WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is making an appearance in hand-crafted nativity sets in Naples (left); no word yet on whether the manger has WiFi for his laptop. In the newest front on the War Over Christmas, First Baptist Dallas launched a naughty-or-nice list of local retailers and governments. Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe is boycotting a parade in Tulsa that changed its name from the Christmas Parade of Lights to the Holiday Parade of Lights.
The De La Salle Christian Brothers are facing accusations that they fumbled the case of an abusive priest; officials told victims that Brother Raimond Rose had been banned from working with children and had been assigned to a prison. What they didn’t say was that it was a prison for juveniles.
A California man charged with beating an elderly priest whom he says abused him pleaded not guilty, but still plans to use the trial to expose the priest’s actions.
An Indiana church financier was sentenced to 54 years for running off with millions of dollars that donors thought would be used to build churches. Two Christian faith-healing fundamentalists are facing charges in the death of their infant son, who died of pneumonia and was not taken to a doctor.
Sojourners founder Jim Wallis said President Obama dropped the ball in agreeing to extend tax cuts for the wealthy. Evangelicals and Catholics are pushing the Senate to ratify a new nuclear treaty with Russia.
Beijing has called an assembly of the country’s state-approved Catholic bishops over the Vatican‘s objections, who told bishops not to attend. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu rejected calls by a group of rabbis to not rent property to non-Jews. “How would we feel if someone said not to sell apartments to Jews?” he asked. Indian officials are looking for suspects in the bombing at a Hindu holy site that killed an infant and wounded at least 34.
European Jews won a fight over new kosher-labeling food laws across the E.U. In the U.K., Christian hotel owners in Cornwall will face a judge over denying a room to a gay couple; the owners say they’re not anti-gay, but say there’s no room in the inn for any couple — gay or straight — who aren’t married.