have arrested Quincy Arnold of Lawrenceville who once served as the pastor of the gutted church. His son was arrested last month.

Screwtape is a Hit

A stage version of CS Lewis’ Screwtape Letters is becoming a big hit in Chicago. It has already turned out to be the most financially successful show in the history of the Mercury Theatre. Nearly every show is sold out as church groups are coming in droves. There are reports Screwtape is taking in more than $50,000 a week. And it just started in September.

Crosses in Classrooms

Some Boston College professors are complaining that the Jesuit University has placed some crosses in classrooms. Most of the crucifixes are from students who have returned from trips to Central and South America and to Europe. The issue was intensely debated when to college’s department chairs gathered recently. Meanwhile, the weekly student newspaper has given it’s approval. Georgetown University, also a Jesuit school, has a crucifix in every classroom for many years.

TD Jakes Step-son Arrested

The step-son of megachurch pastor TD Jakes has been arrested and charged with masturbating in front of Dallas undercover police officers in a park. Here’s more from KDFW-TV on the Jermaine Jakes case.

Obama on Church-State

Associated Press takes a snapshot of the Obama administration's start on church-state issues.

Praise Darwin

This is Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday. To celebrate, the Freedom From Religion Foundation bought a billboards in Dayton Tennessee that says Praise Darwin, Evolve Beyond Belief. The city is located north of Chattanooga was the site of the infamous 1925 Scopes “Monkey Trial”. Darwin's treatise On The Origin of Species was instrumental in the case fought over whether evolution should be taught in Tennessee public schools. The Freedom From Religion Foundation says it tried to buy a billboard inside the city limits of Dayton but was turned down.

Obama Church Search

Jon Stewart's Daily Show takes a look at the Obama family's search for a new church home in Washington.

Bishop Removed from Leadership Position

The Catholic Bishop who’s created an international controversy for his denial of the Holocaust no longer leads a seminary in Argentina. Richard Williamson no longer the director of the La Reja seminary on the outskirts of the Argentina capital. The Pope had rescinded William’s excommunication last month but the Vatican recently called on him to recant his views.

When in Rome..

The Deaf Baptist Fellowship in Rome, Georgia has been meeting at the Hollywood Baptist Church since it first began in 2003. Six deaf people joined pastor Mason Fenner on that first Sunday. The church began to grow and a youth service was added in 2005. The regular service now includes video and other visual aides. But there are no interpreters. The service is entirely done in sign language. The outreach is an effort of the Georgia Baptist Convention.

Rare Collection Up for Sale

A collection of what many experts consider the greatest collection of Hebrew books and manuscripts in private hands will soon go on sale at Sotheby’s. The 11,000 items are part of the Valmadonna Trust Library. The collection includes a 16th-century Hebrew Bible once owned by Westminster Abbey and a complete edition of the Babylonian Talmud that was printed in the 16th century. Valued at more than $40 million, the collection is on display in New York for another week. The seller is 88-year-old London collector Jack Lunzer.

Christian Music Grammy Winners

Kirk Franklin - Best contemporary R&B Gospel album for Fight for Your Life, Best Gospel song for Help Me Believe

Mary Mary - Best Gospel performance award for Get Up

tobyMac - Best rock or rap Gospel album award for Alive and Transported

CeCe Winans - Best pop/contemporary Gospel album for Thy Kingdom Come

From Gospel Singer to Suspect

He used to sing Gospel music but now he’s wanted by the police for murder. Rasheen Gamble is a member of the Harlem Heavenly Notes, nicknamed The Holy Ghost Band. The all brass ensemble played in churches and on the street, and was recently featured at the Apollo Theater. Police say Gamble shot a security guard in his building, wounded a neighbor and then fled.

Pastor's Conference

Pastors and minister workers are gathering in San Diego this week for a four-day conference for pastors. More than 2000 are expected to attend the 9th annual National Pastors Convention. Among the speakers: Megachurch pastor Bill Hybels who founded Willow Creek Community Church in Illinois, controversial emergent church leaders Brian McLaren and Rob Bell. William Paul Young, author of the controversial bestseller The Shack, will be on hand as well.

