Arrested Baptists May Come to U.S.

Haitian officials may send 10 American Baptists arrested trying to take children out of the country to the US for prosecution. They were arrested while trying to take 33 children out of Haiti into the Dominican Republic. Their attorney says they are receiving poor treatment and lacking in food and medical care. One has been hospitalized. The group is from Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian, Idaho and the East Side Baptist Church in Twin Falls, Idaho. The pastor of Central Valley says the group believed they did not have to have permission to take the children out of Haiti. Both churches are part of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Pastor Defends Church Members

The Idaho pastor defends members of his church detained in Haiti.

Friendly Toward Religion

Here's a Pew Research Center survey showing the percentage of Americans who say these people/organizations are friendly toward religion.

Republican Party - 48%
Obama's administration - 37%
Democratic Party - 29%
news media - 14%
scientists - 12%
Hollywood - 11%

Shea Turns 101

George Beverly Shea is 101-years-old today. Shea holds the record for singing to the most people in person because he has been a part of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Team for so many years. Here are some other personal facts:

▪ Birthplace - in Winchester, Ontario
▪ Father - Wesleyan Methodist minister
▪ First time to publically sing – in the choir of his father's church
▪ Honors - nominated for 10 Grammy Awards, won a Grammy in 1965, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame by the Gospel Music Association in 1978, inducted into the National Religious Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 1996

Grammy Winners

Here are the 2010 Grammy winners for the Christian music categories.

Gospel Performance
“Wait on the Lord,” Donnie McClurkin featuring Karen Clark Sheard

Gospel Song
“God in Me,” written by Erica Campbell, Tina Campbell and Warryn Campbell

Rock or Rap Gospel Album
“Live Revelations,” Third Day

Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album
“The Power of One,” Israel Houghton

Southern/Country/Bluegrass Gospel Album
“Jason Crabb,” Jason Crabb

Traditional Gospel Album
“Oh Happy Day,” Bill Hearn, Ken Levitan, Ken Pennell, Jack Rovner and Cedric Thompson, producers

Contemporary R&B Gospel Album
“Audience of One,” Heather Headley

Baptists Accused of Child Trafficking

The Haitian government is holding 10 US Baptists, accusing them of taking part in a child trafficking scheme. Most are from two churches in Idaho and say they were told they could take 32 children across the border to the Dominican Republic but were stopped and could not produce papers for the children. The pastor of the Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian, Idaho says it is a terrible misunderstanding.

German Homeschoolers Get Asylum

A German family has been granted political asylum in the US because they wanted to home school their children. The Christian couple have five children. Germany has mandatory school attendance rules. Uwe and Hannelore Romeike are from the town of Bissingen in the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg and say the public schools teach an anti-Christian worldview. The decision was announcing in a Memphis courtroom. Tennessee Judge Lawrence Burman ruled that the Romeikes' were entitled to political asylum because family's basic human rights were being violated in Germany. The Romeikes now live in Morristown, Tennessee.

The German consul general for the southeastern US says his country has many education options including private and religious schools. But home schooling is prohibited in Germany.

Holy Blackberry!

President Barack Obama uses his Blackberry to support his faith, according to this article from ABC News.

Webcast for Church

This morning the worship services for Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis have been canceled because of bad weather. In an indication of what the future may hold for many churches, the pastor is offering a sermon through a live webcast.

Warner Retires

NFL Quarterback Kurt Warner explained the connection between his faith and his career yesterday as he announced his retirement.

“As always, as it started in 1999 when I was up on the podium holding up a trophy (following his Super Bowl win with the St. Louis Rams), the first thing I want to do is give thanks to God. My Lord Jesus brought me here. I know he brought me here for a purpose. And it’s been an amazing ride. I don’t think I could have dreamt out that it would have played out as it had. But I’ve been humbled everyday that I’ve woke up for the last 12 years and amazed that God would choose to use me to do what He’s given me the opportunity to do over 12 years. So I hope that when people think back over my career – maybe it’s just over the next couple of weeks as they reflect on it or maybe it’s years to come – that that’s what they remember more than anything else. Not the way I threw the football, not particular games that I won. But that they remember that here’s a guy that believed, that worked hard, and – although things didn’t always go in his favor – he continued to press through. And with his faith in himself and with his faith in God, he was able to accomplish great things. I’m excited about what lies in front of me. I’m excited about spending more time with my family and seeing what God’s going to do next."

Analysts say Warner is a sure bet for the NFL Hall of Fame after winning three MVP awards, a Super Bowl, and the second-highest completion percentage in NFL history.

Crystal Cathedral Makes Deep Cuts

We reported yesterday on the cuts at the Southern California mega-church founded by televangelist Robert H. Schuller Sr. Here's a video report by KTTV.

Pastor Threatens Son with Gun

The son of an Knoxville-area pastor says his father pulled a gun during an argument over his failure to attend church and is now seeking legal protection. Michael Colquitt says Joe Colquitt who pastors St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Alcoa, threatened to kill him and his family if they didn't start attending church. A court hearing is set for Thursday.

