[UPDATE 7/12: Phoenix city officials release "fact sheet" and timeline regarding Michael Salman's case.]

Arizona preacher Michael Salman was sentenced to jail for building what the City of Phoenix claims he has been representing as a church on his home property without securing the proper permits. Salman claims the building is not a church and is simply for private Bible study gatherings.

Salman's case, which started in 2007, reached its conclusion this week when a Phoenix court ruled that he was guilty of more than five dozen violations in constructing the building and sentenced him to 60 days in jail and three years of probation. more >>

An international non-theist organization has launched efforts to help an Indonesian atheist who was imprisoned for writing on Facebook that he did not believe in God.

Atheist Alliance International is trying to help Alexander Aan, who was recently imprisoned for writing "God doesn't exist" on Facebook. Carlos Diaz, president of AAI, told The Christian Post that his organization learned of the incident from some of their contacts in Indonesia – the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation.

"Alex Aan's case highlights the fundamental principles of freedom of expression and freedom of conscience and the discrimination faced by atheists, particularly in Islamic countries," said Diaz. more >>

A national chaplain alliance group "strongly condemns" the U.S. Department of Defense's decision to celebrate Gay Pride Month and says it is concerned that the Pentagon's next step will be to grant marriage benefits to same-sex couples within the military.

"I find it interesting that in the same week that the decision was announced to no longer allow Bibles to be published using military insignia, the Pentagon announced the celebration of homosexuality – something the Scriptures clearly condemns," said Chaplain (Col.) Ron Crews, USAR retired, executive director for the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty.

In an email exchange with The Christian Post, Crews added, "This action causes me to wonder, 'what is next for our military?' I am concerned that DoD will pursue full 'marriage benefits' for same-sex couples regardless of federal law, another Presidential Executive Order bypassing Congress (similar to the latest immigration law he instituted)." more >>

A Nebraska-based Christian business is being sued for alleged religious discrimination against a prospective employee.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against the Voss Lighting Company of Lincoln last week on behalf of Edward Wolfe of Oklahoma. According to the suit, Wolfe applied for a job with Voss' Oklahoma office but was not hired because he stated in his interviews that he was unwilling to arrive to work early to attend a Bible study.

In a press release, the EEOC explained that they took up the case because of their belief that Voss' actions were in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. more >>

WASHINGTON – Gene Robinson, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, believes the debate over the Affordable Care Act's contraception mandate is a "women's health issue" rather than a religious liberty matter.

At an event on Thursday sponsored by the progressive organization the Center for American Progress, Robinson, most known for being the first openly gay, non-celibate priest to be ordained in the Episcopal Church, told The Christian Post about how he felt regarding the debate.

"The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion worldwide is actually been very supportive on the contraception issue for decades now and did so as a worldwide organization fairly early on," said Robinson. more >>

The pro-life Live Action group continues to apply pressure on congressmen to ban sex-selective abortion in the U.S. by releasing more undercover video that shows workers at abortion clinics unwilling to deter women who say they want to abort their babies based on gender.

"Live Action will continue to release more footage confirming that the facilitation of sex-selective abortion at Planned Parenthood and other abortion clinics is widespread," Lila Rose, founder and president of Live Action, told The Christian Post on Thursday.

A fourth video in the series released this week shows two Planned Parenthood staffers at clinics, one in Maui and one in Honolulu, advising a woman on how best to procure a sex-selective abortion of her baby girl because she wants a boy instead. Planned Parenthood has previously claimed to condemn sex-selective abortion but continues to provide the service, according to Live Action. more >>