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February 21st, 2011
02:22 PM ET
Daytona 500 winner's race for faithBy Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor Washington (CNN) - Trevor Bayne may have won the Daytona 500 on Sunday, but a small charity he name-dropped will share in the spoils of victory. The 20-year-old NASCAR driver was racing in just his second Sprint Cup competition and is now etched in the record books as the youngest driver to win the sports' biggest race. "I never thought in a million years we were gonna win our first one," Bayne told CNN Monday morning. "It's incredible." During his post-race news conference, Bayne was asked how he would spend some of the $1,463,813 purse he won from the race. “I don’t know if I will splurge. I am definitely not putting it up for retirement yet, I am going to stay around for awhile," Bayne said. "Hopefully this money will help us get some more races, and there are a lot of foundations and ministries that need support. Back2Back ministries in Mexico is one, and there are a lot of good organizations that need some help, and we will help them out as much as we can." In a sport that has ads plastered over nearly every inch of the drivers and their cars, it was a big deal for Bayne to namedrop the Christian charity.  Huge crowds are expected in St. Peter's Square for John Paul II's beatification in May.
February 21st, 2011
02:21 PM ET
Vatican warns of papal ticket scams(CNN) - The Vatican is warning people who plan to travel to the beatification of Pope John Paul II to look out for scammers claiming to sell tickets for the ceremony. "It is very important to make as clear as possible that no tickets are needed to attend the beatification of John Paul II," said monsignor Guido Marini, master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations, according to Vatican Radio. As in life, John Paul is drawing huge crowds after his death. Two million pilgrims are expected to flock to the Vatican for the special Mass, which will be presided over by Pope Benedict XVI and take place in St. Peter's Square on May 1 - the first Sunday after Easter.
February 21st, 2011
07:41 AM ET
Italians losing faith in prime ministerCNN's Diana Magnay takes a look at how Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi could lose the Catholic vote.
February 21st, 2011
06:00 AM ET
My Take: Cancel bigoted hearings targeting U.S. Muslims
By Stephen Prothero, Special to CNN According to a new poll, a slim majority - 56 percent - of Americans support upcoming congressional hearings into alleged extremism in the U.S. Muslim community. However, nearly three-quarters - 72 percent - think Congress should not look for religious extremism only among American Muslims. These hearings on "the radicalization of the American Muslim community and homegrown terrorism” are being overseen by Rep. Peter King, a Republican from New York and the new chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. They are slated to begin March 7. On February 1, a group of 51 faith-based, human rights and civil rights organizations, led by Muslim Advocates, called on House Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to urge King and his committee to address all forms of religious extremism rather than focusing on Islam.
February 21st, 2011
06:00 AM ET
Prayers from the airBy Jim Spellman, CNN Colorado Springs, Colorado (CNN) — They call Colorado Springs “Little Jerusalem” for good reason. Christian churches from mega to micro dot this city nestled against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and prayer is an integral part of the lives of many of the worshipers who fill those pews. Most prayers start on the ground and are sent heavenward. But helicopter pilot Will Sanders is taking prayer to the air by flying pastors up to the skies to pray down on the people below. “I believe prayer works, and I want to take prayer warriors up to pray for their community. Inspire them to see it from a different angle, from a different view,” he said. |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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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.