Getting to Know.. Church-State Legal Decisions

Some major church-state US Supreme Court decisions:

• 1947: Everson v. Board of Education A state may not pass laws "which aid one religion" or "prefer one religion over another."

• 1948: McCollum vs. Board of Education Rules against religious instruction in public schools

• 1971: Lemon v. Kurtzman A test for determining violations of the First Amendment prohibition of any law establishing religion.

• 1980: Stone v. Graham Struck down a Kentucky law requiring 10 Commandments displays in public classrooms

• 1983: Marsh v. Chambers Legislative prayer ruled constitutional

• 1984: Lynch v. Donnelly Allowed a nativity scene to be included in a city's multifaceted holiday display

• 1989: County of Allegheny v. ACLU Prohibited the display of a nativity scene at a county courthouse

• 1992: Lee v. Weisman Invocations and benedictions at public school graduation ceremonies declared unconstitutional

• 2002: Zelman v. Simmons-Harris Religiously affiliated schools may participate in taxpayer-funded tuition voucher programs

• 2004: Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow The court ruled that Newdow had no standing to bring the lawsuit asking whether the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance recited at public schools violated church-state separation

The brother of Benny Hinn returns to ministry-was it too soon?

Sam Hinn was re-ordained Sunday by a group of ministers seven months after he left his Florida church following his admission to a four-year affair, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Read the full story here.

Texas Pastor changes mind on proposed policy

Pastor John Hagee

Megachurch pastor John Hagee has dropped his opposition to a local ordnance that "seeks to protect the rights of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people in San Antonio." here.
Read the story in the San Antonio Express

Franklin Graham protest

Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham, is headed to Iceland to preach next month on the 28th and 29th of September. But there is a problem. People wanting to protest his services are reserving tickets but they don't plan to attend. They mostly object to the festival in Reykjavík because of his stand on gay issues. Social media-fueled The protest was first reported by an Icelandic-language news site called Visir.is here. The Graham site set up to promote the event is here.

Hymnal Controversy

Editors of a forthcoming Presbyterian, USA hymnal have decided to not include the popular Christian song In Christ Alone by a 9-6 vote. They asked writers Keith Getty and Stuart Townend to change Till on that cross as Jesus died/the wrath of God was satisfied to as Jesus died/the love of God was magnified. The decision by the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song has drawn fire from Southern Baptist leader Russell Moore and Samford University's Timothy George, who leads the school's divinity school. They suggested a liberal theological bent is causing the editors to avoid references to God's wrath. George wrote a post about it (which you can read here) titled "No Squishy Love." He asked, "Why do many Christians shrink from any thought of the wrath of God"

However, the committee chair, Mary Louise Bringle of Brevard College, indicated the committee was concern focused on the word satisfied because it is a reference to a specific theology promoted by medieval theologian Anselm. She writes about the controversy in the Christian Century magazine here and says the committee decided to reject "the view of Anselm and Calvin, among others, that God’s honor was violated by human sin and that God’s justice could only be satisfied by the atoning death of a sinless victim." The Glory to God hymnal is due out in a few months.

Should Military Chaplains Have to Believe in God?

A theologian who doesn't believe in God wants to be the Navy's first humanist chaplain.  NPR reports:

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives an instructing the armed forces to only allow religious organizations that believe in a higher power to endorse chaplains. And so far, the Navy has not indicated whether it will accept the Humanist Society as the endorser of Jason Heap.

Listen or read the story here.

Satanists face charges

Police in Mississippi are looking to arrest a group of Satanists from New York for desecrating graves. Here's a video report.

Leah Remini's sister rips Scientology

The sister of celebrity Leah Remini's is talking about why the sisters have left Scientology after decades with the group.

Pastor defends church sign calling Zimmerman jury racist

A sign put up in front of the New Era Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama by the pastor says "George Zimmerman Jury Supported White Racism." Another signs proclaims, "Rape A White Woman And You Will Die In Prison."  Michael R. Jordan tells AL.com, "I condemn the white pulpits for not taking a stand against racism. They are to blame for this too." Read the full story here.

Church sign stirs emotions after Zimmerman case

The electronic sign outside a south suburban Chicago church has become a flashpoint of opinion on the George Zimmerman acquittal. "It is Safe to Kill BLACK PEOPLE in Amerikkka" read the digital message at First Baptist Church of University Park, on space usually reserved for a motivational quip or the title of Sunday's sermon. Read more from WLS-TV here.http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/iteam&id=9174302

Is Pope Francis the Catholic Princess Diana?

"There are obvious differences between a Catholic pontiff and a princess. But watching Francis’ first few months in office, it’s hard not to notice that he seems to have taken a page from the late Princess Diana’s playbook. The Princess of Wales knew where she went, the media followed. Her activism brought global attention to homelessness, HIV/AIDs, and, most prominently, land mine. Just as Diana ventured far from Buckingham Palace to wrap her arms around landmine victims in Africa and elsewhere, Pope Francis has taken the papacy out of the Sistine Chapel and into the streets."

Read more at CNN here.

New TV Show: Preachers of L.A.

