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In the News...
Updated daily: Monday to Friday
Thursday, July 3rd, 2008Third Temple preparations begin with priestly garb
Wearing a turban and a light blue tunic threaded with silver, a man stands in a workshop in Jerusalem's Old City beside spools of white thread affixed to sewing machines. A painting of high priests performing an animal sacrifice beside the First Temple illustrates the function of the room.
Obama opposes proposed ban on gay marriage
(07-01) 19:35 PDT -- Gay rights moved to the forefront of the presidential campaign Tuesday after Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's announcement that he opposes a November ballot measure that would ban same-sex marriage in California.
Oil prices rise to record high above $144
NEW YORK (AP) -- Oil prices shot to a new record above $144 a barrel Wednesday as the government reported a bigger-than-expected drop in U.S. supplies and the threat of conflict with Iran weighed on traders' minds.
Jews inch towards their Temple
Another step on the long road towards the restoration of Temple Worship in Jerusalem was reportedly taken Monday with the opening of a new workshop in which robes will be manufactured for practicing priests.
Spain set to give rights to apes
MADRID, Spain (BP)--The Spanish Parliament's move to grant rights previously reserved for human beings to chimpanzees and other apes is a victory for those seeking to minimize the uniqueness of humanity, a bioethics specialist says.
Dutch legislator won't be charged for anti-Koran film
Dutch legislator Geert Wilders will not be prosecuted for inciting hatred of Muslims for his film denouncing the Koran, the public prosecutor's office said Monday.
Pope, Orthodox leader appeal for Christian unity
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I renewed their appeals for Christian unity on Sunday during a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica.
Obama is no Joshua; denies uniqueness of Christ, hell
WASHINGTON (BP)--Barack Obama's presidential campaign plans to strike at the heart of the Republican base by attempting to woo Evangelical Christians and Roman Catholics to his side.
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008Pentagon to Buy More Spy Sattellites
CBNNews.com - WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon will buy and operate one or two commercial imagery satellites and plans to design and build another with more sophisticated spying capabilities, according to government and private industry officials.
CA Firefighters Must Choose Fires to Put Out
CBNNews.com - More than 1,400 wildfires have scorched thousands of acres of land in California, setting a new early-season record.
Venezuela priests open pro-Chavez church
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A fledgling church that openly backs President Hugo Chavez is raising the ire of Venezuela's Roman Catholic hierarchy, preaching the Gospel alongside socialism.
Lakewood's Osteen fills San Antonio Spurs' home arena
Spurs championship banners hung overhead, but Joel Osteen's traveling worship team turned the AT&T Center into a different kind of home court Sunday.
Is religion good for peace?
If everything goes well and there are no surprises, as of next week the International Council of Christians and Jews (ICCJ) will for the first time be headed by a woman.
How Catholics think, act
This got overlooked last week in the release of the latest Pew Forum statistics on the religious makeup of Americans in the Pew Forum Religious Landscape Survey, Part II, which can be found here.
Christians challenge teaching of evolution
A Christian group promoting intelligent design theory over evolution has sent teaching material to schools that critics say is religious propaganda and sloppy pseudoscience.
Scientific thinking can underlie intelligent design
Columnist Peter McKnight was right to pour scorn on ignorant and dogmatic anti-evolutionists (No intelligence allowed in Stein's film, June 21), but he needs to discriminate between the intelligent design movement, which he sees as "the latest form of creationism," and the scientific promotion of intelligent design theory.
Report accuses Government of faith schools ‘witch-hunt’
A new report out today from the Centre for Policy Studies accused the Government of carrying out a “witch-hunt” on faith schools.
Report accuses Government of faith schools ‘witch-hunt’
A new report out today from the Centre for Policy Studies accused the Government of carrying out a “witch-hunt” on faith schools.
Conservative Anglicans Avoid Split, Launch Fight against Liberalism
Conservative Anglicans launched on Sunday a new global fellowship charged with defending traditional Anglicanism against the “false gospel” of homosexuality being promoted within liberal western member churches of the Anglican Communion.
France takes helm of crisis-ridden European Union
France took the helm of the European Union Tuesday with President Nicolas Sarkozy calling for profound change even as Poland plunged the bloc further into crisis by blocking a key reform treaty.
'Gay' rights group to Supremes: Don't let people vote
Homosexual-rights advocates have asked California's Supreme Court to block citizens from voting this fall on a measure voters originally brought to the ballot: Proposition 8, the California Marriage Protection Act.
Diplomat: Attack on Iran unlikely in '08
A senior Western diplomat said Tuesday that he did not think Israel would feel the need to attack Iran before year's end. Earlier, senior US defense officials reportedly voiced concern that Israel would target the Islamic Republic's nuclear installations before the end of 2008.
'UN report ignores Hizbullah violations'
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to submit on Tuesday morning the quarterly report on the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1701, which cemented the end of the Second Lebanon War. According to reports, the document does not accuse Hizbullah of violating the terms of the ceasefire, despite Israeli allegations that the Shi'ite militia has retaken its border positions and continues to amass rockets and other arms banned under 1701.
Anglicans Face Wider Split Over Policy on Gays
JERUSALEM — Anglican conservatives, frustrated by the continuing stalemate over homosexuality in the Anglican Communion, declared Sunday that they would defy historic lines of authority and create a new power bloc within the communion led by a council predominantly of African archbishops.
Neopaganism growing quickly
Give them that old-time religion — ancient religion — and then watch an exploding population of modern pagans give it contemporary twists.
Tuesday, July 1st, 2008McCain Meets with Billy Graham and Son
CBNNews.com - MONTREAT, N.C. - John McCain met Sunday with evangelist Billy Graham and his son, Franklin, at the family's mountaintop retreat.
Ancient Cave Linked to Early Christians
An archaeologist in Jordan claims to have found the earliest-known Christian church anywhere in the world.
Anglicans form 'new church' in gay clergy row
The Anglican Church faces what is in effect a schism this weekend after the declaration last night of conservative evangelicals to create a “church within a church”. The new body, called the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, will have its own bishops, clergy and theological colleges.
Christianity is flourishing in China
BEIJING -- The Rev. Jin Mingri peered out from the pulpit and delivered an unusual appeal: "Please leave," the 39-year-old pastor urged his followers, who were packed, standing-room-only on a Sunday afternoon, into a converted office space in China's capital. "We don't have enough seats for the others who want to come, so please, only stay for one service a day."
Romania Churches Divided Over 11-Year-Old's Abortion Approval
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - The government ruled Thursday that an 11-year-old rape victim would be allowed to have an abortion in Romania, dismissing the opposition of 20 church groups.
Michelle Obama confirms husband's support for homosexual causes
NEW YORK - Michelle Obama told the Democratic Party's Gay and Lesbian leadership Council Thursday night that her husband will repeal federal policies that she says limit the rights of homosexuals.
Presbyterian Assembly votes to drop homosexual clergy ban
WASHINGTON - The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), bitterly divided over sexuality and the Bible, set up another confrontation Friday over its ban on ordaining non-celibate gays and lesbians.
