Bishop Leaving

A bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is leaving to become interim pastor at the largest ELCA congregation in the U.S. Bishop Craig Johnson leads the Minneapolis-area ELCA, but is resigning to become interim pastor of Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in South Minneapolis.

Bachman the Evangelical Feminist?

Is Michele Bachman an Evangelical feminist? CNN offers an article addressing the question. Read the story here.

Pastor Suspended

Amy DeLong has been suspended for 20 days from her church duties for performing a same-sex union. The United Methodist minister was found guilty by a jury made up of other pastors. They voted 9-4 in favor of suspension. DeLong is registered with her same-sex partner under Wisconsin's Domestic Partnership Law.

Camping Ends Radio Ministry

Harold Camping is going off the air. The radio evangelist who predicted the rapture would take place in May, will stop airing his radio program at the end of the month. The 89-year-old suffered a stroke just days afterward, leaving him hospitalized in Oakland, California.

Pawlenty Leading the Evangelical Vote

Evangelical leaders say, if they were voting today, they would pick Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty for the Republican presidential nomination. That's the finding of a poll by the National Association of Evangelicals. 45% say they plan to support Pawlenty. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney came in second with 14%.

Controversy follows Baptist theologian to North Texas

WFAA-TV reports on what's happened to the former head of Jerry Falwell's Liberty Baptist Seminary in Lynchburg, Virginia after his claims of having terrorist ties fell apart.

Megachurch Pulls Away from Exodus

Chicago-land megachurch Willow Creek is no longer associating itself with Exodus International, an ex-homosexual organization which claims to help people stop living a gay lifestyle. Willow Creek Community church is a bell-weather among Evangelical churches with services averaging some 24,000 attendees. Exodus Vice President Randy Thomas recently left and Senior Director of Church Equipping and Student Ministries Jeff Buchanan took over his position.

Methodist Jury: Guilty

A jury of Wisconsin United Methodist pastors has found Amy DeLong guilty of marrying a lesbian couple against church law. The vote was 13-0. However, on a 12-1 vote, she was found not guilty of a charge of being a "self-avowed practicing homosexual." The penalty could be anything from suspension to defrocking.

Worldwide Survey of Evangelicals

A new survey finds differing opinions as to whether Evangelicals are gaining influence in society. Most pastors in the "Global North" (Europe, North America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand) say Evangelicals are losing influence while most pastors in the "Global South" (sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East/North Africa, Latin America and most of Asia) say the opposite, according to the Pew Research Center. American Evangelical leaders are among the pessimistic. A whopping 82% say evangelicals are losing influence. Leaders in the Global South are generally more conservative than those in the Global North.

Pastor Pleads Not Guilty

Amy DeLong has pleaded not guilty in a United Methodist church trial to being a "self-avowed practicing homosexual." The Wisconsin pastor faces charges she violated church rules by officiating at the marriage ceremony of a lesbian couple. A jury of 13 Wisconsin pastors will hear her the trial. DeLong has said she is in lesbian relationship, but that doesn't prove she has been "practicing" homosexual acts with her partner, according to her representative during the proceedings.

Van Impe Off TBN

TBN is no longer airing Jack Van Impe's show after the televangelist wanted to air a program naming other prominent preachers as teachers of a corrupt gospel. The TV network has a specific policy against criticizing other ministries on its air waves and refused to air a program where Van Impe specifically went after Robert Schuller who leads the now bankrupt Crystal Cathedral and Rick Warren who wrote The Purpose Driven Life. The program was part of a series about "Chrislam" in which he says the two leaders are combining Christianity and Islam. Van Impe withdrew his program from TBN, saying, "I will not allow anyone to tell me what I can and cannot preach."

Doughnuts for Protesters

A Seattle pastor bought food for the Westboro Baptist Church members this weekend. Word got out the serial protesters were coming to Mark Driscoll's Mars Hill Church. He wrote a post on his blog welcoming Westboro "to our whore house for God's Grace and free donuts." Read it here.

Under God Deleted

NBC is apologizing for editing out "under God" out of clip of children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance that ran during the US Open. The network says it was a mistake.

