1/17/2104::More News

Mark Lewis, California Pastor, Says He's Innocent Of Firebombing Ex-girlfriend's House

A Northern California pastor arrested on suspicion of firebombing his ex-girlfriend's house while six people were inside says he had nothing to do with the attack.

Mark Lewis, pastor of the Fellowship Baptist Church in Vacaville, told KCRA-TV (http://bit.ly/L7G7UZ ) the three other suspects arrested in the case have falsely accused him of being involved.

Humanity Is Becoming Increasingly Less Violent, with One Exception -- Religious Violence

Religiosity, however, continues to play its part in promoting in-group out-group thinking, which casts the difference between people in terms of eternal rewards and punishments. Sam Harris, author of Letter to a Christian Nation, observes, “Faith inspires violence in two ways. First, people often kill other human beings because they believe the creator of the universe wants them to do it…Second, far greater numbers of people fall into conflict with one another because they define their moral community on the basis of their religious affiliation: Muslims side with Muslims, Protestants with Protestants, Catholics with Catholics.”

US returns antiques to India in peace gesture

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) department has returned smuggled antique sculptures worth $1.5 million to India.

Indian media reports see the repatriation ceremony at the New York Consulate of India on Tuesday as a sign of thawing of diplomatic relations between the two nations that were strained since the arrest and expulsion of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade.

The investigation and repatriation of the artefacts signalled "the importance of growing institutional partnership, which is of great significance to both countries", Indian consul-general Dnyaneshwar Mulay said at the formal handover of the antiques.