Pope Francis, Church and State, Sex Abuse Scandals, Cult of Scientology, No God but Allah, Evolution, Religion; Intolerance, Russia, Transgender, Politics and Media, Marriage Equality

Pope Francis

• Pope Francis launches reform of Vatican bureaucracy, with cleanup of Vatican bank WaPo
• Pope Expels German 'Luxury Bishop' From Diocese—"The Vatican didn't say how long Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, 53, would spend away from the diocese of Limburg but it refused calls to remove him permanently." So close... NYT
• Vatican polls parishes on birth control, marriage
• Will Pope Francis kill the U.S. religious right?
• Pope Francis celebrates hitting 10m Twitter followers—"Pontiff thanks followers as Vatican reaches milestone in drive to spread the gospel through social media."

Church and State

• Air Force makes 'God' optional in honor code
• Fmr. GOP Majority Leader: 'God Created This Nation And God Created The Constitution'—All praise Republican Jesus.
• Rankin County student sues over religious assemblies at school
• Biblical Blunder: Proposed Mass. Religion Classes Could Violate First Amendment
• Organizers Try To Ban Muslim Advocacy Leader From OKC Seminar—"The leader of a Muslim advocacy group in Oklahoma is attending a law enforcement seminar at the state Capitol despite attempts by organizers to ban him." Ermahgerd... a terrist!
• Muslim women can be forced to show faces under new West Australian law—"Legislation was drafted after woman who wore a burqa had a false statement conviction quashed."
• France (Just Now) Decides Lord's Prayer Is Blasphemous, Edits Bible

Sex Abuse Scandals

• Victim in Philly Priest Sex Abuse Case Dies Unexpectedly
• TN minister and son raped girls every day for 2 years
• Mango volunteer youth minister charged with sex crime against child

Cult of Scientology

• French scientologists angered by fraud verdict—They're a money-grubbing cult.
• Narconon of Georgia surrenders license, avoids prosecution—"A controversial Norcross drug treatment facility with ties to the Church of Scientology will avoid any potential criminal charges after surrendering its license to the state."
• Scientology drops a bomb on Monique Rathbun's harrassment lawsuit—"Church files an Anti-SLAPP motion in the lawsuit, arguing that its 199-day intimidation of the Rathbuns was protected free speech." Remini's deposition has also been delayed indefinitely.

No God but Allah

• Malaysian court rules on 'Allah' use—"A Malaysian court ruled Monday that a Christian newspaper could not use 'Allah' to refer to God."
• Christian churches in Borneo vow to continue using the word 'Allah'
• Why get emotional, 'Allah' not exclusive to Muslims, says Oxford theologian

Evolution

• Texas Textbook Publishers Say No To Creationism: Watchdog Report
• Public-funded Texas school teaches Holocaust rooted in evolution
• Bone by Bone: The picture book that will show your kid how evolution works.

Religion

• Elevation Church pastor Steven Furtick: 16,000-square-foot house is gift from God—How generous.
• To Stave Off Decline, Churches Attract New Members With Beer
• SMBC: If Arithmetic Were Debated Like Religion

Intolerance

• American Student Slashed In London, Police Eye "Muslims Patrols"
• Ultra-Orthodox Jew beats boy, 7, for riding bicycle close to Shabbat
• Gays would be executed in ideal world, says UK Islamic leader

Russia

• Putin Says Gay Athletes and Fans Welcome at Sochi Olympics—It's a trap.
• Russia 'regret' over attack on Dutch diplomat
• Stephen Fry Hands Anti-Gay Russian Lawmaker His Ass

Transgender

• Chelsea Manning name row: Wikipedia editors banned from trans pages—"The most senior group of editors on the online encyclopaedia has been criticised for censuring both transphobic volunteers and those making accusations of transphobia."
• Todd Kincannon, Former Executive Director of South Carolina GOP, Believes Transgender People Should Be 'Put in a Camp'
• NOM Rejects Transgender Youths Because 'Nakedness Trumps Sincerity'

