Graffiti: "Death to Christianity"

A church in Jerusalem was vandalized early this morning with graffiti. Someone painted on the walls of the Baptist Narkis Street Congregation "Death to Christianity," a profanity about Jesus, and the words "Price Tag." That's a slogan sometimes used by nationalist Jewish settlers referring to attempts by the Israeli government to stop settlements in the occupied West Bank. Some care tires were slashed in the church's parking lot as well.

Linsanity!

The pastor of the New York Knicks' Jeremy Lin says the NBA star is staying in close contact with him. Stephen Chen, pastor of Redeemer Bible Fellowship in Mountain View, California, has told the media:

"It would be foolish to say that I'm not concerned with the temptations that are out there. The Scripture talks about the devil lying in wait like a lion waiting to devour. All Christians would be foolish to underestimate the devil. I did remind him of the Gospel and for him to continue to set his vision upon Christ."

Lin has become a basketball sensation after the Harvard graduate born in Taiwan has risen global fame within a few short weeks of remarkable play on the court.

Pastor's Daughter Shot in Head Dies

A pastor's daughter died today in Florida after being shot at church last Sunday. The shooting at Grace Connection Church happened after services. 20-year-old Hannah Kelley was shot in the back of the head at her St. Petersburg when Moises Zambrana was showing her boyfriend was looking at a gun that he might buy in another room when it went off, sending a bullet through the wall.

Shunning at a Megachurch

Slate takes a look at a brewing controversy in Seattle over the internal disciplinary procedures at Mark Driscoll's megachurch here.

Warren: Jail is Preferrable

Rick Warren says jail is preferable to supporting the Obama administration's policy that forces institutions affiliated with religious groups to provide coverage for birth control, abortion and sterilization. Warren Tweeted: "I'm not a Catholic but I stand in 100% solidarity with my brothers & sisters to practice their belief against govt pressure." He suggested that he's ready to go to jail and asked his Twitter followers to be ready to do the same.

NIV stays at LifeWay

LifeWay Bookstores will keep selling the new NIV Bible despite the fact that the Southern Baptist Convention - which owns the chain - voted to ask that 2011 edition with its gender-neutral language be removed from store shelves. Lifeway trustees, meeting in Nashville yesterday, decided the concerns of the convention over translation issues are not great enough to stop selling it, although the board also made it clear it is not endorsing the new translation. The older version of the NIV is the most popular Bible among Baptists and has been the best-selling version in the U.S. for years.

Megachurch Dedication

A new Dallas megachurch has the stamp of approval on it from Joel Osteen. The Elevate Life Church just opened its new, eight-story building and the Houston pastor spoke at the dedication. The "Cathedral of Frisco"is a nondenominational assembly, led by pastors Keith and Sheila Craft, with about 7000 in attendance each week.

Conversion to Islam

The son of movie director Oliver Stone is converting to Islam. Sean Stone is filming a documentary in Iran where he underwent a ceremony in the city of Isfahan. The younger Stone has taken the Muslim first name Ali. In recent interviews, he has defended Iran's president, saying the country has a right to pursue nuclear weapons to defend itself against threats from Israel.

Speed-Faithing

Dominican University is holding a "speed-faithing" event today. Instead of trying to connect people for potential romance, as in speed-dating, the Chicago-area catholic school will give students the opportunity to talk about the important questions in life. Participants will sit down with strangers for a five-minute conversations about their religious beliefs. The university successfully held one this fall that was open to everyone on campus. This time, only students will be allowed to take part. The Interfaith Youth Core, an ecumenical organization working on college campuses is cosponsoring the event.

Shooting at Florida Church

A pastor's daughter was shot in the back of the head at her St. Petersburg church yesterday. 20-year-old Hannah Kelley is in critical condition after a bullet hit her in the head after going through a wall at Grace Connection Church after services. Her boyfriend was looking at a gun that he might buy in another room when it went off.

Focus On The Family's President

NPR interviews the president of Focus on the Family here.

On this Date... 1954

It was on Feb 7, 1954 that George Docherty gave his sermon urging that Congress add "Under God" to Pledge of Allegiance

Georgia Pastor Apologizes to Jewish Group

Megachurch pastor Eddie Long has written a letter to the Anti-Defamation League, apologizing for a ceremony at his Atlanta church where he was wrapped in a torah and exalted as king. Watch a video of the event in an earlier post.

Tebow could go into politics

Tim Tebow may one day step off the football field and into politics. During an interview last night, the Denver Broncos quarterback said..

"It could be something in my future.. if it's something I care about, possibly... Ultimately I know that my goal and my platform through the game of football isn’t just to score touchdowns and win games. You know, it’s about being a great role model and setting an example for the next generation. My ultimate goal is to be an athlete that some mom or dad can look at their son and daughter and say, ‘That’s someone who’s trying to do it the right way, that’s someone who’s trying to live with character." 

