Facebook Religion

Two years after the launch of Facebook, a religious views box made its debut in 2006. The format let users type in whatever they wanted. It proved so popular that Facebook changed its political views box to free-text as well. MySpace also offers a religion box but it's a drop-down menu limited to 14 choices.

A list of the most popular religious identities reveals some interesting information. Christian is the most popular religious designation on the social networking site (that includes anyone who put down Christian, Protestant, Catholic or Mormon or a Christian denomination). The second most popular religious identity is Islam followed by Atheist. Jedi put in an appearance at the 10 spot. And a surprising number of people online claim they are Amish.

Not Standing for the Pledge

A Florida high school student is serving a suspension after she told a Muslim student to stand up during the Pledge of Allegiance and to remove her head covering. A teacher overheard the confrontation at Springstead High School. Lawrence was handed a five-day suspension for bullying and harassment. Even though she now says she regrets telling the girl to "take that thing off" her family is considering legal action against the school located in Springhill, Florida, north of Tampa.

Surgery for Robertson

Pat Robertson is recovering from heart surgery. The 10 hour operation on the 79-year-old Christian broadcaster took place at the FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in North Carolina. Robertson's recovery is going well so far. He's expected to be back on the job at the Christian Broadcasting Network in the next few weeks where he hosts the 700 Club.

Pastor Wants Obama to Die

An Arizona pastor says he's praying for Barack Obama to die. Steven Anderson, pastor of the Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, says he's recieved death threats since he preached a sermon titled, "Why I hate Barack Obama." Picketers showed up at yesterday's services and Anderson says many of his congregation are now bringing guns to church. Anderson says:

"If you want to know how I'd like to see Obama die, I'd like him to die of natural causes. I don't want him to be a martyr, we don't need another holiday. I'd like to see him die, like Ted Kennedy, of brain cancer."

Evolution T-shirts

A Missouri school is recalling its band’s t-shirts. Administration officials at the Smith-Cotton High School in Sedalia say the shirts promote evolution. The shirts show the image of a monkey holding a brass instrument and progressing through various stages of evolution until eventually becoming a human. Parents complained after the band marched in the Missouri State Fair parade. New t-shirts are now being designed.

Memo Warning

Calvin College faculty are crying foul after the school's Board of Trustees ordered them not to support homosexuality or same-sex marriage. Some 130 of 300 faculty members met this week to discuss the memo detailing the decision. Calvin College is associated with the Christian Reformed Church.

Image of Cross Burned into Arm

An Ohio school board has settled with a student who's teacher teacher burned the image of a cross on his arm. Mount Vernon Middle School teacher John Freshwater was fired for sharing his Christian beliefs with classes and teaching creationism. The board will pay the student's family $121,000. The family will only get $5,500. His lawyers will get the rest. Freshwater has filed his own $1 million lawsuit against the district.

Kidnapping Hoax

A Tampa, Florida pastor faked his own kidnapping to cover up an affair. Seventh Day Adventist Church of Reform pastor Wikler Moran-Mora sent his wife a series of texts messages saying he had been kidnapped but was negotiating his release. She called police and they tracked him down with another woman. Moran-Mora has been charged with sending a false report to law enforcement.

Fired For Christian Poster

A Florida couple have been evicted and fired for hanging a Christian poster. Fox News has the story.

Child Porn Charges

A former deaf football player is in jail and charged with child molestation and pornography in Norman, Oklahoma. Prosecutors say Eric Thunander confessed after a child at a daycare told workers he had touched her inappropriately.

The defensive end was a standout as part of the University of Oklahoma’s 2000 National Championship team. Thunander told the story of his attempt to overcome abuse and depression in a book released last year called Silent Thunder. According to the autobiography, Thunander endured abuse and multiple foster homes as a child, finally hitting the bottom when a head injury ended his football career. He wound up trying to commit suicide. But Thunander says he turned his life over to God, went back to school to complete his degree and became a motivational speaker.

Pastor Killed

Oklahoma's KWTV files this video report on a murdered pastor.