A group of prosperity teachers are getting their own reality show. The Oxygen network will debut Preachers of L.A., a look at six mega-pastors in Southern California. "P. Diddy. Jay-Z. They're not the only ones who should be driving Ferraris and living in large houses," said Bishop Ron Gibson in one of the show’s episodes. The show has sparked a petition on change.org to stop the network from launching what the site calls “a poor representation of the Kingdom of God.” You can see the petition here. Here's the trailer:

Liberty Loses Appeal on Obamacare Suit

An appeals court has turned aside a challenge to Obamacare by a Christian university. Liberty University claimed the law makes large employers provide health insurance to full-time workers. Liberty's attorneys claimed forcing people to buy an unwanted product is a violation of the constitution's Commerce Clause. But a panel of the 4th Circuit voted 3-0 against the school, which plans an appeal to the Supreme Court. The judges said the mandate does not force employers to buy an unwanted product since they many self-insure.

Symbols removed at baseball stadium

Christian symbols at Busch Stadium are being removed and replaced. A fan complained about the a cross and a "Jesus fish" drawn in the dirt on the pitcher's mound, so the St. Louis Cardinals have decided to get rid of them. A member of the grounds crew etches them on the mound before most home games.

Gay Comments Get Pastor Arrested

American preacher arrested in London for preaching against homosexuality, but will not be prosecuted. Find out more from Fox News' O'Reilly Factor. Watch it here.

Preachers assaulted at gay pride festival

A group of people attacked two sign-carrying preachers at the Seattle gay pride festival Sunday. Their signs said Jesus saves from sin and repent or else. One woman tried to take one of the signs and then a group of men grabbed it while the crowd applauded. One of the men, Jason Queree, began beating the preacher. He was later arrested. Here's a video of the altercation.

Atheist speaks at Texas Megachurch

The author of a book called I Sold My Soul on eBay spoke at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio Sunday. Senior pastor Randy Frazee says it was a chance to challenge his congregation. Read the story here.

Ad cuts "God" from Declaration of Independence

A new video advertisement for Samuel Adams quotes the Declaration of Independence--but leaves out a reference to God. The actor in the ad says, "All men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." But that's not what the document says. It reads “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Samuel Adams’ Facebook page, which you can see here, has received many comments on the topic. The beer company blames the decision on the ethics laid out in The Beer Institute Advertising Code (a voluntary agreement among companies in the industry) which says "Beer advertising and marketing materials should not include religion or religious themes." You can see the ad below.

Pastor confronts congregation

The video of a pastor in Shiatook, Oklahoma who spent time during his service insulting specific members of his church has gone viral. Jim Standridge of the Emmanuel Baptist Church is not apologizing either. Here's a video report from CNN and another from KOKI.

College Student ordered to remove cross

The president of California's Sonoma State is apologizing for an employee telling a junior who was working at orientation to take off her cross. President Ruben Armiñana says it was a mistake and "should have never happened." Read more on the story here and see a Fox News interviews with her here.

Sequal planned for The Bible

A sequel is in the the works to the cable miniseries The Bible. NBC says it is on board to air it. Mark Burnett and his wife Roma Downey will again produce it--as they did The Bible series for the History channel. The new series has a working title: A.D.: Beyond the Bible.

America’s First Public Monument to Atheism

American Atheists unveiled the nation's first public monument to atheism over the weekend in a square outside the Bradford County courthouse near Jacksonville, Florida. Read the TIME magazine story here.

Texas Pastor ask for helicopter donations

A Texas megachurch pastor asked his congregation to donate more than $50,000 - for his helicopter. And that those who give will likely get a new car or some other desired "mode of transportation." Here's a video report from KRIV-TV in Houston.

Newspaper criticized for Virgin Mary cartoon

The Santa Fe Reporter published a cartoon of a woman, bearing a resemblance to the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe. Here's a video report from KOAT-TV.

wave3.com-Louisville News, Weather

Rick Santorum takes Helm of Movie Studio

Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has a new job. He's taking over as CEO of EchoLight Studios, a Christian film studio based in Dallas. Santorum joined EchoLight's board a year ago. The studio will release a Western-themed film later this year called The Redemption of Henry Myers.

U2's Bono on Christian Radio program

Bono will be interviewed on the Focus on the Family radio program today by president Jim Daly. They will discuss music, activism, and particularly how Bono's work with HIV/AIDS and poverty is driven by his faith. The U2 singer said

during the pre-recorded interview Insecurity is your best security if you're an artist. You write out of that hole, that void.. They call it "the God-shaped hole" but music fills it, Bono. And what's so powerful about the Psalms are, as well as they're being Gospel and praise. songs of praise, they are also the Blues."

"Stomp on Jesus" prof returns

The professor who took students through a "stomping on Jesus" exercise is getting rehired. Florida Atlantic University on Friday says Deandre Poole will again work as a adjunct instructor in communications for the summer and fall semesters. The university says Poole did nothing wrong--even though when the controversy broke, it announced that the exercise would not be allowed again at Florida Atlantic. Poole was placed on leave and prevented from coming back on campus at first--the university claimed to base the decision on threats against him. Many Christian groups called for his dismissal after telling students to stomp on a piece of paper with "Jesus" written on it. One student argued with Poole over the exercise. Poole reported the student to administrators and the student went public-saying he was facing charges for refusing to "stomp on Jesus." Florida Governor Rick Scott wrote a letter to the university president, calling the exercise "offensive, even intolerant." But the school's faculty senate defended Poole on the basis of academic freedom, pointing out that students were not punished for objecting to the lesson.

