Evangelical March

More than one and a half million Evangelicals took part in Brazil's annual March for Jesus today. It is organized by the Reborn in Christ Church, operated by a couple who just finished serving five months in prison and five months under house arrest in Florida for failing to declair $56,000 in cash they were carrying on a flight from Sao Paulo to Miami. While Brazil has a larger Roman Catholic population than any other country, the number of evangelicals continues to grow.

Book Burning "Sucess"

The Amazing Grace Baptist Church says its book burning was a "great success." Pastor Marc Grizzard says a video of the event will be up soon. Local authorities in Canton, North Carolina. had warned the congregation that it would be against the law. Grizzard and his followers said they planned to burn versions of the Bible other than the King James translation along with books by Billy Graham and Rick Warren.

On the Ballot

Maine and Washington state voters will decided tomorrow whether to give marriage rights to gay men and lesbians. Washington's Referendum 71 would give same-sex partners and unmarried seniors who live together the same rights as married couples. Although the proposed law explicitly states, "a domestic partnership is not a marriage." The Maine measure called Question 1 would remove a law from the books that allows same-sex marriage. The state also has a ballot measure on medical marijuana. It would increase the number of conditions that qualify for patients to buy marijuana.

Largest Building Program Ever

It's perhaps the largest church building program in modern history. First Baptist Church of Dallas has approved a $130 million plan to build a 3,000-seat worship center and a religious education building downtown near the city's arts district. The effort includes a glass concourse and a sky bridge. The congregation currently meets in a sanctuary built in 1890. Five buildings on the old campus will be destroyed to make way for the new facilities.

Dobson Group Banned

Focus on the Family has been banned from schools around Australia's capital city. The country's education department is looking into allegations about its practices related to homosexuality and promoting religion without parental consent. Focus programs have offered students information about marriage, pornography and abstinence.

Nativity Scene

WJBK-TV in Detroit reports on a Nativity scene removed suddenly after 63 years.

GMC Growth

The Gospel Music Channel is the fastest growing cable channel. From offices in Atlanta, it has gone from reaching about one million homes in 2004 to more than 46 million subscribers today. That's more than TeenNick (44 million) and NBA-TV (39 million). Charley Humbard, son of televangelist Rex Humbard, runs the privately held network. He previously worked at the Discovery Channel as a senior vice president. The network focuses on Christian music videos of every style. Some estimates put annual revenue for the Gospel Music Channel at more than $13 million.

Dobson Leaving Radio

You will soon no longer hear James Dobson's voice on the daily radio show Focus on the Family. He's leaving the organization's flagship daily broadcast at the end of February. Six years ago, the 73-yearl-old Dobson first started reducing his role in the ministry he founded. He gave up his position as board chairman in February.

Bible Suit Dismissed

A Knoxville, Tennessee jury has ruled against a students' claims that he could not read and discuss Bible passages during recess. Samuel and Tina Whitson filed a lawsuit on behalf of their son Luke asking for $1. But Knox County Schools says it is a misunderstanding of the school policy against adult-led Bible classes during school hours. Administrators insist student Bible reading is fine if they do it on their own.

Frat Suit Dismissed

An appeal by a Christian fraternity has been dismissed. Beta Upsilon Chi filed suit against the University of Florida because it refused to recognize it as an official organization. The 11th Curcuit decided the issue was merely academic because the university had amended its policy and allowed to register.

Grandma's Letter

A grandmother in England was scolded by local police complaining in a letter about a gay pride parade. 67-year-old Pauline Howe is the wife of a Baptist minister near Norwich. She wrote the parade was a "public display of indecency" and "offensive to God." Local officials investigated her as to whether she was engaged in "hate speech." Howe says her letter was not hate-based but she was "simply speaking as a Christian." She told the media she felt threatened when officers arrived at her door and gave her a tongue-lashing.

