Tuesday’s Religion News Roundup

The White House “struck back” against Evangelist Franklin Graham, who repeated debunked birther claims and questioned President Obama’s faith on a Sunday talk show. Luke Skytalker, I mean, um, WH spokesman Jay Carney, said: “I think it’s unfortunate that a religious leader would choose Easter Sunday to make preposterous charges.” Just 17 percent of Egyptians […]

The White House “struck back” against Evangelist Franklin Graham, who repeated debunked birther claims and questioned President Obama’s faith on a Sunday talk show.

Luke Skytalker, I mean, um, WH spokesman Jay Carney, said: “I think it’s unfortunate that a religious leader would choose Easter Sunday to make preposterous charges.”

Just 17 percent of Egyptians want the Muslim Brotherhood to lead the next government, according to a Pew poll, but 6 in 10 want to institute Shariah law.


State sanctioned pomp and a fab wedding gown won’t be the only fancy things on display at the royal wedding this week. The upcoming nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton will also showcase Britain’s unique and historic ties between church and state. Betting-happy Brits are wagering on everything from how long WillKat will last to whether Prince Harry will be sober enough to get through the best man’s speech.

With all this wedding hoo-ha, let’s not forget the upcoming beatification of Pope John Paul II, apropos of which NCR asks: What’s the dealio with miracles? I happen to like Father Guido Sarducci’s explanation.

Backers of California’s Prop 8 say the federal judge who overturned the ban should have stepped aside because he has been in a long-term same-sex relationship. The law firm hired by House Speaker Boehner to defend DOMA has dropped the case, but a former W prosector will leave the firm to defend the law.

A bipartisan group of senators has introduced a bill that would make it harder for Westboro Baptist Church to protest outside military funerals. The Feds are joining the investigation into a fire that destroyed a mosque and damaged a nearby church in Northern California.

A Mennonite pastor who helped a woman take her daughter to Central America during a custody dispute with her former lesbian partner was released on a $25,000 bond.

The Episcopal Church has reportedly halted former NJ “Luv Gov” Jim McGreevey’s ascension to the priesthood.


The lack of new Jesuit priests has inspired the order to build an elaborate system for passing along their unique meditative rituals, WaPo reports.

Atheists and evangelicals near Oakland are having a billboard battle over the Rapture that seems a lot like graffiti artists’ tag wars but with more self-righteousness. The Oklahoma House voted to name “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” the state’s official gospel song.

Russian revelers can swap fun things like vodka and dancing for tea and reading at new “spiritual nightclubs” builty by the Orthodox Church, Reuters reports. I believe we call those “nightclubs” libraries.

Yr humbl aggregator,

Daniel Burke

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