By Mark Michael Religious leaders in Quebec are criticizing new restrictions on worship gatherings announced on September 20 as arbitrary and a violation of religious freedom. COVID-19 infections have recently surged in the province, and the new restrictions class worship gatherings with events like barbecues and weddings that are restricted to 25 people in the urban zones … [Read more...] about Quebec Church Leaders Criticize Gathering Rules
supreme court
‘Living on the Edge of a Knife’
Bishop Andrew Waldo writes to members of the Diocese of Upper South Carolina: In our weekend edition of the EDUSC News, we included a report from the Episcopal News Service about Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination. The article led off with a summary of a statement by the National Council of Churches, of which The Episcopal Church is a member. We felt the statement was … [Read more...] about ‘Living on the Edge of a Knife’
Originalist and Episcopalian
♦ ♦ ♦ Robert Barnes reports for The Washington Post about President Trump’s nomination of Judge Neil M. Gorsuch for the Supreme Court: Gorsuch is seen as a less bombastic version of Scalia; he also believes in an “originalist” interpretation of the Constitution and would seem destined to be a solidly conservative vote on the ideologically split court. But friends and … [Read more...] about Originalist and Episcopalian
Dismay re: Hobby Lobby
Matthew Ellis writes for Episcopal Health Ministries:To what degree does an employer retain religious rights to employee compensation? Why is it acceptable for an employee to use cash from an employer to purchase these contraceptives but not insurance benefits? In either case, isn’t the employer contributing to the same behavior? In the instance of health insurance, isn’t the … [Read more...] about Dismay re: Hobby Lobby
‘An Encouraging Decision’
Eric Teetsel, who directs the Manhattan Declaration, writes at The Federalist about the Supreme Court’s ruling in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby:In a momentous decision, the Supreme Court has ruled that closely-held corporations cannot be forced to include coverage for contraceptives in their employer-sponsored health plans. Applying the rationale of the Religious Freedom Restoration … [Read more...] about ‘An Encouraging Decision’
‘Closer to Justice’
Via President Jennings’s websiteThe Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, president of the House of Deputies of the Episcopal Church, issued this statement in response to the United States Supreme Court’s rulings that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional and that same-sex marriage can resume in California:I join with millions of Christians across the country in celebrating … [Read more...] about ‘Closer to Justice’
Healthy Debate on Health Care
By Lauren AndersonChristian leaders have reached diverse conclusions about health-care reform and the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that the Affordable Care Act stands the test of the Constitution.In a June 28 statement, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops reaffirmed its support of universal health care but stopped short of endorsing the legislation.“For nearly a century, the … [Read more...] about Healthy Debate on Health Care