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☆ In the holy land, a Christmas spirit is reborn
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Henriette Chacar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] Palestinian Nader Muaddi serves arak at his family distillery in Bethlehem, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, December 11, 2022. "So, it's not only the spirit of Palestine, it's our Christmas spirit." Historically, families across the Levant produced their own wine and arak, which they would share with guests visiting during Christmas. Christians make up a small fraction of the Palestinian population in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. Craft distilleries, wineries and breweries are cropping up across the West Bank.

☆ A Small Texas City Gets a Drag-Queen Parade for Christmas
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Kevin E. Stuart | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Taylor, TexasIn small towns across America, the Christmas parade is often the most charming and unifying event of the year. Young and old alike gather to sing carols, wave at Santa and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ . Such has always been the case in this city of around 17,000, where the annual Christmas Parade of Lights is traditionally organized by the Taylor Area Ministerial Alliance, a consortium of local churches. Last year, however, the Christmas parade turned into something different. This year things have spiraled completely out of control.

☆ U.S. Congress passes landmark bill protecting same-sex marriage
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

It is narrowly written to act as a limited backstop for the 2015 Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, known as Obergefell v. Hodges. The measure would repeal a 1996 U.S. law called the Defense of Marriage Act, which among other things denied federal benefits to same-sex couples. The Supreme Court in 1967 declared prohibitions on interracial marriage unconstitutional. But the legislation would not bar states from blocking same-sex or interracial marriages if the Supreme Court allowed them to do so. About 568,000 married same-sex couples live in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America doesn’t support same-sex marriage. It demonstrates that the American model of representative democracy — though riddled with divisions — can still address complex contemporary issues. This victory was achieved because the Respect for Marriage Act also includes important principles of religious freedom for those who don’t endorse same-sex marriage itself. On the right, criticism has largely centered on calling for even stronger religious freedom amendments or strenuously objecting to the inclusion of same-sex marriage in any federally codified definition of marriage. But over time, the model of political pluralism embodied in the Respect for Marriage Act can help renew national trust.

☆ Gay marriage bill wins enough votes for U.S. House passage
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The House vote was ongoing, with a majority already voting in favor. It is narrowly written to act as a limited backstop for the 2015 Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, known as Obergefell v. Hodges. The Supreme Court in 1967 declared prohibitions on interracial marriage unconstitutional. But the legislation would not bar states from blocking same-sex or interracial marriages if the Supreme Court allowed them to do so. Republican supporters hailed its affirmation of protections for religious groups who disagree with gay marriage.

☆ Polygamous leader in Arizona had more than 20 ‘wives,’ including children, feds say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Antonio Planas | Antonio Planas Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Bateman was the leader of a branch of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the affidavit said. The girls had escaped from their group homes in Arizona, the affidavit said. On Sept. 14, nine girls were taken into custody with the Arizona Department of Child Services, according to the affidavit. A defendant named in the affidavit became one of Bateman’s wives when she was under 18. The woman left Bateman and that's when he began accumulating wives, the affidavit said.

☆ LGBTQ students wrestle with tensions at Christian colleges
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

“It’s kind of a tightrope,” said John Scarano, campus ministry director at John Carroll University, a Jesuit school near Cleveland with “safe zone trainings” as part of its ministry to LGBTQ students. Last year, 33 LGBTQ students or former students at federally funded Christian schools filed a class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education, claiming the department’s religious exemption allows schools that receive federal dollars to unconstitutionally discriminate against LGBTQ students. In May, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights launched a separate investigation for alleged violations of the rights of LGBTQ students at six Christian universities — including Liberty University. A high-stakes clash between students, faculty and the school’s board of trustees over hiring LGBTQ faculty is unfolding at Seattle Pacific University, a 131-year-old school affiliated with the Free Methodist Church. “I find that tragic.”To students like Fisher in Minnesota, concrete actions will show if LGBTQ people can truly be welcomed on Christian campuses.