Bible Classes Move Forward

Tennessee's state board of education has approved using the Bible as part of the curriculum. The "Bible as education" classes will begin in the fall. Two years ago, state legislatures had passed a state law allowing for "non-sectarian, non-religious academic study of the Bible." Bible courses are not mandatory for students to take or schools to offer.

Crystal Cathedral Financial Trouble

Robert H. Schuller's church is struggling after an $8 million drop in revenue last year. The Southern California megachurch founded by the televangelist is taking drastic steps to make up the difference. The Crystal Cathedral is selling 170 acres of property in south Orange County, cutting eight TV broadcasts, laying off 50 employees who worked at its retreat in San Juan Capistrano and canceling its annual Glory of Easter pageant. The Glory of Christmas will continue as usual. The combined cutbacks will save about $5 million. Revenue fell 27% in 2009 from the year before- from $30 million down to $22 million. Schuller's son left the megachurch and the Hour of Power and his father returned to leadership after a family feud. Now, the younger Robert A. Schuller is now part of the Dallas-based TV network American Life Network.

Bibles Burned at Church

Vandals burned Bibles inside of one of four churches broken into Titusville, Florida. New Venture Church faces $100,000 in fire and smoke damage. Someone threw Bibles into a pile and set them on fire. A few blocks away at the Way of Life Church, someone left behind offensive messages. Windows at the St. Andrew United Methodist were smashed and at Westside Baptist, vandals smashed $1,500 worth of windows and doors. The pastor of New Venture told reporters “We want them to find God. That's our heart's prayer more than anything. And, if it takes justice for that to happen, that's what we pray for.” Police have so far made no arrests.

Tebow Responds to Ad Controversy

Here's what Tim Tebow had to say about the Super Bowl Ad controversy.

Copeland Accusations

Televangelist Kenneth Copeland is denying accusations his ministry failed to follow through on promises to help earthquake victims in Haiti. The claim comes from Rich Vermillion, who worked with Copeland and wrote the book Angel Flight 44: The True Story of Two Dedicated Pilots, a 60-Year-Old Airplane, and the Amazing Hurricane Katrina Mission That Birthed a New Aviation Ministry. The book is about the 2005 relief efforts for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. According to Vermillion, Copeland's promised at the time to form a new ongoing aviation humanitarian-relief ministry also called Angel Flight 44 but never did.

On his blog, KennethCopelandBlog.com, Vermillion writes:

"...one has to wonder where Copeland and his Angel Flight 44 ministry were during those early days of the disaster when their services were so badly needed. If Copeland had prepared beforehand as he had pledged, there would have been supplies flowing into Haiti within 24 hours after that earthquake. Instead, the people had to suffer and wait until other groups arrived, and that seems almost criminal in my opinion."

Copeland's lawyer responds:

“Kenneth Copeland Ministries is one of the premier Christian Ministries in the world today and is run with the utmost integrity. The Church has an annual independent audit and there are no funds that have been misused or unaccounted for.”

Superbowl Ad Stays

CBS says it will not cave into pressure to drop a Focus on the Family ad from its Super Bowl coverage. Woman's rights groups objected to the :30 announcement featuring former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. The network issued a statement that said:

"We have for some time moderated our approach to advocacy submissions after it became apparent that our stance did not reflect public sentiment or industry norms on the issue. In fact, most media outlets have accepted advocacy ads for some time. At CBS, our standards and practices process continues to adhere to a process that ensures all ads -- on all sides of an issue -- are appropriate for air. We will continue to consider responsibly produced ads from all groups for the few remaining spots in Super Bowl XLIV."

The Women's Media Center, National Organization For Women and more than two dozen other groups have launched a campaign to pressure CBS into pulling the Super Bowl "pro-life" ad bought by Focus on the Family. In the past, CBS has rejected advocacy ads from PETA, MoveOn.org and the United Church of Christ.

The spot reportedly tells how the Heisman Trophy winner's mom was advised by doctors to abort him. CBS officials have said they have seen the ad and have no problem with the video.

The NFL backed the CBS decision. "CBS standards and practices department approved the content of the ad as appropriate for the audience. We take no issue with CBS' decision," said NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy.

A CBS spokesperson had told B&C's Claire Atkinson last week that the network had vetted the spot's script and did not expect to have any trouble with the video.

Here's a report from WNAC-TVs morning show on it.

Protest Over Super Bowl Ad

Some women's groups are asking CBS to reject a Focus on the Family Super Bowl ad featuring Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, including the the National Organization for Women. There is speculation the 30 second ad will tell the story of his mom's pregnancy in 1987. Doctors recommend she have an abortion. Instead, she gave birth to Tim.

Controversy Over 'Jesus' Guns

KDFW-TV in Dallas reports on guns made for the military with Bible verses on them.