Baptists on the Doctrine of Hell

Southern Baptists adopted a resolution titled Reality of Hell during the denomination's annual gathering in Phoenix. The move was direct rejection of Rob Bell's book Love Wins, which suggests hell is not forever. The messengers voted to “hereby affirm our belief in the biblical teaching on eternal conscious punishment of the unregenerate in Hell.” Some Southern Baptist leaders have accused Bell of being a universalist, a charge he denies.

Historic Baptist Election

Southern Baptists picked a black pastor to take the second top spot in the denomination today at their annual conference in Phoenix. Fred Luter will serve as first vice president, the first time a black man has held the post. He pastors a church in New Orleans, where next year's convention will be held.

College Closing

Bethany University is closing tomorrow. The 100-year-old Assemblies of God college in Santa Cruz has struggled financially and falling enrollment.

Baptist First

Southern Baptists may elect its first African-American to the second highest position in the denomination, vice president. Fred Luter pastors the Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans. Luter was the first African-American elected to the executive board of the Louisiana Baptist Convention in 1992 and he was the first African-American to preach the convention sermon at the Southern Baptist annual gathering in 2001. Delegates are meeting in Phoenix to elect new leaders.

Camping Has Stroke

The man who claimed the rapture would take place on May 21st is in the hospital after suffering a stroke at his home in Alameda, California. Harold Camping, 89, leads the Family Radio ministry, which spent millions of dollars on billboards and other advertisements around the country to warn people about the coming judgment. After the event did not happen, Camping claimed it came spiritually and not physically and that the rapture would now take place on October 21.

Baptisms Fall Again

Southern Baptists are baptizing fewer people than in the last 60 years. The number fell in 2010 by 5%, according to the new Annual Church Profile compiled by LifeWay Christian Resources. There were 332,321 baptisms in 2010, down from 349,737 in 2009. Membership is also down .15% from 2009. That's the 4th drop in a row.

National Antem Offlimits

Goshen College will no longer allow the national anthem played at sporting events. The pacifist college in Indiana says the song's military-themed lyrics run afoul of pacifist beliefs.

Graduation Prayer Allowed

Jerusalem: City of David

In the video below, 60 Minutes reports from under the city of Jerusalem at a controversial archeological dig that has become a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Blue Like Jazz: The Movie

A film version of the best-selling Christian book Blue Like Jazz will be screened in Portland this month. The film came about thanks to an odd Internet site called Kickstarter. The site allows people to post ideas for projects that readers can pledge to support. Steve Taylor, who made The Second Chance, set a goal of raising $125,000 through the site for Blue Like Jazz. But by last fall, he had $345,992. That's when a major investor saw the interest in the film and pledged to match that amount. Taylor is now calling everyone who gave $10 or more to thank than them. He's about halfway through a notebook of 3,300 names.

Polling Numbers on Mormon Candidates

A new poll finds 25% of voters say they would be less likely to support a candidate who is Mormon, such as Mitt Romney. About one-in-three white evangelicals say they would not consider voting for a Mormon candidate. The same Pew poll found only 18% said they would never consider backing Romney while nearly 40% of Republican voters said there was "no chance" they would ever vote for Newt Gingrich or Sarah Palin.

Davis Dies

Christian music pioneer Paul Davis has died at the age of 67. His New Christian Music Radio Show could be heard on over 360 radio stations around the world. Davis worked with the artists like Johnny Cash, Amy Grant, and Bill and Gloria Gaither. During the 1980s he became director of the Gospel Music Association.

Tony Alamo Verdict

Two former members of cult leader Tony Alamo's ministry have been awarded $33 million each by a Texarkana, Arkansas jury. They claim Alamo ordered them beaten. The jury found Alamo liable for battery, outrage and conspiracy. Alamo plans an appeal and his lawyers say the men will never see the money - because there isn't any. Last year, a federal judge awarded 5 young women whom Alamo sexually assaulted and took as "wives" $500,000 each.

Life in Prison for Meyer's Former Employee

Joyce Meyer's chief of security has been sentenced to life in prison for strangling of his wife and their two sons in their beds at home in Columbia, Illinois. Prosecutors says Christopher Coleman sent fake threats in an email and spray-painted obscenities on walls at the crime scene to make it look like the killings were the work of a Joyce Meyer stalker. His deceased wife's family has filed a lawsuit against Joyce Meyer Ministries for “its failure to recognize that accused family murderer Christopher Coleman was a threat to his wife and two sons."

