Tag Archives: COVID–19
Here are a few of California Governor Gavin Newsom’s mostly tyrannical Thanksgiving “Mandatory Requirements for All Gatherings” (emphasis added):
All persons planning to host or participate in a private gathering … must comply with the following requirements. …
Gatherings that include more than 3 households are prohibited. … The host should collect names of all attendees and contact information in case contact tracing is needed later. …
All gatherings must be held outside. Attendees may go inside to use restrooms as long as the restrooms are frequently sanitized. Gatherings may occur in outdoor spaces that are covered by
…
Illinois Family Institute has joined a friend of the court ("amicus") brief supporting Catholic Social Services in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, which was just argued before the U.S. Supreme Court.
At the federal level, the courts generally enforce this amendment by requiring 1) a compelling government interest, and 2) the least restrictive means narrowly tailored to actually achieve that interest (called the strict scrutiny test), before allowing a government to infringe Constitutional rights.
Posted in Federal, Religious Liberty
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Tagged Amy Coney Barrett, Bernie Sanders, Catholic Social Services in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, COVID–19, Employment Division v. Smith, free exercise of religion, James Odom, Philadelphia, Religious Freedom Restoration, Religious Liberty
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With the number of deaths in the U.S. officially attributed to COVID-19 (defined by the CDC as anyone who died with COVID-19, though not necessarily because of it) now around 230,000 and a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases throughout the U.S. over the past few weeks, a growing sense of urgency has been created for a COVID-19 vaccine. Several companies are developing what are said to be promising vaccine candidates, and HHS Secretary Alex Azar said earlier this week that a vaccine should be ready for the most vulnerable subgroups by the end of this year.
Posted in Marriage/Family/Culture, Sanctity of Life
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Tagged aborted fetal tissue, aborted fetuses, Alex Azar, Charlotte Lozier Institute, COVID–19, Dr. David Prentice, Dr. Tara Sander Lee, Health and Human Services, measles, mumps, polio, vaccine, vaccine safety
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Attorney General William Barr and the U.S. Department of Justice have filed an official "statement of interest" backing the Capitol Hill Baptist Church lawsuit against D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
The lawsuit alleges that Bowser has acted unfairly in the application of a ban on outdoor church services that exceed 100 people. The DOJ sided with the church, writing that the actions of D.C. officials have violated the 1st and 5th Amendments, as well as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to play out across America and the world, many questions still remain about what life will look like moving forward. One much-debated topic, of course, has been education. Should schools open their doors or remain virtual? What might hybrid options look like? What safety procedures should be followed for in-person classes?
While those questions have been discussed in the public square, other decisions have been made by families in private. And one decision that many families have made is to begin homeschooling.
According to a report on a Gallup poll1 released on August 25, …
Beginning in March 2020, Americans have been forced to adjust to a “new normal.” Work, school, personal lives and even church have been disrupted for millions. The church issue is especially troubling since religious belief and practice was the very first thing protected in our U.S. Constitution...
On July 29th, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced new COVID-19 restrictions on youth sports statewide for the upcoming school year. Starting August 15, only “low-risk” sports like tennis, baseball, cross country, swimming and golf will be allowed, but “medium” and “high” risk sports, including football, wrestling, soccer and competitive cheering will not be allowed. The governor’s office released a list of sports ranked in terms of their risk for COVID-19 transmittal.
During his coronavirus update last Wednesday, Gov. Pritzker explained,
This isn’t news that anyone wants to hear. But this virus remains dangerous to kids and parents and grandparents, teachers
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Illinois parents, along with millions of other parents across the nation, were tossed into an at-home learning environment this past spring that the public school coined “Homeschooling.” The public schools were ill-equipped for this change-over, despite years of “e-learning days” where public school children learned how to use the software during snow days and other days off.
Posted in Education
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Tagged COVID–19, Department of Children and Family Services, Dr. Chris Dougherty, Dr. Tony Evans, e-learning, Homeschool Legal Defense Association, Homeschoolers Encouraging Loving Parents, homeschooling, Illinois Christian Home Educators, illinoisreportcard.com, Individualized Educational Plans, Regional Office of Education, ZOOM meetings
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In the age of COVID-19, many people are finding themselves in an unfamiliar educational camp with their children. Homeschooling is a subject that every parent with school-aged children is now talking about. But with so much information on homeschooling available online, many parents are overwhelmed and unsure of how to get started. The question I am asked most often is "Where do I begin"?
While 2020 will be at or near record-warmth globally, this is not something we should be particularly alarmed about.
With COVID-19 and demonstrations taking center stage in news coverage, it is easy to forget that we are all dying from climate change, anyway … or so we have been told. The recent claim at cbsnews.com that 2020 will likely be the warmest year on record (globally) leads one to ask: So what?
As summer temperatures began heating up and cases of COVID-19 started trending upward, the media started to look for a place to lay the blame. The New York Times quickly found it – Christians and the churches they attend.
In an article titled “Churches Were Eager to Reopen. Now They Are a Major Source of Coronavirus Cases,” the Times accused churches resuming in person worship services of being responsible for the uptick in the viruses spread. After a few days of criticism, the headline was toned down to read, “Churches Were Eager to Reopen. Now They Are Confronting Coronavirus …
Late last week, Illinois Circuit Court Judge Michael McHaney of Clay County ruled in a lawsuit that “all citizens of Illinois” are free from Governor JB Pritzker's tyrannical orders. This comes after arguably unethical tactics by the Illinois Attorney General to delay the case by trying to remove it to federal court, and the United States Department of Justice filing a Statement of Interest in the case in support of Bailey’s lawsuit.
Posted in Illinois Politics
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Tagged ab initio, Coronavirus, COVID–19, Darren Bailey, Greg Bishop, Illinois Department of Health Ac, Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, JB Pritzker, lock-down, Michael McHaney, Thomas DeVore, WMAY
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When those entrusted with power to protect the God given rights of the people do so selectively, arbitrarily picking and choosing which freedoms are worthy of protection and to what extent, then we are no longer a nation governed by the rule of law but by the whims of men.
Until recently, several states—including Minnesota—declared that it was unlawful to engage in the free exercise of religion in groups of ten or more. When churches dared pursue legal recourse to correct that issue, politicians, pundits and journalists offered criticism.
As one of the attorneys on the receiving end of that criticism on more than one occasion, it left me perplexed. “What’s the big deal?” they might say, “Why can’t churches just worship online?!
Posted in Religious Liberty
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Tagged Bill de Blasio, Bill of Rights, Cornovirus, COVID–19, First Amendment, freedom to worship, J.B. Pritzker, Jacob Frey, lock-down, Religious Liberty, Tim Walz
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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, (working through her city’s director of public health), declares a Romanian church a “public nuisance.” “We will shut you down, we will cite you, and if we need to, we will arrest you, and we will take you to jail,” she tells this small group of former Soviet bloc Christians who refuse to bow to her power.
Posted in Religious Liberty
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Tagged Andy Beshear, Bill de Blasio, Chuck Hoskin, COVID–19, Dr. Everett Piper, George Santayana, Greg Fischer, James Madison, John F. Kennedy, Lori Lightfoot, Phil Murphy, Quinton Lucas, Roy Cooper, Thomas Jefferson
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