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A 17-minute documentary on the Quran, juxtaposing images of Islam's holy book with terror attacks and bombings by Muslim extremists, was taken down from a British video-sharing website, LiveLeak,com, after the organization reported "serious" threats to its staff members. The documentary had been posted against the wishes of the government of the Netherlands by Geert Wilders, a Dutch MP and leader of the Freedom Party. His video is called "Fitna," an Arabic word meaning strife. It appeared on the political party's website first, but soon disappeared because of "technical difficulties," reported the London Times. Then it appeared on LiveLeak.com, only...

Bowden accused of imposing religious beliefs on players ACLU wants Clemson to stop coach's annual team trip to local church The American Civil Liberties Union has accused Clemson head football coach Tommy Bowden of abusing his authority by imposing his religious beliefs on his players, and it has asked the university to discontinue the coach’s practice of strongly recommending players to participate in an annual team visit to a local church. The university on Wednesday denied the ACLU’s claim that Bowden, who is a state employee in a supervisory position, has violated the players’ constitutional rights of separation of church...

Part 1 of a two part interview by James Dobson with Newt Gingrich

Mystical Baptism and Limbo ( Please keep anti-Catholic remarks out this thread) The Concept Four different types of limbo have been suggested. 1. The Limbo of Purgatory - a figurative 'upper level' of Purgatory, sometimes called the limbo of the Fathers, this is a temporary place, where the holy persons who lived before Christ waited for Christ to die for their salvation so that they could enter into Heaven. The residents of this version of limbo are happy, in that they know that they are saved, but they do not yet have the Beatific Vision of God, nor the full...

His Christian faith is important to astronaut Jeff Williams, who wouldn't dream of leaving home -- or earth, for that matter -- without it. Williams, a member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Houston, says he plans to stay in touch with his congregation even though he'll be off the planet -- orbiting 250 miles above the earth during a six-month stint aboard the International Space Station. In fact, if Williams has his way -- and NASA technicians can make it happen -- the Gloria Dei lay minister will "join" fellow congregation members in a July 2 worship service. Williams, still...

In a shameful attack on freedom of religion, the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire (UWEC) has banned resident assistants (RAs) from leading Bible studies in their own dormitories. The university claims the ban is necessary because some students might not feel RAs who lead Bible studies are "approachable.”

With 300 employees, a projection of $77 million in annual revenue and audited financial statements, Houston's Lakewood Church sounds a lot like a business. ADVERTISEMENT And in many ways, it is. "It would be naive to say, 'No, we're not a business,' " Senior Pastor Joel Osteen said in an interview. "We obviously are a business because we're dealing with millions of dollars. And I say that because we don't take that lightly." According to a copy of the church's most recent audited financial statement obtained by the Chronicle and a review of public records including court documents, Lakewood is...

NEW YORK - Vampires are usually her passion, but Anne Rice is getting biblical in her next book, due out in November from publisher Random House. "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt" will tell the story of Jesus' early years in his own words. Excerpts of a lengthy letter that will accompany advance review copies of the book this summer are published in the new issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine. "For over 10 years I've wanted to do this book — Jesus in his own words," Rice writes. "For five years, I've been obsessed with how to do it, and...

Poll is on the left about half way down the page. The anti-Commandments loonies have a big lead on the poll. Let's even things up. Should the State of Texas be forced to remove the Ten Commandments display from the state Capitol grounds? Yes 67.0% No 33.0% votes: 929

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — A high school principal apologized Monday for reading a poem called "The New School Prayer" over the school's intercom, which brought complaints from some parents who said it violated the principle of separation of church and state. Tommy Craft said he wanted not to promote religion but to provoke thought and discussion among students about the changing political climate in school when he read the poem the Tuesday before the Thanksgiving break. "I apologized to them today in another statement," Craft said. "I said that there was no attempt to individualize or to bring ridicule on...

