High Court on College Group

The Supreme Court is taking up the case of a college Christian group. At issue is whether University of California's Hastings College of Law can legally deny recognition to the Christian Legal Society because it bars gay and lesbian members for religious reasons. Conflicting lower court rulings have left schools uncertain as what is firm legal ground.

Schuller Media Deal

Former televangelist Robert A. Schuller, is buying two media companies in Atlanta. ComStar Media (his group) is purchasing FamilyNet Radio and FamilyNet Television from Charles Stanley's In Touch Ministries. Though Schuller isn't saying how much the deal is worth, it increases his company's reach to some 50 million households. FamilyNet will be moved to Comstar's Dallas headquarters. ComStar pulled in $5 million in revenue each year and bought the AmericanLife Television Network earlier this year. The younger Schuller moved into running television networks after he left the megachurch founded by his father in Orange County, California because of a family dispute.

Charges Dismissed

Domestic assault charges have been dismissed against singer BeBe Winans by a Nashville judge. He was accused of shoving his wife, Debra Winans, to the ground during an argument over custody of their two children.

Pastor Out of Intensive Care

A Texas megachurch pastor is out of intensive care, recovering from brain surgery. Matt Chandler had a tumor removed Friday from the frontal lobe of his brain. He's expected to remain in the hospital for several more days. The Village Church based in the Dallas-area, which Chandler has led for the past seven years. has some 6000 members.

Grammy Nods

Third Day has the most Grammy nominations of any Christian group. The Atlanta band is up for Best Gospel Performance” for Born Again, Best Gospel Song for Born Again, and Best Rock Or Rap Gospel Album for Live Revelations. The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards will be handed out January 31 in Los Angeles.

Leeland garnered its third career nomination for Love Is On The Move in the Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album category. Red secures its second career nomination in the Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album category for Innocence & Instinct. Jars of Clay received a nomination in the Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album category for The Long Fall Back To Earth.

Bruno Pastor Running for Office

The youth pastor who was tricked into taking part in Sacha Baron Cohen's movie Bruno is now running for mayor of Briming ham, Alabama. Jody Trautwein of Point of Grace Ministries is one of more than a dozen candidates vying to replace Larry Langford in Tuesday's election. Langford lost his job after being convicted of bribery. In the movie, Trautwein tried to talk Cohen's flamboyant Austrian fashionista alter-ego out of being gay.

Pastor Has Brain Surgery

Megachurch pastor Matt Chandler is recovering from brain surgery. Doctors removed a brain tumor from Chandler during seven hours of surgery. They say he was able to respond to questions after the operation. He collapsed at his home after suffering a seizure at his home on Thanksgiving day. Chandler founded the Village Church in the Dallas-area and now has about 6000 in the congregation.

Prophet of Purpose

There's a new unauthorized book about Rick Warren that says he has battled depression and suffered from marriage troubles. The book is titled Prophet of Purpose: The Life of Rick Warren and written by US News and World Report religion editor Jeffery Sheler.

Rick and Kay Warren disclosed that they were not attracted to each other nor had feelings for each other when they agreed to be married. She had been dating his best friend when Warren says he heard God tell him to marry Kay. He waiting until the couple broke up and then asked Kay to marry him on their second date. Practically strangers their wedding day, the couple had many problems at first, leading to Warren's hospitalization for exhaustion.

Warren also admits he became depressed after his first year of pastoring and litterally fled into the desert because he didn’t feel that he deserved to be successful.

Sheler says in writing the book, he was surprised to find Warren was pretty much the same person in both private and public meetings.

New Bible, Many Writers

Here's a video report about a hand written Bible from WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids.

Abortion Taxes

County taxpayers in one Texas county are unknowingly funding abortions. KXAN-TV in Austin has this report.

Love and Social Media

As Dana Hanna was getting married to Traci two weeks ago, he stopped the ceremony to update his Facebook status to "married". Hanna also sent a tweat pronoucing it official. He typed, ""Standing at the altar with (Tracy) where just a second ago, she became my wife! Gotta go, time to kiss my bride." Traci didn't know what was coming but the pastor did. The Abingdon, Maryland man handed the phone to his wife after he finished so she could do the same thing. She went right along. Hanna had pretyped the messages so the phone were ready to go when the big moment came. Hanna says, "We don't really Twitter and Facebook to the extent that it's interrupting our lives." He works for a pet website. Here's the video:

Moscow May Clamp Down on Religion

Russia's Justice Ministry is proposing a new law that would fine anyone sharing their faith if they are not a leader of a registered religious group. Only officially authorized missionaries would be allowed to pass out religious literature, preach and talk about their faith in public. If passed, anyone violating the law would face a fine up to $170.

