There are "live links" in the original, accessible via the end link, to more/corroborating info ~ Sooz

This Week in God
By Steve Benen - Sat Jan 5, 2013 10:30 AM EST

First up from the God Machine this week is the curious religio-political criticism directed at the fiscal agreement approved by policymakers in Washington this week. It didn't really occur to me that there might be a theological angle to the story, but I underestimated Bryan Fischer.


For those who can't watch clips online, my friend Kyle Mantyla reported:


There was no word from Fischer as to why Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) would help craft a "demonic" fiscal agreement -- or for that matter, why 125 congressional Republicans voted for it.

Also from the God Machine this week:

* When there's a natural disaster, and affected areas are eligible for FEMA grants, funding damaged or destroyed houses of worship can raise difficult questions, most notably constitutional concerns related to public funding of religious institutions.

* I suspect many congressional Republicans won't care for the pope's New Year's message: "Pope Benedict said in his New Year's message on Tuesday he hoped 2013 would be a year of peace and that the world was under threat from unbridled capitalism, terrorism and criminality" (thanks to reader R.P. for the tip).

* In Jacksonville, N.C., this week, members of the Baysden Chapel Pentecostal Free Will Baptist Church trooped down to the Onslow County School Board building to demand that public school students be allowed to pray voluntarily. When officials explained that students already have that right, the church members said there'd been a "misunderstanding" and quickly ended their protest.

* Pathetic: "In Italy, a Catholic priest has stirred widespread outrage after he blamed incidents of domestic violence on the way women dress. Father Piero Corsi's remarks were in a Christmas message he put on a church bulletin board; photos of the note soon went viral.... The title of message was 'Women and Femicide, How often do they provoke?'"

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/01/05/16367336-this-week-in-god?lite

There are "live links" in the original, accessible via the end link, to more/corroborating info ~ Sooz

This Week in God
By Steve Benen - Sat Jan 12, 2013 8:13 AM EST


First up from the God Machine this week is a breakthrough at one of the nation's most high profile, nationally recognized houses of worship.


The cathedral's dean, the Very Rev. Gary Hall, told the AP, "I read the Bible as seriously as fundamentalists do. And my reading of the Bible leads me to want to do this because I think it's being faithful to the kind of community that Jesus would have us be." He added, "As a kind of tall-steeple, public church in the nation's capital, by saying we're going to bless same-sex marriages, conduct same-sex marriages, we are really trying to take the next step for marriage equality in the nation and in the culture."

As best as I can tell, the National Cathedral's announcement has not yet sparked an organized backlash from opponents of marriage equality.

Also from the God Machine this week:

* When President Obama is inaugurated a week from Monday, he'll take the public oath of office on two Bibles: one that belonged to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and another that belonged to Abraham Lincoln.

* As part of his task force on gun violence, Vice President Biden met this week with a group of 12 national faith leaders. According to Rev. Michael McBride, one of the attendees, the vice president talked about the moral imperative to take action. "He was asking the faith community to use the power of our moral voices and persuasion" to help find common sense solutions, McBride said.

* After the Rev. Louie Giglio withdrew from his scheduled role in Obama's inauguration, the religious right movement threw quite a fit.

* Scott Lively's case is worth watching. If his name isn't familiar, "that's because Lively's unique contribution to this anti-gay agenda is his persecution consulting in other countries, most notably Uganda, where he brags he is known as the 'father' of the anti-gay movements."

* The number of members of Congress who don't identify with any particular religion is not only rising, it's reached new heights.

* Another legal setback for the Roman Catholic Church: "Church leaders who mishandled child sex abuse allegations will be named in a 30,000-page cache of internal Archdiocese of Los Angeles records set for public release in coming weeks, a judge ruled Monday" (thanks to reader R.P. for the tip).

* And radical TV preacher Pat Robertson continues to share his unique brand of marital advice.



http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/01/12/16478578-this-week-in-god?lite

And radical TV preacher Pat Robertson continues to share his unique brand of marital advice.

Methinks that man needs to get laid real soon.

