Quarterback (and evangelical icon) Tim Tebow bowed out of helping to lead dedication services for First Baptist Dallas‘ new $130 million building, saying “new information” prompted him to reconsider. Hmmm…seems the views of outspoken pastor Robert Jeffress (Mormonism’s a “cult,” for one) were pretty well known.
Tebow’s statement:
While I was looking forward to sharing a message of hope and Christ’s unconditional love with the faithful members of the historic First Baptist Church of Dallas in April, due to new information that has been brought to my attention, I have decided to cancel my upcoming appearance. I will continue to use the platform God has blessed me with to bring Faith, Hope and Love to all those needing a brighter day. Thank you for all of your love and support. God Bless!
Did B16 step down because of undue influence of a secretive “gay lobby” inside the Vatican? Italy’s La Repubblica thinks so.
Our own David Gibson breaks down the reasons why the Vatican isn’t likely to have an “Obama moment” and elect a non-European pope.
Our pal Jim Martin lays out 12 reasons why he should be pope (humble guy, that Jim Martin). He’s already picked out his papal name: “John Paul Benedict I.”
As he prepares to become the Pope Formerly Known as Benedict, B16 has some pretty good poll numbers, but they can’t match JP2.
And cool story of the day: Natalia Tsarkova, the Vatican’s official papal portraitist, is, well, eccentric. She even has a pet owl.
One more reason why former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman couldn’t win the 2012 GOP nomination: he says gays and lesbians should be able to marry.
This Jewish kid from Atlanta is giving the Harlem Shake a run for its money in the newest video to go viral: “Oink, oink, pig, pig do away with the pork, we don’t eat that stuff, don’t be such a dork” raps Daniel Blumen in his save-the-date video for his bar mitzvah.
Salt Lake is all atwitter over a Mormon official’s post-election tirade that would have made Fox News happy — he condemned (from the pulpit in Sandy, Utah) voters’ choice of “”socialism over capitalism, entitlements over free enterprise, redistribution and regulation over self-reliance.” Guess he must have voted for the other guy.
A Pastafarian in New Jersey — you know, from the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster — didn’t want to take the spaghetti strainer off his head for his driver’s license photo. Claimed it was religious headgear. Seriously.
Those crazy kids over at The Forward are out with their annual Backward spoof edition for Purim. Our personal favorite: “Jewish demographers are an incredibly valuable and dwindling resource, say Jewish demographers..”
Egyptian policemen may now grow beards — a change after the regime of former President Hosni Mubarak banned them and other open signs of Islamic piety.
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