A man in the United Kingdom has avoided jail time on assault charges because the judge decided he should be let off because he was religious.

Shamso Miah attacked another man in a London bank after the two argued about who was next in line. Witnesses and CTV showed Miah attacking the other man both inside and outside the bank.

According to the BBC, Judge Cherie Booth, the wife of former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, told Miah that violence had to be taken seriously, but said she would suspend his prison sentence because he was a religious person. She helpfully added “You are a religious man and you know this is not acceptable behavior.”

Quite rightly the UK National Secular Society has complained to the appropriate Government body that the decision was unjust and discriminatory.

Being Religious Now Gets You Off Assault Charges In The UK is a post from: The Inquisitr

Religious fundamentalism in the United States has long resulted in books being banned in schools, but a decision by one school district to ban dictionaries takes the lunacy to new levels.

The Menifee Union School District in California has temporarily banned all copies of the 10th edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary after it was discovered the dictionary defined oral sex.

The ban came following a parent complaint, and the District is now considering a permanent ban due to the “sexually graphic” entry. But it gets better: a spokesman quoted by Care2.com said “It’s hard to sit and read the dictionary, but we’ll be looking to find other things of a graphic nature.”

Yes, you read that right: they’re going to trawl the dictionary for more definitions that OMG happen to refer to sex….in a dictionary, a book which has as its purpose the definition, and correct spelling of words.

On one hand they haven’t started burning the banned copies yet, but this sort of State imposed censorship of something as benign and essential to language as a bog-standard dictionary has all the hallmarks of Nazi Germany, complete with Orwellian overtones. Land of the free indeed.

School Bans Dictionaries Due To Definition Of Oral Sex is a post from: The Inquisitr

Seriously, Christian Ska. While your ears bleed you’ll understand the headline

Christian Ska: That’s All I Need To Say is a post from: The Inquisitr

I bet the guy with the sign didn’t expect to see Jesus appear next to him when he got up in the morning.

Turn and face Jesus…seriously, he’s next to you is a post from: The Inquisitr

A respected biblical scholar has claimed that the bible doesn’t claim that god made the world, and the idea that he did came from a bad translation.

Professor Ellen van Wolde claims “in the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth” is not a true translation of the original Hebrew, and instead claims the line should read “”in the beginning God separated the Heaven and the Earth.”

According to the Telegraph, the issue arises in the translation of the Hebrew verb “bara”, which is used in the first sentence of the book of Genesis, does not mean “to create” but to “spatially separate”. The difference means that according to the Bible, the Earth was already there when he created humans and animals.

There’s going to be some Christians with exploding heads over this one.

Whoops: Turns Out The Bible Says God Didn’t Make The World is a post from: The Inquisitr

Golden. Absolutely golden: Not only was the good man of god in a bum sex scandal, he terrorized the boys buttocks with his “monster whopper.”

In Africa they have the best tabloid headlines. Here’s an example is a post from: The Inquisitr

Meet Pastor Vincent Xavier, who as well as being head of the New Wine Ministry is also claiming to have insider knowledge that Washington DC is going to be flattened by a nuclear bomb Sunday October 11.

Pastor Xavier doesn’t elaborate how he’s come by his knowledge, but like most good nutters on the far right, he professes that it is in retaliation for America’s sins.

My only question: how are these sorts of nut jobs left to roam the streets? Audio for Xavier making his prediction as follows:

Fruitloop Pastor claims Washington DC is going to be nuked…on Sunday is a post from: The Inquisitr

Faith: no quite as effective as two inches of bullet proof glass.

The truth about faith is a post from: The Inquisitr

A new study from Baylor University has found that one in every 33 women who attend church services regularly has been the target of sexual advances by a religious leader.

The findings come from a random sample of more than 3,500 American adults conducted by the National Opinion Research Center. Respondents were asked if, since turning 18, they had ever been the object of a sexual advance from a religious leader.

The study, by Baylor University researchers, found that the problem is so pervasive that it almost certainly involves a wide range of denominations, religious traditions and leaders.

According to a release from the University, the study suggests that the prevalence of “Clergy Sexual Misconduct” with adults is higher than many people realize and that it occurs across denominations and religions.

