Editor's Note: Stephen Prothero, a Boston University religion scholar and author of "God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World," is a regular CNN Belief Blog contributor.

By Stephen Prothero, Special to CNN

Whitney Houston gave a lot of gifts to the world. She gave us the best rendition ever of "The Star-Spangled Banner." She gave us “I Will Always Love You.”

But Saturday at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey, where as a girl she sang in the choir, she gave us a church service — a chance for people of all races to see what church looks like inside the community that gave Houston (and us) her voice.

“There are more stars here than the Grammys,” said Houston’s music director, Rickey Minor, and the service did feature pop star Stevie Wonder and music mogul Clive Davis, among others. But so much of popular music started in the black church, and today the black church talked back.

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In other words, this was an unapologetically Christian service, replete with references to salvation and “amazing grace,” where even the pop stars were transformed into gospel singers. People crossed themselves. They raised their hands to heaven. And the congregation kept shouting back: “Yes!” and “That’s it!” and “Praise the Lord!”

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(CNN)–CNN's Susan Candiotti talks with a New York City church on last day of services before ban on renting space in schools.

By Alexander Mooney, CNN

(CNN)–First Lady Michelle Obama made a stop at the Northland Church in Florida Saturday, bringing her healthy-eating campaign to a crowd that included religious organizations affiliated with a broad swath of faiths and congregations.

In her remarks at the Central Florida evangelical mega-church where Joel Hunter serves as pastor, the first lady made the case that religious organizations can be natural partners in her efforts to combat childhood obesity.

“Our faith communities don’t tend only to folks’ spiritual health but to their emotional and their physical health as well,” she said. “Think for a moment about the scripture that tells us that your bodies are temples given to you by God. That is a core teaching of so many of our faiths — a teaching that calls us to honor and nourish the bodies we’ve been blessed with, and to help others do the same.”

Read the full story from CNN's 1600 Report

By Adam Aigner-Treworgy, CNN

McKinney, Texas (CNN) - The day after winning a three state primary sweep, Rick Santorum largely avoided politics during a visit to the Bella Donna Chapel and instead talked candidly about his faith before a crowd of more than one hundred local pastors.

Due to several last-minute TV interviews added to his schedule on Wednesday morning, Santorum arrived at the chapel nearly an hour late, which shrunk the amount of time his campaign set aside for midday fundraisers in this wealthy, predominantly Republican state. The delay forced him to rush out after his address, skipping a planned visit with several hundred supporters who had gathered outside the chapel, unable to get in to the invite-only event.

By Rachel Streitfeld, CNN Political Producer

Centennial, Colorado (CNN) – Mitt Romney accused President Barack Obama of infringing upon Americans’ religious rights in a fiery address to more than 2,500 supporters Monday in Colorado.

“The Creator gave every human being his rights,” Romney told the audience, to sustained cheers. “I’m just distressed as I watch our president try and infringe upon our rights.”

In recent weeks the GOP frontrunner has signaled he would attack the president over the charge his administration has rolled back the rights of religious individuals and institutions. Romney went further at his Monday rally and publicly detailed specific examples of Obama’s “violation of conscience.”

Romney cited a new policy from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that requires some religious institutions, including schools and hospitals, to provide coverage of birth control to their employees.

Germany (CNN)–CNN's Diana Magnay reports on a snow church made famous by a postcard in a chilly Bavarian village.

By Richard Allen Greene, CNN

(CNN)–The leafy, genteel north London neighborhood of Muswell Hill is well stocked with stores, coffee bars, restaurants and apartments.

It also has plenty of churches – at least four were built within a few hundred yards of each other, thanks to the generosity of the developer who built Muswell Hill in the late 19th century.

It turned out that was too many.

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The Church of Scientology opened its newest facility. KOVR reports.

Martin Luther King Jr. was born just blocks east of Ebenezer Baptist Church in downtown Atlanta, where he joined his father as co-pastor in 1960. Were he still alive, he would have turned 83 on Sunday. For the first time on this national holiday, Ebenezer church visitors will be enjoying the newly renovated landmark.