The challenge of hope in 'Les Misérables'

The takeaway of CNN contributor to the new film adaptation of Les Miserable here.

Congregation gives more than half-a-million in 2 days

A Miami megachurch has raised more than $600,000 in two days to help "the hurting and under-resourced in Miami and India." Christ Fellowship Church had hoped to raise $337,000, but the result was overwhelming. The church has six campuses and operates an organization called Caring for Miami which offers counseling, homeless assistance, medical and dental care, and other services to people living in the area. A large portion of the gives will go to fund that outreach. Children in the church raised more than $3800 by bringing pennies for helping children in need. Middle and high schoolers were encouraged to take their shoes off after a special service. More than 1,800 pairs of shoes were collected as donations to those in poverty living in places like Haiti, El Salvador. There is more information on the church here.

Millennials at church: A small but passionate flock

Read more at USA Today

The world's religious make-up

A new Pew Research Center report finding is shown in this chart.

Into everlasting fire

The Economist takes a look at the concept of hell in different societies here.

Cali Gay Therapy Law on Hold

A California law banning therapy aimed at changing the sexual orientation of gays is on hold. The Liberty Counsel, a Christian legal group, asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to stop the law's enforcement until the court decides on whether it violates the First Amendment rights of therapists and parents. One judge in the state has already declared it unconstitutional - while another decided the opposite. It was due to go into effect January first. An appeals court panel wants to wait at least until it can hear full arguments in the case. A lower court had turned down a request for an injunction by counselors who practice so-called "reparative therapy" along with two families who say the therapy helped their sons. If the law goes into effect, therapists using this technique could be disciplined by state licensing boards.

Former Pop Singer Sings a new Song

He was known for singing Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, This Magic Moment, and The Lion Sleeps Tonight during the 60s. Now, he's a pastor in Kansas. Frankie Valens left the music scene after some pop hits and now serves the same church his dad preached at years ago - First Christian Church in Syracuse. Now in his 70s, Valens attended Bible college briefly, but this is his first time to step the pulpit. His new album is titled Just Give Me Jesus. Here's a video of Valen in action a couple of years ago.

Christian Colleges win appeal

An appeals court is ordering the Obama administration to revise its contraception mandate. Wheaton College and Belmont Abbey College complained about rules requiring employers to provide access to contraceptive care. The schools said they should fall under a religious affiliation exemption. Lower courts dismissed their challenge. This decision reinstates it.

Appeals Court: OK to fire HR Director for view on Gay Rights

It was perfectly legal for the University of Toledo to fire an HR administrator because she wrote an opinion piece challenging gay rights, according to a federal court. The appeals panel took a look at a lower court's decision to side with the school when Crystal Dixon was dismissed, based on her opinion essay. She had sued, accusing the public university of violating her constitutional rights. Specifically, her 14th Amendment right to equal protection under the law by punishing her for expressing her views on homosexuality while other university employees were allowed to state views on homosexuality. The article came out in the Toledo Free Press in 2008. Dixon wrote “As a Black woman who happens to be an alumnus of the University of Toledo's Graduate School, an employee and business owner, I takegreat umbrage at the notion that those choosing the homosexual lifestyle are 'civil-rights victims'" because they have made "a life decision." In a school hearing, Dixon said her opinion did not prevent her from performing her duty and that she had even hired at least one gay person to work in her department. But the appeals court ruled that her expressed opinion conflicted directly with the policies she was supposed to enforce at the university and the fact her article was a statement of her own views as a private citizen did not matter.

The Decline of Evangelical America

An Arizona pastor has written an opinion piece in the New York Times titled The Decline of Evangelical America in which he claims 2012 saw "a collapse in American evangelicalism." Read more here.

Is ‘The Hobbit’ a ‘Christian’ film?

Religion News Service weighs in on the issue here.

Texas Church Explodes on Would-Be Thieves

Would-be thieves trying to take the copper wiring at a Houston, Texas church got more than they bargained for. Watch a video report from ABC News that shows what happened.

