Court upholds California ban on church services in pandemic
Los Angeles, USAP California Governor Gavin Newsom had the right to ban church assemblies in the interest of public health during the coronavirus outbreak, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. Newsom’s stay-at-home order did not violate the constitutional rights to free assembly and religion when the Cross Culture Christian Center in Lodi was ordered to cease […]
WHO warns against rushed end to coronavirus lockdowns; spread latest
Zurich/Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters The World Health Organization warned on Wednesday that countries emerging from restrictions to halt the new coronavirus must proceed “extremely carefully” or risk a rapid rise in new cases. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said countries needed to ensure they had adequate measures to control the spread of the COVID-19 respiratory disease like tracking […]
Jim Bakker seeks suit dismissal; ex-governor is his lawyer
O’Fallon, MissouriAP Missouri-based TV pastor Jim Bakker is asking a judge to dismiss a state lawsuit accusing him of falsely claiming that a health supplement could cure the coronavirus, and the lawyer representing Bakker is former Governor Jay Nixon. Republican Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt sued Bakker and Morningside Church Productions Inc in early March. […]
Philippine TV network’s shutdown amid pandemic sparks uproar
Manila, The PhilippinesAP Philippine church and business leaders expressed alarm Wednesday over a government agency’s shutdown of the country’s largest TV and radio network, which has been a major provider of news on the coronavirus pandemic. International watchdogs condemned the closure of ABS-CBN Corp, which President Rodrigo Duterte has targeted in the past for its […]
Traffickers could profit when UK eases lockdown, anti-slavery chief warns
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Britain must be vigilant against human traffickers when it eases the coronavirus lockdown, the country’s anti-slavery chief said, warning of potential exploitation in industries such as hospitality that will be in a rush to recruit new workers. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to present this week a possible way out […]
UK adults pray during coronavirus lockdown “because it makes a difference” – poll
A third of the 44 per cent of UK adults who pray say they have done so since the coronavirus lockdown because they believe it makes a difference, according to the findings of a nationwide poll. The poll, which was commissioned by Christian relief and development agency Tearfund, also found that 24 per cent of […]
Hope amid chaos: In US ‘evangelical mecca’, religious non-profits face unprecedented challenges
STEVE RABEY, in an article first published by Religion Unplugged, looks at the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on religious non-profit organisations in Colorado Springs…
Coronavirus curbs seen taking heavy toll on people without internet
Tbilisi, GeorgiaThomson Reuters Foundation Coronavirus lockdowns mean poor people without internet access are being further marginalised, researchers and rights groups said on Tuesday, urging governments and telecommunications companies to do more to get them online. From schooling to looking for jobs and applying for state aid, lockdown measures have shifted many key activities online while […]
Essay: Religious liberty means COVID-19 restrictions cannot target churchgoers
In an article first published on Religion News Service, TONY PERKINS, president of the Family Research Council, argues that the government should not target religious gatherings or activities for restriction during the coronavirus response…
This Life: Finding joy during the trials
US columnist CAROL ROUND, in an article first published on ASSIST News Service, reflects on how to find joy during these trying times…