Sou Baptists losing members

The numbers are down - again, for Southern Baptists. It fell for a 5th straight year to less than 16 million. That's a drop of about one percent from last year, according to Lifeway Christian Resources. It was the second lowest year of Baptisms in the last half-century.

Movie Banned from Christian Stores

The Blind Side will no longer be sold at LifeWay Christian Stores. The Southern Baptist-owned stories pulled the Sandra Bullock movie about a black college football player accepted into a white family because the issue will come up during the denomination's annual meeting in New Orleans that starts Tuesday. A Florida pastor has proposed a resolution protesting its sale because the PG-13 movie contains profanity and a racial slur. Rodney Baker, pastor of Hopeful Baptist Church in Lake City, was able to get the Florida Baptist Convention pass a resolution similar to it last year. He says the movie is not "family friendly."

Evangelicals & undocumented immigrants

A discussion on MSNBC about a group of Evangelicals who've signed a document concerning undocumented immigrants.
 

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Protest against Billy Graham

The infamous Westboro Baptist Church has set its sights on Billy Graham's Charlotte-based library yesterday. Members protested what the church's website calls the "lying whore false prophet Billy Graham" because he should tell people "that it's not okay to be a fag, it's not okay to divorce and remarry, it's not okay to fornicate, it's not okay to kill your babies." The group declared Graham's wife is in hell and he will go there as well. Graham has publicly supported a proposed state amendment that would ban gay marriage.

The Candy Cane Case

The Supreme Court has decided not to reconsider a lower court ruling known as the candy case case. Two Plano, Texas elementary school principals refused to let students hand out cane pens with a Christian message. Four families sued, but the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled the two were protected from liability. At the same time, the Appeals court ruled the First Amendment rights of the children might have been violated by the principals. Some other aspects of the case have not been settled by the courts yet.

Tool for Outdoor camp ministry Gets Student in Trouble

How a pocketknife got a Bible college student arrested in New York here.

Pledge Suit Tossed

A New Jerson judge has thrown out a suit filed by an atheist couple against the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District. The couple, whose children attend school in the district and refused to be identified, claimed the use of the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance is a violation of their children's rights.

Creflo Dollar addresses battery charge

Here's a CNN video about the arrest of Creflo Dollar on child abuse charges.

Parents Outraged over Decision

A school principal in Coney Island, New York says her students can't sing Lee Greenwood's “God Bless the USA” at their June 20th graduation even though kindergartners spent months learning the patriotic tune. Greta Hawkins, principal at Edna Cohen School did, however, approve Justin Bieber's song Baby. The kids were also planning to wave small flags as they sang that America, “still stands for freedom.” Hawkins told staffers, “We don’t want to offend other cultures.” A Department of Education spokeswoman says the department supports the decision because the lyrics “too grown up” for 5-year-olds. A student sung the song a year ago - and got a standing ovation. Hawkins is a Jehovah’s Witness who does not recite the pledge of allegiance.

Offensive Poster of Jesus

A photo depicting Jesus saying, "I want you to kill all infidels" is hanging in an elementary school in California. The image, with Jesus pointing like Uncle Sam in a recruitment poster, is part of a series drawn at the Hamilton Elementary School when second grade students were learning about the crusades. The parents of one child complained back in March, but school officials refuse to take it down. Fresno's KFSN-TV has this video report.

Creflo Dollar's Prosperity Gospel finds followers and critics

CNN takes a look at the prosperity gospel of Creflo Dollar here.