Selling the Crystal Cathedral

Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral plans to sell its sanctuary in Orange County, California to pay off its debt and emerge from bankruptcy. A real estate investment group is interested in buying the campus, though the buyer's identities have been released. The church owes about $7.5 million. Some 150 staff members were let go and the congregation has dropped to less than 5,000.

Pastor Settles Lawsuit

Megachurch pastor Bishop Eddie Long will not be going to court over accusations of sexual misconduct. The Atlanta pastor was accused of having sexual relations with 4 men who were teenagers at the time. Long admitted traveling and sharing rooms with his accusers but says he never coerced them into sexual relationships. Nevertheless, Long has reached an out of court settlement. Neither party would disclose details of the agreement.

Oprah's God Comments

Oprah’s final TV show included some religious comments from the daytime host. She credited the success of her show to her Harpo team and to Jesus, “because nothing but the hand of God has made this possible... For all of you who get riled up when I mention God and you want to know which God am I talking about, I’m talking about the same one you’re talking about. I’m talking about the Alpha and Omega, the omniscient, the omnipresent, the ultimate consciousness, the source, the force, the all of everything there is, the one, the only G-O-D. That’s the one I’m talking about. Be still and know it. You can acknowledge it or not, you can worship it or not. You can praise it, you can ignore it or you can know it. It’s always there, speaking to you, waiting for you to listen. ... I wait and I listen for the guidance that is greater than my meager mind. The only time I’ve made mistakes is when I didn’t listen. So what I know is, God is love. And God is life. And your life is always speaking to you.”

Bible Docudrama Planned

Survivor and Apprentice producer, Mark Burnett, has agreed to create a 10-hour History channel docudrama based on the Bible to air in 2013. The program will be titled The Bible will, according to the History channel, "bring the book to life for a new and visually oriented generation around the world." It will be shot in the Middle East, combining live action and computer-generated imagery.

Patricia Heaton's Beliefs

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Preacher Makes New Rature Prediction

Radio evangelist Howard Camping now says the rapture will take place October 21. The 89-year-old says his prediction that it would take place this past Saturday was off by five months. Camping says after his prediction did not come true, he left his home with his wife and went to a hotel, away from the media.

Poll: Will Jesus Return by 2050?

About four-in-ten (41%) expect Jesus Christ to return during the 40 years, while slightly more (46%) say this will definitely or probably not happen. That's the finding of a new Pew survey. The same question was asked in 1999 and 44% said it would definitely or probably happen. 58% of white evangelical Christians say Jesus Christ will definitely or probably return to earth in this period, by far the highest percentage in any religious group. Only about a third of Catholics (32%), and even fewer white mainline Protestants (27%) and the religiously unaffiliated (20%) predict Jesus Christ’s return to earth.

Former Megachurch Pastor Arrested

Former megachurch pastor Randy White is out jail on a $500 bond after his arrest last night for DUI. Tampa Bay police report his blood alcohol was .093 and then .095 on a second check. Florida's legal limit is .08. He and ex-wife Paula once headed Without Walls International Church, a church with some 23,000 members at its height. He left a couple of years after their divorce in 2007.

Harold Camping

Who is Harold Camping and how did he decide the rapture will take place Saturday? Read details here.

The Site of Jesus' Baptism

Israel is removing land mines from the area traditionally viewed as the site of Jesus’ baptism on the Jordan River and where the Israelites crossed into the Promised Land after their flight from Egypt. Israel has spent millions on removing the land minds, which the government placed there during the 1970s. The number of visitors to the area, located on the West Bank near Jericho, has tripled in last seven years.

Jakes to Graham: Apologize

Dallas megachurch pastor T.D. Jakes is calling on Franklin Graham to apologize for casting speculation onto the president’s Christian faith. The son of evangelist Billy Graham has said he believes President Barack Obama was born a Muslim and that those religious roots affect his presidential policies and “the Islamic world sees the president as one of theirs.” Here's what Jakes said to one interviewer:

“We didn’t question the Christianity of President Bush when he said he accepted Christ, and I’m disappointed in Rev. Franklin Graham in that regard. And I would hope that he would see the rationale in apologizing for such statements — because if the president’s faith is suspect, then all of our faiths are suspect, because the Bible is quite clear about what it takes to be saved and the president has been quite open about his accepting Christ and him openly confessing it before men. And if it’s good enough for the Bible it ought to be good enough for the rest of us.”

