Religious News from Around the Web November 30, 2020

Restrictions on Churches Violate First Amendment, Biden Denied Holy Communion, Thanks from Spiritual Leaders, Biden Will Reverse Religious Exemptions to LGBT Discrimination, Zoroastrian Sky Burials Threatened, Police Break Up Online Religious Service, Instant Op-Ed

Supreme Court Rules New York Restrictions on Churches Violate First Amendment

“It is time — past time — to make plain that, while the pandemic poses many grave challenges, there is no world in which the Constitution tolerates color-coded executive edicts that reopen liquor stores and bike shops but shutter churches, synagogues and mosques.” – Bishop of Brooklyn

Biden Denied Holy Communion

President-Elect Joe Biden was denied Holy Communion in South Carolina because of his public support of abortion. The President-Elect has exposed a rift in the Catholic church as to how to deal with such a stance, with some advocating for excommunication. Biden says he personally is against abortion, but doesn’t believe in imposing his beliefs on others.

A Message of Thanks from Five Spiritual Leaders
“We have been struggling to see the light and the hope in these times. Let us use this time to fuel and ignite the passionate light within, which we each desperately will need to kindle love, to make the world a healing place. We have to, because that is the only choice, to choose life, light and love.” Rabbi Riqi Kosovske from the Beit Ahavah Reform Synagogue of Greater Northampton, Florence.

Biden Campaign: He Will Reverse Religious Exemptions to LGBT Discrimination
The Biden campaign says the President-Elect will Push forward a number of LGBT measures including reversing policies “carving out religious exemptions allowing discrimination against LGBTQ people by social service agencies, health care providers, adoption and foster care agencies and other entities.”

Zoroastrian Sky Burials Threatened by Vulture Extinction

Zoroastrians, members of one of the oldest religions on earth, put their dead on “Towers of Silence” to be consumed by vultures. But a drug – Diclofenac – which is given to cattle in India is deadly to vultures and has resulted in a 99.9 percent decline in vulture population which feed on the corpses of cows sacred to Hindus. Thus sky burials are threatened, as well as a way of life and death.

Police Break Up Online Religious Service
England’s second national lockdown – which is due to end on 2 December – communal worship is not allowed but support staff including musicians and singers can attend a place of worship for a broadcast service if they are considered “essential.” But police broke up an online worship service, sent support staff home, and later went to the pastor’s home and told him he would be prosecuted for breaking COVID regulations.

Instant Op-Ed: COVID Restrictions on Churches
By Charles Franklin
There are two issues in treating houses of worship differently than bars, grocery stores etc. in regard to COVID restrictions. First is that no government or group has a right to restrict religious liberty, period. The second issue is that if a rabbi, imam, minister or priest insists on having mass gatherings during a pandemic, common sense should prevail. Don’t let the government take away your First Amendment rights, fight it. But that doesn’t mean you should meet because you have those rights – that’s just stupid to expose yourself and others to a disease. There’s a historical precedent when the Romans invaded Britain 2,000 years ago. They built roads, sanitary sewers, public baths and clean water supplies. But they were the oppressor, so when they left, British society refused to do anything the Romans did. They began letting sewage flow in the streets, refused to take baths, allowed contamination of drinking water and spurred diseases that killed thousands. So go ahead and fight the oppressors of religious liberty but don’t be stupid. Fight for your rights all the way to the Supreme Court – protect your legal rights, but then as individuals you can choose to exercise those rights or not. “I’ll show them!” may be the immediate response, but take another look at what is the more rational course of action and stay home, wear a mask, practice social distancing because it’s smart, not because somebody tells you to do so or not do so.