Girl Kicked off Football Team

A Christian school kicked a 12-year-old girl off the football because, school officials say, she will cause the boys to lust after her if she plays. Maddy Paige had four sacks to her credit as a starter last season playing defensive end, before Strong Rock Christian School in Locust Grove, Georgia cut her. WXIA-TV has a video report below.

Pastor defends Paula Deen against charges of racist

Pastor Gregory Tyson is coming to the defense of celebrity chef Paula Deen--and so is TV station WTOC. The Savannah, Georgia station aired the comments of the Black pastor of the First Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church who says, although Deen admits to "using the N-word" that "doesn't make her a racist."

WTOC-TV: Savannah, Beaufort, SC, News, Weather

CS Lewis to be Honored

A Service to dedicate a memorial to CS Lewis will be held at Westminster Abby on November 22, marking the 50th anniversary of his death
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Russian Orthodox Survey

Most members of the Russian Orthodox Church don't seem to take their faith very seriously. A new poll of Russians who say they belong to the church reveals 52% have never read the Bible, 24% rarely go to church and 28% rarely pray. The poll from the Russia's Public Opinion Foundation reveals one-in-four Russians consider themselves non-believers.

Superman in Church

A Christian-focused Hollywood marketing firm is suggesting churches tell parishioners to go see the movie Man of Steel, which opened this weekend. Warner Bros. is contacting pastors, inviting them to early screenings, offering discussion guides and has put together film trailers highlighting the possible faith angles of the movie. You can see one of them below. There's even a suggestion sermon title Jesus: The Original Superhero. Grace Hill Media offers sermon notes for churches using multimedia into their services.

Baptists Pass Resolution on Boy Scouts

The Southern Baptist Convention is expressing its opposition to the new Boy Scout policy on gays--but the denomination stopped short of telling churches to drop all ties with the organization. The resolution, approved to today at the annual Southern Baptist meeting that's taking place this year in Houston, also called on the Scouts to get rid of its leadership. The vote was strongly in favor of the resolution, but it was not unanimous.

The Guy Behind eHarmony: Neil Warren

1934: Born September, 18 near Des Moines, Iowa

Family: Marylyn Mann, wife of 46 years, 3 married daughters, 9 grandchildren

1956: Graduated from Pepperdine

1959: Master's in divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary

1967: Doctorate in psychology from Univ of Chicago

1975-82: Assis prof and dean Fuller Theological Seminary's Grad School of Psychology 

2000: Launched eHarmony (favorite dimension of "Marrital Compatibility" is adaptability)

2007: Retired from eHarmony

20012: Returned to eHarmony as CEO

Getting to Know.. Alice Cooper

Real name: Vincent Vurnier (legally changed his name in 1973)

Born: Detroit, Feb 4, 1948

Music: 28 albums

Beliefs: Became a Christian in 1990

Family: father a pastor, grandfather an evangelist, wife Sherley a ballet instructor, 3 children

Other: Radio host, Phoenix restaurant, Solid Rock Foundation (nonprofit Christian organization)

Who are Evangelicals?

The National Association of Evangelicals defines an Evangelical as someone who believes:
• The Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God. That there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• In the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in his virgin birth, in his sinless life, in his miracles, in his vicarious and atoning death through his shed blood, in his bodily resurrection, in his ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in his personal return in power and glory.
• That for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
• In the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
• In the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
• In the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Southern Baptists Membership Declines

As Southern Baptist representatives get ready to meet next week in Houston, word is out that the denomination is still losing members. There were about 100,000 fewer U.S. members in 2012 than the previous year. The numbers were just released by the SBC's Lifeway Christian Resources. This is the sixth drop in a row for the largest Protestant denomination . Baptisms also fell--by 5.5% from 2011 to 2012.

Narnia Book facts

• Written by Christian apologist CS Lewis

• Published in 1950

• Seven Books in the Series

• Sold more than 100 million copies in 47 languages

• A lion named Aslan is a Christ-like figure

• Rights Owned by HarperCollins

• First editions are selling on the web for as much as $20,000

• JRR Tolkien's response to Wardrobe: "It really won't do, you know"

• JK Rowling says she adored Lewis' stories and they influenced Harry Potter


• A music video on Saturday Night Live featured a hip hop song entitled Chronicles of Narnia (Lazy Sunday). You can see the video below.