As recently as last year, about 20% of Americans polled said they believed Obama was a Muslim.

Son No Billy Graham?

A religion scholar argues that Franklin Graham is an embarrassment to his father and a political hack. Read the article at CNN here.

So help me God

The Supreme Court has turned aside an appeal from atheist Michael Newdow. He claimed it was unconstitutional for Barack Obama to include “so help me God” in his inaugural oath of office in January 2009. A federal judge threw the suit out. Newdow also challenged the addition of “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance. Chief Justice Roberts, who was named in the suit for administering the oath, excused himself from the case.

Innocent Man Freed

A Texas man is out of prison after 27 years behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit. Both the district attorney’s office and the Innocence Project of Texas said DNA testing proves Johnny Pinchback was wrongly convicted in 1984. He was serving a 99 year sentence for the sexual assault of two teenage girls. Pinchback said he never doubted he would be freed one day because he held on to hope and God during his 27 years behind bars. He told the media when he was released, “It was pretty hard. But I trusted in God.”

Gay Clergy Decision

The Presbyterian Church, USA is dropping its ban on gay clergy. The measure takes effect July 10 and allows each congregation to decide whether to ordain pastors in same-sex relationships. Similar amendments to the denomination's constitutional were rejected three times since 1997.

Graham Hospitalized

Billy Graham is in an Asheville, NC hospital. The 92-year-old evangelist is being treated for a pulmonary ailment at Mission Hospital after a problem developed Tuesday night. Doctors say he is resting comfortably.

Rapture Prediction

Radio evangelist Harold Camping explains why he is predicting the rapture will take place May 21st in an interview here.

Church & Lawyers: An Uneasy Mix

A church defies its insurance company in handling abuse cases. Read the story here.

Lady GaGa's Judas

In her new single, Judas, Lady GaGa sings about being in love with the wrong guy, symbolized by Judas. In the song's video, she singer holding a gun to Judas’ head. In the video, Jesus wears a leather jacket and a crown of thorns on his head. She has told interviewers, “I don’t view the video as a religious statement. I view it as a social statement. I view it as a cultural statement. It’s a metaphor. It’s not meant to be a biblical lesson.” She sings in the song:

Jesus is my virtue
Judas is the demon I cling to
I'm just a holy fool, oh baby he's so cruel
But I'm still in love with Judas, baby

May 21st Rapture Prediction

May 21 is the date picked by a radio evangelist as the day of the Rapture. Oakland, California-based Family Radio has put up billboards that say "Judgment Day May 21." Harold Camping, who leads the network, arrived at the date this way, according to an interview he did with the San Francisco Weekly Magazine, "If we substitute 1,000 years for each of the seven days, 2011 is exactly 7,000 years from the Flood." To mock the prediction, an atheist group is throwing four "rapture parties" on May 21 and 22 across the country.

The 1st Mother's Day

Anna Jarvis organized the first official Mother's Day service one hundred years ago at a church in Grafton, West Virginia. Jarvis handed out hundreds of white carnations at St. Andrew's Methodist Episcopal Church. Her mother had taught Sunday school there until her death three years before. Jarvis never married or had children herself. The church eventually became a shrine to mothers. President Woodrow Wilson made Mother's Day a national holiday in 1914.

Book of the Year

A book about Dietrich Bonhoeffer is the 2010 Christian Book of the Year, according to the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. The biography Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy written by Eric Metaxas tells how the German theologian was executed in April 1945 for his role in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

Getting to Know... Bob Jones University

1927 - Founded as Bob Jones College by Bob Jones Sr. in College Point, Florida
1933 - The school moved to Cleveland, Tennessee
1947 - Reopened as Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina
2000 - Bob Jones III is quoted in a campus paper as saying Catholicism is a cult George W. Bush speaks at the school during his presidential campaign. The school drops its ban on interracial dating
2005 - 5,000 students, more than 100 undergraduate majors and 55 graduate degrees

Jesus Daily is Top Page

A Facebook page called Jesus Daily had the most interactions of any page this past week: 1,950,938. It has 4,968,327 fans. The Bible came in third. See who else is on the list here.

