EDITOR'S NOTE: A look back at significant religion stories of 2011 were held until the year was completely over. Links to all the full stories can be found at the "News Map" of ResonateNews.com.

DECEMBER: East Texans Rally To Support Nativity Scene

ATHENS, Texas — About 5,000 people, event organizers estimated, converged in a peaceful, strident-free rally here at the Henderson County Courthouse. The crowd choked the courthouse grounds to support county commissioners in their decision to display a nativity scene at the courthouse despite a Dec. 5 legal challenge by the Freedom From Religion Foundation of Madison, Wis. Waving several types of flags, banners and holding signs of support at the noon rally, the crowd spilled over into closed off Prairieville Street on the west side of the courthouse. Some participants even stood on the roofs of buildings surrounding the courthouse to get a better view of the proceedings.

DECEMBER: Muslim Leaders Say Hell Is Bin Laden's Likely Destination
Mohammad Elfarra, imam at the Islamic Center of Menteca, Calif., said there’s no way to tell whether people such as Osama bin Laden who encourage murder will end up in hell. But he said such a fate would be justified based on the teachings of the Quran. Militants and their leaders such as bin Laden — who was killed in a U.S. Military strike — might be pardoned by God on the day of judgment because he's already been punished temporally. Other Muslim scholars believe that those whose actions are deemed condemnable could be pardoned by people in heaven who were harmed by the person’s offenses.

NOVEMBER: Cult Accusations Resurface Against Teen Mania

GARDEN VALLEY, Texas — Is Teen Mania, the ministry to thousands of teenagers during the past two decades, a cult? That seems to be the takeaway from a provocative documentary aired on MSNBC. But far from being a clandestine location such as the polygamist compound in El Dorado, Teen Mania’s openness to major media is well known. Rolling Stone was given free reign over a course of days in 2007 to roam the campus and talk to anyone, anywhere at anytime. ResonateNews.com was also given complete access to the campus with no escorts and extending for a period of days. No supervisory staff was present during any interviews with interns, nor were any interns selected by supervisors for specific interviews.

SEPTEMBER: Christian Leaders Discuss Impact Of 9/11

When two passenger jets slammed into the World Trade Center in New York City and another into the Pentagon and the world learned of the desperate midair struggle of the passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93, people were confronted with the reality that evil exists, said Bob Long, preacher and leader of Rally Call Ministries. Americans have two basic choices on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, said the Rev. David Hickey, of Community Christian Fellowship in Texas. “I can hate the enemy, or specifically I can hate Muslims for what happened. Or I can choose to love God and humble myself to him. I think loving God is much better choice.” The Rev. Dr. Doug Stringer — founder and president of the humanitarian organization Somebody Cares America and cofounder of Global Compassion Network — said that the attacks should have been a catalyst for Christians to advance the ministry of Jesus. Instead, Stringer said, the events spawned by 9/11 have discouraged them.

AUGUST: Evangelistic 'Uprising' Hits Southern California

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HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — Pastor Mike Harris said what happened in the big white tent of meeting at the Orange County Uprising was "not possible." But it was a letter from prison and a dream that finally caught the full attention of Harris after 200 young evangelists — called Circuit Riders — showed up in his "backyard.” “When these guys (Circuit Riders) came from Hawaii and Denver four weeks ago,” Harris, 44, pastor of Calvary Chapel Beachside said, “they told me, 'We're bringing 200 people, we have no place to meet, we have no housing. What do we do? Oh, and we want a tent!'" Bill Welsh, pastor of The Refuge Calvary Chapel church in Huntington Beach, said "What they wanted wasn't possible, but here we are tonight with 200 people and the Gospel going out into the streets. It's exciting."

AUGUST: The Response Draws Thousands For Prayer

Approximately 40,000 people attended The Response — a prayer and worship gathering — in Houston and 80,000 unique Web live stream connections were made, event organizers said. The thousands gathered to pray and worship in a spirit of humility, penance and petition to God in a packed Reliant Stadium. Gov. Rick Perry was perhaps the most anticipated speaker at the event. Pundits and the media speculated about whether he would use the opportunity to launch a presidential bid. But Perry left his personal politics in Austin. He made no mention of running for president, and said that God is not interested in politics — just people's hearts.

MAY: Day Of Prayer Continues Despite Lawsuit

Tyler, Texas, Mayor Barbara Bass opened the city’s 20th annual Mayor's Prayer Breakfast by highlighting a 2010 legal challenge of the constitutionality of the National Day of Prayer, brought by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. A federal judge ruled in favor of the challenge, Bass said. “This year we have a different response. On April 14, 2011, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals tossed out the case against the National Day of Prayer. The appeals court ruled 3-0 that the Freedom From Religion Foundation and their claimants did not have any standing to continue the case against congressional actions affirming the National Day of Prayer.”

APRIL: Teen Challenge Founder Dies In Wreck
David Wilkerson, the fiery pastor, preacher and some say prophet, died in a two-vehicle wreck near Tyler, Texas. Wilkerson moved part of his East coast Teen Challenge operation — made famous by his book “The Cross and The Switchblade” about his encounter with New York City gangs — to Smith County, Texas, in the 1970s. He located his operation at the Twin Oaks Ranch on 500 acres. Wilkerson generously sold his property to Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in 1980 at an estimated 10 cents on the dollar, said Jim Rogers, director of YWAM in Tyler at the time.

APRIL: Japanese Americans Seek Gospel Spread In Ancestral Nation
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Americans of Japanese descent are hoping their country of ancestry isn't driven deeper into a decades-long epidemic of despair after a massive earthquake and tsunami. Instead, some are hoping to redeem the tragedy by sparking a Christian revolution they say has the power to reinvigorate the nation. Japan has the second highest suicide rate among the world's leading economies, an analysis last year by the World Health Organization showed. Rick Chuman, executive director of the Los Angeles-based Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society, or JEMS, credited what he called the “returning movement” with a growing receptiveness to the Gospel in Japan. That movement encourages people of Japanese ancestry to promote Christianity in Japan— where Chuman estimates only 1 percent of the population adheres to the faith.

JANUARY: Lightning Rod In Education Policy Debate Leaves Office
Don McLeroy — who runs a dental practice in College Station, Texas — had served on the Texas State Board of Education for 12 years. His tenure ended on New Year’s Day as a result of his Republican primary defeat the previous March. From 2008 to 2010, the board of education pushed through sweeping curricular changes in the subjects of English, history and science that critics claim impose a Christian worldview on Texas schoolchildren and by extension, students across the country. Textbook publishers have financial incentive to tailor their content to meet Texas criteria because the Lone Star State — which has the second largest student population in the U.S. — makes such a large volume of purchases.