Coming from both the left and right, and around the world, we have devoted our careers to protecting people. Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health. The results (to name a few) include lower childhood vaccination . . . Continue reading →
Covid-19
Christian School In Oregon Sues Governor Over Unequal Treatment
After nearly two months of advising that Hermiston Christian School could provide in-person instruction to the 51 students enrolled in its K-12 program, Brown reversed course and, on July 29, ordered private schools in Umatilla County and elsewhere to remain closed while . . . Continue reading →
This Remarkable Address By Justice Alito Is True And Well Worth 30 Minutes Of Your Time
“The Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion. It says nothing about the freedom to play craps or blackjack, to feed tokens into a slot machine, or to engage in any other game of chance. But the Governor of Nevada apparently has different priorities. Claiming virtually unbounded power to restrict constitutional rights during the COVID–19 pandemic, he has issued a directive that severely limits attendance at religious services. A church, synagogue, or mosque, regardless of its size, may not admit more than 50 persons, but casinos and certain other favored facilities may admit 50% of their maximum occupancy—and in the case of gigantic Las Vegas casinos, this means that thousands of patrons are allowed.” Continue reading →
Your Neighbor Has Everything But Hope
“Day one. Day one. Four weeks. I can do it. Day one. Day one.” She wore a wool hat pulled down low over her forehead, and a giant mask, which covered everything but her eyes, and gloves. She moved to the furthest . . . Continue reading →
Federal District Court Strikes Down KY Pandemic Restrictions On Private Religious Schools (Updated)
If social distancing is good enough for offices, colleges, and universities within the Commonwealth, it is good enough for religious private K–12 schools that benefit from constitutional protection. Continue reading
SCOTUS: Exactly The Kind Of Discrimination Forbidden By The First Amendment
…The applicants have clearly established their entitlement to relief pending appellate review. They have shown that their First Amendment claims are likely to prevail, that denying them relief would lead to irreparable injury, and that granting relief would not harm the public . . . Continue reading →
Judge Pulskamp: If People Can Gather In Costco, They Can Gather In Church
Defendants’ efforts to distinguish the permitted secular activity from the prohibited religious activity are not persuasive. For example, Defendants contend that the congregations of shoppers in big-box stores, grocery stores, etc., are not comparable to religious services in terms of crowd size, proximity, and length of stay. To the contrary, based on the evidence presented (or lack thereof) and common knowledge, it appears that shoppers at a Costco, Walmart, Home Depot, etc. may —and frequently do—congregate in numbers, proximity, and duration that is very comparable to worshippers in houses of worship. Continue reading →
A Little Wisdom Might Help Us Love Our Neighbor
Two Albuquerque, NM megachurches are being fined by the governor for disobeying regulations on gathering for worship. Both held Christmas Eve services with crowded auditoriums. In one video there are few masks evident. KOAT has the story. One congregation claims to have . . . Continue reading →
Living Through A Time Of Great Loss
Americans born after World War II, for most of that time, have experienced prosperity and medical progress hitherto unknown in human history. We have been led to expect that, given enough resources, medical science can conquer virtually anything. In an undated story . . . Continue reading →
Religious Liberty Watch: SCOTUS Affirms 6–3 “South Bay” vs. Ninth Circuit
Application (20A138) granted by the Court. The application for injunctive relief presented to Justice Kagan and by her referred to the Court is granted pending disposition of the appeal in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and disposition . . . Continue reading →
Does The Analogy Hold Or How Does Science Work?
I am in the throes of trying to finish the third draft of the commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism (Guilt, Grace, and Gratitude), so I have not been listening to a lot of my podcasts. Mostly these days I hear myself say, . . . Continue reading →
An Outline Of A Moral Objection To Vaccine Mandates
I am not arguing that those who have been or will be vaccinated are sinning but I am trying to sketch the outlines of a case for asserting good-faith moral objections to vaccine mandates. What should we conclude? Do Christians have a right to reject the vaccine on the grounds that it implicates them in the voluntary abortion of humans and the harvesting of biological material for medical use? Continue reading →
Heidelcast 193: Taking Calls On Christian Platonism And Covid-19 Restrictions
We are taking a break from the series, What Must A Christian Believe to take some calls and answer some questions. The first question comes from Deborah in Chicago who asks about the trend among evangelicals to talk about “Christian Platonism.” What is . . . Continue reading →
Why Did They Not Want You To Know This?
An employee of Big Pharma explains what she learned about how the vaccine was developed. Continue reading →
A New Religion With A New Sacrament?
John Calvin (1509–64) famously wrote that the human heart is a “perpetual factory of idols” (Institutes 1.11.18).
Religious Liberty Watch: The Fifth Circuit Grants Stay Of OSHA Vaccine Mandate
…The Occupational Safety and Health Act, which created OSHA, was enacted by Congress to assure Americans “safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources.” See 29 U.S.C. § 651 (statement of findings and declaration of purpose and policy). It . . . Continue reading →
Religious Liberty Watch: OSHA Suspends Vaccine Mandate In Wake Of Fifth Circuit Ruling
There is very little news coverage of this decision but it is on the OSHA website. Continue reading