Here are some video excerpts from the interview.

FCC say no to Graphic Super Bowl Ad

The FCC says a Chicago TV station does not have to run a graphic anti-abortion ad during the Super Bowl. Christian activist Randall Terry wanted to buy the ads as part of his campaign for the Democratic nomination for President. Broadcast stations are not allowed to censure political ads once they accept ads for a particular race. But WMAQ-TV refused, so Terry appealed to the FCC. The Commission supported the station's decision, basing its ruling on Terry's failure to show that he is a bona fide candidate who is running a substantial campaign, necessary requirements in order for him to be considered a legitimate candidate entitled to the broadcast time. Terry is not on the ballot in Illinois. The Commission also said that Terry had no right to demand when his ads would run.

Woman reads Bible to attacker

A North Carolina mother stopped an attacker by ready the Bible to him for an hour. The man slashed the throat of Lindsay Wood right after she returned home from church Wednesday night. He eventually apologized and fled the scene. Wood was hospitalized with wounds requiring several dozen stitches. The man is still on the run. There is a video report from WSOC-TV here.

Baptists Poised to Make History

Southern Baptists could soon have its first Black leader. Fred (Chip) Luther says he will seek to become president of the denomination. Baptist leaders says the New Orleans pastor is the easy favorite. Church representatives will meet in his city during June to make a decision, when Georgia's Bryant Wright finished his second one-year term. Luther already made history by becoming the convention's first African-American vice president. At the moment, Luther has no other competition for the post.

Eddie Long 'Crowned King'

Jewish leaders and Messianic Jewish groups say they are outraged over an incident at Eddie Long's Atlanta megachurch this past Sunday. A Messianic preacher had two men wrap Bishop Eddie Long in a large scroll of the Torra and called a "king." Long has been in the middle of a sex scandal. There are accusations that he sexually abused several teenagers at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church over a period of years. See the video below.

Osteen's Church Sued

A man who volunteered at Joel Osteen's Houston is suing the megachurch because of molestation accusations. Daniel Guzman claims Lakewood Church was negligence when another volunteer accused him of inappropriately touching an autistic child in 2010. Because the child cannot speak the police investigation was inconclusive. However, Guzman was arrested a year later, but he was never indicted for lack of evidence. In his lawsuit, Guzman claims the church "abandoned" him - while failing to gather video evidence and training of church personnel to deal with the issue. His attorney says Guzman left the state over the allegations.

Obama: What Would Jesus Tax?

President Barack Obama spoke today at the National Prayer Breakfast, saying Jesus’s teachings have shaped his beliefs about taxes. He told the audience that the rich should pay more not only because “I actually think that is going to make economic sense, but for me as a Christian, it also coincides with Jesus’ teaching that ‘for unto whom much is given, much shall be required." Here's the video of the event at the Washington Hilton.

Tebow Turns Down Parsley

Tim Tebow won't be speaking at a Rod Parsley revival in Ohio as originally planned. After researching some of Parsley's controversial views, particularly his prosperity teaching, the Denver Broncos quarterback declined the invite. Robbie Tebow, Tim's brother, says their speakers' bureau didn't check out the event enough before agreeing to appear. Televangelist Kenneth Copeland is also slated to speak.

Missionary Couple Murdered

A missionary couple killed near Monterrey, Mexico will be buried near Dallas today. John and Wanda Casias were found strangled in their home Tuesday during an armed home invasion. They had labored on the mission field for nearly 30 years. John Casias was 76 and and Wanda Casias was 67.Funeral services are being planned Lewisville's Liberty Baptist Church. Read more about their work here.

Charges in Murder of Pregnant Woman

For the first time, a North Carolina man faces murder charges in the death of an unborn child under a new law that went into affect this year. Mark Anthony Cox is accused of robbing the Flying Biscuit restaurant and killing the manager, Danielle Watson, who was pregnant. Here's two video reports from WCNC-TV in Charlotte.

Megachurch for Sale

The Fellowship at Two Rivers is selling its sanctuary. The former Two Rivers Baptist Church near the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center in Nashville is a meagchurch that once needed its 3000 facility. But now, after the church split over a legal controversy involving a former pastor, there's less than 1000 people coming each week. a

Kim Kardashian gets Spritual

Kim Kardashian says she wants to start a Bible study. Before going to church this weekend in Los Angeles, the TV reality star told her 12 million Twitter followers "On my way to church with the girls!" and later she tweeted, "I want to start a bible study group with my friends!" Kardashian told CNN's Piers Morgan that she gives 10% of whatever she makes to the LifeChange Community Church. Her mother started the Calabasas, California congregation last year. The pastor, Brad Johnson, officiated at the marriage of Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom. There have been rumors that Kim Kardashian has a crush on Tim Tebow but the Denver quarterback has turned aside her overtures.