Getting to Know.. CS Lewis

Here are a few highlights from the life of CS Lewis:

Job: Oxford professor of medieval poetry
Church: Anglican
Nickname: Jack

Timeline
1898: Born Clive Staples Lewis in Belfast, Ireland
1919: Began Attending Oxford
1923: Graduated Oxford
1931: Converted from Atheism to Christianity
1939: Started writing Wardrobe
1948: Returned to writing Wardrobe
1947: On the cover of TIME magazine
1950: First Chronicles of Narnia book published
1956: Marries American Joy Gresham
1960: Joy dies from cancer
1963: Lewis dies on the same day President Kennedy is assassinated
1994: A movie about Lewis is released called Shadowlands
2001-2005: Mere Christianity sells about a million copies in the US
2005: Screwtape Letters sells twice as many copies (843,000) as in the year 2001
2005: Disney releases The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, grossing more than $740 million
2008: Disney releases a sequel called Prince Caspian

National Day of Prayer

The National Day of Prayer is this coming Thursday. It will be the 60th annual observance. Congress first established a National Prayer Day in 1952. In 1988, lawmakers set the first Thursday in May as the official day for presidents to issue proclamations asking Americans to pray.

John Paul II Beatified

Pope Benedict beatified John Paul II before a crowd of some one million Catholics, moving John Paul a step closer to possible sainthood. Catholics worldwide celebrated the event. Some in the church have criticized beatification as happening too fast and under a cloud over the clerical sex abuse scandal. Benedict said the Polish-born John Paul helped turn what appeared to be the "irreversible" tide of Marxism with his courage and faith and "helped believers throughout the world not to be afraid to be called Christian."

Passion Star's Troubles

Passion of the Christ star Jim Caviezel spoke at the First Baptist Church of Orlando tonight. He spoke of his own and Mel Gibson's troubles. Read more here.

Arrested for Bible Reading

A Riverside County church is suing the California Highway Patrol because members were arrested at a Department of Motor Vehicles office - for reading Bible verses to those who were waiting. The DMV says the group needed a permit. The Hemet Calvary Chapel considers it a violation of members First Amendments rights. Watch video of the arrest below.

God and Cheating

How your viewpoint on God affects your willingness to cheat. Read the article in the LA Times here.

The Boot for Bisexuality

A Christian High School in California is getting flack for kicking out a student for talking about being bisexual on Facebook. The CBS affliliate in Sacramento has details.

Church Robbery

Two masked men burst into a Bible study in Sanford, Florida, demanding money last night. They robbed everyone at gunpoint at the Iglesia Apostolica church.

Church Threatened

A DC church is getting threats after comments from Sean Hannity. Read about it here.

Church Walkout

Some longtime members Crystal Cathedral orchestra members walked out of Easter Sunday services after they found out the church was only going to pay half the amount of money promised them them. The megachurch went into bankruptcy recently and has a debt load of nearly $60 million. Church officials will be in court over the matter next month.

Wilkerson Dies

UPDATE: The accident was a head-on collision. State troopers say the car drifted into on-coming traffic and ran into an 18-wheeler in East Texas at a Neches River bridge. Wilkerson's wife and another women were injured.

David Wilkerson died in a car accident today. The 79-year-old pastor started the Times Square Church. The crash happened in Texas. His wife, Gwen, was hurt in the accident as well. She's in critical condition. He came to national promenence early in his career when he started a ministry to gang members and drug addicts in New York. His tory was told in the best-selling book The Cross and the Switchblade. Times Square Church, which was founded in 1987, is now led by Pastor Carter Conlon and has more than 8,000 members.

Megachurch Hires Hollywood Director

Read about how a large Chicago church plans to make movies here.

