Robocop Director Pens Shocking Jesus Bio

Jeff Bethke's YouTube video is a hit for Tacoma native

(NEWSER) - “Religion puts you in shackles, but Jesus sets you free. Religion makes you blind, but Jesus lets you see.” If you're one of the 20 million who have seen Jeff Bethke's viral video, "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus," you've already heard these words. The 22-year-old Tacoma native posted his spoken-word poem on Jan. 10, betting a friend it wouldn't top 2,000 hits. Now he's appearing on cable news shows and facing criticism from commentators as lofty as David Brooks , the Tacoma News Tribune reports. More»

Ancient texts make no mention of crosses, crucifixion

(NEWSER) - Christ probably died tied to a pole instead of nailed to a cross, claims a theologian who has pored through ancient texts. There is no mention of nailing people to crosses as punishment in Greek, Roman, and Hebrew literature from the time of Homer to the first century AD, Gunnar Samuelsson says, although various other methods of execution involving suspension are outlined. Even ancient Biblical texts, he notes, say Jesus carried a "staurus," to Calvary, which could mean either a cross or a pole. More»

(NEWSER) - President Obama should "absolutely" take into account the religious views of his next nominee for the Supreme Court, but not for the usual reasons, Marc Cooper says. "Clearly, the next person to take the bench should be an atheist," he writes for the Los Angeles Times . Having a nonbeliever on the bench would be a "mighty blow" in favor of the Jeffersonian principles of reason and freedom. More»

Politically shaky ground for Bush may help Obama

(NEWSER) - President Obama has invoked Jesus more than his predecessor, despite the major role Christianity played in George W. Bush’s policies, Politico reports. Obama has mentioned his faith in recent speeches in Cairo, at Notre Dame, and at Georgetown, to name a few instances. Though he was backed by evangelicals, “I don’t recall a single example of Bush as president ever saying ‘Jesus’ or ‘Christ,’” said a conservative Christian activist. More»

(NEWSER) - Playmobil has demanded that a German pastor stop using its toys to depict Bible scenes, reports the Telegraph. One plastic human figure has been given breasts to be a naked Eve, and another has been nailed to a cross. Photos of the altered figures have been posted on the internet. "We are quite tolerant if this is done in the privacy of the home but if someone crucifies a Playmobil figure, then this is a completely different dimension," said a company spokesman. More»