Author: Gordon Govier

COMMENTARYFor years radical Islamists in the Philippines have been attacking Christians. In late April seven Christians were murdered on the southern Philippine island of Jolo. Regular BreakPoint listeners know that, unfortunately, this isn’t unusual. Around the world, Christians are suffering and even dying, because they are Christians. They know also that the victimizers more often than not are Islamist militants. Read more of this story

NASHVILLE — "Of making many books," says Ecclesiastes, "there is no end."Of no book may that be truer than the one that contains those words, the Bible.With an estimated 25 million copies of the Bible sold annually, the book is not only the best-selling title in America, it also is available in an increasing array of forms, from detailed study Bibles to waterproof versions and glossy "Biblezines," which look like fashion magazines.Read more of this story.

MADISON, Wis. — St. Raphael’s will be rebuilt in the parking lot of the current cathedral, officials said.After two years of waiting and anticipation, Bishop Robert Morlino told parishioners the cathedral won’t be moved away from downtown, according to WISC-TV. In addition, Morlino said the recently refurbished steeple will be saved as well and will be incorporated into the new building.Read more of this story.Wisconsin State Journal version.

Zeb Ivan Smith got his start as a greeter six decades ago when he worked the graveyard shift as a railroad ticket agent in Muleshoe, Texas. "I’d greet anyone getting on or off – the few who would catch the train at that hour," said Smith, 83, chuckling.Smith, known as "Z.I.," still greets. But these days, his station is First United Methodist Church of Bedford, Texas, where there are lots more folks to welcome.Read more of this story.

PRINCETON, NJ — About one-third of the American adult population believes the Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally word for word. This percentage is slightly lower than several decades ago. The majority of those Americans who don’t believe that the Bible is literally true believe that it is the inspired word of God but that not everything it in should be taken literally. About one in five Americans believe the Bible is an ancient book of "fables, legends, history, and moral precepts recorded by man."Read more of this story.

MANCHESTER, N.H. (BP)–On a night that lightning literally struck when Rudy Giuliani talked about abortion, the Republican candidates for president talked about a host of faith-based issues June 5, including evolution and creationism, the pro-life plank in the party platform and what they deem as the most pressing moral issue of the day.Read more of this story.

ROME — Some Holy See buildings will start using solar energy, reflecting Pope Benedict XVI’s concern about conserving the Earth’s resources, a Vatican engineer said Tuesday. The roof of the Paul VI auditorium will be redone next year, with its cement panels replaced with photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electricity, engineer Pier Carlo Cuscianna said.Read more of this story.

In an unprecedented forum, the three leading Democratic presidential candidates described how faith influences both their politics and their personal lives, with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton responding to a question about her husband’s infidelity by saying, "I’m not sure I would have gotten through it without my faith."Read more of this story.

God is calling Christians to unprecedented levels of compassion for the broken world at one of the nation’s largest megachurches.Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., has been actively living out the Good Samaritan story in recent years, flooding aid to hurricane victims along the Gulf Coast, to HIV/AIDS affected areas in Africa, and to impoverished neighborhoods in Chicago. For the next four years, the megachurch is taking compassion up a higher notch.Read more of this story.

The vast majority of Americans who believe in the Bible have more ways than ever to connect with it these days, especially on television. TV ministries are a growth industry.Read more of this story.