Getting to Know.. Scientology

• 1911: L. Ron Hubbard is born in Tilden, Nebraska
• 1930's: Hubbard becomes known as a science fiction writer
• 1940's: Hubbard serves in the Navy during World War II
• 1950: Dianetics is published, putting forth the view that man is immortal, basically good and has loops of memory from past lives called "engrams" that must be cleared to bring unity with the universe and psychological and physical health. Drugs and other tools of psychology just create needless suffering
• 1953: Hubbard formally establishes the Church of Scientology (no relation to Christian Science)
• 1977: The FBI raided Scientology centers in Los Angeles and Washington and found evidence that Scientologists had been wiretapping
• 2000: Battlefield Earth is released, a movie based on a Hubbard novel starring John Travolta; it cost more than $100 million to produce and market but earned only $21 million
• 2000's: Scientology is considered a Cult by the governments of Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Canada, etc.
• 2007: Financial gifts to the Church of Scientology by various celebrities are revealed, including:
Tom Cruise - $5 million (over the previous four years)
Kirstie Alley - $5 million (in 2007)
John Travolta - $1 million (in 2007)
Kelly Preston - $1 million (in 2007)
Priscilla Presley - $50,000 (in 2007)
• 2008: Actor Jason Beghe leaves the Church of Scientology. He took courses from the organization for 14 years and even appeared in promotional spots, but in a YouTube video he calls Scientology “destructive” and a “rip-off." Beghe had roles G.I. Jane and X-Men: First Class, and has been featured in numerous TV dramas.
• 2009: A New Jersey teenager is given a year in prison for orchestrating a cyber attack on Church of Scientology Web sites almost two years ago. 19-year-old Dmitriy Guzner pleaded guilty to computer hacking charges. He has denied being part of an underground group that protests the Church of Scientology as prosecutors claim.
• 2009: A French court convicts the cult and six of its members of organized fraud.
• 2009: The Church of Scientology buys a church building in Northern Kentucky. Scientologists pays $1.64 million for a building that once housed The Florence Baptist Church until the congregation moved into a new $15 million facility.
• 2010: The city of Clearwater fines Scientology more than $410,000 for not getting its new building up to snuff fast enough.
• 2010: A lawsuit brought against the Church of Scientology as former members claims the religious group is tied to human trafficking incidents.

Laws vs Church Doctrine

A teacher who was fired for having a child through artificial insemination has gotten the support of an Ohio jury. They said the Catholic archdiocese violated anti-discrimination laws by firing Christa Dias when she became pregnant and order she be paid $170,000. The church's lawyer said the dismissal was for violation of church doctrine and having a contract saying she would follow it. The school argued that Dias, who is gay, never intended to abide by that contract. WCPO-TV has this video report:

Getting to Know… Bill Hybels

1951: Born in of Dutch ancestry and raised in Calvinist theology in Kalamazoo, Michigan

1974: Hybels married his longtime sweetheart. They have two adult children (Shauna and Todd) and two grandchildren. 
1975: founded Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois with about 12,000 members. Willow's annual leadership summit, draws some 50,000 pastors and key volunteers attend or tune in via satellite.
1980s: Served as a chaplain for the Chicago Bears
1990s: One of President Bill Clinton's closest spiritual advisers.
More than 2000 non-Catholic pastors chose Willow Creek as the most influential congregation in the US.

Iran hauls off Christian pastor in new sweep

CNN interviews Lisa Daftari on the increasing tensions between Christians and Muslims in Iran.

Lutheran Church Votes in First Openly Gay Bishop

Guy Erwin is now a Lutheran Bishop in California. Here's a video report.

Pastor says Boy Scouts can no longer meet at his church

Church leaders at an Alabama church are unhappy with the decision by the Boy Scouts to allow openly gay members. Watch a video report from WBRC-TV below.

Getting to Know.. the Church of God in Christ

• Also known as COGIC
• more than 6 million US members
• National headquarters in Memphis
• Founded in the early 1900s by Charles Harrison Mason, a son of slaves and a former Baptist preacher
• America's largest black Pentecostal denomination
• Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his last sermon, at Mason Temple, COGIC's mother church

Survey suggests Americans are becoming less religious

A new Gallup poll shows 75% of Americans believe the country would be better off if it was more religious even as the country is becoming less religious. KTBC-TV has reaction to the survey in Austin.

Son of Evangelical Leader comes out as Gay

Ed Dobson's son says he is gay. After Daniel Dobson came back from serving two Army tours in Iraq, he told his parents two years ago "I’m gay. And I still love Jesus. And nothing else changes.” Dobson says his father responded, “We still love you. And nothing else changes," according to the Grand Rapids Press. He'll speak for the first time publicly about his sexual orientation in Grand Rapids, Michigan tonight at the Wealthy Theatre. Ed Dobson is retired from pastoring a Michigan megachurch and served at a top aide to the late Jerry Falwell.

Bama Scouts not allowed at some Churches after Vote

Boy Scout troops will no longer be allowed to meet in some Alabama churches after the national organization voted to allow openly gay scout members. This includes the First Baptist Church of Helena and the First Baptist Church of Pelham. Briarwood Presbyterian Church, will take a vote on whether to allow the Boy Scouts to continue meeting at the church.

Jewel's Bible diet

Jewel says she is taking her diet cues from the Bible. The singer says she has given up fast food and unhealthy snacks to only eats things that were available during the time of Jesus. She says in an interview with In Touch magazine:

“I do the Biblical diet, which means eating whole foods like they did in the time when the Bible was being written – so grass-fed beef, but no chemicals or genetically altered foods.”

Does Stephen King believe in God?

Stephen King says the "jury's out" on whether he believes in God or not. The bestselling horror book writer told NPR during an interview:

"I went to Methodist church for years as a kid, and Methodist youth fellowship on Thursday nights. Think of a bottle of soda with the cap off for 24 hours. There weren't very many bubbles left in that stuff by then. It was pretty -- it was Yankee religion and there's really not much in the world that's any more boring than that."