Twitter Censoring Messages

Twitter Inc., the microblogging service, gave itself extra flexibility to censor information in parts of the world that impose restrictions on self-expression. Effective yesterday, Twitter added the ability to censor tweets on a country-by-country basis, rather than globally, the San Francisco-based company said in a blog post.
 

The shift would let Twitter comply with strictures in one country without having to pull offending tweets from its entire audience. Previously, Twitter banned offensive content on a global basis, rather than for a specific nation. Still, the decision drew criticism from some users because the service has been used as an agent of social change around the world, including the Middle East.

Some Twitter users are calling for a boycott of the service tomorrow in protest of the decision. They’re using “#TwitterBlackout” as a hash tag -- a label that lets people easily find tweets on the same topic.

Reporters Without Borders, an organization that seeks to defend freedom of information, also said it was disturbed by Twitter’s decision.

Read more here

PBS on ‘The Evangelical Vote’

PBS’s Religion & Ethics Newsweekly takes a look at Evangelicals and their views on the Republican presidential race, particularly the religious views of Mitt Romney.

Watch The Evangelical Vote on PBS. See more from Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

Appeal Court: Student Expulsion Could be Religious Hostility

An appeals court has sided with a student who was expelled from her university for refusing to counsel a client about a same-sex relationship. Julea Ward told professors at Eastern Michigan University her Christian faith prevented her from supporting the sexual orientation of gay clients. She asked to have a gay client referred to another counselor. Instead, she was kicked out of school. A judge said the university was within its right to remove her from the program since she was unwilling to fulfill its requirements for a counseling degree. But today, the Sixth Appeals court said Ward's claim could be legitimate and sent it back to the lower court for further consideration. The judges said that she may have been dismissed because of "hostility toward her speech and faith." A spokesperson for the school says the case is really about doing what's best for the client.  The decision returns the case to the district court for a jury trial. The Sixth Circuit includes Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee, so the legal precedent applies only to those states.

Church Bans Girl Scout Troop

St. Timothy Catholic Church in Chantilly, Virginia will not allow a Girl Scout troop to use its facilities any longer. The pastor says the decision was based on the Scout's association with Planned Parenthood. The Girl Scout have issued a statement denying any relationship between it and Planned Parenthood.

Churches Ask for Captioning Exemptions

Some 80 religious programmers are asking the FCC to exempt them from the Commission's new closed captioning rules because of financial hardship. This past fall, the FCC told more than 500 programmers, most of them religious broadcasters, that their exemptions would no longer apply and they would have to refile for a new exemption by January 18 (last Wednesday). Programmers were told they would have to fully document their financial resources and show that providing captioning would put an undue burden on the organization. This time, the Commission says it wants to look at the resources of the whole organization and not just the TV program itself. Most of those filing for the new exemption are churches with weekly TV broadcasts, such as Curtis Baptist Church in Augusta, Georgia and Dilworth Church of Christ in Jasper, Alabama.

Why Evangelicals Don’t Like Mormons

The New York Times takes a shot at answering the question "Why Evangelicals Don’t Like Mormons" here.

Heavy Metal Rock Star to Seminary

The bass player for Megadeth -  is taking seminary classes. David Ellefson, an original member of the legendary band is now an online student in the Specific Ministry Program at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, which is associated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Ellefson grew up on an farm in Minnesota where he attended Our Savior's Lutheran Church. He moved to LA and became the Megadeth bass player. Despite immediate success came addictions. He entered a recovery program at the age of 25 where he embraced his faith again. Ellefson got involved in a Lutheran church in Arizona, starting a music ministry called MEGA life. Ellefson has two more years of online classes at the seminary before he becomes eligible for ordination. At the same time, he's still a part of Megadeth, which begins a new tour with Motorhead next week. He's been quoted as saying, "I love praise and worship music, and I love heavy metal."

Suit over Bible Club

The Dysart Unified School District is facing a lawsuit over its refusal to allow a Christian club at West Point Elementary, in Surprise, Arizona. Child Evangelism Fellowship wanted to give out a flier and permission slips for after-school meetings for one of its Good News Club. The problem started when the school wanted to give out fliers about the after-school program but the school district said "no" because the religious nature of the information. The Alliance Defense Fund filed the suit and says that courts have consistently ruled that such a policy is discriminatory because the decision is based solely on it having religious content.

Pagan Mom Wants to Hand out Literature at School

A North Carolina school is refusing to allow the mother of a student to give out pagan spell books at the school. Ginger Strivelli, who practices Witchcraft, wanted to hand them out at North Windy Ridge intermediate school in Asheville. She was upset that her son came home with a Bible given out by the Gideons International at the school. The Buncombe County school board is reviewing its policies on allowing groups to distribute religious literature on campuses. A decision is expected at its next meeting, scheduled for February 2nd.