Hospitals in north instructed to prepare for earthquake
Health Ministry director-general sends letter to medical facilities in northern Israel, warning them Geophysical Institute believes large quake may hit area soon. Hospitals urged to ready for possible mass casualty event
U.S. Escalating Covert Operations Against Iran
NEW YORK - U.S. congressional leaders agreed late last year to President George W. Bush's funding request for a major escalation of covert operations against Iran aimed at destabilizing its leadership, according to a report in The New Yorker magazine published online on Sunday.
Iran: Converts Arrested, Tortured, Threatened
LOS ANGELES, June 25 (Compass Direct News) – Security police officials in Tehran this month tortured a newly converted couple and threatened to put their 4-year-old daughter in an institution after arresting them for holding Bible studies and attending a house church.
Evangelicals: Crucial to Winning the 2008 Election
The leaders of the religious right don't have great affection for John McCain. They think he's too moderate on immigration, embryonic-stem-cell research and campaign-finance reform, and they think he doesn't do enough to promote his pro-life positions.
Poisonous ink likely cause of Biblical text-writing monks deaths
Washington, June 28 (ANI): Monks who wrote Biblical texts and other religious materials might have died out of exposure to toxic mercury, with which the red colour ink they used for scripting was made, according to a study.
Monday, June 30th, 2008Japan: Filling the God Vacuum
CBNNews.com - Christianity in Japan has faced an uphill battle for hundreds of years. Religious freedom didn't come to the island nation until around the time of America's civil war.
Politicians Outraged by Child Rape Ruling
CBNNews.com - WASHINGTON - Angry politicians are sounding a defiant tone, after yesterday's supreme court ruling banning the death penalty for those who commit the crime of child rape.
MIND & SPIRIT: Global challenges to Bible translation
Despite the progress made in translating the Bible to many languages, there are still 300 million persons in the world, who do not yet have a verse of scripture in their indigenous language. Here is where the Jamaican and Caribbean church can make a difference.
PCUSA Assembly Approves Deleting Gay Clergy Ban
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s highest governing body voted Friday in favor of a proposal that would allow for the ordination of non-celibate gays and lesbians.
Survey Indicates 'Bland Secularism' among America's Religious
An unexpected percentage of Americans seem confused about the teachings of their faith, Christian scholars and leaders commented after viewing findings from the latest Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life survey.
6.7-Magnitude Earthquake Rocks India's Andaman Islands
NEW DELHI — The Indian Meteorological Department says a 6.7-magnitude earthquake has stuck the Andaman Islands off the east coast of India.
Iran: Israeli strike will not delay nuclear activity
General Mohammad Ali Jafari, chief of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, has issued a new warning against Israel not to attack it, saying the country is well within range of its missiles, the Iranian Jam-e Jam newspaper reported on Saturday.
Islam is real threat to church
Divisions in the Church of England over homosexuality and women bishops are nothing compared with the threat it faces from Islam, a prominent member of its governing body has warned.
HIV Rate Up 12 Percent Among Young 'Gay' Men
The number of young homosexual men being newly diagnosed with HIV infection is rising by 12 percent a year, with the steepest upward trend in young black men, according to a new report.
LifeWay study adds doubt about Pew poll’s claims regarding evangelicals’ ‘universalism’
The Pew findings indicated widespread agreement with universalism in the U.S., “70 percent of Americans with a religious affiliation say that many religions -- not just their own -- can lead to eternal life.” Pew also indicated 57 percent of those attending evangelical churches agree that many religions can lead to eternal life. Only 36 percent chose the alternative, “My religion is the one, true faith leading to eternal life.”
'Religion in private' OK, says ACLU
Colorado's new state law that was based on the apparent belief that free speech rights are not unalienable and they sometimes must be restricted is scaring residents who now fear expressing their opinions in public.
Study: Evangelicals Lesser Known than Homosexuals
More Americans are acquainted with a gay or lesbian person than an evangelical, according to a recent study.
Faked certificate suggests that Obama may not be "natural born" US citizen
It is now a certainty that the "birth certificate" claimed by the Barack Obama campaign as authentic is a photoshopped fake.
PCUSA reports biggest drop in nearly 30 years
The Presbyterian Church (USA) lost more than 57,000 members last year, the denomination's largest decline since 1981, church leaders announced at a churchwide General Assembly in San Jose, Calif.
Thursday, June 26th, 2008Western world is losing Christian values, says leading bishop
The Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester, claimed the declining importance of the church was creating a "double jeopardy" situation where faith was being challenged at a time when society would most benefit.
Uproar over prayer service for gays grows
As he has done for a number of years, Michael Bayly will arrive tonight at St. Joan of Arc Church ready to celebrate his God, his faith and his homosexuality.
Nazir-Ali: Christians must ‘recover nerve’, testify Christ
At a time when Christian witness should be at its strongest, there is reluctance even among Christians to speak about faith in Jesus, the Bishop of Rochester told journalists at a major summit of conservative Anglicans.
Court bans death penalty for child rape
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court declared Wednesday that executions are too severe a punishment for raping children, despite the "years of long anguish" for victims, in a ruling that restricts the death penalty to murder and crimes against the state.
Hamas says it will not police truce with Israel
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - The militant group Hamas said it remains committed to a cease-fire with Israel, but will not act as Israel's "police force" in confronting militants who breach the truce
Promoting the 'trendy' sin of homosexuality
A pro-family activist is blasting Chicago's PBS television station for airing alleged anti-Christian bigotry during a broadcast celebrating "gay pride" month.
Heinz sells mayo with homosexual kiss
Perhaps the Heinz corporation is attempting to define one of its 57 varieties. An advertisement run on British television for the company's New York Deli Mayo featured a man who children called "mum," a kiss between two men and the closing words – from one man to another – "Love ya! Straight home from work, sweet cheeks."
Ireland to hold second referendum
THE Irish Government is expected to bow to Franco-German pressure and hold a second referendum to try to rescue the Lisbon treaty that voters rejected this month.
Obama: Dobson Is 'Making Stuff Up' With Bible Criticism
LOS ANGELES — Barack Obama said Tuesday evangelical leader James Dobson was “making stuff up” when he accused the presumed Democratic presidential nominee of distorting the Bible.
Blond, white 12-year-old schoolboy is al-Qa'eda extremist, say police
A schoolboy aged 12 has been identified as an al-Qaeda inspired extremist after sending beheading videos to his classmates, police have disclosed.
Jesus in China: Life on the edge
With China in the throes of a religious awakening, Christian clerics and worshipers have emerged as an unexpected voice for reform and pluralism. From remote villages to elite universities, Christians form a diverse lobby that is rare in a nation split by class, opportunity and geography.
Muslim creationist preaches Islam
Unknown outside Muslim circles two years ago, Adnan Oktar -- the 52-year-old Turk behind the pseudonym Harun Yahya -- caught the attention of scientists and teachers in Europe and North America by mass-mailing them his 768-page "Atlas of Creation."
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008Dobson: Obama Distorting the Bible
CBNNews.com - COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - As Barack Obama broadens his outreach to evangelical voters, one of the movement's biggest names, James Dobson, accuses the likely Democratic presidential nominee of distorting the Bible and pushing a "fruitcake interpretation" of the Constitution.
Faith: What Americans Really Believe
CBNNews.com - WASHINGTON - A new study on faith in America is providing a better view of what Americans truly believe. Overwhelmingly, we believe in God. More than nine in ten Americans say God or a universal spirit exists.
