Friday morning roundup

First Tinky Winky was made a foot soldier in the culture war over gay rights — now Dora the Explorer is bloodied and bruised (quite literally) in the tussle over Arizona’s get-tough immigration law. Also in the desert, the controversial cross in the Mojave National Preserve that disappeared is back — or at least a […]

First Tinky Winky was made a foot soldier in the culture war over gay rights — now Dora the Explorer is bloodied and bruised (quite literally) in the tussle over Arizona’s get-tough immigration law. Also in the desert, the controversial cross in the Mojave National Preserve that disappeared is back — or at least a replica of it.

Moishe Rosen, the founder of the controversial group Jews for Jesus, has died in San Francisco at age 78. Speaking of controversy, conservatives on the Texas Board of Education are expected to approve sweeping changes to text books today, ones that will have influence far beyond the Lone Star State.

Sandwich joint Panera has unveiled its first “Take What You Need, Leave Your Fair Share” restaurant outside St. Louis, based on pay-what-you-can community cafes across the country. The Dalai Lama might like it — he says he’s a Marxist. The founder of a Christian bike club won’t face time in the slammer after a brawl with Hell’s Angels resulted in two stabbings.


The scheduled death-by-firing-squad of a Utah man is reviving talk about Mormon‘s “blood atonement,” which states that a murderer’s blood must be shed — literally — in order to gain forgiveness. Speaking of Mormons, they’re on the defensive because the lead author of that Arizona immigration law is a Mormon, and as one potential convert told the Arizona Republic: “I decided I did not want to expose my kids to a religion that has members that hate other people because they are different.”

Vatican officials seem to be taking a wait-and-see approach to the news that U.S. researchers had created a synthetic cell with man-made DNA. Russia is making it easier for religious groups to gain access to building or properties intended for religious use. Cuba‘s top Catholic cardinal is seeking the release of some 200 political prisoners, and was encouraged after a sit-down with Cuban President Raul Castro.

After banning minarets at mosques, Switzerland may next move toward banning full-face veils. Pakistan says it will consider restoring access to Facebook, but only if the hugely popular social networking site takes down a fan group for “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day.”

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