DC March for Life

WTTG-TV reports on the March for Life in Washington, DC.

Mega churches mean Big Business

CNN takes a look at megachurches in this article.

Catholic & Episcopalian Efforts in Haiti

Some of the efforts in Haiti by Catholics and Episcopalians:

Catholic Relief Services has turned a golf course in the neighborhood of Pétionville into a camp for the homeless. Supplies from the Dominican Republic are being shipped to the St. François de SalesHospital, one of the oldest Catholic hospitals in Haiti. Two medical teams from Europe are working there and are now able to perform surgery.

The Episcopal seminary has pitched the tents on the soccer field of a crushed parish school. Around 3000 have been treated there already. Haiti is mostly Catholic with about 83,000 Episcopalians.

Pastor Catches Flack for Haiti Comments

A British Columbia pastor is getting heat for his comments at church this past weekend about the earthquake in Haiti. Justin Dennison told parishioners at Johnston Heights Church in Surrey:

"Haiti is infamous for its voodoo spiritual darkness. I can't help think that maybe God has shaken them, shaken them against the kingdom of darkness."

Dennison says his comments were taken out of context because they came after his church had just raised $65,000 for relief efforts in Haiti. He says he does not think the earthquake was a judgment from God and "I have been linked to Pat Robertson" but "I am not remotely connected to Pat Robertson."

Tebow-Focus Ad Approved

CBS has approved a Super Bowl spot starring Tim Tebow and his mother from Focus on the Family. While many people speculated the commercial would carry an anti-abortion message, but the ministry says it will not - at least, not an explicit one. CBS policy prohibits advocacy ads. Focus only will say the ad would carry a Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life theme.

Dead Sea Scroll Fragments

Some Dead Sea Scroll fragments have been put on display at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary it purchased from a private collector. The school isn't saying how much was paid but is negotiating for more ancient documents. The fragments include passages from the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Daniel. The only other schools with fragments are the University of Chicago and Azusa Pacific University in California, making Southwestern the only evangelical seminary in the nation to have fragments with biblical text.

Driscoll: "I landed in Hell"

Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle says he landed in “hell” when he arrived in Haiti. Driscoll says he witnessed a teenager shot in the head on the first day and later saw a girl sold to an older man. He says the piles of corpses give the impression of an aftermath of a war zone. Driscoll was joined by James MacDonald of Chicago's Harvest Bible Chapel. They delivered 1000 pounds of relief supplies. Relief agencies are also concerned about the some 4,000 criminals that escaped from prisons after the earthquake struck.

Apple App Saves Filmmaker in Haiti

A filmmaker working for Compassion International survived the Haiti quake with the help of his iPhone. Dan Wooley was trapped under the rubble at his hotel for 65 hours before rescuers found him. He used information from an app he had downloaded to look up treatment of excessive bleeding and compound fracture. He then ripped his shirt to make a tourniquet for a gash in his leg and used a sock to stanch the bleeding from his head wound. Wooley also set his phone's alarm to go off every 20 minutes so he wouldn't fall asleep or go into shock. The quake hit shortly after he returned from a day of filming with a colleague who is still missing. In case he didn't make it, Wooley wrote notes to his wife and sons in Colorado Springs telling them, "Don't be upset at God. He always provides for his children, even in hard times. I'm still praying that God will get me out, but He may not. But He will always take care of you."

MAF Efforts in Haiti

Mission Aviation Fellowship has resumed flights to Haiti to bring desperately needed relief supplies to outlying towns. MAF has had a presence in the country since 1986. The missionary group has also set up a communication center at the Port-au-Prince airport in the offices of World Concern, a relief agency operating out of the airport. The center is providing high-bandwidth communications to workers from at least 16 international aid groups including dedicated phone lines and wireless communications through Skype and email. MAF has a hanger at the airport and its missionaries' homes suffered only minor damage. They are now being used to house relief workers from many agencies. Some staff members are sleeping on cots in the ministry's hangar and using cargo shipping containers are serving as offices.

Little Rock Protest

An anti-abortion rally in Little Rock. KLRT reports.

Downfall of an Evangelical Leader

The wife of former megachurch pastor Ted Haggard has written a book. Gayle Haggard writes about her husband's secret life of drug use and homosexual liaisons in Why I Stayed: The Choices I Made in My Darkest Hour. The memoir will be officially on stores shelves next Tuesday.

Haiti Adoption Problem

World Vision is warning of possible scams related to helping Haitian children displaced by last week's massive earthquake. The relief agency says rushing adoptions of children who seem to have been orphaned in the disaster could lead to adoptions that inadvertently separate families or risk a lapse in child protection. In a press release, World Vision says:

"Early in a crisis, it is better for children to be protected while remaining in their home countries until the locations of their family members can be confirmed and adoption possibilities explored within their own communities."

World Vision and other aid agencies are asking the Haitian Government to introduce a temporary moratorium on new adoptions of children.

