by Diana Chandler, a freelance writer and member of Irish Channel Christian Fellowship in New Orleans. It’s informally known as “the church that buys gas for people.” The moniker is a result of community outreach spurred when Pastor Jeff McMain plainly told members of First Baptist Church in Clay, Ky., to “just go.” “We were... Continue Reading

President Barack Obama has now signed into law a controversial “hate crimes” bill that authorizes the federal government to intervene in violent crimes that appear motivated by hatred of homosexuals and apply stiffer penalties and sentences. President Barack Obama signed the measure into law at 2:30 pm today, Oct 28. The expanded hate crime legislation... Continue Reading

Three weeks ago, with much fanfare, a team of scientists unveiled the fossil skeleton of Ardi, a 4-foot-tall female primate who lived and died 4.4 million years ago in what is now Ethiopia. According to her discoverers, Ardi – short for Ardipithecus ramidus, her species – is our oldest known ancestor. She predated Lucy, the... Continue Reading

Hannover Bishop Margot Kaessmann became the first woman to lead the Protestant church in Germany on Wednesday, Oct 28th after receiving 132 out of 142 votes from the synod. The 51-year-old succeeds 67 year old Bishop Wolfgang Huber, who is retiring. “With trust in God’s help I accept the vote,” she said. Following the vote... Continue Reading

By: Angela Abbamonte The Department of Homeland Security has amended its uniform and grooming policies after a Sikh man lost his job for wearing a turban and refusing to shave. Federal standards had required security guards to be clean-shaven and to wear a specified uniform and hat, two things that conflict with Sikh requirements to... Continue Reading

Tom Krattenmaker thinks that religion and sports don’t mix. At least certain kinds of religious conviction shouldn’t be allowed in the realm of athletics. With the release of his book on the subject, Onward Christian Athletes: Turning Ballparks into Pulpits and Players into Preachers, Krattenmaker looks to extend his peculiar views of religious discrimination to... Continue Reading

By Julia Duin Although I think religion is the queen of beats, it’s not often I hear journalists from other disciplines admit how important covering God really is. Which is why I was glad to see two editors from the Economist magazine release “God is Back: How the Global Revival of Faith is Changing the... Continue Reading

Top Christian lawyer Gao Zhisheng vanishes as government stifles dissent. In 2008, China’s Ministry of Justice named Gao Zhisheng, a brilliant, mostly self-educated man, one of the country’s top ten lawyers, received a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize for his human-rights advocacy work. Then, less than a year later, Gao disappeared when security police... Continue Reading

How different generations of Americans read and interpret the Bible varies greatly according to a new survey by the Christian research firm, the Barna Group. Similarities across age ranges show that a vast majority consider the Bible a sacred text. Also, similar proportions regardless of age subscribe to the polar opposite views that the Bible... Continue Reading

A hate crimes bill sent to President Obama for his signature raises a red flag for Christians. On Oct 22, the U.S. Senate passed a hate crimes bill that Christian leaders have warned for years could greatly infringe on the rights of those who speak to loudly about their religious views. Matt Barber of Liberty... Continue Reading