Statue Burns to Ground

A 60-foot tall statue of Jesus near Monroe, Ohio is gone after lightning triggered a fire that burned it to the ground. The structure outside of Solid Rock Church weighted 16,000 pounds and was made of styrofoam, wood and fiberglass. Intense thunderstorms triggered the lightning strike Monday. No one was injured.

Holy Land Tourism

Israel’s Tourism Ministry says tourism is up 42% from the same period in 2009, making 2010 a potentially record year. Many of these tourists are evangelical Christians.

Tangle & GodTube Bought

Salem has acquired tangle.com and GodTube.com. Tangle is a leading Christian social networking website, and GodTube is a Christian video website. Together, the two sites reach well over 1 million unique visitors a month, with millions of page views and maintains over 800,000 registered users. For its part, Salem Communications owns 96 radio stations and provides programming for approximately 2,000 affiliated radio stations.

Wireless Mic Change Deadline

Churches are scrambling to replace wireless microphones and devices by Saturday, a deadline set by the FCC. The agency is required users to switch wireless microphone systems between 698 and 806 MHz to make room for use by fire, police and emergency services. Many churches across the country us these frequencies. Failing to make the change could lead to a fine of $100,000. The change is costing many churches $10,000 or more.

Column on Gay Parents Controversy

A Boston Catholic paper is apologizing for a column that has stirred gay rights advocates by linking same-sex parents with pornography. Michael Pakaluk, writing in The Pilot says one reason the children of gay parents should not be admitted to Catholic schools is the danger they would pose of bringing pornography into school. He once taught philosophy at Clark University in Worcester and served as a visiting scholar at Harvard. He now teaches in Virginia. Pakaluk has told reporters he would not make the same point if he were writing the article again. Read the column here.

Getting to Know.. David Cerullo

Here are some facts about televangelist David Cerullo.

Runs The Inspiration Network
Salary $1.5 million a year
Married to Barbara Cerullo who got $198,000 in total compensation from the ministry in 2007
Lives in Charlotte, NC
12,000-square-foot lakefront home
His children receive large salaries from his ministry (nearly $400,000)
Building a 93-acre campus in South Carolina
The state gave Cerullo incentives worth some $25 million
Attended Oral Roberts University
ordained by the Assemblies of God in 1974
Father is evangelist Morris Cerullo
Morris Cerullo paid $7 million to buy The Inspiration Network in 1990
The network has more than 300 employees
More than 2 dozen employees make more than $100,000 a year
Not a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability

Premarital Sex Leads to Firing

A former teacher at a Florida Christian school is suing for her losing her job because she got pregnant before getting married. Jarretta Hamilton was a 4th grade teacher at Southland Christian School in St. Cloud when she admitted her child had been conceived about three weeks before her wedding last year. The school issued a letter to its staff explaining the firing by saying in part, "Jarretta was asked not to return because of a moral issue that was disregarded, namely fornication, sex outside of marriage."

Commandments Display Suit

A Utah judge has dismissed a Ten Commandments lawsuit. A group called the Summum wanted to put up a religious display alongside a Ten Commandments display in Pleasant Grove. The marker is in a public park, where it was dedicated a half a century ago.

Christian Singer Dies

Christian singer Dana Key unexpectedly passed away yesterday. A member of the pioneering Christian band Degarmo & Key, the 57 year old died from a blood clot. He served as senior pastor of The Love of Christ Church in Cordova, Tennessee which planned a DeGarmo & Key reunion this Sunday.

Newspaper Ad Upsets Muslims

Ads for the Granite City Baptist Church in St. Cloud, Minnesota is stirring controversy. Pastor Dennis Campbell suggestions Islam is a threat to America. The advertisement was placed in the St. Cloud Times and says Muslims "seek to influence a nation by immigration, reproduction, education, the government, illegal drugs and by supporting the gay agenda." Campbell has given interviews defending the ad, saying he is not a racist. See the ad here.

Clergy Glut

There are more than 600,000 ministers in the but only 338,000 churches in the US, according to the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. For instance, there are four Presbyterian ministers looking for work for every job that's available. At the same time, there are 300 churches that are members of the Tennessee Baptist Convention without a pastor. The average church has only 75 members, so many congregations cannot afford a full-time pastor. The Association of Theological Schools says seminary enrollment is down more than six percent in the last five years, so the number of pastors without churches is likely to fall over the next few years.

Spiritual but not Religious

CNN looks at "Are there dangers in being spiritual but not religious?" here.

Suit: Pages of Bible Stolen

An Armenian church in California is suing the J. Paul Getty Museum over pages from an ancient Bible in the museum's collection since 1994. The Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America filed a $105-million civil lawsuit saying that the institution illegally bought the seven pages. The church wants the pages back because, the suit say, they were torn out of the Armenian Orthodox Church's Zeyt'un Gospels more than 100 years ago. But Getty says it obtained the legally and will fight the lawsuit.