Dove Winners

Among this year's Dove Award winners last night:

Francesca Battistelli - Artist of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year, Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year

Toby Mac - Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year

Marvin Sapp - Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year

Tamela Mann - Traditional Gospel Album of the Year

Point of Grace - Country Album of the Year

NEEDTOBREATHE - Group of the Year, Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year

Sandi Patty - Inspirational Album of the Year

Chris August - Male Vocalist of the Year, Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year

Group 1 Crew - Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year, Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year

Billboard Battle

CCM History

Today's New York Times offers an op-ed piece on the beginnings of Christian Contemporary Music. Read it here.

Minister Shoots Self Inside Church Amid Luring Allegations

Minister Shoots Self Inside Church Amid Luring Allegations: MyFoxPHOENIX.com

147 Years Ago Today

It was on this date in 1864 that the U.S. Congress added In God We Trust to U.S. coins.

Eggs Dropped from Copter

A Jacksonville church dropped some 20,000 eggs from a helicopter on a field for children. Here's a video of what the pastor called "Pandemonium" in a tweet.

Obama or Jesus

Some people in New York state are upset over a portable sign outside a church that reads, "President Obama or King Jesus." The Gardiner Reformed Church in Gardiner says it was the topic of the pastor's Sunday sermon. Pastor Gary Sissel says he did not intend to offend anyone with the message, which compared the power exercised by the president to the "humble" show of power by Jesus in the triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Protest at Mosque

Terry Jones, the Quran burning Florida pastor, wants to protest in front of a mosque. But a Michigan judge has told him to appear in court first. The protest is scheduled for later this week in Dearborn at the Islamic Center of America. Prosecutors have asked the judge to make Jones post a bond to cover the cost of additional police officers during the demonstration. When Jones burned a Quran at his small church in Gainesville, Florida last month, riots broke out in Afghanistan, leading to an attack on a United Nation's facility that killed seven staff workers.

Universalism Among Christians

One in four Christians say all people are eventually be saved, according to a new survey by Barna polling. Nearly the same number say a person’s religion does not matter because all faiths teach the same lessons. Four out of ten born again Christians say Christians and Muslims worship the same God. Barna says 43% of Americans agreed with the statement “It doesn’t matter what religious faith you follow because they all teach the same lessons." 54% percent disagreed with the statement. Rob Bell’s book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived has recently stirred debate over universalism. Time magazine's Easter Week edition features a cover story on Bell’s controversial views. Read more about the topic here.

School Blocks Own Paper

Liberty University refused to say why it blocked access to the campus newspaper part of last week. No one on campus could access the Lynchburg’s News & Advocate. But several news organizations are reporting that the site was blocked after the newspaper ran a story about the amount of federal student aid the school receives. The article by reporter Liz Barry ran with the headline ”Liberty tops state in federal aid for its students.” The school got some $445 million in federal financial aid last fiscal year. That's more than the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which received $420 million from the federal government, according to Salon.com. Read the full article here.

Fraudbusting Pastor Pleads Guilty‎

Barry Minkow, who did a 7 years in prison for fraud and later founded the Fraud Discovery Institute, plead guilty to insider trading just a few days ago. He could go back to prison for 5 more years as a result. Minkow became a pastor in San Diego after his release from prison and a film was made about him. The ZZZZ Best carpet cleaning swindler invested in the $4-million production and plays himself in the independently financed movie. He resigned from San Diego's Community Bible Church last month. Here's the movie trailer.

Palau in Vietnam

Luis Palau held revival meetings in Ho Chi Minh City over the weekend. The gatherings in Vietnam's largest city was the first time in the nation's history that an international Christian leader has been invited to preach on such a wide scale. Palau will speak in the capital city of Hanoi next weekend, though the meetings still need government approval.

Church Bars Students Over Sex Class

A Chattanooga church has withdrawn its invitation to a group of students from Chicago's Northwestern University. The Community Baptist Church objects to the schools human sexuality class. The class recently included an explicit sexual demonstration, drawing outrage from many inside and outside of the schools. The students, who had no connection with the class, had asked permission to camp out on the church's property while they volunteered on their school break to build a nature trail for the town.

The Passion of the C-List

Business Week takes a look at celebrities who have revived their careers in an article printed in the most recent issue. Read it here.

