Weakening Dem interest in religious voters

A look at the Obama campaign and religious voters in a Washington Post story here.

Snake Handler Dies

A snake-handling, West Virginia pastor died Sunday from the bites of a rattle snake. Mack Wolford was pastor at the Full Gospel Apostolic House of the Lord Jesus in Matoaka. Wolford’s father died the same way when he was a teenager. Wolford had been bitten at least three other times without seeking medical attention. Some states have outlawed the practice. Jim Murphy, curator of the Reptile Discovery Center at the National Zoo, told the Washington Post last year that the pain from such a bite would be "excruciating" because "The venom attacks the nervous system. It's vicious and gruesome when it hits." Here's a trailer of a video about Wolford that was in the works when he died.

Protests in NC

CNN reports on the North Carolina pastor who sparked protests with his comments about gays.

Billboard on Gay Marriage

San Diego's Missiongathering Christian Church says it will pay $3000 billboard in Charlotte, North Carolina near Billy Graham Parkway apologizing to gays for a state amendment, passed earlier this month, defining marriage as only between a man and woman. The message on the billboard:

"Missiongathering Christian Church is sorry for the narrow-minded, judgmental, deceptive, manipulative actions of those who DENIED rights and equality TO so many in the Name of God."

Church reacts to Embattled Pastor

The congregation of North Carolina's Providence Road Baptist Church in Maiden gave their pastor a standing ovation this morning. Charles Worley had stirred protests after a sermon of his about gays went viral. He said:

“I figured a way out, a way to get rid of all the lesbians and queers but I couldn’t get it pass the Congress – build a great big large fence, 50 or a hundred mile long. Put all the lesbians in there, fly over and drop some food. Do the same thing with the queers and the homosexuals. And have that fence electrified so they can’t get out."

Many Evangelical leaders have condemned Worley's remarks. Below is a video of the 1000 or so demonstrators who gathered in opposition to Worley today.

Attempt to Burn down NC Church

Someone made tried to burn down the church in North Carolina where a pastor has caused a stir with a sermon about gays. Charles Worley of Maiden's Providence Baptist Church recently told his congregation that gays should be put behind electrified fences. A video of the sermon went viral and protesters decided to gather nearby today. The sheriff of Catawba County says power lines and a power box outside the church were damaged last night. While thousands were expected to attend the rally against the pastor, a group from Primrose, Georgia said they would attend the church's services in support of Worley. He hasn't spoken to the news media about the controversy.

License suspended when carjacked

Marvin Winans’ driver’s license was suspended and there was a warrant out for his arrest in Detroit when he was carjacked last week, according to the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press. The singer and pastor had his license suspended two weeks ago (May 9) because he didn't pay a couple of traffic tickets from December. The arrest warrant was issued March 15 for failing to appear at court for driving on a suspended license.

Jeff Foxworthy's New Show

CNN takes a look at a new TV show hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy called American Bible Challenge.

Protest against NC Church Planned Sunday

A North Carolina county has reversed itself and agreed to allow a protest against a local pastor on county property this coming Sunday morning. Catawba County officials first denied the request for a demonstration against the preacher's anti-gay sermon. Charles Worley of Providence Baptist Church in Maiden recently told his congregation that gays should be put behind electrified fences. A video of the sermon (below) went viral and now the number of potential protestors has swelled into the hundreds. Organizers asked to move it from the church to the grounds of the Catawba County Justice Center, located a few miles away in Newton. But the county requires such requests two weeks in advance, so it was initially turned down. After constitutional law experts suggested such a rule would not hold up in court and be declared as unduly burdensome and an intrusion on the rights of peaceable assembly, county officials backed down. Southern Baptists in the state have stressed to the media that Providence Road is an independent Baptist church, not affiliated with the denomination. A video of part of the sermon is below.

Backlash over Sermon

CNN discusses a North Carolina pastor's rant against gays in the video below.

