Atheist Alliance International: Top Religious Influence Stories of 2013

AAI (Atheist Alliance International) Top Religious Influence Stories of 2013 E-mail received on Dec 31st, 2014 Religion continued to wield undue influence in world culture and politics, with a number of seismic shifts felt throughout 2013. Here are the top stories of 2013 as noted by Atheist Alliance International: Pope Benedict XVI Resigns On February 11, Pope Benedict announced to a shocked world that he was resigning as Pope as of February 28 - the first Pope to do so in over 600 years. Although he claimed that his decision was based on his declining health, he also stepped down from a papacy mired in sexual and financial scandals, from the rampant child molestations being uncovered in countries around the world (and the efforts by the church to keep them secret) to the trial of Pope Benedict's whistle-blowing butler to the scandals of the Vatican bank leading to the bank chief's ouster. More than one Vatican-watcher openly wondered whether these scandals weighed a...