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Santorum Brushes Off Money Concerns, Blasts Obama on Religious Freedom

WASHINGTON – Rick Santorum disregarded Mitt Romney's money-flush campaign in his CPAC 2012 address saying that the presidential race is not about who has the most cash, but about stopping Barack Obama and his growing grip on American freedoms.
Santorum told the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) audience on Friday that he is not concerned about how his campaign's finances measure up to Romney's.
"We're not going to win with money," he said. "We're going to win with contracts, we're going to win with ideas, we're going to win by making Barack Obama and his failed policies the issue in this race." more >>
Elevation, 50 NC Churches to Serve Homeless, Elders for LOVE Week

Over 50 churches in the Charlotte, N.C.-area will be preforming community service and caring for the poor on Saturday as part of LOVE Week.
Volunteers will work in locations across the city to clean-up parks, improve schools, feed the hungry and homeless, and serve the poor during the third annual event, organized by Elevation church, one of Charlotte's fastest growing megachurches.
Elevation spokesperson Tonia Bendickson told The Christian Post that "LOVE Week is the best opportunity for us to make an impact for our city. We partner with dozens [of] organizations like hospitals, senior centers, and schools." more >>
'Tim Tebow Law' Gives Gifted Homeschooled Students Chance, Says Attorney
Virginia's homeschooled students should have the same opportunities to participate in public school sports as their peers, argued the head of a conservative legal group in support of the state's so-called "Tim Tebow Law."
John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute, is urging the Virginia General Assembly to adopt House Bill 947. The law would give homeschooled students the chance to try out and participate for sports in the local public school system.
"This will give children who are athletically gifted a chance to pursue their dreams and possibly attain scholarships," Whitehead told The Christian Post. "In America, given the chance to succeed is all it takes, much like Tim Tebow has." more >>
Religious Leaders Supporting Md. Gay Marriage Bill Cherry Picked
Gay rights advocates have drawn a select group of religious leaders to support gay marriage in Maryland ahead of Friday's hearing for the "marriage equality" bill.
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has been drawing on the public support of a cherry picked group of leaders representing various faiths, including the Jewish, Catholic, Baptist and Protestant traditions, to make the argument for his 2012 gay marriage bill.
The Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, supports the gay marriage bill and told Protestants and Episcopal followers Wednesday that the Bible should inform their decision to support initiative. The Old Testament scriptures, she explained in The Washington Post, "condemns exploitative sexual activity that is the antithesis of loving, committed relationships," not homosexuality. more >>
Religious Groups Voice Support for Obama's Contraception Mandate Despite Catholic Outcry
In stark contrast to most mainstream Christian leaders, especially those of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S., a coalition of 22 Christian, Jewish and Muslim institutions has emerged expressing support for President Barack Obama's controversial contraception mandate that affects many faith-based institutions.
Catholics for Choice, Episcopal Divinity School, Jewish Women International, Methodist Federation for Social Action, Muslims for Progressive Values, the Planned Parenthood Clergy Advisory Board, and several others said in a Wednesday statement that the Obama administration was correct in requiring institutions that do not have purely sectarian goals to offer comprehensive preventive health care.
National leaders have the responsibility to "help improve the health of women, their children, and families," the groups wrote in the joint statement. "Hospitals and universities across the religious spectrum have an obligation to assure that individuals' conscience and decisions are respected and that their students and employees have access to this basic health care service. more >>
'I Believe' Religious License Plates for Sale in S.C.

Motorists in South Carolina have been given the option of purchasing religious license plates that feature three crosses on a mountaintop against a sunrise backdrop.
The "I Believe" tags are created and sponsored by non-profit group www. IBELIEVEsc.net, a coalition of Christian believers. The group says the tags demonstrate a non-political way for Christians to show their faith.
Back in 2008, the state General Assembly created an "I Believe" tag that was sponsored by the government. In 2009, however, a U.S. federal judge ruled the tag unconstitutional, and the state did not appeal the decision. That left the possibility for a private organization to apply for an "I Believe" tag. In the end, the Christian coalition applied for the license plate. more >>