The Roman Catholic Hall of Fame: Sainthood

WHAT?
• A saint is anyone whose "soul is in heaven"
• When the church officially declares someone a saint it means the Catholic Church has no doubts the person is in heaven
• The process recognizes lives of "great charity and heroic virtue"

STEPS
• Venerable: title given to someone recognized as having lived heroic virtues
• Beatification: person is declared "blessed" (need one miracle proven after death to qualify)
• Canonization: person is officially declared a saint (need 2 miracles attributed to their intercession, unless the person is a martyr)

WAITING PERIOD
• The investigation into whether someone might be saint material does not start (traditionally) until 5 years after death and often took centuries
• The pope can put someone on a fast track for sainthood (ex: John Paul II put Mother Teresa on the fast track- the process started one year after her death)
• First canonization was in 993 St. Ulrich, bishop of Augsburg, Germany
• Local bishops canonized saints in the early church (such as St. Nicholas and St. Patrick)
• Formal investigations by the Vatican began in the 13th century

Haggard to Start Church

Former megachurch pastor Ted Haggard plans to start a new church in Colorado Springs, Colorado in defiance of his old church. His career was undone when his relationship with a male prostitute and alleged drug purchases were revealed in 2006. The nondenominational church will meet this Sunday for the first time at Haggard's home. KKTV offers this video of Haggard's announcement.

Texas Baptists Cut Ties with Church

The Baptist General Convention of Texas is taking membership in the group away from a Dallas church for accepting openly gay deacons. The state's largest Baptist group officially broke ties with Royal Lane Baptist Church by a vote of 63-4. Royal Lane had been a part of the Convention for decades. The church has not made an official comment yet. The church also has been cut off by the Dallas Baptist Association.

Social Justice on Campus

Time magazine takes a look at social justice on the campuses of Christian Colleges here.

Gay Music Artists On Tour

Ray Boltz kicks off a national tour at Covenant of the Cross in Nashville two weeks from Thursday (June 17), affirming his status as an openly gay Christian music artist. Boltz has three Dove Awards, two gold albums, one gold video, and a dozen number one singles to his name, having sold more than 4 million units. The singer-songwriter revealed he was gay two years ago. He will will tour with Azariah Southworth who "came out" about the same time. The revelation led to Southworth losing his position as host of a Christian music TV show called The ReMix which was seen by more than 200,000 each week.

Megachurch Pastor Undergoes Surgery

The pastor of one of the largest churches in the country is recovering from triple bypass surgery. 73 year old Ed Young pastors the Second Baptist Church in Houston. He was hospitalized Wednesday after complaining of tightness in his chest and underwent the 90-minute surgery Thursday. In 1988, a stent was placed in Young’s heart to open a clogged heart artery. The former Southern Baptist Convention president hasn't said whether he will return to the pulpit.

Odd Religious Sties in America

WHAT: Don Brown Rosary Collection, the world's largest rosary collection
WHERE: Stevenson, Washington

WHAT: Richard Greene's ark replica
WHERE: Frostburg, Maryland

WHAT: The Church of God of Prophecy's Fields of the Wood including the world's largest Ten Commandments display, largest altar and largest New Testament
WHERE: Murphy, North Carolina

WHAT: Bill Rice's Cross Garden
WHERE: Prattville, Alabama

WHAT: Howard Finster's Paradise Gardens outdoor gallery
WHERE: Summerville, Georgia

NBC Anchor Mixes Up Colleges

NBC Today show anchor Ann Curry slipped up during her commencement speech at Wheaton College in Massachusetts this past Saturday. She mentioned that Wes Craven and Billy Graham had graduated from the school. Except, Craven and Graham actually attended the Evangelical Wheaton College in Illinois rather than the secular school for women in New England. Curry offered an apology on the Wheaton website: "I am mortified by my mistake, and can only hope the purity of my motive, to find a way to connect with the graduates and to encourage them to a life of service, will allow you to forgive me." The mistake has been edited out of the video of her speech posted on the site. She was awarded an honorary doctorate.

Gaga's New Release

Singer Lady Gaga has told interviewers in London that her next album will be different because "I recently had this ... miracle-like experience, where I feel much more connected to God... Religion is very confusing for everyone, and particularly me, because there's really no religion that doesn't hate or condemn a certain kind of people, and I totally believe in all love and forgiveness, and excluding no one."

Church Money Woes

Budgets for Protestant churches are down about 7% on average from the year before. A Barna survey this year showed one in 11 churches lost 20% or more in annual income, with 2% reporting drops of 35%.

Jews for Jesus Founder Dies

Moishe Rosen has died at the age of 78. He founded Jews for Jesus, the world's largest Messianic Jewish organization, in 1973. Rosen was born into an Orthodox Jewish family but converted to Christianity, prompting his parents to stop speaking to him. He was ordained a Baptist minister in 1957. A statement from him is posted on the group's website.

American Idol's Christian Connection

Read an extensive article about how church has affected American Idol contestants in the LA Times here.

