Thoughtless for the Day

Hey kids, it's Sunday (OK, so it's Sunday night. I took a nap; go ahead and sue me): the day on which Islamofonzie has custody of us, and the day on which we discuss trends in Religion. And if I've learned on thing from a dozen years of running this website it's that you can't talk about Religion without talking about Kansas.

The Belles of Saint Mary's

On ground Hog Day/Fred Flintstone's Birthday/Vienna's Birthday/The Day Sid Vicious Died, referee Michelle Campbell arrived at St. Mary's Academy outside of Topeka only to discover that she would not be officiating at that evening's basketball game because putting a women in a position of authority over boys is an affront to the good folks at St. Mary's.

For the record, St. Mary's is run by the Society of St. Pius X, a "Traditionalist" Catholic sect who are opposed to the majority of the reforms brought about by the Second Vatican Council. The group's founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, along with four of its bishops, was excommunicated by the late Pope John Paul II for being a dick.

F-A-T-W-A in the U-S-A

From Kansas, it's off to sunny California for the story of Pastor Wiley Drake.

Back in August, Americans United for Separation of Church and State alerted the IRS to the fact that Drake had been using his church's letterhead and radio program to electioneer for Ayatollah Mike Huckabee, in clear violation of his church's tax-exempt status.

On February 5th, Pastor Drake was informed by the IRS that he was under investigation, so on Valentine's Day Drake sent out an e-mail asking his followers to pray for the deaths of the members of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

I may have said this before, but if I thought God would smite my enemies, I might actually believe in Him:

Dear Baby Jesus, the cable hath gone out again – and once more during Rock of Love 2. So I beseech thee in thy infinite mercy to blind the Board of Directors at Comcast. And Jesus, if you could perform one small miracle for me: please place the brain of Eleanor Cliff inside the head of Daisy. Amen.