Christian Radio Station expands

KSBJ radio in Houston is buying another station in the market for more than $2 million. The noncommercial Christian station is taking over KNTE at 96.9 on the FM dial, which currently carries a Spanish contemporary format. KSBJ already owns six FMs and has the construction permit for another.

Robbery at AOG Credit Union

The Assemblies of God Credit Union, just a few miles from the denominations headquarters, was robbed this morning by a man claiming to have a gun. Local paper the News-Leader has this video report.

John 3:16 ad

Here's the video of the Focus on the Family ad that ran during the Denver Broncos playoff game. The ad focuses on the favorite Bible verse of Bronco's quarterback, Tim Tebow.

The Con Man turned Inmate turned Pastor turned Fraud Fighter turned Movie Maker turned Con Man

Read the remarkable saga of Barry Minkow from Fortune magazine here. Below is the video 60 Minutes did on Minkow in 2005 related to his scams and work for the FBI. A CBS article titled Barry Minkow: 3 Lessons from Fraud-Fighter's Fraud Arrest is here.

Focus On The Family Spot During NFL Playoff

Focus on the Family ran a 30 second ad during the second quarter of the Denver-New England playoff game. It showed children reciting Bible verse John 3:16. Denver quarterback Tim Tebow has been associated with the verse. The children appeared against the same type of white background that Tebow and his mom did during a 2010 Super Bowl ad. The organization said the money to buy the spot came from donors and not from its operating budget, which was just over $102 million.

Evangelical Leaders Throw Support to Santorum

Some 150 influential Evangelical leaders meeting in Texas have endorsed the presidential bit of Rick Santorum shortly ahead of the South Carolina primary. The group met at a ranch outside of Houston in an effort to consolidate their support behind one candidate rather than splinter the conservative vote. Evangelicals and social conservatives make up more than half of the Republican electorate in South Carolina. Those attending include Family Research Council president Tony Perkins, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, American Family Association founder Don Wildmon, and American Values president Gary Bauer.

Tewbowie

Comedian Jimmy Fallon sang a re-written version of David Bowie's song Space Oddity on his Late Night show this week, making the song about Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. Among the lyrics:

"Tim Tebow to Jesus Christ...can't win by myself, but with your help I might. Tim Tebow to Jesus Christ, commencing fourth-down hut, hut, hike. Snap the football and may God's love be with me. This is Jesus Christ to Tim Tebow...please leave me alone...don't you know my day of rest is Sunday...and I'm sick of watching all these Broncos games. I hear that you play New England next week. Dude you're on your own. Brady is too good and I have better things to do."

The clip has gotten nearly a million views and is posted below.

David Letterman's Top Ten

CBS Late Show host David Letterman used Bronco's quarterback Tim Tebow for one of his Top Ten lists this week. Here's Letterman's Top Ten Little Known Things about Tim Tebow: 10. Fell to Earth after his home planet Krypton exploded 9. Throws left, prays right 8. For breakfast has Icy Hot on toast 7. If you tell him your street address, he'll tell you the value of your home 6. Currently ninth on the Kim Kardashian athlete waiting List 5. Back in college, threw a football twenty yards! 4. One time, lost his temper and said "Darn it!" 3. Distracts defenders by flashing his beautiful, piercing blue eyes 2. Justin Bieber fans have "Bieber Fever"; Tim Tebow fans have "The Tebola Virus" 1. Can turn water into Gatorade

Tebow's Charity

Donations to Tim Tebow's charitable foundation since he took the helm of the Broncos. The Foundation expects to meet the fund-raising goal of $2.5 million soon, well ahead of the start of its fiscal year. Donors who give $25 get a Team Tebow T-shirt, car decal and information on where to volunteer at a foundation community function. Within 48 hours of his win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, membership went from 100 to more than 4000. Tebow pays all of the foundation staff and administrative costs, so that all donations go to the outreach efforts. One of the the efforts of his foundation is allowing children with serious health problems to visit him on the field before a game. Tebow flies them and their family to the game, pays for their hotel and meals, gets them pre-game passes and visits with them after the game, often walking to the car with them. Find out more here or watch the video below.

Tim Tebow: Everything in Between Interview & Production Outtakes from FCTN on Vimeo.

Dead Sea Scroll Exhibit

A Houston man is giving $1 million to help fund an exhibit of fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Gary Loveless founded Square Mile Energy and is a member of the seminary's board of trustees. The exhibit will be open from July until January of next year.

Pastors Gather over Politics

More than 100 conservative Christians and evangelical leaders are gathering in Texas this weekend to discuss which of the GOP candidates they will be backing in the race for the White House. Here's an ABC video report on the gathering.

