Not quite another earthquake, but the National Cathedral will marry gay couples.

What’s up with Glenn Beck? The Mormon convert and culture warrior is re-branding The Blaze and himself:

“I consider myself a libertarian … I’m a lot closer to Penn Jillette than I am to Chuck Hagel,” he says, referring to a famous atheists and a famous pro-life Catholic Episcopalian.

Speaking of Chuck Hagel, maybe the would-be Defense Secretary’s problem is with the “Christian lobby,” not the “Jewish lobby”?

“Spiritual but not religious” is our modern mantra. Now a study says that mantra can lead to mental health issues.

Clergy are religious and spiritual, but still face health issues.

Here’s another dilemma: Should pastors be friends with parishioners?

Africa rises, China falls on Christian persecution list.

A Boy Scouts review board in San Francisco is challenging the Boy Scouts of America’s prohibition on gay members by approving the Eagle Scout application for a local teen who is gay.

Pope Benedict XVI, in an actual papal speech, invokes “the spread” – and he wasn’t talking about how bad he got burned by Notre Dame’s bowl performance.

“In a word, it is a question of refusing to be resigned to a ‘spread’ in social well-being, while at the same time fighting one in the financial sector,” he said.

Reuters Phil Pullella has the latest on the pope and the “S-Word.”

Religious families like “virtual” public schools because they don’t have to worry about the church-state stuff so much – not to mention bathroom graffiti.

Stay tuned for more news and analysis throughout the day, at Religion News Service. “Peace out,” as the kids say.

David Gibson