Birth Control Mandate

Three Catholic Universities are joining a lawsuit to block mandate on contraceptive insurance. Fox News has a video report below.

Pastor's Plan to "get rid" of Gays

Part of a sermon from a North Carolina pastor has gone viral. In the sermon, Charles Worley of Providence Road Baptist Church in Maiden (north of Charlotte) explains how he wants to "get rid" of homosexuals - by putting them in an electrified fence. The video is below.

Madden 2013 includes Tebowing

EA Sports is adding the famous prayer stance of Tim Tebow to its popular football video game Madden 2013. Tebow made the move famous as a Denver Bronco, but he's been traded to the New York Jets and will be shown with the Jets in Madden 2013 which is due to hit store shelves in August.

Movie about the Mother of Jesus

Filming of Joel Osteen's first film begins this summer in the Middle East. The megachurch pastor will play executive producer for the Biblical prequel to the story of The Passion of Christ. Odeya Rush will take the main role in Mary in Mary Mother of Christ. She'll be joined by Julia Ormond and Peter O'Toole. The Alister Grierson film will be distributed in North America by Lionsgate.

Charges in Pastor's Carjacking

Three Detriot men are facing charges they carjacked and asaulted singer and megachurch pastor Marvin Winans. WXYZ-TV files this video report.

Tebow looks to stop Jesus T-shirt maker

Tim Tebow has told a t-shirt manufacturer to stop using his name in promotion of a t-shirt. CubbyTees.com is selling the shirt that says My Jesus on the front in the style of the Jets logo. A fish is used instead of a football. Among other things, the ad says the New York Jets quarterback is “not just looking to cure lepers, but heal Gang Green! This shirt should fit Tebow followers to a tee.”

Baptist State Convention Found Liable

A jury says the Florida Baptist Convention is liable for what a former pastor did. Douglas Myers plead guilty to sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy in Eustis at the Triangle Community Church where he served as pastor. The jury decided the state convention didn't properly investigate Douglas before giving him grant funds. He was accused of sexual abuse at churches in Maryland and Alabama before moving to Florida. Douglas is now serving a 7 year sentence for the crime. The church and another he started have been shut down.

Satanic Symbols Put on Churches

A homeless California man is accused of putting Satanic graffiti on two downtown churches - Church of the Incarnation and St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church. Kyle Eric Schaller is now in the Sonoma County Jail on charges of felony vandalism. Damages are estimated at more than $4000.

Singer-Pastor Carjacked

A group of men carjacked Gospel singer and megachurch pastor Marvin Winans at a gas station in Detroit. The mid-afternoon attack left Winans without money or his SUV and with minor injuries. Winans was in the news earlier this year when he gave singer Whitney Houston’s eulogy. The city is facing increasing problems with crime. Just a few days ago a former police chief was robbed and assaulted as he mowed his lawn. Here's a WXYZ-TV interview with Winans.

Fest calls it Quits

One of the biggest Christian Rock festivals is shutting down. The Cornerstone Festival has taken place every summer since 1984 in Illinois. The organization behind the gathering says this upcoming one set for early July will be the last, due to financial concerns. For more information click here.

One Survivor from Plane Crash

Here's an interview on NBC's Today show with Ron Luce, president of Teen Mania Ministries and father of the sole survivor of a small plane crash in Kansas that took the lives of everyone else on board. All five people on the plane had connections to Oral Roberts University.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Faculty Quit College

More than 60 faculty members at Georgia's Shorter University are leaving over new contracts that include a lifestyle pledge reading, "I reject as acceptable all sexual activity not in agreement with the Bible, including, but not limited to, premarital sex, adultery, and homosexuality." There are also specific mentions of drug use, public drinking near the campus and regular church attendance. An anonymous survey showed nine out of ten faculty members planned to quit over the issue. Shorter is associated with the Southern Baptist convention.

Jennifer Knapp

The Houston Chronicle profiles "Jennifer Knapp, an unlikely gay Christian icon" here.