Sign Coverup

Here's the church sign with the word Lutheran blocked out. St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Charleston, West Virginia made the move after the denomination voted opening the pulpit to gays and lesbians.

Church Covers up Sign

A Lutheran church in West Virginia has covered the word Lutheran on the sign in front of the sanctuary. St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church in Charleston, West Virginia is protesting the decision by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to allow gay clergy. The pastor says he expects the decision will split the denomination.

Death Sentence for Killer

The man convicted of killing two Christian music producers now has a death sentence thanks to a Texas jury. James Broadnax killed Stephen Swan and Matthew Butler two years ago in Garland, Texas. Broadnax was a gang member and on drugs at the time of the slayings. He confessed to the crimes during TV interviews and said he deserved to die.

Gay Clergy Ban Lifted

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America has lifted its ban on gay clergy. The nation's largest Lutheran denomination voted in favor of the move by 68% while meeting in Minneapolis yesterday. Congregations will not be forced to hire gay clergy but conservative groups like Lutheran CORE will meet next month to decide whether to remain part of the ELCA.

Lutheran Vote on Same-Sex Unions

Lutherans can now bless same-sex unions if they want to do so. Delegates at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America gathering in Minneapolis voted in favor of the move. The vote doesn’t require pastors or congregations to participate in same-sex unions. Another vote will decide whether the denomination will accept gay pastors. Some conservative ministers in the ELCA say the votes will lead to a church split. Other Lutheran denominations, such as the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, does not approve of same-sex unions.

Religion and Health Care

Tony Perkins and Rev. Jim Wallis debate the religious sides of health care reform on CNN.

Pastor Arrested

A Los Angeles pastor will appear in court today on charges of taking some $800,000 from his church. E. Joshua Sims leads the Double Rock Baptist Church in Compton. Some members claim he threatened them when they began asking questions about church finances.

Suspended over Atheist Sign

A Des Moines bus driver has been suspended for refusing to drive a bus with an atheist promotion on the side. Angela Shiel says the ad goes against her Christian beliefs. Paid for by the Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers, it reads: Don't believe in God? You are not alone. Shiel could be fired over the issue.

Alice Cooper Canceled

The owners of an arena in Finland has canceled a concert appearance by Alice Cooper. The veteran rocker was supposed to play at Tampere Areena Oy in December.

The managing director of the arena says his venue does not “arrange concerts where Satanism or non-god-worshipping occurs."

Cooper is a practicing Christian who is quoted in Cross Rhythms magazine as saying:

“As a Christian, I don't declare myself as a 'Christian rock star.' I'm a rock performer who's a Christian. Alice Cooper is the guy who wants to entertain the audience - it happens that he's a Christian. Alice (the character I play on stage) began life as a villain and he remains one. Alice is no more dangerous than a villain in a cartoon or a Disney film. We have fun with him. He snarls
and wears make up. I get right-wing Christians down on me and I always ask them the question: 'If I was doing Macbeth, would it be OK?'”

Bible Class Nixed

A southwestern Idaho school has been told not to teach the Bible – even in literary course. Idaho’s Public Charter School Commission has stopped the plan, claiming the state constitution forbids the use of religious texts in classrooms. The Nampa Classical Academy said it was not planning to teach religion, just use the Bible in an historical context.

Why I Stayed

The wife of Ted Haggard is writing a memoir that will be published by Tyndale House in January. Gayle Haggard’s book is titled Why I Stayed. It’s about surviving her husband's sex scandal during his time as a megachurch pastor in Colorado Springs. Ted Haggard resigned as pastor of New Life Church when a male prostitute made accusations that they had a cash-for-sex relationship.

Ultrasound Law

A judge has issued a permanent injunction on a law requiring an ultrasound before a woman can have an abortion in Oklahoma. KOKI-TV in Tulsa has a video report.