“Because many people are familiar with some of the high-profile cases of sexual misconduct, most people assume that it is just a matter of a few charismatic leaders preying on vulnerable followers,” said Dr. Diana Garland, Dean of the School of Social Work at Baylor University and lead researcher in the study. “What this research tells us, however, is that Clergy Sexual Misconduct with adults is a widespread problem in congregations of all sizes and occurs across denominations. Now that we have a better understanding of the problem, we can start looking at prevention strategies.”

Study finds one in every 33 church going women targeted by amorous clergy is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Philadelphia woman is claiming that Jesus had made a special appearance on his world tour of weird places by deciding to drop in and say hi on an MRI image.

Rhonda Hodge had a set of MRI shots taken due to issues with a bulged disc, when she made the startling discovery. “What went through my mind?” Hodge told local media. “Just surprise. Oh my God, that’s the crucifixion.”

Hodge isn’t going as far as saying Jesus performed a miracle as well, but she’s not ruling it out: “My neck does feel better. I don’t know if that was Jesus or physical therapy.”

There is no word yet on when the image will make its way onto eBay, although credit where due, the local station did get her to say that she’s considering it.

Jesus makes surprise appearance in an MRI is a post from: The Inquisitr

If you thought that the WMD story behind the invasion of Iraq was bad, wait until you hear what former US President George W Bush told then French President Jacques Chirac: the invasion of Iraq what a bible prophecy.

French journalist Jean-Claude Maurice details the exchange in a new book due out in March. The following from Secular Humanism via Donklephant:

President George W. Bush told French President Jacques Chirac in early 2003 that Iraq must be invaded to thwart Gog and Magog, the Bible’s satanic agents of the Apocalypse.

Honest. This isn’t a joke. The president of the United States, in a top-secret phone call to a major European ally, asked for French troops to join American soldiers in attacking Iraq as a mission from God.

Now out of office, Chirac recounts that the American leader appealed to their “common faith” (Christianity) and told him: “Gog and Magog are at work in the Middle East…. The biblical prophecies are being fulfilled…. This confrontation is willed by God, who wants to use this conflict to erase his people’s enemies before a New Age begins.”

This bizarre episode occurred while the White House was assembling its “coalition of the willing” to unleash the Iraq invasion. Chirac says he was boggled by Bush’s call and “wondered how someone could be so superficial and fanatical in their beliefs.”

Sadly there are many in the United States that would have supported Bush in making this call.

Bush told French President Iraq was a quest foretold in the Bible is a post from: The Inquisitr

You can’t argue with this logic: Christianity. just think, we could have been exploring the galaxy by now.

Christianity: the reason we’re not exploring the galaxy now is a post from: The Inquisitr

An atheist billboard in Florida has resulted in community protests and a call for the sign to be banned, but wait until you see what’s on (or as is the case isn’t on) the sign.

Unlike campaigns in Europe which included the slogan “there probably isn’t a god,” the Florida campaign says “Being a good person doesn’t require God. Don’t believe in God, you’re not alone.” According to the Christians in the area, saying that non-believers can be good people discriminates against Christians.

Here’s where it gets even weirder: the residents object because (and I’m not making this up) African-Americans live in the area, and a shop owned by a born again Christian is nearby.

Local media reported that Team of Life community activist Essie “Big Mama” Reed brought her students out to protest it Wednesday afternoon.

“Nothing else matters, but that sign needs to come down. In the name of Jesus,” Big Mama chanted, as she led her students in protest.

She said the sign affects something much deeper than business. “I don’t know the reason for putting this sign up,” said Big Mama. “It says ‘Do not believe in God.’ How are we going to make it? Look at our schools, everyday. Everyday there’s something going on. Kids are out here killing each other, kids are here using drugs. Who else are they going to believe in?”

The atheist group behind the sign rightly pointed out the hypocrisy in the protestors, saying that they would like the community to show them the same tolerance they fought for during the civil rights era. “The women and blacks in this neighborhood, they’ve been discriminated before, in the recent past, as early as 30, 40 years ago,” a spokesman said “and yet, they have no problem discriminating against another group, whether it be gays or atheists.”

Atheists = your new African Americans.

Florida Christians protest atheist billboard, wait till you see the sign is a post from: The Inquisitr

I’ll up your Jesus freak with my Jesus freak any day!

That’s not a Jesus freak, THIS is a JESUS FREAK is a post from: The Inquisitr

A retired Omaha Priest has been taken to hospital after crashing his car for the second time in a week into the same house.

64 year old John Mika first hit the garage of a neighbors house on Monday, then fled from the scene. He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident. On Wednesday he went for a second round, hitting the side of the same house, flipping his car and causing significant damage.

