A Canadian University journal is preparing to release a paper that seeks to discredit the life and work of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, commonly known as Mother Teresa, the Roman Catholic nun who became a global symbol of charity and goodwill for dedicating her life to helping the poor in India.

Bill Donohue of The Catholic League, America's largest Catholic civil rights organization, has dismissed the claims presented by humanities scholars Serge Larivée and Genevieve Chenard of University of Montreal's Department of Psychoeducation, calling it nothing more than a "rehash" of previously disproven arguments.

The paper, which will be published in March, claims to be peer-reviewed, mostly by atheist critics. The researchers openly admit to have based much of their study on famous atheist writer Christopher Hitchens, who targeted Mother Teresa on many occasions, most notably in his book The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice, which tries to portray the nun as anything but a saint. more >>

In a recent interview, former church leader Rob Bell sought to clarify the reason why, in late 2011, he left Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Mich., arguing that he was not driven out by his congregation over his controversial book Love Wins. Rather, he and his wife felt they had a new spiritual calling awaiting them in California.

A November 2012 piece in The New Yorker implied that Bell and his wife, Kristen, had an immense fallout with the Mars Hill Bible congregation after the release of his book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, which questioned the existence of a literal and eternal hell and the evangelical teaching that only those who believe in Jesus Christ go to heaven.

The New Yorker article claims that Bell lost members of his congregation numbering in the thousands as a result of his controversial book. more >>

NY Jets quarterback Tim Tebow is facing criticism yet again for his choice of speaking engagements, just weeks after canceling his scheduled appearance at First Baptist Church of Dallas with Pastor Robert Jeffress.

Tebow's speaking engagements have made for a lot of news stories in recent months – he was criticized last month by a number of liberal sources that described Pastor Jeffress as an anti-gay preacher who was also anti-Mormon and anti-Semitic. Jeffress explained that he was not teaching people to hate anyone, but Tebow still decided to cancel his appearance after "new information" was made available to him.

Some conservative commentators said that the quarterback, one of the most popular Christian sports figures in recent times, did the wrong thing by listening to the media and backing down from the appearance in Texas. more >>

The Roman Catholic Church may be open to discussing its long held requirement for priests to lead a celibate life as it prepares for a new chapter with the coming election of Pope Benedict XVI's successor, some church leaders have said.

"It startles me sometimes [when people] say why doesn't the church talk about married priests," New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan told CNN. "I think we talk about it; I can't get my hair cut without my barber asking me about it. [But] I don't think there would be that kind of change."

Many church leaders are wondering what changes, if any, will unfold when the new pope comes to power. more >>

In a recent YouTube video promoting his new book What We Talk About When We Talk About God, former Mars Hill Bible Church Pastor Rob Bell compares God to an Oldsmobile, saying that traditional Christian teachings in a modern world are losing relevance.

Bell begins the three-minute video by describing the Oldsmobile he drove when he was 20 years old, which he and his friends nicknamed "the sled." Bell goes on to lament that Oldsmobile factories shut down because the automotive company "couldn't keep up with the times."

"[Oldsmobile] has become more and more something of the past, not the future," Bell says. "For a growing number of people in our modern world, God is a bit like Oldsmobiles." more >>

Controversial televangelist Pat Robertson recently told his audience that one of his viewers will be given a million dollars from God through the power of prayer.

The conservative social commentator and charismatic preacher stated this on a Thursday episode of the Christian Broadcasting Network's long-running program "The 700 Club."

"Just speak the word, touch people's lives. God is going to supply a million dollars. Somebody is praying right now, right this second you're praying for a million dollars," said Robertson, eyes firmly shut in prayer. more >>