Caylee Anthony Service

Thousands of people are expected at the First Baptist Church of Orlando at Caylee Anthony's memorial service this morning. The slain toddler’s disappearance gained national attention.

One of the largest services at the church was a service for the founder of Campus Crusade, Bill Bright. The church's sanctuary can hold more than 5,000 people.

Theives Hit Christian Radio Station

Someone has stolen a $16,000 natural gas-powered generator and a large trailer from a radio station owned by Bible Baptist College in Springfield, Missouri. The 60 kilowatt generator had not yet been installed or even delivered to KWFC, a noncommercial station. All the items had been paid for with donations from listeners and was intended to keep the station on-the-air during emergencies when power would go out.

Warren's Mag Debuts

Rick Warren's new Purpose Driven magazine is now on news stands. The Purpose Driven Connection is a quarterly magazine published with help from Reader's Digest. Besides the magazine itself, there is a study guide and DVD to foster small-group discussion. An Annual subscription will run you $29.99. The megachurch pastor wrote The Purpose Driven Life, a book that has sold more than 40 million copies.

Borat's Girlfriend: Methodist to Jewish

Actress Isla Fisher is undergoing conversion to Judaism. She was brought up a Methodist but had a daughter with comedian Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) who is Jewish. They are waiting until she completes the process before getting married. Fisher has taken on the Hebrew name Ayala, which means “doe,” and she no longer eats pork or other nonkosher food.

A Contemporary Prodigal Son

Joe Eszterhas is a Hollywood screenwriter who’s credits include Basic Instinct, Flashdance and Showgirls. He’s now written the story of his return to the Catholic faith of his youth in Crossbearer: A Memoir of Faith. He describes a self-destructive lifestyle that included drug and alcohol abuse and a battle with throat cancer.

Ministries Feel Financial Squeeze

Major Christian media ministries are feeling the economic squeeze:

• James Dobson’s Focus on the Family cut more than 400 positions in the last four years.
• Salem (owner of more Christian radio stations than anyone else)has sold four stations, cut one-tenth of its workers and reduced salaries by 5%.
• Paul Crouch’s TBN (the nation's largest Christian TV network) has laid off many employees and workers and finding it difficult to fill up its programming schedule because of cutbacks by staples like T.D. Jakes and Joyce Meyer.

How Much is a Trillion?

Congressional leaders are throwing around big numbers when discussing the stimulus package under debate. One version of the bill calls for spending $917 billion. Nearly a trillion dollars. How much money is that?

We could spend one million dollars every day since the day Jesus was born and we would still not have one trillion dollars. Jesus was born about 2012 years ago. 2012 x 365.2 = 734,782.4. So if we spent one million dollars every day since the day Jesus was born, we'd have spent $734,782,400,000 or almost 735 billon dollars.

(Houston Chronicle)

Evolution Weekend

Churches across the country – about 1000 in all, have agreed to take part in Evolution Weekend. That includes a dozen Baptist churches such as the First Baptist Church of Kansas City, Missouri, the First Baptist Church of Gaithersburg, Maryland and University Baptist Church in Austin, Texas. . It’s February 13-15 because Thursday, February 12th is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. The goal of the event is to present evolution as sound science and not in conflict with religion.

The Creation Museum

AFP takes a look at the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky.

College Upset with John Grisham

Duquesne University is not happy with John Grisham. His latest thriller uses the Pittsburgh Catholic school as the site of a fraternity house rape. his new novel.

The rape is based on a true story that took place at the University of Virginia, where a former student confessed to raping a classmate at a fraternity party 20 years earlier. Grisham has told interviewers the school was picked at random because he just happened to be in Pittsburgh for a sporting event.

The central character in Grisham’s novel, The Associate, attends Duquesne on a basketball scholarship. It was during the 80’s that four players on the school's team were charged with raping a student. And two years ago, someone shot five Duquesne basketball players at the student union.

I Believe Newspaper Boxes

A South Carolina newspaper is letting Christians advertise their faith on their newspaper boxes. The Aiken Standard is putting I Believe in place of the newspaper's name for $13. A judge recently ruled the state could not issue license plates with the same phrase.

No 90 Foot Crosses

The South Hills Church Community in Las Vegas will not be allowed to put up three 90 foot crosses. The Clark County commission voted against a request from the church’s pastor to allow the crosses to go up. Commissioners did agree to allow much shorter 50 foot crosses.

