Professor Goes Absolutely Ballistic Over Evolution, TV Reporter Touts Virginity and -- Did Jesus Really Rise? This Week's Must-Read Faith Stories

This past week was filled was some fascinating faith and culture stories. From explorations of Jesus' resurrection to a television reporter speaking about the importance of purity, the articles offered up a diverse look at what's happening in the religion and culture realm.

Of course we can't start the recap without mentioning Sunday's history-making dual papal canonization. Popes John Paul II and John XXIII were both officially declared saints -- a first-ever event for two key reasons. Find out what makes it so special and see the stunning photos here.

And consider our story about Joy Brighton, a self-described New York liberal. On Thursday, she joined Glenn Beck and the two found themselves “strange bedfellows” in the quest to distinguish Islam the religion from what Brighton has termed “Sharia-ism.”

“I’m sitting with you because I wasn’t invited by CNN or MSNBC, because something about what I’m saying today, they don’t want said,” Brighton remarked. “Which is symptomatic [of] the problem.”

Image source: Shutterstock.com

A Connecticut professor went absolutely ballistic when Christian evangelists showed up on his campus donning anti-evolution signs. His tirade, which included a sermon of sorts and a chant about praising Darwin, was all captured on video.

And, moving on to another subject, some say Jesus’ resurrection is a myth and that the story of his death and rebirth was stolen from pagan beliefs. But Dr. Candida Moss, a historian and professor of New Testament and early Christianity at the University of Notre Dame, has refuted these critiques.

Moss said that even though the idea of an individual rising from the dead isn’t entirely unique to Christianity, this doesn’t mean Jesus' story isn’t true.

On a lighter note, "Jesus" apparently appeared at a Boston Bruins vs. the Detroit Red Wings hockey game on Easter Sunday and won “Fan of the Game.” The man who was dressed as Jesus goes by the name of “Thor” according to his Twitter account and was dressed in long hair and traditional garb. He was featured on the Jumbotron and reportedly received a great applause.

Shifting gears, an archaeologist with Israel’s Antiquities Authority and his team discovered a 2,000-year-old metal chisel that may have been used in the construction of the Second Temple.

The archaeologist whose team found the chisel believes it was used during construction of the Second Temple. (Clara Amit, Israel Antiquities Authority via Tazpit News Agency)

“It is a 15 cm [6 inches] long ancient chisel. For the first time, after 2,000 years, we are in the possession of a work tool used by the builders who built the Kotel, the Western Wall,” said Eli Shukron who leads the archaeological dig just south of the Western Wall.

In other news regarding the Temple Mount, a group of religious Jews, mostly children, were apparently harassed by an angry Arab mob who threw pieces of a broken chair at them when they tried to visit the holy site. The group that visited the Temple Mount told TheBlaze that one man had a shoe thrown at him and one of the boy’s sidelocks were pulled.

On a more uplifting note, a homeless man was shown an act of kindness on a Vancouver bus last weekend when a devout Muslim saw that the man had no shoes, so he removed his own sneakers and socks and gave them to the man in need.

The 27-year-old Muslim proceeded to get off at the next stop and walk home barefoot. According to the bus driver, “He just took his shoes and socks off and said, ‘You can take these, don’t worry about me — I live close by and can walk.’”

Megan Alexander (Image via @MeganAlexander1/Twitter)

In other news, Megan Alexander of “Inside Edition” recently wrote an article for Whoa Women Magazine called “Marriage Still Matters” in which she shared her story of remaining a virgin until marriage. Alexander, a Christian, told TheBlaze that she chose to come forward about her decision to abstain from sex until marriage in order to try and help young people deal with harmful messages in the media.

“The reason I wanted to do the magazine and then do the story on our show [is that] young people are faced with an incredible level of pressure to get involved sexually very young,” she said.

Plus: See why this megachurch pastor is converting to Catholicism after decades of non-denominational ministry. And don't miss the drama at the 9/11 Memorial Museum over a video some Muslim and faith leaders are decrying.