Circumcision of American boys has dropped dramatically since the 1960s, when the overwhelming majority got cut before leaving the hospital. Both sides in this fight cite competing studies as evidence that circumcision prevents deadly diseases, like HIV and penile cancer, or that it’s an unjustified modification that brings only pain and decreased sexual enjoyment. Across... Continue Reading

A federal appeals court has lifted the order banning public prayer at a Texas high school graduation Saturday. The reversal comes on the heels of increasing criticism of a federal judge’s earlier ruling that agreed with the parents of one graduating student that religious expression during the ceremony at Medina Valley Independent School District would... Continue Reading

The leaders noted that smokeless tobacco use among high school boys has climbed 36 percent since 2003, and said big league ballplayers have a responsibility to be better role models for young fans. Some of the biggest name in religious politics – among 25 faith groups around the country — are calling on Major League... Continue Reading

A national poll shows that while Americans are still holding on to some traditional moral values, they have validated immoral behaviors that are self-satisfying. The poll, conducted by Gallup, revealed 91 percent of respondents considered extramarital affairs immoral. In addition to cheating spouses, polygamy, cloning humans, suicide and pornography all ranked as the top five... Continue Reading

A Detroit suburb violated the free-speech rights of a Christian evangelist by barring him from handing out leaflets at an Arab-American street festival last year, a federal appeals court said Thursday. The 2-1 decision comes less than a month before the next festival in Dearborn, which draws thousands of people to Warren Avenue in the... Continue Reading

Some interactions between church and state are inevitable and OK, the Sumner County School District argued in response to a lawsuit against it over prayers, pastor visits and Bible distribution in schools. The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee filed a complaint in federal court this month alleging that the district has shown a pattern... Continue Reading

Sociologists of religion, meanwhile, aren’t buying it. They say the researchers’ theory flies in the face of U.S. religious demographics. While it’s true that evangelicals are a minority, they’re a sizable one — 40% of the U.S. population, according to Gallup Polls — and not exactly a stressed-out minority, especially in the South. For decades,... Continue Reading

Egypt’s Christians are a minority living in a Muslim majority. Coptic Christians are a very successful minority. When Gamal Abdel Nasser took over as ruler, the Copts were 10 per cent of the country and owned 50 per cent of the wealth. In Alexandria, where the Copts still own 50 per cent of the businesses,... Continue Reading

Two teen girls who dedicated years to the Girl Scouts USA (GSUSA) have gone public with their decision to leave the popular girls’ organization out of alarm over its ties to Planned Parenthood. Tess Volanski, 14, and Sydney Volanski, 15, say they decided to leave their Girl Scout Troop after eight years, and they describe... Continue Reading

What to look for in the next few months? Austin, Texas-based Stratfor—”the private CIA”—says we should watch the reconciliation process between Hamas and Fatah, watch the reaction of Hezbollah, and watch the actions of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. I’d add, “watch and pray.” The situation of Israel is once again heading toward extreme peril. In... Continue Reading