Mormon Flap

The pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas has stirred controversy by saying Republicans shouldn't vote for Mitt Romney because he's a Mormon and he said Romney is a member of a cult. Robert Jeffress introduced rival Rick Perry at the Values Voter Summit in Washington tonight and then told reporters, "I think Mitt Romney's a good, moral man, but those of us who are born again followers of Christ should prefer a competent Christian."

Amish on Amish Violence

Read the story of attacks on Amish by a cast-off group in Ohio here.

Teacher Loses in Court

An Ohio public school teacher has lost his case against the Mount Vernon school board. John Freshwater sued for wrongful termination, after he was let go for talking about his beliefs in class and keeping a Bible on his desk. He was also accused of burning a cross into the arm of a students, but that allegation was resolved outside the courtroom. Freshwater may file an appeal.

Steve Jobs

CNN offers a story about the spiritual side of Steve Jobs here.

Schuller Lawsuit

Creditors of the Crystal Cathedral are taking the megachurch's founder and family to court, accusing Robert H. Schuller of taking $10 million from the ministry's endowment fund to cover the salaries of his family, going back to 2002. Schuller says it's not true. He recently tried to raise money to prevent the selling of the land on which the Crystal Cathedral stands - but the Schullers failed to raise even half of what is needed. The highest bid comes from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange for $53.6 million. Other potential buyers include Chapman University and Hobby Lobby.

ADA and Churches

The Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in a case that could decide whether churches can avoid lawsuits that other employers cannot. A teacher at a Lutheran school in Redford, Michigan was fired and she claimed discrimination under ADA laws. The school is claiming it's exempt from facing the lawsuit because it falls in area that bans lawsuits against clergy performing their religious duties. Teacher Cheryl Perich and her lawyers say her claims against Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church are not a religious matter. She was let go after she was diagnosed with narcolepsy and she says that's a clear violation of ADA law. A district court ruled in favor of the school. An appeals court overturned that ruling.

The Political Pulpit

The New York Times takes a long at Pulpit Freedom Sunday here.

Faith Healing Convictions

Two more members of a faith healing church in Oregon will spend time behind bars. A jury found Dale and Shannon Hickman guilty of of manslaughter in the death of their infant son David. Five other members of Christ Church have been convicted as well for other similar crime. The Hickman's prayed and rubbed oil on their son when he had trouble breathing just nine hours after has birth. An autopsy showed he had a bacterial infection and underdeveloped lungs - and hospital treatment would have ensured his survival. The Hickman's claimed the charges was nothing more than religious persecution. The couple will be sentenced at the end of October.

Why young Christians aren't waiting anymore

CNN has an article about abstinence among Christian teenagers and young adults. Read the story here.

Nearing Home

Billy Graham's 30th book will be out soon. Nearing Home will hit store shelves shortly before his 93rd birthday in November. The idea for the book came a few years ago when he realized, "I had been taught all of my life how to die, but no one had ever taught me how to grow old." In the book, Graham finds examples of seniors who embrace their age and he offers verses of encouragement to do the same.

Obama Heckler

A heckler interrupted President Obama's fundraiser in Los Angeles last night shouting, "Christian God is the one and only true living God" and then "Jesus Christ is God!" He was soon outshouted by other people chanting "four more years!" There are reports that when the man was being taken away he added, "Barack Obama is the antichrist!" Afterward, Obama said "first of all, I agree Jesus Christ is the Lord. I believe in that." Here is a video showing Obama's reaction.

Gospel Singer Dies

Gospel music singer Jessy Dixon has died at the age of 73. He passed yesterday at his home in Chicago. Dixon recorded five gold albums. During the 1970s he was the opening act of Paul Simon and recently he played a roll on Bill Gaither's popular "Homecoming" series.

Belieber! in print

A new book about Justin Bieber explores his Christian beliefs. Belieber! Fame, Faith, and the Heart of Justin Bieber written by Cathleen Falsani describes his journey from singing Christian songs on YouTube to international stardom. His mother, Patricia Mallette, attends Jubilee Christian Fellowship, a nondenominational church in Stratford, Ontario. The book compiles information from articles, social media and interviews with the seventeen-year-old Canadian who had never concealed his faith.

Religious Rights Battle at Vanderbilt University

Below is a video from Fox News about a battle on the campus of Vanderbilt University over the religious freedom of a student group.

Rob Bell Leaves Church

Michigan mega-church pastor Rob Bell is leaving his Mars Hill Church. His book Love Wins drew criticism from conservative evangelicals for suggesting that hell may close one day after everyone leaves to go to heaven. Bell did not speak with the congregation before releasing the news publicly. He's planning a Fit to Smash Ice tour and is already scheduled to speak in at least eight places. Below is an ABC video about Bell.

Southern Baptist Name Change

The Southern Baptist Convention may change its name. Current President Bryant Wright has set up a study group to research the idea - something that has stirred controversy because he didn't work through the executive committee. The effort to rebrand the denomination may mean dropping "Southern" and possibly "Baptist."

Ted Haggard will "Swap Wife"

Former megachurch pastor Ted Haggard will swap wives with actor Gary Busey for an upcoming episode of Celebrity Wife Swap. The episode of the ABC reality series is being taped in Colorado Springs. Busey is an active minister with Promise Keepers while Haggard has returned to the ministry as a pastor of a non-denominational church following his departure from a Colorado megachurch following a public scandal.

God and the Economy Survey

A new survey finds 8 in 10 political conservatives see God stepping in to their daily lives believe God is steering the economy. The Baylor Religion Survey (conducted by Gallup) found 73% of Americans agree with the statement "I know God has a plan for me." Out of this group:

•49% say "the government in Washington is trying to do too many things that should be left to individuals and private businesses."

•79% say "able-bodied people who are out of work shouldn't receive unemployment checks if they are passing up jobs they can do."

•92% say "anything is possible for those who work hard."

NRB: Social Media Censoring Christians

The National Religious Broadcasters claims the social media are targeting Christians and censoring their viewpoints. The organization says it studied Apple, the iTunes App Store, Google, Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, AT&T, Comcast and Verizon and found what it calls "institutionalized religious discrimination.” The one bright spot, according to the report, is Twitter. The social media site has shown "fairness toward Christian opinions" in its written policies. The NRB points to decision's like one by Apple to pull two iPhone apps — one created by Exodus International and another that included the text of a document called the Manhattan Declaration. According to the NRB, only these two apps were removed solely on the basis of their viewpoints on homosexuality.

Church Shooting

A former church member is accused of critically wounding the church's pastor and associate pastor in Lakeland, Florida.