macro kiss, two mouth. Image by Patricia Chulillas via Shutterstock.
Good morning. Let’s get right to the good stuff:
The RNS sex tape
We made a sex tape. Well, more of a video of one of our top reporters and one of our top bloggers talking to Christian sexpert John Mark Comer about . . . the deficit. No, silly, it’s about sex. Comer wrote “Loveology: God. Love. Marriage. Sex. And the Never-Ending Story of Male and Female. Here, just watch.
And you might think this next item is about sex, but it’s not:
Sister Cristina sings ‘Like A Virgin’
Remember Sister Cristina Scuccia, who won “The Voice Italy?” She just made her first single, and it’s a cover of a Madonna song. Sister Cristina, who is a real nun, does not alter the lyrics.
Is it just me or does Sister Cristina resemble Sarah Palin?
Ronnie Floyd to preach for the Houston Five
Southern Baptist Convention President Ronnie Floyd will speak on Nov. 2 at the “I Stand Sunday” simulcast, an event to protest subpoenas issued to five Houston ministers because of their involvement in the movement against an equal rights ordinance to support the LGBT community. The City of Houston says it has a right to see the ministers’ sermons as part of the discovery phase of a lawsuit against the city.
Mormon wedding rumors squelched
It was an exciting idea for some Mormons: that the church would require weddings outside of Mormon temples before they could take place inside Mormon temples, where non-Mormons are not allowed. That could have eased wedding related tensions suffered by some Mormon brides and grooms, who can’t invite non-Mormon family to their weddings. But alas, the Internet rumor proved false.
Klinghoffer opera disrupted in NYC
Hundreds of people — many in wheelchairs — protested the opening of Klinghoffer, the opera, at the Met Monday night in NYC. And a man shouting “The murder of Klinghoffer will never be forgiven,” disrupted the controversial opera before intermission, and was arrested. Here is a piece by the late Leon Klinghoffer’s daughters on why they feel this opera about their father — an elderly Jewish man in a wheelchair shot and pushed over the side of a cruise ship by a Palestinian terrorist — never should have been staged.
Here is another take on the opera. In The Forward, Hody Nemes writes that the St. Louis production brought Jews and Muslims together.
A church sells in Brooklyn
Dozens of churches in hip and expensive Brooklyn are learning how they can sell their land and air rights to developers to provide a steady stream of revenue for their congregations. More than 20 historic Brooklyn churches and church buildings have converted for residential use in the past two years, reports DNAinfo NY.
All you need to know about the synod
It was quite the roller coaster ride, wasn’t it, that Synod on the Family over in Rome these past few weeks? What happened exactly? Who’s up? Who’s down? David Gibson explains in Seven Lessons on the Vatican’s Wild and Crazy Synod on the Family. Number 4: “Catholicism is flirting with an Anglican moment.”
Hipster hijabis
The AP writes about the growing movement to make Muslim headscarves fashionable. Some are calling themselves “hipster hijabis” and they’re “spawning a new market for niche fashion brands and finding unexpected supporters among some mainstream brands, as well as from conservative Christian and Orthodox Jewish women who also dress modestly.”
Bad behavior
A Baptist youth minister in Texas under arrest for an alleged inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old girl.
The peeping rabbi has inspired mikvahs across America to double check their security systems.
A man who fell under the influence of radical Islam rammed two Canadian soldiers with his car before he was shot to death.
Dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jews slashed the tires of Jerusalem buses that carried ads promoting women’s prayer at the Western Wall.
Bonus tracks
Rabbi’s lulav mistaken for a sword, police called.
NPR interviews religion scholar Kecia Ali on her new book, “The LIves of Muhammad.”
Monica Lewinsky joined Twitter Monday and gave an anti-bullying speech. You can follow her: @MonicaLewinsky. Or, you can follow us: @RNS
– Lauren Markoe
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