Free Republic

About 150 protesters blocked traffic in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral early on New Year’s Day — and someone marred the facade of the church with graffiti during the demonstration, according to cops. [cut] The protesters, affiliated with Black Lives Matter Brooklyn and Justice for George, started marching at the Stonewall Inn and had stopped at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, police sources said. While inspecting the scene, cops found the letters “ACAB” — which stands for “All cops are bastards” — newly graffitied in pink, about 2 feet by 4 feet, on the facade of the cathedral, police said.

By their reckoning, white evangelicals have become reckless plague-bearers with no regard for the poor and oppressed, and their cruelty rightly earns them the world’s opprobrium.So much for peace on earth and goodwill to men. America’s legacy media elites used the Sunday before Christmas for extra Christian-bashing, with white evangelicals the preferred targets. Writing in The New Yorker, Michael Luo complained that “white evangelical Protestants, once again, overwhelmingly supported President Trump in the election,” and that “churches, particularly conservative ones, fought lockdown orders and rebuffed public-health warnings.” New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof interviewed leftist pastor Jim Wallis, with the...

On Thursday’s “MSNBC Live,” Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) commented on a video of a large church service tweeted by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) by saying that he applauds “those who want to share, as I do, their faith here at the Christmas time, but they are leading to the death of other people, both inside and outside their congregations.” Doggett said, “I live on a street that has two churches, two or three more are within shouting distance of my house here in east Austin. They are all closed. I thought last night — or tonight, as they have...

Oregon has lifted capacity limits on religious gatherings following a series of US Supreme Court orders that indicated Oregon’s restrictions were likely unconstitutional. The change was made in the “Sector Risk Level Guidance Chart” of restrictions published by the Oregon Health Authority in a low-profile footnote that “Capacity limits for faith institutions are recommended only.” Although the Governor’s COVID-19 website has not been updated as of this morning, OHA documents say this change was effective Friday, December 18, 2020. Other requirements, such as maintaining six feet of social distance between households, regular sanitation, and wearing masks are still applicable. This...

Congress may not have realized it, but they hit a stroke of genius when they included faith-based organizations in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) this spring. Congress’ critics should reserve their criticism for other aspects of the nation’s Covid-19 response. The Paycheck Protection Program was designed to help companies and nonprofits retain their employees in the early days of the pandemic shutdown. And, brilliantly, Congress decided late in their deliberations to include faith-based organizations. Our executive search firm works with thousands of the nation’s faith-based organizations, so when PPP passed, we immediately set out to help our clients receive the...

Thanks to a new project from the Moscow Archives and the State Inspectorate for Real Estate, unique documents on a number of churches and chapels destroyed in Moscow in the 1920s and 30s are now available online. The project aims to identify and publish documents connected with the historical appearance of the capital city, according to the official website of the Mayor of Moscow. All materials identified so far—plans, drawings, watercolor drawings of facades—are already available online on the website of the Moscow Archives in the “Unique Documents” section. “Thanks to our joint educational project, Muscovites will be able to...

NEW YORK — A Bible-toting gunman who opened fire at an open air a cappella Christmas choral event, held at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan, was shot dead by police on Sunday after shouting “Kill me!” according to eyewitnesses. Images captured by Reuters show moments from the deadly standoff, including pictures of the gunman, New York Police Department Officers, and frightened onlookers running away and huddling at the scene. “Our Carols for the Community event this afternoon was interrupted by an armed individual, who set off a round of gunfire into the air from our front...

A California Superior Court judge issued an injunction against Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s planned COVID-19 restrictions on a Catholic priest and his parishes earlier this week, citing the recent Supreme Court decision in favor of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn. Judge Gregory Pulskamp slapped down Newsom’s mandates on Thursday in a case brought against state, local, and municipal officials by the Thomas More Society on behalf of Father Trevor Burfitt and his several churches. The complaint, which can be read here, argued that Newsom and those under his authority were discriminating against religious institutions in the name of...

This means they can exceed capacity restrictions.. COLORADO SPRINGS — Worship leaders across the state are preparing to be able to do things a bit differently after a new public health order from the governor will allow places of worship to exceed mandated capacity limits. The order redefines worship services as essential, meaning they’re allowed to go over mandated capacity limits if they can’t perform their essential service without doing so. “I grew up in church and sensed that this is what I wanted to do,” said Vista Grande Baptist Church Pastor Chris Moore. “After college I felt that seminary...

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo bitterly dismissed the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling against his coronavirus restrictions on religious services, claiming the decision is “irrelevant.” On Wednesday evening, the high court ruled in favor 5-4 with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and Orthodox Jewish synagogues in their lawsuit alleging Cuomo’s gathering restrictions, which limited house of worship attendance from 10 to 25 people, violated religious freedom under the First Amendment. “The Supreme Court made a ruling. It’s more illustrative of the Supreme Court than anything else,” Cuomo told reporters on a conference call, the New York Post said. “It’s irrelevant...