Survey of Mormons

Here are some of the results of a new survey of Mormons by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

• Mormons make up less than 2% of the U.S. population.
• 97% of Mormons overwhelmingly consider themselves to be Christians. 
• 62% say Americans know little or nothing about their religion. 
• 46% see a lot of discrimination against Mormons. 
• 63% say acceptance of their faith is rising. Seven of 10 Mormons scored highly on worship attendance, frequency of prayer and the view that religion is important in their lives.

Tim Tebow and.. Katy Perry?

Katy Perry's mom wants her daughter to date Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, according to OK Magazine. The singer only recently announced her divorce from comedian Russell Brand. A source tells OK! magazine, ”Katy’s mom firmly believes.. Tebow is the perfect guy for her daughter. He’s handsome, charming, intelligent and above all, a good Christian.”  Katy herself has "mentioned on more than one occasion how much she likes Tim.” Her parents have even invited Tebow to speak at their church in Huntington Beach, California. The Denver Broncos starting quarterback has become well-known for his outspoken Christian beliefs and charity work while Brand, a recovering alcoholic mocked Perry's parents and beliefs by telling off-color jokes. Meanwhile, Katy's dad apologized for remarks he made at an Ohio church that some took as anti-Semitic. Keith Hudson said in an written apology, he is not an anti-Semite and "I deeply regret the hurtful and ugly language I used in my message in Ohio."

High Court Sides with Church

The US Supreme Court says a church was within its right to fire an employee on religious grounds. The unanimous decision overturns a lower court ruling. Cheryl Perich, a teacher at a Lutheran school in Redford, Michigan was fired after she was diagnosed with narcolepsy and she claimed discrimination under ADA laws because, she and her lawyers claimed, it was not a religious matter. But Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School said her role fell under clergy performing their religious duties and the high court agreed.

Megachurch Drops Translation

The pastor of a Texas megachurch is dropping the NIV version of the Bible. Gregg Matte, pastor of Houston’s First Baptist Church, objects to the New International Version, updated last year, using gender neutral pronouns. Lifeway, the bookstore owned by the Southern Baptist Convention stopped selling it after the denomination denounced the update last summer. Matte says he will use the Holman Christian Standard Bible from the pulpit and during Bible studies. It was published in 2004. Read more about the decision on the church's website here.

Tebow Sets Twitter Record

Tim Tebow is the new champion for inspiring the most tweets per second. Twitter says tweets related to the Denver quarterback peaked at 9,420 per second right after he lead his Denver team to an overtime playoff victory. Beyonce used to hold the record - with 8,868 tweets per second, when she announced she was having a baby on the MTV Music Awards. Tebow also topped the previous sports-related record of 7,196 when the US lost to Japan in the Women’s World Cup.

Justin Bieber Opens up on Religious Views

Singer Justin Bieber tells V magazine he doesn't attend church regularly, but instead focuses on praying to God in private.

"A lot of people who are religious, I think they get lost. They go to church just to go to church. I'm not trying to disrespect them, but for me, I focus more on praying and talking to Him. I don't have to go to church."

Bieber recently got tattoo of Jesus Christ's face on his left calf to go along with the tiny dove on his hip and the name of Jesus in Hebrew on his ribcage.

Tebow's Supernatural Coincidence?

The most Googled search term last night and this morning was... John 3:16, thanks to Tim Tebow. The Denver quarterback led his team to an overtime win against the Pittsburgh Steelers last night in dramatic fashion. The outspoken Christian was banned by the NFL from putting John 3:16 paint in white on top of his eye black. but that didn't stop the Denver Broncos QB from delivering the message in another way. He passed for 316 yards against the Steelers, and set an NFL playoff record with 31.6 yards per completion. Tebow also refers to the verse when he signs off in a message to fans on his website.

Rob Bell Leaves Church

Rob Bell is out as pastor of a Michigan megachurch. Yesterday was his last day at Mars Hills Bible Church. He's going to LA to work on a TV show based on his life and write more books. He stirred controversy nationally with his books Love Wins which challenged the traditional Evangelical beliefs about hell.

Tebow and Roethlisberger

The Washington Post takes a look at what quarterbacks Tim Tebow and Ben Roethlisberger reveal about evangelical politics. Read the story here.

2011 NIV

The new NIV translation of the Bible has some changes related to some of the verses about homosexuality, according to Christianity Today. First Corinthians chapter six, verse nine went from using "homosexual offenders" in the 1984 version to "men who have sex with men." The translators hoped to clarify whether the verse referred to any kind of homosexual activity or only certain kinds of ‘offensive’ homosexual activity. First Timothy chapter one, verse ten has the word “perverts” in the 1984 version, but was changed to “those practicing homosexuality” in the 2011 edition. Southern Baptists have called the new version "untrustworthy." Read more about the changes here.