For sure he needs to take his own advice and take wifey and retire to some romantic retreat, faraway from any tv cameras!

methinks he is a fucking arsehat.

Ya really think he's into hats?

doubtful. more likely prostitutes. he can afford the very best.

There are "live links" in the original, accessible via the end link, to more/corroborating info ~ Sooz

This Week in God
By Steve Benen - Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:37 AM EST

First up from the God Machine this week is an interesting controversy involving the chaplains for the U.S. House and U.S. Senate -- two religious leaders, whose salaries are paid by taxpayers.

Ordinarily, the congressional chaplains are rarely noteworthy. They deliver a prayer at the start of legislative sessions, but otherwise, are generally neither seen nor heard outside Capitol Hill. (James Madison insisted these positions are unconstitutional and should not exist.)

But this week, the chaplains raised questions about how they intend to spend Inauguration Day, in a story first brought to my attention by Faithful America.


As the week progressed, the story got a little strange. Right-wing organizers of the event said the Senate's Rev. Black, who's run into trouble like this before, had accepted their invitation, but the chaplain's office insisted he'd never agreed to participate. The House's Rev. Conroy, who's also billed as a member of the Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast Committee, conceded that he will appear alongside the fringe activists and far-right lawmakers, but added he doesn't intend to "stay too long."

To be sure, if Bachmann, Birthers, and radical televangelists want to get together to hold a far-right event on Inauguration Day, that's their business. But as my friend Rob Boston at Americans United for Separation of Church and State explained, when taxpayer-financed chaplains, who are not supposed to take sides in political fights, participate in events like these, it's far more problematic.

Also from the God Machine this week:

* The benediction at President Obama's second inaugural will be delivered by the Rev. Luis Leon, pastor of St. John's Episcopal Church, dubbed "the church of presidents" because it's just a block and a half from the White House.

* Oh my: "The pastor of St. Aloysius Church in Springfield, Ill., has been granted a leave of absence after he called 911 in November from inside the church and told a police dispatcher that he needed help getting out of a pair of handcuffs." The priest, Tom Donovan, told the 911 operator he was "playing with" the handcuffs, and needed help "getting out." Donovan is perhaps best known for testifying to the Illinois legislature earlier this month in opposition to marriage equality (thanks to reader R.P. for the tip).

* Lawrence Wright has published a new book on Scientology which appears to be generating quite a bit of attention.

* A group of prominent evangelical leaders, including the National Association of Evangelicals and the public-policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, have launched the "I Was a Stranger" campaign in the hopes of encouraging policymakers in Washington to pass immigration reform.

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/01/19/16600194-this-week-in-god?lite

I don't know who's more nucking futs. Pat or Kristi

There are "live links" in the original, accessible via the end link, to more/corroborating info ~ Sooz

This Week in God
By Steve Benen - Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:21 AM EST

First up from the God Machine this week is a terribly sad story about a woman named Lori Stodghill, who's brought a lawsuit against a Catholic hospital, which has taken an unexpected legal/political turn.

On New Year's Day 2006, Stodghill, aged 31, was seven-months pregnant with twins, when she started to feel ill. She went to the emergency room at St. Thomas More hospital in Canon City, Colorado, and suffered a massive heart attack. Stodghill's obstetrician, Dr. Pelham Staples, who was on call for emergencies that night at the hospital, never answered a page, and an hour after arriving, Stodghill died and the twins did not survive.

Jeremy Stodghill, Lori's husband, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit, arguing that the doctor should have answered the page, should have instructed hospital staff to perform an emergency C-section, and could have tried to save the twins. And as Amanda Marcotte noted, that's where the story takes a politically charged turn.


St. Thomas More hospital is now facing criticism from the right for maintaining malleable principles. "There's a difference between being legal and being right," Southern Baptist ethicist Richard Land said. "Either a fetus is a person or it's not." Local Roman Catholic Bishops have promised to review the case.

In this meantime, the Catholic hospital and its lawyers maintain that the twins were not yet people, and so far, courts have agreed -- a state district court and an appeals court have sided with the hospital. The case is currently pending at the Colorado Supreme Court.

