Free Republic

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the state's second-largest denomination, will release on Thursday at 11 a.m. the recommendations of a task force on blessing same-sex unions and ordination of gays and lesbians in committed relationships. Neither of those actions is currently allowed in the ELCA. The task force report is the ELCA's most ambitious effort yet to resolve infighting over an emotional issue. More coverage of the issue will be available Thursday on startribune.com.

Rabbi Yosef Sholom Elyashiv, considered the top Halakhic [Jewish legal] authority in most religious Jewish circles, has added his name to those banning the use and benefit of all human hair wigs originating in India. The decision is based on confirmed reports that human hair in India is often shaved off for the purpose of idol worship practices, and is afterwards sold to companies that manufacture wigs. Although there is no certainty that any specific Indian-made wig is made of hair used for idol-worship, the widespread practice there means that each individual wig involves at least a "possible" violation of...

Pictures/Images of Christ* Exodus 20:4-6 -- Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth below, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. In this second...