Auld Lang Syne

The end of a year typically brings out lists - top books, top movies, top news items, etc. There are even lists of the best lists making the rounds.

Among the lists that I always like to see are the ones that detail the top religious stories of the year. Time Magazine has one, for instance, but you can find others. Some pitch the story in the other direction; on BeliefNet, for example, the Progressive Revival lists the 10 Worst Religious Stories for 2008.

Then, you can find those media outlets who try to cast ahead and make predictions about 2009. No, I am not referring to the National Enquirer here. In the Washington Post ON FAITH section is a series of essays about what to expect from religion and things religious in the coming year.

With all of that, if you made a list of the top religious stories of 2008, what would you include? If you contemplated the impact or force of religion in the new year, what do you anticipate?

I would love to have reader's responses for either of these categories, but, if you choose not to respond, Happy New Year anyway.