Also from the God Machine this week:

* As the debate over reducing gun violence continues, it appears many of the religious right movement's leading figures and organizations are siding with the NRA against any new laws or restrictions on firearm ownership (thanks to reader R.P for the tip).

* The religious right was also deeply unhappy with the Pentagon's decision to lift the ban on women serving in military combat roles.

* The New York Times reported this week on the role of American evangelical missionaries working in Uganda on anti-gay campaigns. The piece featured footage from the new Roger Ross Williams documentary on the subject.

* New public opinion research from the Barna Group found that 66 percent of Americans believe no one set of religious values should dominate in the U.S. On the other hand, 23 percent believe "traditional Judeo-Christian values" should be given preference over competing faiths, and among evangelical Christians, the number rises to 54 percent.

* Tragic: "Fifteen years before the clergy sex abuse scandal came to light, Archbishop Roger M. Mahony and a top advisor plotted to conceal child molestation by priests from law enforcement, including keeping them out of California to avoid prosecution, according to internal Catholic church records released Monday" (thanks to reader T.C. for the heads-up).

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/01/26/16712604-this-week-in-god?lite

There are "live links" in the original, accessible via the end link, to more/corroborating info ~ Sooz

This Week in God
By Steve Benen - Sat Feb 2, 2013 10:28 AM EST

First up from the God Machine this week is a look at, of all things, Super Bowl Sunday.

Tomorrow, San Francisco and Baltimore will take the field, and it's likely that many of the folks on the team, as well as their fans, will be turning to a higher power in the hopes of influencing the outcome. This week, however, the Public Religion Research Institute hoped to get a better sense of just how many Americans believe divine intervention is possible in a football game. ...



It turns out, more than one-in-four Americans (27%) believes that God plays a role in determining which team wins a sporting event, though it's not clear what might influence His decision. If both teams' supporters prayed for victory, and God hears everyone's prayers and helps dictate outcomes, wouldn't every game be a tie?

What's more, according to the survey, about twice as many Americans (53%) believe that God rewards athletes who have faith with good health and success.

More specifically, those most likely to believe God helps determine which teams win are Protestants. There are also significant regional differences -- 36% of Southerners believe God plays a role in determining which teams win, far more than any other part of the country.

Finally, the PRRI report concluded, "Americans say religion is significantly more important to their lives than their fan affiliation, but they are about as likely to watch sports each week as they are to attend religious services."

Also from the God Machine this week:

* Fundraising trouble for ProtectMarriage.com: "Foes of same-sex marriage are laboring to pay the tab for an epic legal case now before the U.S. Supreme Court, as the movement suffers from fundraising shortfalls that could sap its strength in future battles" (thanks to R.M. for the tip).

* Roman Catholic sexual abuse scandal: "In a move unprecedented in the American Catholic Church, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez announced Thursday that he had relieved his predecessor, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, of all public duties over his mishandling of clergy sex abuse of children decades ago.... The announcement came as the church posted on its website tens of thousands of pages of previously secret personnel files for 122 priests accused of molesting children."

* Proponents of public funds for private religious schools: "'National School Choice Week' is winding down, and we've been treated to an avalanche of propaganda for vouchers, neo-vouchers and other expressions of so-called 'educational choice.'"

* A lawsuit worth watching: "A lawsuit by a Southern California Christian school against two former teachers who refused to provide proof of their faith could pose one of the first court tests of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on religious freedom. A legal expert said last year's ruling that religious workers can't sue for job discrimination never specified whether that includes teachers at religious schools" (thanks to R.P. for the tip).

* And the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer, a prominent leader in the religious right movement, pushed back this week against Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's (R) argument that Republicans need to stop being the "stupid party." Fischer insisted that the far-right is actually "wise," and as proof, the AFA spokesperson pointed to ... Todd Akin.



http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/02/02/16818890-this-week-in-god

There are "live links" in the original, accessible via the end link, to more/corroborating info ~ Sooz

This Week in God
By Steve Benen - Sat Feb 9, 2013 10:07 AM EST

First up from the God Machine this week is a look at the annual National Prayer Breakfast, which was held this week, and which welcomed President Obama for the fifth time.