Myanmar cyclone toll tops 138,000 dead and missing: official
More than 84,000 people died in last month's deadly cyclone, while nearly 54,000 were still missing, a Myanmar official said Tuesday, raising the government's estimate of the casualties.
'Israel to strike Iran after elections'
Israel is likely to attack Iran in the time between the November presidential election in the US and the inauguration of the new president, former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton told the Daily Telegraph in an interview published Tuesday.
Mormon church enters Calif. gay marriage fight
SALT LAKE CITY - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is asking California members to join the effort to amend that state's constitution to define marriage as being between a man and a woman.
Dobson accuses Obama of 'distorting' Bible and pushing a 'fruitcake interpretation' of the Constitution
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - As Barack Obama broadens his outreach to evangelical voters, one of the movement's biggest names, James Dobson, accuses the likely Democratic presidential nominee of distorting the Bible and pushing a "fruitcake interpretation" of the Constitution.
Many Dutch prepare for 2012 apocalypse
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, June 23 (UPI) -- Thousands of people in the Netherlands say they expect the world to end in 2012, and many say they are taking precautions to prepare for the apocalypse.
Tuesday, June 24th, 2008CA Court Re-examines Homeschool Case
CBNNews.com - A California appeals court will take a second look at the ruling that deemed nearly all homeschooling parents in the state unqualified to teach their children.
Obama: America is 'no longer Christian'
JERUSALEM – Some have been taking issue with largely unnoticed comments made last year by Sen. Barack Obama declaring the U.S. is "no longer a Christian nation" but is also a nation of others, including Muslims and nonbelievers. The comments have been recently recirculating on Internet blogs.
What are 300 Anglican clergy doing in Jerusalem?
Some 300 bishops - a third of the Anglican bishops in the world - arrived in Jerusalem this week to attend the Global Anglican Future Conference, organized by the traditionalist wing of the church, which is opposed to ordaining homosexual bishops. GAFCON is being staged as a rival to next month's Lambeth Conference in London, the Anglican Communion's main event held every 10 years.
Obama Embroiled in Financing Controversy
CBNNews.com - Senator Barack Obama is facing criticism for bypassing public funds.
Atheist wants Frankenmuth to remove religious symbols
FRANKENMUTH -- If this popular tourist mecca 80 miles north of Detroit wears Germany on one of its sleeves, the other contains Martin Luther. Founded by Lutheran missionaries who vowed to retain their old ways, the community of 4,800 has one of the highest concentrations of Lutherans in the Midwest. The city seal contains a Luther rose, the symbol for Lutheranism.
Group files suit over 'I Believe' plates in SC
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A group that advocates separation of church and state filed a federal lawsuit Thursday to prevent South Carolina from becoming the first state to create "I Believe" license plates.
Louisiana’s Latest Assault on Darwin
It comes as no surprise that the Louisiana State Legislature has overwhelmingly approved a bill that seeks to undercut the teaching of evolution in the public schools. The state, after all, has a sorry history as a hotbed of creationists’ efforts to inject religious views into science courses. All that stands in the way of this retrograde step is Gov. Bobby Jindal.
Will gay rights trample religious freedom?
Early this morning, gay and lesbian couples were surely lining up at county clerk's offices across the state to exercise their new right to marry, bestowed on them last month by the California Supreme Court.
Muslims Fight to Keep Church Out of Village
Pastor threatened with death; Islamic fundamentalists file case to take control of land.
Everything seemingly is spinning out of control
WASHINGTON - Is everything spinning out of control? Midwestern levees are bursting. Polar bears are adrift. Gas prices are skyrocketing. Home values are abysmal. Air fares, college tuition and health care border on unaffordable. Wars without end rage in Iraq, Afghanistan and against terrorism.
Young Baptist preachers diverge
DENVER — J.D. Greear persuaded his church to drop the word "Baptist" from its name, sell its historic building in Durham, N.C., and move into a local high school. Greear preaches in an untucked collared shirt, sportcoat and jeans. He generally avoids politics but signed a statement urging action on global warming.
Asia's 'Sin City' is World Gaming Capital
CBNNews.com - MACAU, China -- From the flashing lights of the MGM, Venetian and Wynn, it might seem like you're in Las Vegas. But thousands of miles away off of the southeastern coast of China, Macau is Asia's premier gambling destination.
Thursday, June 19th, 2008Security Tight near China's Muslims
CBNNews.com - KASHGAR, China - Hundreds of security personnel lined the streets to head off any disruption as the Olympic torch relay resumed Wednesday in western China's restive Muslim region of Xinjiang.
At least 51 are killed in blast at Baghdad market
BAGHDAD — Explosives stowed in a minibus obliterated part of a bustling marketplace and set ablaze a crowded apartment building in the heavily Shiite Huriya district of northwest Baghdad, killing at least 51 people and wounding 75 late Tuesday afternoon, Iraqi security officials said.
U.S. to guarantee Israel's capital to Palestinians?
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday pledged to study a Palestinian proposal for the U.S. to guarantee eastern sections of Jerusalem will become part of a future Palestinian state, WND has learned.
J'lem gay parade set for next Thursday
The capital's controversial annual Gay Pride Parade, which has repeatedly encountered vehement and sometimes violent opposition from the haredi and religious public as well as Christian and Muslim religious leaders, is scheduled to take place next Thursday with its most vocal opponents, the haredi community, choosing to avoid public protests in an effort to minimize publicity of the event, both organizers and opponents said Tuesday.
Memo shows strategy to legalize 'gay marriage' in every state
SAN FRANCISCO (BP)--If the major homosexual activist groups have their way, there won't be an outbreak of "gay marriage" lawsuits nationwide now that California has legalized such unions -- at least not yet.
Study: Religious Congregations Have Lowest Mortality Rate
Religious congregations in the United States have a "mortality rate" of 1 percent, which is the lowest among other organizations, according to a newly published study.
New 'Pro-Life Pharmacies' Defend Religious, Moral Objections
In 2002, Neil Noesen, a Wisconsin pharmacist and devout Roman Catholic, faced a nightmare after he was slapped with $20,000 in court fines and restrictions on his license for refusing to hand a patient prescription that could be used for an abortion.
EU Presses Ahead With Treaty Ratification Despite Irish "No"
Ahead of a summit in Brussels, the European Union called Wednesday for the ratification process of the Lisbon Treaty to continue despite its crushing rejection by Irish voters last week.
Syria: Peace with Israel will be 'bliss'
A senior Syrian official has expressed confidence regarding the possibility that indirect peace talks with Israel will come to fruition, saying that a peace agreement would be a source of "bliss" in the Middle East.
World Bank president praises Russian economy
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti economic commentator Oleg Mityayev) - World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick arrived in Moscow on June 16 to discuss urgent problems in the global economy, including the financial and food crises and aid to the poorest countries, with Russian leaders.
Transgender activists remove clothing in public
In Massachusetts, the first U.S. state to make same-sex marriages official, the next wave of the war over sexual identity and morality has begun. Transgender activists, many of whom had undergone hormone treatments and surgical procedures to alter their gender appearance, marched down the main street in Northampton, Mass., last week, carrying signs demanding the passage of new laws to end discrimination against transsexuals.