Robbery At Church

A deacon at a Texas church says three men robbed him Sunday at the church. 77-year-old Bill Hammett was locking up thousands of dollars in collections in the church office safe at Sunnyvale First Baptist in the Dallas suburb of Sunnyvale. He was beaten and robbed during Sunday morning services though he fought back.

Gay Marriage Bill Rejected

New York state lawmakers had turned aside an attempt to make gay marriage legal in the state. Voters in Maine made a similar decision last month. The vote in the New York Senate was 24-28 - eight votes shy of the number needed to pass the legislation. A wider-than-expected margin. The Assembly had already passed the bill and the Govenor had agreed to sign it. Senator Eric Adams told fellow lawmakers, "When I walk through these doors, my Bible stays out." Senator Ruben Diaz disagreed, saying "You should carry your Bible all the time."

Megachurch Pastor Faces Brain Surgery

Matt Chandler will undergo surgery Friday afternoon to remove a tumor located in the frontal lobe of his brain. He leads the 6000-member Village Church, in Highland, Texas. Chandler says his doctor told him that he is positive about a recovery but won’t know the full results after the surgery is performed. The tumor could be malignant. Chandler knew something was wrong last week when he had a seizure at home.

Jesus Called for Jury Duty

A women in Birmingham, Alabama changed her name from Dorothy Lola Killingworth to Jesus Christ. County officials say the 59-year-old woman was disruptive when she reported for jury duty this week. They say Christ refused to answer questions but only would respond with questions herself.

Christmas Ban Lifted

Loudon County Virginia has reversed itself after banning Nativity scenes and Christmas trees at the county courthouse which have been fixtures on the grounds for years. The vote was 7-1 after dozens of protestors showed up at the meeting. A petition against the ban got more than 1000 signitures.

Operation Christmas Child

USA Today offers this report on how VeggieTales and Amy Grant are helping Operation Christmas Child.

Killer Given Bible by Victim's Mom

A Michigan woman gave a Bible to the man who killed her son in a drunken driving crash in June. He and another teen were bicycling with a church group when Kevin Babcock ran a red light and hit two of them. He had no driver's license at the time of the accident. Lynne Jacobs gave him the Bible in a Holland, Michigan courtroom, as Babcock was given between 25 and 40 years in prison. Babcock offered the family an apology, but said he did not expect forgiveness."I don't feel I deserve it."

Abortion in Health Bill

President Obama says he doesn't care fo the language about abortion in the health care bill passed by the House. He's trying to get Congress to change it. He told ABC News his goal is to keep the "status quo” on abortion. The House bill would stop federal money from going to health plans that include abortion coverage except in the case of rape or incest or if the life of a pregnant woman is in danger.

Jokes Against Jesus March

An Austin church and comedy club are at odds over noise levels. KXAN-TV reports.

Bible Across America

A handwritten Bible has sold on eBay for just over $15,400. It crisscrossed the country this year as part of the Bible Across America project in honor of the 30th anniversary of the New International Version, published by Zondervan. More than 31,000 different people wrote a verse for each of two copies during the 22,579-mile journey. One copy was sold online with the proceeds going to Bible distribution and the other went to a museum. The printed version of Bible Across America goes on sale next month.

Pastor May Have Brain Tumor

A Texas megachurch pastor is facing surgery after suffering a seizure Thursday. Doctors found pastor Matt Chandler has a brain mass. He leads the Village Church in Highland, Texas with more than 6000 members.

Church Reinacts Thanksgiving

WTHI-TV in Terre Haute, Indiana reenacted the first Thanksgiving.

College Sued Over Prayer

A California college is headed to court because it opens its public ceremonies with prayer. Americans United for Separation of Church and State are trying to stop the practice by Saddleback College in Mission Viejo and have filed a lawsuit against the practice. A school attorney says the school plans no changes.

Baptist Leader Faces Surgery

The head of the Southern Baptist Convention has prostate cancer. Johnny Hunt says he'll have surgery in January. He pastors of the Atlanta-area First Baptist Church of Woodstock. He took the reigns of the largest Protestant denomination in the US during June 2008 and was re-elected at this year's summer meeting.

Obama Over Bible

More Americans mistakenly attribute a Bible verse to Barack Obama than to Scripture. Proverbs 31:8-9 says:

"You must defend those who are helpless and have no hope. Be fair and give
justice to the poor and homeless."

