Tuesday’s roundup

Atheists and agnostics know more about religion than Roman Catholics and other Christians, according to new study conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Mormons and Jews did pretty well on the survey, but more than half of Protestants could not identify Martin Luther as the man who started the Protestant Reformation. […]

Atheists and agnostics know more about religion than Roman Catholics and other Christians, according to new study conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Mormons and Jews did pretty well on the survey, but more than half of Protestants could not identify Martin Luther as the man who started the Protestant Reformation.

You can take part of the religious literacy test here; then subscribe to Religion News Service to bump up your score.


First Lady Michelle Obama said last month that President Obama always carries a picture of Mary Help of Christians in his wallet. She’s the patroness of the Salesian order.

The Aughts were awful for church attendance, particularly in mainline Protestant churches, according to a new analysis published by The Christian Century, perhaps providing a reason why folks seem to know so little about religion.

Three men arrested in Norway were planning an al-Qaida-backed plot against a Danish newspaper that caricatured the Prophet Muhammad, according to police. Malaysia’s prime minister called for a “global movement of moderates” from all faiths to kick extremists to the curb.

Another elderly parishioner was murdered outside a Roman Catholic Church in Youngstown, Ohio, the second shooting this year at the church. A youth minister in Garland, Texas was shot as he delivered a sermon last Friday, but is expected to recover.

NPR looks at the challenges Bishop Eddie Long has faced in the past, and posts the AP’s interactive timeline on megachurch scandals. There’s a long gap between 1989 and 2006. Black theologians say Long’s decision to deny the charges while vaguely admitting imperfection is part of the “don’t ask/don’t tell” reflex in the black church.

A majority of Israelis regard non-Orthodox converts to be Jews, contrary to the Orthodox interpretation of Jewish law and a parliamentary bill that would have enshrined that interpretation in a civil statute. A lawyer charged with impersonating a Judaic studies professor testified that his attempts to defend his father’s research on the Dead Sea Scrolls were not criminal.

Disney reached a compromise with a Muslim employee, allowing her to wear a specifically designed headscarf (see pic at top left; what, no mouse ears?) after initially telling her not to wear a hijab. Women in Chechnya are pressured to adopt Islamic dress, according to human rights activists.


The Convocation of Anglicans in North America is backing a conservative Colorado priest who pled guilty to felony theft from his former Episcopal parish. A mere 24 hours after the premiere of a new reality show about polygamy called “Sister Wives,” the husband is being investigated by Utah authorities.

Shape-note singing (you can hear some great examples on the “Cold Mountain” soundtrack) is making a comeback, particularly in Alabama.

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