Friday Snippets and Soundbites

There has been so much going on over here at the ec blog this week that we hope you haven't missed anything! And we've been SO busy, we almost forgot about this week's edition of "Snippets and Soundbites!"

But never fear! It's here. Let's take a look at some of the weird news this week:

Cheater, cheater. 

This week, the news came out that as many as 30 runners in a recent marathon in China had been disqualified for cheating. How do you cheat in a marathon?, you ask. Easy. You used public transportation for part of the route. Or you give your time-recording chip to a faster runner. The marathon, held in the southern port city of Xiamen, took place earlier this month. Almost a third of the runners who finished in the top 100 have now been disqualified. The next question is why would people cheat in a marathon. Well, top finishers had a lot to gain. Those who finished in under 2 hours and 34 minutes could add extra points to their score on China's highly competitive university entrance exams. To read the whole story, go here. To learn about another famous running cheater, go here.

A dog? In church? 

The answer is yes, in Baden, Mo. Recently Our Lady of the Holy Cross Catholic Church got a new priest who brought a special church-goer with him when he moved: Elijah, the Church Dog. A lab and border collie mix, Elijah attends every mass his owner celebrates. The priest, Rev. Don Buhr, came to the inner-city parish from a rural town in which Elijah was allowed to roam freely throughout the countryside—and also come into the church. Buhr asked his new church if it would be OK if Elijah attended services and no one objected. Apparently, the dog is quite calm during the services, quietly meandering about or lying on the floor. To read the whole story, go here.

Helping in Haiti

Today's last news isn't really news of the weird, but we couldn't end this week without reminding you of the suffering and despair the people of Haiti are currently facing after last Tuesday's earthquake. Even before the earthquake, Haiti was the poorest country in this hemisphere. Much of the country was devastated by the earthquake and people are in need. We've written a lot about how you can help and what Baptists are doing to help. Please consider taking action as an individual, a youth group, church, or family, even if all you can really do is pray.