Ramadan means late-night football practices from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. in Dearborn, Michigan. Meanwhile, Whole Foods is defending itself after a Houston blogger posted an internal email that advised local stores not to promote their halal products during Ramadan.
A collection of relics from Pope John Paul II, including a capsule of his blood, will tour Mexico this fall. Rev. Roy Bourgeois has been officially dismissed by his religious order, the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, for his support of women’s ordination.
“Don’t tase me bro!” When the head pastor at New Welcome Baptist Church in St. Elmo, Alabama told the church music minister that he was fired, the music minster responded with a taser.
Problems continue to surround the Crystal Cathedral. Creditors say they will sue the megachurch if it blocks a sale of its large campus. Both Chapman University and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange upped their offers for the property to $50 and $53.6 million respectively. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz will not appear at the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit after Change.com launched a petition against his appearance and denounced Willow Creek as an “anti-gay church.”
Mark Silk traces the new prevalence of “for God and country” in the military and somehow brings Dolly Parton into it.
From the file of new studies: people become more religious during hard times and are happier during periods of difficulty, restrictions on religious belief and practice are on the rise globally, and the more educated may become more religious.
“Hello, Buddhist geeks!”
In the Phillipines, officials at a state-run cultural center decided that Christian symbols and phallic objects don’t mix and shut down a controversial art exhibit. A Mississippi pastor decided church and trans-fats don’t mix. He banned fried chicken from the fellowship hall.
Atheists at Fort Bragg will get their own “Rock Beyond Belief” concert in the wake of last September’s Christian-themed concert staged by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
Finally, some evangelical Christian scientists are beginning to question whether Adam and Eve ever existed.