King went on to say that he he is not sure about God and the afterlife. "It's certainly a subject that's interested me, and I think it interests me more the older that I get. And I think we'd all like to believe that after we shuffle off this mortal coil, that there's gonna be something on the other side. Because for most of us, I know for me, life is so rich -- so colorful, and sensual, and full of good things, things to read, things to eat, things to watch, places to go, new experiences -- that I don't want to think that you just go to darkness.... As a kid, death seemed boring to me. As an adult, I think that it seems more like a waste. As far as God and church and religion ... I kind of always felt that organized religion was just basically a theological insurance scam... I choose to believe it, yep. There's no downside to that.... If you say, 'Well, OK, I don't believe in God. There's no evidence of God,' then you're missing the stars in the sky and you're missing the sunrises and sunsets and you're missing the fact that bees pollinate all these crops and keep us alive and the way that everything seems to work together. Everything is sort of built in a way that to me suggests intelligent design. But, at the same time, there's a lot of things in life where you say to yourself, 'Well, if this is God's plan, it's very peculiar,' and you have to wonder about that guy's personality — the big guy's personality. And the thing is — I may have told you last time that I believe in God — what I'm saying now is I choose to believe in God, but I have serious doubts and I refuse to be pinned down to something that I said 10 or 12 years ago. I'm totally inconsistent."

Bibles in China

In 1988, Amity Printing produced half of a million Bibles during its first year of operation. Last year, Amity printed 12 million copies, most of which were sent overseas. That makes Amity one of the largest printers in the world. It is the only publisher authorized by the Chinese government to print Bibles. Chinese Christians accuse Amity of not keeping up with demand in it's own country. Many house churches Christians say they have have given out thousands of Bibles on their own to try to make up for lack of available Bibles in China. Amity is owned by a government body (the China Christian Council) and a British group that produces Christian literature (the United Bible Societies).

Oklahoma Tornado: Divine Judgment?

Evangelical speaker and author John Piper is being criticized for the Bible verses he Tweeted right after tornadoes ripped through Oklahoma to his nearly half-of-a-million followers. Both verses come from Job--

Job 1:9- “Your sons and daughters were eating and a great wind struck the house, and it fell upon them, and they are dead.”

Job 1:20- “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped.”

The tweets didn’t mention the deadly tornadoes, but critics say they were inappropriate. Evangelical writer Rachel Held Evans had strong words for what she called Piper's “abusive theology of ‘deserved’ tragedy." She backed off in a later Tweet: “Piper’s tweet was vague enough that I don’t know that he was necessarily saying this point this time. Maybe it wasn’t the best time to call him out.” But Piper tied Job and Oklahoma together when he Tweeted, “My hope and prayer for Oklahoma is that the raw realism of Job’s losses will point us all to his God ‘compassionate and merciful.’” He retired recently from Minneapolis' Bethlehem Baptist Church.  Author Philip Yancey warned Piper to avoid becoming like one of Job’s friends, trying to explain why God allows tragedy. “God endorses the confusion and even outrage that we feel when mysterious things happen... When suffering happens, it forces us to confront life in a different way than we normally do.”

166 year old newspaper closing

The United Methodist Reporter is closing at the end of the month. The Dallas-based newspaper has struggled financially for years. It began publishing in 1847. 26 people will lose their jobs. Read more about the closure here.

Atheist Tornado Survivor

CNN's Wolf Blitzer speaks with an Atheist Tornado Survivor.

Christians in China

There are some 67 million Christians in China. That's about five percent of the population, according to the Pew Research Center. Some headcounts put the figure higher than the number of members of the Communist Party--about 82 million people.

IRS Audits include Billy Graham's Ministry

The IRS was targeting more than just Tea Party groups and conservative political organizations. The federal agency targeted the ministry of Billy Graham and the relief organization led by his son, Franklin Graham, called Samaritan's Purse. Franklin Graham has written a letter to the President, calling the IRS audits as "morally wrong and unethical." It was the first time the IRS had audited the ministry. Both organizations are based in North Carolina. The state newspaper for Baptists, The Biblical Recorder, was also audited first the first time since it began publication in 1833. All three organizations were cleared by the IRS.

Christian Radio network in financial trouble

Family Radio could be going out of business. The Oakland, California network made national headlines which the man who runs the network, Harold Camping, announced a date for the end of the world. Then updated it when it didn't happen. Family Radio sold its three largest radio stations because of the financial trouble. Camping suffered a stroke two years ago.

Christian religious philosopher passes

Dallas Willard has died at age 77 of cancer. The University of Southern California philosophy professor established the Dallas Willard Center at Westmont College in California and authored many books, including The Spirit of the Disciplines, The Divine Conspiracy, Renovation of the Heart, and Hearing God. He also served on the boards of the C.S. Lewis Foundation and Biola University. Born in Buffalo, New York, Willard is survived by his wife and two children.

