Christianity

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Merry Christmas: Can We Cut the Power Struggle Already?

Free-speech wars are about power and not very Christian: Michael Gerson

(Newser) - Christmas has become the most wonderful time of year ... for heated political debate, especially of the "War on Christmas" or First Amendment variety. It's "when all the ideologues get a little extra outrage or victimization in their stockings," writes Michael Gerson in the Washington Post . This...

Duck Dynasty Guy Should Learn From Pope Francis

EJ Dionne argues that religious people should be less convinced they have the answers

(Newser) - Phil Robertson is convinced the word of God justifies his controversial comments about homosexuality. Rev. Frank Schaefer is convinced that performing gay weddings was an expression of Christian love. "If any given religion and its holy writings can be used to support diametrically opposed conclusions about how to live...

Judge: Take Down San Diego War Cross

But Supreme Court appeal may change things

(Newser) - A giant cross that's stood on a San Diego mountain for decades may not dot Mount Soledad for many more. A judge has ruled the 43-foot national war memorial cross violates the separation of church and state and needs to be removed within 90 days—once all appeals are...

The Latest Diet Trend Comes From ...God

The "Daniel Fast" involves sticking to fruits, veggies, whole grains

(Newser) - Most of America's most obese metropolitan areas are in the Bible belt, and a study points to a higher risk of future obesity among church-going young people. But Christians may also have an advantage in reaching their dietary goals—one that comes straight from heaven. "I probably couldn’...

Christian College Student President Comes Out ... as Atheist

Eric Fromm: "I don’t have to hide anymore"

(Newser) - What's worse than coming out as a gay man at a Christian college? Perhaps coming out as a longtime atheist. Student body president Eric Fromm dropped the bombshell on his peers at Oregon's Northwest Christian University last week in the Beacon Bolt student newspaper, as pointed out by...

Why It's Weird That the Pope's Acting Like a Christian

Kirsten Powers thinks other Christian leaders could learn a thing or two

(Newser) - Pope Francis' unorthodox actions— washing the feet of women and Muslims, extending an olive branch to atheists , and so on—have drawn worldwide attention, with some wondering if he's the most liberal pope ever. Kirsten Powers at USA Today sees it a different way: "Yep, Pope Francis is...

Vatican: Oops, Atheists Still Hell-Bound

Looking a little toasty for Protestants, too

(Newser) - Pope Francis' admission that atheists are capable of doing good has been followed by a Vatican statement clarifying that the church still believes atheists are going to hell. In a corrective statement that suggests people misunderstood the pontiff's remarks, a Vatican spokesman stresses that the church believes all salvation...

Amazingly Elaborate Hoax Targets Megachurch Pastor

Joel Osteen has renounced his faith, online hoax claims

(Newser) - Somebody has put a massive amount of work into a hoax claiming that pastor Joel Osteen has renounced his faith and is resigning from the Texas megachurch his father founded, the Houston Chronicle reports. The hoax includes a fake Twitter feed, a YouTube video from "ChristianityNews" containing mockups of...

Good Friday Dancing Ban Has Germany in a Twist

But some Germans say one-day ban small price for tradition

(Newser) - No, the "Tanzverbot" isn't the latest German dance craze. It's quite the opposite: the decades-old law that bans all organized dancing in Germany on Good Friday and other religious holidays. And with church attendance falling around Germany, its citizens are increasingly calling for the ban to be...

&#39;Christian Martyrdom&#39; Never Happened



 'Christian Martyrdom' 
 Never Happened 
new book
Feb 25, 2013 7:22 PM CST

'Christian Martyrdom' Never Happened

New book by Candida Moss assails an old story

(Newser) - Were early Christians martyred en masse? That notion is key to Christian history, but in The Myth of Persecution: How Early Christians Invented a Story of Martyrdom, Candida Moss assails the idea that Christians spent centuries hiding from godless Romans who wanted them thrown to the lions, Salon reports. The...

Family: Tehran Imprisoned US-Iranian Pastor

Saeed Abedini has not been notified of formal charges

(Newser) - The Rev. Saeed Abedini was born in Iran but is now a US citizen—and on his most recent visit to family still in Iran, he was imprisoned without being notified of any formal charges, reports Fox News . The 32-year-old has been prevented from returning home to his wife and...

Neurosurgeon: I&#39;ve Been to Heaven
 Neurosurgeon: 
 I've Been to Heaven 
in case you missed it
Oct 13, 2012 1:25 PM CDT

Neurosurgeon: I've Been to Heaven

Neurosurgeon Eben Alexander says he visited another realm

(Newser) - Dr. Eben Alexander held a scientific worldview until, he says, he went to heaven. As a nominal Christian—and a neurosurgeon with Harvard credentials—Alexander admits he had envied "those who wanted to believe that there was a God somewhere out there who loved us unconditionally," he writes...

Cheerleaders Start Row With Bible Verse Banners

They hire a lawyer when atheist group takes issue

(Newser) - A squad of East Texas cheerleaders wants everyone to know they have God on their side—even if it means going to court. The Kountze High School squad had taken to holding up gigantic banners with Bible verses on them before every game, so that the Kountze players could dramatically...

Fox Host: Where Are Feds in South Park's Holy War?

Nobody's condemning cartoon's attacks on Christianity, says Todd Starnes

(Newser) - A Fox News commentator is getting into the spirit of religious protest. Todd Starnes , host of Fox News & Commentary, wants federal officials to investigate South Park for its attacks on religion, reports Today . "We have seen the administration say, 'We condemn anyone who denigrates religious faith,'...

Ancient Scrap of Papyrus Refers to Wife of Jesus

It also quotes him talking of a female disciple

(Newser) - Shades of the Da Vinci Code: A small scrap of fourth-century papyrus contains this potential bombshell of a line: “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife ...’" And a bit later, the text reads, "she will be able to be my disciple." A Harvard historian made...

'Blasphemy Girl' Family Fears for Lives

Christian family in hiding after her release on bail

(Newser) - The young Pakistani girl accused of desecrating the Koran may be free on bail , but she and her family members fear for their lives and are moving from place to place, reports the BBC . The parents of the Christian girl known as Rimsha say the 11-year-old has always been slow....

This Now Exists: Tablet Made for Christians

Edifi boasts 27 translations of Bible, 'safe' browsing

(Newser) - It's got porn blockers, Christian radio, and 27 different translations of the Bible—it's the Edifi, and religious retailer Family Christian calls it the world's first Christian tablet computer, reports Fox News . And at just $149.99 for a 7-inch HD tablet that runs on Android, Family...

Nigeria Church Bombings Kill 21, Spark Reprisals

Boko Haram claims responsibility

(Newser) - Religious clashes have left dozens of people dead in a state that straddles Nigeria's Muslim north and Christian south. At least 21 people were killed when militants bombed three churches in Kaduna provinces yesterday. A suicide bomber was behind one attack while another was the work of militants throwing...

Pastor: Let's Put 'Queers' in Pens Until They Die

North Carolina preacher gives an, er, colorful sermon

(Newser) - North Carolina pastor Charles Worley has an, er, unorthodox suggestion for how to spread God's love to gay people. "Build a great, big, large fence—150 or 100 miles long—put all the lesbians in there. Do the same thing for the queers and the homosexuals, and have...

Pro-Obama Clergy Wrestle With Stance on Gay Marriage

President contacted ministers just after announcement

(Newser) - In one breath, President Obama endorsed gay marriage last week. In the next, he turned directly to a contingent of supporters likely to be offended by that endorsement: Obama called up a number of ministers to explain his views and get feedback, the New York Times reports. On a conference...

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