Counseling Suit against College Settled

A student who was expelled from her university for refusing to counsel a client about a same-sex relationship has settled her lawsuit with the school. Julea Ward told professors at Eastern Michigan University her Christian faith prevented her from supporting the sexual orientation of gay clients. She asked to have a gay client referred to another counselor. Instead, she was kicked out of school. The University will pay her $75,000, but the school’s curriculum requirements remain intact.

Judge finds NC 'Choose Life' plates unconstitutional

Here's a video report from WRAL-TV about a ruling concerning license plates.

Noah's Flood

An acclaimed underwater archaeologist says he has found proof that the biblical flood was based on real events. Robert Ballard says he is leading a team looking at a ancient civilization hidden underwater in the Black Sea near Turkey using robotic technology. In 1985, Ballard's team tracked down the Titanic wreckage.

Church Robbery Spree

A crime bulletin is out for two young white males believed to be behind more than 50 church robberies across the Midwest. The thieves have stolen money for the poor, gift cards for seminary students, musical instruments, and much more from churches in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.

A first for Canada

Canada has its first deaf Catholic priest. Matthew Hysell lost his hearing as a toddler when he contracted meningitis. Raised a Baptist in Michigan, Hysell made the decision to become a priest as a teenager after reading about the priesthood in school. He graduated from City University in New York, then earned a master's in theology from a California program. He next moved to Edmonton to study at Newman Theological College. Hysell was ordained yesterday and is now assigned to St. Theresa’s Roman Catholic Parish and will also serve as a parish priest at St. Thomas Church in the nearby community of Mill Woods. Hysell will celebrate mass using sign language and will hear confessions face to face.

Attempt to Ban Bell Ringers on Campus

There's an effort to ban the Salvation Army bell ringers from UC Berkeley by students who object to the group's stance on homosexuality. The student government at the California school past an anti-bell ringer resolution accusing the charity of discrimination and demanding the administration revoke the Army's permit to collect donations on campus. In response, the ministry denies the charges, saying the accusations are based on Internet rumors and not facts. The Army's says it does not require those it helps to agree with its doctrines, as the student resolution claims.

Evangelical runs California marijuana dispensary

Read the story in the Sacramento Bee here.

Religion and Same-Sex Marriage

If you opposed same-sex marriage, the odds are good it is because of religion, according to Frank Newport of the Gallup poll. A survey by the polling company finds 46% of those who opposed same-sex marriage say it because of their religious beliefs. Seven out of 10 weekly church attenders are opposed to same-sex marriage, while seven in 10 of those who seldom or never attend church are in favor of it. Read more about the survey here.

Sex among Unmarried Evangelicals Survey

Fewer young unmarried evangelical Christians are having sex than previously thought, according to the National Association of Evangelicals. 77% of evangelicals between the ages of 18 and 29 disagree with the statement “Having sex outside of marriage is morally acceptable for an unmarried person.” At the same time, 44% of unmarried evangelicals admitted having sex outside of marriage. That's lower than the finding of a estimate based on a 2009 survey by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. The NAE says the difference is based the two surveys defined evangelical differently. Read more here.

Misspelled words Commandments Monument

A newly 2,000-pound erected Ten Commandments monument on the Oklahoma state capitol grounds contains several typos. The misspelled words? Sabbeth instead of sabbath and maidseruent instead of maidservant. State Rep. Mike Ritze sponsored the original bill to put up the huge granite block and his family donated $10,000 for the monument. Another $10,000 came from private donations.

Christian Motivational Speaker Dies

Zig Ziglar has passed away at the age of 86 after a bout with pneumonia in Plano, Texas. The motivational speaker was always upfront about his Christian faith as he crossed the country talking about what makes a good sales person and the positive thinking point of view he espoused. His first book, See You at the Top, was published in 1975. It sold well and was followed by many others. Here's a video sample of his home-spun humor and common sense recommendations.

Criticism of show shines light on Seventh-day Adventists

Watch a video about Two and a Half Men star Angus T. Jones and his criticism of his own show and its relationship to his becoming a Seventh-day Adventist below.

 

Russian Youths Protest Mormons As 'Cult'

Read or listen to the story at NPR here.

