Christians don’t have a thorough knowledge of the Fairness Doctrine, hate-crimes legislation or the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), according to recent research by Wilson Research Strategies. CEO Chris Wilson said the data examined suggest that Christians don’t fully understand the negative impact of these policy proposals on the ministries they support.  “The recent change in control of both the White House and Congress has reintroduced the possibility of the Fairness Doctrine being revived,” he said. “Ministries would avoid any commentary that could be interpreted as relating to political or policy issues or risk action by the FEC. Stations would feel […]

Legend has it that P.T. Barnum once said, “There is a sucker born every minute.” If that’s true, it’s possible that Harvey Dockstader, Jr., is out to find them all – from prison – and using pastors and church leaders to identify his marks. Dockstader was convicted of running an illegal pyramid scheme in Harris County, Texas, in 2008, and sentenced to two years in jail. Dockstader’s scheme was an odd mix of an old-fashioned chain letter, a multi-level marketing organization and prosperity theology. His organization, Elite Activity, recruits pastors into the organization, who then recruit their flocks. The new […]

It’s early morning at the National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC) in Knoxville, Tenn. Dr. Carol Sommerfelt, the embryologist, has already begun her full day of transfers. I watch as she draws tiny plastic straws from liquid nitrogen tanks and dips the tubes containing embryos into a controlled-temperature bath. She checks and rechecks names and numbers. After taking the straws to the microscope’s stage, she snips off the ends. Holding her breath, she slowly pushes a plunger through the straw. One by one the embryos move into a Petri dish that contains the proper media for safe thawing and expansion. The […]