Politics and Media

• Gay rights legislation gains bipartisan support—Guys like McCain say it will lead to 'reverse discrimination.'
• There Should Be A 'Class Action Lawsuit' Against Homosexuality, Says Tea Party Leader Rick Scarborough—Even the Tea Party finds his statements too crazy.
• Michigan Gov. Calls LGBT Employment Discrimination 'Hypothetical'—"Gov. Rick Snyder dodged questions regarding his stance on LGBT workplace discrimination, before admitting it did not rank high on his list of priorities."
• Hallmark Cards regrets taking word 'gay' off ornament
• Students suspended for wearing Confederate flags to protest gay rainbow flag
• Attack on gay men's friend being investigated as a hate crime
• Anti-gay customers refuse tip to server, other patrons rally around him

Marriage Equality

• Cory Booker Shuts Down Religious Heckler at Gay Marriage—"The Newark mayor doesn't think religious-based opposition to one gay couple's marriage counts as a 'substantive, worthy objection.'"
• Republican Mega-Donors Quietly Celebrate Chris Christie's Marriage Surrender
• Same-sex marriage: Will New Mexico become 15th state to allow it?
• Hawaii: Thousands testify at House hearing on same-sex marriage—Already passed the state Senate 20-4.
• Civil unions in Colorado in place; groups push for marriage equality
• Ohio judge who ruled in favor of gay marriage is respected by colleagues
• Native American gay couple to wed in Oklahoma under tribal law — despite state ban—Congratulations to the newly-weds, Jason Pickle and Darren Black Bear.
• The bridegroom who couldn't marry—"LZ Granderson tells the story of Tom Bridegroom, whose gay partner wasn't allowed to attend his funeral."
• Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel blasts states on same-sex benefits policy
• West Point hosts first wedding between 2 men

Ex-Benedict, Sex Abuse; Scientology; Religion; History

Ex-Benedict

• Pope Benedict XVI to resign citing poor health
• Vatican plans big send off for pope, consultations begin—They're considering holding the conclave earlier. Who are possibly in the running to succeed Pope Benedict?
• Catholics everywhere have something to say Salon
• Pope Benedict XVI resigns: What you need to know
• Church in Crisis: Pope Benedict Polarized More Than Unified
• Benedict's Radical End
• Book Talk: Papal resignation a PR coup for Vatican journalist

Sex Abuse

• Ex-Pope Benedict will have security and immunity by remaining in the Vatican—Most probably because when he was still a cardinal and overseeing the sex-abuse cases, "Ratzinger ordered bishops to keep allegations secret."
• Nostra Maxima Culpa
• Proud Of His Humility—Oh the magnanimity of Cardinal allegeded-child-rape-cover-upper Mahoney
• LA Catholics may hold "massive" fundraiser for child-rape settlements
• What went wrong in the Catholic Church?—"Why have its leaders been unable to deal with the priest sex abuse scandal in an honest and convincing way?"

Scientology

• 15 Scientology Revelations from Lawrence Wright's 'Going Clear'
• Scientology, Hollywood, & The Prison of Belief: How Scientology Lured Tom Cruise
• How Scientology ensnares celebrities—Jenna Miscavige Hill on Tom Cruise: "Either he does know what's going on and he's not talking about it, or he is willfully ignorant." Salon

Religion

• The Last Supper: Germany's Great Church Sell-Off—"Dwindling church attendance and dire financial straits are forcing the Catholic and Protestant Churches in Germany to sell off church buildings en masse. Some are demolished, while others are turned into restaurants or indoor rock climbing centers."
• Secular Britain is ruled by religious bureaucrats—"Why is the church still such a force in our society when most of us disregard its clerics' teachings?"
• Modesty in Ultra-Orthodox Brooklyn Is Enforced by Secret Squads—"Shadowy committees have threatened shop owners over mannequins they don’t like, and reportedly have invaded homes to seize computer equipment." NYT
• Grieving Family Shocked To Learn Of 2nd Service For Uncle
• Applebee's Server Gets Stiffed By Pastor Who Gave Her Tip To God, Promptly Gets Fired By Applebee's
• Tennessee Christian quits job, refuses to file taxes over '666' on W-2 form
• Two of Phelps' granddaughters leave Westboro Baptist Church

