A Connecticut school board that had been in a legal fight over whether they could hold graduation ceremonies at a nearby church building has decided to reach a settlement wherein they stop the practice.

The Enfield Board of Education voted 6-3 on Wednesday evening to accept a settlement in which the school system agrees to no longer hold graduations at First Cathedral Church.

The settlement came in response to a lawsuit filed in 2010 on behalf of a couple high school students and their parents by the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State. more >>

A California community college student will not have to face a disciplinary hearing after all for distributing religious fliers in the same location used by other students to promote non-religious activities on campus. However, the college district said it is not planning to revise the policy that led to the problem for another six months.

"The university is supposed to be the marketplace of ideas, not a place where free speech is a punishable offense," said Legal Counsel David Hacker of Alliance Defending Freedom. A letter from ADF to the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District prompted the withdrawal of the hearing for the Grossmont College student, according to the legal ministry.

"We commend Grossmont College for dropping the unjustified disciplinary hearing against our client, but as the Constitution requires, the college still needs to take prompt action and change its vague distribution policy to prevent any future discrimination against faith-based groups and activities. We'll be monitoring the situation to ensure that the necessary changes are made," Hacker stated Wednesday. more >>

A church in Indiana is working to keep a cross on public property near a major road in its current place after their town council decided that it should be moved.

Faith Community Church of Dugger wants to keep a 26-foot tall cross on the property adjacent the Indiana 54 road. Marla Farris, wife of Faith Community Senior Pastor Shawn Farris, told The Christian Post that the cross was erected in 2010 and is meant to be a symbol of hope.

"The cross was built and erected in 2010. Lewis Bonham and Charlie Hay, a couple of men from our church had the idea and Lewis Bonham built the cross," said Farris. more >>

Wheaton College, an evangelical institution, joined forces Wednesday with Catholic University of America to sue the government for requiring that it provide health insurance coverage for some abortifacient drugs to its employees and students.

Wheaton's main reason for filing suit, Dr. Philip Ryken, president of Wheaton College, explained in a Wednesday conference call with reporters, is that the pro-life institution opposes the use of abortifacient drugs and would be forced to violate its religious beliefs.

"This insurance mandate is against our conscience and against our Christian convictions. We have no recourse now but to file suit," Ryken said. more >>

A New Jersey Bible study leader still wonders why her two-year-old ministry of teaching the Gospel to a small group of homeless and drug addicted people inside a McDonald's is no longer welcomed after confirming the shutdown with the restaurant's manager Tuesday.

Dawn Martinez, 33, was first told last Wednesday by a night manager at a McDonald's in Camden that the reason for her notice was because someone filed a complaint. Martinez told The Christian Post on Monday that when asked for a further explanation the manager said, "Well you are a Christian and there's other people of other faiths and so people are getting offended."

Martinez said she felt the complaint was prompted by someone from "the Islamic faith" listening in on their brief discussion about the Muslim religion at the previous study. more >>

Public displays of homosexual activity may be banned in Russia, four months after they were banned in Saint Petersburg, one of Russia's largest cities.

Legislators are planning on making sure that such activity stays behind closed doors, Voice of America reports.

Tensions between gay rights activists and the Russian government have long been high. Earlier this year, activists in Saint Petersburg released rainbow balloons in a city park and tried to hold a demonstration, but their efforts were broken apart by police. more >>