Author: Gordon Govier

As states have legalized same-sex partnerships, the rights of gay couples have consistently trumped the rights of religious groups. Marc Stern, general counsel for the American Jewish Congress, says that does not mean that a pastor can be sued for preaching against same-sex marriage. But, he says, that may be just about the only religious activity that will be protected. Stern says if the early cases are any guide, the outlook is grim for religious groups. Read more of this story. More on this topic from the Los Angeles Times

In the midst of election frenzy, a group of diverse Christian leaders gathered this week for an unprecedented conference that called for rethinking the role of faith in public life.The Envision ‘08 conference gathered hundreds of evangelical, mainline Protestants, Pentecostals, and Christians of diverse racial backgrounds at Princeton University on June 8-10 to map out the future of Christian engagement in politics in the next century.Read more of this storyREAD MORE ON FAITH AND PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS:Obama impresses ‘Faith Leaders’ by Terry MattinglyObama to woo young evangelicals, CatholicsBarack Obama targets the Religious RightConservative blacks leaning towards ObamaMcCain courts evangelicals

FATHER’S DAY FEATURE STORYI can’t begin to count the number of times that prayer has played an important part in my life. As often as God has answered my prayers, I realize it’s important to pray for others, too. So when my church, Maranatha Assembly of God, started a Tuesday night prayer service, I became a regular participant.Read more of this story.

MADISON — Three years after the fire that gutted St. Raphael Cathedral, the downtown landmark is coming down.Preparation for the removal of the steeple, installed only a few months before the destructive fire on March 14, 2005, began earlier last week. The cross and ball, as well as half of the steeple, were removed from the structure on June 12. The rest of the steeple was removed on June 13. Read more of this story.

Andy Swartzentruber and Sam Yoder, of tiny Ebensburg, Pa., face sentencing Thursday for violating state sewage laws. The two Amish men were found guilty in April of building outhouses without sewage permits and of discharging untreated sewage into the ground.Read more of this story.

NEWS RELEASEMadison, WI – The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) filed a lawsuit against Elizabeth Burmaster, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Mark McGuire, District Administrator of the Rio Community School District, for providing a Christian ministry equal access to meet in its facilities free of charge. Liberty Counsel has now filed a motion to intervene in the case, in order to defend the constitutional rights of Child Evangelism Fellowship of Wisconsin (CEF). Liberty Counsel is siding with the school district against the erroneous claims of FFRF.

The JESUS film, one of the most effective evangelistic tools of all time, now comes in a version edited primarily for women—Magdalena: Released from Shame.By box office standards, JESUS was a bust when it released in 1979, earning a mere $4 million. But since then, it has gone on to become arguably the most watched film in movie history, with over 6 billion viewings (including repeated viewings) in less than three decades.Read more of this story.

A pastor from Kenya is visiting the Madison area this week at the invitation of a Stoughton resident who is working to help him raise the resources needed to continue operating an orphanage in Kenya’s third largest city.Cindy Nawrocki discovered pastor Samson Nyameche when she started attending Abundant Grace Church in Milton. The church was already supporting his ministry in Kenya. But she made a strong personal connection with his work.

FIRST PERSONIn 1967 our family moved to Madison, Wisconsin. In the fall of that year our next door neighbor, Esther Klingbiel, invited our 3½ year old son, Mark, to attend a weekly Good News Club® that she was teaching. At home with a new baby, Janet, it was a nice break for me. Our son Mark enjoyed the club very much. That February at one of the club meetings, Mark asked Jesus to come into his heart and be his Savior. When he came home we had no idea or understanding of what he was talking about.

COMMENTARYTony Blair knew what he was doing, while leading a post-Christian nation next to an even more secular continent. He knew that he couldn’t discuss his faith."You talk about it in our system and, frankly, people do think you’re a nutter," he told BBC after leaving office.Read more of this commentaryREAD MORE: The Faith that Moves Tony Blair by Michael Gerson