Katy Perry's Parents

Katy Perry's father and mother spoke at Church On The Rise in Westlake, Ohio this week, saying their daughter's recent divorce from comedian Russell Brand was something God used to get people into the church. Keith and Mary Hudson addressed the issue directly. Keith Hudson told the crowd, "What has taken place in my daughter's life has opened many opportunities to go in and be with guarded and gated people. God has given us a platform to go in and meet people and they like us because we are cool. We are not threatening." They will appear at New Hope International Church in Fort Valley, Georgia this weekend and then at a Florida church this week. The video below promotes the events. You can see the Hudson's schedule here.

Pastor’s detailed book on sex divides reviewers

CNN takes a look at the controversial sex book written by Seattle megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll here.

Tattoo Parlor in Church

A Michigan church has opened Serenity Tattoo inside its doors. Read the story here.

Persecution on the Rise

While the population in Africa is the most Christian it has ever been and the church is growing in the Middle East, persecution is also on the rise in these parts of the world. Most of Iraq’s pre-war Christian population have fled to other countries. Christians are on death row in Iran and Pakistan for either leaving Islam or blasphemy. Dozens of churches in Indonesia have been attacked or closed. In Egypt and Syria, political upheaval and Muslim zeal are threatening Christian groups. Many Christians have died in Islamist bomb attacks in Nigeria. Christians are harassed in China and Vietnam. There are attempts in India to penalize converts.

Shift in Christian population

The number of Christians in sub-Saharan Africa has soared over the past century, from 9% to 63%, according to the Pew foundation. At the same time, the Christian population in Europe has fallen from 95% in 1910 to 76% in 2010. In the Americas, its down from 96% to 86%. Read more here.

Romney’s evangelical problem starts with theology

Religion News Service looks at why Evangelicals are reluctant to support Mitt Romney here.

Why evangelicals coalesced around Rick Santorum

Read the story from CBS news here.

County Money to Jesus Fest Disputed

The ACLU is trying to get West Virginia's Harrison County Commission from supporting a yearly festival in the country. Jesus Fest takes place each fall and the county has given $2000 in support of it for five years. The ACLU sent a letter to the county commission last month objecting to the payment as unlawful. The county commission says it also funds other festivals and community events, including the Italian Heritage Festival and the Black Heritage Festival. The funds also do not come out of taxpayer pockets, but from gambling revenues supported by a video lottery and table games.

Numbers out of Iowa

Here are some numbers out of a Gallup poll taken in December of Republicans in Iowa.

• Rick Santorum is Roman Catholic but got only 4% of the Catholic vote. 
• Mitt Romney got the support of 71% of Mormon Republicans but only 18% of Protestants who attend church weekly. 
• 19% of Republicans who do not have a formal religious identity support Ron Paul.

Former TBN pastor's trial set

A former Trinity Broadcasting Network pastor faces a civil trial in April. Stephen Galiher got 5 years probation for hitting another driver with his company-owned BMW in 2009. Galiher had been drinking with TBN founder Paul Crouch and was going more than 85 miles per hour and was three times over the legal drinking limit. The 71-year-old victim, David Rhodes, died six months later. Galiher pleaded guilty to felony charges of driving under the influence and causing injury. The judge suggested he wanted to give Galiher more time but was constrained by the law. Now, Rhodes' family is suing Galiher and TBN, saying the Christian TV network ignored Galiher's drinking problem. TBN claims Galiher was not acting as a employee at the time of the crash.

Iowa Vote

Here's the breakdown from entrance polls on who Evangelicals in Iowa say they supported in the Republican presidential race:

Santorum - 33%
Paul - 19%
Gingrich - 14%
Romney - 14%
Perry - 14%
Bachmann - 5%
Huntsman - 0%

Haggard on Wife Swap

Former megachurch pastor Ted Haggard will be featured the ABC series Celebrity Wife Swap. His wife will trade places with the wife of actor Gary Busey. Haggard says his wife, Gayle, got along so well with Gary the couples are now friends and will watch the show featuring them together. Celebrity Wife Swap debuts tonight at 9pm Eastern.

Battle over Florida Megachurch Pulpit

The ex-wife of Zachery Tims is suing the Orlando-area megachurch he founded because she wasn't appointed as pastor. Tims died unexpectedly in August and the church board tapped Paula White as the new pastor. Riva Tims wants the congregation of New Destiny Christian Center to vote on who takes the pulpit and says White is $26 million in debt. Tims was found in a Times Square hotel with a white substance in his pocket, leading to speculation he died of a drug overdose, since he had a history of it in his youth. His mother, Madeline Tims, has filed a lawsuit to stop the City from revealing the cause of death.