Scientology Decision

The Church of Scientology is calling a decision by a French court a "modern Inquisition." The church plans an appeal of today's verdict, convicting the cult and six of its members of organized fraud. They will spend as much as two years in prison and pay as much as $595,000 in fines. The 3-judge panel did not ban the church as prosecutors asked them to do. The issue came to court when two former members said the group defrauded them out of money.

Breakaway Churches

Three California congregations in the Presbyterian Church, USA are leaving the denomination. The three are:

• Trinity Presbyterian Church in Clovis
• First Presbyterian Church in Fresno
• Fowler Presbyterian Church

Each breakaway church has joined the more conservative Evangelical Presbyterian Church based in Michigan. The congregations will keep their church properties.

Fired Over Button

A Home Depot worker in Florida has been fired because he wore a button with an American flag on it that reads, One nation under God, indivisible. Trevor Keezer says he wore it for more than a year, partly to honor his older brother who's headed to Iraq in December for his second tour of duty. After Keezer brought his Bible to work, a supervisor told him to take off the button and fired him when he refused. Several local businesses in the Okeechobee area are having employees wear similar buttons in support of Keezer. Home Depot isn't commenting.

Book Burning Goes Forward

A church is planning to go forward with its Bible and book burning even though it is illegal according to the local fire marshal in Canton, North Carolina. The pastor of Amazing Grace Baptist Church says he's going through with the Halloween night event despite the fact it goes against open burning laws. If firefighters put the fire out, the church could be fined as much as $25,000. A group of protestors is planning to attend the event at 7 pm, Eastern on October 31st.

Dueling News Conferences

Here's is a report on a decrimination lawsuit against Without Walls International Church in Tampa

America's Prophet

A new book casts Moses as "bigger than Jesus" in US political and cultural history. Bruce Feiler's new book is titled America's Prophet: Moses and the American Story. He looks at Moses in American history from the Pilgrims onward, suggesting the man who led his people out of Egyptian slavery to the Promised Land, had more to do with shaping American self-indentity than Jesus.

Robber Stops to Pray

An armed robber stopped to pray with a store clerk for nearly 10 minutes in Indianapolis on Monday. The crime took place at Advance America, a check cashing business. Even though the man fleed with a cell phone and $20 after the prayer, he turned himself in to police the next day. The man told the clerk he had a two-year-old child to support and wanted prayer about overcoming his hardships.

View of Bible Changing

Only 67% of college age adults say the Bible is a sacred text. That compares to more than 80% of 26- to 41-year-olds and 91% of those older than 42. A Barna Group survey also found less than a third (30%) of adults under 25 say the Bible is totally accurate in the principles it teaches. Less than half (40%) say they've read the Bible in the last week.

Former Dobson Employee Sentenced

A former Focus on the Family radio employee won't get any jail time for attempting to lure an underage teen into having sex with him. A Colorado judge gave Juan Alberto Ovalle five years probation after he plead guilty to attempted sexual assault of a child . He worked for Spanish-speaking arm of the ministry founded by James Dobson where he narrated Christian CDs for the organization.

Wrong Bible-Burning Church

A Mount Airy, North Carolina is getting negative feedback from around the country about its plans to burn Bibles and Christian literature on Halloween. Trouble is, it’s not the Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Mount Airy that’s planning the book burning but a church by the same name in Canton, North Carolina. Pastor Jonathan Barker is not happy about all the unsolicited publicity from people who’ve confused the two congregations.

USA Today quotes Barker as saying, “We do use the King James Bible and I preach why we do but I'm sure not going to jerk a different Bible out of someone's hand and say, 'I'm burning this.' No. No. That's wrong. And I would never tell anyone or put on our website that someone is going go hell… We're just a country church in the hills where we believe Jesus is the Savior of the world. And we welcome visitors.”

Cult Leader Dies

Elizabeth Clare Prophet has died at the age of 70 in California. The leader of the Church Universal and Triumphant was known for threading together various religions. Her New Age group once stockpiled weapons and supplies in Montana in anticipation of a coming nuclear nightmare.

