Category: U.S.

A disturbing number of Americans are addicted to pornography. So says Morality in Media as it kicks of its Be … Read More

Three in 10 Americans interpret the Bible literally, saying it is the actual Word of God. That is similar to what Gallup has measured over the last two decades, but down from the 1970s and 1980s.

A 49 percent plurality of Americans say the Bible is the inspired word of God but that it should not be taken literally, consistently the most common view in Gallup’s nearly 40-year history of this question. Another 17 percent consider the Bible an ancient book of stories recorded by man.

These results are based on a May 5-8 Gallup poll. The high point in the percentage of Americans favoring a literal interpretation of the Bible was 40 percent, recorded in 1980 and 1984. The low point was 27 percent in 2001.

Be Aware: Porn Harms. That’s the message Morality in Media wants you to get loud and clear during its four-week … Read More

Chief Judge Belvin Perry sentenced Casey Anthony to four years in prison on Thursday morning. Anthony must also pay $4,000 in fines for lying to law enforcement officials, according to ABC News.

Anthony was found not guilty of first degree murder and manslaughter in the case of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee’s death on Tuesday.

Caylee was last seen on June 16, 2008. Anthony never called the police. And Caylee’s grandmother, Cindy Anthony, waited a month to notify law enforcement.

Casey Anthony was found not guilty of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. But the debate continues in the court of public opinion.

One Florida man was so enraged by the verdict, he launched a Facebook page called “Boycott Casey Anthony” to get his message out. Less than a day later, there are nearly 6,000 fans, demonstrating the passion that people across the U.S. have about this headline-making case.

Noteworthy are the views of God’s judgment, hell and grace. Some on the page are pronouncing shame on the jury for the decision. And most are suggesting that Anthony go to the place Rob Bell doesn’t believe exists—hell. God (and Anthony) knows if she was involved in her daughter’s death. Even if she was, Jesus can forgive her if she repents. But that’s not the sentiment many online are taking.

Following are a handful of responses from the Boycott Casey Anthony page that highlight people’s religious views in the wake of what they see as a travesty of justice. The responses are shocking, but not from a worldly point of view that leaves little room for grace:

Casey Anthony was found not guilty of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. But the debate continues in the court of public opinion.

One Florida man was so enraged by the verdict, he launched a Facebook page called “Boycott Casey Anthony” to get his message out. Less than a day later, there are nearly 6,000 fans, demonstrating the passion that people across the U.S. have about this headline-making case.

Noteworthy are the views of God’s judgment, hell and grace. Some on the page are pronouncing shame on the jury for the decision. And most are suggesting that Anthony go to the place Rob Bell doesn’t believe exists —hell. God (and Anthony) knows if she was involved in her daughter’s death. Even if she was, Jesus can forgive her if she repents. But that’s not the sentiment many online are taking.

Following are a handful of responses from the Boycott Casey Anthony page that highlight people’s religious views in the wake of what they see as a travesty of justice. The responses are shocking, but not from a worldly point of view that leaves little room for grace:

Although Casey Anthony was found not guilty of first degree murder and manslaughter in the case of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee’s death, controversy continues to swirl around the fact that she never notified law enforcement the toddler was missing.

But Caylee’s death may not be in vain. The Anthony case has inspired a viral petition campaign to support “Caylee’s Law,” legislation that would make a parent’s failure to notify law enforcement of a child’s disappearance a felony.

As the facts of the case detail, Caylee was last seen on June 16, 2008. Anthony never called the police. And Caylee’s grandmother, Cindy Anthony, waited a month to notify law enforcement.

Despite Monday’s reports that Robert H. Schuller was ousted from the board of Crystal Cathedral Ministries, a church spokesman denies the claim.

“He [Robert H. Schuller] was not voted off the board,” John Charles, the Garden Grove, Calif., church spokesman told the Los Angeles Times. “He is still board chairman emeritus.”

Instead, the megachurch claims the board opted to change the 84-year-old founder’s position. A day after Schuller’s son, Robert Anthony Schuller, claimed his father was ousted because he wanted to enlarge the board, the church released a statement.

Double-crossed. That’s how you might describe a Christ follower in Livingston, N.J. who’s getting flack for displaying his faith in his own front yard.

The Township of Livingston is using a local ordinance against Patrick Racaniello to try to keep him from displaying crosses on his private property.

In April, Racaniello displayed a 31-by-19-inch wooden cross on a tree in his front yard to celebrate Lent. When an irate neighbor screamed objections about the cross at him and his family, Racaniello called the police.

Although the law should have been on his side, the call backfired on him. The police later ordered him to remove the cross because it was located on a tree within eight feet from the curb. Racaniello complied and instead built a 6-by-4-foot wooden cross and put it in his yard—nine feet from the curb.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry isn’t the only one getting slammed for his Day of Prayer and Fasting. Some Christian leaders participating in The Response are also getting hammered—or at least questioned—about their participation.

Now, they are answering back.

