7 things @ 9 o’clock (10.3)

1. Deane Galbraith shares the news of an embarrassing slip of the tongue by Venezuelan president Segun Madoro, who meant to allude to the Gospel story in which “Christ multiplied the fishes,” but accidentally said penes instead of peces, meaning “Christ multiplied the penises.” But, Galbraith says, this was only the second most embarrassing misquotation of the Gospels by a politician this week. (Click through and scroll to the bottom to read about the bigger faux pas.)

2. State of Dismay: North Carolina. North Carolina. North Carolina. North Carolina. North Carolina. North Carolina. North Carolina.

3. Hemant Mehta shares and seconds Neil Carter’s list of signs “Your Religion May Be Harmful.” The first eight are on the money — clear signs that something has gone horribly wrong. But, depending on who you are, I think Carter may have No. 9 backwards.

If your life allows you very little time or money to spare, then I agree that “your religion may be harmful if … it sucks a significant amount of time or money from your life.” But if you’ve got yourself a surplus of time and/or money, then I think your religion is certainly harmful if it doesn’t cause you to redirect some of that surplus toward others in need. “I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance.”

4. “The New York City Council unanimously passed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, a bill that ensures current protections against employer discrimination extend to pregnant workers, including the right to reasonable accommodations so that they can continue to work through their pregnancies.” Without such legal protection, pregnant workers often find themselves forced to choose between a paycheck and a healthy pregnancy. NYC joins seven states — Alaska, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana and Texas — in providing such legal protection. In the other 43 states, it’s perfectly legal for employers to insist that pregnant workers get an abortion or lose their jobs.

You’d think “pro-life” groups would support such laws, then, but they don’t. The federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act has the support of feminist groups, but not of the anti-abortion organizations.

5. Tony Jones confesses that he is a … a … a meliorist! (Shudder.)

6. Speaking of big flashing neon signs alerting you that your religion may be harmful … marvel with me at the sad spectacle of the right-wing Media Research Center’s Evan Mantel causing himself all manner of unnecessary anguish due to the involuntary happiness he felt watching that adorable scene on Modern Family in which Cam and Mitchell finally get engaged. Mantel’s conscience is as persistent as Jiminy Cricket, but his only response is to flail about trying to squash that annoying bug.

7. This looks interesting — American Jesus, a documentary:

Have to say, though, that if a student came to me with “American Jesus” as the topic for a paper, I’d insist they narrow it down to focus on something a bit more manageable.