TODAY IN GOD:RELIGION NEWS BITES FOR YOUR SNACKING PLEASURE ____________________________________________________________________________________New Ark of Noah ready to sail SCHAGEN, Netherlands — The massive central door in the side of Noah’s Ark was thrown open Saturday — you could say it was the first time in 4,000 years — drawing a crowd of curious pilgrims and townsfolk to behold the wonder. Of course, it’s only a replica of the biblical Ark, built by Dutch creationist Johan Huibers as a testament to his faith... Read more

REASONS No. 3 AND No. 4,312 WHY WE LOVE JOHN MAYER, THE PRIDE OF FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT That John Mayer. What a kid. (And I can call him a kid because he’s younger than three of my four stepchildren.) He’s a gem. And we think he’s just the cat’s pajamas for a number of reasons. No.1: Because he’s s dang talented.No.2: Because he’s sooooo good lookin’.No. 3: Because he’s really smart, and not just for a rock star. No. 4: Because... Read more

THE GODSTUFF THE BIG PICTURE: Little things mean a lot HUNTINGTON, Conn. — When faced with a world gone mad (see: Virginia Tech massacre, arrest warrant issued for Richard Gere because he kissed an Indian actress on the cheek, chemical threats against cheerleaders, killer cat food, etc.), it helps to take a step back and look at the details, where, some people say, God is. Sitting in my childhood bedroom here in Connecticut, after another successful surgery in my mother’s... Read more

BREAKING NEWS: Senate passes bill to pull troops out of Iraq WASHINGTON, D.C. — A defiant Democratic-controlled Senate passed legislation Thursday that would require the start of troop withdrawals from Iraq by Oct. 1, propelling Congress toward a historic veto showdown with President Bush on the war. The 51-46 vote was largely along party lines, and like House passage of the same bill a day earlier, fell far short of the two-thirds margin needed to overturn the president’s threatened veto.... Read more

PERHAPS AN OFFICER, BUT NOT A GENTLEMAN: GERE IS IN TROU-UH-BBBBBLE, WANTED FOR ARREST IN INDIA JAIPUR, India – An Indian court ordered the arrest of Hollywood star Richard Gere on Thursday for kissing Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty at an AIDS awareness event this month saying it was an obscene act committed in public. Gere’s repeated kisses on Shetty’s cheeks at an event to promote AIDS awareness in New Delhi sparked protests in some parts of India, mostly by Hindu... Read more

TODAY IN GOD:RELIGION NEWS BITES FOR YOUR SNACKING PLEASURE ____________________________________________________________________________________ ‘IF IT MAKES YOU HAPPY, IT CAN’T BE THAT BAD:Archbishop blasts Sheryl Crow appearance Archbishop Raymond Burke denounced a Catholic charity Wednesday for scheduling a benefit-concert appearance by Sheryl Crow, who supports abortion rights. Burke submitted his resignation as chairman of the board for the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Foundation, saying the decision to let Crow sing on Saturday left him no other choice. “It’s very painful for me,” Burke said... Read more

APROPOS OF NOTHING … WHEN BEANS (AND RO-CO STARS) ATTACK Saw the paparazzi stories yesterday and this a.m. … actual criminal charges. But not against the stalkarazzo. Oh no. It’s our beloved Hugh Grant who’s been charged with assaulting the dude (who he also kicked like a little girl) with a tub of legumes. Only in London, kids, only in London. Here’s the Reuters account: LONDON, England — Hugh Grant has been arrested and questioned by police after a photographer... Read more

‘GOOD LUCK EXPLORING THE INFINITE ABYSS’ As Paul Simon says, “Half of the time we’re gone and we don’t know where.” Yup. Know that feeling. You? “Garden State.” One of the most seductively spiritual films in recent memory. Read more

MRS. GOD GIRL: A HAPPY UPDATE Thank you for all your prayers and kindess. Mrs. God Girl came through her surgery today with flying colors. She’s even home already, resting in bed, watching her beloved MSNBC. Thought I’d share a funny and sweet conversation — well, more of a monologue — we/she had in the car on the way back from the hospital. God Girl (In the front seat of the family truckster): “Wow, everything’s in bloom. Look at the... Read more

CH-CH-CH-CHECK IT OUT: NEWSWEEK’S “ON FAITH” BLOG Sometimes we here at God Girl HQ like to shine a spotlight on other folks in the blogosphere doing things that we consider nifty. Last fall (November, actually) Newsweek and the Washington Post launched a really smart blog called, “On Faith”. The idea of “On Faith” is a simple, but brilliant one: Each week, it asks a religion/spirituality/ethics-related question and calls on some of the brightest lights in the world of religion to... Read more