The Houston Clergy Council, an interfaith coalition of religious leaders, is among the detractors. The group opposes The Response because it believes the prayer meeting violates separation of church and state. The group is also calling the event “non-inclusive” and protests the AFA’s involvement.

The Houston Clergy Council wrote on its website: “We ask that Rick Perry leave the ministry to us and refocus his energy on the work of governing our state.”

“I believe. I believe.”

Marilyn Sides thought she had heard everything. But as those whispers grew louder, she could hardly believe her own ears.

In the six years since her first Billy Graham Rapid Response Team deployment (Katrina in 2005), Sides has had the privilege of leading many storm survivors to Christ and has experienced deep heartache, praying for those who have lost everything.

But along came Leonia, and Sides’ view of how the Holy Spirit works may never quite be the same.

Joseph E. Mortimer Jr., the longtime, iconic, pro-life activist leader who founded and served as publisher of the Voices for the Unborn newspaper for nearly three decades, passed away on Friday at the age of 80. VFTU has subscribers and distributors nationwide and in 11 countries.

Mortimer served as host of the Voices for the Unborn radio and TV programs. He also compiled and published a directory of 6,000 pro-life organizations.

The Rev. Robert H. Schuller has been ousted from Crystal Cathedral Ministries, The Orange County Register reports.

Schuller, 84, who began his ministry in an Orange, Calif., drive-in theater more than 50 years ago, was voted off the board of the Crystal Ministries, which has been plagued by financial problems and familial discord, according to the paper.

Schuller’s son, who was forced from the board three years ago, says his father wanted to enlarge the board, a move that did not sit well with others.

Are you listening, NBC? Because the Coalition for the War on Illegal Pornography isn’t going to let the matter rest. … Read More

Marilyn Hickey has turned 80—and she’s looking for a new beginning.

Hickey is the founder of Marilyn Hickey Ministries. In 1976, God gave her a verse of Scripture that defined her mission: “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9, ESV). God called her to “cover the earth with is Word” and that’s just what she’s been faithfully doing for the past 35 years.

“I feel like in my 80th year my best years are ahead. And I am not retiring … What would I do? I don’t play golf, I don’t like television, shopping is not that big a deal,” Hickey said on her daily broadcast. “I’m telling you, people, souls, healings, miracles, nations are a big deal … In my 70s I had my biggest meetings, so I am saying, what’s going to happen at 80? We have so many people to reach, so much to do. God is so good to me. I just want to reach people with His Word. And again, living the Word will unlock the miraculous all around the world.”

One of the four men who accused Bishop Eddie Long of sexual misconduct was arrested this week in Florida on suspicion of being a drug dealer.

Jamal Parris, 24, was driving a white 2011 BMW in Miami Beach Tuesday evening, when a Florida Highway Patrol officer noticed that it had no tags.

Sgt. Seth Dubinsky stopped the car. When he approached it, he smelled marijuana, he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday.

All Ruth Bell Graham could find was a package of Kleenex in her handbag. It would have to do. She … Read More

You’ve heard of bullies harrasing kids in the schoolyard, but how about the gay agenda bullying schools? That’s what’s happening in Minnesota’s Anoka-Hennepin School District.

The Southern Poverty Law Center and National Center for Lesbian Rights sent a letter to the school district last month threatening a federal lawsuit if the district does not repeal a policy that requires staff to remain neutral on “sexual orientation.”

The groups actually expect the district to mandate that students and staff attend training “to prevent bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” and inject “issues related to LGBT people” into the curriculum.

The question is, who is bullying who? The Alliance Defense Fund is getting in the middle.

An elaborate hoax Tuesday claimed that the Southern Baptist Convention was on the verge of formally supporting “gay marriage” and repenting of its stance on homosexuality, and the hoax backed up the false claim with a press release, phone number and website.

The stunt was pulled off by a group calling itself the Center for Responsible Christian Living, but the group didn’t identity itself until later in the day and only after one major Catholic blog had posted the release as legitimate.

The blog soon pulled it. No major media outlet reported the news as real. Several media members, in fact, called the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee to make sure officials knew of the hoax.

As an offensive lineman for the University of Missouri, Mark Hill knows a thing or two about getting physical.

On the Mizzou football field, he lives in the trenches.

But the redshirt freshman, who spent his elementary school years growing up in Joplin, Mo., could hardly imagine the physical labor that it would take to clean up and rebuild the city many of his family members still call home.

“It almost brought tears to my eyes as I was driving around, having to hold it back,” Hill said. “Road after road, just gone.”

As the turbulent ’60s concluded and a new decade began, Billy Graham appeared at a July 4 event in Washington, D.C., called “Honor America Day.”

More than 400,000 people attended, while millions watched on television or heard it on the radio in 123 other countries.

Bob Hope, Dinah Shore, Jack Benny, Glen Campbell, The New Christy Minstrels and Teresa Graves were among those who performed that day.

According to liner notes on the album, Honor America Day was denounced by the extreme right and the extreme left, but was supported by ordinary Americans, “rich and poor, black and white, Republicans and Democrats, Christians and Jews.”