Universalism Among Christians

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

School Blocks Own Paper

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

Fraudbusting Pastor Pleads Guilty‎

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

Palau in Vietnam

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

Church Bars Students Over Sex Class

A Chattanooga church has withdrawn its invitation to a group of students from Chicago's Northwestern University.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

The Passion of the C-List

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

Bible Study Bloodshed

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

Lady GaGa and Judas

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

Among the lyrics:

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

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

Exorcism, Satanism and the Internet

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

High Court Upholds Tax Credit

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

Suit Over Bible at School

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

Easter Ad Rejected

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

Booty to Spoils

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

Pole Dancing for Jesus

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

Pole Dancing for Jesus Class in Texas: MyFoxNY.com

App Inventor in Coma

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

Thanking God for Earthquake

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

High Court Declines "In God" Case

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

New Translations

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

Church Drops Baptist from Name

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

Scumbags Welcome

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