Friday's tragedy has sparked dialogue and debate on a range of topics as the nation seeks to understand acts of senseless violence.

After Adam Lanza, 20, killed 26 people, including 20 children, at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, Conn., plus his mother and himself, the first question on the minds of many was, why? As thoughts turned to preventing similar incidents in the future, many other questions were asked: Where was God? What can be done to aid those dealing with mental illness? Are violent video games part of the problem? And, should gun ownership be more strictly regulated?

Sen. Dianne Feinstein announced Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," that, in response to the massacre, she would introduce an assault weapons ban on the first day of the new Congress. Congress passed a similar ban in 1992, which expired in 2002. more >>

A major evangelical organization will soon be posting a Nativity-centered Christmas advertisement for Times Square based off of the upcoming mini-series "The Bible."

The World Evangelical Alliance will begin running ads later this week regarding the miniseries and will continue to do so until March of next year when the series begins.

Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe, CEO and Secretary General for the World Evangelical Alliance, told The Christian Post that the ads were meant to redirect people's attention to the real meaning of Christmas. more >>

A nationwide atheist organization has purchased and put up 10 ads on the buses that service the largest city in Alaska.

The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation posted the ads on Anchorage's "People Movers" bus system on Monday. The ads on display for two of the buses depict a cartoon Santa Claus with the statement "Yes, Virginia...There Is No God."

The phrase for the ad parodies the famous editorial by Francis P. Church in an 1897 New York Sun newspaper edition. more >>

The U.S. Navy has ordered service members on a military base in Bahrain to discontinue a long-standing tradition of a "Live Nativity" after a military atheist group complained that the manger scene not only violated the Constitution, but endangered Americans serving in a Muslim country as well.

The Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty and others in the armed services community have expressed disappointment over the Navy's decision to "inhibit the religious liberty" of military personnel at the military facility in Bahrain.

"This is another example of the military wrongly yielding to those who promote freedom from religion while squelching the constitutional protections for the free exercise of religion," said Chaplain (COL) Ron Crews, USAR retired, executive director of the chaplain alliance. "Every American, especially those who wear the uniform, should be allowed to exercise their religious liberties. We are very disappointed in the Navy's decision not to support the free exercise of religion of the personnel assigned to NSA Bahrain." more >>

NEW YORK – American Atheists, the leading secular organization in the U.S., has launched its Christmas billboard campaign in New York City, urging people to abandon the Jesus Christ "myth."

"Keep the merry! Dump the myth!" the billboard reads, which features a jolly image of Santa Clause above a solemn wooden figure of the crucified Christ. A press release shared with The Christian Post by Teresa MacBain, Public Relations Director at American Atheists, notes that the billboard is strategically placed at the popular Times Square tourist location.

"We know that a large population of 'Christians' are actually atheists who feel trapped in their family's religion. If you know god is a myth, you do not have to lie and call yourself 'Christian' in order to have a festive holiday season. You can be merry without the myth, and indeed, you should," said David Silverman, President of American Atheists. more >>

Liberty Counsel, a civil liberties legal defense organization, recently came to the aid of senior citizens in Los Angeles who protested the threatened removal of their Christmas tree from their home at The Willows, a senior assisted living apartment complex located in Newhall, Calif.

The complex's management, however, ultimately argued that the discrepancy involving the complex's Christmas tree came about from a misunderstanding between management and the apartment's staff, and there was never an intention to remove the holiday decorations from the communal room at The Willows.

"If holiday decorations are permitted in the facility, then they cannot be restricted or prohibited based upon their religious content," Liberty Counsel attorney Richard Mast said in a Dec. 7 statement. more >>