Wednesday, June 18th, 2008Church of England Reaches 'Unsettled Moment' on Gays, Women Bishops
“There is no doubt that we are at an unsettled moment in the Church of England,” the Secretary General of the Church of England General Synod told journalists on Monday.
Syria to join Israel at Mediterranean summit: French FM
PARIS (AFP) — Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will be joining Israel's leader at a summit to launch a new Mediterranean Union in Paris next month, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Tuesday.
Flooding hits southern China
Over a million people have been forced to flee their homes after flooding in southern China.
Bush Becoming a Catholic?
President Bush may follow in the footsteps of his brother Jeb and convert to Catholicism, several European papers are reporting. In the wake of the president’s visit to see Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican, Italian newspapers, citing Vatican sources, said Bush was open to the idea of converting to Catholicism.
EU ministers say treaty not dead after Irish 'no'
Luxembourg: European Union foreign ministers said on Monday they would keep the EU reform treaty alive despite Ireland's "no" vote, but conceded they had no quick fixes for rescuing it.
Congress Draws Criticism Over First Pro-Gay Caucus
Conservative and pro-family groups spoke of an outrage Friday after a coalition of Republican and Democratic lawmakers joined to create the House’s first Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Caucus.
Muslims launch U.S.-wide census
A team of Islamic advocacy groups and statistical organizations will start a nationwide census of American mosques this summer that organizers hope will paint a more accurate picture of the size and ethnic composition of U.S. Muslims.
Grand Juries Become Latest Abortion Battlefield
WICHITA, Kan. — Opponents of Dr. George Tiller and his clinic here, one of the nation’s few providers of late-term abortions, have tried many ways to stop him over three decades. They have held protests, lobbied lawmakers and complained persistently to state regulators and prosecutors. There have also been several acts of violence, including one in which Dr. Tiller was shot in both arms.
500 clergy set to desert Church over 'betrayal' on women bishops
More than 500 clergy could leave the Church of England in response to proposals to consecrate women bishops that will be debated at the General Synod next month.
Vatican bans Dan Brown film Angels & Demons from Rome churches
The Vatican has banned the makers of a prequel to The Da Vinci Code from filming in its grounds or any church in Rome, describing the work as “an offence against God”.
'Death teaching' found in schools
Inaccurate textbooks, parents' rights being violated, sex education that goes too far. Found in schools in a Third World nation or a repressive Islamic society? Nope. Right here in the good ol' United States of America.
Gays Rush to Tie the Knot in California
CBNNews.com - WASHINGTON - Today is the first full day same-sex couples can legally marry in California. But while hundreds - maybe even thousands - are tying the knot, opponents are mounting an effort to ban the practice.
Tuesday, June 17th, 2008Here's the church, but where are the people?
SOUTHBRIDGE - There was a time when the First United Methodist Church here was a hub of activity, with a booming school, regular church suppers, and worshipers who packed the pews of the white steepled building.
Obscenity trial halted after judge's porn site revealed
The chief judge in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Alex Kozinski, has suspended a closely watched obscenity trial in Los Angeles federal court after being caught posting sexually explicit photos and videos on his own website.
British Teenager Becomes 14th Woman to Die From Dangerous Abortion Drug
London, England (LifeNews.com) -- A new report indicates a teenager died just one week after having a legal abortion -- providing more evidence that legal abortions are not safe for women. Manon Jones, an 18-year-old student from Caernarfon, Gwynedd experienced heavy bleeding after the abortion and eventually died.
Norway okays homosexual marriages, adoptions
OSLO - Norway has become the sixth country in the world to give homosexuals the legal right to "marry," with all the benefits previously given only to heterosexual couples. The new "marriage" law also allows homosexuals to adopt children and permits lesbians to be artificially inseminated.
Rescuers Battle Buckled Roads, Aftershocks After Japan Quake Kills 9
Soldiers fighting through a torrent of mud and rocks dug out three bodies at a hot spring Sunday, bringing the death toll from a magnitude 7.2-earthquake that hit the mountains of northern Japan to at least nine, with more than 200 injured.
Homosexuality takes Congress by storm
The two openly homosexual members of the U.S. House of Representatives have recruited 50 of their colleagues to officially join them in promoting the homosexual agenda in Congress.
Why Secularism Will Not Work
"As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for," warns Katha Pollitt. Writing in The Nation, Pollitt is warning Democrats that their embrace of religious leaders and symbols will lead to embarrassment and disaster. Her proposal - embrace secularism.
Washington state mulls assisted suicide measure
OLYMPIA, Wash. - There isn't much John Peyton can do on his own except speak, and soon he'll lose even that. The former Boeing computer programmer has Lou Gehrig's disease, which progressively paralyzes its victims. His doctor gives him three to six months to live.
Man fined for preaching near Liberty Bell
A man arrested for preaching on a public sidewalk too close to the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia has been declared guilty of violating federal law. He was fined over $400 and put on probation, told not to go in Independence National Historical Park – or on its surrounding sidewalks – for a year.
Thousands evacuated as rains lash China quake region
Tens of thousands of victims of China's Sichuan earthquake were evacuated Monday as torrential rain lashed the region, triggering flood warnings on rivers including the Yangtze and the Pearl.
Irish voters shoot down EU treaty
DUBLIN - Irish voters resoundingly rejected a treaty designed to modernize the European Union, the second time in three years that European voters have shot down a complex proposal to create more authority and world influence at the bloc's Brussels headquarters.
Anglican church in new row over 'gay' marriage between clergy
The Church of England has been plunged into a new crisis with the first "gay marriage" between clergy to be held in one of its leading parish churches. Although bishops have been turning their blindest eyes to discreet services of blessing for gay couples that have been taking place for up to 30 years, the closeness of the liturgy of the latest service to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer marriage ceremony will add to the pressures in the debate over homosexuality.
Malik Obama confirms his half-brother Barack grew up a Muslim
Apparently the Obamas of Kenya have been reading those scurrilous emails to which Barack likes to refer, because they have no doubt -- contrary to the claims of the Obama campaign, that the presidential candidate was raised a Moslem. They take that as a given.
Monday, June 16th, 2008Islamic Textbook Teaches It's OK to Kill
CBNNews.com - A federal investigation released Wednesday reveals that some Islamic textbooks are teaching kids it's okay to kill adulterers and converts from Islam.
Is Adoption Really a Christian Duty?
CBNNews.com - The Bible tells us to care for the orphans and that task grows tougher each year. Right now, there are an estimated 140 million orphans worldwide.
George W Bush meets Pope amid claims he might convert to Catholicism
The two men spoke for half an hour in the 12th century Tower of St John, a private area in the Vatican gardens which is used by the pope for private reflection.
Darwinists for Jesus
In 1981, Michael Dowd would have counted himself among the millions of conservative Christians who blame Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and the idea of a godless, purposeless universe for the moral decline of society. That year, as a freshman at Evangel University in Springfield, Mo., Dowd felt a rush of indignant anger in biology class when the professor held up a textbook that taught evolution. As he stormed out of the classroom, Dowd could not have imagined that he would come to view evolution as a spiritually inspiring idea that religion must embrace.
Pro-Family Groups Call for Removal of Judge in Obscenity Case
In one of the nation’s most high profile cases involving the prosecution of obscenity, pro-family groups and other commentators believed that they had a solid case against a Los Angeles advertizing agency owner who produced and sold thousands of what one attorney described as “the most extreme [pornographic videos] ever been put on trial.”
