Free Republic

At no time in memory have we seen more glaring examples of double standards, blatant hypocrisy, and attacks on religious freedoms than we have during the last two years with the COVID outbreak. It started last year during the lockdowns when liquor stores and abortion clinics were allowed to operate, seeing that they provided “essential services,” while church gatherings were banned and shut down. Then, when crowds of thousands flooded our streets during major race protests and riots, over 1,200 medical professionals signed an open letter supporting the protests. Their argument was that racism was more deadly than COVID. Consequently,...

thenationalherald.comSt. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was the only place of worship destroyed in the tragedy of September 11, 2001. Since then, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese has been working on rebuilding the structure as both a church and a national shrine. In honor of the victims of the terrorist attack, the St. Nicholas Church, still under construction, was lit up for the first time ever on Friday night, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of that sorrowful day. Members of the Greek-American community, local politicians, representatives of Hellenic associations and organizations, and relatives of Greek Americans who lost their lives...

While the state of California and multiple counties continue to settle with churches after imposing unconstitutional restrictions against them, one county is expanding its efforts to pursue damages against a church, claiming their worship services are a public nuisance. . In its latest request, filed Aug. 31, Calvary Chapel has asked the court to dismiss the public nuisance claim along with the $2.8 million in fines levied against it, arguing the county has not provided any evidence to support the accusation that the church has caused any harm to the public. The battle between the county and the church began...

Nearly 2,500 church leaders from different denominations in Australia are urging Prime Minister Scott Morrison not to implement vaccine passports in the country, warning that it would create “an unethical two-tiered society” and “medical apartheid.”The proposed introduction of “vaccine passports” into Australian society, is for many Christian leaders and Christians, “an untenable proposal that would inflict terrible consequences on our nation,” reads an open letter to Morrison, composed by three pastors from Baptist churches and signed by church leaders from across the country.While the Australian prime minister supports the proposal for vaccine passports, the federal government hasn't implemented it, but...

A Coptic Orthodox church in British Columbia was destroyed in a fire on Monday, July 19, just days after an attempted arson attack damaged the church’s door. Local police said they were alerted to a fire at St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Surrey around 3:17 a.m. on Monday. By the time the fire was extinguished, the building was almost entirely demolished and only a single wall was left standing. No one was reported injured in the fire. “While today is a day of sadness, we will not be deterred and we will rebuild,” said Bishop Mina of the Coptic...

Because our media establishment is total garbage, you probably haven't heard about this: Though barely mentioned in US media, 48 Christian churches in Canada have been vandalized or burned down in the past two months…Much of the arson appears linked to white progressives...” Heartbreaking, important story getting almost no coverage in U.S... Canada's churches are burning. Trudeau shrugs.. Yes, 48 churches in Canada have either been vandalized or set on fire in just TWO MONTHS. Here's one of them: Having a hard time processing this right now. The historic & beautiful St Jean Baptist’s parish in Morinville burned to the...

As you go to church this morning, please keep Trinity Bible Chapel (TBC) in your prayers. The Waterloo-based Church has been locked out of their building since late April, despite the fact that their province has, as of two days ago, allowed churches to finally start having indoor church at capacity, so long as they socially distance and maintain two meters. In TBC’s case, the judge on Friday overseeing their case has not yet released his decision over whether or not they can have access to their building again, reserving his decision and saying “I will release something when it...

In some respects, Canada has been a step ahead of America in terms of moral and cultural decline. That means that what happens in Canada today—and I mean what happens in the most negative sense—could well be coming to America tomorrow.Of course, in other respects, America is far ahead of Canada in terms of serious moral issues. Just consider the difference in gun violence between our nations. Or ask yourself who is the world leader in exporting and providing porn; Canada or America?Yet, when it comes to government overreach or attacks on fundamental liberties or hostility towards the Church, Canada’s...

A prominent Indigenous leader in the B.C. Southern Interior is condemning the acts of possible arson after four Catholic churches burnt down on First Nations land in six days. Chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band, who is also the tribal chair and spokesperson of the Okanagan Nation Alliance, said there is no doubt in his mind the fires were intentionally set. “I wouldn’t call it suspicious, I’d call it what it is, it’s a criminal act, it’s vandalism. It’s arson,” he told Global News on Sunday. Obviously, it’s the same group of people. Why did they do it...

In the run-up to the Chinese Communist Party’s planned celebrations to mark 100 years of its existence on July 1, churches affiliated with the government are organizing and participating in events that seek to glorify the single-party rule that has persecuted religious communities. Last month, the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association in Jiangbei district of Chongqing city held an event called “Grateful and Praise for the CCP Pilgrimage to Pay Respect to St. Mary,” according to the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern. People from the association visited churches in that city and held a “Grateful and Praise for the CCP...

