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Pastor backing Santorum claims Romney is not a ChristianBy Peter Hamby, CNN Political Reporter Lansing, Michigan (CNN) – A Michigan pastor who introduced Rick Santorum at a Monday campaign event in Lansing claimed that Mitt Romney is not a Christian and said Santorum is the one Republican candidate who can awaken "the sleeping giant" of Christianity. Kent Clark, the CEO of Grace Centers of Hope, a faith-based homeless outreach facility in Pontiac, warmed up the pro-Santorum audience by calling the former Pennsylvania senator "a man who believes in a creator rather than we being the accidental creation of gas and dust." FULL STORYDetroit Jewish group looking for a few young urban pioneersBy Joe Sterling, CNN (CNN) - Jordan Wolfe and Leor Barak are Jewish and really dig living in the city of Detroit. But these two members of the tribe are demographic exceptions. The vast majority of the 72,000 Jews in the Detroit metro area are planted in the suburbs, according to census figures. Just a sprinkling reside in the city. However, a Detroit Jewish federation initiative is planting a seed or two to help the city grow, person by person. It is raising money for a rent subsidy program designed to attract 25 young people to live in the city. New reality series tracks lives of American MuslimsBy Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com Religion Editor (CNN) - TLC is premiering a reality series about the lives of American Muslims this fall, "All American Muslim," the cable TV network announced this week. The series tracks five Muslim families living around Dearborn, Michigan, home to one of the nation's largest Muslim enclaves. The series is about “inviting viewers into a world they might not otherwise experience,” said TLC's general manager Amy Winter in a press release. Liberal Catholics to discuss future of churchBy Chris Boyette, CNN (CNN) - Left-leaning Catholics from around the globe will convene in Detroit this weekend for a meeting to discuss what they believe to be the need for reform, openness and greater democracy within the church, according to the American Catholic Council, the organization hosting the convention. The council is a coalition of more than 30 Catholic reform groups dedicated to opening discussion about the current state and future of the church. Calling the conference "a weekend of worship, education and dialogue," convention organizers intend to call for financial transparency and democratic decision-making within the church, a recommitment to social justice, marriage options for priests and greater roles for women, possibly including the priesthood. To arrive at these discussion points, conference organizers held forums with Catholics across the country. Lawyer: Dearborn mosque defendant a Muslim convertBy Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com Religion Editor (CNN) – A man arrested on charges of making terrorist threats against a Dearborn, Michigan mosque will argue that he is a Muslim convert and that it makes little sense for him to attack a Muslim house of worship, his lawyer says. Roger Stockham, 63, of Imperial Beach,California, was charged with one count of false report or threat of terrorism and one count of explosives - possession of bombs with unlawful intent. He was arrested in January in the parking lot ofDearborn’s Islamic Center of America. Police say Stockham had fireworks in his car at the time of his arrest and that he planned to use them in an attack. Stockham has been held in a Wayne County, Michigan jail on $500,000 bond since his arrest. Jury selection for his trial was scheduled to begin last month but was postponed when a judge ordered a competency hearing for Stockham, who has a history of mental illness. What if there is no hell?By Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor Michigan pastor Rob Bell recently appeared on CNN's "American Morning," speaking about his book "Love Wins" and the controversy surrounding it. Many conservative pastors have accused Bell of misrepresenting the Bible's teachings on heaven and hell, with some going as far as calling him a heretic. Pot shop opens near Michigan church, schoolFrom CNN affiliate WEYI. A medical marijuana dispensary moves in across the street from a Catholic Church and school in Owosso. Now city council is considering a new ordinance that would make this illegal. NBC25 talked to the business owner who wants to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, and some parishioners about what should be done to resolve the controversy. On M-21 in Owosso you'll find a place where kids go to school and across the street a place to find medical marijuana. Read the full story about the pot shop controversy at ConnectMidMichigan.comHigh court to hear church-state appeal over 'ministerial' employeesBy Bill Mears, CNN Supreme Court Producer In a twist on the hotly contested national debate on church-state matters, the Supreme Court will decide whether a teacher at a religious school can sue under a federal law against workplace discrimination. The justices accepted review Monday of an appeal from a Lutheran church in Michigan, and will hear oral arguments this fall. At issue is whether the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to hiring and firing decisions involving "ministerial employees" like teachers who may have primarily secular job duties. Your take: Is American Muslim alienation valid?Lots of provocative comments on our story about Muslims in one of the country's biggest and oldest Muslim enclaves feeling alienated in their own country. Many commenters are critical of American Muslims; many others sympathetic and supportive. But the responses are all over the map and largely defy such easy categorization. Here's a sampling: Joe from Kalispell JustAHuman In key American Muslim enclave, alienation is growingEditor’s note: The original version of this story omitted the fact that the attorney for Roger Stockham, who was charged with making terrorist threats against a Dearborn mosque, says his client is a Muslim convert. By Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com Religion Editor Madison Heights, Michigan (CNN) - Dawud Walid asked the worshipers for a show of hands: How many had heard about the Muslim radicalization hearings in Washington earlier that day? About half of the 50 or so Muslims in the banquet hall-turned-mosque indicated that they had. So Walid, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Michigan chapter, briefed the other half about the hearing, calling it an “unfortunate first in American history.” Then he went further, warning about what he said were a handful of growing threats to American Muslims. “As we approach the 10th anniversary of September 11, we are seeing unprecedented acts of Islamophobia,” Walid told the worshipers at the American Islamic Community Center, 10 miles north of Detroit. “After 9/11, it was coming from a few right-wingers,” he said. “But now, in 2011, we’re seeing it from Congress.” |
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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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