Thursday’s Religion News Roundup

China may not officially love religion, but Chinese construction firms are doing a brisk business constructing churches in Africa. The Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland is backing an influential retired bishop’s call for an end to celibacy in the priesthood, in hopes of easing the church’s recruitment crisis. Major Jewish groups are sitting out […]

China may not officially love religion, but Chinese construction firms are doing a brisk business constructing churches in Africa.

The Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland is backing an influential retired bishop’s call for an end to celibacy in the priesthood, in hopes of easing the church’s recruitment crisis.

Major Jewish groups are sitting out the protests against the Palestinian statehood bid at the U.N., leaving the task to smaller pro-Israel groups.


A group of Kentucky Amish men are in jail for refusing to display those bright orange triangles on the backs of their buggies, symbols the men say their religion forbids as too “loud” and too “worldly.”

A federal judge is going forward with a bankruptcy re-organization plan that includes the sale of Southern California’s Crystal Cathedral.

At Liberty University yesterday, GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry ditched his stump speech and kept it spiritual. Some thoughts on Perry’s thoughts about being pro-life and presiding over 234 state executions as Texas governor.

Pat Robertson says it’s OK to divorce a spouse with Alzheimer’s because the disease is “a kind of death.”

Defense lawyers describe the faith-healing Oregon couple from Followers of Christ church as “good people,” despite the fact that they failed to call 911 when their newborn became gravely ill. They are the fourth couple in less than three years from the church to be prosecuted for failing to get medical care for their children.

Lots of hand-wringing among the Democrats in print and on the web about whether President Obama needs to be nervous about losing Jewish voters, who are hearing plenty from the Republicans about how the president isn’t strong enough on Israel.


The French Jewish engineer who created the “Jewish or not Jewish” iPhone app says it’s a fun game Jews play about celebrities who may or may not be members of the tribe. Some human rights and French Jewish groups say it breaks French law. Apple responds by pulling the app from it’s the French Apple Store.

Au Revoir,

Lauren Markoe

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