Churches Split Over Gay Marriage

The New York Times takes a look at how different church are handling the issue of gay marriage here.

Pastor wants $500k for Church review

A pastor is suing a woman and her daughter for giving his church a poor online review. Charles O'Neal leads the Beaverton Grace Bible Church in Beaverton, Oregon and he says Julie Anne Smith's unfavorable review amounts to defamation because she used words like cult, control tactics, and spiritual abuse. Several other writers are named in the half of a million dollar lawsuit as well. Smith used to attend the church, but says she was shunned by the congregation after leaving.

Same Bible, Different Verdict On Gay Marriage

NPR takes a look at how different groups are interpreting the Bible when it comes to gay marriage here

The Mormon way of business

The Economist takes a look at "striking number of successful business people" who are Mormons.here.

Evangelical voters

The Economist says "Growing numbers of non-white evangelicals and changing attitudes among younger Christians are reshaping the politics of American Christianity." The British magazine takes takes a look at Evangelical votershere.

Luxuries at largest Christian TV network

The New York Times investigates the Trinity Broadcasting Network and the lifestyle of its founders, Paul and Jan Crouch. Read the story here.

Muslims and Jerusalem

More Muslims are trying to visit Jerusalem. Read the story in the Economist here.

Stanley Catches Flack

Some Evangelical leaders are criticizing megachurch pastor Andy Stanley for a recent sermon on homosexuality. Read about it here.

Fired for Bible & Prayer

A Christian doctor in the UK has lost his unfair dismissal claim. David Drew was fired by Walsall Manor Hospital in the suburb of Birmingham from his position as clinical director after quoting from the Bible and emailing a prayer by 16th century Jesuit founder St Ignatius Loyola, to motivate his department. He wrote to colleagues: "I find this a personal inspiration in my frail imperfect efforts to serve my patients, their families and our department." Drew plans an appeal because he says the ruling tells people they can no longer say "I am a Christian" at work.

Pastor Apoligizes for Gay Kids Remark

It was just hyperbole. That's what a Fayetteville, North Carolina pastor says about his comment during a sermon to fathers that "the second you see that son dropping the limp wrist, you walk over there and crack that wrist. Man up. Give them a good punch.” Sean Harris says he regrets his choice of words and he didn't endorse hitting children. The Berean Baptist Church pastor was speaking just days before the vote on an amendment to the state constitutional that would ban gay marriage.

Mormons on the Rise

The number of Mormons are on the rise in the U.S. and the number of mainline Protestants and Catholics is falling. That's according to the 2012 Religious Congregations and Membership Study. In the largest county in the U.S. Catholics fell 7% and Mormons rose by 55%. In fact, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fastest-growing religious group in the U.S. While 8 of 10 Americans call themselves Christians, only half have an affiliation with a local church.

Bible Reading Marathon

CNN reports on a Bible Reading Marathon on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

Campus Preacher Wins Appeal

An appeals court has sided with a preacher against a Tennessee school that said he couldn't give out tracts or speak on campus without a two week wait. John McGlone was forced to leave Tennessee Technical University. He filed a lawsuit and it was thrown out by a judge. But the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals says the state school's speaking permit rules are unconstitutional. The three-judge panel ruled campus sidewalks are a “public forum” and therefore any regulation on the content of speech is unconstitutional, unless justified by a “significant” government interest. Even the school's own lawyers admited the 14 day waiting period is burdensome and overly long.

From Minister To Atheist

NPR profiles a former pastor who turned atheist here.

Burning the Koran.. again

Evangelical leaders are condemning Terry Jones decision to burn copies of the Koran over the weekend along with an image of Muhammad. The Gainesville, Florida pastor says he's protesting Iran's continued imprisonment of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani. About two dozen people showed up and the city gave the church a citation for violating burn ordinances.