Judge: Bible Verses on Banners OK

A Texas judge says Bible verses on banners at public school football games are fine. Judge Steven Thomas ruled it is constitutional for cheerleaders at Kountze High School to display run-through banners with messages like "If God is for us, who can be against us." The judge decided the messages on the banners are the protected private speech of the cheerleaders. The Freedom From Religion Foundation complained about the banners last fall, claiming it amounted to school endorsement of Christianity. The ruling may be appealed. Here's a video report from WRCB-TV.

WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather

Transgender Suit moves forward

A California judge says a lawsuit against California Baptist University filed by a transgendered student can move forward. The school expelled Domaine Javier after revealing that she is biologically male. She claims that is a violation of a state law against discrimination based on gender identity. Lawyers for Cal Baptist argue the law doesn't apply to private institutions that are a religiously-oriented.

Megachurch Pastor Resigns: Admits Affair

A Florida megachurch pastor has resigned. David Loveless told his Orlando church about an affair over the weekend. Leaders of Discovery Church released an announcement saying in part:

“It is with great sadness that we announce the immediate resignation of our lead pastor, David Loveless, following his acknowledgement of his participation in a wrongful relationship over multiple years with a woman not his wife. While David indicates that the relationship was ended approximately three years ago, we were only made aware of it when he informed us in recent days. David offered his resignation, and the elders prayerfully and unanimously accepted it. While we believe David Loveless can be restored to Christian fellowship and productive Christian service, we do not believe he can serve as a pastor at Discovery Church.”

Don Cousins, director of ministry, will take over Loveless role for the time being.

Saving Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber's pastor is talking with Selena Gomez in an effort to help the pop star get his life straightened out. Pastor Judah Smith has encouraged the couples rekindled romance. Bieber has has several episodes played out in the media lately--including showing up late for concerts on his world tour, allegedly spitting at a neighbor and police searched his tour bus for drugs. Smith says celebrities like the teenage star tend to be isolated and are in need to community. He gave Gomez a copy of Gary Chapman's The 5 Languages of Love: The Secret to Love that Lasts.

This day in history

It was on this date in 1864 that the U.S. Congress added In God We Trust to U.S. coins.

George Beverly Shea Passes

George Beverly Shea has died at the age of 104. He stood beside Billy Graham, singing at the evangelist's crusades for more than 60 years. Shea died in Asheville after a brief illness. His version of How Great Thou Art became a trademark for the baritone who performed before an estimated 200 million. More than 70 albums bear his name. He was nominated for Grammy Awards on ten occasions, winning one in 1965 and presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.

Corbin Bernsen: I’d rather talk about God than Lindsay Lohan

Known for his current role in the USA network's Psych and LA Law back in the 80s, Corbin Bernsen is a familiar face to TV viewers. Here's what he told Fox News about his faith:

I consider myself a Christian. It’s the kind of thing I struggle with. I have faith, I believe in God… All I know is I march to my own drummer these days. I stay true to myself and there’s a lot of people who want faith in their lives and I’m more about that. I would like to bring them into the discussion. I am certainly on a journey of discussion. We’re have a conversation about it and in these days where there’s so much in the world that’s not working and somehow we’ve used faith and religion as a glue for society, something that’s made things work, not drive things apart, I feel there’s a need to celebrate that for the good of what it is. It gets so much bad press. There’s an assumption if you have any faith you vote a certain way or you’re a conservative and that’s not true. There are very cool, relevant people who have faith in their lives and people who want to have faith who are afraid to enter the conversation. That’s all I care about, entering the conversation. I have four sons who are basically growing up in a world where basically they don’t believe… that’s not good either. So I’m not saying you have to believe in God or Christ, just come into the conversation for a bit…I find it far more interesting than say, talking about Lindsay Lohan.

Read more here.

Reaching the Globe with the Good News

A look at the work of Trans World Radio here.

Brennan Manning dies

Brennan Manning has passed away at the age of 78. Best known as the writer of the The Ragamuffin Gospel , Manning died yesterday following several years of declining health. He was 78. The book was especially inspiring to some Christian musicians ,including Michael W. Smith, Michael Card and the late Rich Mullins, who named his band in honor of Manning's book. One popular quote of Manning, spoken by Carman on DC Talk song ("What if I Stumble?"), goes like this:

"The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”

Manning attended Pennsylvania's Saint Francis College and was ordained a Franciscan priest in 1963. He taught theology at the University of Stuebenville in Ohio and became the spiritual director of Saint Francis Seminary. His association with the Little Brothers of Jesus of Charles de Foucald included living in France, Spain and Switzerland. Manning struggled with alcoholism, briefly relapsing when he returned to the U.S. He writing showed a brutal brokenness, endearing him to his readers.

Baptist leader stepping down

Richard Land will leave his post as president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention in order to lead Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte. Land stirred controversy last year with his comments about the Trayvon Martin shooting and then it was discovered he plagiarized parts of his commentaries. The Commission chastised Land and his radio show ended. Land said he was going to retire in October--which would have been his 25th anniversary in his current position.

11 Bands You Might Not Realize Are Christian

See the list at BuzzFeed here.

Suicide of star pastor Rick Warren’s son sparks debate about mental illness

Evangelical Christian leaders have begun a national conversation about how their beliefs might sometimes stigmatize those who struggle with mental illness. Read more at the Washington Post here.

