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South Dakota’s governor signed into law the nation's longest abortion waiting period, 72 hours, on Tuesday.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard signed House Bill 1217 that requires women seeking an abortion to be assessed by a physician and receive counseling at a pregnancy help center to ensure their decision to have an abortion is “voluntary, uncoerced, and informed.” The law extends the state’s previously 24-hour wait period.

“I think everyone agrees with the goal of reducing abortion by encouraging consideration of other alternatives," Daugaard said in a statement. "I hope that women who are considering an abortion will use this three-day period to make good choices.” more >>

Focus on the Family’s first-ever Super Bowl ad has won the Best Television Commercial award at this year's National Religious Broadcasters conference.

Then college football star Tim Tebow and his mother, Pam, star in the 30-second ad, which aired Feb. 7, 2010 on CBS.

It is estimated that 5.5 million people reconsidered their position on abortion after seeing the ad, according to a Barna Group poll released last Tuesday. more >>

The Colorado House of Representatives approved prayer in legislative sessions despite opponents’ concern that such activity would blur the lines between church and state.

In a 40 to 25 vote, the House voted in favor to include morning prayer in its schedule, which gives the speaker the discretion to allow prayer after the call to order.

Holding prayer is nothing new in the House. Prayer is usually allowed before the call to order, and not during sessions. more >>

In his third featured interview this year, former megachurch pastor Ted Haggard asks why it is so hard for the Church to live out its teachings on forgiveness and restoration, noting that the secular world is doing a better job at this than Christians.

"The differentiation between the Church and everybody else is that we should respond with restoration, healing, hope to people's sin condition, our sin condition. We're losing that right now," he argues in a new video interview with Lifetree Café, a Christian-based network of local discussion groups.

He expresses frustration over his observation that many celebrities – including Martha Stewart, Michael Vick, Tiger Woods, David Letterman – were restored by their secular organizations compared to Christian leaders, including himself, who do not receive restoration by the church. more >>

The U.S. Air Force Academy will hold its prayer luncheon as scheduled on Thursday after a Colorado judge dismissed a lawsuit seeking to stop the event.

U.S. District Judge Christine Arguello ruled Wednesday against the Military Religious Freedom Foundation’s request for an injunction on the prayer luncheon. Arguello said the plaintiffs, MRFF and Air Force Academy professor David Mullin, had no legal standing to challenge the event.

In their complaint, Mullin and MRFF lamented that the luncheon violates the separation of church and state because of its overtly Christian keynote speaker, Marine Corps Lt. Clebe McClary. The retired Vietnam veteran, who lost an eye in battle, has been endorsed by Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell. He is known to intertwine military values with his evangelical beliefs. more >>

Disclaimer: This article contains content not suitable for minors and graphic sexual language

In a new GQ magazine profile, Colorado Springs pastor Ted Haggard disclosed shocking details about his drug use, sexuality, and pornography viewing.

Haggard told GQ reporter Kevin Roose while on a camping trip that he still believes that the Bible is clear that "homosexuality is not God's best plan for people." But Roose reports that a few days later when Haggard was back at home, the former megachurch pastor shared that he would describe himself as “bisexual” if not for his belief system and family. more >>