Portland Rally

KPTV reports on an anti-abortion rally in Portland.

Creationism in the Classroom

A New York Times article on a town divided over a teacher is here.

Church in Haiti

The Shiloh Baptist Church in Port-au-Prince, Haiti is mostly gone. The earthquake damaged the building, collapsed the church's school and took the lives of four of its leaders including pastor, Bienne Lamerique. Some members who lost their homes are living around what's left of the facility. One member tells Baptist Press that only 100 of the 2000-member congregation have been accounted for.

Verses on Guns

Bible verses found inscribed on weapons made for US military. ABC has the story here.

Back From Quake

Missionaries return from Haiti to Buffalo, New York. WIVB-TV reports.

Obama Speaks at DC Church

Presient Barack Obama spoke at Vermont Avenue Baptist Church this morning where Martin Luther King once spoke. The church was founded in 1866 by seven freed slaves. Obama told the congregation:

"We gather here on the Sabbath at a time of extreme difficulty for our nation and the world. We are not here just to ask the Lord for his blessing. We're also here to call on the memory of one of his servants, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr... He had faith that God would make a way out of now way…... I have a confession to make here. There are times when I am not so calm… There are times when the words spoken about me hurt. There are times when the barbs hurt… During that time it is faith that brings me calm.''

Tebow Spot in Super Bowl

Former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow will appear in a 30-second spot for Focus on the Family which will air during the Super Bowl. The ad may be about abortion. Pam Tebow was adviced by doctors to abort her fifth child. She refused and gave birth to Tim. Thirty-seconds during the Super Bowl is going for more than $2.5 million. The ministry says the money came from private donations and not from the general fund. Tebow is the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, finishing his career with a number of personal records and two national championships.

Radio Show for Focus on the Family Founder

The New York Times weighs on on James Dobson's new radio show here.

Haitian Congregation

A North Carolina Haitian Church Congregates meets for the first time since the Earthquake in Haiti. WGHP-TV in Greensboro reports.

Methodistst Found in Hotel Rubble

Three Methodist relief workers have been pulled from the rubble in Haiti. Two were injured and taken to the hospital. They spent 55 hours in the rubble of Hotel Montana. The three are part of the United Methodist Committee on Relief. They are Sam Dixon who heads the group, Clint Rabb who leads the mission volunteer office and James Gulley a consultant for the group.

Satan Responds

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune has published a letter supposedly from Satan written evangelist Pat Robertson. It's responding to his comments on the 700 Club TV show, saying Haiti's troubles come from a pact the nation made with Satan. Lilly Coyle of Minneapolis is the writer taking on the persona of the devil.

Kentucky Commandments OK

An appeals court in Cincinnati has ruled that the Ten Commandments can be displayed at a Kentucky courthouse - as long as other historical documents are included. Grayson County had been prevented from including the Commandments in the display by a lower court. The ACLU had argued it would be a violation of the separation of church and state. By a 2-to-1 vote, the panel decided the display has an educational purpose, not a religious one.

Christian Schools Lose Case

A California appeals court has rejected a challenge to the admission policy at the University of California. The Association of Christian Schools International argued that the policy discriminated against students who had taken biology, history, English, government, and world-religion courses at Calvary Chapel Christian School. The schools claimed that the University is rejecting courses taken at Christian high schools because of an alleged religious viewpoint. But the appeals court said there was no evidence to back up the claim that the policy leads to the suppression of speech.

Missing Missionary Couple

A report from KXAN-TV on a missing missionary couple in Haiti.

Church Group Back from Haiti

An emotional return for a New Jersey church group from Hait. WNYW-TV in New York reports.

Obama Spokesman Comments on Robertson

The White House slammed Pat Robertson for his comments about Haiti. He told viewers the nation had a made a pact with the Devil. Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said to reporters, "It never ceases to amaze me that in times of amazing human suffering somebody says something that can be so utterly stupid. Senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett told ABC's Good Morning America that Robertson's statement left her speechless and it was "a pretty stunning comment to make" not reflective of "the spirit of the American people or the president." Read more about what Robertson said here.

Missionaries will continue to aid Haiti

WIVB-TV in Buffalo reports on Lutheran missionary work in Haiti.

Missionaries Survive Earthquake

Missionaries sent by a Wisconsin church survived the Haiti earthquake. WITI-TV in Milwaukee reports.

Missionaries hold Vigil for Haiti

WUPW-TV in Toledo, Ohio reports on a group of missionaries who have been to Haiti.

Church Cancells Travel Plans

Church group was to visit sister church in Haiti next week. WRTV in Indianapolis reports.

Hollywood Gets Religion

Major movie studios are looking to capitalize on the success of mainstream films with elements of faith- such as The Blind Side. The Book of Eli (the book referred to in the title is a Bible) starring Denzel Washington opens Friday along with the pseudo-spiritual after-life film The Lovely Bones, while Legion, about a war that breaks out after God loses his faith in mankind, opens on the 22nd.

