By Tim Townsend Religion News Service (RNS) What is the fastest growing musical radio format in the country? Is it reggae, rap or rhinestone cowboys? No, it’s contemporary Christian music, or CCM, as it’s known in the industry. As of May, there were 946 contemporary Christian music format stations in […]

Oregon teens may outdrink CA, NV teens but a new study says religion can make a big positive difference in underage drinking Oregon Faith News Note: Oregon does have a youth drinking problem.   When polled, 30% of Oregon youths (aged 12-20) said they had consumed alcohol in the previous month. […]

Bill aims to end corporal punishment at schools by Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life A nun’s swift rap across the knuckles was once a hallmark of the Catholic educational system in America. But in recent decades, the practice has made more appearances in comedic routines than classrooms, a […]

Despicable Me—This enchanting 3-D animated comedy about a slightly wicked but ultimately softhearted rogue (voice of Steve Carell) follows his rivalry with a nerdy newcomer (voice of Jason Segel) for the title of world’s most terrible villain — during which they compete to steal the moon, no less – and […]

Family-Faith Film Review: The Last Airbender By Catholic Office of Film and Broadcasting Predators—Dreary sci-fi sequel in which a random collection of human warriors and criminals (most prominently Adrien Brody, Alice Braga and Topher Grace) find themselves unwillingly and mysteriously parachuted into a jungle by the invisibility-cloaked aliens of the […]

Oregon Faith News Note: Civil rights groups rushed to the defense of seventh-grader Raymond Hosier who was suspended from Oneida Middle School in NY for wearing rosary beads. Like school principals and superintendents in other states, including Texas, California, Oregon, and Virginia, Oneida officials say the no-rosary-beads rule is necessary […]

Carrie Brownell, Reading to Know Blog, Corvallis, I’m reading Voyage alongside the Book of Proverbs because as I was reading this story I began to see all sorts of lessons that can be tied up into the wisdom book of scripture. A lot of the Proverbs that initially jumped out […]

But piety only trumps genetic tendencies until early adulthood, study finds HealthDay News—New research suggests teenagers who are raised with a religious outlook are less likely to abuse alcohol, even if they are genetically predisposed to do so. Being religious does not, however, appear to prevent such abuse in early […]

Oregon Faith Report Survey Results, In the midst of financial reform, investigations and the never ending aftershocks of the economic meltdown we asked this question “During the recent financial crisis, who do you feel has acted most irresponsibly?”.  Of those surveyed 41% blamed Wallstreet bankers and 59% blamed politicians. Comments […]

Oregon Faith News Note, Richard Gillmore, the serial “jogger rapist,” who was convicted for brutally raping a 13-year-old Portland girl in 1986, considers himself a changed man. Claiming his Christian faith and prison treatment programs have helped him reform, Gillmore made his latest plea for parole to the State Board […]