Lottery Reversal

Harding University has reversed itself on the Arkansas state lottery. The Little Rock-area Christian school affiliated with the Church of Christ had exempted the new lottery from a student gambling ban. But now Harding’s president says that was a mistake. The lottery began at the end of September with the sale of scratch-off tickets. Arkansas starts Powerball sales at the end of this month.

Apology for Nazi Comment

A Southern Baptist leader is apologizing for comparing some Democratic health-care proposals to Nazi Germany. Richard Land, head of the Southern Baptist Convention Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission said what Democratic leaders are advocating "is not something like what the Nazis did. It is precisely what the Nazis did." Land was speaking at a Florida banquet when he suggested the "Dr. Josef Mengele Award" should go to the president's chief health-care adviser. Mengele led the Nazi genocide including medical experiments at death camps. Land now says he never intended to "equate the Obama administration's health-care reform proposals with anything related to the Holocaust" and that he "deeply regrets" the reference to Dr. Josef Mengele.

Discrimination Suit

A former youth worker with a Florida megachurch is suing for racial discrimination. Joshua Randolph claims Brandon White, the son of the founder of Without Walls International Church and a senior administrator, sent him racially offensive e-mail messages using the N-word. Randolph says he quit over the issue. Pastor Paula White calls it an attempt to embarrass the predominantly black church. White's ex-husband led the church until he stepped down recently.

Would-be Thief Stopped

A man tried to rob the Lighthouse Christian Bookstore in Martell, California, claiming he had a gun. A female employee refused to fill the bag he brought into the store with money. After making sevearal demands, the man fled the scene.

Passenger Arrested

A Bible chanting airline passenger on a flight from Seattle to Atlanta was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. The Delta flight crew made an unscheduled stop in Tennessee. Passengers say Paul Marchuk III was subdued by other passengers when he began quoting Bible verses while biting and flailing about inside the aircraft.

Burning Bibles at Church

The Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Canton, North Carolina plans a book burning on Halloween – including Bibles. Marc Grizzard says Bibles that are not King James Version have a satanic influence. The church website says members will burn “Satan's music such as country, rap, rock, pop, heavy metal, western, soft and easy, southern gospel, contemporary Christian, jazz, soul (and) oldies.

Books going into the fire include those by Rick Warren and Billy Graham. That’s they have used Bibles other than the King James Version. Other authors going in the flames: Bill Hybels, John McArthur, James Dobson, Charles Swindoll, John Piper, Chuck Colson, Tony Evans, Oral Roberts, Jimmy Swagart, Mark Driskol, Franklin Graham, Bill Bright, Tim Lahaye, Paula White, T.D. Jakes, Benny Hinn, Joyce Myers, Brian McLaren, Robert Schuller, Mother Teresa, The Pope, Rob Bell, Erwin McManus, Donald Miller, Shane Claiborne, Brennan Manning and William Young.

Teen Ordered Back to Islamic Family

The runaway who fled to Florida because she was afraid of her Islamic father after embracing Christianity has been ordered back to Ohio. A Florida judge says 17-year-old Rifqa Bary should return to her family near Columbus. A Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation found no credible threats.

Choose Life Tags

Choose Life license plates have hit roadblocks in New Jersey, New York and Illinois. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court decided not to consider an appeal from Illinois abortion opponents over the matter. That leaves the decision, for the moment, in the hands of state governments. Choose Life plates have won approval in 24 states. Five U.S. Circuit Courts have ruled on the matter. And each one of them has come to different conclusions.

Left Behind Video Game

A video games based on the Left Behind book series is now available in some Walmart stores around Dallas and Houston as a test. The popular novel series byTim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins have sold millions of copies in 30 languages. The US market for Christian video games is expected to grap 3% of the market in the next five years, pulling in $648 million, according to estimates by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Thousands of Texas-based pastors are getting letters about the games. It's part of a 10 week campaign that runs through Christmas.