Billy's Last Sermon

Billy Graham wants to give one more sermon. The 91-year-old evangelist could preach at Charlotte's Bank of America stadium, according to some reports. Franklin Graham says he's talked about videotaping a sermon with his father. Billy Graham's last crusade was four years ago in New York. President Barack Obama and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin have visited him in recent months.

PCUSA Cutbacks

The Presbyterian Church, USA has cut 49 positions at its headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky. The denomination's governing board has agreed to cut the budget from this year's total of $93.8 million to just $82 million for 2011 and $80 million for 2012. The denomination has struggled with the issue of ordaining clergy in same-gender relationships.

Oregon Church Faces Scrutiny

A church that shuns traditional medicine for faith healing leads to numerous child deaths. CNN offers this video report.

American Missionary Freed

The woman who led American missionaries in attempting to take 33 children out of Haiti to the Dominican Republic, is now out of jail. A judge convicted Laura Silsby and sentenced her to the time she had already served in jail. The Idaho church leader had been in custody since January. Silsby was the last member of her group still being held in Haiti.

Megachurch Building

The First Baptist Church of Dallas has raised $115 million for a state-of-the-art campus in the downtown area. Church officials say it sets a record for the most money raised for a Protestant church. Construction begins in July and will take three years to complete.

Souther Baptist Numbers

Southern Baptist membership fell about half a percentage point to 16.16 million during 2009, according to a report from LifeWay Christian Resources. The nation’s largest Protestant denomination also saw a slip in giving to missions down to $1.33 billion, a decline of 1.8%.

Large Cross Stolen

A seven-foot-tall cross in the Mojave Desert that sparked a Supreme Court dispute has been stolen. Fox News reports.

Seminary President's Claims Investigated

The Jerry Falwell founded Liberty University has launched a formal inquiry into claim as to whether the head of its seminary made up parts of his testimony about growing up as a Sunni Muslim before converting to Christianity. Ergun Caner, president of the Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary & Graduate School, is accused in blogs as fabricating parts of his background for speaking engagements. One blogger says Caner was not born in Turkey but Sweden and he's been in the US since the age of four.

Police: Singers Stole from Churches

Authorities in central Georgia say two gospel singers face burglary charges for breaking into several churches and stealing $100,000 worth of equipment. The Washington County Sheriff's office says drummer Rico Blackshear from Dublin and Deshawn Thomas of Sandersville have been linked the pair to at least two dozen incidents beginning last November. The case was broken when officers received a tip about the pair performing with gospel bands at the churches where thefts occurred. They apparently went back and broke into the churches later.

Cable Show about Jesus

Comedy Central has a cartoon series in the works about Jesus called JC. The production company behind The Office and The Biggest Loser (Reveille) is behind the effort. According to producers, the program shows Jesus as a "regular guy" who moves to New York to "escape his father's enormous shadow." His Heavenly Father is portrayed as more interested in playing video games than listening to his son.

Atheists: Arrest the Pope!

Atheist authors Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens are lobbying to have Pope Benedict XVI arrested for “crimes against humanity” when he visits Britain in September.

Writing in Newsweek, Christopher Hitchens says the Pope once sent a letter to all Catholic bishops instructing them to say nothing about rape or molestation allegations to anyone outside the church. Failing to report a crime is a crime in itself. There’s also evidence that Ratzinger was “lenient or negligent” with a number of priests known to be pedophiles.

Dawkins, in the London Guardian suggests thinking of the situation where a teacher is molesting pupils but the administrator simply moves the offender to a new school, explaining in a letter to colleagues that it would harm the government’s reputation to admit that a pedophile had ever been employed. If such a letter ever came to light, that official would “immediately have to resign in ignominy, and face prosecution himself.”

Gay Policy Remains

Michigan's Hope College will not change its policy condemning homosexual behavior and advocacy. The board of the Christian college voted Friday to keep things as they are, despite a petition from alumni, student and community groups asking for a change. The effort was triggered by a visit from the maker of the movie Milk which told the story of a gay San Francisco politician. The school would not allow the film to be shown last year. It's historically associated with the Reformed Church in America.

Homegrown Jihad

The Christian Action Network is putting up billboards near Islamic communities around the country to promote a documentary called Homegrown Jihad. It warns about the dangers of radical Islam. One in South Carolina is known as Islamville which has been identified in a report from the Nashville-based Regional Organized Crime Information Center as a paramilitary training compounds. The leader of the community was once listed as an international terrorist. An elder denies those claims and the local sheriff says there's no indication of criminal activity. Neighbors close to a villiage in upstate New York called Holy Islamville say they regularly hear gunfire.

Radio Station Sale Goes Through

The only classical music station in St. Louis will soon blast contemporary Christian music. The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod is selling KFUO-FM (Classic 99.1) to Christian music broadcaster Joy FM for $26 million. Classical music enthusiasts have been fighting the move for a year, trying to get the FCC to block the sale but the agency has approved the sale.