Obama's use of 'Joshua Generation' challenged
The plans by the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., a longtime supporter of abortions throughout pregnancy, to launch a major "Joshua Generation Project" to reach out to young Christian evangelicals and Catholics may have run into a glitch.
Poll: Most Americans Say Moral Climate is Getting Worse
Few Americans give the country's moral climate high marks, and the latest survey revealed that they feel it's only getting worse.
Crews search for missing in Japan's 7.2 quake
KURIHARA, Japan - Rescue squads and military helicopters raced to find 11 people missing after an earthquake in mountainous northern Japan sent hillsides crashing down Saturday, killing at least six and injuring more than 140.
More churchgoers are carrying guns
Matthew Murray's assault on New Life Church in Colorado Springs and the Youth With a Mission campus in Arvada in December has made worshipers more likely to carry guns, speakers at a church security workshop said.
Obama's Abortion Bombshell: Unrestricted Abortion
Barack Obama, the presumptive pro-abortion nominee of the Democratic Party, has plans to reward the allies that helped him topple Hillary Clinton from her throne by making total unrestricted abortion in the United States his number one priority as president.
Norway passes same sex marriage law
Same sex partners will now be able marry as the Norwegian parliament passed a new marriage law on Wednesday. Adoption will be easier and lesbian couples will qualify for state funded fertility treatment.
NY Times: The Great Seduction
The people who created this country built a moral structure around money. The Puritan legacy inhibited luxury and self-indulgence. Benjamin Franklin spread a practical gospel that emphasized hard work, temperance and frugality. Millions of parents, preachers, newspaper editors and teachers expounded the message. The result was quite remarkable.
Friday, June 13th, 2008East Coast Heat Wave Claims 17 Lives
CBNNews.com - PHILADELPHIA - The East Coast heat wave has claimed the lives of 17 people, and most of the victims were elderly.
Stakes high in California gay marriage fight
Conservative US Christians see California's gay marriage issue as a defining battle that could set the stage for a national showdown and get the vote out for the Republican Party in the November presidential election, a leading evangelical said.
People with higher IQs are less likely to believe in God, according to a new study.
Professor Richard Lynn, emeritus professor of psychology at Ulster University, said many more members of the "intellectual elite" considered themselves atheists than the national average.
The Incredible Holy Spirit
When I was a teenager, there were a few TV shows that were more than just an “occasional see.” They were a “must see” – as in, when they came on, nothing (except perhaps a breakout of thermonuclear war) was going to move my firmly couch planted person anywhere until the program was over.
Biblical message now criminalized
A new Colorado law is helping homosexual activists achieve their goal of forcing Christians to teach biblical condemnation of homosexuality only behind the closed doors of their sanctuaries.
Iranian leader calls Bush a 'wicked man'
SHAHR-E-KORD, Iran - Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called President Bush a "wicked man" Wednesday. Addressing thousands of people in this central city, he said Bush had set out to damage Iran but failed to halt its nuclear program and would not succeed in his goal of attacking the Islamic republic.
Billboard: Imagine No Religion
Denver's secularists wanting freedom from religion have taken over one corner in the public square to make the point.
Thursday, June 12th, 2008Prayer complaint puts city in hot seat
GRAND JUNCTION — The city's long-standing practice of starting meetings with prayers might be challenged in court by an atheist group.
School Apologizes to Muslim Student Over Graduation Held in Church
Trenton, N.J. (AP) - A Muslim student who sued because his public high school graduation ceremony was held in a Baptist church has received an apology from Newark's school district and assurances that it will not hold future events in houses of worship.
Obama to Woo Young Evangelicals, Catholics
Barack Obama will soon unveil his new plan to woo young evangelicals and Catholics in hopes of turning them into Obama voters this November.
With U.S. in slump, dual citizenship in EU countries attracts Americans
For millions of Europeans who braved the Atlantic Ocean for a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty and dreams of a lavish life, there was little thought of ever emigrating back.
ACLU to push 'gay' rights in U.S. heartland
NEW YORK — The American Civil Liberties Union announced by far the largest fundraising campaign in its 88-year history Monday, eying a dramatic expansion of its work on social justice issues in relatively conservative states such as Texas and Florida.
Jordan archaeologists unearth 'world's first church'
Archaeologists in Jordan have unearthed what they claim is the world's first church, dating back almost 2,000 years, The Jordan Times reported on Tuesday.
Olmert warns new US administration may not be as 'friendly'
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday Israel should push to advance peace talks the Palestinian Authority in the final months of US President George W. Bush's term in office as, "there is no telling what thing would look like once a new president is elected."
Israel's Messianic Jews Draw Ire of Orthodox Jews
Tension over religious faith has been boiling between two communities in Israel and recently spilled over into a shocking attack on one group of Jews by another.
Prominent Evangelical Names Four Modern Horsemen of the Apocalypse
INDIANAPOLIS – Many people say evangelicals are stuck on one issue – whether it’s abortion or same-sex “marriage” – when speaking out to defend moral values. But to those defending, it’s not just a single issue.
Wednesday, June 11th, 2008Christians Accused of Hate Crime
CBNNews.com - Two Christian preachers are suing British police after an officer accused them of a "hate crime" for handing out gospel literature in a Muslim area of Birmingham in February. Arthur Cunningham and Joseph Abraham say they were told to stop and threatened with arrest.
Warning to Baptists: Turn or burn
If one desire can describe the mood of Americans this election season, it is a longing for change. There can be no doubt that change is ahead on several fronts. The question is: Will it be good change, or change for the worse? The largest Protestant denomination in America, the Southern Baptists, is sending representatives from thousands of churches to convene in Indianapolis for the 151st session of the Southern Baptist Convention on June 10 and 11. The church is in crisis. Outgoing president Rev. Frank Page estimates that only half of Southern Baptist churches will still exist two decades from now.
Christian coalition fined $5,000 for anti-gay letter
The Alberta Human Rights Commission has fined a Christian group $5,000 for an anti-gay letter that was published in a Red Deer newspaper.
Mugabe hits out at Zimbabwe churches
The Harare offices of the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance (ZCA) were raided and five staff members were taken to the Harare Central Police station for questioning on Monday afternoon, reports Christian development agency Tearfund.
Gay Anglican US bishop enters into civil union
The openly gay US Episcopal bishop at the centre of the Anglican church's global battle over homosexuality, has entered into a civil union with his longtime partner at a private ceremony.
Study: One-Fourth Of NYC Residents Have Herpes
NEW YORK (CBS) ― Now might be the time for New Yorkers to take advantage of the free condom campaign the city promotes. A new study by the city's Health Department found more than a quarter of adult residents are infected with the herpes virus.
France warns Ireland on EU treaty 'No' vote
French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner has warned Ireland about the consequences of voting "No" in Thursday's referendum, saying the Irish would be the "first victim" if they reject the EU treaty.
Government to pastor: Renounce your faith!
The Canadian government has ordered a Christian pastor to renounce his faith and never again express moral opposition to homosexuality, according to a new report. In a decision handed down just days ago in the penalty phase of the quasi-judicial proceedings run by the Alberta Human Rights Tribunal, evangelical pastor Stephen Boisson was banned from expressing his biblical perspective of homosexuality and ordered to pay $5,000 for "damages for pain and suffering" as well as apologize to the activist who complained of being hurt.