History

• Inside the Vatican: The $8 billion global institution where nuns answer the phones
• Moon Man: What Galileo saw—"The new (and, unsurprisingly, Church-endorsed) view is that Galileo made needless trouble for himself by being impolitic, and that, in the circumstances of the time, it would have been hard for the Church to act otherwise. The Church wanted, as today's intelligent designers now say, to be allowed to 'teach the controversy.' All Galileo had to do was give the Church a break and say that you could see it that way if you wanted to. He wouldn't give it a break."
• Dead Sea Scrolls online library launched by Google and Israel
• Islam and science: The road to renewal—"After centuries of stagnation science is making a comeback in the Islamic world."
• Decoding facial hair in the Arab world

Separating Church from State, Islamists, Mali, Blasphemy, Scientology, In Bad Faith, Atheism, Politics and Media, Ecumenical

Separating Church from State

• Biden: I accept Catholic Church's pro-life view, but won't impose it on others
• 'Pulpit Freedom Sunday' Pastors Don’t Care About Religious Freedom--"A thousand Christian ministers plan to defy the law by endorsing candidates in their sermons. But they’re protesting an imaginary problem and ignoring the real challenges to others’ freedom of religion."
• The Point of the Pulpit
• Church and state shouldn’t merge
• Freedom from Religion Foundation--Ban the marriage between Church and State

Islamists

• Stop calling criticism of Islam 'Islamophobia'--Also applies to when 'Antisemitism' is thrown out to suppress criticism.
• 'It's for your good. Let me finish': Afghan-Canadian mother told police she stabbed her daughter with a kitchen knife
• Islamists who pose a threat 'have no place in France'

Mali

• Thousands Of People In Mali Are Begging For Help From The United Nations
• Women in northern Mali hold protest against Islamist in charge of veil requirement
• Mali Islamists compiling list of unwed moms--They've stoned couples for having sex outside marriage.

Blasphemy

• The Reality of Anti-Blasphemy Laws
• Two Coptic children arrested in Egypt for 'insulting Islam'--"[F]ather of children pleas kids are illiterate and were playing with papers near a garbage dump."
• Egypt: Rights groups condemn detention of atheist on blasphemy charges
• Blasphemy in democracy's birthplace? Greece arrests Facebook user.--"A Greek man could face two years in prison after being arrested last week for blasphemy after posting a Facebook page that satirized a famous Greek Orthodox monk."
• Attackers of Hindu temple charged with blasphemy
• Bangladesh Muslim protesters torch Buddhist temples over Facebook photo
• Egypt refers man who tore Bible to trial--"Egyptian prosecutors referred to trial Tuesday a well-known radical Islamist who tore up an English copy of the Bible during a protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Cairo against an anti-Islam film produced in the United States."

Scientology

• 70% Americans Doubt Scientology Is Real Religion According To Poll
• Scientology threatens Vanity Fair over Tom Cruise 'auditions' claims
• 'The Master' and Scientology--"Paul Thomas Anderson's impressive new film downplays its connection to the controversial religious movement."
• Man Claims A Scientology-Affiliated Clinic Drove Him To Attempt Suicide
• Church of Scientology opens center in Israel
• Scientology minister accused of molesting Thetans
• Blast from the Past: Scientology Brainwashing by Derren Brown

In Bad Faith

• Faith leaders across England in 'HIV healing' claims--"Dangerous cases of faith leaders who tell people with HIV to stop taking their life-saving drugs have been identified by African-led community groups in a number of locations across England."
• Ghana grapples with mental health
• Religious Beliefs Prevent Kenyan Parents from Seeking Conventional Medicine for Children

Atheism

• After High School Teacher Defends Atheist and Gay Students, He Is Forced to Resign
• Secularists are not atheists Salon
• 8 Countries Where Atheism Is Accepted, Even Celebrated, Instead of Demonized
• As Protestants decline, those with no religion gain
• Eastern Germany: the most godless place on Earth-"[T]he survey was unable to find a single person under the age of 28 in eastern Germany who believed in God."

Politics and Media

• Mormons Want to Excommunicate Romney Critic
• Florida Teachers Fired For Reporting Abuse at Catholic School
• High-Ranking Catholic Priest: Teens Seduced 'Poor Sandusky'

Ecumenical

• Bearded Sikh woman teaches Reddit a lesson
• Muslim Men Rescue Bagel Shop And Keep It Kosher
• xkcd: Fastest-Growing

Circumcision, Catholic, Sex Abuse Scandal, Religion and Politics, Cheeked Off, Creationism, Scientology

Circumcision

• Muslim and Jewish groups denounce German circumcision ruling--Calling it a 'shameful farce'.
• Norway Centre Party: Ban ritual circumcision of boys
• Why Don't Christians Have To Get Circumcised?

