Infamous Quran-burning pastor Terry Jones has hijacked the Christian voice and caused misunderstanding about the faith as well as the U.S. government among Muslims around the world, said a Florida imam who last year prevented Jones from burning the Islamic holy book.

Imam Muhammad Musri, president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, said many overseas Muslims who saw the video of Jones putting the Quran on trial and then subsequently burning the book as punishment believe that it was done in a U.S. court and the U.S. government was behind the intentionally offensive act.

Jones, in the video, had set up his church as a makeshift court with a judge, flag, a jury box, a prosecutor, and defense stand. During the March 20 mock trial, the Quran was found “guilty of causing murder, rape and terrorism” and was burned as punishment. Jones maintained that a separate jury delivered the guilty verdict. more >>

Highly respected evangelical pastor John Piper made a startling yet insightful comment Tuesday when he compared the burning of the Islamic holy book to crucifying Christ.

His comment comes amid reports that at least 24 people have died, including seven United Nations employees, in Afghanistan since Friday over the burning of the Quran by a fringe Florida pastor in March.

To help explain Muslims’ violent rage over the Quran burning, Piper cited the writing of U.K. scholar Andrew Walls, founder of the Center for the Study of Christianity in the Non-Western World, in his book The Cross-Cultural Process in Christian History. more >>

Malaysian authorities have released about 5,000 “defaced” Bibles to the country’s Christian leaders.

On Thursday, the Bible Society of Malaysia’s general secretary, the Rev. Simon Wong, said that the organization plans to preserve as “museum pieces” the Bibles that were “defaced” by stamps and many government seals, according to The Associated Press.

The Bible Society of Malaysia said the Bibles, which have been detained since March 2009, cannot be sold because of the marks on them. more >>

Pastor Rick Warren and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair shared an evening conversation Sunday in front of more than 2,600 people about faith, the Middle East, globalization, and 9/11.

Speaking at the seventh Saddleback Civil Forum, Blair told Warren that he believes the most important issue in the long term is centered on faith. As diverse people are forced to live together, he said at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., the key question is, “How do we find common understanding?”

“Faith teaches you to understand there is something more important than yourself, which is an important principle in working toward a better world. If individuals can see people of faith in action, helping in support of others, it makes this process of globalization easier,” Blair said. more >>

WASHINGTON – As the Department of Defense transitions to an open military, active duty chaplains reported that they have long been counseling homosexual soldiers.

Army Chaplain Lt. Col. Carleton Birch said Wednesday that chaplains already have experience in counseling homosexual soldiers and will likely be able to adjust easily to an openly homosexual military.

“I’ve counseled homosexual soldiers when if I told anyone else that, they would get kicked out,” shared Birch, an evangelical. more >>

The heads of the National Association of Evangelicals and The Episcopal Church are among those newly named to President Barack Obama's faith advisory council.

Obama announced on Friday his intent to appoint a dozen religious and secular leaders, including NAE president Leith Anderson and Episcopal Presiding Bishop the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to be of service to the larger community in this way," Jefferts Schori said in a statement. "The ability to build partnerships between civic and religious bodies can only expand our capacity to heal a broken world." more >>