Bible Study Bloodshed

A Bible study in Florida ended with punches thrown - between women. Hiedi Rhodes of Panama City Beach was arrested when deputies found her fighting with another woman inside the home where the Bible study was taking place. Witnesses said she had begun smoking a marijuana cigarette and told to leave but refused.

Lady GaGa and Judas

In the newest single from Lady GaGa, the pop artist sings about her love of the diciple that betrayed Jesus. She tells interviewers that the track titled Judas is about “falling in love with the wrong man over and over again. It’s about constantly walking towards the light in my life, but always clutching onto the light while peering towards the devil in the back. I sing about what a holy fool I am, and that although moments in my life are so cruel and relationships can be so cruel I’m still in love with Judas. I still go back again to those evil things.”

Among the lyrics:

“When he comes to me, I am ready. I’ll wash his feet with my hair if he needs, forgive him when his tongue lies through his brain. Even after three times he betrays me, I’ll bring him down, a king with no crown.”

She was raised a Roman Catholic and attended an all-girl private Catholic school and now believes "God comes in many forms." Lady GaGa once told CNN's Larry King, "I’m quite a religious woman that is very confused about religion."

Exorcism, Satanism and the Internet

NPR offers a report on a Vatican Conference covering exorcism, Satanism and the Internet here.

High Court Upholds Tax Credit

In a major victory for religious schools, The Supreme Court has upheld giving tax breaks to Arizona religious schools of up to $500 per person or $1,000 for a couple. The 5-4 decision will impact similar laws in other states. This reverses an Appeals ruling that declared this approach an unconstitutional subsidy for teaching religion.

Suit Over Bible at School

Kenneth Dominguez is suing a California school district. The 16-year-old says a year ago he was disciplined by Gateway East High School for bringing his Bible to campus. The San Diego County school is part of the Grossmont Union High School District. The Pacific Justice Institute is representing Dominguez.

Easter Ad Rejected

A Southern California movie theater is refusing to run an ad for a local church's Easter service because the name of Jesus is mentioned. Compass Bible Church in Aliso Viejo wanted movie goers in Orange County to know in an advertisement that would run before movies start that the congregation holds its Easter services at the University of California, Irvine. But NCM Media Networks refused to accept the ad because of its religious content.

Booty to Spoils

The new translation of the Bible from the the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops replaces the word "booty" with the word "spoils." The same is true with other words like "gay" and "grass" and "getting stoned." The translators say it better reflects the meaning of the term in the original and is less likely to bring snickers at Sunday School. The newest edition of the New American Bible will be released Ash Wednesday, March 9.

Pole Dancing for Jesus

A former exotic dancer offers a class called Pole Fitness for Jesus in Houston. Crystal Deans operates Best Shape of Your Life, a pole dancing studio. Upbeat contemporary Christian music is used during workouts. Here's a video report.

Pole Dancing for Jesus Class in Texas: MyFoxNY.com

App Inventor in Coma

The teen who came up with the app called A Note to God is in a coma. Allen Wright was struck by a hit-and-run driver while crossing a street in Sacramento, California. His family is asking for users of the popular iPhone application to pray for Wright. His app lets iPhone users send prayers into cyberspace and allows them to read the prayers of others and offer support. He had been working as a police cadet and planned to join the Marines after his graduation from high school this Spring.

Thanking God for Earthquake

A video making the rounds appears to feature a blonde American college student thanking God for the earthquake in Japan. The young woman thanks God for "shaking Japan awake" from the slumber of secularism but it is apparently a fake which she revealed in a later video. Here's the original one that stirred the controversy.

High Court Declines "In God" Case

The Supreme Court will not consider a case challenging the In God We Trust slogan printed on our money. Atheist Michael Newdow, who has filed many such suits claims it is a religious endorsement. He plans to refile his lawsuit in another district.

New Translations

There are two new Bible translations coming out this week. Zondervan is printing the newest edition of the NIV, the most widely used translation by Protestants. Meanwhile, the US Roman Catholic bishops are will offer The New American Bible, Revised Edition.

Church Drops Baptist from Name

Two Rivers Baptist Church is changing its name. The prominent Nashville church is dropping the word Baptist and will soon call itself the Fellowship at Two Rivers, effective March 20. Located near the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center, the church drew some 3000 people at one time. Now, only about 650 come each Sunday.

