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is “propaganda clearly designed to counter legitimate and present-day concerns about many Muslims who are advancing Islamic fundamen- talism and Sharia law.” The Mus- lim Public Affairs Council urged its members to boycott Lowe’s.
Tebow book a winner Though his skills as a professional quarterback are a source of contro- versy, there’s no denying that Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos is one of sports’ most popular figures. The book of his life’s story so far, Through My Eyes, has sold more than 220,000 copies, making Tebow the top-selling religion author of 2011, outpacing Michigan mega- church pastor Rob Bell’s Love Wins. Through My Eyes recounts Tebow overcoming the naysayers, including coaches, who said he wouldn’t make it as a quarterback.
No to contraception
The Roman Catholic Church was joined by evangelical leaders of various denominations to criticize a White House policy that would require many religious insurers to cover contraception. In a joint letter to President Barack Obama, the reli- gious leaders wrote: “It is not only Catholics who object to the narrow exemption that protects only semi- naries and a few churches, but not churches with a social outreach and other faith-based organizations that serve the poor and needy.”
Intentionally interreligious Omaha, Neb., is quickly becom- ing an interreligious community, with several moves under way by the “Tri-Faith Initiative of Omaha.” A partnership of Jewish, Episcopal and Muslim groups, the initiative is building housing, an assisted living facility, offices, retail space, a hotel and, of course, a synagogue, church
and mosque. Leaders say the goal of this “multi-faith neighborhood of collaboration” is greater understand- ing through interaction.
U.S. tops charity index The U.S. topped a 2011 list of 153 countries as being the most gener- ous, according to data from a Gallup poll, up from fifth place the previous year. Ireland was second on the list, followed by Australia. The bottom countries were China, Russia and India. The index was published by Charities Aid Foundation.
Atheists are givers
While past studies have shown that atheists are less likely to donate money than those who believe in God, that trend may be reversing. Atheists from the website Reddit. com raised more than $200,000 for
This is what a swipe at Hanukkah looks like: It looks like a callous kind of carelessness, a sign that the great Whole Foods, which manages to ensure that organic pasta comes packaged in biodegradable boxes made of locally grown hemp, cannot devote all of 30 seconds to a Wikipe- dia search for “Hanukkah food.”
Washington Post food blogger Jessica Goldstein after a Whole Foods store in
Washington, D.C., stocked boxes of matzo, a Passover staple, for Hanukkah. The store apologized.
Doctors Without Borders this year. And the Foundation Beyond Belief raised more than $140,000 for char- ity in 2011, its second year in opera- tion. The growth in non-believers’ giving may stem from the increase in numbers of non-religious people, or by increased awareness of natu- ral disasters that comes from global Internet access.
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Heavy lifting “Just a few more, Greg. You’ve got this,” Wesley Lynch (left) tells one of his
COURTESY OF ST. OLAF COLLEGE, NORTHFIELD, MINN.
clients, Greg Kneser, dean of students at St. Olaf College and a member of St. John Lutheran Church, Northfield, Minn. This spring semester, Lynch and other senior exercise science majors are serving as fitness trainers for com- munity members, earning credit for associate professor Chris Daymont’s “Exercise Prescription” course.
February 2012 9
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