Rise Of Hispanic Evangelical Church

TIME magazine takes a look at the influence Of Latinos In America's Religion here.

Protest over Jesus’-Stomping Exercise

More than 50 demonstrators showed up at Florida Atlantic University to support professor Deandre Poole. He is on leave after telling students to stomp on a piece of paper after writing Jesus on it. Protestors say administrators should not have apologized or gotten involved with the what they deem to be a classroom issue. They called it an issue of academic freedom. The group of protestors went so far as to mimic the original exercise itself. The Faculty Senate plans to debate the issue with the administration on April 19.

Lawsuit over flowers at gay wedding

The state of Washington is suing Arlene's Flowers owner Barronelle Stutzman for refusing to provide flowers for a gay wedding. The Richland, Washington florist say she couldn't do it because of her "relationship with Jesus." The state attorney general wrote in the lawsuit that this is a violation of the Washington anti-discrimination law. It's rarity for the government to file a discrimination suit on its own. Stutzman could have signed a document promising to provide flowers for gay wedding in the future but her own lawyers say this is not an issue of discrimination but an instance of the government infringing on her First Amendment right to free speech and that Stutzman is entitled to exercise her religious conscience and arranging flowers is an act of personal expression.

Warren Makes Plans following Son's Death

Rick Warren and his wife are planning private funeral services for their son who shot and killed himself this last week. Matthew suffering from depression his entire life. The Warren's also plan to established the Matthew Warren Fund for Mental Illness and set up a blog site to accept contributions to "others affected by mental illness." Since news of his suicide became public, Warren has been attacked for his political stands against same-sex marriage and for his preaching. Here's a video from the church's Sunday morning service.

False Rumor about Joel Osteen

A fake website proclaimed that Megachurch pastor Joel Osteen was resigning from the pulpit due to a lack of faith. You can see it here. It was only a hoax. The Texas pastor's name is even misspelled in the web address. The site includes a fake CNN story with the headline Pastor of mega church resigns, rejects Christ. A statement alledgedly from Osteen reads, "I believe now that the Bible is a fallible, flawed, highly inconsistent history book that has been altered hundreds of times. There is zero evidence the Bible is the holy word of God. In fact, there is zero evidence 'God' even exists." There are more details at the Houston Chronicle here.

Rick Warren's Son Commits Suicide

Matthew Warren, the youngest son of megachurch Pastor Rick Warren, is dead. The 27 year old committed suicide yesterday after a lifetime of battling mental illness. Rick Warren wrote The Purpose-Driven Life and founded Saddleback Valley Community Church. He sent members of his church a letter that read in part:

“At 27 years of age, Matthew was an incredibly kind, gentle and compassionate young man whose sweet spirit was encouragement and comfort to many. Unfortunately, he also suffered from mental illness resulting in deep depression and suicidal thoughts. No words can express the anguished grief we feel right now. He had a brilliant intellect and a gift for sensing who was most in pain or most uncomfortable in a room. He’d then make a bee-line to that person to engage and encourage them. In spite of America’s best doctors, meds, counselors, and prayers for healing, the torture of mental illness never subsided. Today, after a fun evening together with Kay and me, in a momentary wave of despair at his home, he took his life.

Read the whole letter here.

How ‘The Bible’ Broke Through

The final episode of the History Channel’s The Bible pulled in more than 11 million viewers.  Read the story of how the show broke through at Wall Street Journal here.

Baptist Leader on Gays and Korea

Southern Baptist Convention president Fred Luter went on CNN to defend his comments linking the North Korea's military threats to the debate over gay marriage.

President's pastor attacks 'religious right' on Easter

President Obama attend Easter worship at St. John’s Church where Luis Leon called conservatives bigots and racists from the pulpit. Here's a video report from Fox News.

Edith Schaeffer

Edith Schaeffer died over the weekend. She was 98 years old. She co-founded L'Abri along with her husband Francis Schaeffer and wrote more than a dozen books.

Arrested for soliciting a prostitute

Bob Jones University's "Chief Brand Officer" was suspended for allegedly soliciting a prostitute. Read the story here.

The money man behind atheism’s activism

"He wants to see the atheism movement expand its footprint." Read the story from CNN here.

student says he was suspended for not 'stepping on Jesus'

A Florida Atlantic University's instructor told everyone in his class to take out a piece of paper, write the word JESUS on it in bold letters, and then put the paper on the floor and stomp on it.  Watch a video report from Florida's WPEC-TV here.

TV Series: Who Does Satan Look Like?

The History Channel is catching some flack for the way Satan looks on The Bible special. Many people took to social media to say Satan looks like President Barack Obama. Even Glenn Beck tweeted "Anyone else think the Devil in #TheBible Sunday on History Channel looks exactly like That Guy?" Actor Mohamen Mehdi Ouazanni plays the role of Satan. Series creator Mark Burnett gave a couple of thousand dollars to Obama's campaign during the 2008 election.

Baptist Appointed by White House

The White House has tapped Melissa Rogers to chair an advisory panel of faith leaders. Rogers replaces Joshua DuBois at the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, which was formed by President George W. Bush in 2001 to create partnerships between public and private organizations. She is a Baptist and former general counsel for the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. Read a blog post on the White House website from Rogers here.