Last year, Nicolas Cage's film Knowing, about t the Apocalypse earned twice as much as predicted ($80 million). Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail, a faith-based comedy, took in even more ($91 million). And The Blind Side, the story of a Christian family that adopts a young athlete was the 8th biggest film of the year ($220 million).

Trapped in Haiti

Some members of the First Baptist church of Orlando are trapped in Haiti. WOFL-TV reports.

Supposed to Be in Haiti

Memphis-area church group misses earthquake by one day. WREG-TV reports.

Virginia Lutherans Leave

St. John Lutheran Church in Roanoke, Virginia is leaving the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America over it's gay clergy policy. The congregation voted 350-104 last Sunday to join the smaller Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ. A new ELCA policy, lifting a ban against active gay clergy will take effect in April.

Assisted Suicide Ruling

Montana has become the third state to legalize assisted suicide. In a 4-3 ruling, the state supreme court said there's nothing in state law to prevent patients from seeking physician-assisted suicide. Montana joins Washington and Oregon as the only states that allow it. Opponents plan to fight the decision in the Legislature.

Porn Among Kids Top Searches

Included in the top 5 most-searched terms among kids in 2009 were the words "sex" and "porn." Rounding out the top 5, according to Norton were YouTube, Google, and Facebook. Nearly a third of minor's time spent online was searching for music-related topics. TV and movies got about 12%. The information was gathered through the company's Norton Safety Minder software which tracked their behavior.

Haiti's Pact with the Devil

Pat Robertson says Haiti's earthquake stems from the country's "pact with the devil." On his 700 Club TV show today, the Christian broadcaster told viewers:

“They were under the heel of the French, uh, you know Napoleon the 3rd and whatever, and they got together and swore a pact to the Devil. They said, 'We will serve you if you'll get us free from the French. True story. And so the Devil said, 'Okay, it's a deal.’ And, they kicked the French out, you know, with Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since they have been cursed by, by one thing after another, desperately poor... They need to have and we need to pray for them a great turning to God and out of this tragedy I’m optimistic something good may come. But right now we’re helping the suffering people and the suffering is unimaginable.”

Textbook Debate

KXAN-TV in Austin takes a look at a textbook controversy over the role Christianity played in the founding of the United States.

Davey and Goliath

The man who created the television series Davey and Goliath has died. Art Clokey passed away at his home in Los Osos, California last Friday at the age of 88. Besides coming up with the stop-motion animated series for the United Lutheran Church in America, Clokey also created the popular Gumby character.

Davey and Goliath was first seen in 1960 and ended its run on TV in 1975. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) gained rights to the show in a merger of Lutheran denominations. A 2003 documentary by the ELCA told the history of the show and it was brought back in 2004 for an hour-long special.

Answer to the Christmas Quiz

1. Nothing. Luke 2:13,14 tells us, "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God and SAYING, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to men on whom his favor rests." No where in the Bible does it say that angels sing. Of course, Scripture never says they don't either.

2. The West. Matthew 2:1,2 reads, "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." The Wise Men were in the East and they saw the star in the Western sky. Had they been traveling toward a star in the East, they would have started from somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea.

3. The house.
Not the stable. Matthew 2:9-11 says, "After (the Wise Men) had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the HOUSE, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him…" By the time the Wise Men would have arrived, Mary and Joseph would have left the stable. It would have taken a while for the Wise Men to arrive. Perhaps a couple of years, since Herod killed children in Bethlehem under the age of two.

4. We don't know.
Three is the traditional number, but Scripture only tells us of three gifts.

5. Probably Spring. Luke 2:8 tells us, "And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night." It is unlikely they would have been living in the fields during Winter. Spring is the most likely time.

6. We don't know. Christmas cards may favor a donkey, but Scripture doesn't tell us.

7. We don't know. Christmas cards may favor a camels, but Scripture doesn't tell us.

8. Germany

9. The 4th century
Christmas Carols began in the 14th and 15th centuries. Christmas cards were first sent in the early 19th century.

10. Yes. In 4th Century AD, Nicholas showed acts of kindness and charity early in his life. He served as bishop of Myra (now
in Turkey) and was considered a saint since the 6th century.

11. The nativity scene.

12. No. But he did tell us to remember his death. "…Do this in remembrance of me" Luke 22:19.

Note: All verses from the New International Version

Palin's Serenity

A political strategist in the McCain presidential campaign says he asked Sarah Palin about how she could be so calm right after being selected as the Arizona Republican's running mate. Steve Schmidt tells 60 Minutes her response was simply "It's God's plan."

