Monday’s Religion News Roundup

As Newt Gingrich appears poised to launch a 2012 bid for the White House, the NYT says he remains dogged by questions over his two divorces, even as he emphasizes his conversion to Catholicism. Speaking of Catholic converts, CT sits down with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal for a chit-chat on faith and politics. Looking back […]

As Newt Gingrich appears poised to launch a 2012 bid for the White House, the NYT says he remains dogged by questions over his two divorces, even as he emphasizes his conversion to Catholicism. Speaking of Catholic converts, CT sits down with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal for a chit-chat on faith and politics.

Looking back on 2008 with an eye toward 2012, Mark Silk breaks down Nate Silver‘s number crunching on union members voting Democratic and churchgoers voting Republican. House Speaker John Boehner told religious broadcasters that lawmakers have a “moral responsibility” to cut the debt.

Don Armstrong, a former big-shot conservative Episcopal priest, was sentenced to four years probation and ordered to pay $99,000 to his former church, where he skimmed the money to pay his kids’ college tuition. Up-and-coming evangelical pastor Rob Bell‘s new book is stirring rumblings of heresy and universalism.


As the stars and also-rans primped and preened for the Oscars last night, there was another big event in La La Land as Cardinal Roger Mahony handed his crozier over to new Archbishop Jose Gomez; The AP looks at Mahony’s mixed legacy.

Chesnut Hill College outside Philly fired a professor for being gay; James St. George is a priest in the Old Catholic Apostolic Church of America, which allows gay clergy but is not affiliated with the Vatican.

WaPo profiles the only non-Congressman who has been called by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King at his upcoming hearings on Islamic extremism. Glenn Beck has apparently apologized for comparing the Reform Jewish movement to radical Islam.

Speaking of extremists, Louis Farrakhan talked about UFOs and praised Scientology at his annual four-hour speech in Chicago, and also said he considers Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi a “friend,” and says no leader can have the love of all his people all the time. Not shooting them might help, tho.

WaPo looks at the hole in Christchurch’s heart with the crumbling of its landmark Anglican cathedral in last week’s earthquake.

NYT takes a look at Britain’s struggles with multiculturalism and the place of Islam. Meanwhile, the U.K.’s pagan community wants Druids, Wiccans and Jedi Knights to come out of the closet in next month’s census. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is pushing back on a government plan to allow civil unions inside churches.


And finally, from the Dept. of We’re Glad That’s Solved, a scholar in Israel says the tekhelet blue color identified in the Bible — long a source of controversy — is actually a blueish purple.

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