Custom Music Publisher

Churches wanting more control over how they use songs in worship services have a new tool at their disposal. SongMap is a new product from Lifeway Christian Resources, the publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. The online digital music tool similar to Apple's iTunes. It lets users download Christian music like a custom music publisher. There are about 900 downloadable songs so far. Tunes can be custom arranged and users can transpose keys and download their own variations of the songs in sheet music for various instruments for $1.49 each. This will allow churches to custom build songs the way they want.

National Prayer Breakfast

Barack Obama at the The annual National Prayer Breakfast this morning in Washington:

We know too that whatever our differences, there is one law that binds all great religions together. Jesus told us to "love thy neighbor as thyself." The Torah commands, "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow." In Islam, there is a hadith that reads "None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." And the same is true for Buddhists and Hindus; for followers of Confucius and for humanists. It is, of course, the Golden Rule – the call to love one another; to understand one another; to treat with dignity and respect those with whom we share a brief moment on this Earth.

It is an ancient rule; a simple rule; but also one of the most challenging. For it asks each of us to take some measure of responsibility for the well-being of people we may not know or worship with or agree with on every issue. Sometimes, it asks us to reconcile with bitter enemies or resolve ancient hatreds. And that requires a living, breathing, active faith. It requires us not
only to believe, but to do – to give something of ourselves for the benefit of others and the betterment of our world.

Attendance Falling at Churches of Christ

There are fewer folks in Churches of Christ pews than any time since 1980. A new church report (called the 21st Century Christian) shows 12,629 congregations (526 fewer than in 2003) and 1,578,281 "adherents” as the report calls them (78,436 fewer than in 2003). One reason for the decline: 21 churches with Sunday morning instrumental worship services are not included. That cuts out congregations like the Richland Hills Church near Ft. Worth, Texas with more than 5000 members. But if you adjust for the instrumental churches, there is still a significant decline. Of greatest concern to the denomination is the aging congregations. The number of children has dropped 7%. Note: There's a long dispute in COC circles over whether musical instruments should be used in church services.

Chinese Bibles

The Southern Baptist publishing arm LifeWay Christian Resources plans to sell Bibles in Chinese. Its Holman Bible Publishers group has already printed 20,000 copies of a modern translation of the New Testament. The Chinese Standard Bible is considered to be the first direct Chinese translation by scholars from the original Greek. The Bibles will be available in the US, Canada and Brazil. They may eventually become available in China. The company laid off 5% of its work force last year and LifeWay has refused to reveal how sales are going during the current economic downturn.

Obama's Faith Initiative

This morning at a prayer breakfast, President Obama is set to introduce a new 25-member President's Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The president will sign an executive order saying the new office must look for guidance from the Department of Justice on issues like “nondiscrimination laws”.

The program will be structured similar to the way the Bush program was structured and that may upset some on the left. The new 25-member advisory council to the office includes both religious and secular leaders.

Here are some of the people who will be named to it.

• Diane Baillargeon, president and CEO of Seedco
  
• Fred Davie, president of Public/Private Ventures
  
• Pastor Joel Hunter, Northland Church
  
• Vashti McKenzie, African Methodist Episcopal Church
  
• Frank Page, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention
  
• Eboo Patel, executive director, Interfaith Youth Core
  
• Melissa Rogers, professor of religion and public policy at Wake Forest University Divinity School.
  
• David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
  
• Judith N. Vredenburgh, president and chief executive officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters

Bibles with the Newspaper

People living around Tampa got something special with their newspaper Saturday. The Tampa Tribune delivered copies of the New Testament to all of its subscribers. It was part of an ongoing effort by the International Bible Society around the country. Local churches and businesses came up with $127,000 to make it happen. Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy was featured on the cover.

No Pants, No Job

Washington's Metro system will pay Gloria Jones $47,000 for religious discrimination. Jones says the transit authority refused to hire her as a bus driver because of her religious beliefs. She a member of the Apostolic Pentecostal faith and refuses to wear pants on the job.