Students Walk out on Speaker

Students walked out on a speaker at a high school journalism conference in Seattle following his derogatory comments about the Bible. Dan Savage told students at the National High School Journalism Convention - among other things - to ignore the “bulls--t in the Bible about gay people.” A conservative gay rights group said it was ironic that at a speech on bullying, the speaker would resort to name-calling. Savage called the students who were offended "pansy-asses." Video of what happened is posted below.

Written on the Heart

A new play about the Bible is getting positive reviews in London. The Royal Shakespeare Company production of Written on the Heart tells the story of the translation of the King James Bible. The play focuses the human cost of bringing God's word to the masses, including the execution of William Tyndale.

Reward for Jesus Costume

An atheist group is giving a scholarship to a Tennessee student for dressing up as Jesus. The Freedom From Religion Foundation is giving Jeff Shott of Springhill its $1,000 scholarship for "Fictional Character Day." Shott wore the costume to high school and his principal made him remove it.

Osteen in DC

Joel Osteen will preach tomorrow night at the Washington Nationals ballpark. Some 40,000 people have tickets to what he's calling America's Night of Hope. The megachurch pastor gave the opening prayers in both the House and the Senate this week.

Bible Translations under Review

There's an investigation into a Bible translation produced by Wycliffe Bible Translators following complaints the organization is trying to avoid offending Muslims. An independent panel from World Evangelical Alliance is checking on whether the concept of the Trinity is being downplayed by Wycliffe. The Assemblies of God is reviewing its relationship with Wycliffe over the issue.

Osteen: Romney is a Christian

Joel Osteen tells CNN that Mitt Romney is a Christian.

Noah coming to the Big Screen

Russell Crowe has signed on to play Noah in a new movie set to start shooting this summer in Iceland and New York. Darren Aronofsky's version of the ship-building animal rustler from the Bible will show up in movie theaters in Spring of 2014. Aronofsky says he will follow the Bible story.

On this Date...

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

Colson Dies

Chuck Colson died today at the age of 80 at a Virginia hospital. Colson is best known to the public for his role in the Watergate coverup, though Evangelicals especially know him for his prison ministry. Colson was Richard Nixon's special counsel and known as the president's "hatchet man." He pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in the Watergate scandal and served seven month in prison. After his release, he founded Prison Fellowship, an outreach to prisoners, wrote more than 30 books and hosted a daily radio commentary. President George W. Bush awarded Colson the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2008.

More Millennials Unaffiliated

Religious affiliation is falling in the U.S. A quarter of young adults now say they are "unaffiliated" according to a new report from the Public Religion Research Institute and Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs. More than half of that group also say they went to church when they were young. The Catholic church have lost the most Millennials. The young religiously unaffiliated say abortion should be legal in most cases (82%) and they approve of same-sex marriage (59%).

Dove Winners

Jason Crabb won artist and male vocalist of the year awards last night at the 43rd Dove Awards show in Atlanta. The show will be aired April 24 on GMC (formerly the Gospel Music Channel). Natalie Grant won female vocalist of the year. Laura Story took home five awards including song of the year for Blessings. Jamie Grace won new artist of the year, Kirk Franklin took home contemporary gospel album of the year for Hello Fear. Rapper Lecrae won rap/Hip Hop recorded album of the year and rap/Hip Hop song of the year. NEEDTOBREATHE won group of the year award for the second consecutive time.

Megachurch Removes Pastor

A Maryland megachurch has kicked out its pastor. The board of trustees of Jericho City of Praise Church in Landover fired Joel Peebles after a two year fight over control of the church's finances. Peebles became pastor after the church's founder, his mother, Betty Peebles, died in 2010. Here's a video report from WUSA-TV.

Vandy Student Groups

Eleven student groups at Vanderbilt University are banning together to fight new rules at the school that requires them to accept people as members whether the person agrees with the group's values or not. And that includes leadership roles in the group. The Vanderbilt Solidarity handed out some 4000 MP4 players on campus with a video calling for changes. The student handbook contains a nondiscrimination policy, but the school only choose to interpret it this way when a gay student complained he was not allowed to be a member of a Christian fraternity.

