Ray Downs

Latest

• Sep 16, 2011

  Pat Robertson's Most Controversial Moments (VIDEOS)

  Pat Robertson made a lot of people scratch their heads when he said on his “700 Club” show that having Alzheimer’s was “kind of a death” that made it permissible to leave one’s spouse. But Robertson is known for making controversial remarks about how his views of the Bible apply to daily life. Here are five of Robertson’s most infamous gaffes.

• Sep 16, 2011

  '700 Club' Addresses Pat Robertson Alzheimer's Quotes as Debate Continues

  Addressing the outrage over Pat Robertson's polarizing comments regarding Alzheimer's disease being a "kind of death" that would make divorce permissible, Robertson's show, "The 700 Club," issued a statement to concerned viewers through its Facebook page.

• Sep 16, 2011

  Supreme Court Halts 'Race-Tainted' Execution of Texas Inmate Duane Buck

  The U.S. Supreme Court issued a last-minute halt of the execution of a Texas man convicted of a double murder 16 years ago after lawyers argued that Duane Buck, who is black, was sentenced to death because the jury was told his race made him more violent.

• Sep 15, 2011

  Twitter Reacts With Jokes, Outrage to Pat Robertson Quotes on Alzheimer's

  Televangelist Pat Robertson said it was permissible to divorce a spouse with Alzheimer's disease on a television broadcast on "The 700 Club" Tuesday because it was "a kind of death," shocking Twitter users, some of whom expressed offense while others made jokes.

• Sep 15, 2011

  Perry's Death Count to Grow as Texas Inmate Duane Buck Faces Execution

  A Texas inmate is scheduled for execution Thursday night and those critical of his sentencing believe his fate was sealed based on testimony from a psychologist who testified that being black made the man, Duane Buck, more prone to violence. If the execution goes as scheduled, Buck will become the second Texas inmate to die this week under the watch of Gov. Rick Perry, a GOP runner in the presidential campaign.

• Sep 15, 2011

  Federal Court Weighs Legality of Oklahoma Ban on Sharia Law

  Federal judges in Oklahoma tasked with deciding on the constitutionality of a ban on Sharia law have asked lawyers why the ban singles out Islam, framing a larger question of a hot-button issue regarding the influence of Islam in American public life.

• Sep 15, 2011

  Calif. Teacher Prohibited From Displaying 'God' Banners In Classroom

  A federal appeals court in California rejected the claim of a Christian high school teacher who said his First Amendment rights were violated when the school's principal ordered him to take down classroom banners that referred to God.

• Sep 14, 2011

  Confused Americans Approve of Gay Marriage But Support Constitutional Ban Against It

  Most Americans approve of same-sex marriage than oppose, but many still Americans support a constitutional ban against it, says a new poll.

• Sep 14, 2011

  Westboro Baptist Church to Picket Funeral of Controversial Episcopal Bishop

  The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) has announced on Twitter that it will picket the funeral of Bishop Walter C. Righter, who fought to provide greater equality for homosexuals and women in the Episcopal Church and drew controversy when he ordained a gay man as a deacon in 1990.

• Sep 14, 2011

  Church 'Spiritually Opposed' to Neighbor's Liquor License Request

  A church in Queens, New York, is trying to prevent a hookah lounge next door from being able to serve beer and wine because alcohol is unacceptable "in God's sight."