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Dr. Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, has caused a firestorm over comments he made Friday about former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney not being a Christian because he is a Mormon. During his discussion with CP, Jeffress also said that President Barack Obama must be "unseated" at all costs.

"I think that it is a spiritual imperative that we unseat Barack Obama," he told CP. "He is the most pro-abortion, most pro-homosexuality [president] in history. So if I look at the landscape of Republican candidates, I believe that eventually it will come down to a choice between Mitt Romney and Rick Perry, and I think a confident Christian like Rick Perry has a consistent record of conservative values."

Perry is a preferable candidate to Romney, Jeffress added in his commentary of the two Republicans. more >>

WASHINGTON – On day one of Family Research Council's Values Voter Summit, conservatives and Republican leaders cited the Department of Labor reports showing that unemployment has remained unchanged.

Republican House Speaker John Boehner opened the conference on Friday with the news that despite an uptick in hiring, the U.S. jobless rate remains at 9.1 percent.

The White House noted that private sector employers added 137,000 jobs in September. Additionally, overall payroll employment rose by 103,000. Labor Department reports also show that unemployment insurance claims decreased by 4,000 claims prior to Sept. 24. more >>

The U.S. Supreme Court justices considered on Wednesday whether churches and religious institutions have the right to claim ministerial exception in employment issues, in the case of Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The ministerial exception allows religious entities to give preference in employment to individuals of a particular religion or require that employees confirm the organization's religious tenants.

University of Virginia Law professor Douglas Laycock, the attorney representing the Redford, Mich., school, argued before the U.S. Supreme Court that if ministerial exception is struck down in their case, then judges would be left to determine whether ministers were performing their religious duties effectively in future cases. more >>

The Washington National Cathedral will reopen on Nov. 12, officials announced Tuesday. Restoration costs for the earthquake-damaged landmark have exceeded tens of millions of dollars, according to authorities.

“The Cathedral hopes to continue an aggressive fundraising effort to raise at least $25 million to off set the costs of the early restoration work and to help support its operations through the end of 2012,” officials said in a statement.

A national landmark, the 30-story central tower suffered significant damage during the 5.9 magnitude earthquake on Aug. 23, 2011. The cathedral also experienced damages from Hurricane Irene. more >>

Some Christian observers were puzzled after controversial film director and author Michael Moore joked about Jesus being gay during his Friday guest lecture at Georgetown University, the oldest Catholic University in the United States.

Moore, the filmmaker behind "Fahrenheit 9/11," "Bowling for Columbine" and "Sicko," was discussing his newest book, Here Comes Trouble: Stories from My Life, and his films in a guest lecture for students, faculty and media.

Moore, who was raised Catholic, used Christian themes throughout his speech, according to Fox News. At one point he insinuated that Jesus was gay. more >>

The Onion's violent satire painting fictional images of Rep. John Boehner and others as masked gunmen holding up children ignited real fears of gunfire in the U.S. Capitol building.

The jokester paper is known for creating far-fetched scenarios in order to poke fun and possibly make serious points about American culture. However, the Onion's tweet proclaiming at 10:33 a.m. Thursday, "BREAKING: Witnesses reporting screams and gunfire heard inside the Capitol Building" turned the laughter into stone-faced fear.

The message was re-tweeted over 100 times and ignited speculation of an attack, according to news reports. The capitol was, in fact, largely empty in celebration of Rosh Hashanah. Those who were present were not pleased with The Onion's dark humor. Rep. Eric Cantor's aide, Brad Dayspring, tweeted, "Onion; FAIL." Another congressional staffer fired back at The Onion on Twitter stating that the message had alarmed the office. more >>