Catholic

• Vatican offers special solution for conservative splinter group, SSPX
• Feeling Under Siege, Catholic Leadership Shifts Right
• Vatican gets Fox media adviser
• Catholic Church Fears Growing Vatican Bank Scandal--"A new scandal threatens to engulf the Catholic Church and this time the focus is money. Senior Vatican officials are battling over the future of the Vatican bank. While some would like total transparency, dubious transactions from the past and present could harm the Church's image."
• Abuses surface at Legion School--"Dozens of women who attended a high school run by the disgraced Legion of Christ religious order have urged the Vatican to close the program, saying the psychological abuse they endured trying to live like teenage nuns led to multiple cases of anorexia, stress-induced migraines, depression and even suicidal thoughts."
• The Catholic Church's Fading Influence in Poland
• Vatican posts $19 million deficit, worst in years

Sex Abuse Scandal

• Jury convicts Lynn of one count, deadlocks on Brennan
• A Troubled Silence NYT
• Sex Abuse Statutes of Limitation Stir Battle NYT
• Pope tells 75,000 at Dublin stadium Mass that child abuse by priests 'remains a mystery'
• Catholic Church loses child sex abuse liability appeal

Religion and Politics

• Alabama Public Television executives fired abruptly after pressure to change programming--"In recent months, APTV has been pressured by members of the commission to air programing produced by David Barton, a Texas evangelist. Barton's organization, Wall Builders, has produced a series of videos promoting a religious conservative view of American History."
• Florida Allows Schools To Offer''Inspirational Messages'
• How close is too close? The bishop of Orlando encourages Catholics to vote 'yes' on two amendments. Over the line?
• Fearless Republican Governor bravely saves his state from a Law that doesn’t exist
• 'Ten Commandments' Judge Roy Moore: Secularism leads to Sharia law
• Louisiana Republican: When I Voted for State Funds to go to Religious Schools, I Didn’t Mean Muslim Ones
• Islam Is a Religion, and Therefore Protected by the Constitution--"Plaintiffs in a Tennessee lawsuit want to deny local Muslims the right to build a mosque. Why? They claim it's not a legitimate faith and shouldn't be allowed First Amendment rights."
• Police now issue statement on Boston pensioner's 'religions are fairy stories' poster
• Feds Sue Two Polygamous Towns--"The Justice Department alleges that local leaders engaged in an intimidation campaign against the unfaithful."
• Netherlands rejects bill banning kosher slaughter; Jewish groups claim victory

Cheeked Off

• Jesus thumbs-up ad 'disrespectful'
• Catholics outraged over German cartoon
• Urine trouble, Pope tells mag in legal threat

Creationism

• Scientist: Evolution debate will soon be history--"Discoveries will accelerate to the point that 'even the skeptics can accept it.'"
• How American fundamentalist schools are using Nessie to disprove evolution--That's not all the claptrap they're teaching.
• Science Defeats Creationism In Oklahoma In Flawless Victory
• Sneak Play Foiled: Ala.legislator's Creationism scheme fails to score
• South Korea surrenders to creationist demands--"Publishers set to remove examples of evolution from high-school textbooks."

Scientology

• Murdoch attacks Scientologists over Katie Holmes 'harassment'--What will they do to ensure her silence after her divorce from Tom Cruise?
• Scientology abandoned by L. Ron Hubbard's granddaughter and David Miscavige's Father
• Scientology church tries to destroy families, say ex-members
• Scientology group asks followers to censor Web comments--"The Katie Holmes-Tom Cruise split apparently has had a negative effect on the Church of Scientology, and a faction of the church is calling for members to take action and silence naysayers."
• Church of Scientology launching TV station--"The Church of Scientology [...] plans to start a religious broadcasting centre to promote its teachings over TV, radio and the internet."