Abortion & Gay Marriage Survey

A new survey shows most Americans now oppose abortion rights. At the same time, the Pew Research Center survey shows most (57%) favor civil unions for gay couples. In 2003, support for civil unions stood at 45%. Most remain opposed to gay marriage (53%).

Graham Gets More than $1 Million

Evangelist Franklin Graham earned more than a million dollars from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse in 2008. He received $669,000 from his father’s organization and $535,000 from Samaritan's Purse. Charity watchdog Guidestar says that’s more anyone else at a US-based international relief agency. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has gone from revenue of $126 million in 2005 to $93 million last year. Earlier this year, the organization laid off 10% of its staff (55 people). Graham along with four members of the Graham family are on the board of directors, though none are part of the compensation committee. Graham says he plans to stop to halt contributions to his retirement plans from the two ministries. CEOs at the nation's biggest charities saw a 7% drop in compensation in 2008, according to the Journal of Philanthropy.

Getting to Know.. Rod Parsley

Preaches prosperity gospel at World Harvest Church in Columbus, Ohio

• His $40 million-a-year Breakthrough TV ministry is on 1,400 TV stations and cable affiliates


• Dropped out of Circleville Bible College in his second year, completed his BA at Ohio Christian University and was given an honorary doctorate from Liberty University


• Lives on a 21-acre compound in a $1 million home

Connecticut's Suicide Laws

A report from WTNH-TV in New Haven on physician-assisted suicide.

Demon Possession on Campus

A student at Georgia’s Berry College says he cast a demon out of a former student at a dorm room, igniting a debate over religion at the school. The student newspaper says people at the private school near Rome “are afraid we're going to be looked at as some sort of radical, right-wing school."

High Court Hears Cross Arguments

Observers say the Supreme Court looks divided over the issue of a whether a cross should stay on public land. The 6 1/2-foot monument is a memorial to those who died in World War I. During this morning's questioning, some justices indicated they would favor having Congress transfer ownership of the land to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, removing the issue. Justice Antonin Scalia showed he was at odds with an ACLU lawyer who suggested the cross only honored Christian war dead. Scalia told him it is a “common symbol of the resting place of the dead.” This is the first time the court led by John Roberts will deal with what the First Amendment means when it says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." The case is Buono v. Salazar.

Fake Check in Offering

Police are looking for a Pittsburgh-area woman who put a fake check in the offering at First Presbyterian Church on Sunday that came from a stolen checkbook. She also stole a member’s wallet, using it to buy items from a New Brighton store.

Abortion Ad Rejected

A Wisconsin student newspaper is rejecting anti-abortion ads. Student editors at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s Advance-Titan say the advertisement from the Human Life Alliance as too controversial. The ad includes information about abortion, its side effects, contraception, the development of a pre-born child and adoption. Pro-Life Wisconsin accuses the paper of censorship, saying the decision shows bias.

High Court Turns Aside Church

The Supreme Court has turned away an appeal from LA’s St. James Anglican Church. The breakaway Episcopalian congregation is fighting with its former national church over who owns the church's sanctuary and property. The congregation voted to split from the national church after the consecration of the first openly gay Episcopal bishop. St. James is now allied with an Anglican diocese in Uganda.

Prayer Harassment Lawsuit

The founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation is suing over the prayers of a Dallas-based religious group. Mikey Weinstein, who is Jewish, says the Chaplaincy of Full Gospel Churches is harassing him with their prayers. The suit says the group should "stop asking Jesus to plunder my fields ... seize my assets, kill me and my family then wipe away our descendants for 10 generations." Weinstein points to former Navy chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt who denies he’s incited anyone to make death threats, throw feces at Weinstein’s house or leave animal carcasses on his doorstep as Weinstein claims.