The home owner told local media they couldn’t believe what had happened “When I answered the phone she said somebody crashed in front of your house and I almost said this is not funny, this is a joke” said Jennifer Villfuerte. “because Monday morning at 5:20 a.m. the same person hit and ran our garage.”

Mika has had previous run ins with inanimate objects, having taken out another neighbors fence last year.

Here’s the local TV report:

Retired priest crashes car twice in one week. Bonus: into the same house is a post from: The Inquisitr

Meet 18 year old Clair, who describes herself as a “sold out, fully consumed, hungry, thirsty, desperate Jesus freak!”

According to Clair, Jesus is all that matters to her: “I want to get soooo close to Him, that His Heartbeat becomes mine, His Thoughts become my thoughts, His Actions are my actions. Oh how desperate I am for more of Him, all of Him and none of me!” Her interests and hobbies include “spending time with Jesus, Holy Ghost intimacy, ecstatic experiences, revival, glowray realm, deliverances, salvations, signs + wonders + miracles!”

Oh, and we forget to mention she likes drugs, specifically Ecstasy.

(via)

This is what happens when you mix Christianity and Ecstasy is a post from: The Inquisitr

We’ve seen all sorts of strange religious related appearances before, but this one surely sizzles. A South Florida woman frying salami was shocked to find that God had left his mark, in the form of his name.

Nancy Simoes claims that she didn’t see God coming, but none the less managed to discover the letters across three pieces of salami in order. She told local media that some people may think she’s crazy, but “I can’t make this up. … it’s there in the burn marks.”

The only remaining question for Simoes is how to preserve the salami for its inevitable sale on eBay. A local TV report as follows:

Oh my…God in my Salami! is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Catholic Church in Ireland is encouraging parishioners to send daily prayer messages by Twitter and similar short message services.

Cardinal Sean Brady told a gathering “I appeal to every Christian in Ireland today who sends texts, Twitters or uses e-mail to think about setting up groups of prayer between you and your friends using these modern means of communication…I ask young people in particular to think of sending their friends and family an occasional Twitter or text to say that you have prayed for them. Make someone the gift of a prayer through text, Twitter or e-mail every day.”

Cardinal Brady, described by local press as “Ireland’s leading Catholic churchman” predicted that such a sea of prayer would strengthen a national sense of solidarity with one another, particularly for those suffering due to the recession.

Catholic Church in Ireland encourages prayers by Twitter is a post from: The Inquisitr

The separation of church and state in Florida is under heavy fire, with the State set to issue Jesus Christ number plates.

The proposed license plates depict in one version Jesus on the cross in front of a stained-glass window. The Jesus plates will be similar to vanity plates, in that they will be an option as opposed to general issue.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist has been urged to veto legislation that would introduce the number plates, but has so far flatly refused.

“I would not veto those …. No, I would not,” Crist said. Asked if he has a problem with Jesus on a license plate, Crist responded “I don’t. No.” On the question of Church and state, Crist argued that “If they don’t want one they don’t have to buy one” and defended the plates on the basis that “I think it … What’s it say? ‘In God We Trust’ on every single piece of monetary, coins and paper we have? I think it’s fine.”

Here’s a video of the proposed number plates, and the interview with Governor Crist.

(via TampaBay.com)

Florida Governor on Jesus plates: don’t like it, don’t buy it is a post from: The Inquisitr

We’ve seen Jesus toast, Virgin Mary Crackers, and even the odd satan related item in the past, but for a change we have something new: the Hand of God Rock Wall.

Paul Grayhek from Northern Idaho claims the 9 feet tall and 4 feet wide hand appeared in his backyard after a rockfall during Lent on March 8. “I prayed between licking my wounds and looking for a job,” he told CNN. “We rarely get rockfalls and this formation is 20 feet from my house. It’s definitely a symbol of the hand of God in my life.”

Naturally the hand is up for sale on eBay (here) and bidding is currently at $102.51. There are a couple of catches: the buyer has to remove the hand, restore the ground where the hand is currently located, and last but not least, pay for all “city, county, state or federal permits, easements and/or fees.”

If jumping through hoops to get the hand of god is too much for you, an alternative listing on eBay is offering the “finger of god,” with bidding currently at $10.50.

Hand of God Rock Wall for sale on eBay is a post from: The Inquisitr