The Christian Century

In what could be a major setback for the government’s ability to fund religious charities, a federal judge has ruled against an Iowa program designed to rehabilitate prisoners through Christianity.

Incumbent governor Bob Riley breezed past one of the best-known figures in Alabama politics—“Ten Commandments Judge” Roy Moore—to win the Republican nomination for governor.

Riley routed Moore by a double-digit margin in the June 6 Republican gubernatorial primary. Lieutenant Governor Lucy Baxley won the Democratic nomination.

God squad:The Colorado Rockies baseball organization wants players with character, and that appears to mean they are looking for evangelical Christians. At least three major league teams are sponsoring promotional "faith days," appealing to church groups with discounted tickets and the prospect of entertainment by Christian musicians and speakers (www.thenation.com, June 2).

Former secretary of state Madeleine Albright is breaking ranks with the conventional wisdom of her profession. Diplomats, she says, were traditionally taught to keep far away from potentially controversial subjects like religion.

The battle over stem cell research has surfaced in Wisconsin, and both parties are members of the Catholic Church.

Congregants at a church in Georgia did a double take during a recent sermon. Filmed with a high-definition camera, pastor Andy Stanley's face on the screen was so lifelike that some thought he was there with them. Not so. "Godcasting” is when churches use remote feeds, either live or by DVD, to bring a pastor's sermon to several congregations at the same time (Christian Science Monitor, May 18).