Poll on Jesus' Death Yanked

A division of Fox has removed an online poll from its Facebook pages and apologized to the Jewish community for it. The National Geographic Channel, part of Fox Latin America, asked viewers who was responsible for the death of Jesus. The options included Pontius Pilate, The Jewish People, and The High Priests. It was a promotional effort for a Christmas special.

Brawl in Bethlehem

A fight broke out at at the Church of the Nativity between monks who battled with brooms. The groups each claim the right to clean up the church after Christmas celebrations are over. Palestinian security forces intervened between Armenians and Greek Orthodox at the site, traditionally considered the place of Jesus' birth. The Orthodox church holds Christmas celebrations in early January. No serious injuries were reported. It has taken years for an agreement to be worked out between the groups over replacing the roof. Repairs on the deteriorating structure is supposed to begin in the next year.

Charismatic Growth

CNN reports on the growth of the Charismatic movement around the world here.

Maher Goes After Tebow... Again

HBO's Bill Maher is getting backlack from his tweet over the weekend criticizing Denver Bronco's quarterback Tim Tebow. After Tebow threw four interceptions during his team's lose to Buffalo, the comedian sent this message to his 872,000 Twitter followers:

"Wow, Jesus just [screwed] #TimTebow bad! And on Xmas Eve! Somewhere ... Satan is tebowing, saying to Hitler "Hey, Buffalo’s killing them."

Tebow did not respond but his fans are speaking out. Some are calling for viewers to cancel their HBO subscriptions in protest.

Fewer Christians in the UK

The number of people who call themselves Christians in England and Wales has fallen dramatically in the last few years. In 2005, 77% of of the people surveyed in the government-sponsored Citizen Survey identified themselves as Christians. But last year, only 70% of the 10,000 surveyed said they were Christians. The percentage who said they had no religion went from 15% to 21%.

How Luther went viral

Five centuries before Facebook and the Arab spring, social media helped bring about the Reformation. Read the story at The Economist.

Russian Cult

Here is a video in which VICE visits a commune in Siberia in hopes of meeting a man who claims to be Jesus and has a following of thousands.

SOPA Supporters

Several Christian publishers are among the groups supporting the Stop Online Piracy Act (also known as SOPA). The legislation would put more power into the hands of the federal government and copyright holders to go after internet violators. Opponents say it would dramatically change the way the Internet operates, stifling innovation and commerce. But among it's supporters are:

• Christian Music Trade Association
• Church Music Publishers’ Association
• EMI Christian Music Group
• Gospel Music Association

CNN's Piers Morgan learns to 'Tebow'

Here's a short exert of Pier Morgan on the subject of "Tebowing" on CNN.

Robertson Reacts to SNL skit about Jesus

Pat Robertson calls a Saturday Night Live skit "anti-Christian bigotry that's just disgusting." Watch the video of the 700 Club host below to get the full story.

Bible Giveaway Upsets Student's Mom

A North Carolina mother is unhappy that her fifth-grade son came home from school with a Bible. Read the story here.

Rally backs Nativity scene

Thousands gather near Dallas in support of a nativity scene outside a courthouse. Here a video report from WFAA-TV.

Tebow Meets Brain Tumor Survivor After Loss

NFL.com's Jeff Darlington detailed a brief discussion he had with Denver Bronco's quarterback Tim Tebow yesterday after his team lost 41-23 to the Patriots. The conversation was cut short because Tebow left to meet Kelly Faughnan, a 22-year-old who survived a brain tumor who has a special history with Tebow. Read the story here.

Grad Student Losses Case

A graduate student's attempt to overturn her expulsion from Augusta State University will stand. A federal appeals court has unanimously sided with a lower court and the school which both decided Jennifer Keeton doesn't belong in the school's counseling program. Keeton's lawsuit said she was told by school officials, in order to stay in the program, she would have to change her beliefs about homosexuality, which she says is based on her Christianity. But the court ruling said Augusta State only tried to get her to keep her own opinions out of the counseling process.

SNL Skit: Tebow & Jesus

Last night's episode of Saturday Night Live included a sketch where Jesus visits Denver Broncos Tim Tebow. In the sketch, Tebow tells Jesus, “The Holy Bible is my playbook" but Jesus advises, “That's great. But you need to read the regular playbook” and to “take it down a notch.” As he leaves, he tells the team "Mormonism. All true, every bit of it." Here's the video.

Suspended for Tebowing

About 40 students at Long Island's Riverhead High School joined to commit an act of “Tebowing” Wednesday. All got in-school suspensions because school administrators deemed the praying poise "a safety hazard." Here's a Fox News report on it.