Textbooks on Islamic Teachings Dumbed Down
A new report issued by the American Textbook Council says books approved for use in local school districts for teaching middle and high school students about Islam caved in to political correctness and dumbed down the topic at a critical moment in its history.
Tuesday, June 10th, 2008Natural Disasters Up More Than 400 Percent in Two Decades
The number of natural disasters around the world has increased by more than four times in the last 20 years, according to a report released by the British charity Oxfam. Oxfam analyzed data from the Red Cross, United Nations and researchers at Louvain University in Belgium.
Christians Accused of Hate Crime
CBNNews.com - Two Christian preachers are suing British police after an officer accused them of a "hate crime" for handing out gospel literature in a Muslim area of Birmingham in February. Arthur Cunningham and Joseph Abraham say they were told to stop and threatened with arrest.
Website Lets Christians E-Mail Friends After Rapture
Christians who believe they might one day be physically swept up to heaven in the Rapture will be able to send e-mails to loved ones left behind on Earth nearly one week after the apocalyptic event takes place, thanks to a new website.
Religious Left Gaining Prominence in U.S. Politics
For decades, when Americans talked about faith and politics the phrase “religious right” came to mind. But the country’s political landscape is changing and now the “religious left” is re-emerging to play a prominent role in U.S. politics, observed one of the country’s foremost experts on faith and politics.
Church attacks Labour for betraying Christians
The policies of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have helped to generate a spiritual, civic and economic crisis in Britain, according to an important Church of England report.
'Gay counselling' call rejected
A gay rights campaigner has rejected a Northern Ireland assembly member's call for homosexuals to seek psychiatric counselling.
Anti-abortion leader: Movement is weak
The founder of one of the anti-abortion movement's most famous organizations said Friday in Wichita that the movement is badly weakened --"on the ropes" -- in part because the nation's clergy have lost their desire to pursue the cause and in part because young people don't care.
I Have No Interest in God
Q: I want to make myself clear: I have no interest in God or religion, and I don't care who knows it. As far as I'm concerned, God doesn't exist, and this life is all there is. Don't even bother to write me back, because I'm not interested. - G.P.
Church of England: UK Gov't Favors Islam, Ignores Christianity
LONDON – Britain's government has largely ignored the concerns of Christians as it has courted Muslims and members of minority faiths, a new Church of England report concludes, officials said Saturday.
Strong earthquake jolts Greece
ATHENS, Greece (CNN) -- A strong earthquake jolted western Greece on Sunday, killing at least two people and trapping several people beneath collapsed buildings, according to officials and state-run media.
Darwin 'ripped off' theory of evolution
According to author Roy Davies, former head of factual programming for BBC Wales, new evidence demonstrates that Charles Darwin stole his theory of evolution from a Welsh scientist working in Indonesia.
Friday, June 6th, 2008Gay 'Marriage' Uproar Erupts in Greece
Heated controversy erupted in Greece Tuesday after the mayor of Tilos, a small island in the Aegean sea, stood over the nation’s first gay “marriage” ceremony. In total, 30 couples were wed.
Mark Steyn on trial for comments on Islam
VANCOUVER, June 3, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal has had its first day of hearings in the case being brought against syndicated columnist and author Mark Steyn, and Maclean's Magazine that published an excerpt from his book, "America Alone".
Priest Who Mocked Clinton Told to Take a Leave
CHICAGO (AP) - Cardinal Francis George asked a Chicago priest on Tuesday to temporarily step down from his post to "reflect on his recent statements" regarding Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and her bid for the White House.
Boy Threatened by School Officials over Anti-Abortion Shirts
A Christian legal group is suing a middle school in Hutchinson, Minn., in federal court over the right of a 12-year-old boy to wear pro-life t-shirts in school.
Same-Sex 'Marriage' Today; Polygamy Tomorrow
Within a week, courts in California and Texas issued rulings that, when it comes to traditional marriage, suggest that the so-called “alarmists” have actually understated the dangers.
Creationist school fights ruling
A Bible-based school and research institute has asked the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to reverse its decision not to allow the school to offer a master's degree in science education.
Nation of Islam activists on Obama camp payroll
JERUSALEM – Sen. Barack Obama employed and continues to employ senior staffers who belong to the Nation of Islam, and the presidential candidate has some "worrying" ties to the controversial group headed by Louis Farrakhan, a former key Obama insider told WND.
Opponents of Evolution Adopting New Strategy
DALLAS — Opponents of teaching evolution, in a natural selection of sorts, have gradually shed those strategies that have not survived the courts. Over the last decade, creationism has given rise to “creation science,” which became “intelligent design,” which in 2005 was banned from the public school curriculum in Pennsylvania by a federal judge.
The New Face of Islam
Back in the mid-1990s, Osama bin Laden had a problem, and it was Islam. He wanted to say the Qur'an gave his followers license to kill innocents—and themselves—in the cause of "jihad." That was how he could justify his global campaign of terror. But that's not what the Muslim holy book says, and that's not the way it was interpreted by any of the great scholars and preachers of the faith.
Ahmadinejad Calls U.S. 'Satanic,' Israel 'About to Die'
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad predicted that Muslims would uproot “satanic powers” and reaffirmed his prediction that the Jewish state will soon be wiped off the map, the Agence France-Presse news agency reported Monday.
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008Ahmadinejad says Israel will soon disappear
TEHRAN (AFP) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad predicted on Monday that Muslims would uproot "satanic powers" and repeated his controversial belief that Israel will soon disappear, the Mehr news agency reported.
Temple Mount '100% Islamic'
JERUSALEM – Jerusalem and the Temple Mount belong to the Muslims and any Israeli action that "offends" the Mount will be answered by 1.5 billion Muslims, declared the chief of staff for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Video captures tirade against pro-lifers
The free-speech rights of a University of Wisconsin pro-life club were violated recently, and the incident has been posted on the popular video-sharing website YouTube.
Creation school fights political correctness
A Dallas-based graduate school has run into a David-vs-Goliath situation ... and a bit of political correctness.
Coach fired for assistant's evangelism
A Michigan wrestling coach has lost his job because a former assistant coach tried to convert Muslim students to Christianity.
Creation Museum plans expansion
The group behind a museum that focuses on the biblical account of creation plans to expand the facility in Northern Kentucky over the next year, focusing on programs for children. Answers in Genesis founder Ken Ham said that among additions to the Creation Museum will be kiosks aimed at kids and an outdoor playground.
Pastor Moves an Atheistic Hungary
CBNNews.com - BUDAPEST, Hungary- Pastor Sandor Nemeth knows what it's like to live under an atheistic communist regime.
China's Christians Reach Out to Devastated
CBNNews.com - XIANGYANG VILLAGE, China - Trying to describe the extent of the devastation here in China is so difficult to put in words.
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008Christians face arrest for preaching gospel
Two American-born pastors handing out gospel leaflets in a predominantly Muslim area of Birmingham, England, were threatened with arrest and warned of being beaten for committing what an officer called a "hate crime."
