Religion in the News

Random recent tidbits of religious interest:

• A Rastafarian has filed a religious discrimination suit against UPS, saying the delivery company refused to let him be a driver because his Rasta-beard didn't meet appearance guidelines.
• Intercessary prayer for heart-surgery patients by strangers does no good, according to a recent study. The authors of the study admit, though, that other studies have indicated that prayer by family members and friends does lessen post-surgical complications.
• According to a recent press release from the Center for Reason, Christians have just as many abortions as non-Christians, and Catholics lead the way, with abortion rates among Cathlolics above the national average.
• Apparently Baptists and fundamentalists are feeling poorly treated these days, whining that they've found themselves on the losing side in a War Against Christians. But even some evangelicals have told the cry-babies to stow it, and focus on issues that Jesus would care about, like poverty and hunger.
• Catholics are more likely that other people, religious or non-religious, to support the use of torture, according to a recent survey. Does that surprise anyone, given that the former head of the Catholic Inquisition (the Prefrect of the Congregation for the Doctrine and Faith) is now the Pope of the Holy Roman Catholic Church? Fifty-six percent of Catholics surveyed said they support torturing terrorists "often" or "sometimes," while 49% of white Protestants and 49% of white Evangelicals both said they support it often or sometimes. Only 35% of those who claimed to be non-religious supported torture often or sometimes. Twenty-six percent of Catholics said torture should never be used, compared to 31% each for white Protestants and white Evangelicals, and 41% of non-religious people.