Scumbags Welcome

A Central Florida church has put up a billboard reading 'Scumbags Welcome!' The Saturday Night Live (SNL) church in Tavares paid for the sign on Highway 441 between the towns of Tavares. The pastor says complaints have been pouring in but there are no plans to take the billboard down. In fact, SNL has another potentially controversial billboard going up in a few months that references sex. The church is about a year old and has around 50 members who meet on the campus of the Tavaras First United Methodist Church.

Who Goes to Heaven & Hell

A new book is stirring controversy before it hits book shelves at the end of the month because the author offers his view of who is going to hell. Rob Bell, pastor of Michigan's Mars Hill Bible Church is catching flack in social media for his book Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. Publicity material suggests Bell argues in the book that a "loving God would never sentence human souls to eternal suffering." Here's a video of Bell about his views on hell.

TV Preacher Called Fraud

Peter Popoff is offering "debt cancellation kits" that he claims can wipe out all debt. Despite the fact it was revealed he used radios to fool audiences during services, the TV preacher and faith healer reported more than a million dollars in income to his family from his nonprofit organization in 2005. KABC-TV has this video report on what many media watchdogs call a ministry based on fraud.

Prof Fired

Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia has dismissed a part-time professor for being gay. Officials at the Catholic school say they discovered James St. George sexual orientation from a post on his blog. Some students have told local media that an Internet search easily reveals George's sexual orientation and they question how the school could not have known his views when he was first hired. He's been working at the private college for two years, teaching classes in theology, justice and world religions. George is a member of the Old Catholic Apostolic Church of America, which is not affiliated with the Vatican and allows commitment ceremonies for gays and lesbians.

Abortion Billboard Removed

Pirates Murder Couple Giving Out Bibles

African Pirates have killed an American couple delivering Bibles around the world. Jean and Scott Adam were sailing around the world when their yacht was hijacked by Somali pirates. A US Navy ship was following the yacht when the Adams and another couple were killed. The Adams passed out Catholic Bibles from the American Bible Society and New International Version Bibles from the International Bible Society. Scott Adam earned a master of theology degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California last year.

Hate Crime in Washington State

Someone wrote disparaging remarks about Jesus, and painted swastikas on vehicles at a residence in North Spokane. Someone left a burned Bible on a nearby porch. Police are looking into it as a hate crime.

Couple Denied Entry at Museum

Kentucky's Creation Museum would not allow a same-sex couple entry during a date night event. The two men claim they also did not get a refund. The two tickets cost them $71.90. A Museum spokesperson said the promotional material indicated the event, including a talk from founder Ken Ham about love and marriage, was for heterosexual couples only. A local writer had suggested on his blog that it was the "duty of his readers to send a flamboyantly gay couple" to the event.

Church Attendance

The number of people attending mainline churches is dropping, according to a yearly report, produced by the National Council of Churches. Meanwhile, the only religious groups showing increases are Jehovah's Witnesses and the Seventh-Day Adventists (up more than 4%), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (up just over 1%), the Catholic church and the Assemblies of God (up just over one-half of one percent), and the Church of God Cleveland (up about a quarter of one percent).

Here are the mainline churches reporting declines in membership:

United Church of Christ, down 2.83%
Presbyterian Church, USA, down 2.61%
Episcopal Church, down 2.48%
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. down 1.96%
American Baptist Churches USA, down 1.55%
Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod), down 1.08%
United Methodist Church, down 1.01%

The Southern Baptist church also fell about half of one-percent.

Benny Hinn Lawsuit

A lawsuit against Benny Hinn claims the televangelist broke a morality clause in a contract between them. Strang Communications says it gave Hinn $300,0000 for three books he was going to write and Strang was going to publish. But the suit claims he violated a morality clause in the book contract when he started what's described in the document as an "inappropriate relationship" with another popular charismatic figure, namely, Paula White. The court document says Hinn admitted to having an "inappropriate relationship" with White this past fall and agreed to return the money but he never has given it back. A tabloid newspaper printed pictures of the couple last year entering and leaving an Italian hotel, holding hands. Both have denied a romantic relationship, although White has been divorced twice and last year Hinn's wife left him and filed for divorce.