Schuller Claim Slashed

Robert Schuller won't be getting the $5 million he claimed he deserved from the bankrupt church he founded. A California bankruptcy judge cut the claim against Crystal Cathedral Ministries down to about $600,000. The judge decided Schuller was only entitled to a year of compesation. He stepped down as senior pastor in 2005 in the midst of a scandal.

TV Star says he's now a Christian

One of the stars of Two and a Half Men says the show is "filth" and asks people to stop watching it.  Angus T. Jones, who has played Jake since 2003, says, "You can not be a true God-fearing person and be on a television show like that. I know I can't." Jones has been attending a Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Los Angeles area.  Here's the video.

College Audit: Controller Embezzled Funds

Prosecutors say an employee at a baptist university embezzled more than $100,000. Melinda Okai is accused of taking the funds from Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis by issuing fake refund checks and issued emergency loans to her husband - without crediting the loans to his tuition accounts. The missing funds showed up in an internal audit. Okai became controller in late 2009.

The Pope's Book on Christmas

Here's a CNN interview about a new book by Pope Benedict XVI, which claims to debunks several myths about the Nativity.

Women Bishops

The Church of England will not allow women to become bishops. A proposal in support of women bishops did not get enough support from church’s governing General Synod today. The church voted to approve women for the priesthood in 1992.

Tyndale Gets Contraceptive Reprieve

A judge is stopping, at least temporarily, efforts to force a Christian publisher from providing its employees with contraceptives such as Plan B and intrauterine devices under the new health-care law. The judge gave Tyndale House the preliminary injunction it requested. The company equates these contraceptive methods with abortion. Tyndale sued the Department of Health and Human Services last month, saying the order violates their religious beliefs. The parties will meet in court to make arguments in the case on a yet to be determined date.

Nativity Lawsuit

Santa Monica won't be displaying a life-sized nativity scene this year in one of its parks. City officials decided to forego the decades old tradition involving a 14-scene display to avoid getting sued. Atheists forced the city to accommodate a variety of other holiday displays last year. Some were vandalized. Now, Christians are suing the city. Read more about the controversy here.

Teen Sentenced to Church

An Oklahoma judge has sentenced a teenager to attend church for 10 years after drunken driving led to a passenger's death. KTUL-TV has this video report.

Watch More News Videos at ABC | 2012 Presidential Election | Entertainment & Celebrity News

Two preaching giants and the 'betrayal' that tore them apart

CNN takes a look at the ministries of Charles Stanley and his son Andy on the 80th birthday of the elder Stanley. Read the story here.

Radio Hosts Sued

Science Friday is suing Robert Enyart and Fred Williams who co-host a Christian radio program on a Colorado AM station called Real Science Friday. Science Friday says the name is a trademark infringement on the show it puts together for NPR.

Abuse claims at Bob Jones University

There are sexual abuse allegations at the Greenville campus of Bob Jones University. Here's a video report from South Carolina's WHNS-TV.

FOX Carolina 21

Baptists in Congress

Southern Baptists increased their numbers in Congress this election cycle. 35 members of the House and six Senators identify themselves as Southern Baptists - the highest number in recent history. All Southern Baptist incumbents held their seats and five new members join them.

GA Church Sign Controversy

The talk in Trenton, Georgia is about a sign out in front of a Baptist church. Here's a video report from WRCB-TV.

Church sign controversy

Sentenced for Crime

The 3 men who hijacked the car of a well-known Christian singer are going to jail. They beat, robbed and carjacked Marvin Winans. They will spend up to 20 years in jail for attacking the Detroit pastor and gospel singer back in May at a gas station.

Black Churches and Same-Sex Marriage

PBS takes a look at Black Churches and Same-Sex Marriage in the video posted below on ChristianNewsReport.com.

Watch Black Churches and Same-Sex Marriage on PBS. See more from Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

Bible T-Shirt Report

Here's a video report from KDFW-TV about the Texas women who was told she could vote because her t-shirt about the Bible. Dallas News | myFOXdfw.com

Bible T-shirt Banned at Voting Booth

A Texas woman visiting her polling place to vote in Austin was told to cover up her shirt. Kay Hill's shirt had Vote the Bible written on it. An election official told her she might offend someone. She was made to put on a jacket before she could vote. Officials in Williamson County defended the decision, saying the poll worker was following federal law that does not allow "electioneering" in or near a polling place where someone is making a suggestion about how someone else should vote.

