Tuesday’s Religion News Roundup

Today’s Wordsmith word of the day is Laodicean, which means lukewarm or indifferent, especially regarding religion. As in, many American newspaper editors display a laodicean attitude toward people of faith. The word derives from Laodicea, a city in Asia Minor whose apathetic citizens were rebuked in the Book of Revelation. Enthusiastic pagans and New Agers […]

Today’s Wordsmith word of the day is Laodicean, which means lukewarm or indifferent, especially regarding religion. As in, many American newspaper editors display a laodicean attitude toward people of faith. The word derives from Laodicea, a city in Asia Minor whose apathetic citizens were rebuked in the Book of Revelation.

Enthusiastic pagans and New Agers gathered to celebrate the summer solstice at Stonehenge today – 20 were arrested on drug and disorderly conduct charges. Emergent Christians plan to hold a “Wild Goose” festival this week in N.C.

The Vatican will submit a report on its treatment of children to the United Nations this fall, 14 years after it was due. Archbishop Silvano Tomasi said last year that the report was “imminent,” but clarified on Monday that “imminent, in the tradition of the Church, it’s a very long time.”


The Vatican’s chief investigator of sexual abuse claims said Catholics have the right to report concerns about their bishop to the papal ambassador. He also said that the media “has opened everyone’s eyes on the (sex abuse scandal) and has obliged us to address the truth of the events.”

Sectarian tensions in Syria are sharpening between the Sunni Muslim majority and the minority Alawite sect, the NYT reports. Bangladesh will retain Islam as the state religion.

Seeking to reassure Jewish donors, President Obama pledged that his administration would “devote all of its creative powers” to trying to bring about Mideast peace, the AP reports.

Religion Clause discovered a little-noticed decision in which an Oklahoma federal court rejected a claim that Obama’s Affordable Care Act forces the plaintiffs to fund abortion in violation of their right to free exercise of religion.

Jon Huntsman and Mitt Romney are trying to tap into the wealth of their Mormon community, one of the Republican Party’s deepest donor pools, according to WaPo. But a significant bloc of American voters continues to oppose Mormon pols, according to a Gallup poll released Monday.

New York lawmakers remain unable to reach a compromise that would legalize gay marriage while protecting religious groups that can’t abide it from legal sanctions.


Even before the Southern Baptist Convention elected the Rev. Fred Luter to national office, there was already widespread speculation that he was poised to become the SBC’s first black president.

Jack Van Impe, a popular End Times broadcaster, has ended his decades-long run on Trinity Broadcasting Network after a dispute over ministers that he accuses of mixing Christian and Muslim beliefs.

NBC apologized for editing “under God, indivisible” from the Pledge of Allegiance in Sunday’s broadcast of golf’s U.S. Open.

Yr hmbl aggregator,

Daniel Burke

Donate to Support Independent Journalism!

Donate Now!