Wafergate

Canada's Prime Minister has been accused of pretending to eat a communion wafter at a Catholic church. Stephen Harper is an Evangelical and the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal started what has been called Wafergate. The paper accused the politician of slipping the wafer into his pocket during the Catholic state funeral of former Governor-General Roméo LeBlanc. But the paper has now admited the story was based on a false rumor. The Telegraph-Journal has retracted the story, printed a front page apology and fired the editor and publisher.

Wildmon Hospitalized

Don Wildmon has been in intensive care for meningitis. The American Family Association leader was admitted to the North Mississippi Medical Center over the weekend and has slowly been improving.

Twittering Prayers

You can twitter prayers to be placed in the crevices of Jerusalem's Western Wall. Israeli university student Alon Nir has opened the Twitter site and says he’ll print them out and put them in the Wall. Several organizations already deliver prayers sent by email, text message or fax.

Vote on Gay Clergy

The ELCA votes this week on whether to allow gay clergy to serve in the denomination. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is meeting in Minneapolis and may agree to permit gay men and lesbians in the pulpit if they are in committed, monogamous relationships. The church has nearly 5 million members and 10,500 churches.

Prison for Prayer?

A couple of Florida school officials are facing prison time for praying at lunch. They go to trial one month from today. Pace High School principal Frank Lay asked school Athletic Director Robert Freeman to give a prayer of thanks for the dedication of a new fieldhouse at a luncheon for football booster club members. Only adults attended the meeting when the prayer was offered, though students were involved in the meal preparation. Lay and Freeman face a maximum penalty of up to six months in prison. District Judge Casey Rodgers will hear the nonjury trial.

Obama Seeks Evangelical Support

President Obama will seek support of his health care initiative from Evangelicals this week. He joins a 40 minute conference call this Wednesday sponsored by Sojourners, Faith in Public Life, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and PICO National Network and two dozen other liberal religious organizations.

Florida Catholic Cuts

The Roman Catholic Church is closing 13 churches in the Miami area over the next few weeks in order to cut its budget. Seven Catholic schools in South Florida were shut down earlier this year.

Stay Away from Church

A group of dissenters at a Florida megachurch have agreed to stay away. Six members of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, including the daughter of D James Kennedy who founded the church have been banned from activities by the current pastor, Tullian Tchividjian. They believe he’s moving the direction in a direction that Kennedy would not have approved. Executive director Scott Spell has resigned over the controversy. He worked with Tchividjian at his former church. An attempt at reconciliation is planned and although the group that objects to the new leadership has agreed to stay away from the church for the time being, they do not agree with the decision. What is it they find so offensive that's new at the church? Longer sermons, new methods of evangelism, dropping minister’s robes and contemporary music.

Megachurch Sold

The site of an Atlanta megachurch has been sold for $17.6 million. The Greater Traveler’s Rest Baptist Church has purchased the Cathedral at Chapel Hill in Decatur. The nearly 300,000-square-foot church complex sits on a 50-acre campus. The sanctuary seats 6000. Bishop Earl Paulk built the megachurch but lost it in a sex scandal. He died this year after battle cancer.

Lottery Winner

A Haslett, Michigan church is getting a winning lotto ticket from a member. WILX-TV reports on why she made the gift.

Baptist Resignation

Southern Baptists are losing their Mission Board president. Geoff Hammond has resigned after only two years at the helm of the denomination's evangelism arm. Some members of the executive committee haven’t been happy with his leadership and they were set to meet about the issue the day after Hammond resigned. Three of his assistants have quit as well. The mission board has a $130 million budget and oversees 5,600 missionaries.

Focus in Trouble

Focus on the Family may wind up nearly a quarter short of its yearly budget. The organization founded by James Dobson is making a special plea, saying it may miss its $138 million budget by $6 million.

As part of its cutbacks, Focus is giving up control of its Love Won Out conferences about homosexuality to Exodus International. The events drew protests from gay rights groups.

More than 200 jobs were cut by Focus this past year.