Pastor Murdered in Church

A Texas pastor was beaten to death in his church with an electric guitar. Danny Kirk was inside the thousand-member Sweethome Missionary Baptist Church when he was attacked. The suspect later died inside a police car. Here's a video report from WFAA-TV in Fort Worth.

Campus Group May be 'Dde-recognized’

The student government at Boston's Tufts University is starting the process of removing a Christian group from official recognition. The InterVarsity Christian Fellowship chapter called Tufts Christian Fellowship requires group leaders to be Christians themselves - and that's not acceptable to Tuft's SGA, which holds the reigns to money and campus access. The SGA says the requirement is a violation of the school's discrimination rules. Tufts Christian Fellowship points out the school's all-male a cappella group is allowed to be gender exclusive. The group plans an appeal to a Student Life committee made up of faculty members.

Do angels really exist?

An author talks about his new book on angles in this Fox News interview.

Chick-fil-A thrives despite gay rights issue

Read the story in USA Today here.

Christian Group Singing Final Songs

Barlowgirl is calling it quits. Alyssa, Lauren and Rebecca Barlow plan to retire after releasing a

final song the last day of this month titled Hope Will Lead Us On. The sisters haven't officially said why they are ending their music careers together. Barlowgirl released six albums over the course of a decade including the million selling self-titled album that started their journey.  Here's one of the group's music videos.

Church shooting suspect arrested

Atlanta police have a man in custody who is suspected of killing a man at a megachurch. They say he was once committed to a mental health facility in Maryland following criminal charges. Here's a video report from WXIA-TV.

Megachurch Shooting

Police are searching for a man who walked into an Atlanta megachurch this morning and shot and killed another man. It happened at World Changers Church International, a congregation led by controversial televangelist Creflo Dollar. Police say the suspect is a former church employee - 52-year-old Floyd Palmer.

Text and tweet during services

A report on social media use during services at one Arizona church below.

Baptist Pastor: Obama a Muslim, Romney in a Cult

WSAZ-TV reports on a Kentucky Baptist minister who set off a controversy with a sermon about politics. WSAZ NewsChannel 3

Church Sign: "Obama is Muslim, Communist"

A Texas church is stirring controversy over its marquee message. WVUE-TV has this video report on the Leakey, Texas congregation, northwest of San Antonio.

One word overshadows rest of author's book

Read the story of a Christian book controversy here.

"Christian rock is experiencing a resurrection"

Read the LA Times story here.

Politics and Big Data

Both presidential campaigns are targeting Evangelicals through data mining. Read about it here.

Grahams Switch sides on Mormanism

Mormonism has been upgraded from cult status by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The ministry has removed Mormonism from its list of religious cults. Mormon Mitt Romney paid Billy and Franklin Graham a visit last week in North Carolina. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consider themselves Christians but Evangelical Christians have typically designated the group a religious cult along with Jehovah’s Witnesses, Scientologists and others. Franklin Graham recently wrote a column titled, Can an Evangelical Christian Vote for a Mormon? Not only did Graham answer affirmatively, his longtime spokesman is now a Romney adviser.

Christian College Prez resigns amidst scandal

The president of King's College is out. Dinesh D’Souza, perhaps best known for his recent film about Barack Obama, resigned from the position after reports surfaced that he was engaged to a woman while still married to his wife.  D'Souza says the couple has been separated for a couple of years. D’Souza put together the documentary 2016: Obama’s America, which has grossed more than $32 million, and says he has done nothing wrong. WORLD magazine, which has close ties to the school, reported a couple of days ago that D’Souza introduced his fiancee at a Christian values event in South Carolina. According to the report in WORLD, organizers confronted D’Souza because they believed the couple shared a hotel room. D’Souza says that is not true and that he filed for divorce before the conference. They have since reportedly called off the engagement. Board chairman Andy Mills will take over as interim president of King's while a predecessor is found. The college was based in the Empire State Building, until this year, when the college relocated to a new location in the Wall Street area of New York City.

