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Last night on The Colbert Report, host Stephen Colbert–in his phony pundit persona, of course– mentioned that he’d visited Beliefnet.com (where he goes, he said, “after sinning on other sites”) and found our Atheists in Foxholes article by Rebecca Phillips. Upset by the phrase “there are no atheists in foxholes,” Colbert argued that it is…

Last week marked the introduction of a new character on “Sesame Street”: Abby Cadabby, a fairy-in-training. Abby, who hails from Fairyside Gardens, Queens, is young, eager to learn, and has been described as a feminist who also likes being a “real girly-girl.” Looking different than your typical Muppet, Abby was conceived as a strong female…

The first half of “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts“–a documentary from Spike Lee that chronicles New Orleans’ struggle before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina–is terribly disappointing in just one aspect: more people are not able to see it, since it airs on HBO. Luckily, in our multimedia age, it’s likely that…

In my opinion, the best commentary so far on Madonna’s crucifixion stunt in her “Confessions” tour comes from that important 21st-century theologian Manolo the Shoeblogger: “Ecce Ho!” Because, frankly, the image of Ms. Ciccone Penn Richie standing with her arms outstretched in slings on that glitter-ball cross isn’t so much blasphemous as ridiculous. Or rather,…

At this late point in summer, the controversy about the crucifixion scene in Madonna’s Confessions Tour–when Madonna sings “Live to Tell” while up on a cross, arms outstretched, with scenes of poverty in Africa flashing behind her–has escalated to a cacophony. (Watch the scene here.) I feel quite alone in applauding Madonna’s act. While I…

Forever 21–the homage to cheap and chic that’s almost (but not quite) as ubiquitous on the streets of Manhattan as that other homage to cheap and chic, H&M–is apparently preaching the gospel with every sale. Deborah Kolben, a staff writer at The New York Sun, reports in her article, “Evangelism in Fashion” that: Forever 21,…

There are comics strips about babies, romance, the Army, sports, teenager, knights, Vikings and car mechanics. Ready for charitable Christians? King Features Syndicate, the purveyor of daily comics from “Apartment 3G” to “Zits” has introduced “Heaven’s Love Thrift Shop,” a strip by Kevin Frank, in which the shop’s three employees, including a zany 20-something named…

I love it when Hollywood celebs go out on a limb, take the moral high road, or decide to influence the complex nature of world politics by taking out a newspaper ad. Dozens of celebrities and Hollywood execs, including Nicole Kidman, Bruce Willis, Michael Douglas, and media tycoon Rupert Murdoch ran a full page ad…

Award-winning Christian pop band Salvador has teamed up with the American Bible Society (ABS) on its “La Biblia Es Mi Guia” (“The Bible Is My Guide”) national advocacy campaign, designed to promote Bible reading among Hispanics. During concerts, the band, which has songs in both English and Spanish, and whose new album “Dismiss the Mystery”…

I emailed with Liz Rosenberg, Madonna’s longtime publicist, seeking comment from the Material Girl about the brouhaha concerning her on-stage crucifixion. Here’s what she (Rosenberg, not, alas, Madonna herself) had to say about the act that has German authorities reportedly threatening prosecution: There were reports of a huge controversy when Madonna played Rome with her…
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