Obama's annual participation in the event has become a point of consternation for some on the right, though for contradictory reasons. Some conservatives choose to pretend the president refuses to show up, despite the evidence to the contrary, while other conservatives acknowledge Obama's appearances, but condemn his remarks.

Indeed, last year, Obama explained how his faith influences his views on public policy, including asking the very wealthy to sacrifice just a little in order to help the rest of American society. "[A]s a Christian," the president said, his approach "coincides with Jesus's teaching that 'for unto whom much is given, much shall be required.'" Republicans were outraged -- Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) condemned the speech on the Senate floor; Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) left the breakfast in protest, and scandal-plagued lobbyist Ralph Reed said Obama went "over the line."

Obama's remarks this week, which focused on the need for humility, drew fewer far-right complaints, but the president was preceded by Dr. Benjamin Carson, a conservative physician, who used his time at the microphone to complain about "fiscal irresponsibly" and the national debt, before insisting that God wants a 10 percent flat tax.

Though conservatives were outraged that Obama tried to "politicize" the prayer breakfast in 2012, the right quickly celebrated Carson's remarks this week.

It's funny how that works out, isn't it?

Also from the God Machine this week:

* The Rev. Rob Morris, a Lutheran pastor in Connecticut, felt the need to apologize this week after participating in an interfaith prayer service in Newtown shortly after the Sandy Hook massacre. Morris was apparently reminded by the leader of his denomination that joint worship with other religions is prohibited -- even after a horrific tragedy.

* Roman Catholic leaders in Colorado finally agreed this week that it's "morally wrong" for church institutions to argue that fetus' aren't people in order to win lawsuits.

* Joshua DuBois, a pastor appointed by President Obama to lead the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, has decided not to stay for the administration's second term.

* Samuel Mullet Sr., the leader of a dissident Amish sect, was convicted this week for coordinating beard- and hair-cutting attacks on other Ohio Amish. Because the assaults were considered a hate crime, Mullet was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

* Ralph Reed wants the National Cathedral in Washington to be deemed ineligible for the "Save America's Treasures" grant program because the church performs same-sex marriages.

* And in Tennessee this week, Walter Slonopas quit his job as a maintenance worker after noticing that his W-2 form was stamped with the number 666. Slonopas also, coincidentally, was assigned the number 666 on his time card when he first joined the company (thanks to Tricia McKinney for the tip).

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/02/09/16910343-this-week-in-god?lite

There are "live links" in the original, accessible via the end link, to more/corroborating info ~ Sooz

This Week in God
By Steve Benen - Sat Feb 16, 2013 10:23 AM EST

First up from the God Machine this week is an annual study published by Gallup, showing levels of religiosity by state. The report, released every year around this time, is a reminder that, whatever one's assumptions about faith in America -- about seven in 10 Americans consider themselves "very" or "moderately" religious -- there are still significant differences between states and regions (thanks to Kent Jones for the tip).



Looking at this map, put together by Gallup, the lighter colors show states with fewer religious residents, and the darker colors show the opposite. Overall, Vermont is easily the state with the smallest religious population, followed by New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts, while Mississippi is on the opposite end of the spectrum, followed by Utah, Alabama, and Louisiana.

It's hard to miss the regional similarities. In the top 12 least religious states we see the entirety of New England, along with the three most Northwestern, Pacific-coast states (Alaska, Washington, and Oregon). Among the top 10 most religious states, nine are from the Southeast's so-called "Bible Belt," stretching from Oklahoma to North Carolina.

Though Gallup didn't mention it, there's also a political angle to this -- of the top 12 least religious states, President Obama won all of them except Alaska in 2012. Of the top 10 most religious states, Mitt Romney carried the entire list.