Graham Prays at Pentagon Anyway

Evangelist Franklin Graham prayed on a sidewalk outside the Pentagon today after his invitation to a prayer service inside was withdrawn because of comments that insulted Muslims.

Abortion Bill Veto Sticks

Lawmakers in Kansas failed to override the governor's veto of a bill to tighten restrictions on late-term abortions. Kansas no longer has a clinic known to perform abortions in the final trimester since the murder of physician George Tiller last year.

Poll on Prayer

A new poll find 92% of Americans say there is a God and 83% say he answers prayers. The USA TODAY/Gallup Poll 57% approve of the National Day of Prayer while only 4.5% opposed it.

Suit to Stop Graduation at Church

The ACLU has filed a lawsuit in an attempt to stop the Enfield, Connecticut public schools from holding graduation ceremonies in a church. They filed the suit on behalf of two high school seniors and three of their parents. The ceremony has been held at the First Cathedral a few miles south in Bloomfield.

Gay Pastor to Stay

The Lutheran Church plans to reinstate a gay pastor in Atlanta. WAGA-TV offers this video report.

Women Addicted to Porn

Kansas megachurch offers counseling for women addicted to pornography. The New York Times offers a profile here.

Dobson Switches Endorsment

James Dobson has switched his endorcement in Kentucky's Senate race. He's calling on voters to support tea party favorite Rand Paul after first endorsing Secretary of State Trey Grayson. Dobson says he was misled by Republican leaders as to each candidate's positions. Dobson says he was told Paul was not opposed to abortion though both candidates have expressed anti-abortion positions. While Paul has the backing of Sarah Palin and one-time presidential candidate Steve Forbes while former Vice President Dick Cheney and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has endorsed Grayson.

Praying for Obama's Death

There are calls for Facebook to shut down a group that's being accused of "praying" for the death of President Barack Obama. The group has more than 1 million members. There are fake photos showing, for instance, the president against a communist flag and a cartoon associating Obama to Hitler. Its location is listed as Marysville, OH, 43040.

The group is called, "DEAR LORD, THIS YEAR YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTOR, PATRICK SWAYZIE. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTRESS, FARAH FAWCETT. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE SINGER, MICHAEL JACKSON. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, MY FAVORITE PRESIDENT IS BARACK OBAMA. AMEN."

Another group is calling itself "Petition to remove Facebook group praying for President Obama's death," is denouncing the anti-Obama group and advocate for its removal. This group has more than 650,000 members.

National Day of Prayer

The 59th annual National Day of Prayer is next Thursday, May 6th. A federal judge in Wisconsin ruled this month that the day is a call to religious action and deemed it unconstitutional. The ruling can't take effect until all appeals are exhausted. Congress first established a National Prayer Day in 1952. In 1988, lawmakers set the first Thursday in May as the official day for presidents to issue proclamations asking Americans to pray.

Racist Remark from 1st Baptist, Dallas

The First Baptist Church of Dallas is apologizing for an ethnic slur made by the interim president of Criswell College Sunday that was heard over the radio on KCBI-FM. Lamar Cooper was about to teach a Sunday school class when he could be heard using the word wetbacks while talking about the controversial illegal-immigration law in Arizona. The church has received many complaints Cooper will apologize during next Sunday's class but it will not be broadcast as the remark was.

Complaint of Prayer at Public School

The Freedom From Religion Foundation claims the band director at Oxford High School in Oxford, Alabama is illegally leading his symphonic band class in prayer. School officials say that's not happening. The group also charges the instructor has threatened to fail students who don't attend a concert taking place at local Baptist church. The school's principal says the concert was not mandatory and only students lead prayers.

The Next Southern Baptist President

3 pastors are likely to vie for the Southern Baptist presidency when the convention meets in Orlando during June. The three are:

• Ted Traylor, pastor of Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida
• Bryant Wright, senior pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Georgia
• Jimmy Jackson, president of the Alabama Baptist State Convention

The three will be competing for the position now held by Johnny Hunt, pastor of First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Georgia.

Abortion Measure Passed in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Senate has voted to override the Governor vetoes of two anti-abortion measures. KWTV reports.

High Court: Cross Staysc

The Supreme Court says the a cross in the Mojave desert on public land can stay. It was put there 1934 to honor fallen soldiers. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said the 1st Amendment called for a middle-ground "policy of accommodation" toward religious displays on public land, not a strict separation of church and state. The justices split 5-4. Roberts and Alito joined Kennedy's opinion. Scalia and Thomas agreed but has different reasoning. Retiring Justice John Paul Stevens spoke for the dissenters saying The government should "avoid endorsement of a particular religious view." Ginsburg, Sotomayor and Breyer agreed.

Christian Singer Comes Out

A San Diego megachurch pastor confronts singer Jennifer Knapp on CNN's Larry King about her decision to "come out of the closet."