☆ Christmas vacations: 15 of the best places to go
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

The Bath Christmas Market has a multitude of wooden chalets selling distinctively British handmade crafts in a quaint Georgian setting. Bogotá, ColombiaA woman dressed as Santa Claus sits next to a Christmas tree and a Christmas star at Bolivar Square in Bogota. Salzburg and Oberndorf, AustriaThe Christmas Market and associated festivities in Salzburg are really something to sing about. Dating back to 1570, Strasbourg claims to be the oldest Christmas market in France and one of the oldest in Europe. damianalmua/Adobe StockThe traditional Christmas colors of red, green and white take on an entirely new meaning in New Zealand.

Persons: CNN —, Santa Claus, Claus, ”, Allan Baxter, Jesus, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Centre –, Austen, Melchior, Gaspar, Balthazar, Roy Rochlin, Bergdorf Goodman, Wangari Maathai, Fernando Vergara, “ Ruta, John’s, Miguel de Allende, Mary, Joseph, “ posada ”, Mozart, White Organizations: CNN, Bath Abbey, Jane Austen Centre, The, Royal, Catholic, Rockefeller, Getty Images Rockefeller, New York, Radio City, Columbus Circle, Fashion’s, Saks Fifth, Macy’s Herald Square, Kenyan, Park, Nuremberg, Toy Museum, Bolivar, Downtown, Malta Toy Museum, Quebec City, Adobe, Nord Expe, Mexico Piñatas, UNESCO, ”, Santa Locations: England, Philippines, Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland, Santa, Bethlehem , Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, New York City, Bethlehem, Moravian, Bath, “, Fernando , Philippines, Asia, San Fernando, Catholic Philippines, Manila, of Bethlehem, Barcelona, Spain, Santa Eulalia, New York City New York, Central Park, Macy’s, Nairobi, Kenya, Nuremberg, Germany, German, Bogotá, Colombia, Bogota, Christmastime, Malta, Downtown Valletta, Quebec City, Canada, Petit Champlain, Quebec, Old Quebec, Sentier, Nord, Miguel, Mexico, posadas, ponche, Piñatas, Salzburg, Oberndorf, Austria, ” Salzburg, Bavaria, Strasbourg, France, Europe, Queenstown , New Zealand, New Zealand, Queenstown, Wakatipu

☆ From wine to fishing tackle, retailers pray Advent calendars draw in shoppers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Doyinsola Oladipo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Dior is selling a $3,500 Advent calendar inside a wooden and cotton canvas box fashioned like its Paris boutique on Avenue Montaigne. For toddlers, Walmart sells the Baby Shark Advent Calendar, priced at $44.99. And for anglers, there's a $34.99 fishing tackle Advent calendar with life-like and color-changing soft baits at The Fishing Shop. Selfridges & Co has 128 Advent calendars priced from 4.99 to 623 pounds this season, more than double last year's offerings. The ALDI Holiday Magic Wine Advent Calendar includes 24 unique labels and 16 wine varieties from eight countries of origin for $59.99.

Aaron Brink told the news station that he had mourned the loss of his child and had gone through a meltdown. Aldrich's mother, Laura Voepel, was also living in Texas. Brink told KFMB that he was the one who taught his child to fight. Law enforcement personnel stand outside Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Sunday, following a fatal mass shooting. Brink told KFMB that he loved Aldrich "no matter what" and asked people to “please forgive” his child.

☆ Faith groups split over bill to protect same-sex marriage
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Among U.S. faith leaders and denominations, there are sharp differences over the bill advancing in the Senate that would protect same-sex and interracial marriages in federal law. Meanwhile, many left-of-center faith leaders are cheering the bill, including some who planned a Thursday morning rally at the U.S. Capitol. A final Senate vote is expected soon, and the measure — if approved — would then return to the House for consideration of Senate changes. An opinion at that time from Justice Clarence Thomas suggested that an earlier high court decision protecting same-sex marriage could also come under threat. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, an American Baptist pastor who is president of Interfaith Alliance and is part of a same-sex marriage.

