justinspoliticalcorner:

Greenwell Springs Baptist Church pastor Dennis Terry introduced presidential candidate Rick Santorum and Family Research Council president Tony Perkins tonight with a rousing speech railing against liberals and non-Christians and condemning abortion rights, “sexual perversion,” same-sex marriage and secular government. Terry said that America “was founded as a Christian nation” and those that disagree with him should “get out! We don’t worship Buddha, we don’t worship Mohammad, we don’t worship Allah!” Terry, who has a long history of attacks against the gay community, went on to criticize marriage equality for gays and lesbians, and said that the economy can only recover when we “put God back” in government.

h/t: Brian Tashman at RWW

sarahlee310:

(Reuters) - Banks are foreclosing on America’s churches in record numbers as lenders increasingly lose patience with religious facilities that have defaulted on their mortgages, according to new data.

The surge in church foreclosures represents a new wave of distressed property seizures triggered by the 2008 financial crash, analysts say, with many banks no longer willing to grant struggling religious organizations forbearance.

Since 2010, 270 churches have been sold after defaulting on their loans, with 90 percent of those sales coming after a lender-triggered foreclosure, according to the real estate information company CoStar Group.

In 2011, 138 churches were sold by banks, an annual record, with no sign that these religious foreclosures are abating, according to CoStar. That compares to just 24 sales in 2008 and only a handful in the decade before.

The church foreclosures have hit all denominations across America, black and white, but with small to medium size houses of worship the worst. Most of these institutions have ended up being purchased by other churches.

The highest percentage have occurred in some of the states hardest hit by the home foreclosure crisis: California, Georgia, Florida and Michigan.

“Churches are among the final institutions to get foreclosed upon because banks have not wanted to look like they are being heavy handed with the churches,” said Scott Rolfs, managing director of Religious and Education finance at the investment bank Ziegler.

Will we see more pastors standing with the Occupy movements come spring?

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, looking to boost her flagging presidential campaign, has turned to a longtime spiritual ally, Twin Cities Rev. Mac Hammond, to lead her outreach with the nation’s evangelical community. Hammond, senior pastor of Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park, told his 9,000-member congregation Sunday that he is joining Bachmann’s team, “working with her political campaign.”

[…]

Hammond preaches “prosperity gospel,” which teaches that financial riches are the will of God for faithful Christians. He told his congregation that Bachmann has invited him to be chairman of a national faith and family council, but that he is still considering the “possible legal ramifications.” He told the congregation he has been Bachmann’s personal minister for some time.

Hammond said he has to be careful about his support for her because “the political opposition she faces is very poisonous.” But, he said, he and his wife, Lynne, plan to travel with the campaign to “talk about the vital importance of the church rising up to take this nation back.”