Focus: More than Half Million for Prop 8

James Dobson's Focus on the Family donated $657,000 to help promote California’s Prop 8. The initiative bans gay marriage. That figure includes mailing costs and radio program time. The funds went to the group Protect Marriage. The Mormon church donated $189,000.

Vatican Orders Bishop to Recant

The Vatican is now ordering a Bishop who denies the Holocaust to publically renounce the idea. Richard Williamson sparked a strong reaction after it became apparent the pope had lifted the excommunication of a Holocaust denier. Williamson has apologized to Pope Benedict XVI for his "imprudent remarks" but that is not enough for the Vatican - even though the Pope's number two man said yesterday the case is considered "closed" yesterday. Williamson told a TV interviewer recently that the evidence "is hugely against six million Jews being (killed in the Holocaust) as a deliberate policy of Adolf Hitler.” Israel's highest religious authority decided to cut ties with the Vatican over the issue.

Bible Study at School Under Fire

A judge wants an elementary school to stop letting a Bible study on school grounds. The By the Book program at Horace Mann Elementary in Huntington, near Fort Wayne, Indiana takes place weekly at a trailer in the school’s parking lot. A parent of a child in the school filed suit against it in November. The weekly meetings have been a part of the schools extra-curricular offerings for 50 years. Indiana state law allows students two hours of time for them to practice their religion.

Habitat Founder Dies

The man who started Habitat for Humanity has died. Co-founder Millard Fuller was 74. He died on the way to a south Georgia hospital after complaining of chest pains.

Fuller separated from Habitat after a conflict with the board of directors in 2005. He objected to how the organization was being run and started a new organization called the Fuller Center for Housing.

Churches Say it was a Scam

Two dozen Michigan churches say they were tricked into signing leasing contracts for video terminals for interactive educational systems. Seven of those churches have filed a lawsuit against United Leasing of Waukesha, Wisconsin for $700,000. Also named in the suit: Television Broadcasting Online and the Urban Interfaith Network.

The churches agreed to put the kiosks in their buildings so parishioners could get information from the Internet and the church’s website. Pastors of the churches claim they were told the terminals were free and promised monthly revenue from commercial sponsorships. But sponsors never materialized. And some of the churches say United Leasing took thousands of dollars out of their accounts without permission.

United Leasing itself has already filed a suit against 39 churches in Arkansas, California, Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. The company claims these predominantly urban congregations owe nearly one-and-a-half-million dollars.

Abuse Scandal Among Hasidic Jews

NPR reports on an abuse scandal among Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn.

Guns in Church

Arkansas may let licensed gunholders to carry a concealed handgun with them to church. A house committee will take up the measure tomorrow.

ORU Gets $10 Million

Oral Roberts University is getting a $10 million cash infusion for renovations. The money comes from the Green family let by Mart Green – who have already given a similar amount for the same thing last year.

Mart Green gots a spot on the ORU board for his past generosity with money made from craft supply giant Hobby Lobby and Christian bookstore and office supply chain Mardel. He’s a member of the Assemblies of God. Forbes says Green’s net worth is $1.8 billion.

The school has also added Charisma magazine founder Stephen Strang to the board of directors along with the World Compassion founder Terry Law.

New Russian Orthodox Leader

The Russian Orthodox Church has a new leader, the first to take the helm of the world's largest Orthodox church following fall of the Soviet Union. Patriarch Kirill has been supportive of reconcile with the Roman Catholic Church. He was deputy to his predecessor, Patriarch Alexy II who died in December after almost two decades as the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. Only about 1-in-20 Russians are serious about the faith.

Baptists Seek to Shore up Membership

Here's a story about at membership problems among Southern Baptists from Gannett News Service.

The Board Game of Divine Domination

A new board game called Playing Gods is just what it sounds like. Promoted as the world’s first satirical board game of religious warfare, it makes its US debut at this month’s New York Toy Fair. The game is already on store shelves in Europe.

Two to five players act as “gods” and try to take over the world, making everyone worship him or her. Players can threaten plagues and locusts or promise followers miracles and prosperity. Players pick any god from "Jesus.. to Zeus" or even "Oprah".

The game runs about $40.