This week, a California District Court approved the settlement of Harvest Rock Church and Harvest International Ministry's lawsuit against Gov. Gavin Newsom, establishing the first state-wide permanent injunction in the country against COVID restrictions on churches and places of worship. The Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit religious rights law firm, represented Harvest Rock in their legal proceedings against the governor and the state. Under the settlement agreement, discriminatory restrictions on worship and religious gatherings may no longer be applied to churches and places of worship. According to the permanent injunction, churches and places of worship may never again have discriminatory restrictions...

Let's shake off the influence of those who would have us shrink back and stay silent. Let’s follow Pastor Pawlowski’s lead and be a bold church unafraid to serve God in a hostile culture.Last weekend the world saw a fearless man of God, Pastor Artur Pawlowski, arrested for leading a church service. This faithful pastor, who escaped the iron fist of communist rule in Poland as a child, was handcuffed on the streets of Canada and thrown in jail for refusing to shutter his church. Not too long ago, this shocking display of repression would be unheard of in the...

Edouard de Lamaze, president of the Observatoire du Patrimoine Religieux (Observatory of Religious Heritage) in Paris, is sounding the alarm about the rapid erosion of France’s cultural heritage. “One mosque is erected every 15 days in France,” he said recently, “while one Christian building is destroyed at the same pace. It creates a tipping point on the territory that should be taken into account.” Yes, it should be taken into account by anyone, Christian or non-Christian, who is concerned about the future of France. But it isn’t.According to the Catholic News Agency, “Lamaze’s appeal for increased awareness came after a...

In these dire times, many are looking to the church to offer hope, but true hope and peace only come through conviction of sin and deep repentance. This is how we will truly change our nation. We can’t make bad people good; only God can do that. The term “Achilles’ heel” refers to an area of weakness and vulnerability. The American church today has an Achilles’ heel—a lack of prayer and powerful preaching. Both are vitally important to spiritual health. Sadly, many Christian leaders focus on image rather than intimacy with Christ, being woke instead of waking up from their...

It’s April 26, high time for Ontario Premier Doug Ford to resign How sincere was Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s crocodile tear apology for the Covid clampdown that sees Canada’s most populous province tottering on bankruptcy when just three days later, his henchmen are back ticketing in-person church goers at Kitchener’s Trinity Bible Chapel? Within 24 hours of walking back what were the strictest coronavirus restrictions in North America, empowering police to make random stops on motorists to ticket those on the basis of being out on “non-essential” business, he’s reverted to the newly implemented Covid Integrated Response Team (CIRT).

Updated: April 19, 2021 07:38 PM Created: April 19, 2021 07:35 PM Firefighters are responding to a fire at a church in northeast Minneapolis. According to the Minneapolis Fire Department, the church is located on the 2200 block of Fifth Street Northeast. This is a developing story.

“Vaccinations administered by competent medical professionals protect health and preserve life,” the handbook says in a new section added Wednesday to the General Handbook. “Members of the Church are encouraged to safeguard themselves, their children, and their communities through vaccination... The handbook update also... adds... a new policy against extreme preparation and survivalism..."

We are committing a grave mistake by rejecting our Lord and God Jesus Christ by staying away because government officials say we must,’ the priest said... Irish Catholic priest Father P.J. Hughes has once again been confronted by police. Hughes was fined €500 fine for not turning people away from Mass during the current COVID-19 lockdown. Fr. Hughes, of Mullahoran parish in Co. Cavan, was reportedly approached by Gardai (Irish police) and presented with a €500 fine. His perceived offense was refusing to turn away members of his congregation who turned up in the church for Mass, since he refuses...

Ventura County just announced that it is dropping lawsuits against the remaining five businesses which had resisted COVID lockdown restrictions. BUT, not churches as we learned today from a VC church... .. Per Emily Gardner, Principal Assistant County Counsel, the businesses are: The 5 most recently dismissed cases involved the following businesses: The Original Pizza Cookery Oxnard Bootcamp LLC (referred to as Colosseum Bootcamp) House of Gains Gym, Inc. (referred to as House of Gains) Mrs. Olson’s Coffee Hut Westlake Fitness LLC (referred to as Anytime Fitness Westlake) The previously dismissed cases involved the following businesses: Endo Fitness TO LLC...

Pastor James Coates’ church had been admitting believers exceeding 15 percent of the building’s capacity, violating lockdowns in Alberta... EDMONTON, Alberta,.... Canadian Pastor James Coates, who was jailed for holding church services amid COVID lockdowns, will soon be released from prison. His legal team announced today that Crown prosecutors agreed to drop most of the charges. “The Justice Centre today announced that Crown Prosecutors have agreed to withdraw all but one of the Public Health Act offences that Pastor James Coates has been charged with. The Justice Centre expects Pastor Coates will be released from jail in the coming days,...