☆ Candace Cameron Bure faces backlash after announcing ‘traditional marriage’ project
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The actor Candace Cameron Bure is facing backlash following her recent comments about her new TV project that she said will prioritize portraying "traditional marriage." “I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core,” she reportedly told the magazine. A representative for Cameron Bure did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News. On its social media pages, the Great American Family describes its programming as "celebrating faith, family and country." In a September interview with Variety, Cameron Bure said she would have an "executive role" at the network and act in its films.

☆ Mormon church backs U.S. measure to protect gay marriage
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Utah-based church said in a statement posted on its website its doctrine related to marriage - that God commanded it be between a man and a woman - would remain unchanged. The change states that the bill would have no impact on religious liberties protected under the U.S. Constitution. Specifically, the Senate version states no church can face a civil lawsuit or other legal action for refusing to provide any service or access to its facilities for any marriage it opposes. The Senate is expected to approve its version of the "Respect for Marriage Act" as soon as this week. The Mormon church said the amended legislation "is the way forward."

☆ Mormon church comes out in support of same-sex marriage law
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Yet it said it would support rights for same-sex couples as long as they didn’t infringe upon religious groups’ right to believe as they choose. The faith opposes same-sex marriage and sexual intimacy, but it has taken a more welcoming stance to LGBTQ people in recent years. 8, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman in response to cities such as San Francisco granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples. It has since made incremental changes, including allowing the children of same-sex couples to get baptized. The faith opposes laws that would make it illegal for churches to not allow to same-sex couples to marry on their property.

☆ Republican Sen. Mike Lee faces off against independent Evan McMullin in the Utah Senate race
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Utah GOP Sen. Mike Lee is running for a 3rd term against independent candidate Evan McMullin. In the Senate, Lee serves on the Judiciary Committee, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, the Joint Economic Committee, and the Special Committee on Aging. Utah independent Senate candidate Evan McMullin. Republicans have won every presidential race in the state since 1968, often with landslide margins, and the last Democrat to win a Senate race in the state was Frank Moss in 1970. In the 2020 presidential election, Trump defeated now-President Joe Biden in Utah by 20 points (58%-38%), a significant drop from Romney's sweeping victory (73%-25%) over Obama in 2012.

☆ Five centuries on, Milan still echoes with the genius of queer icon Leonardo da Vinci
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Dan Allen | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

Since his death more than 500 years ago, multihyphenate genius Leonardo da Vinci and his spectacular works have inspired respect and wonder in generation after generation the world over. “Likewise in painting, I can do everything possible as well as any other, whosoever he may be,” da Vinci offered, not incorrectly. Today, his engineering genius and the advancements it inspired are showcased at Milan’s Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci, the largest science museum in Italy. The museum’s Leonardo da Vinci Galleries, reimagined for the 2019 celebrations, use more than 170 historical models, artworks, codexes and installations to bring the artist’s story to life. Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" in the Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.

☆ Mike Lee tries to distance himself from Trump in Utah debate
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

OREM, Utah — Fending off attacks from his independent challenger, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah worked to distinguish himself from former President Donald Trump in a contentious debate Monday evening. Lee faces a challenge from Evan McMullin, a former Republican known most for his long-shot bid for president six years ago, when as an independent he won 21.5% of voters in Utah, including Lee. Lee’s attempts to draw a distinction with Trump reflect the peculiar dynamics emerging in Utah this election cycle. What I think he’s trying to do is draw that contrast,’” Utah Republican Party Chair Carson Jorgensen said. Trump failed to win support from a majority of Utah voters in 2016 and Joe Biden performed better with Utah voters in 2020 than any Democrat since 1964.

☆ Idaho man dies while fighting as volunteer in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The 34-year-old Idaho man died Tuesday from injuries sustained during during a Russian attack in Luhansk. “I have a picture of the truck,” Corry said in a phone interview Friday. “Sometimes it was harder for him to mesh in the civilian world.”When Russia invaded Ukraine, Partridge felt a need to help the Ukranians. At least four other U.S. citizens have been killed while fighting in Ukraine, based on reports from their families and the U.S. State Department. The Ukrainian government has recruited people with military experience to join the International Legion for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine.