Most 'Millennials' don't Pray, Read Bible or Attend Church

Most Americans between the ages of 19 and 30 say they are Christians but seldom pray, read the Bible or go to church. That's the finding of a new survey conducted by LifeWay. The researchers estimate that no more than 15% of the 80 million young adults known as "Millennials" have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

31% pray at least once a day
20% say they never pray
67% say they rarely or never read any sacred writings
8% say they read the Bible every day
25% attend religious services at least once a week
75% rarely or never attend a house of worship

Read more here.

Noah's Ark Discovered?

A group of Evangelicals from Turkey and China claim to have found what's left of Noah's ark. The 15 member team from Noah's Ark Ministries International says it recovered pieces of wood from a structure on Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey. They say carbon dating suggests the specimens are about 4800 years old, near the time the ark is said to have been afloat.

Graham Meets Obama

President Obama met and prayed with Billy Graham today at Graham's North Carolina home. They met for a half-hour along with Graham's son, Franklin. The Army recently decided to not have Franklin speak at a Pentagon prayer service because of his comments about Islam. The evangelist gave Obama a Bible for himself and one for the first lady.

Abortion Bills Vetoed

Oklahoma's governor has vetoed two abortion bills. One proposed law would have required women seeking abortions to undergo an ultrasound and hear information about the fetus. State lawmakers are considering a vote to override the veto. The other bill would have stopped pregnant women from seeking damages from doctors who withhold information about a potentially disabled fetus.

Beckto Speak to Liberty

Fox News commentator Glenn Beck will deliver the commencement address at Liberty University's May 15 graduation. Falwell did not address why he was allowing a member of what many at his school consider a cult to give the address. Beck is a Mormon. The baccalaureate address will be delivered by the president of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Paige Patterson.

Conflict over Bible Verse

A Bible verse painted on a fence is stirring controversy. KSAZ-TV in Phoenix reports.

Graham Dropped as Speaker

The son of evangelist Billy Graham has been removed as a speaker at a Pentagon event related to the National Day of Prayer because of his remarks on Islam. CNN offers this video report.

Dove Winners

Casting Crowns has won the artist of year at the 41st annual Dove Awards. Producer and songwriter Jason Ingram took four awards including producer of the year for their work on Tenth Avenue North's Over And Underneath and song of the year for the band's By Your Side. NEEDTOBREATHE earned three Doves for group of the year, rock/contemporary album of the year for The Outsiders and rock/contemporary song of the year for Lay 'Em Down. Brandon Heath won male vocalist of the year for the second consecutive time. Francesca Battistelli was picked as female vocalist of the year. Jennie Lee Riddle also won two Doves, including songwriter of the year.

Band Makes History

MercyMe's now has the first Christian song to go platinum in the digital domain. The single I Can Only Imagine recently surpassed 1 million digital downloads. The song was written by lead singer Bart Millard as his father was suffering from terminal cancer. Besides topping the Christian radio charts, it hit #4 on the mainstream Adult Contemporary charts and entered teh top 25 on Pop/CHR and Hot AC charts.

Pope Meets Victims

Pope Benedict says he'll take action on the sexual abuse scandal. His comments came after meeting with victims, saying he was "greatly moved." There have been 100s of allegations of abuse by Catholic clergy in the U.S., Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria and Germany.

Billy Graham Library Reopens

Evangelist Billy Graham makes his first public appearance in years while attending the re-opening of his library.

Dobson in Politics

James Dobson is endorsing Dan Coats candidacy for a seat in the US Senate in radio ads. The Focus on the Family founder has been friends with the Indianan Republican for a long time. Dobson stresses that his endorsement is personal and not on behalf of any organization. Coats hoping to take the slot being vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Evan Bayh. Meanwhile, Texas Congressman Ron Paul is backing Coats’s main challenger, John Hostettler. The primary will be held May 4th and the winner faces Democrat Brad Ellsworth in November.

High Court on Campus Rules

The Supreme Court heard arguments today in the case of a Christian group denied recognition on a college campus because gays and nonbelievers are excluded from membership. The University of California, Hastings College of the Law, denied recognition to the Christian Legal Society because it does not conform to the school's policy that membership should be open to all. Liberal justices suggested if the group was allowed to ban gays from membership, then women, minorities or those with disabilities could be kept out. But conservative Justice Antonin Scalia wanted to know whether a campus Republican club must admit Democrats or whether a Christian group must allow atheists to join and even conduct Bible classes. Scalia said "That's crazy" and the courtroom erupted in laughter. A decision from the high court could be made by the end of June.

Sea of Galilee Ban

Israel has stopped all fishing in the Sea of Galilee for two years. This is the first known ban on the practice dating back to when Jesus and his disciples fished those same waters. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says fish stocks in the freshwater northern Israel lake have fallen dramatically in recent years. Israel's agriculture ministry blames the drop on overfishing and the use of illegal nets that trap young fish.

The Outlaw Larry Norman

A documentary about Larry Norman will finally see the light of day. The Jesus Music pioneer recorded several albums in the early 70's that impacted many later Contemporary Christian musicians. The film called Fallen Angel: the Outlaw Larry Norman has suffered from legal delays as Norman's family tried to block its release. They eventually settled out of court. The film will be shown this coming Tuesday in Nashville (click here for more info). It suggests Norman cheated partners out of music royalties and fathered a child out of wedlock. Norman's family denies several claims in the film. N0rman died in 2008 at the age of 60.

