Margarine Shortage Stymies Passover Bakers

Average member of the faithful has big knowledge gap

(NEWSER) - The people who know the most about religion are the people who don’t have one. In a recent Pew survey, atheists and agnostics knew more, on average, about religion than followers of any of the major faiths, the LA Times reports. The faithful displayed startling gaps in knowledge—a majority of Protestants, for example, couldn’t identify Martin Luther as the man who kicked off the Protestant Reformation. More»

Court rarely reflects country's faith mix well

(NEWSER) - If Elena Kagan is confirmed, the Supreme Court will have six Catholics, three Jews, and, for the first time in history, not a single Protestant. That might not seem as important as it used to, but Ed Kilgore of FiveThirtyEight decided to take a quick look at the court's historic religious makeup. At present, Catholics, who make up only about a quarter of the population, are certainly overrepresented. More»

(NEWSER) - Among the families around the world gathering tomorrow to celebrate the beginning of Passover with a dinner, or seder, will be a high-profile group: the Obamas. The White House seder tradition started on the campaign trail in 2008, when then-senator Barack Obama surprised three staffers by showing up for their makeshift celebration in a Pennsylvania hotel basement. Last year's seder was a bit more impressive, with close to two dozen friends, relatives, and staffers gathering at the White House. More»

Friends and White House staff invited

(NEWSER) - President Obama is planning to host a Passover seder at the White House for friends and staff tomorrow evening, JTA reports. What appears to be the first-ever presidential seder is scheduled for the second night of the Jewish holiday so guests can celebrate with their families tonight. The event “speaks to the inclusiveness of today’s America and of President Obama,” a Jewish community advocate says. More»

(NEWSER) - The kosher alcohol scene has long been dominated by sweet Manishevitz, but that old standby is getting a run for its money as premium wines, and even hard liquor, are crossing the kosher barrier. Making kosher product has many restrictions, but entrepreneurs seem to think Jewish tipplers are in the mood for something different. The Los Angeles Times checked in on the trend. More»