A Harris Interactive poll found only 13% accurately identified the Bible as the source of this verse while 16% thought it came from President Obama. 9% awarded it to the Dalai Lama, 8% named Martin Luther King Jr. as the source, 4% cited Oprah Winfrey, and 3% named U2 singer Bono. A third of respondents said they had no idea.

Battle Over Abortion & Communion

A congressman and a politician are squaring off. WPRI-TV has the story of a Catholic Bishop and a Kennedy fighting over abortion and communion.

Anti-religion Billboards

KRQE-TV in Albuquerque reports on atheist billboards.

Nativity Complaint

Grace Church of the Nazarene in Clarksville, Tennessee plans to go forward with its nativity scene over ACLU objections. The civil rights group says the city's riverfront Christmas observance, planned for December 11th and 12th, violates the First Amendment.

Alcohol Ban Dropped

Michigan's Cornerstone University is lifting it's 68 year ban on alcohol use by faculty and staff. They have had to sign an alcohol abstinence statement each year. The school's president says the practice will be stopped because an internal study concluded the view is not defensible Biblically since there is no prohibition against moderate alcohol use. The Baptist Bible Institute of Grand Rapids started Cornerstone in 1941. It dropped a ban on student dancing five years ago.

Computer Fraud Scheme

The California Attorney General's office is going after several companies that used to a computer scam to defraud churches. The companies leased equipment to less than tech-savvy churches for enormous amounts of money. The company may have operated in 10 other states, offering what sounded like free computers and kiosks that could serve as message boards. If the churches didn't cough up as much as $45,000, they companies hit them with late fees and filed lawsuits against them. Among those under investigation: Urban Interfaith Network and Television Broadcasting Online, Balboa Capital, United Leasing Associates of America, Banc of America Leasing and Capital LLC. BoA says it was unaware of what was going on.

Shocking Sign Outside Church

"The Church Should Go To Hell." That's the message that's turning heads outside of the Downtown Orlando Baptist Church. WOFL-TV reports the marquee is not a prank.

TBN Host: DUI & Fatal Crash

Orange County, California authorities say TBN contributor and Trinity Music City Church pastor in Nashville, Steve Galiher, was driving drunk and going 85 miles per hour in his company-owned BMW when he hit another car in April. The 70-year-old driver who was hit recently never recovered from his injuries and died recently. Galiher told police he only had two glasses of red wine but was charged on suspicion of drunken driving resulting in an injury. Manslaughter charges may follow.

Giving Away Darwin

What former teen idol Kirk Cameron is doing to debunk evolution. CNN reports.

Cyber Attack

A New Jersey teenager has been given a year in prison for orchestrating a cyber attack on Church of Scientology Web sites almost two years ago. 19-year-old Dmitriy Guzner pleaded guilty to computer hacking charges. He has denied being part of an underground group that protests the Church of Scientology as prosecutors claim.

Grad Ceremonies at Megachurch

The ACLU is threating to sue a Connecticut school board for holding graduation ceremonies at a local megachurch. The Enfield Public School system has used the First Cathedral in Bloomfield as a graduation site for several years because of its size.

Handwritten Bible

A unique copy of the Bible is for sale on eBay. It was written by hand, one verse at a time, by more than 31,000 people across the country. The 2200 page Bible is leather bound and comes in three volumes. Christian book publisher Zondervan is the seller. The money will go to The International Bible Society. The nonprofit group translates and distributes Bibles. A published version will be sold in stores next month. You can bid on the Bible here.

Scientology Accused of Criminal Conduct

A member of the Austrailian Parliament attacked The Church of Scientology last night during a session of the legislative body. Senator Nick Xenophon raised allegations of widespread criminal conduct within the church, saying he had received letters from former followers detailing claims of abuse, false imprisonment and forced abortion. The Independent Senator called for a Senate inquiry into the religion and its tax-exempt status. The church says it has tried to meet with Xenophon and he has refused.

Transgender Law

Christian groups are mobilizing to pack tomorrow's city council meeting in Tampa, Florida when a final vote will be taken on whether to extend the city's anti-discrimination laws to include transgender individuals. A preliminary vote on the change passed unanimously at a November 5th meeting. If approved, the proposal would extend existing laws prohibiting discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations to include "gender identity or expression."

The Florida Family Association says the law would allow cross dressing males to patronize women's restrooms. And the Community Issues Council says it would allow "sexual predators" to go into public restrooms of the opposite sex and force local business owners and landlords to accept cross-dressers. The city's attorney contends the changes are not meant to protect the occasional cross dresser, but individuals who are undergoing sexual reassignment surgery.