High Court Considers Cross

Hundreds Leave Megachurch

Hundreds of members of a Florida megachurch have left to form a new congregation. Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church has faced a battle between new pastor Tullian Tchividjian, a grandson of the Rev. Billy Graham, and those who object to changes he’s made at the church founded by D. James Kennedy. Nearly 500 people attended the first meeting of the new congregation last Sunday. Leaders of the group lost a vote last month to oust Tchividjian. Among those who’ve left the church: Kennedy's daughter, several church elders, the organist, choir director and hundreds of choir members.

Vick Speaks at Church

NFL Quarterback Michael Vick spoke this week at Covenant Baptist Church in Washington, DC. He played in his first official game for the first time since 2006 for the Philadelphia Eagles. Vick served a 23-month prison term for his involvement in dog fighting. About 75 people came to hear Vick speak about his regrets and mistakes.

Bible Banner Banned

A Georgia high school football team will not take the field tonight by running through a banner with a Bible verse written across it. District officials have banned the Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High team in Fort Oglethorpe from using the banners after a parent complained. Hundreds of people in the north Georgia town showed up for a rally in support of the banners and many of the 900 students wore t-shirts today bearing Bible verses. The tradition was started right after 9/11.

High Court to Rule on Cross

The Supreme Court will hear arguments in one week on whether a 7-foot cross in the middle of the desert should be removed. The World War I memorial is located in California's Mojave National Preserve. The ACLU has sued to get it taken down. The case is Buono v. Salazar.

Dan Brown's Faith

Da Vinci Code Author Dan Brown tells Parade Magazine about hs loss of faith as a child.

I was raised Episcopalian, and I was very religious as a kid. Then, in
eighth or ninth grade, I studied astronomy, cosmology, and the origins of the
universe. I remember saying to a minister, “I don’t get it. I read a book that
said there was an explosion known as the Big Bang, but here it says God created
heaven and Earth and the animals in seven days. Which is right?” Unfortunately,
the response I got was, “Nice boys don’t ask that question.” A light went off,
and I said, “The Bible doesn’t make sense. Science makes much more sense to me.”
And I just gravitated away from religion.

Read more here.

Transgendered Pastor

A Portland pastor revealed to his congregation he was born a woman. David Weekley of the Epworth United Methodist Church says he under-went surgery to become a man in his early 20s. Weekly decided to go public when he won an award for making anonymous blog entries about church inclusion.

Global Warming Survey

Do you believe the earth is warming as the result of human activity?

• white mainline Protestants - 48%
• all Americans - 47%
• white evangelical Protestants - 34%
• black Protestants - 39%

Source: Pew Research Center

Rapture Pet Service

An atheist group insists it isn’t a joke. They are offering pet services for Christians who have been taken in the rapture. Eternal Earth-Bound Pets says it will take care of dogs and cats left behind for $110. The animals will be taken care of by people with no criminal record but are not too saintly, according to the website. The offer expires in ten years if the rapture hasn’t taken place by then.

See You at the Pole

Students at Pace High School gathered around their flag pole this morning to pray as did many students around the country. But the event was especially significant at the Pace, Florida school. The principal and athletic director had been accused of violating a court agreement against the promotion of prayer at the school. Principal Frank Lay asked Athletic Director Robert Freeman to say a prayer at a school athletic banquet. Last week, the judge found them not guilty. Some 700 students skipped school to encourage the men as they entered court.

Church Boycott Poll

A Florida church’s boycott of Pepsi has local newspaper readers split. Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon decided to pull away from the soft drink company after it refused to drop its support of organizations that "oppose traditional family values.” Specifically, it has sponsored gay pride parades and opposed California's same-sex marriage ban. A Tampa Tribune readers poll found 45% of readers agree with the church and 55% disagree. Some 50 area churches are joining the boycott.

ORU Debt

Oral Roberts University says it’s out of debt. The Tulsa evangelical school went from $55 million down to just over $700,000 during the summer.

