Papal TCHOTCHKES

I do not know if I would credit the Ship of Fools Web site as the most informative for atheists and skeptics, but it is definitely making a play for being the most entertaining. Consider this contribution made to the discussion over religious ritual at the height of World Cup fever:

Isn't it time you considered taking a vuvuzela to church, to continually praise the Lord during the sermon?

However, in the context of the extent to which consumerism has become the real religion of so much of the world population, nothing can beat their Gadgets for God section. As might be imagined, this site is filled with all sorts of goodies to be purchased in conjunction with the Papal visit to the United Kingdom. Featured is a "handy checklist of 12 must-have Benedictine gadgets," from which I cannot resist naming a few favorites.

Much as I would like to begin with the plastic (and therefore environmentally hostile) Holy Water Bottle, my real favorite is the four-pack of Benny Beer, which really cannot be purchased without also acquiring a Popener:

Those are tough acts to follow, although my own top three would probably also include the Benedictaphone (for conveniently recording all Papal utterances):

Given all the more serious embarrassments currently confronting the Catholic Church, one can believe that they need all the distractions they can get!