Day of Prayer Struck Down

A federal judge in Wisconsin says the National Day of Prayer violates the constitutional ban on government-backed religion. Judge Barbara Crabb struck down the federal statute today. Defendants in the case, President Obama and White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs will be able to exhaust their appeal before the injunction against the 1952 law that created the National Day of Prayer takes effect. The Obama administration says Obama intends to recognize this year's National Day of Prayer on May 6.

Seminary Prof Resigns over Evolution Dispute

An Old Testament scholar was forced to resign from his position at Reformed Theological Seminary after endorsing evolution. Bruce K. Waltke was a professor at the Florida school until he posted a video on his blog. It's carried by the BioLogos Foundation, an organization promoting harmony between science and theology. Waltkes says he stands beside what he said on the video but also believes in "in the inerrancy of Scripture." Here's more on the story from USA Today.

Philosopher Dies

British Philosopher Antony Flew has died at the age of 87. He spent most of his life denying the existence of God but dramatically renounced his atheism in 2004. This shocked many of his admirers. He had long been regarded as one of their foremost champions of nonbelievers. Yet Flew's "conversion" did not included a belief in the afterlife, good and evil or divine intervention in human affairs. He was especially known for his work on the eighteenth-century philosopher David Hume and on the philosophy of religion. His paper Theology and Falsification was one of the most frequently-quoted philosophical publication of the second half of the 20th century.

Christian Singer Says She's Gay

Christian singer Jennifer Knapp says she's a lesbian. She's been out of the music spotlight for 7 years but plans a return. The 36-year-old, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter has a new album coming out on May 11 called Letting Go. The songs are mainstream, rather than Christian-oriented. Her last album was the 2001 The Way I Am release. Knapp says she still considers herself a “person of faith” and has not turned her back on the church.

Missionary Killed

A Southern Baptist student missionary has died in Mozambique. 21-year-old Jeremiah Johnson was killed yesterday in a motorcycle accident and his passenger was injured. Johnson was a member of Royal Palms Baptist Church in Phoenix and a student at Glendale Community College.

Former TBN Pastor Sentenced

A former TBN pastor got only 5 years probation for injuring a man on his way to the headquarters of the Trinity Broadcasting Company in Costa Mesa. Stephen Eugene Galiher was driving over 85 miles per hour and three times over the legal drinking limit almost one year ago when he injured David Rhodes who passed away within six months. Galiher will also pay restitution and was ordered by an Orange County judge to stay away from alcohol during the probation. Galiher spent 3 months in a alcoholism clinic and four months under house arrest at his Tennessee home before facing any sentence. The judge suggested he wanted to give Galiher more time but was constrained by the law.

John Tesh and Oprah

A new biography about Oprah claims she had a romantic relationship with John Tesh, known for his Contemporary Christian praise music. The book is rewritten by Kitty Kelley who says the two lived together in Nashville during the 70's but parted ways because the social pressure of an interracial couple at the time proved too much for Tesh. The book comes out tomorrow.

College Firings on Hold

A judge has issued a temporary injunction stopping the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church from removing 14 Erskine College board members. Three of the trustees filed suit against the church. Students at the South Carolina school have complained that professors are promoting nonChristian views in the classrooms.

Slain in the Spirit Ruling

Michigan's highest court says a woman injured when she was "slain in the Spirit" is entitled to money from Mount Hope Church in Delta Township. A jury had awarded Judith Dadd more than $317,000. Dadd claimed pastor Dave Williams defamed her when he sent a letter to members accusing her of insurance fraud, faking her injuries and renouncing her faith. An appeals court had said she was entitled to money from the negligence claim ($40,000) but not $273,000 in damages for libel, slander and false light. However, the 5-2 ruling by the Michigan Supreme Court reverses that decision.

Megachurch Meets with Creditors

Leaders from the Crystal Cathedral met with vendors and creditors yesterday to apologize for failing to pay them. Several businesses have filed lawsuits against the Crystal Cathedral stating that the megachurch owes them more than $2 million. There are as many as 185 creditors waiting in line to be paid. The church, founded by Robert Schuller, has put various properties up for sale, fired employees and cut its Easter pageant.

Documents Contradict Account of Abusive Priest

A priest involved with looking into accusations of sexual abuse by another priest at a Milwaukee-area school for the deaf now admits there are documents that contradict what he says happened. Thomas Brundage admits in a letter to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (read it here) that his archbishop in 1998 told him to stop the judicial process against Lawrence Murphy, a priest accused of molesting 200 deaf children. Brundage says he's sorry but his false statements were only a misunderstanding of how he remembered the events.

What Did the Pope Know?

An AP reporter discusses the Pontiff's involvement in the Catholic church's decision on what to do with a California priest with a record of sexually molesting children.

