Wednesday’s Religion News Roundup: Sister Wives * Forgiving Armstrong * Gorgeous Georg

TLC's Sister Wives heads to court to challenge Utah's anti-polygamy law. Can we -- should we -- forgive Lance Armstrong's lies? And what is the pope's good-looking aide doing on the cover of Vanity Fair? All that and more in today's Religion News Roundup.

2013-01-15T160528Z_2_CBRE90E18D500_RTROPTP_2_POPE-GANSWEINPresident Obama has reportedly tapped Episcopal priest Luis Leon to sub for Louie Giglio and give the benediction at next week’s inauguration. Remember where you saw Leon’s name first.

Watch this story: Polygamist Kody Brown and his four wives (they of TLC’s “Sister Wives” reality show) have a hearing tomorrow in federal court challenging Utah’s anti-polygamy law. Outspoken attorney Jonathan Turley is representing the Browns, and has various pre-trial statements here.

As President Obama unveils his plan to combat gun violence and prevent more mass shootings, a diverse group of religious leaders say they’re ready to take on the NRA. Judging from the NRA’s new ad that goes after the Obama girls, that won’t be too hard.


San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, when not fighting gay marriage, is in London to help develop a Liturgy for Anglicans who become Catholics under the Vatican’s special “ordinariate.”

Should we forgive Lance Armstrong for his doping scandal? Our pal Jim Martin is conflicted.

Equally hard to forgive: A New York woman was indicted for posing as the aunt of Noah Pozner, one of the Newtown shooting victims, and collecting money for a “funeral fund.” It was all lies, prosecutors allege.

And then there’s this: the ever-quotable Pat Robertson says an “awful-looking woman” has only herself to blame for her marital troubles.

From the Dept. of Just Can’t Look Away: the Pennsylvania pastor accused of killing two wives “bowed his head, put his hands over his ears and squeezed his eyes shut” as a forensic pathologist reviewed the evidence.

The retired Episcopal bishop who was brought back into service to lead the remnant of South Carolina churches that want to stay with the national church is taking the long (and very charitable) view: “What has happened … is that one group of Christians, former Episcopalians, have decided in good faith to follow a different path in responding to their understanding of the call of Christ. As the Episcopal church, we are likewise trying to be faithful to the call of Christ.”


The European Court of Human Rights says a British Airways clerk has the right to wear a cross necklace on the job, but turned away three others who claimed their religious beliefs prevented them from working with gays. Worth noting: U.S. culture warriors were deeply involved in this one, especially the necklace fight.

The pope’s top aide, Archbishop Georg Ganswein, a.k.a.”Gorgeous Georg” has made the cover of Vanity Fair.

European anti-abortion groups are trying to force the European Parliament to declare that life begins at conception.

And don’t forget to lift a glass of bubbly to celebrate Religious Freedom Day today.

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