England, Wales Get New Catholic Leader

"The Vatican on Friday appointed an outspoken English archbishop to become the leader of the the Roman Catholic church in England and Wales."

Worm Humor

A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon. Four worms were placed into four separate jars.

- The first worm was put into a container of alcohol.
- The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke.
- The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup.
- The fourth worm was put into a container of good clean soil.

At the conclusion of the sermon, the Minister reported the following results:

- The first worm in alcohol - Dead.
- The second worm in cigarette smoke - Dead.
- Third worm in chocolate syrup - Dead.
- Fourth worm in good clean soil - Alive.

Just then a little old woman in the back quickly raised her hand and said, "I get it! As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won't have worms!"

Mormons Reach Out to Hispanics

"The Mormon Church is reaching out to Hispanics in the United States and attracting a growing number of converts, many of them illegal immigrants. That is a dilemma for the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, the Arizona Republic reports, because obeying the law is a central obligation. Some Mormon politicians also have been at the forefront of efforts to crack down in undocumented workers."

Willow Creek in Africa

". . .In fact, Willow Creek's outreach to Africa—specifically Angola, Zambia, Malawi, and South Africa—is as extensive as it is extraordinary. And it is extensive, ironically and precisely, because it bypasses multimillion-dollar nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to work mostly with local churches. And hardly ever with other megachurches, but small, small churches. Furthermore, Willow refuses to bring to bear most of its vast expertise and technological resources. Instead, it relies on the basic resources and expertise of that small, local church. . ."

NYC Team to Fight Sex Abuse Among Orthodox Jewish

"Prosecutors, counselors and religious leaders on Wednesday announced a program to combat sexual abuse among members of the insular world of Brooklyn's ultra-Orthodox Jews — a problem one lawmaker says extends beyond New York. The centerpiece of the outreach program, announced by Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes and Jewish community leaders, is a hot line abuse victims can call and speak to a 'culturally sensitive' social worker."

U.S. Singles Out 8 Nations for Religious Freedom Violations

"Just before the end of the Bush administration last January, the U.S. State Department redesignated eight nations as 'countries of particular concern' because of their religious freedom violations. The independent U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom learned of the designations, which were authorized Jan. 16 under then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and announced them on Friday. The panel had asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in February to release the department's latest list of designated countries."

Poll: U.S. Catholics Lean Left on Social Issues

"American Catholics are more liberal than the general population on social issues like divorce and homosexuality, despite the Catholic Church's longstanding conservatism on both issues, according to a new survey."