Also from the God Machine this week:

* This doesn't look good for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles: "Pressed to come up with hundreds of millions of dollars to settle clergy sex abuse lawsuits, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony turned to one group of Catholics whose faith could not be shaken: the dead." Apparently, Mahoney "quietly" appropriated $115 million from a cemetery maintenance fund to help pay the church's victims.

* A Republican state lawmaker in Missouri is pushing a bill that would "require that intelligent design and 'destiny' get the same educational treatment and textbook space in Missouri schools as the theory of evolution." It would also redefine words like "hypothesis" and "scientific theory" in a way Republicans find more politically convenient (thanks to reader R.P. for the tip).

* On a related note, a creationism measure pending in the Colorado state legislature was defeated this week. The proposal had been pushed by the Discovery Institute, which has spent several years crafting proposals intended to undermine belief in modern biology.

* And radical TV preacher Pat Robertson told his followers this week that Islam is not actually a religion, but rather "an economic and political system with a religious veneer."


http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/02/16/16985214-this-week-in-god?lite

* And radical TV preacher Pat Robertson told his followers this week that Islam is not actually a religion, but rather "an economic and political system with a religious veneer."

He ought to know. That's his brand of christianity.

And radical TV preacher Pat Robertson told his followers this week that Islam is not actually a religion, but rather "an economic and political system with a religious veneer."

Mr. Robertson - in fact everybody - should watch the movie "My Name is Khan". It might change his mind.

There are "live links" in the original, accessible via the end link, to more/corroborating info ~ Sooz

This Week in God
By Steve Benen - Sat Feb 23, 2013 10:01 AM EST

First up from the God Machine this week is an amusing story out of California, where proponents of religion in public schools are suddenly deeply concerned about keeping religion out of public schools.

For the religious right movement, court rulings mandating that schools remain neutral on religion, leaving matters of faith to families instead of public officials, have been a major point of concern for several decades. Conservative activists are convinced that church-state separation doesn't and shouldn't exist, and secular education leads to a wicked society.

But as my friend Rob Boston reported this week, once in a while, the religious right forgets its talking points.


I'm inclined to take Door #3. Putting aside the question of whether voluntary yoga classes offer an example of "religion in schools" -- I consider the argument a real stretch, no pun intended, since plenty of folks practice yoga for reasons that have nothing to do with faith or spirituality -- there's nevertheless something hilarious about far-right activists complaining they want more and less public school promotion of religion at the exact same time.

These folks can believe the separation of church and state is a communistic principle intended to undermine religiosity or they can believe the separation of church and state is a bedrock legal principle that guarantees and protects religious liberty for all. They cannot believe both.

Also from the God Machine this week:

* This may prove to be a fascinating legal fight: "The House of Representatives has overwhelmingly approved legislation that would allow the use of federal money to rebuild churches and synagogues damaged by Hurricane Sandy, despite concern that such aid could violate the doctrine of separation of church and state."

* Pope Benedict XVI is reportedly "taking into consideration" efforts to change church rules so he can abdicate his post even sooner than expected.

* Famous-but-bench-warming quarterback Tim Tebow was set to speak at a hateful Baptist preacher's church, but when controversy erupted, the athlete backed out.

* Mahoney should probably try to avoid characterizing himself as a victim: "Los Angeles' retired Cardinal Roger Mahony, who was rebuked last month for his handling of the sex-abuse crisis, suggests he was 'scapegoated' in a blog post ahead of two important dates: his Saturday deposition in a lawsuit alleging that the church hierarchy protected a priest accused of molesting children and his trip to Rome to help pick the next pope."

* This was probably inevitable: "Prominent Republican lawmakers are standing behind a Christian-run arts and crafts chain in its lawsuit over the Obama administration's birth-control mandate. A group of 11 GOP members filed an amicus brief with the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday. The brief argued that the Obama mandate runs contrary to a federal law protecting religious practice" (thanks to reader R.P. for the tip).

* The religious right was not at all pleased with this video from "Saturday Night Live," which I have to admit, I found hilarious. [Sooz comment: video is accessible via the end link]

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/02/23/17067920-this-week-in-god?lite

What?
No Pat Robertson installment this week?
What do we do to get a good chuckle around here?