Teen Claims Death Threat

An Ohio teenager says her family threatened to kill her for converting to Christianity. Rifqa Bary fled to Orlando where she’s staying with a the pastor of Global Revolution Church. Although her Muslim family wants to regain custody of her, a judge has ruled that she will remain under the care of Florida’s child services department while her claims are investigated. Her Sri Lankan father denies there is any threat to her life. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Friday.

D. James Kennedy's Daughter Banned From Church

Six members of a Florida megachurch have been thrown out. That includes the daughter of the man who founded Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, D. James Kennedy. After Kennedy passed away last fall, the Fort Lauderdale church got a new pastor: Tullian Tchividjian, the grandson of evangelist Billy Graham. The people banned from church functions are trying to get him fired. Jennifer Kennedy Cassidy has been ordered to stay off church property and out of church programs. She and others have circulated a petition. Among other things, they object to his appointment of some of his own people on the church staff, of changing the church’s worship style and selling church land to make up for budget shortfalls. At a recent church meeting, Tchividjian denied any budget shortfall and told the congregation that only about a dozen of the 70 or so staffers come from his former church.

1st Women Elected

The Assemblies of God has elected its first woman to its Executive Presbytery. Beth Grant was elected the second ballot during the denomination’s biennial meetings in Orlando. A missionary to India and coordinator of the Women in Ministry Network, Grant is a former Southeastern University professor. She was given a standing ovation after the announcement of her election.

Looking Back: Top Religious Stories of 2003

1 - The Episcopal Church ordains its first openly gay bishop

2 - The war in Iraq splits religious communities

3 - The Massachusetts Supreme Court overturns a gay-marriage ban

4 - A Ten Commandments monument is removed from Alabama's Supreme Court building

5 - The Catholic Church draws praise and criticism for its efforts to combat priestly sex abuse

6 - Pope John Paul II celebrates 25 years in office

7 - The economy forces budget cutbacks for many denominations

8 - The Presbyterian Church, USA retains a policy saying only those who practice fidelity in marriage or chastity as single people can be ordained 9

- The Supreme Court agrees to hear whether "Under God" should remain in the Pledge of Allegiance

10 - The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod overturns the suspension of a New York church leader who took part in an interfaith service after 9-11

11 - Southern Baptist missionaries are fired for refusing to sign pledges to honor the denomination's "Faith and Message" statement.

12 - Debate over President Bush's plan to ease restrictions on public funding of faith-based charities

13 - Concerns about the erosion of religious liberty are raised over the Patriot Act

14 - President Bush signs a bill outlawing what are generally termed partial-birth abortions

15 - The "road map" to Middle East peace

15 - (tie) New leadership at major evangelical groups including Focus on the Family, Promise Keepers, the National Association of Evangelicals and the Family Research Council

Source: Religion Newswriters Association

Note to God

There's a new Apple iPhone app called A Note to God. The app allows users read the anonymous prayers of others and show support by clicking on a thumbs up icon. Southern Cal start up Medl Mobile is making A Note to God available but its the creation of high school student Allen Wright who attends New Life Community Church in Fair Oaks, California.

Looking Back.. Best Books of 2007

The 2007 Book of the Year was Ever After by Karen Kingsbury, according to the Evangelicalb Christian Publishers Association. The novel tells the story of a college student who falls in love with a young Army reservist who is deployed to Iraq.

Other 2007 winners:

• Bible of the Year Archaeological Study Bible NIV

• Bible Reference and Study The IVP Atlas of Bible History by Paul Lawrence

• Children and Youth Sexy Girls
by Hayley DiMarco

• Christian Life What Jesus Demands from the World
by John Piper

• Fiction When Crickets Cry
by Charles Martin

• Inspiration and Gift Pearls of Great Price
by Joni Eareckson Tada

Megachurch Twitter Buzz

A Chicago megachurch made 3 of the top 10 Twitter trend topoics at one point during its leadership conference this weekend. Former British prime minister Tony Blair and U2's Bono are among the speakers at Bill Hybels' Willow Creek Church. More than 100,000 business and church leaders were expected to attend.

