The lead singer of the band Disturbed grew up as an Orthodox Jew and almost became a rabbi.
Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath got his start playing R&B in a church basement.
Born-again artist Alice Cooper was rumored to have ripped the head off a live chicken at one of his concerts.
Dee Snider and JJ French of Twisted Sister along with Scott Ian of Anthrax took part in VH1's televised seder Matzo and Metal: A Very Classic Passover.
In 1992 Sinead O' Connor ripped up a picture of Pope John Paul II on live TV in protest of the Catholic Church's policies.
As a child, Michael Jackson went door-to-door as a missionary, distributing the Jehovah’s Witnesses Watchtower magazine.
Phish performs a version of a High Holiday prayer in Hebrew.
The rap group Run DMC includes an ordained minister.
Prince was born a Seventh-day Adventist and later became a Jehovah's Witness.
When he converted to Islam, Cat Stevens assumed the name Yusuf Islam.
Norah Jones’ father is legendary sitar player Ravi Shankar.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Episcopal Alternative
KDFW-TV in Dallas-Ft Worth has a video report on a new alternative for Episcopalians.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Jon Stewart Called a Prophet
"The Hebrew prophets often use humor, satire, and truth-telling to get their message across, and I feel you do a combination of all three. I think you are a little like a Hebrew prophet after all." - Jim Wallis writing in the July issue of Sojourners magazine to the Daily Show's Jon Stewart
Video Game Murder
An Ohio pastor's son says he killed his mother for taking away his video game. A judge sentenced Daniel Petric to 23 years in prison for shooting her and his father. Petric says she tried to stop him from playing Halo 3. He had been playing it as much as 18 hours a day. The judge in the case said in his ruling, “I feel confident that if there weren't such things as violent video games, I wouldn't know Daniel Petric.” His father is pastor of New Life Assembly of God in Wellington, Ohio. He told the judge that the family had forgiven him and asked for leniency.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Motto Vote in Congress
The House will vote this Wednesday on whether In God We Trust should be engraved in stone at the new Capitol Visitor Center along with the Pledge of Allegiance. E Pluribus Unum had been put up by the directors of the Visitor Center as the nation’s motto but two lawmakers caught the mistake. If it passes the House, the bill will move to the Senate.
Top Book
WORLD Magazine has tapped the English Standard Version Study Bible as its Book of the Year. Coming in at 2750 pages, it was first published in 2001 and updated in 2008. This study Bible includes more than 20-thousand commentary notes from nearly 100 scholars.
Thomas Kinkade: Fraud Allegations
A judge has ordered Thomas 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. Kinkade is considering an appeal of this latest ruling.Kinkade’s distinctive style has been panned by the critics but has sold well to Evangelicals. He often uses Christian themes in his work.
Friday, June 19, 2009
No Tracts at Arab Fest
A Christian group won't be handing out tracts at the Arab festival in Dearborn, Michigan that starts today. A judge sided with the city which decided the Arabic Christian Perspective had to be stopped from giving out religious literature as a matter of public safety. The organzation has been offered a table or booth instead.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Kurt Warner
KTVK-TV interviews Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner about Habitat for Humanity.
Focus Changes Policies
Focus on the Family is loosening up. No longer are women required to wear dresses or skirts with hosiery. Workers at the organization founded by James Dobson and based on Colorado can wear dress pants and pantsuits. And men can skip the business suits for an open-collar shirt.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Bomb Squad Finds Bible
The bomb squad was called to the post office in Leavenworth, Kansas today because a suspicious package was left on a counter. Officers used a disrupter gun to blast it. Inside they found a Bible. They speculate that the owner intended to mail the package but failed to do so during a visit to the Post Office.
Judge Sides with Ministry
A judge says a Messianic Jewish ministry may legally hand out tracts at a gay pride event in St. Louis. City officials had threatened to arrest members of Apple of His Eye when they tried to give away literature at the St. Louis' PrideFest last year. The next one is set for the last weekend of June. When a lawsuit was first threatened, the city reversed the ban . But the ministry wanted to make sure they were on firm legal ground and followed through on the suit. The literature handed out by Apple does not mention homosexuality.
Mormons Misunderstood?
TIME magazine will offer an article in its next issue on whether Mormons are misunderstood on the question of gay marriage. Here's a link to the online version of the article.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Protests at Seattle Churches
Places of worship were picketed around Seattle today. KOMO-TV has this video report.
Is Planet Aid a Cult?
WTTG-TV investigates a group that says it's a charity but many people call a cult.
Bank Sues Robertson
SunTrust Banks has filed a lawsuit against Pat Robertson for $3.6 million. Robertson tried to get a Los Angeles oil refinery going in the 1990s but the project failed because of environmental roadblocks. SunTrust claims Robertson should reimburse it for costs related to the deal. The Regent University president says the property was sold several years ago and he owes the bank nothing.
Sanitation Saga
Some Amish in Pennsylvania are refusing to go by local sewage laws. The New York Times has this report.
Bookstore Bankruptcy
Berean Christian Stores has filed for bankruptcy protection. The chain of Christian bookstores has debt of $10 to $50 million and owes the most to two publishers: Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. Sales are down some 20% this year. The company was founded in 1934 and is headquartered in Cincinnati. It operates stores in Arizona, California, Georgia, Montana, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
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