Saturday, June 7, 2008

Evangelicals for Obama?

Conservative PR exec Mark DeMoss says Barak Obama could take a third to nearly half of the Evangelical vote in the general election. DeMoss bases the claim on the number of conservative Christians who voted for Clinton when he ran for the office and the lack of enthusiasm among Evangelical leaders for Republican John McCain. DeMoss worked for the Mitt Romney campaign and counts Focus on the Family and Franklin Graham among his clients.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Spirit "Fall Out" Leads to Suit

A Tennessee man is suing the Knoxville church where he was “slain in the spirit” last year. Robert Lavala was preaching at the Lakewind Church when he touched Matthew Lincoln who fell backward, hitting his head on the floor. Lincoln now wants $2.5 million from Lakewind because he claims he can no longer care for his disabled daughter. The church says Lincoln should not have assumed someone would able to catch him. The Smoking Gun has a copy of the suit posted.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

South Dakota Votes

South Dakota Democratic Primary votes and church attendance.

  • Protestant and attend weekly: Clinton 56%, Obama 44%
  • Protestant and attend less often: Clinton 54%, Obama 46%
  • Catholic and attend weekly: Clinton 58%, Obama 42%
  • Catholic and attend less often: Clinton 58%, Obama 42%
  • Others: Clinton 52%, Obama 48%

Obama Leaving Trinity Church:

  • Important: Clinton 69%, Obama 31%
  • Not Important: Clinton 46%, Obama 54%

Source: CNN Exit Polls

Montana Votes

Montana Democratic Primary votes and church attendance.

  • Protestant and attend weekly: Clinton 60%, Obama 35%
  • Protestant and attend less often: Clinton 45%, Obama 54%
  • Catholic and attend weekly: Clinton 43%, Obama 54%
  • Catholic and attend less often: Clinton 45%, Obama 54%
  • Others: Clinton 29%, Obama 68%

Obama Leaving Trinity Church:

  • Important: Clinton 57%, Obama 40%
  • Not Important: Clinton 32%, Obama 66%

Source: CNN Exit Polls

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Footprints

The question of who wrote the famous poem Footprints in the Sand could wind up in court. Basil Zangare has filed a lawsuit claiming his mother, Mary Stevenson, wrote it in the 1930’s. He’s suing a couple of women who each claim they wrote it. One is Canadian poet Margaret Fishback Powers. She claims to have come up with it in 1964 and then to have sold it in 1992 to HarperCollins Canada for a book. The other woman is Carolyn Joyce Carty who claims to have come up with the poem in 1963 when she was just six years old. Not named in the suit is Burrell Webb who says he wrote it in 1958. On top of all that, journalist Rachel Aviv says her research shows it was written in 1880.

Priest Stepping Down

A Chicago priest is being given a leave of absence following his comments about Hillary Clinton at Barak Obama’s former church. Cardinal Francis George says Michael Pfleger will be given time to "reflect on his recent statements". During the sermon he said, "America is the greatest sin against God." Pfleger says that was a slip of the tongue and he meant to say "Racism is the greatest sin against God" . More on his sermon.

Faithbook

A new Facebook page launched today by a group of British Jews known as the Movement for Reform Judaism. Faithbook has the support of The Muslim Institute. The idea is that the site will provide a place for religious debate and discussion.

Monday, June 2, 2008

The Shroud

The Shroud of Turin will go on display in two years. It has not been viewed in public for eight. Some people claim the Shroud was used in Jesus’ burial. But carbon dating in the 80's indicated it is only a medieval fake. By tradition, the relic is owned by the Pope.

Obama Leaves Church

Barack Obama is leaving the Trinity United Church of Christ. He’s been a member of the Chicagovideo showed up on the Internet of Michael Pfleger who was a guest speaker at Trinity. It shows the priest swearing and mocking Hillary Clinton. Obama says the comments were "offensive (and) have no place in our politics and in the pulpit." Here's Obama's resignation letter. Pfleger apologized yesterday for the remarks but he also blamed YouTube for the controversy, saying, “YouTube and headlines and soundbites can now and have now become an instrument that creates the story rather than tells the story."