No to City Logo Change

The town of Kissimmee, Florida won't be adding In God We Trust to the city logo. City Commissioner Art Otero proposed the idea and says he'll keep fighting to make it happen. Mayor Jim Swan got the full commission to drop the idea last week because of negative publicity.

Megachurch Sanctuaries

Protestant churches with a seating capacity of 5,000 or more:

Faithful Central Bible Church (Kenneth C. Ulmer) 17,800
Lakewood Church, Houston (Joel Osteen) 16,000
Salem Baptist Church of Chicago (James Meeks) 10,000
Crenshaw Christian Center, LA ( Fred Price) 10,000

Southeast Christian, Louisville, KY (Dave Stone) 9,200
First Baptist Church Jacksonville, FL (Mac Brunson) 9,000
Without Walls Central Church, Lakeland, FL (Scott Thomas) 9,000

Potters House, Atlanta (Creflo Dollar) 8,000
Cathedral of the Cross, Birmingham (Mike Wright) 8,000

Cathedral of Chapel Hill, Atlanta (Donnie Earl Paulk) 7,700
First Baptist Church, Atlanta (Charles Stanley) 7,500
Prestonwood Baptist Church Plano (Jack Graham) 7,400
First Baptist Church, Hammond, IN (Jack Schaap) 7,500
Willow Creek, Chicago (Bill Hybels) 7,100

New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, Lithonia, Ga (Eddie Long) 7,000
Glory Church of Jesus Christ, LA (Richard Seunghoon Shin) 7,000
Ministerio International el Rey Jesus, Kendall, FL (Guillermo Maldonado) 7,000
Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis (Steve Gaines) 7,000

First Baptist Church, Woodstock, GA (Johnny Hunt) 7,000

First Assembly of God, Phoenix (Tommy Barnett) 6,500
Second Baptist Church, Houston (Ed Young Sr.) 6,200
Thomas Road Baptist Church, Lynchburg, VA (Jonathan Falwell) 6,000
Bethany World Prayer Center, Baker, CA (Larry Stockstill) 6,000

Christian Life Center Stockton CA (Nathaniel Haney) 5,800
First Baptist Church, Orlando (David Uth) 5,500
First Southern Baptist Church, Del City, OK 5,500
Victory Christian Center, Tulsa (Billy Joe and Sharon Daugherty) 5,500

Angelus Temple, LA (Matthew Barnett) 5,300
World Harvest Church, Columbus, Ohio (Rod Parsley) 5,200
Rock Church, Virginia Beach (Anne Gimenez) 5,200
Idlewild Baptist Church, Lutz FL (Ken Whitten) 5,150
Overlake Christian Church, Redmond, WA (Mike Howerton) 5,100

Shoreline Christian Center, Austin (Robert Koke) 5,000
Cornerstone church, San Antonio (John Hagee) 5,000
Eagle's Nest Christian Fellowship, San Antonio (Rick Godwin) 5,000
Calvary Church, Charlotte (John Munro) 5,000
West Angeles COGIC, LA (Charles Blake) 5,000
Jericho City of Praise, Landham MD (Betty Peebles) 5,000
Calvery Church, Charlotte (John H. Munro) 5,000
Calvary Assembly of God, Winter Park, FL (George Cope) 5,000
Hope Presbyterian Church, Cordova, TN (Craig Strickland) 5,000

(Let us know if you know of any others to add to the list or corrections to make)

Mercy Me Fatal Accident

MercyMe was involved in the fatal crash in Fort Wayne, Indiana early today when a car turned into the path of the group's tour bus as the bus was going through a green light. No one on MercyMe's bus was injured. But two people in the car were killed. The driver was an 18-year-old pregnant woman who is now in critical condition and has lost her child. The contemporary Christian music group, best known for the song I Can Only Imagine, cancelled its sold-out concert set for this evening at Six Flags St Louis. It has been rescheduled for September 5th.

Catholics by State

The results of a Gallup Poll show the distribution of Catholics across the states is heavily skewed toward the New England and Mid-Atlantic states.