Lego Week, Church and State, Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, Afghanistan, Atheism, Scientology, International News

Lego Week

• 2011 in Lego: the year's news - in pictures
• Lego tells Europe how to rebuild, brick by brick
• Paul Di Filippo reviews Cult of Lego
• Occupy Wall Street: the Lego Set
• See the world's tallest lego tower

Church and State

• David Cameron says the UK is a Christian country
• Schools insert God into Australian anthem
• Bishop of London attacks top public school after it demolishes its chapel

Ultra-Orthodox Judaism

• A Clash of Cultures in the Holy Land--"Ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups in Israel would like to see gender separation in public, and some have stooped to harassing women -- and even children -- to get their way. With thousands of Israelis protesting against the growing influence of the super-religious, the rift in Israeli society is getting deeper."
• Petition to protest ultra-Orthodox discrimination against 7-year-old Beit Shemesh girl
• Israeli ultra-orthodox Jews clash with police--They've done this sort of thing before.

Afghanistan

• Either Your Phone Plays Taliban Ringtones, or You Die--"Vendors in Kabul are doing a brisk trade in Taliban ringtones. Because Afghans report that the Taliban kill travelers at clandestine checkpoints if they don’t hear one of their messages on someone’s phone."
• Can Theater Transform Kabul?--"Established in 2005, the Aftaab Theater provides a refuge and sense of liberation for young people seeking to carve out a future in a country where many feel out of control of their own lives. Those behind the rejuvenation of the theater hope that it can play a role in reviving the creative and artistic freedoms that fell victim to the dictates of Taliban rule."
• Afghan women boxing for equality--"Female boxers in Afghanistan - overcoming threats from conservatives who think the sport is taboo - are hoping to win gold at the London Olympics. "

Atheism

• Penn Jillette: An Atheist's Guide to the 2012 Election
• Do Christians believe in atheists? UBC study finds believers distrust atheists as much as rapists
• Christians issue death threats over Twitter hash tag

Scientology

• Conflict at the heart of Scientology is exposed in bitter email outburst--A high-ranking member isn't happy with the way the money is being handled.
• Scientology's Cruise Ship as Prison: The Voice Interviews Valeska Paris
• The Church of Scientology’s friends in Washington Salon
• Russian court bans Scientology literature as ‘extremist’
• Church of Scientology facing back-pay claims

International News

• Vatican stunned by Irish embassy closure
• Canada "honor killings" on trial: An Afghan immigrant allegedly killed his daughters
• Catholics prepare for first new translation of the English Mass in decades
• A Jew of No Religion--"An Israeli novelist gets a legal writ of divorce between Jewish ethnicity and religion."
• Girl's baptism banned by judge after court battle--"[A magistrate] determined that the girl should make up her mind about being baptised when she was older."
• Police shave mohawks off punks at Indonesia concert
• Boy 'tortured and drowned' over witchcraft claims, court told

Religious Reform, Creationism, Church + State, Scientology, The Onion

Religious Reform

• For one priest, the choice is clear: On inclusion of gays, lesbians, he cites Jesus’ example
• I Was a Right-Wing Evangelical Pastor -- Until I Saw the Light
• Retired pastor knows why people don’t like Christians any more

Creationism

• Michele Bachmann: Schools Should Teach “Intelligent Design”--And she's continuing to lie about nobel laureates supporting creationism
• You know, David Barton has a reputation for inventing quotes, but this is ridiculous--Another lie.
• Fellowship Baptist Creation Science Fair 2001

Church + State

• Constitutional Myth #4: The Constitution Doesn't Separate Church and State--"America's Founding Fathers may not have included the phrase, but the history is clear—they never wanted a Christian nation"
• Perry: Texans Don’t Like Me Because ‘A Prophet Is…Not Loved In Their Hometown’--How'd he ever get to be such a Jesus freak?
• Bachmann’s Christian counseling clinic receives state funds--So quick to denounce "big" government, even quicker to bleed money from it.

Scientology

• The Scientology Expose We've Been Waiting For--And there's another one coming on cable called "Secrets of Scientology".
• Paul Haggis vs. the Church of Scientology
• Scientologist charged for 'intimidating' alleged sex abuse victim

The Onion

• God Admits He's Addicted To Babies
• God Answers Prayers Of Paralyzed Little Boy
• God Quietly Phasing Holy Ghost Out Of Trinity