Wednesday’s Religion News Roundup

SCOTUS ruled unanimously that an American Muslim detained in harsh conditions for 16 days – but never charged with a crime – cannot sue former AG John Ashcroft for his role in the ordeal. The court also ruled 5 to 3 that Ashcroft’s actions did not violate the protections of the Fourth Amendment against unreasonable […]

SCOTUS ruled unanimously that an American Muslim detained in harsh conditions for 16 days – but never charged with a crime – cannot sue former AG John Ashcroft for his role in the ordeal.

The court also ruled 5 to 3 that Ashcroft’s actions did not violate the protections of the Fourth Amendment against unreasonable seizure, the AP reports. Abdullah al-Kidd was jailed for more than two weeks in cells in Virginia, Oklahoma, and Idaho, subject to repeated strip searches and routinely shackled, before a judge allowed his release.


Surveying the roster of presidential candidates scheduled to speak this weekend to Ralph Reed’s new Christian Coalition-like group, the NYT surmises that the one-time GOP boy wonder has returned from the political wilderness. “Our goal for 2012 is to build a file of 29 million conservative voters,” Reed said.

Former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy (10 Commandments) Moore could announce his candidacy for the Republican nomination this Friday.

MLK’s youngest daughter said she is leaving Bishop Eddie Long’s Atlanta church, where she was an elder, to start her own ministry. Bernice King’s departure coincides with Long’s settlement of four sexual misconduct lawsuits, but King said she had been planning to leave for weeks.

More than 440 churches have left the ELCA since the denomination voted in 2009 to allow some gay clergy, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. ELCA leaders say they have planted 300 congregations and still have around 10,000.

The head of the Daughters of St. Paul replaced the leader of the Roman Catholic order’s U.S. province after she filed a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Boston last year over pension issues.

Several alumni of a New Orleans school are suing a consultant who told the local bishop that students had been injured by paddling. Talk about gluttons for punishment.

Orlando Bishop John Noonan is holding an Avert the Storms Mass today, the first day of the hurricane season.


India’s most popular and powerful yoga guru rejected an appeal by Prime Minister Singh to call off a hunger strike against corruption.

A federal judge ruled that a Texas high school graduation may not include an opening and closing prayer or the words “invocation” or “benediction.”

The NYT catches up with the most recent members of the Followers of Christ Church to face trial for not obtaining medical care for their children.

In an annual tradition, hundreds of Mormon singles flocked to the Outer Banks of North Carolina over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, where they practiced “safe text.” Ted Haggard will make a cameo appearance in a Christian film about abstinence. It’s a comedy.

Yesterday, yr hmbl aggregator mentioned a NYT article about recently unveiled documents, including a to-do list, from an admitted terrorist, which led a former CIA agent to make the following comparison:

“At the end of the day, terrorists and spies have to have to-do lists just like housewives – otherwise they’d forget something,” said Bruce O. Riedel, an expert on Islamic militants at the Brookings Institution and a former CIA officer.


For the record, yr hmbl aggregator has nothing against to-do lists or housewives. Actually, he thinks the latter term is kinda outdated – except for women who want to marry houses.

Yr hmbl aggregator,

Daniel Burke

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