The state with highest percentage Catholic is Rhode Island at 53%, followed by Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. Two Midwestern states, Wisconsin and Illinois, are also in the top 10 states in terms of the percentage Catholic.

The 10 states with the lowest percentages of Catholics are all in or close to the South, with the exception of Utah (with its high concentration of Mormons). Mississippi, with a 6% Catholic population, has the lowest proportion of Catholics of any state.

Racist Graffiti on Church

WPTY-TV in Memphis has a video report on what police are calling a hate crime.

Religion by State

Here's a graphic showing Gallup poll results of non-Catholic Christians -by state. They are heavily concentrated in the South and nearby states, while constituting only a minority of residents of Northeastern states, and of many Middle Atlantic and Western states.

Mississippi and Alabama are at the top with 81% and 80% Protestant/other Non-Catholic Christian.

The state with the lowest proportion of non-Catholic Christians is Utah. Other states that are low in terms of non-Catholic Christian representation are those with high percentages of Catholics, including Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey.

Water Park Brawls

Fights broke out at a water park in Tulsa during a Christian event last night. The Waves of Worship event drew some 3500 youth was sponsored by Christian radio station KXOJ. Here's a video report from KOTV.

Ruby Tuesday Lawsuit

A Daytona Beach black pastor is suing Ruby Tuesday for discrimination. Loverso Walker wants $7 million from the restaurant chain. Walker and more than 50 church members from the Faith Temple Church of God in Christ were refused service two years ago, according to the lawsuit. Mediation between the parties has not resolved the matter. Here's more on the story from WPBF-TV.

Sexual Orientation

When sexual orientation conflicts with religious faith, counselors are being told not to offer "reparative therapy" which seeks to change sexual orientation. A new report says there’s no evidence to suggest such a change is possible. The American Psychological Association’s governing council has voted 125-4 to accept the study and go on record against telling gay clients they can become straight through therapy or other treatments. The group suggestions that mental health professionals should offer options ranging from celibacy to switching churches.

Psychologist Mark Yarhouse, who teaches at Regent University, will present a study that offers the opposite conclusion at Friday’s APA meeting. He studied people who went through programs with Exodus International. Yarhouse says most of the people switched to heterosexuality or pulled away from homosexuality.

Exodus is one of the largest organizations promoting change of sexual orientation. President Alan Chambers says parts of the APA report are encouraging. Chambers says, "It's a positive step.. simply respecting someone's faith is a huge leap in the right direction.”

Bono at Megachurch

U2 lead singer Bono will be among those who participate in a leadership conference at a Chicago megachurch. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is also on the bill for Willow Creek Community Church's annual Leadership Summit. It takes place tomorrow and Friday. Although many of the speakers will appear in person, Bono and Blair will reach the audience by satellite. Some 60,000 business and church leaders will crowd onto the church campus and tens of thousands of others will watch at other locations.

Survey on WW II Atomic Bombs

Do you think the US did the right thing or the wrong thing by dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Here are the percentages of those responding to this poll who say it was the right thing.

All Americans – 61%
White Protestants, Catholics and evangelical Christians – 70%
Jews – 58%

Source: Quinnipiac University poll

Baptist Leadership

Southern Baptists may get rid of their North American Mission Board president. Geoff Hammond has been at the helm of the denomination's evangelism arm for 2 years. But some members of the executive committee aren’t happy with his leadership. There will be a discussion of whether to remove him when the committee meets again next Tuesday.

Baker Book House

Here's a look at one of the significant but small evangelical publishers - Baker Book House.

Complaints about Church Feeding Homeless

Neighbors are complaining about a central Phoenix church feeding the homeless. KTVK-TV reports.

Elvis and Cash at Sun

A new release from Sun Records contains 31 gospel recordings from Sun's vaults- including tunes from Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Charlie Rich. The CD retrospective from the Memphis studio is called Sun Gospel and starts with Presley’s informal Just a Little Talk With Jesus. It is being released by Germany's Bear Family records.