Some religious leaders from Arizona and elsewhere are coordinating nationwide protests against the state’s new immigration law, which takes effect Thursday.

Beginning with a prayer vigil at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Phoenix early Thursday morning, faith leaders are organizing prayers and rallies into the weekend to denounce SB1070 and call on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

“People are living in fear, afraid to go to work and church, or to leave their home at all,” said the Rev. Trina Zelle, director of the Arizona Interfaith Alliance for Worker Justice and a Presbyterian minister, to reporters on Wednesday. more >>

A controversial Florida church known for publicly condemning what it considers sins plans to burn copies of Islam's holy book on the upcoming ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The non-denominational Dove World Outreach Center, which has in the past joined the extremist Westboro Baptist Church in protesting homosexuality, is organizing the “International Burn A Quran Day” to oppose Islam, which it sees as a “violent and oppressive religion.”

“We only did it because we felt there needed to be an outcry against Islam, because Islam is presenting itself as a religion of peace,” explained Dr. Terry Jones, senior pastor of Dove World Outreach Center, to The Christian Post on Tuesday. more >>

Newt Gingrich offers a “provocative” argument about the proposed Ground Zero mosque and Saudi Arabia’s church policy, but it has “no leverage,” said a religious freedom expert.

Islam, unlike the Roman Catholic Church that has a pope, is very decentralized, pointed out Michael Cromartie, vice president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, to The Christian Post on Monday.

Moreover, there is no clear evidence linking the group behind the proposed $100 million Cordoba House to Saudi Arabia. more >>

The United Methodist Church has rescinded its warning against a Southern California seminary.

Claremont School of Theology was placed on public warning earlier this year for reorienting its mission to offer clerical training to not only Christians but also Muslims, Jews and eventually those of other faiths.

Funds toward the UMC-affiliated school were suspended in February while an institutional review took place. more >>

Ahead of the G8 meeting in Canada this weekend, religious leaders from diverse faiths and countries issued a statement on Wednesday calling for the fulfillment of the U.N.’s Millennium Development Goals.

Some 80 senior leaders representing nine different faiths – Christian, Aboriginal, Bahai, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Shinto, and Sikh – and hailing from more than 20 countries urged political leaders to fulfill the MDGs.

They pointed out that the MDGs will approach the two-thirds deadline this September. more >>

Despite a Methodist seminary president's insistence that he is not compromising Christianity by turning the school into a multi-religious one, evangelicals and conservative Christians remain unconvinced.

Claremont School of Theology, located in Southern California, "is basically abdicating the faith," said Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.

"There's just no other way you can actually understand this from any evangelical or orthodox Christian understanding," the prominent evangelical and theologian said Thursday on his radio program. more >>