Monday’s Religion News Roundup

If a pastor preaches politics from the pulpit, and the IRS ignores it, is it illegal? Yesterday was the Alliance Defense Fund’s annual “Pulpit Freedom Sunday,” a nationwide attempt to lure the IRS into enforcing its rule against churches endorsing or supporting particular political candidates. The ADF hopes to have the rule overturned in court. […]

If a pastor preaches politics from the pulpit, and the IRS ignores it, is it illegal?

Yesterday was the Alliance Defense Fund’s annual “Pulpit Freedom Sunday,” a nationwide attempt to lure the IRS into enforcing its rule against churches endorsing or supporting particular political candidates.

The ADF hopes to have the rule overturned in court. According to the NYT, the movement’s leader said his endorsement of candidates would be “de facto,” which is a long way from “in facto,” if you catch my drift. If he really wants to challenge the law, why not just endorse someone?


Archbishop Peter Sartain of Seattle delivered a pretty apolitical sermon at the annual Red Mass in Washington, which heralds the return of the Supreme Court (and its six Catholic justices) to the bench.

On Wednesday, SCOTUS is expected to hear oral arguments in one of the most important church-state cases in years, Hosanna-Tabor Church v. EEOC.

There is also one death penalty case on the dock, so it will be interesting to see how Justice Antonin Scalia rules.

In a category of case that many believe will eventually come before SCOTUS, a parish that split from the Episcopal Church cannot keep its building and land, ruled the Connecticut Supreme Court.

President Obama has made VP Joe Biden his go-to guy for Jewish outreach. Rick Perry has danced his way into the hearts of conservative Jewish leaders.

Pat Robertson says he won’t endorse a presidential candidate (did you hear that collective sigh of relief?) but called Mitt Romney an “outstanding Christian.”


California’s governor Jerry Brown has signed a bill that that will prevent local governments from banning male circumcision. Foiled again, Foreskin Man.

A federal court in Virginia rejected constitutional challenges to regulations on fortune telling, saying the fortunes told are commercial speech, not religious.

Vandals torched a mosque in Israel, setting off protests and clashes with police. Graffiti spray-painted on the mosque’s walls suggested Jewish radicals were involved, the AP reports.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is launching a major expansion of its “I’m a Mormon” advertising campaign into a dozen cities in seven states.

The Jesuit editors of America magazine have launched a campaign to save altar girls.

Catholics in Poland held a special Mass to celebrate the appearance on a communion wafer of a dark spot that they are convinced is part of Jesus’ heart.

A California church offered a free wedding to all unmarried couples in its congregation.

A Texas tycoon is offering steep discounts on oil changes to customers who can recite John 3:16.


An Alabama Company called “Holy Smoke” will load the ashes of your friends or loved ones into bullets and shotgun shells. (Photo at top left comes courtesy of Holy Smoke.)

“How perfect to have my family and friends honor me by using shotgun shells with a little bit of my ash in each one,” said one prospective customer.

“Whether my shells get shot at sporting clays or live birds or put on the shelf, even in death I could be ecologically sound and useful.”

Yr hmbl aggregator,

Daniel Burke

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