Belief in God

The older you are, the more likely you believe in God. That's the finding of researchers at the University of Chicago. They waded through information from 30 countries provided by the International Social Survey Program. Here are some of the results.

Belief in God:
68 years old - 43%
27 years old - 23%
68 years old - 43%


Belief in God is on the increase in Israel, Slovenia and Russia.

The Philippines had the highest belief in God at 94%.

Western Europe had the lowest belief in God at 13%.

In the U.S., 81% say they had always believed in God.

Bible Classes in Arizona

Arizona will let high schools offer Bible classes to students. Governor Jan Brewer signed the bill into law today. The elective course will focus on the role of the Bible in Western culture.

"Christ" Missing from Bible

A new version of the Bible rephrases verses to make them easy to understand - and drops a few things like the use of "Christ." Here's an interview with CNN about the translation.

Land: I was Sloppy

Richard Land is apologizing for using a Washington Time column on his radio show as if it were his own. The president of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission read an article by Jeff Kuhner about the Trayvon Martin shooting without acknowledging it came from Kuhner. Land told his audience he was "sloppy" after a Baylor doctoral student pointed out that the comments were borrowed without attribution. Weaver says Land did the same thing in February, taking portions from another newspaper.

$100k for Tebow

An unidentified Florida couple is spending $100,000 to spend a day with Tim Tebow. They made the "purchase" at a charity auction held by his foundation. They plan to have the New York Jets quarterback meet and play with underprivileged children. The auction was part of the Tebow Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic, which included Masters’ winner Bubba Watson.

Layoffs at Denomination's Headquarters

The Assemblies of God headquarters is laying off 47 employees. Church officials say the move is a result of switching from a print to a digital focus. Most of the people losing their jobs work at the Gospel Publishing House which prints Sunday School materials, books and a weekly magazine. Church officials say more downsizing could be ahead.

Seattle Times on Jazz Movie

The Seattle Times reviews the film Blue Like Jazz, based on the Christian book by the same title, here.

Blue Like Jazz

A review of the film Blue Like Jazz, based on the Christian book, from the McClatchy-Tribune News Service here.

Banners Taken Down at FL School

A Miami high school teacher has taken down banners from his classroom that say In God We Trust, God Bless America and God Shed His Grace on Thee. They hung in Bradley Johnson's Westview High School classroom for years, but in 2007, school administrators ordered them removed. Johnson went to court and won, but that decision was overturned by an appeals court in favor of the Poway School District. Johnson then appealed to the Supreme Court, but the justices chose not to hear his case.

Student Protests Graduation Ceremony at Church

A high school student in suburban Georgia says she won't attend her graduation on May 25 because it's being held at a church. The Southwest DeKalb High School graduation will take place at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. The school district says it was just a matter of finding a place large enough for the graduation class, but the mother of Nahkoura Mahnassi calls it a violation of the separation of church and state and a "slap in the face."

Bubba Watson on Easter

Bubba Watson came from behind to win the Masters golf tournament yesterday. In his news conference, he was asked about why it was special to win on Easter.

"Yeah, this is the day Jesus is risen. Good Friday was when He was crucified on the cross, and today is Easter where we celebrate He's risen. For us, that's salvation to go to Heaven. He took all of our sins from us. So for me, it's just a dream come true. My dad is not here. I hope he's watching in heaven. My grandma never got to watch me play professional golf. She used to make all my knickers for me. So when I think about the day, those are the most important things to me. A guy, Billy Weir, that introduced me to PING; all of these people that influenced me throughout my life, that's what I'm thinking about, not really me winning a golf tournament. I'm thinking about all of these people that influenced me in the right direction to get to where I am today as a person."

Tebow's Easter Speech

Some 15,000 people came to hear Tim Tebow speak at a Easter service in Texas at the Celebration Church in Georgetown, north of Austin. Pastor Joe Champion interviewed Tebow, asking the New York Jets quarterback what needed to change in America. "First and foremost is what this country was based on: one nation under God. The more that we can get back to that," Tebow said. He also told the outdoor crowd, "It's OK to be outspoken about your faith."

