Wednesday’s Religion News Roundup: Beck Rebrands, Gay Quake, the Pope’s ‘Spread’

Not quite another earthquake, but the National Cathedral will marry gay couples.

What’s up with Glenn Beck? The Mormon convert and culture warrior is re-branding The Blaze and himself:

“I consider myself a libertarian … I’m a lot closer to Penn Jillette than I am to Chuck Hagel,” he says, referring to a famous atheists and a famous pro-life Catholic Episcopalian.

Speaking of Chuck Hagel, maybe the would-be Defense Secretary’s problem is with the “Christian lobby,” not the “Jewish lobby”?

“Spiritual but not religious” is our modern mantra. Now a study says that mantra can lead to mental health issues.

Clergy are religious and spiritual, but still face health issues.

Here’s another dilemma: Should pastors be friends with parishioners?

Africa rises, China falls on Christian persecution list.

A Boy Scouts review board in San Francisco is challenging the Boy Scouts of America’s prohibition on gay members by approving the Eagle Scout application for a local teen who is gay.

Pope Benedict XVI, in an actual papal speech, invokes “the spread” – and he wasn’t talking about how bad he got burned by Notre Dame’s bowl performance.

“In a word, it is a question of refusing to be resigned to a ‘spread’ in social well-being, while at the same time fighting one in the financial sector,” he said.

Reuters Phil Pullella has the latest on the pope and the “S-Word.”

Religious families like “virtual” public schools because they don’t have to worry about the church-state stuff so much – not to mention bathroom graffiti.

Stay tuned for more news and analysis throughout the day, at Religion News Service. “Peace out,” as the kids say.

David Gibson