Monday’s Religion News Roundup: Confidence down in organized religion; Suri Cruise enrolled at Catholic school

Americans lose confidence in organized religion. Catholic bishop investigated on sex abuse charge. Suri Cruise goes to Catholic school. 

Americans' confidence in organized religion is at an all-time low, according to a new Gallup poll. 

Currently, 56% of Protestants express a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the church/organized religion, compared with 46% of Catholics, according to Gallup.

That's still a whole lot better than confidence in, ahem, newspapers (25 percent) and tv news (21 percent). But hey, we're killing big banks and Congress


Ross Douthat rehashed his “Nation of Heretics” argument to bash the Episcopal Church and liberal Christianity in general. It's worth noting that membership in less liberal denominations, such as Douthat's own Catholic church and the Southern Baptist Convention, has also declined in recent decades

Reuters says the PC(USA) “is in the grips of a crisis over gay marriage.” Interesting nugget: the church trials of a minister accused of performing same-sex marriages cost $25,000.

The Catholic bishop of West Virginia is being investigated on a sexual abuse claim from the 1970s. 

Andrew Sullivan and Mormon bloggers are arguing over whether the Mormon church is cultish

LDS leaders lashed back at Businessweek over its portrayal of their prophet and profits

Arizona Mormons are divided over immigration, NPR reports. 

The NYT traveled upstate to watch the Mormons' Hill Cumorah Pageant, and brought Mitt Romney along. 

An Uzbek immigrant involved in Islamist groups was sentenced to more than 15 years for plotting to kill President Obama

A Boston pastor was kidnapped on a church trip in Egypt

Confused about the religious violence in Nigeria? Here's five things you should know

A federal court in Louisiana said fortune telling is similar to the book of Revelation and protected by the First Amendment. 


A Delaware court reduced a woman's tithing from $1,000 a month to $100 so that she could pay more in alimony. 

Discovery of the “God particle” has reignited the scientific-theological debate about the origins of the universe. 

Matisyahu has dropped his ultra-Orthodox persona, moved to LA and become “groovy.” 

Katie Holmes has reportedly enrolled daughter Suri in Catholic school.

Movie rights are still available. 

Yr hmbl aggrgtr,

Daniel Burke

 

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