"The hell-raising evangelist's son"

CBS News visits with Franklin Graham here.

Thomas Kinkade Passes

Artist Thomas Kinkade has died at the age of 54 in Los Gatos, California of natural causes. Kinkade’s distinctive style was panned by the critics but sold well to Evangelicals. He often uses Christian themes in his work. In 2009, a judge ordered Kinkade to pay more than two-million dollars to two gallery owners. They claim he left them financially ruined by using religion to get them to make large investments in a project that had no chance of success. Other investors sued Kinkade but were not successful in court. One of his companies declared bankruptcy in 2010. The same year, he was arrested on suspicion of DUI near Carmel, California.

Actor Playing Judas Hangs Himself

An actor is in serious condition in the city of Itarare, Brazil after he accidentally hung himself during a passion play. Tiago Klimeck was playing the part of Judas. After the betrayal of Jesus, during the scene of his character's suicide Klimeck confused which cord he should use. He hung unconscious for several moments because his fellow actors thought he was just playing his part.

Dead Bunny

A South Carolina church sends out post cards showing a dead Easter Bunny. WVLA-TV has a video report here.

Tebow in Texas

Tim Tebow will speak at the Easter service of a Texas megachurch Sunday. The Celebration Church in Georgetown, north of Austin is expected some 20,000 people to hear the The New York Jets quarterback. The non-denominational service will be held outside and parishioners will sit on lawn chairs and blankets. More details here
.

Defamation Suit

Florida megachurch settles defamation lawsuit. Read the story here.

Dropping "God" from God Bless the USA

Lee Greenwood is blasting a Boston school for taking the word God out of his song God Bless The USA. Greenwood says,  “The most important word in the whole piece of music is the word God, which is also in the title. Maybe the school should have asked the parents their thoughts before changing the lyrics to the song. They could have even asked the writer of the song, which I of course, would have said you can’t change the lyrics at all or any part of the song.”  Here's a video report from Fox's Boston TV station.

School changes lyrics from 'God Bless the USA' to 'We love the USA' : MyFoxBOSTON.com

Colson Has Brain Surgery

Chuck Colson remains hospitalized after undergoing brain surgery over the weekend. The founder of Prison Fellowship had a blood clot removed from his brain. His doctors say he did not have a stroke. Colson is sedated by resting comfortably, his doctors say. The Watergate figure is now 80 years old.

Vandy's Student Group Policy

Vanderbilt Catholic is leaving campus over the school's policy that prevents student groups from requiring leaders to hold the beliefs of the group. Four others student groups are on provisional status at the Nashville school for violating the policy.

School Shooting

A man is in custody following a shooting at a Christian school in California. At least seven people are dead at Oikos University in Oakland. Police say he opened fire in a classroom. Police arrested the suspect several miles away at a shopping center and say the man was once a nursing student at the school. The school is connected to Oakland's Praise God Korean Church in Oakland and Shepherd University in San Francisco.

Colson Hospitalized

Chuck Colson had surgery today though it is unclear why. Prison Fellowship, the ministry he founded, says he is resting comfortably after falling ill during a conference in Virginia. He was attending the Wilberforce Weekend Conference.

School Ponders Name Change

Houston Baptist University is considering dropping Baptist from its name. The Texas school, founded more than half a century ago by Baptist General Convention of Texas, added board members last year who are not members of Baptist churches. Some have criticized the effort as leaving its Christian roots - though school officials deny the charge. Houston may be dropped as well, to avoid a geographical limitations.

Churchgoers subdue gunman

Church Stages Kidnapping

A mother of a teenager has filed a complaint with the police in Middletown, Pennsylvania against the Glad Tidings Assembly of God for putting her - and the church's entire youth group through a mock kidnapping - without telling the students or their parents that it was all pretend. The mother says the girl was traumatized by it. The two men burst into the meeting with guns, covered the heads of 17 students, put them in a van and interrogated them. There's a video report from WHTM-TV here.

