The Rev. Jamie Westlake was assigned to Brandon's First United Methodist Church in 2007. Things had been humming along quite nicely at his Fort Myers assignment, but Westlake answered the call to Brandon without hesitation. ...more

October 21, 2009

A federal judge has refused to stop President-elect Barack Obama from using the words "so help me God" when he takes the oath of office Tuesday. ...more

January 15, 2009

President-elect Barack Obama wants to conclude his inaugural oath with the words "so help me God," but a group of atheists plans to go in front of a federal judge in hopes of stopping him. ...more

January 14, 2009

The inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama is nearing and controversy has already begun to erupt about the historic event. Obama has asked the Rev. Rick Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Church and the best-selling author of the "Purpose Driven Life," to provide the opening prayer of the inaugural ceremony. That this popular and well-respected Christian leader would be tapped for the invocation has upset many on the far left and in the gay community. ...more

January 3, 2009

Under fire for opposing gay marriage, influential evangelical pastor Rick Warren said Saturday that he loves Muslims, people of other religions, Republicans and Democrats, and he also loves "gays and straights." ...more

December 21, 2008

WASHINGTON - Gay rights advocates are criticizing President-elect Barack Obama's choice of a popular evangelical minister to deliver the invocation at his inauguration, saying it shows disrespect for a constituency that strongly supported his campaign. ...more

December 18, 2008

Call it the purpose-driven movie. And if it does one-tenth as well as Rick Warren's wildly successful "Purpose Driven Life" book, then "Fireproof" could earn a footnote in cinematic history. ...more

September 27, 2008

The Political Discourse The mental picture of local Republicans, poison pens at the ready, waiting to pounce on Barack Obama's choice for vice president is mildly amusing (Letters, Aug. 26). Obama could have chosen Mother Teresa, and these right-wingers would have said she's a liberal who works with terrorist sympathizers. Such is the political discourse in this country. ...more

September 2, 2008

When your party holds the White House, it's unheard of for a presidential candidate to advertise: "We're worse off than we were four years ago." ...more

August 24, 2008

First I spent long moments trying to decide upon my greatest moral failing. Then I spent longer moments asking myself whether I'd really want to share that failing with an audience of millions. ...more

August 23, 2008