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GENEVA, Switzerland--Rediscovered last spring on the antiquities 'grey market,' the apocryphal Gospel of Stephen is rewriting Christian tradition in hundreds of churches around the world. "It gives us a whole new picture of how the angel Gabriel told Mary she'd one day give birth to Jesus Christ," said Father Peter Emmel. Now thousands of faithful, in nearly all Christian denominations, will celebrate the feast of the Biblical 'Enunciation,' in which the Virgin Mother asked Gabriel if he could please repeat his announcement. Christians usually celebrate the angel's declaration on March 25th of each year. The new Enunciation feast will also...

Rome Circa 66 AD Dear Christian Recruit, Thank you so much for your interest in joining the Church. Your letter was forwarded to me by the former head of the evangelization and recruiting department. Unfortunately, he met a similarly grisly fate as his predecessor. They were both beheaded and stoned (though not in that order ;) You asked about the benefits of being a Christian; well things have been a bit dodgy for this young Church. I’m sure that in the future things will get a lot better for Christians throughout the world but for now… As you might already...

Rome Circa 66 AD Dear Christian Recruit, Thank you so much for your interest in joining the Church. Your letter was forwarded to me by the former head of the evangelization and recruiting department. Unfortunately, he met a similarly grisly fate as his predecessor. They were both beheaded and stoned (though not in that order ;) You asked about the benefits of being a Christian; well things have been a bit dodgy for this young Church. I’m sure that in the future things will get a lot better for Christians throughout the world but for now… As you might already...

Maybe it's all the church socials, but a new study finds that those who attend religious activities are more likely to gain weight than those who don't go to church as often. Religious involvement is linked to many positive health outcomes, such as happiness, lower rates of smoking and alcohol use, and even a longer life. But research has also suggested that middle-aged adults who are more religious are more likely to be obese. Past data have noted only a correlation between religiosity and weight gain, however; they did not show whether participating in religious activities leads to weight gain,...

It's been a long day. My boss is upset. My customers are upset. My spouse is upset. My kids are upset. I'm sure if he could speak, my dog would say he's upset, too. I want to run. I want to hide. I want to give that dog something to be upset about! Why am I not a joyful Christian? I go to church on . . . most Sundays. I can even remember at least one of the three points in the pastor's sermon. . . or was that Oprah? I read my Bible every. . . now where...

I offered my five year old son a banana this morning when he came downstairs to get ready for school. It was the last one. And there was a reason it was the last one. It looked like every other banana’s great grandfather. I’d tried giving it to the three year old a few minutes earlier and she backed away all wide eyed with her hands up to fend me off like I was brandishing a weapon. I didn’t want the banana to go to waste so when my five year old came down the stairs I practically jumped on...

During a March 2 testimonial at a special celebration of Cardinal William H. Keeler’s upcoming 80th birthday, Richard Berndt told a story that demonstrated why friends know the retired archbishop as a master of the one-liner. Speaking at the Center Club in Baltimore, Berndt recalled how he and the cardinal were walking back to the Catholic Center after a meeting with The Baltimore Sun in the late 1990s. Berndt, who was an attorney for the archdiocese, was discussing some difficult personnel matters with the cardinal as the two strolled by the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of...

When one thinks of notorious vigilantes, several names and personality types come to mind. Perhaps Charles Bronson or Dirty Harry, or maybe even the Dark Knight, Batman. But personally, I have yet to run into tragic costumed figure or a rogue cop who has just had enough. But I have met a person who has had enough and can’t take it anymore, a person who has seen too much lawbreaking simply ignored by the competent authorities, a person who has finally decided to do something about it—to become a vigilante—Mrs. McGillicuddy. She sits in the third pew on the left....

Man have I screwed up in my life. In fact, I have screwed up a lot. I continually do no matter how hard I try to do better. I certainly do not deserve to be a Prince, but yet that is exactly what I am. In fact, the kingdom to which I am an heir is the wealthiest in the entire world. The streets are made of gold. My Father, well, He is the King of Kings. All will one day bow to Him. How bout you? Are you a Prince or Princess? Well, you can be. In fact, my...

