Ray Downs

Latest

• Sep 29, 2011

  Who Has the Right? Christian Town Clerk Shirks Role Over Gay Marriage Licenses

  A clerk in a small New York town says her Christian beliefs prohibit her from granting marriage licenses to gay couples, so she arranged for same-sex marriage licenses to be handled by a deputy, which requires an appointment and takes more time. Her case has been cast as a microcosm of the culture war between gay rights advocates and Christian conservatives trumping their religious freedom.

• Sep 29, 2011

  Calif. Teacher's 'Bless You' Ban an Attack on Faith, or Really About Etiquette?

  A Vacaville, Calif. teacher has banned the saying of "bless you" after someone sneezes in his classroom, sparking outrage from critics who claim that this is yet another attack on Christianity. But are people simply overreacting?

• Sep 29, 2011

  British Café Owner, Police at Odds Over Publicly Displayed Bible Verses

  A café owner in England claims the police told him he was not allowed by law to show Bible verses on a television screen in his shop, but the police department denies the claim and says it was all a misunderstanding.

• Sep 29, 2011

  Russian Orthodox Church: 'Lolita' and '100 Years of Solitude' Incite Pedophilia

  A senior Russian Orthodox official says that two historically celebrated novels justify pedophilia and should be banned, it was reported Wednesday.

• Sep 28, 2011

  Cemetery Worker Charged With Stealing Dead Man's Guitar From Casket

  Police in Wisconsin say a dead man was robbed twice -- once of his dying wish to buried with his beloved guitar and again when a grounds worker at the cemetery responsible for his burial stole the guitar.

• Sep 28, 2011

  Faith Healing Scandal: Parents Prayed Instead of Seeking Medical Care as Child Slowly Died

  An Oregon couple belonging to a controversial religious sect have been charged with manslaughter for relying solely on faith rather than seeking medical care when their premature child grew ill and died just hours after being born at home.

• Sep 28, 2011

  Hallmark Offers Sympathy Cards for Layoff Victims

  Just lost your job? Hallmark knows your pain. With high unemployment rates and few opportunities for those seeking to re-enter the job market, Hallmark has launched a new line of "Job Loss" cards.

• Sep 28, 2011

  Ala. Town's 'Jail or Church' Program Delayed Amid Pressure From Secular Groups

  The "jail or church" program in Bay Minette, Ala., that gives first-time, nonviolent offenders a choice between doing time and paying a fine or attending church once a week for a year has been delayed as the town's lawyers face pressure to ensure that it does not violate any church and state separation laws.

• Sep 27, 2011

  'Antichrist' Fear Regarding Obama to Maintain Its Grip on Evangelicals?

  Could a heckler who called President Barack Obama "the Antichrist" during a fundraiser event Monday be a sign of growing fears held by Americans viewing the political landscape through the lens of biblical prophecy?

• Sep 27, 2011

  Atheists Just as Servant-Minded as Christians, British Study Reveals

  A new study released in Britain shows that atheists are just as likely to volunteer in the community as Christians. In the United States, however, religious people are three to four times as likely to volunteer, marking a stark difference of how religion affects public life in the two countries.