☆ Inside the cold war between Amazon and unions, which are wielding drones and secret agents to expose the company's labor practices
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Katherine Long | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Unions infiltrated Amazon construction sites in Oregon and Washington seeking regulatory violations. On a frosty morning in February 2021, Tom Tanner walked into an under-construction Amazon warehouse in eastern Washington seeking work. Campaigns to organize Amazon warehouse workers have grabbed national headlines. Amazon workers at the LDJ5 Amazon Sort Center join a rally in support of the union on April 24 in Staten Island, New York. Wendell Jeffson in a boom lift at the Amazon warehouse in Shelby, Michigan, when he was 17.

☆ YouTubers are pushing dodgy crypto investment advice. Here’s why you should ignore it.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Rob Price | Meghan Morris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Together, these revenue streams mean cryptocurrency influencers profit off their viewers no matter which way the market turns. Of course, crypto YouTube is a far cry from the regulated world of traditional finance. Armstrong told the Post that he made "maybe close to a million" from before dropping sponsored content in January 2022. A price list leaked by ZachXBT appears to show that dozens of small crypto influencers also have menus for similar undisclosed deals. But with little regulatory oversight, crypto influencers show little sign of slowing down — despite the precipitous decline of the crypto market.

☆ Donald Trump shares Truth Social photo proclaiming him as second only to Jesus
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Donald Trump shared a Truth Social post comparing him to Jesus Christ. The post by Truth Social user @austinnegrete said: "Jesus is the Greatest. Trump "ReTruthed," or reposted, the Jesus comparison to his 4.1 million Truth Social followers. In August 2019, Trump told reporters in reference to trade with China: "I am the chosen one." Trump told his supporters in North Carolina that Jesus Christ was actually more famous than him.

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump promoted several posts on his social media platform early Friday about the QAnon conspiracy theory. Many of those arrested in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol were QAnon followers. Two other posts he promoted on Truth Social included explicit religious connotations — including one that stated: "I believe God can do it through him." Trump has posted and reposted QAnon-related material before, but it's now becoming a consistent embrace for him. The QAnon conspiracy theory was built around Q, an anonymous account that posts periodically on 8kun, often with vague or symbolic language that is then interpreted by followers.

During the game, she said, the crowd nearby began chanting “F--- the Mormons.” Over and over. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, BYU’s sponsoring institution, Aubrey wanted the chanting to stop. Latter-day Saints have a fair track record when it comes to cheek-turning. There’s of course a balance to strike in the case of the Oregon chants. And yet, if you can publicly chant “F--- the Mormons” with only minimal social consequences, it’s time for Latter-day Saints to collectively push, as Aubrey sought to do, for greater and more immediate action.

And rather than worship the divine, the crowd was there to herald the malign: Donald Trump and his brand of hateful, intentionally divisive politics. Similar to a creed, Trump shared his litany of election-denial lies that have come to constitute the Republican Party platform. The intentional coupling of MAGA politics with religious imagery isn’t merely a rhetorical act, either. Trump’s Ohio rally is hardly the only recent example of a politician appropriating religious symbols to seize power. Here, too, Christians are speaking out against his hijacking of the church for right-wing politics.

☆ U. of Oregon apologizes for 'despicable chants' at football game
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-18 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Oregon's interim vice president for student life, Kris Winter, said in a statement Saturday night that "the university apologizes for the despicable chants made by some University of Oregon fans at today’s football game with Brigham Young University." The Oregon Ducks won the game Saturday at their Autzen Stadium 41-20. "The offensive chant from our student section directed towards BYU during the football game last night does not align with our Trojan values," USC's athletic department tweeted at the time. BYU won that game, played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, 35-31. It is unclear whether the chants from University of Oregon fans could be heard on the television broadcast of Saturday's game, according to the Deseret News.

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