(RNS) Travel along, if you dare, with Bilbo Baggins in “The Hobbit,” which opens in theaters on Friday (Dec. 14). If you do, you will, essentially, be traveling in a world constructed on Christian principles. By Kay Campbell and Greg Garrison.

SAN FRANCISCO (RNS) It’s just another night of stand-up comedy at the Punch Line as Jesus takes the microphone. It's "Holiday Heathens,'' a December comedy show featuring humor poking fun at religion, written by atheists for atheists. By Kimberly Winston.

(RNS) Pope Benedict XVI starts tweeting on Wednesday, and like the Dalai Lama, the pope doesn't plan to follow anyone. Will the tweets be infallible? Will he use OMG or would that be sacrilegious? What holy hashtags will he create? By Regina Brett.

NEW YORK (RNS) In the end, even Kathie Lee Gifford couldn’t save the Broadway musical about a woman who saved souls. Gifford's Broadway play, "Scandalous: The Life and Times of Aimee Semple McPherson'' will close Dec. 9, a little more than three weeks after its opening. By Ansley Roan.

WILMINGTON, N.C. (RNS) ‘Tis the season for “Bah Humbug” and “God bless us every one,” especially as the world gathers to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens. By Amanda Greene.

(RNS) The teenage star of "Two and a Half Men'' apologized Tuesday for calling his show unbiblical “filth'' and encouraging people not to watch it during a videotaped testimony about his conversion to Seventh-day Adventism. By Daniel Burke. 

(RNS) Another star of the CBS sitcom “Two and a Half Men” has gone rogue -- but in a decidedly different direction than notorious carouser Charlie Sheen. By Daniel Burke. 

(RNS) The release of the new Steven Spielberg movie "Lincoln" has resurrected more than the physical presence of America's 16th president. It has also brought to the fore again questions about his faith. Was he a Christian? Was he an atheist? By Kimberly Winston.

(RNS) In some circles, being an atheist is a strike against you. But at OkCupid, the free online dating site, it might just help you get a date. Designers found that including the word ``atheist'' in a first message to another user was more likely to garner a reply than any other religious descriptor except Christian. By Kimberly Winston.

NEW YORK (RNS) “Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson” is the first Broadway musical about the showbiz-savvy revivalist whose ministry was rocked by scandal in the 1920s. It’s also the first Broadway show with a book and lyrics written by "Today" show co-host Kathie Lee Gifford. By Ansley Roan.

LOS ANGELES (RNS) The Sultans of Satire stand-up comedy show aims to challenge stereotypes and sensitivities about Muslims and Arabs while bringing people together through a few laughs -- even though much of the material couldn't be printed by a family-friendly newspaper. By Megan Sweas.

(RNS) Finding and portraying the "real" Martin Luther on film has not been a task for the faint of heart. Yet wherever Protestants (and Catholics) gather and wherever the political history of Europe is told, the ghost of Martin Luther is present and cannot be avoided. By David Steinmetz.

(RNS) Hip-hop's all the rage in universities and seminaries, and dozens of pop culture books have been written about using hip-hop to evangelize young people. But professor Monica R. Miller warns in her new book that looking for religion in hip-hop is a risky proposition. By Nancy Haught.

(RNS) Green was the favorite color of Islam’s founder Prophet Muhammad, so it seems fitting that the world’s latest Muslim superhero has joined a small but diverse circle who have donned the Green Lantern ring. By Omar Sacirbey. 

(RNS) The Taliban in Afghanistan beheaded 17 people, allegedly for dancing, according to one Afghan official. The reports shocked people around the world and provided fodder to critics of Islam. Does Islam forbid dancing? By Omar Sacirbey.