Bishop Apologizes

Bishop Richard Williamson is apologizing to Pope Benedict XVI for his "imprudent remarks." Williamson told a TV interviewer last week that the evidence "is hugely against six million Jews being (killed in the Holocaust) as a deliberate policy of Adolf Hitler.” He had only recently been reinstated to his position after 20 years. Israel's highest religious authority decided to cut ties with the Vatican over the issue.

Outspoken Super Bowl Players

Super Bowl Connections to Christianity on the field:

• Cardinals QB Kurt Warner: “Everything I do and everywhere I go, I'm trying to represent Jesus."
  
• Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin on the importance of faith: “Faith is who we are. That's first and foremost in my life. It's so much bigger than the game..”
  
• Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger used to wear PFJ (Playing For Jesus) on his armbands until the NFL fined him for violating its uniform policy.
  
• Arizona cornerback Roderick Hood: "Our quarterback is a definite leader and devout Christian. I think that has spearheaded our growth. Also, guys see the peace we have on the field and want to find that themselves."
  
• When asked by a reporter, "Can you pray right now?" Arizona running back Tim Hightower said: "I can pray that whatever is going on in your life right now that you find God."
  
• Pittsburgh Safety Troy Polamalu takes teammates to services at his Eastern Orthodox Christian church.
  
• Steeler defensive lineman Aaron Smith said this when he discovered his son was diagnosed with leukemia: "It's really through the Lord's strength that I've been able to cope with this.”
  
• Baltimore Ravens center Jason Brown is part of a group of NFL players in Tampa to sing in a gospel choir this weekend: "It's our responsibility as players to put God in football.”

Probe into Sex Abuse in California

Federal prosecutors are looking into how Cardinal Roger Mahony and other Catholic church leaders dealt with abuse allegations. KMIR-TV in Palm Springs has more.

Fireproof is #1

Fireproof is now out on DVD. The indie pic was put together by Sherwood Church in Albany, Georgia for just half-a-million dollars. But it took in $33 million this past year. That makes it the most financially successful American independent movie of 2008. That's more than the COMBINED totals for The Visitor, In Bruges and Rachel Getting Married and the Oscar-nominated indiesFrozen.

Kirk Cameron who once starred in Growing Pains stars in Fireproof. He agrees to a Love Dare help save his marriage. The Bible-inspired program has caught on.

Seminary Sues Former Employee

Dallas Theological Seminary going after one of its former employees. The school wants former CFO Rodney Bryant to pay back more than $165,000 – money the seminary says was embezzled. Bryant served as chief financial officer for eight years at the school until this past fall. Dallas accuses him of forging signatures of other employees and paying money directly to two companies that he runs. Bryant denies the charges. Here's the suit.

Lawsuit Against Evangelical Web Portal

Rodney Sampson started StreamingFaith.com but now is suing his onetime partners. He claims they took millions of shares of stock in the company (Haywire Ventures) away from him before firing him in seven years ago. Sampson filed in Atlanta where he lives. Streaming Faith provides ministries a way to make video and audio feeds available over the internet. The CEO of the corporate parent of Streaming Faith says the lawsuit is “frivolous” according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Next Chronicles Will Make The Big Screen

The Chronicles of Narnia film series will go on. Disney dropped the series last month, leaving it up to co-producer Walden Media to keep the series alive. Walden is owned by conservative Christian businessman Philip Anschutz and does not have the ability to pull off the large scale production on its own. But 20th Century Fox has decided to step in and take Disney's place.

The next installment in the series will be The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. It's expect to hit the big screen in 2010, just before Christmas.

The first film, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe raked in a cool $745 million worldwide. The second film, Prince Caspian, made a respectable $420 million. That was more than any other Disney film made last year, except for WallcE. That’s not counting the fact that the DVD was among the top ten sellers last year which put another $83 million in Disney’s pocket. But for some reason, that wasn’t enough money for the entertainment giant.

The C.S. Lewis Society of California is glad to see Disney go. According to the Washington Times, Disney didn’t do much to work with people in churches and schools who have a special interest in Lewis’ work. Also, Disney made a change from the books written by CS Lewis by having in the second film, the main characters appear to be in their 20’s and flirty instead of showing them in their early teens and innocent.

Church Loses Members' Money

The Presbyterian church in Northern Ireland has lost all the money of members who invested in it. CNN has the story.