A Form of Godliness and Departing from the Faith
Openly gay clergy celebrate election victories
10/13/2015 20:13
At least four openly gay clergymen have been elected to the General Synod of the Church of England.
One is married, two are in civil partnerships and the fourth is planning to seal his relationship with a civil ceremony.
The newly-elected General Synod will meet for the first time at Church House,...
Scottish minister preaches Jesus did not die for sins
10/10/2015 20:45
EDINBURGH, Scotland (Christian Examiner) – A Church of Scotland minister is teaching his congregation that Jesus did not die for the sins of humanity, calling the traditional understanding of Jesus's atoning sacrifice "well past its sell by date," and "ghastly theology."
Rev. Scott...
44 nationally recognized religious leaders released a joint statement supporting Planned Parenthood
09/28/2015 21:21
September 28, 2015—Today, 44 nationally recognized religious leaders released a joint statement supporting Planned Parenthood and urging Congress to resist efforts to deny federal funding to Planned Parenthood’s health centers – which serve 2.7 million people each year. Together, these Christian,...
Over Half of This Denomination Now Supports Same-Sex Marriage
09/23/2015 11:06
Over half of the members of the governing body of the Church in Wales have backed the idea of allowing same-sex couples to marry in church.
A secret ballot was held on taking the issue forward. Of the 120 members present, 61 voted in favour of holding same-sex marriages in church.
However, this...
Southern Baptists Will Cut 600 to 800 Missionaries and Staff
08/28/2015 21:55
Two months after promoting plans to send out “limitless” numbers of missionaries, the International Mission Board (IMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) faces a financial crisis.
IMB president David Platt announced Thursday that the agency needs to cut at least 600 missionaries and staff...
Pornography Use Among Self-Identified Christians Largely Mirrors National Average, Survey Finds
08/28/2015 21:46
Addiction to pornography affects millions of men and women in the United States, and many of those people identify themselves as Christians, according to a 2014 survey produced by a Christian organization dedicated to fighting pornography and sexual addiction.
Sixty-four percent of men view...
Texas church responds to same-sex proposal with a standing ovation
08/28/2015 21:34
A man who proposed to his boyfriend in front of their church received a standing ovation, as captured by a YouTube video that is now going viral.
Trevor Harper and Davis Covin have been attending the First United Methodist Church of Austin for two years and have been dating since 2006. After...
First Baptist Church to Ordain Gay, Transgender Ministers
08/15/2015 21:40
A former Southern Baptist Church has decided all are welcomed in their pulpit, going so far as to ordain gay and transgender ministers.
First Baptist of Greenville, South Carolina—the church home of the first Southern Baptist Convention president—has taken a bold move in "embracing the...
Hillsong Choir’s ‘Gay Couple’ Contradicts Brian Houston: ‘We Have Been Open, Forthright from Get-Go’
08/12/2015 20:41
NEW YORK — Two “engaged” homosexual men who have served as ministry leaders at Hillsong’s New York campus have released a statement contradicting claims from leader Brian Houston, outlining that the church has known about their homosexuality from the “very beginning” and still allowed them to...
T.D. Jakes Comes Out for ‘Gay Marriage’ and ‘LGBT Churches,’ Says Position is ‘Evolving’
08/08/2015 09:50
Megachurch leader and author T.D. Jakes says that homosexuals should attend congregations that affirm their lifestyle and that politics do not need to reflect biblical ethics, adding that his position on homosexuality is both “evolved and evolving.”
During an interview with the Huffington Post on...
False Christs and Religions
Princeton University Opens Hindu Prayer Space With Temple for goddess Saraswati
11/03/2015 19:36
PRINCETON, N.J. — Historic Princeton University has opened a prayer area for Hindu students, according to reports, complete with a temple for the Hindu goddess Saraswati.
The Universal Society of Hinduism had been asking officials for a space for adherents to Hinduism, and the editorial board of...
‘Church of Lucifer’ to Open in Texas
10/13/2015 20:30
SPRING, Texas — The first “Church of Lucifer” is set to open later this month in a small town outside of Houston, Texas.
“Never in history has anything like this has happened before: an open to the public home for the Left Hand Path, a church dedicated to the mental freedom of all mankind, a home...
Four-Year-Old Beheaded in India in Human Sacrifice to Hindu goddess
10/08/2015 07:57
ANDHRA PRADESH, India — A four-year-old boy was beheaded this week after he was apprehended by a man who sought to sacrifice him to a Hindu goddess.
The incident occurred on Wednesday as the child was leaving nursery. He was apprehended by Tirumala Rao, 35, and reportedly strangled before being...
Black Mass Planned for Oklahoma City
07/03/2014 22:31
For the second time this year, a public “Black Mass” is being planned—this time in Oklahoma City.
According to the Oklahoma City Civic Center website, the event is planned for Sept. 21. Tickets go on sale Wednesday.
The website announces: "The Black Mass has been a feared ritual, and now it's...
Better than Scientology? The new Zuckerberg-based religion
05/27/2014 07:22
If you live in the Bay Area and suddenly, momentarily, lose your self-belief, there is always a religion to pick you up.
You have a choice of either the established organizations, with their ornate meeting places, or you have the more modern faiths, which might have as their foundation anything...
Wicca growing in Popularity
06/23/2013 08:46
Friday, June 21 will be the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. And for one religious group it's a time to celebrate the Oak King falling to the Holly King.
We take a look at the often misunderstood Wiccan religion. Recently they’ve made inroads into popular acceptance, but practitioners...
Pet owners turning to psychics
06/15/2013 21:52
It's the age-old and seemingly answerless question: What in the world is my dog thinking? And one that has spawned a growing market not only of scientific research but of everything from decks of pet tarot cards to television and radio shows and books by pet psychics and animal trainers.
Whether...
Hare Krishna sect is alive and well
06/03/2013 07:06
Nestled in the verdant, bucolic foothills of northeast Stokes County is a tiny religious community.
It's called Hare Krishna, and a closer look at its beliefs finds more similarities than differences between it and the world's other major religions.
Like Christians, the Krishnas believe in leading...
Scientology cult increasingly active on social network
05/30/2013 06:45
Not only with stalls in the cities, but also in social networking sites touting the controversial Scientology organization to members. The constitutional protection in Baden-Wuerttemberg warns is often difficult to identify who is behind the websites.
"Social...
Former IT Specialist Claims To Be Jesus Reborn
05/29/2013 21:05
A man claiming to be Jesus is gaining followers and causing concern among cult experts in Australia.
Former IT specialist Alan John Miller, or AJ as he prefers to be known, runs a religious movement known as the Divine Truth from his home near the small town of Kingaroy in the state of...