Protests Over Play

Students and their parents are calling on Gallaudet University to cancel a play at the deaf tschool they are calling offensive and blasphemous. The production is called Corpus Christi and in it Jesus and his disciples are portrayed as gay. Tarleton State University in Texas canceled a planned performance after a protest. Gallaudet's theater department has scheduled three performances from April 8-10 where Jesus will be portrayed as both gay and deaf.

A Catholic group called The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property has launched an online petition here. The group says Gallaudet does not have the right to let the play be performed. So far, the university is standing by its production.

Church: "No Homo Mayor"

A Gainesville, Florida church changed the sign in front of the sanctuary from No homo Mayor to No Homo after learning it could lose its tax-exempt status for making a political statement. The original message in front of Dove World Outreach Center referred to Craig Lowe, a gay city commissioner who is running for mayor.

TBN Settles Lawsuit

The Trinity Broadcasting Network has settled a lawsuit that alleged an employee was harassed for his sexual orientation. Brian Dugger once worked as an engineer at the Christian broadcast network. His lawsuit alleged that Paul Crouch Jr., the son of founders Jan and Paul Crouch, teased Dugger and told him to quit acting gay. Crouch denied that ever happened but still made an out of court settlement with Dugger for an undisclosed amount.

Vatican Dismisses Abuse Accusations

The Vatican is calling accusations it covered up the abuse of deaf children by priests "petty gossip." The remarks came in a surprise move in which a cardinal made the unusual decision to speak before Pope Benedict offered his Easter Sunday Mass. Benedict himself did not mention the scandal though the Vatican several times has recently blamed the media for creating a smear campaign. The Vaican newspaper says he's the real victim, writing that Benedict is having to endure a "despicable campaign of defamation." The New York Times reported Benedict was warned about the priest but he was not defrocked and he continued abused children even after his forced retirement. Barbara Blaine, a leader of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said, "Victims are seeking consolation and healing and should not be insulted and told that our speaking out is petty gossip."

Megachurch Hit with $2 Million Suit

The Crystal Cathedral is being sued for more than $2 million in unpaid bills. The Southern California megachurch led by Robert Schuller produces the Hour of Power TV program each week. Several vendors claim the church owes them tens of thousands of dollars for services provided during the annual Glory of Christmas extravaganza. Crystal Cathedral has a $55 million budget deficit.

A New Kind of Christianity

A New Kind of Christianity by Brian McLaren is getting lot of attention during its first month of release. A Christianity Today reviewer wrote, "Unfortunately, this book lacks the ‘generosity' of genuine orthodoxy and, frankly, I find little space in it for orthodoxy itself." Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president Albert Mohler held a panel discussion on the book where panelists referred to McLaren's "rejection of the gospel" and "new kind of apostasy."

McLaren has written a dozen books including last year's A Generous Orthodoxy. He says he is "conflicted" about whether to consider himself an Evangelical.

"My background was evangelical, and I've never felt that I've left anything that was essential to being an evangelical, but on the other hand, if evangelical is defined by certain people, then I know they wouldn't want me there and I wouldn't be comfortable with the way they define it."

"If liberal means open to fresh thinking, open to asking questions, having an environment of free inquiry about the social dimensions of the gospel, then I'm happy to be liberal. But if it means disregarding the Bible, demoting Jesus to just another moral teacher, downplaying the need for personal commitment, being careless about personal spirituality and discipleship—then I think the label is very inaccurate for me."

You can watch a video of the panel discussion here.

$2 Million Giveaway

Corpus Christi's Bay Area Fellowship plans to hand out more than $2 million worth of gifts on Easter Sunday. The church meets at 7 different sites around the city. Senior pastor Bill Cornelius says every individual or family will receive $300 in gift certificates from local businesses, and drawings will be held at every service to give away cars, flat-screen TVs, laptop computers and furniture. Every child will be given a new bicycle at Bay Area Fellowship's new urban campus. He says its an illustration of what he calls "the ultimate giveaway" of salvation.

Supreme Court Free-speech Cases

Two of the free-speech cases being considered this term by the Supreme Court are of special interest to Christians.

The Christian Legal Society is suing California's Hastings College of Law over the state university's refusal to recognize the group on campus because it refuses to admit gay students and non-believers violates. This case will come before the court on April 19.

Another question coming before the court is whether the names of those who signed a petition for a state ballot measure against gay rights should be made public. The case will be argued April 28.

Woman Pastor Causes Stir

An Atlanta Baptist church could be kicked out of the Southern Baptist convention because one of its pastors is a woman. WAGA-TV has this video on a story we told you about yesterday.

Easter Becomes Spring Holiday

The city of Davenport, Iowa has removed Good Friday from its calendar on a recommendation from the Davenport Civil Rights Commission. A memo to municipal employees announced Good Friday in the city would officially be known as Spring Holiday. Complaints have poured in to the offices of city council members from citizens who say it's "political correctness run amok." Some members complain the city administrator made the change without giving the council a chance to vote on the matter which is required by law for a change in policy.