Focus on Family Refocuses

An interview with the head of Focus on the Family on a change in direction for the radio ministry here in the Huffington Post.

University Suspension for Signing Petition

Some 15,000 people have signed an online petition calling on Gallaudet Univeristy to bring back Angela McCaskill as its chief diversity officer. She was suspended for signing another petition calling for a vote in Maryland on gay marriage. McCaskill had just heard a sermon at her church on gay marriage when she responded to a call to sign the petition, as many fellow members did. Many groups on both sides of the issue are upset that Gallaudet opposes diversity in opinions. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins Gallaudet even called for the school's president, Alan Hurwitz, to resign. Thousands have "liked" a post on the FRC Facebook page calling on Gally to “Reinstate Dr. McCaskill.” Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley supports same-sex marriage has called for the school to reinstate McCaskill along with a the pro-gay marriage group Marylanders for Marriage Equality. Hurwitz has ignored the outcry and not released any comments since the controversy began. Here's a video report from WJZ-TV on the debate.

Rise in Religiously Unaffiliated Americans

One in five Americans doesn't have any religious affiliation. It's the fastest growing category of Americans, according to a new Pew survey. This group has jumped by a quarter in the last five years. That percentage is even higher when it comes to younger Americans. Some 35 million have no religious affiliation - with more than a third of that group labeling themselves atheist or agnostic. Still, more than two-thirds of the unaffiliated say they do believe in God and more than a third call themselves spiritual and a fifth say they pray each day. More than a third of younger millennials (18-22 year olds) have no ties to any religious group.

Bookstore Drops Book over Controversy

The bookstore chain run by the Southern Baptist church won't stock a book because it includes the word vagina. LifeWay Christian Resources decided against stocking Rachel Held Evans book A Year of Biblical Womanhood: How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband Master. The author says she was advised by her editor to remove the word before it was published. She did - until an outcry from her readers changed her mind when they started an Amazon petition to keep the word in the book. The book comes out at the end of the month.

More Suits against Mandate

A couple of Baptist colleges are suing the Obama administration’s mandate about contraceptives. East Texas Baptist University and Houston Baptist University say the Health and Human services requirement would force the schools to violate their religious beliefs related to providing their employees with access to what they call abortion-causing drugs. Tyndale House Publishers, Hobby Lobby, and other schools have filed suits as well. Lawsuits filed by Wheaton College and the Catholic Belmont Abbey College have been dismissed. The judges in those cases said the legal action was premature because the government hasn't actually said these groups aren't covered by a religious exception yet.

Plan to Firebomb 50 churches thwarted

An Oklahoma man is behind bars for planning to burn down some 50 churches, according to Ottawa County prosecutors. Gregory Weiler attended Bradley University in Illinois but left to join a religious group in Missouri. Authorities say he had already bought materials for putting together Molotov cocktails in his hotel room. Family members say both of his parents committed suicide while he was a young teenager, he had been hospitalized for mental illness and become addicted to heroin and alcohol. He is believed to have been acting alone.

Singing Instead of Praying

KXNW-TV reports on a school where preschoolers are singing Bible verses instead of praying because of new federal laws. Here's the video.

"Touchdown Jesus" gets Replaced

A large statue of Jesus now looms at an Ohio megachurch. The Solid Rock Church in Monroe, Ohio dedicated the new "Lux Mundi" (The Light of the World) statute yesterday. It replaces the sculpture commonly known as "Touchdown Jesus." In 2010, it was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. The new statue has lots of safety features designed to prevent that from happening again. The dedication drew a few protesters who said the statue amounted to idol worship.

'America for Jesus' campaign

CNN offers a video report on the 'America for Jesus' campaign below.

TBN in Israel

TBN sets up shop with a camera on the Mount of Olives. Read about the building Christian TV broadcasters bought in Jerusalem here.

Jesus Wife Fragment Authenticy Questioned

Baptist Press takes a look at what scholars are saying about a small, newly translated Coptic manuscript fragment indicating that Jesus may have had a wife here.