Local Church Fights Denomination

California congregation fights Reformed Church of America. SF Gate has the story.

Controversial Megachurch Pastor Survives Vote

The new pastor of Florida's Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church will stay in the pulpit. The congregation voted overwhelmingly yesterday to keep Tullian Tchividjian. The grandson of evangelist Billy Graham was battling a group that tried to remove him, including the daughter of church founder D. James Kennedy. The group was banned from the church but they paved the way for the vote which was 940-422.

Christianity Today Redesign

Christianity Today will soon sport a redesign that the editor says could leave some readers disoriented. Senior managing editor Mark Galli says the redo is aimed at a younger audience. One thing that won't change is that the online version will lag behind the print publication. CT will continue posting print articles on line gradually through the month after the print magazine comes out. The publication will re-launch in January.

Swine Flu

WJBK-TV in Detroit reports on what area churches are doing to stop the spread of swine flu.

Cult Leader Convicted

Arkansas Cult leader Tony Alamo has been convicted on 10 counts of sexual crimes. Several women testified he kept them as sexual partners, not office workers as he claimed. Jurors and witnesses both cried as they told their stories. Alamo will be setenced in about six weeks. His lawyers plan an appeal.

Satanist Arrested

Poice arrested a teenage girl who says she worships Satan for setting a church on fire in Orangevale, California near Sacramento. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints blaze damaged some church pews. Some 50 people were inside at the time.

No Credible Threats to Runaway

Florida investigators say there's no evidence to justify the claims that a teenager who ran away from her Ohio home did so because her life was threatened. Rifqa Bary says her father threatened to kill her because she converting to Christianity from Islam. The 17-year-old girl is in foster care in Orlando, where a judge is deciding whether she should be returned to Ohio.

Women Pastors Study

Women have made substantial gains in the pulpits of Protestant churches. A new study by the Barna Group finds the number of female pastors has doubled since 1999. About 10% of pastors in Protestant churches are now women. Most are in mainline churches. Most are about 55 years old. That’s up from 50 years of age just a decade ago. The average age of male pastors has rises as well, from 48 to 52. 77% of women pastors have
a seminary degree compared with only 63% of male pastors. The average salary for women is $45,300 while male pastors make about $48,600. That’s 21% higher for men than a decade ago and 30% higher for women than a decade ago. Churches led by men typically have about 103 in attendance on Sunday mornings. For women pastors, the number is closer to 81.

Another finding by Barna: The median number of adults attending Protestant church services in 1999 was 108. In 2009, that average had dropped to 101.

Kirk Franklin Caught in Riot

Kirk Franklin is safe after running into riots in Uganda. The Christian singer and his band were in the capital of Kampala last week when mobs began rioting over rumors of the arrest of a popular political figure. Franklin was attending a luncheon with the country's president. Some of the demonstrators were shot by riot police. The bus some of his band members were riding in was pelted with rocks. Here's a video he posted on YouTube about the experience.

Ancient Synagogue Found

One of the world's oldest synagogues in Northern Israel has been uncovered at a construction site near the Sea of Galilee. The synagague may date back about 2000 years between 50BCE to 100CE. A stone carved menorah engraving has also been unearthed near the find. It's the first of its kind to be discovered from this period.

Runaway Convert

CNN reports on the media frenzy around a Muslim teen who converted to Christianity.

The Airport Chaplain

NPR offers a look at the ministry of Atlanta airport chaplain Chester Cook, who wanders the terminals looking for people who are in need of help.

Anti-Abortion Activist Killed

Police are holding a suspect in the killing of an anti-abortion activist near Flint, Michigan. The shooting took place at Owosso High School about 40 miles west of Flint. Officials put the school on immediate lockdown, although no students were involved in the conflict. 63-year-old Jim Pouillon often publically displayed signs showing aborted fetuses. Another man, Mike Fuoss, was shot and killed just miles away at a gravel pit business. Police say the 33-year-old suspect is believed to be responsible for both murders.