I had a similar thought when posting, oskar ~ but take a look at this week's videoclip, accessible via the end link ~ it's VERY funny ~

Sooz

Doesn't work in Canuckistan.

I guess humor is a matter of taste....I try to be a good sport about some of the jibes etc. and I am one of the first to blast the religious right wing uptighties, but I found this clip to be about as funny as well, imagine some of the world's horrors/ atrocious acts, and someone making a spoof of it...

There are "live links" to more/corroborating info in the original, accessible via the end link ~ Sooz

This Week in God
By Steve Benen - Sat Mar 2, 2013 10:02 AM EST

First up from the God Machine this week is a rare story at the intersection of religion and gun culture.

According to legend, in 1859, dozens of soldiers reportedly tried to take over the Italian village of Isola. As the story goes, Gabriel Possenti, at the time a twentysomething student at a nearby Catholic seminary, took out a handgun, intimidated the invaders with his brilliant one-shot marksmanship, and the soldiers fled in fear.

And as Tim Murphy explained this week, some American firearm enthusiasts, including an activist named John Snyder, now want to build a movement around Possenti and his story (thanks to reader R.P. for the tip).


As it turns out, there are a few problems with the effort. For one thing, having a "patron saint of handgunners" is kind of silly. For another, the legend is wrong.


The effort has picked up some notable allies, including former presidential candidate Pat Buchanan, but it's unlikely to succeed. The Rev. Arthur Carrillo, who works for Possenti's order, said, "We're entirely opposed to it." What's more, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has championed gun-control measures for many years.

But Snyder, a former associate editor of the National Rifle Association's American Rifleman magazine, intends to keep working on it, calling those who disagree with him "pacifistic pruneheads."

Also from the God Machine this week:

* The New York Times reports today on several states -- most notably, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Tennessee -- which have passed laws intended to "push the Bible into the heart of the instructional day" at public schools. Because the instruction is intended to be secular and educational in nature, state policymakers believe they've found a way around First Amendment concerns.

* Yet another sex scandal for the Roman Catholic Church: "Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the UK's most senior Roman Catholic cleric, has resigned as the head of the Scottish Catholic church after being accused of 'inappropriate acts' towards fellow priests."

* Disgraced Republican lobbyist Ralph Reed, now back in his role as a religious right leader, is heading the charge against public repair grants for the National Cathedral in D.C. Reed ordinarily wants more government support for religious institutions, but because the National Cathedral's leadership supports marriage equality, the prominent far-right activist believes the church shouldn't receive aid.

* Indiana's Family Christian Center, one of the nation's largest megachurches, is facing foreclosure, despite bringing in $10 million a year in donations.

* And TV preacher Pat Robertson warned his viewers this week that demons may attach themselves to secondhand sweaters. So, be careful.



http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/03/02/17159189-this-week-in-god

There are "live links" to more/corroborating info in the original, accessible via the end link ~ Sooz

This Week in God
By Steve Benen - Sat Mar 9, 2013 10:18 AM EST

First up from the God Machine this week is a fascinating item out of Missouri that puts a very modern twist on, of all things, a Salem Witch Trial.

The Salem Public Library, located in a small, predominantly Christian community in eastern Missouri, decided it'd be a good idea to block public access to websites related to Wicca on library computers. As Simon Brown explained, the ACLU filed suit, arguing that the library's web filters "prevented access to sites such as the official webpage of the Wiccan Church; the Wikipedia entry for Wicca; Astrology.com; and the Encyclopedia on Death and Dying."

The ACLU's plaintiff, while researching her own heritage, discovered she wasn't even able to access sites related to Native American religions as a result of the policy. A federal judge this week ruled against the library (thanks to my colleague Kent Jones for the tip).


Some of the library's restrictions against Wicca and other minority faiths had been reversed before the decision was issued, but Judge Webber ordered the library not to restore them going forward.

Brown added, "It's baffling that a government entity thought it was acceptable to take sides on religion and tell people what theological information they can and can't access." It is, indeed. At least this Salem Witch Trial worked out better than the last.

