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 […]
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 […]
(NBC News) — The Boy Scouts of America announced on Wednesday that girls will soon be allowed to become Cub Scouts and to earn the coveted rank of Eagle Scout, the organization’s highest honor. “We believe it is critical to evolve how our programs meet the needs of families interested in positive and lifelong experiences for […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
(Fox News) — Two children were sexually assaulted during a New Jersey home invasion by a man who threatened them with a gun, state police said Sunday. New Jersey State Police said Craig Lassiter, 33, of Middletown, New York, was captured on Long Island, N.Y. four days after the Sept. 18 attack. Officials said they received […]
A number of Roman Catholic dioceses nationwide—and also globally—have been consecrating themselves to the “immaculate heart of Mary” throughout 2017, a practice that evangelicals say is unbiblical and gives to the earthly mother of Jesus the devotion that should be bestowed to Christ alone. “We are uniting ourselves to her who opens up the way for God to enter, […]
BRIDGEPORT, Mich. – A national atheist activist organization has requested an investigation into what it calls a “flagrant violation of the First Amendment” after learning that coaches and players of a Michigan high school’s junior varsity football team circled up to pray with another team after a recent game. “This conduct is unconstitutional because coaches endorse […]