Pepsi Boycott

A Florida megachurch is boycotting Pepsi products. Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon has had all Pepsi vending machines were removed. The church has been negotiating with the company for months but talks are at a standstill. Bell Shoals objects to the soft drink company sponsoring gay pride parades and opposing California's same-sex marriage ban. Some 50 area churches are joining the boycott.

Pastor Calls for Vengence

A Florida pastor asked God to avenge him during his sentencing for mortgage fraud yesterday. Rodney McGill of New Hope Outreach Center reportedly turned his back on the judge and said, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, for every witness called against me, I pray cancer in their lives, lupus, brain tumor, pancreatic cancer." The judge sentenced him to a 20-year prison term for his part in falsely obtaining a million dollars in real estate loans. McGill vigorously maintaines his innocence.

Tolkien Settlement

A settlement has been reached between the heirs of J.R.R. Tolkien and Warner Brothers. The trustees of Tolkien's Estate sued Warner's New Line Cinema movie studio over who owns the rights to the late author's work, claiming the studio failed to pay what had been agreed. The settlement allows filming of The Hobbit to go forward. It's a prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Shooting begins next year. The first films in the series made about $2.9 billion worldwide. The third installment The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King won an Oscar for Best Picture in 2004.

Ball Players to Church

Some parents of children attending a Kentucky public high school are upset the football coach took his team to a church revival. Coach Scott Mooney of Breckinridge County High School in Harned, Kentucky (about 50 miles south of Loiusville) used one of the school's buses to bring 20 players to his church. He told them there would be a motivational speaker and free steak dinner at Franklin Crossroads Baptist Church. Nearly half of them were baptized. Although Mooney did not ask for their parents’ permission, the school superintendent says the trip was all right because attendance was not required and another coach paid for the gas. She is a member of Franklin Crossroads as well. The state's ACLU disagrees, saying the trip probably violated church and state separation.

Lust Map

The number of STD cases reported per capita by Kansas State University Geography. Green is lower, red is higher.

Envy Map

A map based on the number of thefts per capita from Kansas State University Geography. Green is lower, red is higher.

Convert Stays in Florida

The runaway teen is staying in Florida – for now. Fathima Rifqa Bary fled Ohio because she says her Muslim family would harm or kill her for converting to Christianity. The 17-year-old is staying with a pastor and his family while the courts sort out what to do. Her family wants her to return. But an Orange County judge has decided to let her stay in Orlando until an investigation is completed into the alleged threats. He’s encouraged the party's involved to work things out through mediation and ordered information about the case to be temporarily sealed. Her father denies there is any threat and Ohio child services say they have not found a reason for her not to return home. Activists held a news conference outside to rally against their view of Islam, exchanging shouts with an angry Muslim man from the area.Her next hearing is set for September 29th.

Wrath Map

A map based on the number of violent crimes (murder, assault, and rape) per capita from Kansas State University Geography. Green is lower, red is higher.

Crumb Art

The comics artist behind Keep On Truckin'  and Fritz the Cat is now looking to the Bible for inspiration. Robert Crumb’s latest work is titles The Book of Genesis Illustrated. The subject of a 1990’s documentary called Crumb, he is given credit for starting the so-called underground commix movement of the 1960s.

Billy Graham Sued

Billy Graham is being sued by a former employee of his Evangelistic Association. Kimberly McCallum says she was fired after complaining that the organization was not reaching out to African-American churches. McCallum’s suit says when she was hired in 2007, she was the only black employee working in the executive offices. Franklin Graham, Billy Graham’s son, now runs the offices in Charlotte.

Focus Lay Offs

Focus on the Family is cutting 75 jobs. That's about 8% of its 860 member work force. More than 50 vacant positions will remain unfilled. The orginization founded by James Dobson is suffering from a drop in revenue. The group is 5% short of its $138 million budget. The biggest fall off came from large donors. Last year, Focus cut more than 200 positions.