2010 Membership & Giving

Giving to churches was down more than $1 billion in 2010. That's according to the latest Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches which is published by the National Council of Churches. Some of the findings:

•  The Roman Catholic Church is still the largest religious group in the US with 68.2 million members, but its growth was under one percent in 2010. 
• Membership in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America fell nearly 6% to 4.3 million members. 
• The Southern Baptist Convention, the second-largest religious group in the US, reported a membership decline of less than 1 percent - the 4th consecutive drop. Their 2010 membership is at 16.1 million people. 
• The Mormon church rose 1.6% and the Assemblies of God rose 4%.

Accusations Fly at TBN

Members of the family that started the TBN Christian TV network are accusing the organization of financial corruption. Many of the claims come from the granddaughter of Paul and Jan Crouch who founded the network. Brittany Koper took over last year as chief financial officer and has now filed a lawsuit claiming she was fired and forced to turn over her house and car after complaining about "illegal financial schemes" involving tens of millions of dollars. A TBN lawyer blames Koper herself, saying she and her husband stole money from the network and she is making up false claims to distract from what's she done. Joseph McVeigh, another family member, says the family uses 13 homes owned by the network. He claims TBN bought a $50 million jet through a "sham loan" and owns another $8 million jet that's used by Jan Crouch. McVeigh says a $100,000 recreational vehicle is used just for transporting Jan Crouch's dogs. TBN owns more than half a dozen TV networks, runs Trinity Music City USA in Nashville and an amusement park in Florida.

Tebow's Church

New York magazine takes a look at where new Jets quarterback Tim Tebow could attend church in New York here.

Bible Game Show

Jeff Foxworthy will host a new cable show called The American Bible Challenge. Foxworthy already hosts Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? which also appears on the GSN network (which once stood for Game Show Network).

What Brought Down a Megachurch?

Did sibling rivalry led to the downfall of Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral here.

The Hunger Games

There's a new movie opening tomorrow based on a best-selling series of books for teens. The Washington Post looks at the religious aspect of The Hunger Games here.

The Reason Rally

Atheists will gather on the National Mall this Saturday for the Reason Rally. Comedian Eddie Izzard, author and biologist Richard Dawkins, MythBusters cohost Adam Savage and comedian Bill Maher will be among the speakers. The punk band Bad Religion will perform. Organizers expect more than 10,000 people. Thier annual conference will take place afterward in the DC suburb of Bethesda, Maryland. The group was founded by Madalyn Murray O'Hair, who led the drive to the Supreme Court that pushed prayer and Bible reading out of the public schools.

7 year Trial Ends

The Jerusalem District Court has acquitted an Israeli antiquities collector. Oded Golan was accused of being part of an international forgery ring and forging dozens of priceless archaeological artifacts, including an inscription on the burial box, or ossuary, of James, brother of Jesus. The trial lasted seven years and the judge's verdict ran 475 pages. In it, he made a point of recognizing the disputes between scholars over the matter, commenting at one point, "If you, the world's leading experts in this field, cannot agree with each other on the authenticity or otherwise of these items, how do you expect me, a mere judge, to reach a conclusion?" Despite the acquittal, one of the prosecution experts says the verdict only indicates there was no legal way to prove the fraud, but doesn't change the minds of those who believed the items were faked.

Schuller Leaving Ministry

Robert Schuller is resigning from the board of Crystal Cathedral and his Hour of Power TV show, just a month after the church's sanctuary was sold to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. Last week, Schuller's daughter and two sons-in-law were removed from the board. Schuller retired in 2006 and the megachurch filed for bankruptcy in 2010.

Banks foreclosing on churches in record numbers

Many banks are no longer willing to grant struggling religious organizations forbearance. Read about it here.

