Tuesday’s Religion News Roundup

It’s Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, or Shrove Tuesday or whatever you want to call your last chance to sin boldly before Lent starts tomorrow … (BTW, do you have any idea how hard it is to find a family friendly photo of Mardi Gras?) From the Dept. of Things You Don’t Hear Politicians Say […]

It’s Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, or Shrove Tuesday or whatever you want to call your last chance to sin boldly before Lent starts tomorrow … (BTW, do you have any idea how hard it is to find a family friendly photo of Mardi Gras?)

From the Dept. of Things You Don’t Hear Politicians Say Every Day, Nevada Sen. John Ensign’s room at the C Street House is now available after he said he won’t run for a third term because there are “consequences for sin” — in his case, having an affair with a staffer’s wife, and then admitting that his parents to paid $96,000 to the woman. Speaking of fallen men, too many pastors know what it feels like.

Out in Iowa, Christian conservatives held a meet-and-greet with a handful of likely GOP candidates (no Palin, no Huckabee, not even a Romney) and laughed off Mitch Daniels‘ idea of a “truce” on social issues. Up in Albany, Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he does, in fact, have time to meet with his state’s Catholic bishops after initially saying he was too busy; we’re dying to know if live-in girlfriend Sandra Lee is hosting cocktail time with semi-homemade desserts.


Rocco is reporting that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is set to remove from ministry many of the 30+ accused priests who are reportedly still active; another Philly abuse suit was filed yesterday. (Retired) Cardinal Roger Mahony of L.A. says Satan would try to tempt a 21st century Jesus with porn sites and online gambling.

As House Republicans get ready for their hearings Thursday on radical Islam, the NYT profiles Brigitte Gabriel, the new darling of the anti-Islam Right. Indiana Rep. Andre Carson, one of only two Muslims in Congress, says he’s concerned.

Be on the lookout on the Left for grumbling over POTUS’ decision to resume military tribunals at Gitmo. A former grad student at UC Berkeley filed suit in federal court, alleging the school allowed a dangerous environment of anti-Semitism to fester on campus. Across the Bay in San Francisco, a proposal to ban infant circumcision is creating some waves — not least among Jewish groups.

The Supreme Court decided not to get involved in a Catholic student group’s fight for funding at the University of Wisconsin; the group can now get access to campus funds. California atheist Michael Newdow lost (again) on his bid to have the Supremes declare “In God We Trust” on U.S. currency unconstitutional.

The NYT checks in on Irenaeus I, the former Greek Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem who has spent the past six years holed up in his apartment, refusing to acknowledge the election of his successor. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams lashes out at Pakistan‘s blasphemy laws, and says the country needs to get its act together. China says the Dalai Lama can’t pick his own successor.

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