Taking Their Faith, but Not Their Politics, to the People
ST. LOUIS — Southern Baptists, as a rule, do not drink. But once a month, young congregants of the Journey, a Baptist church here, and their friends get together in the back room of a sprawling brew pub called the Schlafly Bottleworks to talk about the big questions: President Bush, faith and war, the meaning of life, and “what’s wrong with religion.”
Preacher on trial for murder of elderly millionaire
Fresno, Calif. – The Rev. Howard Douglas Porter says he tried to brake before his truck plunged into an irrigation ditch, and that he made a desperate effort to save his elderly passenger from drowning in the mire.
Algeria Muslim body slams Christian evangelists
Algeria hit back on Saturday at foreign accusations minority Christians are harassed, saying Protestant evangelicals were secretly trying to divide Algerians to colonise the mainly Muslim north African country.
Parsons tells churches: Be more than relevant
Care for the Family’s Rob Parsons is appealing to churches to reach out and meet the needs of the people in their communities.
France: Iran Continues Nuclear Weapons Program
SINGAPORE - France's defense minister said Sunday that evidence indicated Iran was still pursuing a military nuclear program, and he urged Tehran to prove otherwise by opening its program to greater international scrutiny.
When Judges Become Gods
For the past two weeks, gay “marriage” has been the talk of the town – mostly as a result of the California Supreme Court’s infamous May 15 ruling, which has set the stage for homosexuals to tie the knot in June.
NY to recognize homosexual unions
New York State has taken steps to recognize homosexual unions from other states and countries.
Few Churchgoers Tithe
Linda Pateo of Gardendale, Ala., says she and her husband, Robert, try to give 5% of their income to their church and 5% to Christian charities, but it's difficult with three children in college.
Imams to teach in state schools to tackle extremism
Imams will teach in state schools under Government plans for tackling extremism to be announced next week.
Radical Islam taking advantage of Christianity's decline
Radical Islam is threatening to fill a “moral vacuum” in Britain as a result of a decline of Christian values, a senior Church of England bishop has said.
Dalai Lama reaches out to British atheists
LONDON (AP) — Late-night revelers in London's pricey Mayfair district may see a light on if they amble past the London Hilton at 3:30 a.m. That's when the Dalai Lama rises for four hours of meditation, even when he is on the road.
Thursday, May 29th, 2008Teachers Ignore Courts on Evolution Debate
CBNNews.com - Creationism and intelligent design still have a place in schools despite losing battles in court, a recent study says.
California Gay Weddings Set for June 14
SAN FRANCISCO -- Same-sex couples in some California counties will be able to marry as soon as June 14, the president of the California's county clerks association said.
Christians Hungry for Sermon Podcasts
Christians are statistically on par with national norms when it comes to being plugged in to digital technologies and social networks, a new study showed. But the study also found that the country's faithful is even more in tune with podcasting than other adults are.
Group Concerned Over Media's Portrayal of Christians
The Christian Broadcasting Council has voiced concern over the media’s portrayal of Christians and pro-life campaigners following recent coverage of their views on the Human Fertilization and Embryology Bill.
Stress is God's 'Alarm System' for Off-Track Life, Says Author
Stress is a sign that a Christian is living a different purpose than God intended, an author says in his new book.
420,000 houses collapse in China aftershocks: state media
More than 420,000 houses collapsed in quake-hit Sichuan province in southwest China after two fresh aftershocks hit the area on Tuesday afternoon, state media reported.
Red Cross Warns of Food Riots Over Soaring Prices
GENEVA -- The Red Cross warned Tuesday of a possible surge in "food-related violence" because of soaring prices that are increasing hunger around the world.
Secret plans under way to tear down Christian symbols
U.S. soldiers stationed at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo may be stunned to find three wooden crosses stripped from the exterior grounds of their chapel in coming weeks – and many never saw it coming.
Christian Ministry Criticized for Planned Parenthood Partnership
The nation’s largest Christian ministry dedicated to housing the poor has drawn criticism from pro-life groups recently over its joint partnership with the nation’s largest provider of surgical abortions.
Monument to homosexual victims of Nazis unveiled
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany unveiled a monument to the tens of thousands of homosexuals persecuted under the Nazis, whose laws were used to prosecute gay men for a generation after World War Two.
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008Iraqi Christians Warn of 'New Catastrophe for Humanity'
(CNSNews.com) - Days before Sweden hosts an international conference aimed at pushing ahead the political and economic reform process in Iraq, hundreds of exiled Iraqi Christians demonstrated outside the country's parliament Sunday to draw attention to the minority's plight in their homeland.
Church of England told to stop watering down faith
The Church of England is divided over a proposed motion urging it to proclaim Christianity as the only way to salvation and offer strategies on how to evangelise Muslims.
McCain Inteview: Obama Wants to Surrender in Iraq
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Republican John McCain on Monday sharply criticized Democratic rival Barack Obama for not having been to Iraq since 2006, and said they should visit the war zone together.
Church of England Advised Against Withholding Christ from Muslims
The Church of England is divided over a proposed motion for it to proclaim Christianity as the only way to salvation and offer strategies on how to evangelize Muslims.
Jesus Statue Prompts Controversy in Vermont School
BRISTOL, Vt. — Two students who put up a small statue of Jesus in a high school lobby area have been asked to take it down because it violates school policy.
Calif. Episcopal Church to Perform Same-Sex Weddings
An Episcopal church in California plans to perform marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples beginning mid-June.
Muslim 'Numbers Game' Proving Deadly for Christian Converts, Says Expert
Inflated accounts of how many Muslims are converting to Christianity are putting the lives of these vulnerable followers of Jesus Christ at risk, warns an expert on Islam and Christianity.
Pastors pose problems for McCain and Obama
Republican Sen. John McCain and Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, both seeking to use religion to their advantage in the presidential campaign, have learned painful lessons about the risks of getting too close to religious leaders.
Monday, May 26th, 2008China Aftershock Destroys 71,000 Homes
CBNNews.com - CHENGDU, China - A powerful aftershock destroyed tens of thousands of homes in central China on Sunday, killing two people and straining recovery efforts from the country's worst earthquake in three decades. More than 480 others were injured.
Church to debate convert motion
A traditionalist Anglican has said he will continue with a campaign for the Church of England to work explicitly to convert Muslims to Christianity.
Preaching 'Sound Doctrine' in an Age that Avoids It
Doctrine isn't a popular word among Christians today. Some church leaders avoid the topic when preaching from the pulpit because it tends to divide. So when Seattle church pastor Mark Driscoll began a sermon series specifically on doctrine, he received several phone calls from pastors who lead large flocks asking if anyone is still coming out to listen to the series.
The bear is back
As recent reports make clear, Russia is now forcing its way back into the Middle East - and not necessarily in the most encouraging manner. By dangerously increasing its arms sales to the region, Moscow is seeking to restore prestige, bolster influence and - not least - to make money.
2 arrested for talking about Jesus
Two preachers, including an American who specializes in delivering the message of the Gospel in public places, have been arrested and face a July trial for carrying a sign telling people about Jesus at a freedom celebration in Norway.
McCain rejects preacher's endorsement
UNION CITY, California (AP) — Republican presidential candidate John McCain has rejected the endorsement of an influential Texas televangelist criticized for his anti-Catholic views.
