The governor of Tokyo apologized yesterday for saying the earthquake and tsunami that rocked Japan and left thousands dead were divine punishment for the country’s “egoism,” CNN reports.

Meanwhile, Mormon church officials say as many as 200 missionaries are moving farther away from a nuclear power plant where elevated radation levels have been detected, according to the AP.

On the boot heels of Saudi Arabia’s “peace-keeping” invasion, Bahrain declared martial law on Tuesday as the country struggles to quell an uprising by its Shiite majority. The spiritual leader of the Salafist movement in Algeria, another site of protests, issued a 48-page fatwa declaring Islam and democracy incompatible.

A mail bomb addressed to a moderate Muslim leader in Jakarta exploded, wounding four people.

Organizers expect as many as 1.5 million people to attend World Youth Day with Pope Benedict XVI in Madrid in August. The pope’s trip to Germany a month later will focus on the future of the faith in his homeland. In case you missed it, Benedict is also one heckuva prolific writer, for a pope.

The Justice Department filed suit against California alleging that a Sikh inmate who refused to trim his beard for religious reasons was unfairly disciplined. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated a lawsuit filed by a Muslim woman who accused California jailers of violating her religious freedom when they made her remove her headscarf in a courthouse holding cell.

A bunch of hedonists in Idaho is challenging the state’s “local option” statute because they’re upset that Mormon majorities keep banning liquor.

Choir members at Crystal Cathedral are unhappy that the bankrupt church is asking them to sign a statement that takes a strong stand against homosexuality.

“South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker don’t have Mormon roots, but they do have a fascination with the faith, according to the Salt Lake Trib. Their musical, “The Book of Mormon,” opens March 24. Jon Stewart, for one, is raving about the musical’s satirical take on Mormonism.

Speaking of borderline blasphemous art, a French sculptor has created weird little figurines that depict the Virgin Mary as a geisha, astronaut, and, yes, My Little Pony (see pic at top left). As a Sagittarius, I take great offense at this outrage.