Next Fireproof

A followup to the movie Fireproof will explore the topic of fatherhood. Fireproof starred Kirk Cameron as a firefighter. The 2008 independent movie was produced by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georiga which plans to start filming Courageous this spring. It should hit theaters a year later, telling the story of four fathers in law enforcement who go through a tragedy together. Fireproof made more than $33 million on a budget of about half-a-million.

County Sued over Bibles, Cross, Prayers

Some Tennessee students are suing the Cheatham County School District for alledgedly promoting Christianity in violation of the US Constitution. Specifically, the suit points to the distribution of Gideon's Bibles in class, a teacher with a cross hanging on a classroom wall and prayers during school events.

Going Rouge

Sarah Palin's new book Going Rouge doesn't acknowledge her co-writter on the cover. Evangelical Christian writer and pro-life activist Lynn Vincent is not mentioned until she's thanked several other people. Collaborators sometimes trade such credits for higher fees, but their names usually appear prominently in the acknowledgments. Vicenct's previous books include a biography of General William Boykin and a history of the Democratic Party. The Los Angeles Times suggests parts of the book are Vincent's and not Palin, such as a reference to Blaise Pascal's philosophy in Palin's conversion from Catholicism to Evangelical Protestantism.

Suit Over Abortion Protest

A New Jersey teen is suing Bridgeton High School for refusing to let her join a anti-abortion protest. The girl is only identified as CH in court papers. The suit claims she asked the school's principal for permission to join in the Pro Life Day of Silent Solidarity on October 20th. The protest is organized annually by Stand True, a ministry based in Troy, Ohio. But the principal told her she could not "do anything religious" on the campus. The teen wanted to wear an armband with the word "life" on it and to hand out anti-abortion pamphlets. CH says she was later punished for sharing her views.

A "Recipe for Disaster"

An Iowa pastor's remarks are stirring controversy about the shootings at Fort Hood. Bob Deever, pastor of West Des Moines' Grace West Church says letting Muslims serve in the military is a "recipe for disaster. " During Steve Deace's radio show. Deever said that since alleged gunman Major Nadal Hasaan was a Muslim he did not have the proper foundation to serve in the US Armed Forces. Deace added that "Islam is a violent ideology."

DC Same-Sex Bill

The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is warning about what may happen if the D.C. same-sex marriage bill passes. WTTG-TV has this video report.

Alamo Sentenced

An Arkansas judge has given Cult leder Tony Alamo 175 years in federal prison for child sex convictions. The judge heard testimony from three of Alamo's child "brides" before giving Alamo the maximum time allowed by federal guidelines. Judge Harry Barnes warned Alamo he would one day face "a greater judge."

Atheist Billboard

A billboard in San Diego says, "Don't believe in God? You are not alone." XETV reports.

Behar: Keep Church Out of Government

In this video, CNN's Joy Behar on HLN decries church leaders working with Congress to get abortion restrictions in health bill and says churches should pay taxes.

Magistrate: Prayers Improper

A prayer before county commissioners meetings in Winston-Salem, North Carolina violates the First Amendment, according to a federal magistrate. But the decision carries no legal weight and the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners are not obligated to follow it. The magistrate based his opinion on frequent referrances to Jesus and he says the prayers "display a preference for Christianity over other religions by the government."

The Jesus Christians (JC's)

Some call the JC's a dangerous cult. KTTV-TV has this video report on a mother who says the California group
brainwashed her son and is now fighting to get him back.

Christianity and the Occult

In Kenya, the line between Christianity and the occult can get blurry. CNN's has this video report.

Car Tags Lose Court Battle

South Carolina will not be allowed to issue license plates with a cross and stained glass window with the phrase I Believe. A district judge (appointed by President Clinton) says it violates the First Amendment ban on establishment of religion by government. Christian groups plan to appeal - and work to get a similar plate issued using a state law that permits private groups to issue tags they design.

Cross Comes Down

The owners of dogs that killed a teenager forced his friends and classmates to remove a cross placed in his honor. The makeshift memorial for Justin Clinton along Highway 135 in Rusk County, Texas was taken down Saturday. It was originally placed there several months ago after Clinton died. The owners of the dogs said the memorial was placed on private, leased land and demanded that it come down.

Dobson Honor

One Year Ago.. James Dobson was inducted into the Museum of Broadcast Communications over the complaints of protestors. They gathered to object to the Focus on the Family radio host receiving the honor because of his position on homosexuality. The hall of fame does not take into account a nominee's political or religious views.

