NC Commission Appeals Ruling Against Exclusively Christian Prayers to U.S. Supreme Court

NC Commission Appeals Ruling Against Exclusively Christian Prayers to U.S. Supreme Court

SALISBURY, N.C. — A board of commissioners in North Carolina has presented its prayer case to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the nation’s highest court to hear its appeal of a Fourth Circuit ruling that declared that it was unconstitutional for prayers presented during the commission’s meetings to be exclusively Christian. “Thousands of legislative bodies with […]

Jury Recommends Death Penalty for Oklahoma Muslim Who Beheaded Coworker

Jury Recommends Death Penalty for Oklahoma Muslim Who Beheaded Coworker

NORMAN, Okla. — A jury has recommended the death penalty for a Muslim man who beheaded his coworker three years ago and attempted to decapitate a second woman. The 12-person jury took approximately three hours to determine that Alton Nolen, 33, was eligible for capital punishment. Nolen had been found guilty last month of first-degree murder, as […]

Federal Judge Rules U.S. Congress May Reject Atheist’s Request to Present Invocation

Federal Judge Rules U.S. Congress May Reject Atheist’s Request to Present Invocation

WASHINGTON — A federal judge appointed to the bench by then-President George W. Bush has ruled that Congress may reject an atheist’s request to present an opening invocation and that officials did not discriminate against him in requiring that those who present prayers be actual faith leaders. “This court concludes that the refusal of the […]

Christian Union Banned From Oxford Freshers’ Fair

Christian Union Banned From Oxford Freshers’ Fair

(The Christian Institute) — An Oxford University college banned members of the Christian Union (CU) from its freshers’ fair, claiming that Christianity is used as an “excuse for homophobia and certain forms of neocolonialism.” One of the organizers of last week’s fair at Balliol College, Freddy Potts, claimed that the presence of CU members would […]

Blasphemous Minister Who Supports Polyamory Claims ‘Holy Trinity Is a Polyamorous Relationship’

Blasphemous Minister Who Supports Polyamory Claims ‘Holy Trinity Is a Polyamorous Relationship’

DALLAS, Texas — A blasphemous Baptist minister in Texas known for his book “The Queering of an American Evangelical” says that he supports polyamorous—or plural—relationships and believes that God Himself is polyamorous. “The Holy Trinity is a polyamorous relationship,” Jeff Hood, who holds a doctorate with a focus in “queer theology” from Brite Divinity School and […]

Undocumented Teen in Custody After Crossing Border Takes Feds to Court in Effort to Obtain Abortion

Undocumented Teen in Custody After Crossing Border Takes Feds to Court in Effort to Obtain Abortion

AUSTIN, Texas — An undocumented teenage girl who is in the United States unaccompanied by her parents is asking a court to grant her permission to obtain an abortion as officials at the immigration facility where she is being held have allegedly denied her request. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit on […]

Former Megachurch Minister Refuses to Exclude Profanity From Social Media Post: ‘I Will Not Sanitize This’

Former Megachurch Minister Refuses to Exclude Profanity From Social Media Post: ‘I Will Not Sanitize This’

ANDERSON, S.C. — A former megachurch pastor who says he has been struggling with guilt since being fired last year due to problems with alcohol abuse recently refused to exclude profanity from a social media post that transparently expressed how badly he feels about his sins and the consequences of his choices. His language has generated a variety of reactions, including […]

Kentucky Lawmaker Files Bill to Abolish Elective Abortions in State

Kentucky Lawmaker Files Bill to Abolish Elective Abortions in State

FRANKFORT, Ky. — A Republican lawmaker in Kentucky has filed a bill that would abolish elective abortions in the state, leaving an exception for those recommended by a physician for medical reasons. “Whereas an average of more than nine unborn children are killed via abortion in Kentucky each day, an emergency is declared to exist, and this […]