Also from the God Machine this week:

* A brutal scene: "Hundreds of people in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore attacked a Christian neighborhood Saturday and set fire to homes after hearing accusations that a Christian man had committed blasphemy against Islam's prophet, said a police officer."

* Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the UK's most senior Roman Catholic cleric, was forced by the Vatican to resign, and this week, conceded that "there have been times that my sexual conduct has fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal" (thanks to reader R.P. for the tip).

* A major legal fight is brewing over extending FEMA grants to churches, mosques, synagogues, and other houses of worship damaged by natural disasters.

* A San Diego school teacher is suing a Christian college after she was fired for getting pregnant outside of marriage.

* Imagine fighting a pitched church-state battle. Then imagine doing it when you're a teenager in high school.

* And in a rather ironic twist, the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer argued this week that American secularists are, in his mind, "the American Taliban." Perhaps he's not as familiar with the Taliban as he should be.


http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/03/09/17248932-this-week-in-god?lite

WTF? Let Him pay the bills caused by His oversight to redirect natural disasters away from His real estate!

There are "live links" to more/corroborating info in the original, accessible via the end link ~ Sooz

This Week in God
By Steve Benen - Sat Mar 16, 2013 10:07 AM EDT

First up from the God Machine this week is a look at the role of religio-political rhetoric at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), where condemnations of President Obama and Democrats routinely went beyond public policy, and veered into matters of faith.

Take former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), for example.


As those familiar with the failed presidential candidate might expect, Santorum urged his party and conservative activists not to abandon the culture war in order to gain support from the American mainstream. "For those in our movement who want to abandon our moral underpinnings to win," he said, "what does it profit a movement to gain the country and lose its own soul?"

Santorum then turned his attention to the president.


Santorum wasn't alone on this front. Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) also argued at CPAC that Americans are "dangerously close as a nation to rejecting the God that gave us that life" and who "gave us those rights."

It's unclear what in the world Santorum and his like-minded allies are talking about. Over the years, I can think of times in which Obama's critics have accused him of being a secret Muslim and a secret Jew, but a secret atheist desperate to create an "anti-God" country and "a society that is Godless without faith" seems especially outlandish for the Christian president.

For the record, Santorum's strange theory might seem less outlandish were it not for Obama's prayer breakfasts, religious celebrations, inaugural bibles, religious holidays, and church attendance, all of which suggests one thing: if the president is trying to create "a society that is Godless without faith," Obama isn't trying very hard.

Also from the God Machine this week:

* A U.S. delegation, led by Vice President Biden is headed to the Vatican to celebrate the installment of the new pope. House Speaker John Boehner, who is also Roman Catholic, was invited to join the delegation, but declined, citing scheduling difficulties.

* Speaking of the Vatican: "The election of a new pope could help heal the wounds left by a Roman Catholic sex abuse crisis that has savaged the church's reputation worldwide. For alleged victims, much depends on whether Pope Francis disciplines the priests and the hierarchy that protected them."

* A "religious liberty" bill that recently passed Kentucky's legislature appears intended to protect discrimination against the LGBT community.

* The White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships has a new director: Melissa Rogers, a scholar of church-state legal issues. (Disclosure: I've known Melissa for many years and I'm delighted she got the job.)

* In news that Rick Santorum won't like, the number of Americans who claim to have no religious affiliation is "the highest it has ever been since data on the subject started being collected in the 1930s, new research has found" (thanks to reader R.P. for the tip).

* And Mayors Against Illegal Guns launched a new ad this week, featuring a diverse group of faith leaders calling for more regulations on firearms.


http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/03/16/17338313-this-week-in-god

I'm noticing a new adjective in the comments of Christianists: "anti-clerical". It's interesting, because in the practice of public opinion management (aka propaganda) words aren't chosen randomly. Perhaps now we'll see less misuse of the word "secular". Maybe secular (outside of or apart from religion) will stop being a dirty word with religio-political talkers, and will be replaced with "anti-clerical" (against the clergy).

Good. It lends clarity to the discussion.