Bible College Student Arrested

Police in Flagstaff, Arizona arrested a Bible college student when the dean of his school escorted him to the police station to tell them he was having sex with his 17-year-old girlfriend--also a student at the school. The unnamed 21 year old says the relationship was consensual and that they had been together for about five months. He now faces felony charges for sexual contact with a minor, which could earn him a year in prison.

Half of Evangelicals says Same-Sex Marriage is inevitable

"A majority of Americans categorize homosexuality as a civil rights issue like age, race and gender, and almost two-thirds think legalization of same-sex marriage in the U.S. is inevitable," says Ed Stetzer, the president of LifeWay Research. A new poll on gay issues from the Southern Baptist affiliated organization discovered:

64% of Americans say same-sex marriage will become legal in the U.S.
50% of those calling themselves "born-again, evangelical or fundamentalist Christian" agree

Read more here.

Bibles in the Classroom

CNBC interview explores why the couple behind the Bible mini-series believes public schools Should teach the Bible in classrooms.

Fuller Seminary announces new President

Fuller Theological Seminary has a man at the helm. Mark Labberton takes over as president beginning July first. Richard Mouw is retiring from the position at the largest Evangelical Christian seminary in the world. Labberton graduated from Fuller’s Master of Divinity program and spent a quarter of a century pastoring in Presbyterian churches. Fuller is located in Pasadena, California,

Do Atheists Really Believe in God?

Asking God to harm them or others is just as upsetting to atheists as religious folks. That's the finding of a new study out of Finland. Details are in the International Journal for the Psychology of Religion. Researchers asked their subjects to decide whether statements like daring God to drown parents or visit friends with disease. The researchers found that even when atheists said such utterances were meaningless, they nevertheless showed discomfort when hooked up to monitors. The study authors say their findings show, at the very least, the idea of God is powerful, even in very secular societies like Finland.

NYT: Focus on the Family Transforms Its Message

The New York Times profiles what Focus on the Family has become since the departure of James Dobson - here.

Pastor on O'Reilly Factor

Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church of Dallas appeared on Fox News The O'Reilly Factor. Jeffress has been in the news lately because NFL quarterback Tim Tebow withdrew plans to appear at the church in April for the dedication of a multimillion dollar building.

Christian University Setting Records

Liberty University is now the largest university in Virginia. The university founded by Jerry Falwell ended last year with more than $1 billion in net assets for the first time. And it's online head count has grown an average of about 8,000 students a year. Find out more in a Washington Post profile of the school here.

Atheists apologize for misquote of Sarah Palin

American Atheists is apologizing for misquoting Sarah Palin on a billboard in Texas--but at the same time defending it. The billboard says, “We should create law based on the God of the Bible." While being interviewed by Fox's Bill O'Reilly, Palin referenced the founding fathers, saying that they gathered and decided “we would create law based on the God of the Bible and the Ten Commandments.” The atheist billboard says "should" but Palin actually said "would" and it was in reference to the founding of America, not today's political landscape. American Atheists first declared in a tweet that “Sarah Palin was NOT Misquoted” but later admitted it was wrong--saying it would change the wording but still insisting that even the mistake reflects Palin's view. There are a half-dozen other billboards going up around the Dallas and Austin area.

Atheists ratchet up rhetoric, use billboards to attack Republican politicians

An atheist organization known for being provocative plans to take that reputation to the next level this week by putting up seven billboards that call out prominent politicians and religious leaders. Read more at CNN here.

Florida College Shuts Down Bible Study

Rollins College in Winter Park has shut down a Bible study that was taking place in one of the dorm rooms, Fox News’ Todd Starnes reports. The school says the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship informal Bible study held in the common area of a dorm suite violated its policy. An RA told the study leaders to leave and were banned from the dorm - even though the students wanted to hold the Bible study. The school recently recognized ICF because the group requires its leaders to be professing Christians. Here's a video report from WOGX-TV about the controversy.

Winans Gets Prison

A member of the Winans music family got a 14 year prison sentence today in Detroit for financially defrauding some 1200 investors. Prosecutors say Michael Winans Jr. led an $8 million pyramid scheme. In his sentencing, the judge said Winans ruined the lives of numerous churchgoers.

Pastor Calls Tebow a Whimp

The pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas is taking a swipe (as the Washington Post calls it) at Tim Tebow. Robert Jeffress has posted a 10 minute video (below) in which he responds to the controversy that led the sports star to cancel his planned April appearance at the Texas church. Although Jeffress doesn't mention Tebow by name, he rebuked those who haven't stood with him. Jeffress says “I am grateful for men of God like these who are willing to stand up and act like men rather than wimping out when it gets a little controversial and an inconvenient thing to stand for the truth." Jeffress has received negative publicity for his remarks about gays and other religions. Here's the video:

The Couple Behind 'The Bible' Mini-Series

A husband-and-wife team are hoping to do justice to the Bible in a Biblical record in a new, 10-hour series that starts Sunday, March 3, on the History Channel. Read about them here.

Tansgender woman sues Baptist school

A transgender woman is suing California Baptist University in Riverside for allegedly expelling her because of her gender identity. She wants half a million dollars.