Oldest Hebrew Inscription Found

An Israeli professor says he may have found proof that older parts of the Bible were written hundreds of years before many people believe they could have been written. Gershon Galil with the University of Haifa points to an inscription on a piece of pottery from an excavation about 20 miles west of Jerusalem. Galil says the inscription is a statement about slaves, widows and orphans. Carbon-dating puts it's origins at about the 10th century BC, making it the earliest example of Hebrew writing we have today. Some scholars say parts of the Bible could not have been written that long ago because the Hebrew language did not exist at that time. But, according to Galil, the inscription suggests otherwise.

$10 Million to College

A Columbia, South Carolina pastor is giving $10 million to a college from his Power Ball winnings. Solomon Jackson Jr. who pastors New Shiloh Baptist Church, won a $260 million lottery jackpot this past summer. He attended Morris College some 30 years ago where he studied theology. Now he's giving the school the gift to pay for a new administration building, a new dormitory and various scholarships to the private, historically African-American college.

The Faith of Colt McCoy

KXAN-TV in Austin reports on the church involvement of the Texas Longhorn's quarterback who'll be playing for the college football championship tonight.

Bible Classes in Oklahoma

A state senator has proposed a bill that would allow high school students to take bible classes in Oklahoma. KOCO-TV reports.

Teacher Can't Sell Book

A New York teacher is in trouble for selling a Christian book to four students. Sixth-grade science teacher Steven Arizmendi was chastised by his superiors for selling He Came to Set the Captives Free by Rebecca Julia Brown for $5 apiece. He also loaned copies to eight other students.

Seminaries Merge

Chicago 's Moody Bible Institute and the Michigan Theological Seminary have merged to create the Moody Theological Seminary. The Plymouth Michigan campus opened less than 15 years ago has 176 enrolled students. The Moody Bible Institute operates Moody Radio and Moody Publishers.

Megachurch Raises Even More

Rick Warren says his Saddleback Church has now raised $2.5 million in six days after he appealed for funds. The magachurch pastor his congregation they were $900,000 short. The money will go toward the church's ministries which include feeding homeless families, overseas outreach and small group ministries. The church says most of the donations were small, less than $100.

Megachurch Pastor Part of Lesbian Mayor's Inauguration

Joel Osteen gave the opening prayer when Houston's new lesbian mayor was swore into office. The megachurch pastor has previously said homosexuality is not "God's best" but decided to take part in Annise Parker's inauguaration. He prayed "God, we just thank you for raising her up. We honor her today and other elected officials. We count it a joy and an honor to be here."

Bible Giveaway Stopped

Schools in Wilson County, Tennessee have agreed to stop letting the Gideons International hand out Bibles to students. The ACLU had threatened to sue. The school system will pay the ACLU's attorney fees as well.

Crimes against Churches

The Christian Security Network says there were more than 1200 crimes against churches in 2009.The Cincinnati-based firm says this includes a dozen homicides and nearly 40 violent crimes.

Passion 2010

A meeting of Christian college students in Atlanta has drawn more than 20,000 people. The 4-day Passion 2010 ends today and is part of a yearly praise and worship gathering that started in 1997 with 2000 students. Among the speakers and performers: John Piper, Andy Stanley and the David Crowder Band.

100 Years and Counting

The Gideons International is marking 102 years of giving away Bibles. The group started in 1908 and has handed out nearly one-and-a-half billion copies of Scripture. Many have gone into hotel room but also to students, military personnel, hospital patients, and prisoners. The nondenominational group is run by evangelical businessmen.

Crash the Super Bowl

Doritos plans to air three consumer-created ads during the Super Bowl. A pastor produced one of the six finalists. Erwin McManus, leads Mosaic, a church in Whittier, California. He submitted an ad in which a guy stages his own funeral so he can eat Doritos and watch football undisturbed in a casket. The three winners will be picked in online voting and get $1 million bonus each if their ads win the top three slots in USA TODAY’S annual Super Bowl Ad Meter consumer rating of ads. McManus ad is competing with entries from former football star Ed “Too Tall” Jones and rapper Flavor Flav. More info here.

Smith out of Hospital

Chuck Smith is in a rehabilitation facility. The senior pastor of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, California suffered a mild stroke last month. The 82-year-old played a significant role in the training of other prominent ministers, including Greg Laurie.

Hume: Tiger Conversion

Fox's Brit Hume says Tiger Woods needs to become a Christian.

The Color of Faith

Time magazine offers an article called Can Megachurches Bridge the Racial Divide? which focuses on Bill Hybels Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, Joel Osteen's Lakewood Community Church in Houston.

100 Foot Cross

A church northeast of Birmingham plans to raise a 100-foot cross on its property. The Hunter's Chapel Holy Church of Christ will start construction in February on the $232,000 project, and expects to be finished by June. Motorists will be able to see the cross from the future Interstate 22 near Jasper. Pastor Dale Hyche got the idea from a similar monument in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. A prayer garden will be built at the foot of the cross.