Graham Library Upgrade

The Billy Graham Library in Charlotte will close for a time next year for renovations. The facility opened two years ago, chronicling the life of the evangelist. Charlotte is Graham's hometown and the library has drawn more than 165,000 people since it opened at a cost of $27 million. Although the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association layed off more than 50 workers earlier this year, the Billy Graham library does not plan to let anyone go during the temporary shut down.

Agassi's Book

Andrea Agassi in his autobiography Open has this to say about references to God by frequent opponent Michael Chang:

"He thanks God - credits God - for the win, which offends me. That God should take sides in a tennis match, that God should side against me, that God should be in Chang's box, feels ludicrous and insulting. I beat Chang and savor every blasphemous stroke."

Charity Founder Fired

Feed The Children has fired founder and president Larry Jones. He admitted that he put hidden microphones in executive offices. Jones says he did nothing wrong and plans to file a lawsuit to get his job back. Prosecutors haven't said whether they are going to charge him with a crime. He's been battling the directors, along with his daughter, for more than a year. Jones tried to have his opponents fired last year but a judge reinstated them. He receives more than $230,000 from the Oklahoma-Based Christian relief organization which gets about one billion in donations each year, mostly from its television pleas featuring Jones.

Reader's Digest Project Dropped

Rick Warren and Reader's Digest magazine have called it quits less than a year after starting a multimedia project called the Purpose Driven Connection. Warren's Saddleback Church is taking over the operation and the quarterly print magazine will be completely discontinued. Reader's Digest filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this year. Rick Warren is author of the best-selling book The Purpose Driven Life.

Breakaway Church

A church in Bessemer City, North Carolina is leaving the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Members of the Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church are troubled by the denomination's acceptance of same-sex relationships, voting 559-451 to break away.

Fastest Growing

Americans with no religious affiliation are the fastest growing segment of the religious landscape. Trinity College researchers say about 15% of the adult American population has have no religious affiliation. The number was 8% in 1990. They are more likely to be young and live in the Northeast or Pacific Northwest. And in Vermont, they comprise the largest single “denomination.” A majority of them believe in God and about a third pray each week. Less than 10% call themselves atheists.

Dad: God Is Punishing Her

Lindsay Lohan's dad says God is taking her career from her. Michael Lohan is quoted in the New York Post as saying, "She's forsaken everything He's given her and she's done nothing but misuse all the gifts she's given."

Atheists Gather

Atheists and agnostics are gathering in Seattle this weekend. Some 600 people are expected at the annual convention of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Ron Reagan is among the speakers and events include the Nonprayer Breakfast planned for tomorrow.

GMA May Shut Down

The Gospel Music Association may not be around much longer. The option to close has been put on the table due to financial problems (debt around $800,00). The future of GMA week, held annually in Nashville, is in doubt even if the organization survives falling membership and interest.

Winans on Oprah

Oprah Winfrey says she won't let Gospel singer BeBe Winans back on her show any time soon. He appeared on her talk show last week as part of her show's karaoke challenge. But Winan's ex-wife is complaining that since Oprah said she would let Chris Brown on the show because of his domestic abuse, she should have waited until Winan's case is settled as well. He's charged with domestic assault and will be back in court at the first of the year.

Haggard Opening Church

Ted Haggard is stepping into the pulpit again. He's starting a church out of his house in Colorado Springs. The megachurch pastor was dismissed after an alleged a cash-for-sex relationship was revealed. The first gathering is this Sunday.

Maine Vote

Maine will not be the first state to approve same-sex marriage at the ballot box. Voters rejected a referendum that would have repealed the state lawing allowing same-sex marriage that had passed the Legislature and was signed by the governor. In every state in which gay marriage has been put to a vote (31) it has lost. The 5 states allowing gay marriage have done so through the courts or legislation.

Grapes of Galilee

Adam Haroz came back with more than just stories from his trip to Israel. Along with his father, who founded Haroz Vintners, he’s offering Grapes of Galilee, a wine that comes from Israel. The grapes are grown next to Nazareth by the Sea of Galilee. The wine is being pitched as something for Christians who “seek a physical connection to their spiritual homeland.”

Hidden Mics

Feed The Children founder Larry Jones placed hidden microphones in the organization’s headquarters in Oklahoma City. A private investigator found the devices planted in the ceilings of three offices used by leaders in the organization - executives Jones has been fighting with over control of the organization - including his daughter. Jones tried to fire all of them last year but a judge reinstated them to their positions. The director of Feed the Children was later let go and is suing over his dismissal. The charity pulls in more than a billion in donations each year.

The state has no law against secretly recording your own conversation but recording conversations you are not a part of is illegal.

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.