As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“Jackson County, Ind., can enjoy its holiday cheer, at least for now. A federal appeals court on Thursday hit pause on a lower court order that found a Nativity scene in front of the county courthouse unconstitutionally promoted Christianity.” - WORLD
“Reaction to Gov. Andy Beshear’s request to halt indoor services for houses of worship over the next three to four weeks ranged from disappointment to compassion from a variety of Kentucky Baptist pastors.” - BPNews
“…a new survey shows that most Americans share Justice Alito’s assessment of faith in the public square, with surprisingly strong support among the generation thought to be the most secular.” - Acton
The current COVID pandemic has affected almost every area of life in America, including normal church activities. Most churches cancelled every meeting initially, with some opening up partially and others completely after awhile, while still others remained closed. In many cases, these decisions were made by the churches themselves, but for others, decisions were forced upon them by governmental edict. Details vary from state to state and the situation highlights the issue of religious freedom with special focus upon the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
“[Scalia] held that the Constitution does not allow religious adherents to violate a ‘neutral law of general applicability,’ by which he meant a law that applies to everyone and does not favor or disfavor people based on their religion or lack thereof.” - The Conversation
“The latest report on government restrictions and social hostilities in 198 nations follows the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.” - C.Today
“In Maxon v. Fuller Theological Seminary, a federal court ruled in favor of religious liberty and in so doing enabled the school’s unique Christ-centered mission. The case involved the ability of religious institutions to set admissions standards according to their sincere beliefs.” - C.Today
“Does the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) categorically bar successful plaintiffs from receiving a monetary award? In one of the first cases heard in the new U.S. Supreme Court term, justices heard oral arguments on that question.” - BJC
“Submitted by Thomas More Society on September 29, 2020, the case charges each of the named parties with eight distinct violations of Burfitt’s rights under the Constitution of California.” - MCD
“A federal judge quoted Hebrews 10:25 as he ruled against Mayor Muriel Bowser’s restriction on outdoor church services of more than 100 people, allowing Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., to resume in-person outdoor services.” - C.Post
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