--Archbishop Timothy Dolan of NYC, in response to the contraception/abortifacient mandate.
- Want to write to your representative about this? Here you go.
- Complain to the White House directly? How about here? (Warning: the process is slow.)
Sweden recognises new file-sharing religion Kopimism
A "church" whose central tenet is the right to file-share has been formally recognised by the Swedish government.The Church of Kopimism claims that "kopyacting" - sharing information through copying - is akin to a religious service.
The "spiritual leader" of the church said recognition was a "large step".
...The church, which holds CTRL+C and CTRL+V (shortcuts for copy and paste) as sacred symbols, does not directly promote illegal file sharing, focusing instead on the open distribution of knowledge to all.
It was founded by 19-year-old philosophy student and leader Isak Gerson. He hopes that file-sharing will now be given religious protection.
"For the Church of Kopimism, information is holy and copying is a sacrament. Information holds a value, in itself and in what it contains and the value multiplies through copying. Therefore copying is central for the organisation and its members," he said in a statement.
You know, just when you begin to despair regarding religion's intersection with modern culture, a group of wackjobs creates such an inane definition of a religion that all the major religious traditions' stock goes way (way, way, way) up.
But: is using Creative Commons now idolatry?

Animals must have their own interpretive takes on the perennial live nativities. But rarely are they so eloquently expressed....
First: a goat who thought he was signing up for the Exodus story.
FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) — A goat that apparently didn't want to be part of a Minnesota Nativity scene has headed for greener pastures.
The 3-year-old Angora goat was supposed to have a supporting role at Bethlehem Church in Fergus Falls. Instead it escaped its leash Saturday afternoon....
CINCINNATI (AP) — A lamb has been born unto a Cincinnati nativity display.
The Krohn Conservatory says that a night watchman oversaw the Christmas Eve delivery for a sheep that was part of the live-animal display. ....
More here. And at least they aren't naming the lamb "Jesus."