Thursday, May 22nd, 2008Obama is not Christian but Muslim
Per Andrea Useem of Religion News Service, the Pew Research Center poll reveals that one in 10 Americans say B. Hussein Obama is Muslim, not Christian. Obama denies that he is Muslim. That must make American Muslims feel quite comfortable.
Church of Scientology: Boy faces court for 'cult not religion' placard
A teenage boy is facing a possible criminal prosecution for holding a sign describing the Church of Scientology as a "cult", police said on Tuesday.
Britain Rejects Motions to Tighten Abortion Law
LONDON -- British lawmakers rejected attempts to restrict abortion laws Tuesday, opposing measures that would have reduced the amount of time a pregnancy could be terminated. Legislators voted in favor of keeping the current law, which allows abortions during the first 24 weeks of a woman's pregnancy. Several failed motions would have set the limit as low as 12 weeks.
‘Big Brother’ database for phones and e-mails
A massive government database holding details of every phone call, e-mail and time spent on the internet by the public is being planned as part of the fight against crime and terrorism. Internet service providers (ISPs) and telecoms companies would hand over the records to the Home Office under plans put forward by officials.
Critics Slam Boston Doctor Who Offers Sex Change Treatment to Kids
Boston’s Children’s Hospital bills itself as the hospital for children — and now it’s also the hospital for children who want a sex change, a procedure some critics are calling “barbaric.” Dr. Norman Spack, a pediatric specialist at the hospital, has launched a clinic for transgendered kids — boys who feel like girls, girls who want to be boys — and he’s opening his doors to patients as young as 7.
Survey: Hollywood More Dangerous than Evolution
The impact of Hollywood on America’s spiritual health is more dangerous than that of Darwinism/evolution, said pro-family Christians in a recent survey. Eight-nine percent of the more than 13,000 Christian respondents of Coral Ridge Ministries’ 2008 Annual Spiritual State of the Nation Survey view Hollywood as “very” dangerous to the nation’s spiritual well-being, compared to 85 percent who consider Darwinism/evolution the same degree of threat.
Orthodox Jewish Youths Burn New Testaments in Israel
Orthodox Jews set fire to hundreds of copies of the New Testament in the latest act of violence against Christian missionaries in the Holy Land. Or Yehuda Deputy Mayor Uzi Aharon said missionaries recently entered a neighborhood in the predominantly religious town of 34,000 in central Israel, distributing hundreds of New Testaments and missionary material.
Honest debate on climate change urged
A senior meteorologist with AccuWeather.com has posted an open letter to the 2008 presidential candidates challenging them to conduct an honest debate over climate change.
Relief denied to Burmese Christians
The ruling military government, or junta, in Burma is being accused of denying relief aid to minority Christians.
No substitute for enforcing laws on obscenity
A number of anti-pornography and traditional values groups were on hand in Washington, DC, earlier today to highlight against the federal government's lack of enforcement of obscenity laws.
Creation Museum still a hit after one year
PETERSBURG - Instead of going directly to a family gathering in Illinois, Larry and Shirley Lawrence of Hattiesburg, Miss., stopped by the Creation Museum in Petersburg.
MPs back creation of human-animal embryos
British scientists will be allowed to research devastating diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s using human-animal embryos, after the House of Commons rejected a ban yesterday.
Survey: 70 Percent of Americans Find Divorce 'Morally Acceptable'
An alarming 70 percent of Americans now believe that divorce is “morally acceptable,” according to a recent poll by Gallup’s 2008 Values and Beliefs survey.
Free Quran coming to your doorstep?
If you're in your front yard, working in the flower bed or chatting with a neighbor, they'll pass by silently to attach one of the bags they're carrying to your frontdoor knob and leave without speaking or engaging you in debate.
Exposing the Darwinian Paradox
Many of you have probably seen or at least heard of Ben Stein’s documentary film, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. The film tackles allegations of suppressed academic freedom within American universities and attempts to demonstrate that any scientist who dares to question the Darwinian explanation of life on earth is sure to end his or her academic career.
Tuesday, May 20th, 2008Orthodox Jews in US slam same-sex decision
The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (UOJCA) and Agudath Israel of America, two of the largest Orthodox organizations in the US, over the weekend attacked a California Supreme Court ruling that permits same-sex marriages.
City clerk suing not to wed 'gays'
On the heels of last week's ruling legalizing same-sex marriages in California, a city clerk in England is suing her employer for the right not to officiate at homosexual weddings because of her faith.
Alien life 'doesn't negate God's existence'
THE search for extraterrestrial life does not contradict belief in God, the pope's chief astronomer said today, adding that some aliens may even be innocent of the original sin.
Texas pastor resigns after involvement in gay porn site exposed
Yesterday evening, Fr. Mallinson resigned from his new position as pastor after the Dallas Diocese received numerous complaints about his involvement in a prominent, pornographic online network for actively homosexual priests and religious, reports Michael Baggot, LifeSiteNews.com.
Opponents Challenge Gay Marriage Ruling
CBNNews.com - Gay couples in California are singing for joy, thanks to a 4-3 decision by the California Supreme Court to overturn the state's gay marriage ban. The court's ruling nullifies a law approved by the voters of California in 2000 that defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
Natural disasters: Reminder to repent
The senior pastor of Chicago's Moody Church says the natural disasters that have struck places like Myanmar and China are symptoms of a whole world that's under judgment of sin – and not just a swipe by God at any particular sinners.
Monday, May 19th, 2008Evangelical writers challenged to avoid alienating the unchurched
PORTLAND, OR – Evangelical writers nearly always alienate non-evangelicals in their works, noted long-time Christian writer and editor Tim McLaughlin.
Pope thanks virgins for 'total gift' to Christ
VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict thanked consecrated women virgins gathering at the Vatican on Thursday for their "total gift" to Christ, praising a holy rite that he recognized was difficult for some non-Catholics to understand.
Scientists, Theologians Debate Whether God Exists
WASHINGTON — Scientists hate God. Or find God very disturbing. In fact, modern science has found no evidence of God, and so it's stupid to think God exists.
McDonald's Dishonest About Pro-Gay Stance, Group Claims
A Christian activist group is rebuking McDonald’s for not facing up to its record of continued support and endorsement of homosexuality.
California Court Strips Children of Right to Mother and Father
(CNSNews.com) - In Thursday's 4-3 decision legalizing same-sex marriage, the California Supreme Court stripped children of the right to be raised by a mother and a father.
Christians Argue over Global Warming
CBNNews.com - Some evangelical groups have said it's a Christian's duty to fight global warming.
Human Rights Commission Bans Prayer in City Hall of Quebec's City of Saguenay
SAGUENAY, Quebec, May 15, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The city of Saguenay, Quebec must cease offering prayers at the beginning of its work day, according to the Quebec Human Rights Commission. The Commission forbade prayer, ruling that Christian prayer in city hall is opposed to the city's secular and religiously “neutral” position.
Opposers Challenge Gay Marriage Ruling
CBNNews.com - Gay couples in California are singing for joy, thanks to a 4-3 decision by the California Supreme Court to overturn the state's gay marriage ban.
CA Court Strikes Down Gay Marriage Ban
CBNNews.com - California's highest court struck down the will of the people of California to ban same-sex marriage, Thursday.
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When you read God's Word, you must constantly be saying to yourself, ''It is talking to me, and about me.''