XXXchurch.com, an online ministry to the pornography industry, said it will distribute 10,000 copies of the popular New Testament paraphrase The Message featuring a cover declaring “Jesus Loves Porn Stars.” The tentative deal with NavPress publishers is to distribute copies at three pornography conventions, said Craig Gross, one of the two pastors who started the ministry in 2002. The deal comes after the American Bible Society backed out of an arrangement, citing that it supports the ministry but that the cover was inappropriate. (RNS)
The Protestant Church in the Netherlands has projected a 40 percent reduction of ministries over the next 10 years, since most of the ministries depend on a quota from the congregations. The projection is based on current demographics in the churches. (REC)
The faith-based Prison Fellowship Program in Iowa was ruled unconstitutional by district judge Robert W. Pratt because it “has the primary effect of impermissibly endorsing religion” through its contract with the state corrections department. Mark Earley, president of Prison Fellowship, said his organization would appeal the decision to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. (RNS)
A Washington Post poll found that 43 percent of Americans believe pets can go to heaven, and of those people, nearly all (93 percent) said “people’s pets can go to heaven even if their owners do not.” The poll did not indicate whether respondents think certain species are more likely to go to heaven than others. (RNS)