Lifeway Drops Bible

LifeWay will no longer publish the Here's Hope Breast Cancer Awareness Bible. Some of the proceeds from sales of the pink Bible goes to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. And some Komen affiliates give money to Planned Parenthood. Although LifeWay published the Bible, it was sold at retailers like Wal-Mart, not in LifeWay's own stores. Komen has released a statement saying "under no circumstances are Komen funds used to fund abortions or other non-breast services." The American Life League says 18 chapters of Susan G. Komen for the Cure donated money to local Planned Parenthood affiliates last year.

NJ Banner Controversy

The Freedom From Religion Foundation wants the Philadelphia-area town of Pitman, New Jersey to take a banner down from Main Street that reads Keep Christ in Christmas. It was put up by members of the local fire department and paid for by a Knights of Columbus group.  The Pitman City Council will take up the issue at its next meeting on December 27th.

Christians in Iraq pray for safe holiday

CNN offers a report on Iraqi Christians.

Tim Tebow’s Gospel of Optimism

Read the story here in the New York Times.

Pastor's Music Video Slams Gingrich

An Iowa pastor is sending out a satirical rap video against Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich. Sioux City pastor Cary Gordon criticizes Gingrich for his three marriages and admitted marital infidelities on the tape. Gordon, an associate pastor at Cornerstone World Outreach, has endorsed Rick Santorum. See the video below.

Debating the Bible in Chalk

There's a controversy brewing on the campus of Salisbury University in Maryland. The Atheist Society of Salisbury and the Salisbury University Cru (formerly the Campus Crusade for Christ) have been battling in chalk. Students from each group are writing Bible verses on the sidewalk and then debating them on Facebook. The Student Government Association and the Dean have met with each side, trying to keep the discussion civil. Some people at the school have complained the verses are offensive to them. The janitorial staff washes the evidence away as they make their rounds while the administration simple "chalks it up" to an expression of free speech. There are two examples of the chalking below.

Perry: Obama's War on Religion

Rick Perry has a new TV ad out, charging that Barack Obama is fighting a "war on religion." Perry says, "You don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.. As President, I'll end Obama's war on religion. And I'll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage." See it below.

American Attitudes toward churches

A new LifeWay Research survey shows how favorable Americans are toward some denominations:

62% are favorable toward Methodists
59% are favorable toward Catholics
53% are favorable toward Southern Baptists
37% are favorable toward Latter-day Saints (Mormons)
28% are favorable toward Muslims.

This denomination is not for me:
35% strongly agree that a Southern Baptist church is not for them
33% strongly agree that a Catholic church is not for them
29% strongly agree that other Baptist churches are not for them
26% strongly agree that a Methodist church is not for them
20% strongly agree that a nondenominational church is not for them

44% Knowing a church is Southern Baptist would negatively impact their decision to visit or join the church
36% Knowing a church is Southern Baptist would have no impact
10% Knowing a church is Southern Baptist would positively impact their decision.

Graham Back Home

Billy Graham is out of the hospital. The 93-year-old evangelist was treated for pneumonia at Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina. He's now on oral medication and undergoing physical therapy.

Religion Powerful Force in 2012 Race

ABC News takes a look at the role religion will play in next year's political races here.

Christian Book Store Struggles in Internet Culture

Fox News takes a look at the financial struggles of Christian bookstores here.

Why Tim Tebow stirs debate

A look at Denver quarterback Tim Tebow and public displays of faith in the NFL in a USA Today article here.

Ban on churches in schools Upheld

A court ruling that churches can't use space in New York City schools during off hours will stand. In 1995, the Bronx Household of Faith sued the city but lost. The church appealed to the Supreme Court, but today the high court declined to take the case, letting the lower court ruling stand. Some 60 congregations in New York City use public school building for worship services.

Lawsuit over School Event

The ACLU is suing the Chesterfield County, South Carolina school board over a school assembly held in September at New Heights Middle School. It featured a Christian rapper and a youth evangelist. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Jonathan Anderson who is an atheist and his son, who attends the school. They say the rally was an unconstitutionally promotion of Christianity. The school district says it hasn't seen the lawsuit yet.

Church reverses interracial couple decision

A Kentucky church that recently banned mixed-race couples from joining the congregation has reversed itself. Gulnare Free Will Baptist Church voted unanimously yesterday to overturn the policy. The controversy started when the daughter of the church secretary brought an African born fiance to a church service where they sang.

A Christmas Quiz

1. What did the angels sing to the shepherds?
2. In what direction did the Wise Men see the star in the sky?
3. Where did the wise men go to see the baby?
4. How many wise men were there?
5. In which season of the year was Jesus born?
6. What did Mary ride on to Bethlehem?
7. What did the wise men ride on?
8. In what country did the Christmas tree originate?
9. In what century did Christmas celebrations begin?
10. Was there ever an original, real Santa Claus?
11. What Christmas tradition commemorating the birth of Jesus
did St. Francis of Assisi begin?
12. Did Jesus tell us to remember his birth?

Answers Here