The USDA reports that the number of American families at risk of “food insecurity” (better known as hunger) reached a 14-year high. They might be the same families who told AP pollsters that the best way to pay for health care reform is to tax the rich.

As Catholic bishops assemble in Baltimore to mull ways to fight same-sex marriage, WaPo’s Dana Milbank follows a group of conservative clergy outside the Justice Department in Washington who were trying — desperately — to get arrested, to no avail. Speaking of gay marriage, a male couple plan to wed in Buenos Aires (thought to be South America’s first legal same-sex marriage), and in California advocates have begun the official fight to overturn the statewide ban on same-sex weddings.The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which agreed this summer to allow actively gay clergy, is starting the process to reinstate clergy who had been booted under the old policy for being gay.

At Harvard, researchers have found that religion has a measurable effect on developing economies – and the most powerful influence relates to how strongly people believe in hell. Reform Jews are asking religious broadcaster Pat Robertson to withdraw his comments after the Ft. Hood shooting that Islam and Muslims should be dealt with “as we would (deal with) members of the communist party or members of some Fascist group.”

In court news, a Washington man has filed suit against the Mormons and the Boy Scouts, alleging abuse in the 1970s. The Supremes declined to intervene in a high school student’s religion-themed graduation speech, while Tennessee students filed suit over what they say is inappropriate religiosity in schools.

And in Italy, longtime Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi is hosting his version of Who Wants to Marry a Dictator, in which contestants for his affections are given a copy of the Quran and urged to embrace Islam. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary head Al Mohler, meanwhile, takes a dim view of “woof and worship” services for pets and their owners.