Miley's Twitter Comeback

We told you Tuesday about a Tweet by celebrity Miley Cyrus that got Christian fans angry (read it here) After getting many responses, she wrote back, "How can people take the love out of science and bring hate into religion so easily?"and then "It makes me sad to think the world is this way. Like Einstein says ‘Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind."

Christian Concert Promoter Sentenced for Ponzi Scheme

A Christian concert promoter will serve more than 4 years in prison for an investment scheme. Lauren Baumann of Los Angeles plead guilty to creating a Ponzi scheme involving nearly $1 million. She's been ordered to pay restitution to more than two dozen people including some from her church, Desert Reign Assembly of God. Baumann ran Stewardship Estates and promised to use the money for Christian battle-of-the-bands concerts. Prosecutors say she used the money to pay off previous investors and on her family. She didn't tell investors she had been convicted of securities fraud more than a decade ago in Texas.

Hour of Power Changes

Three relatives of Robert H. Schuller are out jobs at the Crystal Cathedral. The church's board voted to oust the Rev. Robert H. Schuller's daughter and two sons-in-law. They were involved in the production of the church's Hour of Power show. Old shows will run for a few weeks during the reorganization.

Miley: Forget Jesus

Below is a short video report on a controversial Tweet by singer Miley Cyrus.

To Get out the Vote

Data-mining the Evangelical vote. Hear the NPR story here.

Megachurch could leave PCUSA

The First Presbyterian Church in Colorado Springs will vote Sunday on whether to part ways with the the Presbyterian Church, USA. The 4000 member congregation may bolt for the more conservative Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians. The main source of contention is the definition of marriage. Regional bodies of the denomination allow the ordination of gay clergy who are part of committed relationships. Church leaders are considering a proposal to allow ministers to officiate at same-sex weddings.

Swapping mega-churches for tiny ones

The Washington Post takes a a trend toward smaller congregations here.

Christian College Prof Arrested

A Christian education professor at Wheaton College was arrested today. Donald Ratcliff is facing charges of possessing child pornography photos and videos. The one-time pastor has been a faculty member for about five years. The Chicago-area school has put Ratcliff on administrative leave. He's due in court in the morning.

Bible Study Group Robbed at Gunpoint

Suspects nabbed after standoff. Read the details here.

Tebow and Lin

ABC News reports that Tim Tebow and Jeremy Lin have formed a friendship. Here's a video report on the two rising sports stars.

Tebow and Swift?

Country western singer Taylor Swift and Tim Tebow were spotted at dinner in Los Angeles Monday with two other guests, fueling speculation the two are dating. One report says the two people with them were their agents. The Denver Broncos qarterback has publicly said he is saving himself for the right girl and for marriage. On the other hand, Swift has been in some high profile relationships which have become to the subjects of her albums. Swift had a Christian rock band open for her on her last tour. Here's one Internet report about the couple.

Jeremy Lin and Active Faith

Fox News interviews one of the founders of Active Faith talks about the compan's relationship to Jeremy Lin.

Zombie Muhammad Controversy

A judge called a Pennsylvania man a "doofus" for offending Islam - even though he was the victim in the case before the judge. Mark Martin, who is a Muslim himself, dismissed harassment charges against Muslim defendant Talaag Elbayomy for choking Ernest Perce during a Halloween parade in Mechanicsburg where Perce wore a “zombie Muhammad” costume. Elbayomy ran out from the crowd, grabbed a sign around the neck of Perce and pulled it until the strings choked Perce, who is the state director of American Atheists’ Pennsylvania. Instead of defending Perce First Amendment rights, as the arresting officer stated to a local TV station, Martin lectured him, saying, “I think our forefathers intended to use the First Amendment so we can speak with our mind, not to p— off other people and cultures – which is what you did.” Martin went on to warn Perce that he could be put to death in some Arab countries. Perce faces a possible arrest  himself for posting audio of the judge's comments, which you can hear below. The first video is a report on what happened from WHTM-TV.