A California judge ordered San Diego to reopen strip clubs even as local officials crack down on churches. San Diego Superior Court judge Joel R. Wohlfeil ordered the state to end any actions that prevent the clubs from "being allowed to provide live adult entertainment," according to the decision. The owners of two strip clubs argued that their business is legally protected speech guaranteed by the First Amendment—the same argument that churches have been making about their own services. The judge's decision is not final as that in a full hearing, which will occur at the end of the month,...

Nov. 12 (UPI) -- As the COVID-19 pandemic surges again in the United States, churches are fighting state and local orders that cap attendance at services at lower numbers than allowed at nonreligious places and events, such as stores and protests. Governors and other officials who issue the orders say the restrictions are necessary to minimize the spread of coronavirus. But religious institutions across the United States have filed numerous court challenges since the spring arguing that the different capacity limits and social distancing requirements for them are unconstitutional. U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., has introduced a bill that would...

A California judge ordered San Diego to reopen strip clubs even as local officials crack down on churches. San Diego Superior Court judge Joel R. Wohlfeil ordered the state to end any actions that prevent the clubs from "being allowed to provide live adult entertainment," according to the decision. The owners of two strip clubs argued that their business is legally protected speech guaranteed by the First Amendment—the same argument that churches have been making about their own services. The judge's decision is not final as that in a full hearing, which will occur at the end of the month,...

In Agudath Israel of America v. Cuomo, (2d Cir., Nov. 9, 2020), the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 decision refused to grant an injunction pending appeal to a group of Jewish synagogues and to the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn in a case challenging New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's restrictions on spots in which clusters of COVD-19 cases have broken out. (See prior posting.) The majority said in part: The Court fully understands the impact the executive order has had on houses of worship throughout the affected zones. Nevertheless, the Appellants cannot clear the high bar necessary...

The decision came following a lawsuit against federal and state officials for an array of religious freedom violations.. Two Colorado churches and their pastors are currently protected from the state’s enforcement of capacity limits and face masks during worship services thanks to an order handed down by a federal judge on October 15, 2020. This decision came following a lawsuit against federal and state officials for an array of religious freedom violations. Thomas More Society Special Counsel Rebecca Messall and co-counsel Brad Bergford, who are representing the congregations and their pastors, were pleased with the order. Messall reports a favorable...

LOS ANGELES, CA—Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, having opposed large religious gatherings in his city for the past 7 months, has suddenly reversed course, allowing a large worship service to take place in the streets of the city last night. Despite the ban on religious gatherings, the worshipers came together to honor their god, LeBron James, in a spontaneous outpouring of love and praise. Worshipers in this religion, rather than singing songs or saying prayers, topple cars and throw things at the police.

Churches are not allowed to hold regular services in California.But massive street riots and celebrations are completely acceptable after the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Final. The celebrations included fireworks and assaulting police.What COVID? Los Angeles is taking to the streets outside of Staples Center after the the Lakers win championship No. 17. pic.twitter.com/w25dbE76hZ— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) October 12, 2020

Communist authorities in southwestern China’s Yunnan province sent a notice to a village warning that any resident who converts to Christianity will face financial penalties or even the confiscation of their land. The notice sent to Huang Fei village in that province’s Yingjiang County, which is close to the China-Myanmar border, states that the residents of the Dai ethnic group are Buddhist and Christianity is an “evil cult,” according to the U.K.-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide, which says that converts in several other villages might've received similar threats either by notice or in-person. It adds that “believing in Jesus Christ and...

It’s Sunday. Many people seek a respite from the world’s insanity by going to church to hear an uplifting message of hope and salvation. If, however, you came home feeling more alienated than heartened and inspired by the message from the pulpit this might explain why: Infiltrating Churches via Leftist Christians …shocking levels of infiltration and manipulation by communists of the Religious Left, particularly the mainline Protestant denominations. They had alarming, tragic success duping the religious Left. That came especially through appeals to “social justice,” to peace, to opposing war, to opposing fascism. The two most successful communist front-groups in...

Pastors John MacArthur and Andy Stanley, who are both influential Christian leaders, presented dueling advice on how churches should respond to government restrictions amid the pandemic this week, with MacArthur urging pastors to open because the supposed need for indefinite lockdowns is a “lie,” while Stanley recommended cooperation. Both MacArthur, who leads Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and Stanley, who leads North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia, shared their thoughts on the controversial issue during a Q Session discussion with moderator and Q Ideas founder Gabe Lyons on Wednesday. MacArthur, who's been locked in an ongoing public...