EXCERPT from Laura Jones|The Global Dispatch The Pope will have immunity from prosecution regarding the mishandling of child sex crimes by staying within the walls of the Vatican, according to an anonymous Vatican source. Reuters reported Friday, Feb. 15, that church sources have explained that the retiring Pope Benedict would be “defenseless” if he leaves the MORE…

EXCERPT from Sarah Jones| PoliticusUSA.com: In New Mexico yesterday, Republicans treated us to “Exhibit A” legislation, introduced as House Bill 206. It criminalizes the ending of a pregnancy resulting from rape or incest in some cases, declaring the fetus to be evidence in a criminal trial. I’ve been pointing out for a while now that MORE…

EXCERPT from Reuters/HuffingtonPost: Atheists and other religious skeptics suffer persecution or discrimination in many parts of the world and in at least seven nations can be executed if their beliefs become known, according to a report issued on Monday. The study, from the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), showed that “unbelievers” in Islamic countries MORE…

EXCERPT from Laura Gottesdiener | Alternet: In Kentucky, a homeland security law requires the state’s citizens to acknowledge the security provided by the Almighty God–or risk 12 months in prison. The law and its sponsor, state representative Tom Riner, have been the subject of controversy since the law first surfaced in 2006, yet the Kentucky MORE…

EXCERPT from Scott Bauer | AP/MontereyHerald.com: A federal lawsuit filed by a Wisconsin-based group representing atheists and agnostics argues that the Internal Revenue Service is violating the U.S. Constitution by allowing tax-exempt churches and religious organizations to get involved in political campaigns. The Freedom from Religion Foundation argues that churches and other religious organizations have MORE…

EXCERPT from Jack Jenkins | ThinkProgress: When election returns began pouring in on Tuesday, progressives were quick to declare the election a resounding victory for President Obama, Democratic candidates, and progressive ideals such as marriage equality and the DREAM Act. A deeper look at Tuesday’s results reveals that the 2012 election season was also a MORE…

EXCERPT from Lauren Anderson Youngblood | Secular News Daily: After the Pew Forum study earlier this month that indicated 19.6 percent of Americans are religiously unaffiliated, we didn’t expect another study on the “nones” quite so soon. However, last Tuesday a new study from the Public Religion Research Institute was released, called The 2012 American MORE…

Editor’s Note: I did imagine getting such a letter. I then promptly imagined quitting with a vengeance, and joining a campaign to boycott such corporations out of existence. EXCERPT from Steven Greenhouse | NYTimes.com: Until 2010, federal law barred companies from using corporate money to endorse and campaign for political candidates — and that included MORE…

EXCERPT from Wendy Gittleson | Addicting Info: About a month ago, I wrote about a Catholic Bishop in Illinois who warned his parishioners that their souls might be in danger if they vote for Obama. It’s happened again – this time in the neighboring state of Wisconsin. Bishop David L. Ricken of the Green Bay Diocese MORE…

Editor’s Note: If Jesus saps votes away from Romney and hands Obama the election, then did Jesus pull a Nader, or did Nader pull a Jesus? Also, isn’t it counter-revolutionary to vote for a Monarch for President? EXCERPT from Bruce Wilson | Alternet: As of October 18, 2012, when I reported in my story  Graham’s MORE…

EXCERPT from Adele M. Stan | Alternet: For the better part of the decade that followed its bitter loss to George W. Bush in 2000, soul-searching by the Democratic Party led some of its leaders to a natural conclusion: the future of the party lay in the hands of church-going voters, and the party had MORE…

Editor’s Note: Lengthy and worth reading. (VIDEO) EXCERPT from Andrew Sullivan | The Daily Beast: Imagine for a moment that Barack Obama had never attended Jeremiah Wright’s church in Chicago and had decided to attend services, and proselytize for, a black separatist, nationalist church that refused to allow whites to participate in crucial religious services MORE…

EXCERPT from Lauren Markoe | Religion News Service: WASHINGTON (RNS) The largest slice of President Barack Obama’s religious coalition — at 23 percent — is not very religious. They’re the “nones,” also known as unaffiliated voters, according to a new American Values Survey by the Public Religion Research Institute. Gov. Mitt Romney’s biggest bloc of MORE…

Editor’s Note: One might take exception to the notion that “God does not want rape,” at least according to the Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy. EXCERPT from Pema Levy | TPM LiveWire: Indiana GOP Senate candidate Richard Mourdock released a statement Wednesday seeking to clarify his comment from Tuesday night’s Indiana Senate debate that he opposes MORE…

(VIDEO) EXCERPT from Joe. My. God.: An order of Catholic nuns called the Children Of Mary has released a video which claims women who take birth control cause the men around them to commit homosexual acts. Or something. A group of Roman Catholic nuns in central Ohio has produced a short anti-contraception video hoping to MORE…

EXCERPT from Frederick Sparks | Black Skeptics: In 1977, John Ferguson and two accomplices looking for drugs broke into a private home and murdered six people. Six months later, Ferguson came across a young couple parked in the car and murdered them both after raping the girl.   Ferguson also has a long, thoroughly documented history MORE…

EXCERPT from Secular Coalition for America | Secular News Daily: The Secular Coalition for America yesterday released its 2012 Presidential Candidate Scorecard for the general election–a guide for secular-minded Americans on the presidential candidates in the upcoming election. Candidates from the two major parties, as well as significant third party candidates were included and received MORE…

Editors note: Whew! Close one. EXCERPT from Secular News Daily: The Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation has revealed that it has abandoned plans to introduce a global blasphemy law through the United Nations. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said his 57-nation body would not try again for United Nations support to ban insults to religion, MORE…