Indiana

A national atheist activist group says an Indiana church's plans to use tax exempt bond financing to help construct a campus for its ministries is a violation of the state's constitution and the separation of church and state clause in the Constitution.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation says the city of West Lafayette cannot legally subsidize Faith Church's "Faith West Project" with $7 million in economic development revenue bonds. FFRF's co-president Dan Barker sent a letter of complaint to Mayor John Dennis and the City Council.

In a video posted on Faith Church's website, the church's pastor Steve Viars said that asking whether it is appropriate for government to allow a tax exempt bond to be issued for a non-profit religious organization like Faith is a "very reasonable question." However, the tax exempt bond financing is done for all types of organizations, including religious ones. more >>

Up until now, the Old Testament book Song of Solomon has mostly been directed toward adults, married or unmarried. Author Chris Ray, however, is now seeking to shift that focus to a younger audience in his latest book Song of Solomon for Teenagers: And Anyone Else Who Wonders Why They Are Here.

"It is apparent when looking at the statistics for divorce, suicide, drinking and drug abuse that we must be missing something," Ray revealed. "This book is about just that."

Song of Solomon has recently become a popular topic within the Christian community today, with renowned pastors like Mark Driscoll and Ed Young speaking from or referencing the vivid verses in their books or sermons on sex and marriage. more >>

The Super Bowl is one of America's largest sporting events, and also one of the largest sex-trafficking events. Thousands of girls, many under-aged, will be brought to Indiana for the game on Feb. 5.

Theresa Flores, founder of Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution (S.O.A.P.), told The Christian Post that major sporting events like the Super Bowl generally have more men in attendance who are visiting from a different city, and often do things they wouldn't normally do at home. This creates a demand that "traffickers and pimps are there willing and waiting to supply," she said.

Because of this, about 150 volunteers for S.O.A.P. are heading to Indiana before the event, not to tailgate, but to pass out soap at Indianapolis motels. more >>

An Indiana Senate committee voted 8-2 on Wednesday in favor of a bill that would require the state's public schools to teach creationism alongside evolution in science class.

The Senate Education Committee, which is controlled by Republicans, voted in favor of the bill despite protests from advocacy groups.

"The governing body of a school corporation may require the teaching of various theories concerning the origin of life, including creation science, within the school corporation," the bills says. more >>

Apocalyptic theories, such as the one linked to the Mayans, are forcing some people to think about the future in terms of survival and preparing for the worst – and one company is offering underground bunkers that promise to withstand almost every major catastrophe that may hit Earth. Its founder, Robert Vicino, says Christians relying on the Rapture as their safety net would do well to also make preparations.

The Vivos Project first started almost 30 years ago as an idea in the mind of Vicino, an entrepreneur with a global history of success in manufacturing, marketing and real estate development. The Vivios Project is perhaps the biggest of its kind, as Vicino is preparing for worst-case scenarios the planet could face at any time.

Although the organization’s website features a live clock that counts down the days, hours, minutes and seconds to Dec. 21, 2012 – the date on which the Mayan Calendar ends and some believe will bring about the destruction of the world – Vicino shared with The Christian Post that the clock is mostly metaphorical. more >>

Heavy winds on Saturday caused the stage that was set up for country group Sugarland to collapse at the Indiana State Fair. Five people were killed in the incident and Sugarland, which was supposed to be on the stage during the time of its collapse, said a prayer circle saved them.

Gail Gellman, Sugarland’s manager, said everyone else thought it was safe to go on stage, but Hellen Rollens, tour manager, decided to hold the band back.

About a minute later, 60 to 70 mph winds toppled the roof and metal platform supporting the lights and other equipment. more >>