If only Jesus had befriended Democrats as well as lepers and prostitutes. But since there's no biblical record of such a thing, pastor Chan Chandler of the East Waynesville Baptist Church has nothing to guide him: he kicked out nine parishoners because they supported John Kerry or other Democrats in the last election. Because of the issues of homosexuality and abortion, they were deemed to be "against the church" and "excommunicated." Some 40 other members of the congregation walked out in protest. Issues of Christ-like compassion and tolerance aside, isn't this illegal? A DailyKos commenter reminds us that a New York church was stripped of its tax-exempt status for taking out an anti-Clinton ad in the 1992 election. Watch a newscast on the story here (wmv).

Catholic dress code! Here in the Twin Cities the Catholic archbishop has decided to deny communion based on attire. Actually, he won't allow anyone wearing rainbow-colored sashes—the marker of gay and lesbian Catholic group Rainbow Sash Alliance USA—to partake of the "body of Christ." Brian McNeill, a member of the alliance, says, "The request to take off the sash makes no sense. The church is saying it only wants closeted gay people going to communion."