CAMBRIDGE, England - A clergyman has criticized a city's decision to ask an aging punk band to switch on its annual civic display of Christmas lights. The Damned, the Rev. Stephen Leeke said Wednesday, do not really encapsulate the spirit of the season. "I do not think they are the best people to be switching on the Christmas lights," said Leeke, vicar of St. Martin's Church in Cambridge, 50 miles north of London. "I think perhaps it would be more appropriate for them to switch them off. "It just seems to me to be a bit of a culture clash...

Posted on Sat, Oct. 09, 2004 Teaching Ramadan in public schools Accurate lessons in demand after 9/11 By HOLLY LEBOWITZ ROSSI Religion News Service During the next few weeks, multicultural trainer Afeefa Syeed will bring third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students from a Muslim academy in Herndon, Va., to nearby public schools to share the practices and beliefs of their holiest month, Ramadan. Syeed and the children will present the call to prayer in Arabic, display prayer rugs and offer tastes of dates. In countless other classrooms across the country, similar efforts will be made to educate students about the time...

IN SEARCH OF A LEGACYClinton: Muhammad would let ladies driveFormer president challenges traditionalists in Saudi Arabia speech Posted: January 19, 20045:00 p.m. Eastern © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com Speaking at a conference in Saudi Arabia, former President Bill Clinton told a Muslim audience Islam's founder Muhammad would have let women drive if cars had been around 1,400 years ago. Former President Bill Clinton Clinton urged the Muslim kingdom, which follows the strict Wahhabi interpretation of Islam, to not resist the "tide of change" in the world and seek ways of broadening political participation "without compromising your faith and culture," Reuters reported. Saudi Arabia bars...

"Please ... Call Me an Iranian, Not a Moslem!" Farhad Mafie "This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness." -Dalai Lama Hold on to Your Hat! Some days the Persian Gulf is referred to as the Arabian Gulf. Some days Rumi-the great Iranian poet and philosopher-is referred to as a poet from Afghanistan or a poet from Turkey. Some days Sina or Avicenna, Rāzi, Farabi, Birouni-the great Iranian scientists-are referred to as Arab scientists. Some days Iranian arts are...

so·ci·e·ty ( P ) n. pl. so·ci·e·ties The totality of social relationships among humans. A group of humans broadly distinguished from other groups by mutual interests, participation in characteristic relationships, shared institutions, and a common culture. The institutions and culture of a distinct self-perpetuating group. mor·al ( P ) Pronunciation Key (môrl, mr-) adj. Of or concerned with the judgment of the goodness or badness of human action and character: moral scrutiny; a moral quandary. re·li·gion ( P ) Pronunciation Key (r-ljn) n. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the...

The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that the state's high school activities association must make reasonable efforts to accommodate religion when scheduling tournaments. The ruling -- the first of its kind in the nation -- came in an appeal from Portland Adventist Academy after its basketball team was barred from competing in the state championships. But the decision extends beyond basketball to 80 state championships in 16 activities organized by the Oregon School Activities Association, including such competitions involving dance, cheerleading and music. The Portland Adventist Cougars, this year's Northwest League champions, were stopped from playing in the Class...

Dear Colleague, This is not a UN item. Still, I believe that everyone, especially those in the developing world, most especially those in Africa must be alerted to an abomination that just occured at Jesuit-run Georgetown University in Washington DC. Francis Carindal Arinze of Nigeria, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, was invited to address the Georgetown graduation commencement ceremony a few days ago. The article below explains what happened to him for speaking the truths of the faith. I urge everyone in the developing world to get this news report below to as many high level churchmen...

The Sermons On The Mount Practicing What They Preach Terror - Islam10/9/2002 Jack Kinsella SyriaA official Syrian Radio sermon was broadcast from Anas Ibn-Malik Mosque in Damascus : "O God, annihilate the Zionists and make them destroy themselves" the preacher urged via Damascus Syria Arab Republic Radio in Arabic, official station of the Syrian Government.Shaykh Dr. Ziyad al-Din al-Ayyubi delivered the sermon. It was devoted to Arab and Islamic unity and prayed for the success of Bashar al Assad as he led the country. Dr. Ayyubi also prayed, "O God, help our people in Palestine and the Golan. O God,...