Culture

J.C. Penney has announced plans for transforming the company in the midst of cutting thousands of jobs nationwide.

At a launch event this morning, Chief Operating Officer Ron Johnson told the press, "We are going to rethink every aspect of our business, boldly pursue change…as we become America's favorite store."

New initiatives include an updated logo, "Fair and Square Pricing," monthly promotions and special discounts on the first and third Friday's of every month. The company is also adding and revamping over 30 brands and collections, including one by Martha Stewart. Ellen DeGeneres has been named a brand partner, or spokeswoman, as the company looks to appeal to a new market. more >>

While talk today about Rapture predictions are increasing in regularity, some biblical prophecies affecting Christians, Muslims and Jews have stood in place for millenniums.

One such prophecy concerns the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Israel, which is said to be the site where all the nations will gather to worship when the Messiah returns.

The Temple Mount has been one of the most hotly disputed religious sites of worship for the past few centuries and has been one of the main points of tension between Israel and Palestine, as both Jewish and Muslim authorities have been locked in a stalemate over what to do with what is believed to be a temple visited by the presence of God. more >>

Two megachurch pastors from the Dallas, Texas-area, who both witnessed segregation between whites and blacks in the U.S. decades ago, took a closer look at the racial divide still existing today inside the Church during a pastors' conference Webcast from Harvest Studios in Aurora, Ill., on Wednesday.

While taking part in the Elephant Room Round 2 – a gathering of seven prominent church leaders in the Christian community – Pastors T.D. Jakes of the Potter's House and Jack Graham from Prestonwood Baptist Church agreed that racial hatred still exists both inside and outside the Church.

Although both are based in the Dallas area with thousands of members attending, the Potter's House congregation consists of nearly 100 percent African-Americans and other minorities, while Prestonwood Baptist is nearly all Caucasians. more >>

Although no one is immune to sexual temptation, a pastor leading an online pornography addiction recovery ministry says that church leaders may be especially vulnerable to sexually moral failure.

Pastor Jeff Fisher, whose past secret addiction to pornography was discovered while pastoring a church in the Northeast several years ago, recently had his thoughts on the struggles church leadership might face in this area published on Pastors.com.

Fisher and his wife, Marsha, have shared their road to recovery individually and in their marriage along with resources for others struggling with pornography addiction on their Website, PorntoPurity.com. more >>

"Me Again" is a family-friendly movie about getting back to one's self and God. It features an all-star cast with David A.R. White, Ali Landry, Della Reese and Bruce McGill. The movie's tag line warns: "Be careful what you pray for."

David A.R. White plays Rich Chaplin, a middle-aged pastor who is stuck in a rut and questions what his life would have been like had he made different choices. Chaplin is married to his childhood sweetheart, April, who has presented him with divorce papers.

As Chaplin becomes increasingly frustrated about his work, his family, and his relationship with God, he seeks solace in the church. However, as the movie says, "Be careful what you pray for." Chaplin prays to be "anybody except who I am" and is immediately taken on a whirlwind adventure. He is able to experience life through the eyes of a rich businessman, self-deprecating model, baby and fish all before returning to his life. more >>

As a Colorado atheist group purchases space for three billboards in major cities in Colorado, one Christian research fellow refers to their efforts as "bad manners."

"They say their ad is intended to spark dialogue with people of faith on the existence of God, but you don't draw people into conversation by poking fun of the beliefs," Glenn Stanton, director for Family Formation Studies at Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs, told The Christian Post.

Stanton was referring to a billboard sponsored by Boulder Atheists that states, "God is an imaginary friend; Choose reality, it will be better for all of us." more >>