New Translation

Here's a report from KRIV-TV in Houston on a new Bible translation.

Convert From Islam

The Muslim father of a runaway teen is speaking out. She left their Ohio home and fled to Florida after converting to Christianity. She accuses him of threatening to kill her and says his Mosque has ties to terrorism. WOFL-TV in Orlando has this video report.

Ancient Wall Found

A wall has been discovered in Jerusalem that is believed to be about 3700 years old. That would make it the city’s oldest and largest fortification. Archaeologists say the 26-foot-high wall was built by Canaanites who lived in the area before the Jewish conquest. It runs from a hilltop fortress to a spring that served as the city's only water source at the time. It’s the first complex building project that’s pre-Herod and indicates a large population at the time.

Secret Service Investigates Pastor

The Secret Service is looking into an Arizona pastor who said he’s praying for the death of President Obama. Tempe pastor Steven Anderson drew criticism for his sermon titled Why I Hate President Obama. He preached the sermon Faithful Word Baptist Church a few weeks ago, while Obama was in the state. This past Sunday Anderson said, I hope he dies of brain cancer today."

Petitions to Oust Pastor

Petitions calling for the ouster of a megachurch pastor have been turned in to the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. Some members want to get ride of new pastor Tullian Tchividjian and they want to put the issue before the congregation. The church is part of the Presbyterian Church in America. Denominational laws require a congregational meeting on the issue within one month of such a petition.

Meanwhile, church leaders are moving forward with a disciplinary process that could lead to the excommunicate of the six decedent leaders. Among them, the daughter of D James Kennedy who founded the church.

Pastor Gunned Down

Drug task force agents shot and killed a Georgia pastor when they tried to stop his car at a convenience store in a town about 100 miles northeast of Atlanta. Jonathan Ayers pastored the Shoal Creek Baptist Church in Lavonia. Agents claim he struggled with them and then drove off. But there are reports he took money from an ATM machine and saw men running at him. Afraid he was about to be robbed, Ayers supposedly ran for his car. Ayers blog offers and the church's website offered no information on the shooting as of this posting.

Homeschooling Rejected

A New Hampshire judge is ordering a home-schooled girl to attend public school over the objections of her primary-custody parent. The 10-year-old’s father, Martin Kurowski, wants her to go to a public school in Meredith, New Hampshire. But her mom, Brenda Voydatch, wants her home schooled. Despite the fact that Voydatch had enrolled her daughter in three public school courses as a concession to her ex-husband, the judge declared that was not enough. In her ruling, Judge Lucinda Sadler basically said a child cannot be adequately educated at home regardless of the circumstances. Court documents criticized the girl because she "appeared to reflect her mother's rigidity on question of faith."

Study of Religious People

A new study says religious people view themselves as more fit, in better health, having more energy and experiencing less pain than the nonreligoius. The religious are also more likely to have supportive friends and say they are treated with respect. Angus Deaton of Princeton says that women and the elderly are more religious than men in almost all cultures. Deaton reviewed Gallup data to reach his conclusions.

T-NIV Scrapped

The so-called "gender-accurate" NIV is being scraped. A team of scholars will go back to the 1984 NIV update (the original was published in 1978) and start over. The New International Version or T-NIV eliminated masculine or feminine nouns and pronouns that the scholars believed were unsupported by original manuscripts. The result created a firestorm of protests. The T-NIV will be taken off the market when the new Bible is released. A website has been set up so that the publishers can get feedback from anyone interested in the project.

Former Miss Cali Sues

The former Miss California USA is suing the pageant. Carrie Prejean is accusing officials of telling her to stop talking about God. She created a firestorm with her remarks against gay marriage. They say she was fired for missing scheduled appearances. She says it was because of her comment that marriage should be between a man and a woman.

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.