Racist Remark from 1st Baptist, Dallas

The First Baptist Church of Dallas is apologizing for an ethnic slur made by the interim president of Criswell College Sunday that was heard over the radio on KCBI-FM. Lamar Cooper was about to teach a Sunday school class when he could be heard using the word wetbacks while talking about the controversial illegal-immigration law in Arizona. The church has received many complaints Cooper will apologize during next Sunday's class but it will not be broadcast as the remark was.

Complaint of Prayer at Public School

The Freedom From Religion Foundation claims the band director at Oxford High School in Oxford, Alabama is illegally leading his symphonic band class in prayer. School officials say that's not happening. The group also charges the instructor has threatened to fail students who don't attend a concert taking place at local Baptist church. The school's principal says the concert was not mandatory and only students lead prayers.

The Next Southern Baptist President

3 pastors are likely to vie for the Southern Baptist presidency when the convention meets in Orlando during June. The three are:

• Ted Traylor, pastor of Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida
• Bryant Wright, senior pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Georgia
• Jimmy Jackson, president of the Alabama Baptist State Convention

The three will be competing for the position now held by Johnny Hunt, pastor of First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Georgia.

Abortion Measure Passed in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Senate has voted to override the Governor vetoes of two anti-abortion measures. KWTV reports.

High Court: Cross Staysc

The Supreme Court says the a cross in the Mojave desert on public land can stay. It was put there 1934 to honor fallen soldiers. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said the 1st Amendment called for a middle-ground "policy of accommodation" toward religious displays on public land, not a strict separation of church and state. The justices split 5-4. Roberts and Alito joined Kennedy's opinion. Scalia and Thomas agreed but has different reasoning. Retiring Justice John Paul Stevens spoke for the dissenters saying The government should "avoid endorsement of a particular religious view." Ginsburg, Sotomayor and Breyer agreed.

Christian Singer Comes Out

A San Diego megachurch pastor confronts singer Jennifer Knapp on CNN's Larry King about her decision to "come out of the closet."

Most 'Millennials' don't Pray, Read Bible or Attend Church

Most Americans between the ages of 19 and 30 say they are Christians but seldom pray, read the Bible or go to church. That's the finding of a new survey conducted by LifeWay. The researchers estimate that no more than 15% of the 80 million young adults known as "Millennials" have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

31% pray at least once a day
20% say they never pray
67% say they rarely or never read any sacred writings
8% say they read the Bible every day
25% attend religious services at least once a week
75% rarely or never attend a house of worship

Read more here.

Noah's Ark Discovered?

A group of Evangelicals from Turkey and China claim to have found what's left of Noah's ark. The 15 member team from Noah's Ark Ministries International says it recovered pieces of wood from a structure on Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey. They say carbon dating suggests the specimens are about 4800 years old, near the time the ark is said to have been afloat.

Graham Meets Obama

President Obama met and prayed with Billy Graham today at Graham's North Carolina home. They met for a half-hour along with Graham's son, Franklin. The Army recently decided to not have Franklin speak at a Pentagon prayer service because of his comments about Islam. The evangelist gave Obama a Bible for himself and one for the first lady.

Abortion Bills Vetoed

Oklahoma's governor has vetoed two abortion bills. One proposed law would have required women seeking abortions to undergo an ultrasound and hear information about the fetus. State lawmakers are considering a vote to override the veto. The other bill would have stopped pregnant women from seeking damages from doctors who withhold information about a potentially disabled fetus.

Beckto Speak to Liberty

Fox News commentator Glenn Beck will deliver the commencement address at Liberty University's May 15 graduation. Falwell did not address why he was allowing a member of what many at his school consider a cult to give the address. Beck is a Mormon. The baccalaureate address will be delivered by the president of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Paige Patterson.

Conflict over Bible Verse

A Bible verse painted on a fence is stirring controversy. KSAZ-TV in Phoenix reports.

Graham Dropped as Speaker

The son of evangelist Billy Graham has been removed as a speaker at a Pentagon event related to the National Day of Prayer because of his remarks on Islam. CNN offers this video report.

Dove Winners

Casting Crowns has won the artist of year at the 41st annual Dove Awards. Producer and songwriter Jason Ingram took four awards including producer of the year for their work on Tenth Avenue North's Over And Underneath and song of the year for the band's By Your Side. NEEDTOBREATHE earned three Doves for group of the year, rock/contemporary album of the year for The Outsiders and rock/contemporary song of the year for Lay 'Em Down. Brandon Heath won male vocalist of the year for the second consecutive time. Francesca Battistelli was picked as female vocalist of the year. Jennie Lee Riddle also won two Doves, including songwriter of the year.

Band Makes History

MercyMe's now has the first Christian song to go platinum in the digital domain. The single I Can Only Imagine recently surpassed 1 million digital downloads. The song was written by lead singer Bart Millard as his father was suffering from terminal cancer. Besides topping the Christian radio charts, it hit #4 on the mainstream Adult Contemporary charts and entered teh top 25 on Pop/CHR and Hot AC charts.

Pope Meets Victims

Pope Benedict says he'll take action on the sexual abuse scandal. His comments came after meeting with victims, saying he was "greatly moved." There have been 100s of allegations of abuse by Catholic clergy in the U.S., Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria and Germany.

Billy Graham Library Reopens

Evangelist Billy Graham makes his first public appearance in years while attending the re-opening of his library.

Dobson in Politics

James Dobson is endorsing Dan Coats candidacy for a seat in the US Senate in radio ads. The Focus on the Family founder has been friends with the Indianan Republican for a long time. Dobson stresses that his endorsement is personal and not on behalf of any organization. Coats hoping to take the slot being vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Evan Bayh. Meanwhile, Texas Congressman Ron Paul is backing Coats’s main challenger, John Hostettler. The primary will be held May 4th and the winner faces Democrat Brad Ellsworth in November.

High Court on Campus Rules

The Supreme Court heard arguments today in the case of a Christian group denied recognition on a college campus because gays and nonbelievers are excluded from membership. The University of California, Hastings College of the Law, denied recognition to the Christian Legal Society because it does not conform to the school's policy that membership should be open to all. Liberal justices suggested if the group was allowed to ban gays from membership, then women, minorities or those with disabilities could be kept out. But conservative Justice Antonin Scalia wanted to know whether a campus Republican club must admit Democrats or whether a Christian group must allow atheists to join and even conduct Bible classes. Scalia said "That's crazy" and the courtroom erupted in laughter. A decision from the high court could be made by the end of June.

Sea of Galilee Ban

Israel has stopped all fishing in the Sea of Galilee for two years. This is the first known ban on the practice dating back to when Jesus and his disciples fished those same waters. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says fish stocks in the freshwater northern Israel lake have fallen dramatically in recent years. Israel's agriculture ministry blames the drop on overfishing and the use of illegal nets that trap young fish.