Oh, Catholic League - it isn't even Halloween and you're getting ready for Christmas already! The Sun reports that the Catholic League sent a letter to Schools Chancellor Joel Klein questioning why nativity scenes cannot be displayed in schools. Christmas trees are allowed, as are menorahs and symbols for Ramadan. But the Department of Education does not allow actual images of "religious figures or deities." The DOE e-mail to the Sun read, "Our holiday policy......

Can someone's religion shield her from charges for smuggling bushmeat into the United States? The NY Sun has a fascinating article about the case of a woman who is facing criminal prosecution for bringing "steaks of monkey meat" from Guinea to NYC. The Scopes Monkey Trial, this is not, but Milbank, Tweed Hadley & McCloy is representing Mamie Manneh on a pro bono basis. Manneh was arrested when she brought 65 pieces of smoked bushmeat,......

When the son of famed televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Jay Bakker, made the decision to be a “gay affirming” pastor, his life was almost ruined for the second time. Financial backers dropped him, he had to let go of some of his staff, and churches he was scheduled to speak at pulled out. Now Jay speaks at a different set of churches. Last Saturday we saw him at the Middle Collegiate Church,......

A six-foot tall chocolate sculpture of Jesus which will be displayed at a Midtown hotel next week is stirring up controversy. Catholics are calling Cosimo Cavallaro's "My Sweet Lord" an "all-out war on Christianity." The sculpture is supposed to be installed in a window at the Roger Smith Hotel's gallery, The Lab, on East 47th Street and Lexington Avenue. Cavallaro claims that the Easter-timing was a coincidence, and besides, this isn't his first chocolate......

The Pentagon released a transcript where Khalid Shaikh Mohammed has confesses to planning the September 11 attacks, as well as other terror attacks, during a tribunal hearing. The NY Times notes that the hearing "also summarized some of the evidence the Pentagon says supports the designation of Mr. Mohammed as an enemy combatant." Mohammed has been in U.S. custody since his capture in 2003. The Times also offered an excerpt of his "rambling" confession where......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: A large fight in the Bronx, an unusual MVA in Manhattan and a "Jet Blue aircraft disturbance" at LaGuardia - Gate B5 Promises from the Department of Transportation mean nothing, even after two children die Activists want tax-paying immigrants to have the right to vote; immigrants did vote in national elections between 1776 and 1926 Stop planning a scuba trip in Fiji - amNew York has the scoop on......

Last month, Jason Kidd filed for divorce from his wife, Joumana, citing extreme cruelty. The Nets point guard claimed his wife kicked and punched him, as well as put tracking devices on his cars and computers, not to mention taunted him during games. The Kidds' relationship had its patches and other allegations of spousal abuse - back in 2001, Joumana Kidd had some called 911 while Kidd played for the Phoenix Suns (she said......

A traditional french dessert served during the holidays, Gothamist gets excited about these each year. They come in every kind of flavor combination: chocolate/coffee, chocolate/caramel, lemon, raspberry, there are even ice-cream-cake versions. They're usually made with a sponge cake, layered with flavored buttercream or other filling, rolled up and then covered with more buttercream and decorated with powdered sugar, fondant leaves or mushrooms, or other decorations. Intended to look like a log ready for......

Premiering tonight on the Sundance Channel is a six part reality series about a tattooed, pierced alterna-preacher Jay Bakker, called One Punk Under God. As the only son of TV evangelical preachers Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Jay had a pretty troubled childhood what with the scandals over Jim's illicit affair and accounting fraud, the Bakkers subsequent divorce and Jay's descent into substance abuse. However, now Jay has his life more on track with a......

THEATER: Pot-au-Noir (The Black Hole) is a retelling of the story of Cain & Abel "through the lens of the Great American Myth -- combining images of Hollywood Film Noir, the Gold Rush, the Dust Bowl, and Manifest Destiny with a story that is at the core of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and, therefore, America." Jake Hooker’s new production promises lyrical text, contemporary dance and live music to tell a story of lies, deceit, jealousy,......

Michelle Goldberg, Brooklyn resident and senior political reporter for Salon.com, recently published her first book, Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism, a detailed examination of the rise of Christian Nationalism. Her research took her outside the largely secular NYC, and even further afield from the liberal ideology of which New Yorkers have grown so accustomed. In her book, Goldberg details the actions and intentions of the Christian right and presents a clear picture of......

Cathlin Baker, Ordained Minister & Special Asst. to President, UTS...

There's a really cute picture in the New York Times of little kids dressed up as the Bible action hero, Bibleman. Bibleman has been in Flushing Meadows Park, on hand for the Billy Graham revival (which saw Bill and Hillary Clinton last night), is fascinating to Gothamist because who knew Christians would think men wearing tights would be okay. That, and the "Jew-y villains" that WFMU's blog pointed out. For instance, here's WFMU's description of......

EVENT/MUSIC: It's Children's Day at South Street Seaport this Saturday. With Gordon from Sesame Street, The School House Rock Stage Show and They Might Be Giants! Wait...AND fireworks! [via FreeNYC] Details: Saturday, June 11th // Noon - 10pm (kids stay up that late?) // South Street Seaport Pier 17 // Free After hearing Ana Ng head over to one of these shows this weekend. You could also pre-purchase your ticket for Movable Hype 3.0. All......

Admittedly, Gothamist has Easter bunnies on the brain. But when we glanced at the Special Op-Ed Report on the NY Times homepage, we couldn't help but wonder if an Easter story would accompany the caption "An International Basket Case." Alas, it's a story about the troubles in Zimbabwe (the interactive report starts "Africa is a mess...") and Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Where Faith Thrives" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/26/opinion/26kristof.html">where Christianity is on the rise. In the spirit of giving,......

- The Yankees are Goliath and Alex Rodriguez needs help getting dressed - Carbon monoxide deaths in Murray Hill - Triumph upsets Canadians...he was keeding, but they didn't get it - The terrible story of the deliveryman murder in Queens - The Hasidic and hipsters are trying to coexist...not very well, though - Sirengate at the Mayor's Office! - Gothamist doesn't mind Christianity...we're just dubious of Baptists converting all of NY is all - It's......

Last weekend, an American Airlines pilot used the PA system to discuss Christianity, namely, asking Christians on the LA-NY flight to raise their hands and suggesting that non-Christians aboard could ask them about their faith. This monologue, given right before takeoff, caused many passengers to call their families in fear and flight attendants had to reassure passengers that ground control knew what was said. An American spokesperson said, "It falls along the lines of a......

What all young girls have been waiting for: Teen People/CosmoGirl/Elle Girl mixed with a little Christianity in Revolve, the New Testament magazine for teen girls. And yes, publisher Thomas Nelson, Inc., is hyping it as "A Bible that looks like a magazine!" ABC News and the Post look at Revolve, which has quizzes, Love Notes from God, and beauty secrets ("The fire of God's love burns out the sin the same way the hot steam......

With her death almost two months ago, Newsday has a feature about what Lyric Benson's mother has done to honor the memory of her daughter. Deborah Janicke had to watch her daughter essentially die in front of her, shot in the head by ex-boyfriend Robert Ambrosino, who then killed himself. Janicke made the decision to donate Benson's organs to people in need, telling Newsday, "Organ donation did help us. It kept this from being such......

That's the problem with the major organized religions like Christianity, Judiasm, Buddism, and Islam- they never go out and do anything wacky like trying to clone Jesus. NY Times: Religious Sect Says It Will Announce the First Cloned Baby: A religious sect that contends that space travelers created the human race by cloning themselves said yesterday that it would announce today that the first cloned human baby had been born.......