"The Very Rev. Robert Taylor, dean of the cathedral, informed parishioners in a March 21 letter that the church fell short of its annual fund-raising goal and would be laying off the three women."

What makes this news outrageous is the Times report of Taylor's recent raise in salary:

"Church leaders ... said Taylor's raise was to make his salary - $175,000 - comparable to those at Episcopal churches of similar size and was funded through gifts for that purpose."

"Quite religious" is an awkward place to be stranded between the more robust stations of militant secularism and theological fanaticism. "Quite religious" is also an accurate description of our contemporary Easter. On Friday, Gerard Baker wrote in these pages that in Japan, where there are not many Christians and an element of confusion is perhaps understandable, it is possible to purchase a Father Christmas nailed to a Cross. Coming soon, a chocolate egg nestling in a Nativity manger?

Sir Elton's 60th birthday bash was celebrated last Saturday at New York's Episcopal Cathedral of St John the Divine, with 400 revelers in attendance. Lots of big name celebs were there - Jon Bon Jovi, Richard Gere, Whoopi Goldberg, Rod Stewart, and Barbara Walters - all noticeably greying a bit.

Perhaps you did not ask yourself why this man would want his "private party" in a cathedral? This is the man who said in an interview focusing on his sexuality and gay musicians that organized religion "turns people into hateful lemmings." He also said that if it were left up to him he would ban religion altogether. So what was going on here?