Baptists May Cut Ties Over Woman Pastor

The Georgia Baptist Convention wants to cut ties with a church because it has a woman as co-pastor. Mimi Walker has been co-pastor at Druid Hills Baptist Church sinc 2008. Her husband also is co-pastor. The executive committee of the state organization made the recommendation at a March 16 meeting. The full convention will consider it in November.

Kenyan Sign Language Bible

CBN takes a look at a Christian ministry translating the Bible into Kenyan sign language.

SIGN-LANGUAGE BIBLE - CBN.com
Uploaded by cbnonline. - News videos from around the world.

Megachurch Not Paying Bills

Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral owes tens of thousands of dollars it hasn't paid to the people who help to produce the megachurch's Christmas and Easter pageants. Leaders of the Southern California church have said revenues are down 27% in the last two years and the church is facing $55 million of debt. One vendor who is owed $20,000 has designed props, decorated sets and provided wigs and special makeup for the productions for 25 years.

Abuse Accusatoin Against Italian Church & Pope

A group of deaf men who say they were abused in the Catholic church appeared on Italian TV. The three former students claim two dozen priests had for decades abused children at a school for the deaf in Verona. The accused include Bishop of Verona from 1958-78 who died in 1981 and some have sought to have beatified, a crucial step on the road to sainthood. The current Bishop of Verona accused them of “hallucinating” until one of the accused lay brothers admitted sexual relations with pupils. Last summer the diocese forwarded its files on the abuse to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which took no action until last month. The Italian Bishops Conference has agreed to form a “task force” to collect evidence of paedophilia.

The Church’s account of how much the current Pope knew about a German paedophile priest is being called into question since a memo came to light, showing he led a meeting in 1980 during which the transfer of an offending priest was approved and the information about the man's abuse of children was kept from the leaders of the place to which he was being transfered. Peter Hullermann had been sent to the Munich Diocese for “therapy” after molesting a boy. Hullermann was convicted of sexual abuse in 1986. He was still working in the church until this month when he was suspended for breaking a promise not to have contact with children and young people.

Missionary Leader Remains Behind Bars

The Idaho woman who led a group of Baptist missionaries to Haiti where they were arrested for kidnapping children is still in a Haiti jail. Terry Silsby's Internet business, Personal Shopper Inc. is closing down while her former spouse is asking the courts for sole custody of their two children, ages 15 and 5. Silsby tried to bus 33 Haitian children to the Dominican Republic. Her husband says he wants custody because he believes Silsby wants to move to the Dominican Republic and take his children there. Her attorney has not commented on the issue.

Catholic Leaders Defend Pope

Catholic leaders in Europe are rising to defend Pope Benedict. The former archdiocese of Munich insisted the Pontiff did not know about the abuse of children in the city's Catholic churches even though he was archbishop of Munich in 1980. That year, a priest was reassign to a post with access to children - even though he was undergoing therapy for being a suspected pedophilia. Just a few years later, the priest was convicted of molesting a boy at another parish. Several other cases of abuse in European Catholic churches have recently come to light as well. Also, the Vatican decided not to defrock a Wisconsin priest accused of sexually abusing as many as 200 deaf boys in Milwaukee during the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.

Vatican Knew Priest Molested 200 Deaf Boys

Some 200 deaf boys were molested by a priest who was never defrocked by the Catholic Church. The New York Times reports that Vatican officials, including Pope Benedict XVI were a part of the decision. The situation become public because of a lawsuit that revealed correspondence between Wisconsin Bishops and the future pope Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Five men are suing the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The letters show Ratzinger was more concerned about protecting the church from scandal than the welfare of the children. He and other officials did not alert the authorities or even discipline the priests involved in sexual abuse while he served as the Vatican’s chief doctrinal enforcer.

American priest Lawrence C. Murphy served at Wisconsin's St. John’s School for the Deaf from 1950 to 1974. He first taught classes and became effective at raising money for deaf causes and was eventually promoted to run the school in 1963 - even though church officials already knew he sexually abused children.

A group of deaf former students spent decades trying to get something changed, even handing out fliers outside the Milwaukee cathedral. Eventually, an internal investigation of Murphy showed he was not remorseful and he appealed to Ratzinger for leniency. Murphy died at the age of 72, buried in his priestly garments.

A 1st for Gospel Music

Marvin Sapp's new Here I Am collection hit #2 on the Billboard top 200 chart. That's the highest position of any gospel release in the chart's 54-year history. The project sold 76,000 copies its first week in stores, second only to the latest album from the country trio Lady Antebellum. The album's first single is a power ballad called The Best In Me. USA Today gave the album 3 and a half stars out of four.

Gay Jesus Play at Texas College

This Saturday Tarleton State University will host a play in which Jesus is portrayed as gay called Corpus Christi. Campus police plan to step up security at the school, located in Stephenville, Texas, some 70 miles outside of Fort Worth. Critics who say the play is blasphemous plan a protest.