Miley a UK Threat

A left-leaning UK tabloid says Miley Cyrus is an “agent of the Christian right" and is warning parents about her possible religious influence on tweens in the country following her sold out London concerts. The Independent's music critic, Simon Price, writes, “While the twiggy teenager may not look as if she’s a member of an imperialist shock-troop, in terms of exporting the conservative values of the Christian right she’s more effective than the marines." Rather than pointing to her willingness to quote the Bible and vow to remain a virgin until she’s married, Price cites as his evidence the fact that Time magazine included her on its list of 100 Most Influential People. Read the article from the Independent here.

Saddleback's Fundraising

Rick Warren asked for $900,000. He got more than twice that amount. His Southern California megachurch was running deficit and Warren presented the problem to his congregation. Saddleback members responded with an outpouring of $2.4 million. During a service this weekend, Warren had 24 parishioners rise to represent $100,000 each. The church says nearly all the gifts were individual donations of less than $1,000. More donations remain to be counted since the $2.4 million was the amount brought in by New Year's Eve. Saddleback is the nation's sixth largest church. In 2005, it raised $1.7 million for victims of Hurricane Katrina and $1.6 million in 2004 for victims of the Asian tsunami.

Warren: Goal Reached

Rick Warren says his church got what it needed. The mega-church leader had issued an urgent call for donations to his Southern California church, saying there was a $900,000 shortage in collections. More than 46,000 attended Christmas services at Saddleback Church.

Faith-based Investing

There are now several faith-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Recently launched: FaithShares Baptist Values (trading symbol: FZB), Lutheran Values (FKL), FaithShares Catholic Values Fund (FCV), Methodist Values (FMV) and Christian Values (FOC) funds. Each follow the investment guidelines of each denomination, typically avoiding pharmaceutical or hospital stocks (to stay away from abortion and contraceptives), alcohol stocks and the the pornography industry.

The largest Catholic values mutual fund is Ave Maria Catholic Values with $166 million in assets. It's up 37% this past year (the average midcap blend fund is up 36%).

There is also Dow Jones Islamic Market International Index Fund (JVS) which tries to be consistent with Islamic religious laws. With more than $14 million in assets, JVS is up more than 16% since it started this summer which is slightly behind the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index.

Atheism Under Fire

An Asheville City Councilman is under fire because he doesn't believe in God. Opponents say they may try to invoke an 1868 North Carolina law requiring public office holders to profess the Almighty. But Cecil Bothwell says his religious views are not relevant to the public office. When Bothwell took office last month, he used an oath that did not require swearing on a Bible or reference God. Raised a Presbyterian, he is now a member of the Unitarian Universalist church. Conservatives were already riled at Bothwell's book, The Prince of War, which is critical of Billy Graham, who lives in the area. Several other states have similar laws on the books including Texas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Maryland and Pennsylvania, though they go unenforced.

More on Dobson's New Show

We told you about James Dobson's new show in an earlier post. Here is some more of the details about the radio program. It will hit the airwaves in March and will be supported, not through Focus on the Family, but a new nonprofit organization. Dobson estimates it will cost about $2 million to keep it going during the first-year operation. Dobson will co-host the program with his 39-year-old son, Ryan. There is speculation that Dobson was forced out of Focus because of conflicts between him and current CEO and president Jim Daly but both Dobson and Daly deny these rumors. Focus’ budget dropped more than $20 million this year. There are some 600 fewer people working at the Colorado-based organization than there was in 2002.

Kidnapped at Church

Police in Statesville, North Carolina are searching for an armed man who kidnapped two women from a church and forced them to withdraw money from an ATM. He walked into the Broad Street United Methodist Church this afternoon, forced them into the car of one of the kidnap victims and later released them at a different place in town. The car was found on fire. If you have any information, call the Statesville police at 704-878-3406.

Oral Roberts

The Economist offers this profile of Oral Roberts, who passed away December 15th at the age of 91.

Dobson's New Show

James Dobson is starting a new radio show. On his Facebook page, the Focus on the Family founder says the show will be called James Dobson on the Family. He'll discuss religion, politics and family issues. Dobson officially leaves Focus on the Family and its flagship radio broadcast at the end of February. Some reports say Dobson has had conflicts with his successor, Jim Daly. The new radio show will involved his son, Ryan Dobson, who heads KOR World Ministries and has never worked for Focus on the Family.

Porn and Bribes

A lawsuit filed against Feed the Children founder Larry Jones claims he took bribes and kept hard-core pornographic magazines among other things. The suit comes in response to Jones wrongful-termination lawsuit against Feed The Children. The board fired him after he admitting placing hidden microphones around the office. Jones denies the charges made in the countersuit and says the pornography was for research.

Purpose Driven Fundraiser

Rick Warren is trying to raise nearly $1 million in two days. The Southern California mega-pastor is trying to make up for a shortfall in donations. In a letter to the Saddleback congregation, Warren says the church is $900,000 in the red for the year.

Top 10 News Stories of the Decade

Christianity Today's Top 10 News Stories of the Decade

January 2001: President Bush launches his faith-based initiative.

