Rob Bell Leaves Church

Michigan mega-church pastor Rob Bell is leaving his Mars Hill Church. His book Love Wins drew criticism from conservative evangelicals for suggesting that hell may close one day after everyone leaves to go to heaven. Bell did not speak with the congregation before releasing the news publicly. He's planning a Fit to Smash Ice tour and is already scheduled to speak in at least eight places. Below is an ABC video about Bell.

Southern Baptist Name Change

The Southern Baptist Convention may change its name. Current President Bryant Wright has set up a study group to research the idea - something that has stirred controversy because he didn't work through the executive committee. The effort to rebrand the denomination may mean dropping "Southern" and possibly "Baptist."

Ted Haggard will "Swap Wife"

Former megachurch pastor Ted Haggard will swap wives with actor Gary Busey for an upcoming episode of Celebrity Wife Swap. The episode of the ABC reality series is being taped in Colorado Springs. Busey is an active minister with Promise Keepers while Haggard has returned to the ministry as a pastor of a non-denominational church following his departure from a Colorado megachurch following a public scandal.

God and the Economy Survey

A new survey finds 8 in 10 political conservatives see God stepping in to their daily lives believe God is steering the economy. The Baylor Religion Survey (conducted by Gallup) found 73% of Americans agree with the statement "I know God has a plan for me." Out of this group:

•49% say "the government in Washington is trying to do too many things that should be left to individuals and private businesses."

•79% say "able-bodied people who are out of work shouldn't receive unemployment checks if they are passing up jobs they can do."

•92% say "anything is possible for those who work hard."

NRB: Social Media Censoring Christians

The National Religious Broadcasters claims the social media are targeting Christians and censoring their viewpoints. The organization says it studied Apple, the iTunes App Store, Google, Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, AT&T, Comcast and Verizon and found what it calls "institutionalized religious discrimination.” The one bright spot, according to the report, is Twitter. The social media site has shown "fairness toward Christian opinions" in its written policies. The NRB points to decision's like one by Apple to pull two iPhone apps — one created by Exodus International and another that included the text of a document called the Manhattan Declaration. According to the NRB, only these two apps were removed solely on the basis of their viewpoints on homosexuality.

Church Shooting

A former church member is accused of critically wounding the church's pastor and associate pastor in Lakeland, Florida.

Pastor & Associate Pastor Shot in Church

A gunman is in custody after shooting two people at a central Florida church this morning. Jeremiah Fogel burst into the sanctuary of the Greater Faith Christian Church in Lakeland, wounding pastor William Boss and associate pastor Carl Stewart. Fogel was tackled by parishioners and held until deputies arrived. He had already killed one man at a home before coming to the church. He owns a limousine service.

Atheist group Demonstrates

Christian book retailers see Opportunity

The Washington Post takes a look at how the closing of Borders bookstores may impact Christian retailers here.

Handwritten Bible

The first handwritten Bible in 500 years is now on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. A Minnesota Abby recently finished the 15 year project with goose quilled pens, calf-skinned paper, and homemade inks. The Saint John's Abbey in Collegeville work is two feet tall and three feet wide. Its 1100 pages include pictures, symbols, and imagery.

Megachurch Pastor Launches Site

Controversial megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll has launched a new website focused on theology and culture. PastorMark.tv joins several other sites that Driscoll is involved in - including Resurgence which is designed for church leaders and Acts 29 Network which is for leaders of new churches. Driscoll has made extensive use of new media - he has more than 117,000 Facebook fans and more than 167,000 Twitter followers. The pastor of Seattle's Mars Hill church has found himself in the middle of several controversies, including a recent move into Portland by his church that brought protests from gay rights groups.

Tearing Out Pages of the Bible

A atheist group in California is threatening to rip out pages of a Bible tomorrow afternoon. Backyard Skeptics says it plans to gather at the the Huntington Beach pier and tell people about parts of the Bible that are immoral. The same group posted a billboard this summer that said “Don’t believe in God? You are not alone.”

Obama Reads Psalm 46

President Obama read from Psalm 46 as part of the ceremony at the World Trade Center site to mark the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. See the video below.

What would Jesus hack?

The Economist looks at "Just how much does Christian doctrine have in common with the open-source software movement?" here.

Mel Gibson Plans Maccabee Movie

Mel Gibson plans to make a film about Judah Maccabee, the Jewish hero whose story is commemorated in the celebration of Hanukkah. Gibson says he sees parallels between Maccabee’s story and the modern day church because of corruption in organized religion. The film will follow Maccabee who joins his father and four brothers to lead the Jewish revolt against the Greek-Syrian armies in the second century B.C. It's possible Gibson could act in the film, but he is more likely to remain behind the camera and direct.

Ad Campaign Banned

Britain has banned a mobile phone company ad commercial showing a cartoon Jesus who winks and offers a thumbs-up sign. The Phones 4 U campaign, which carried the slogan, "Miraculous deals on Samsung Galaxy Android phones," was nixed by the country's advertising watchdog group because the ad appears to be mocking the Christian faith. Phones 4 U said it regretted the ad campaign and that it offended people.

The Jefferson Bible

Thomas Jefferson’s edited bible will be published in color in November. Although it was once called The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, it's typically referred to as “The Jefferson Bible.” The founding father hoped to crop all but the most critical parts of Christ’s teachings from the Bible. HE literally cut and pasted his selections with a razor, creating a single story from the four Gospels. He left out anything miraculous and references to divinity. The final product was not published until after his death. It was intended to be a primer for the Indians on Jesus' teachings. The new version will be printed by Smithsonian in hardcover with introduction by Smithsonian curators Barbara Clark Smith and Harry Rubenstein.

Theology a hot Topic on the Campaign Trail

Read the story here.

Megachurch Gets Kicked out of Facilities

A Kansas megachurch is losing its home. Read the story here.

Theft of Christian CDs

Music CDs stolen from Knoxville Christian bookstore. Read the story here.