Anti-GOP protesters scuffled with members of Westboro Baptist Church outside the RNC in Tampa last night.

Inside the RNC, Ann Romney's primetime speech had Mormon motifs, even if it only mentioned the word once, says Joanna Brooks.

Mitt Romney's speech is Thursday, and some news outlets expect him to mention his time as a Mormon bishop in Massachusetts. Not sure which "M" word is more anathematized by the GOP's conservative Christian base.

WaPo has a fascinating article on how abortion and religion made it onto the GOP platform (which John Boehner says nobody reads anyway).

Cardinal Dolan of NYC (aka the American Pope) accepted Democrats' invitation to bless their convention as well, raising his political profile even higher and shaking up the narrative of Catholic bishops' cozy alliance with the GOP. Sister Simone Campbell, the star of the "Nuns on the Bus" tour, will also deliver a benediction next week in Charlotte.

Jacques Berlinerblau examines the roster of RNC benedictors (Yes, I did just make that word up) and wonders how evangelicals will react to Sikh leader Ishwar Singh, who leads the invocation today.

The Milwaukee County medical examiner's office officially ruled the death of Sikh temple shooter Wade Page a suicide.

A Pakistani Christian girl accused of desecrating the Quran has been ruled a minor, so her case will be heard in juvenile court.

A Southern Baptist leader in Missouri is standing his political ground after a church-state group filed an IRS complaint about his support for Rep. Todd Akin's Senate campaign.

An imam disputed American Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh's claim that his school of Islam requires group prayers, even though he's in prison.

Divine Retribution or Instant Karma? An Indiana man crashed his car when he turned his head to flip the bird to two Mormon missionaries.

After the shooting at Family Research Council earlier this month, Tony Perkins finally admits that incendiary words have consequences, says Tom Krattenmaker.

The incoming archbishop of San Francisco apologized “for the disgrace" his drunk driving arrest brought on the church.

The Rev. Benedict Groeschel, an EWTN star and favorite among conservative Catholics, said priests who abuse children once should not be jailed "because their intention was not committing a crime." He also expressed sympathy for Penn State's pedophile ex-coach Jerry Sandusky.

Orthodox Christians in Russia attacked an erotic art exhibit.

Lawyers for Amish men accused of hate crimes said their clients cut the beards of perceived apostates out of love.

Photo courtesy of Bearded Gospel Men.

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Daniel Burke