C is for Christ, that's good enough for me
"If Oprah Winfrey can teach about Islam, there's no reason why we can't teach [children] about Islam and Christianity and Buddhism and other major world religions," says Gary Knell, president and chief executive of Sesame Workshop. That's right. Soon you children might be watching Count von Count explaining the Trinity, Cookie Monster on Communion, and Big Bird talking about God's grace. That will certainly be interesting. It's apparently part of a major overhaul of the show debuting this month.

More on the White House's new faith-based initiative head
The White House has officially announced Jim Towey as the new director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. "He understands there are things more important than political parties. And one of those things more important than political parties is to help heal the nation's soul," President Bush said while introducing him (text | audio | video). "He brings to the job managerial skills and a servant's heart." The Los Angeles Times notes that Towey told the St. Petersburg Times in a 1995 interview, "My career goal is to go to heaven." (Hold your comments on works righteousness, please.) Family Research Council President Ken Connor couldn't be more pleased. "Jim is a humble, self-effacing man of goodwill," Connor said in his daily newsletter. "The president could not have picked a better person to serve in this new role."

But many religious aid workers and others worry that the faith-based initiative is a now a mere ghost of what Bush presented a year ago. The president didn't outline any new plans or direction for the office at the Towey introduction, as some media predicted he would. He still called it "one of the most ...