Warren Hospitalized

Megachurch pastor Rick Warren is in a California hospital. The Saddleback pastor said he was having pain in his arms and numbness in his fingers. He's now undergoing tests. He has canceled plans to lead a church event tomorrow (Thursday).

Suit over Muslim attack in Michigan

A group called the Bible Believers are suing a Sheriff's office in Detroit, Michigan for not protecting two of its members from being attacked by Muslims. The group claims the Wayne County Sheriff and two of his deputies stood by while the Christian men were hit by bottles, rocks and other debris while they were witnessing at the Arab International Festival in Dearborn this summer. Here's a video of what happened.

Banner Controversy

NBC News offers this reports on a story we told you about last week - run-through banners at football games at a Texas school.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Update on TX Verse Ban

The ban on Bible verses on banners at a Texas school we told you about yesterday is on hold. A judge has stepped in, issuing a temporary restraining order while he considers a lawsuit filed by parents of cheerleaders. The parents claim in the suit that the ban amounts to speech censorship. Cheerleaders at Kountze High School in Beaumont were told to stop by the school superintendent.

Bible Verses on Banners Banned at TX Football Games

Texas educators are telling cheerleaders to stop putting Bible verses on banners for high school football games. The Texas Association of School Boards told the Kountze Independent School District to get rid of the verses after a resident complained that the banner one of the teams runs through at the start of games has a Bible reference. The cheerleaders say no school money was involved and the signs were not designed on school property.

Fragment: Jesus Married?

A Harvard professor says she has identified a scrap of papyrus suggesting some early Christians believed Jesus was married. Read the story here.

Baylor Prof wins Philosophy Award

C. Stephen Evans is winner of the C.S. Lewis Book Prize Competition. The Baylor Philosopy prof took the award for the best book published in the philosophy of religion or philosophical theology written for a general audience in the last five years with his Natural Signs and the Knowledge of God: A New Look at Theistic Arguments. Minnesota's University of St. Thomas hands out the award which is funded by the John Templeton Foundation. It includes a $15,000 prize.

Wal-Mart: You Can't Sing God Bless American Here

Wal-Mart officials are now apologizing to an elementary school choir after one of its Florida stores would not allow students to sing God Bless America inside the store on Sept. 11. Here is video report from WSVN-TV. WSVN-TV -

Winan operated Scam

One of the Winans gospel music family is facing fraud charges in Detroit. Authorities say Michael Winans Jr. operated a Ponzi scheme, where investors lost more than $8 million. Winan's lawyer says his client plans to plead guilty and try to repay the people who lost money. He sold the bogus oil bonds, knowing they were worthless, to more than one thousand church-goers. Michael Winans Jr. is the grandson of Mom Winans and Pop Winans and the son of a member of The Winans, a quartet of brothers. Authorities say the scam did not involve other members of the Winans family.

Christian Album Tops Pop Chart

TobyMac is the first to put a Christian album on the top of the Billboard chart in some 15 years. Eye On It is the first since 1997 to hit number one when LeAnn Rimes’s You Light Up My Life – Inspirational Songs made it. Bob Carlisle’s Butterfly Kisses made it to number one earlier that year. Several Christian albums have reached #2 in the last two years. That list includes: Casting Crowns’ Come to the Wall, Red’s Until We Have Faces and David Crowder Band’s Give Us a Rest all peaked at number two.

Christian girl accused of blasphemy in Pakistan released from jail

Read the story here.

Toby Ready to Take over #1

Billboard predicts that TobyMac's Eye On It will soon hit #1 on the Billboard 200. The album took #1 on iTunes when it was released and currently holds the #7 spot, ahead of One Direction and Usher. The Christian hip hop artist and former member of DC Talk explains the song Made For Me in the video posted below.

Cult Leader Sun Myung Moon dies

Sun Myung Moon is dead at the age of 92 in South Korea. He had been battling pneumonia. Millions joined his Unification Church, which hoped to replace Christianity. He was known for holding mass weddings, holding anti-communist views and building a global media empire that included the Washington Times in the U.S.

Home News Top News Business Canada Sports Entertainment Technology World Indices Products & Services Support About Thomson Reuters Religious groups vie for new Web domain names

Who gets .church or .Bible? Read the story here.