September 2001: NYC terror attacks prompt intense reflection on Christian-Muslim relations.

March 2003: U.S. invasion of Iraq prompts debate on just war and Muslim extremists' retaliation against Mideast Christians.

August 2003: Gene Robinson, who is in a same-sex relationship, is confirmed as an Episcopal bishop.

February 2004: Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ shocks observers by earning more than $600 million.

November 2004: "Values voter" analysis draws more attention to U.S. evangelicals as a voting bloc.

December 2004: A Southeast Asian tsunami, followed by Hurricane Katrina, mobilizes unprecedented compassion efforts.

April 2005: Rick Warren launches PEACE Plan, targeting global poverty, HIV/AIDS, and other ills.

April 2007: Supreme Court upholds partial-birth abortion ban, the first national restriction since Roe v. Wade.

August 2007: Taliban takes Korean missionaries hostage, igniting debate on short-term missions.

Birth Mom Must Give Up Child

A Vermont judge has ordered a mother of a 7-year-old girl to give custody of the child to the woman's former lesbian partner. Lisa Miller of Winchester, Virginia must turn over her daughter to Janet Jenkins. The two where joined in a Vermont civil union in 2000 but the couple ended their relationship in 2003 and Miller became an evangelical, renouncing her past lesbian associations. The judge gave custody to Jenkins when Miller refused to allow Jenkins access to the child.

Top 10 News Stories of 2009

Christianity Today's Top 10 News Stories of 2009.

1. The Great Recession reduces missionary sending and closes hundreds of Christian schools as layoffs hit World Vision, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Focus on the Family, Asbury Seminary, CT, and many other ministries.

2. Orthodox Anglicans launch a North American province as the Episcopal Church drops its moratoria on gay clergy and same-sex unions. The ELCA narrowly approves clergy in same-sex relationships, prompting conservative Lutherans to create a rival body. Methodistsand Presbyterians maintain their bans.

3. Religious groups agitate for health-care reform. Pro-life Democrats and Republicans in the House surprisingly succeed at adding a ban on taxpayer-funded abortions to the House reform bill, largely thanks to Catholic clergy's lobbying.

4. The Obama administration permits federal funds for embryonic stem-cell research and overseas groups that promote abortion, while cutting funds for abstinence-only education.

5. Deadly Gojra riots in August prompt a government examination, and fresh international criticism, of Pakistan's notoriously abused blasphemy laws.

6. Swine flu causes Christian churches worldwide to modify services. Egypt slaughters all pigs, devastating the livelihood of its Christian minority.

7. Multisite churches and video-venue campuses evolve from megachurch experiment to near-default option as large congregations expand.

8. Zondervan discontinues the controversial TNIV and announces that an updated NIV translation will debut in 2011.

9. Gaza war hinders reconciliation efforts between Messianic Jews and Palestinian Christians. Believers continue to flee Iraq; Somalia's Christians almost entirely vanish.

10. Hispanic evangelical leaders debate boycotting the 2010 Census as a way to call attention to immigration reform. Meanwhile, the National Association of Evangelicals and other groups prepare for the immigration debate to reignite in 2010.

Dead Sea Scrolls

The Dead Sea Scrolls are coming to Milwaukee. WTMJ-TV reports.

Chuck Smith Hospitalized

Chuck Smith has suffered a stroke and has been hospitalized. The 82-year-old senior pastor of Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California is expected to recover, as medical officials call it a "minor" stroke.

Church Fight

KOAT-TV reports on an altercation at a church in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

No Church for Obamas

The First Family did not to attend Christmas Eve church services. And it is not clear where they would have gone if they had decided to join a congregation for the evening. They have attended three churches so far this year without joining any of them. This includes St. John's Episcopal Church close to the White House, the predominantly African-American 19th Street Baptist Church, and Evergreen Chapel, the nondenominational (and private) church at Camp David. The Bush family spent eight straight Christmases at Camp David while the Clintons often took in midnight mass at the Washington National Cathedral.

As a child, Obama occasionally attended Sunday school classes at the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu, where his family held a memorial service for his grandmother.

Deadly Nativity Scene

A truck crashes into a nativity scene, killing one person in Ohio. Here's a video report.

Former Klansman Ordained in Black Church

A former imperial wizard of the Ku Klux Klan is now an ordained minister in the largest black denomination in America. Johnny Lee Clary is part of the Church of God in Christ and lives in Miami, Oklahoma. Clary's father committed suicide when he was 11 years old and his alcoholic mother sent him to live with his drug-dealing aunt in California. For protection from gangs, he joined the KKK Youth Corps and eventually became the youngest leader of the Oklahoma Klan. He earned money by wrestling under the named Johnny Angel while openly supporting the Klan on shows like Oprah. But he quit in 1989. Not able to hold a job because of his history, Clary decided to kill himself as his father had done but picked up a Bible first. Before the night was over, Clary says he made a decision to follow Christ. Hear more of his story in this video.