JESSE DUPLANTIS CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE GOD KIND: PART 1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp1UMwZEUHk&playnext=1&list=PL816708F436BC1426PART 2http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2igwF4NTR8Q&playnext=1&list=PL816708F436BC1426PART 3http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOKfC5JoB14&playnext=1&list=PL816708F436BC1426PART 4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5todV21iDvU&feature=related

John Paul II had ups and downs to his pontificate. However, I do admire the fact that he had a sense of fun. I read that when he came to England in the 80s he was travelling along in the Popemobile. At the side of the road were some Paisley supporters holding banners saying "Everyone blessed by the Pope is condemned to hell." John Paul, seeing their banner, began to bless them as he went by.

The Austrian Mint in Vienna is issuing the second coin in its €10 silver commemorative series "Tales and Legends in Austria". The theme of the new coin is the captivity of the English king, Richard I, on his homeward journey from the Third Crusade in 1192 and the legend of his loyal friend and troubadour who is said to have discovered in which castle the king was being held. Austria 10€ Richard the Lionheart Silver Coin The first part of the story is indeed history. Richard, called the "Lionhearted" even in his lifetime, mortally offended Duke Leopold V of Austria...

A while ago, I published a blog on whether there should be an age of reason test for elderly LDS church members. The catalyst was an article I read about Ida Smith, a former prominent LDS church member who has left the church to follow a former LDS temple security guard who claims to have translated the sealed portions of the Book of Mormon. The post here has generated a lot of debate and Ida Smith offered her own response via a letter to the editor. Read I have to admit I admire her response to my admittingly somewhat presumptuous...

Isn’t it ironic that as children we’re in such a hurry to grow up, then when we get there and realize it that we sometimes wish we could go back? At what point in human development do we stop giggling and looking at the world around us with such awe and wonder? What is it about the aging process that makes us so serious?

Many Mormons do not know about Joe Smith's family involvement in the Salem witch trials of 1692, when Joe Smith Sr.'s great-grandfather Samuel Smith and Samuel's father-in-law John Gould testified against Mary Easty and Sarah Wilds respectively. The testimony of these relatives of Joe Smith hanged these girls as witches. A belief in witchcraft was passed through the Smith generations. Even Orlando Saunders, whom Mormon apologists consider to be one of the most favorable witnesses to Joe Smith's character, said in an interview that both Joe Smith Sr. and Jr. believed in witchcraft (Frederic G. Mather, "The Early Days of...

One week after moving into our new home, my wife became concerned with a new revelation. She had been out on our deck, enjoying a sunny spring day, when a pipe sticking three feet out of the ground began to spew bubbles. My reply? “Oh, it’s no big deal.”Ever notice, when folks have a problem on their hands, they often do not realize it? Or they minimize the problem, so they do not have to address it?Amo 4:10 I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and...

The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland that is located below the bladder and surrounds the urethra. (See the illustration of the male pelvis.) In a normal adult man, it weighs two thirds of an ounce [20 g] and measures, at most, 1.6 inches [4 cm] along its transverse axis, 1.2 inches [3 cm] along its vertical axis, and 0.8 inches [2 cm] along its horizontal axis. Its function is to produce a fluid that makes up approximately 30 percent of the volume of semen. This fluid, containing citric acid, calcium, and enzymes, probably improves sperm motility (ability to swim) and...

The cloister was founded in order to inform the soul of the way to life. Will their walls receive the dark consecration to serve the cult of the body? (kreuz.net) It is unclear if the Abbey Michealsberg can continue as the spiritual center of the city of Siegburg. The Bonn paper, the 'General-Anzeiger' said on January 26th.

No one has seen Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s musical comedy “The Book of Mormon” yet. It doesn’t start previews on Broadway until the end of February. But early chatter from the Mormon community is already divided between those eager to see the show, and a more conservative group who views the play as another instance of persecution against their faith. John Dehlin, 41, of Logan, Utah has already purchased his tickets to the Broadway musical and will be flying to New York with a group of 10 people (only one of whom isn’t Mormon) on March 25th. He says...

Video of Victoria Jackson and Jerry Johnson discussing Mormonism. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxQED8SXFMA&feature=player_embedded