Church told not to Change Sign more than Twice

A strange and seemingly petty law is pitting a northern Virginia church against the county where its located. Read the story in the Washington Posthere.

Atheist Prayer Set

KTUL-TV has a video report on an atheist who will be giving the opening prayer at the Tulsa City Council meeting this morning. KTUL.com - Tulsa, Oklahoma - News, Weather

Growing disbelief

The Economist looks at atheists in America who are "getting both more numerous and louder" in an article here.

TobyMac: Music for the Masses

Fox News interviews Christian musician TobyMac in the video below.

American Bible Challenge

Fox News interviews Jeff Foxworthy about his new Bible show. The video is posted below on ChristianNewsToday.com.

Bible Show Ratings

The first show of the Game Show Network's American Bible Challenge gave the TV network a record rating. Some two million viewers tuned in. Hosted by Jeff Foxworthy, the program bested the last GSN record by more than half a million viewers.

Pakistani Girl Remains in Jail

The young girl, beaten and jailed in Pakistan over accusations she burned parts of the Koran, is not being allowed to see her family or her lawyer. The 11-year-old, identified only as Rashma, suffers from seizures. Her attorney says her family is Christian and would not have had a Koran in the home - and even if they did, the girl cannot read or write. Blasphemy is punishable by death.

Teen Fired for Refusing To Wear Pants

A Texas teen is suing Burger King for firing her when she refused to wear pants because of her convictions as a Pentecostal. Read the story here.

American Bible Challenge

A new TV game show about the Bible is hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy is the focus of a Washington Post article here.

Which States Give the most?

Here are the U.S. states where people gave the most to charities and the percentage of income they gave after taxes:

1. Utah - 10.6%
2. Mississippi - 7.2%
3. Alabama - 7.1%
4. Tennessee - 6.6%
5. South Carolina 6.4%
6. Idaho - 6.4

The rankings are based on IRS information on people who made at least $50,000 in 2008, analyzed by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. The nonprofit organization says it found that "Religion has a big influence on giving patterns. Regions of the country that are deeply religious are more generous than those that are not."

The bottom two states were New Hampshire (2.5% of income) and Maine (2.8% of income).

Disaster victims in Haiti

The New York Times looks at the work two U.S. Christian groups are doing for the deaf in Haiti here.

More on Young girl held in Pakistan

We told you yesterday about the young girl being held in Pakistan, accused of burning pages of the Quran or some other Muslim holy book. CNN reports on the confusion surrounding the case.

Calvin Miller Passes

Christian writer and professor Calvin Miller died yesterday following open heart surgery. Miller was best known for the more than 40 books he wrote, including The Singer Trilogy. He last served as writer-in-residence at Samford University's Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama.  Miller was 75 years old.

Jefferson Book Gets new Publisher

Glenn Beck may publish David Barton's controversial book about Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Nelson Publishers dropped The Jefferson Lies last week after secular media and some Christian professors criticized it as inaccurate history. The History News Network labeled it the least credible history book in print last month. But former Fox News host Glenn Beck's publishing arm, Mercury Ink, is in talks to pick it up. If the new deal goes forward, Barton plans some changes to the text that he says will clear up some confusion about his position. Beck wrote the introduction to Barton's book where he said Barton "proves once and for all that our Founding Father was no secularist."

Bankruptcy sheds light on Catholic Church in America

The Economist looks at financial mismanagement in the Catholic Church here.

Young Girl Arrested for Blasphemy

Police in Pakistan have arrested the 11-year-old daughter of Christian parents for allegedly committing blasphemy. Rifta Masih reportedly burned pages of an Islamic religious text. She suffers from Down's Syndrome and lives in a village close to Islamabad. One newspaper in the region says she was beaten by locals, though police deny it. Rifta was jailed, along with her mother, after Muslims surrounded the local police station demanding action. Hundreds of Christians living in the area have gone into hiding because of the incident, according to Pakistan's Daily Times.

Fox News interviews CeCe Winans

Mark of the Beast?

A Louisiana elementary school is running into opposition implementing a school program involving a palm scanner. KPLC-TV has a video report. KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana