Latest news with #religiousFreedom
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chinese government officials ban LDS Church activities in Beijing
BEIJING, China () — Government officials in Beijing released an announcement last week banning activities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On Sunday, June 22, the it was banning the 'Mormon Beijing Branch.' The bureau cited a . The agreement reads as follows: 'The registration and management bureau must cancel the registration of social organizations that engage in fraudulent or deceptive activity when applying for registration or that have not conducted activities within one year of receiving the 'Social Organization Legal Entity Registration Certificate.'' In response, Doug Anderson, global director of Media Relations for the Church, said, 'The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints strives to honor, obey, and sustain the law in every country and encourages its members to do the same.' Arizona cuts ties with Kane County ambulance services leaving large part of Northern Arizona without coverage The ban comes amid recent crackdowns by the Chinese Government on foreign religious groups. In March 2025, implementing tighter restrictions on many religious groups, according to Chinese State Media. The order requires foreign religious organizers to 'have no hostile words or deeds against China, have no negative records.' Groups are now required to provide city officials with a number of details of the religion's activities including 'time arrangement, activity methods, number of activities, number of participants, security measures, etc.,' the order states. 'In places where laws are evolving and subject to interpretation, it seeks understanding through dialog and adapts to changing environments as needed,' Anderson added. On April 5, 2020, in a stunning announcement, President Russel M. Nelson announced . However, no groundbreaking date has been released. Several injured, including officer, after firework explodes in July 4th celebration crowd France canyon fire remains below 35,000, slight improvement in air quality Two men arrested after Taylorsville fight turns deadly Missing man last seen at Logan restaurant, abandoned vehicle found in southern Idaho Jazz trade John Collins in three-team deal Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The spiritual significance of Independence Day
Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teach that July 4, the day the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776, has spiritual as well as historical and political significance. From Joseph Smith to current church leadership, these religious authorities have affirmed the divine inspiration of America's founding documents. By outlining the heavenly origin of human rights, the Declaration of Independence broke with centuries of monarchy to establish a foundation for religious and civil freedoms that the existence of the church depends on. Here is a collection of statements from church leaders about the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the founding of the United States of America gathered from church historical documents and publications: President Joseph Smith March 1839: 'The Constitution of the United States is a glorious standard. It is founded in the wisdom of God. It is a heavenly banner.' July 1843: 'It is a love of liberty which inspires my soul. Civil and religious liberty were diffused into my soul by my grandfathers, while they dandled me on their knees.' October 1843: 'I am the greatest advocate of the Constitution of the United States there is on the earth. In my feelings I am always ready to die for the protection of the weak and oppressed in their just rights.' President Brigham Young July 1854: 'The signers of the Declaration of Independence and the framers of the Constitution were inspired from on high to do that work.' President Wilford Woodruff April 1898: 'Those men who laid the foundation of this American government and signed the Declaration of Independence were the best spirits the God of heaven could find on the face of the earth. They were choice spirits, not wicked men. General Washington and all the men that labored for the purpose were inspired of the Lord.' President David O. McKay October 1939: 'Next to being one in worshiping God there is nothing in this world upon which this church should be more united than in upholding and defending the Constitution of the United States.' President J. Reuben Clark April 1957: 'I declare that the divine sanction thus repeatedly given by the Lord himself to the Constitution of the United States as it came from the hands of the framers with its coterminous Bill of Rights, makes of the principles of that document an integral part of my religious faith. It is a revelation from the Lord. I believe and reverence its God-inspired provisions.' President N. Eldon Tanner April 1976: 'No constitution on earth has endured longer than this one. ... It was and is a miracle. ... It is an inspired document written under the guidance of the Lord. ... We believe that the Constitution was brought about by God to ensure a nation where liberty could abound and where his gospel could flourish.' Elder L. Tom Perry June 1976: 'The Lord himself said that he raised up 'wise men' for the purpose of founding the United States' constitutional government, a form of government that has been modeled and patterned after all over the world because it provides the kind of freedom, agency, and opportunity our Father's children need in order for them to grow, mature and develop.' President Ezra Taft Benson October 1976: 'The Declaration of Independence to which these great men affixed their signatures is much more than a political document. It constitutes a spiritual manifesto — revelation, if you will — declaring not for this nation only, but for all nations, the source of man's rights." President Gordon B. Hinckley August 1999: 'Both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States were brought forth under the inspiration of God to establish and maintain the freedom of the people of this nation. I said it, and I believe it to be true. There is a miracle in its establishment that cannot be explained in any other way.' President Russell M. Nelson May 2004: 'Thomas Jefferson, the author of the American Declaration of Independence, wrote that men are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The pursuit of happiness is not possible without the ability to pursue personal purpose in life and to seek knowledge of one's relationship to the divine.' President Dallin H. Oaks April 2021: 'Our belief in divine inspiration gives Latter-day Saints a unique responsibility to uphold and defend the United States Constitution and principles of constitutionalism wherever we live.' Elder Quentin L. Cook October 2021: 'In our doctrine we believe that in the host country for the Restoration, the United States, the U.S. Constitution and related documents, written by imperfect men, were inspired by God to bless all people.'
Wall Street Journal
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
The Supreme Court's Good Sense on Parental Rights and Porn Sites
Today's Supreme Court is a historic conservative achievement, and a useful exercise is occasionally to imagine liberal Justices in charge. Consider two rulings that the Court issued Friday at the end of another excellent term. One lets religious parents opt their children out of transgender storytime in elementary school. The other lets states require that pornography websites verify the age of their users. Both decisions were 6-3, with the liberal Justices in impassioned dissent. The first case was brought by Muslim, Catholic and Orthodox parents who objected when their Maryland school district added storybooks with gender messaging to its elementary reading lessons. 'I don't feel like a boy. I AM a boy,' says Penelope, the protagonist of 'Born Ready.' School administrators refused even to tell families in advance when that material would be used. This 'burdens the religious exercise of parents,' Justice Samuel Alito writes in Mahmoud v. Taylor. 'And a government cannot condition the benefit of free public education on parents' acceptance of such instruction.' The storybooks for young children are intentionally didactic. The moral implication of 'Born Ready,' as Justice Alito puts it, 'is that it is seriously harmful to deny a gender transition and that transitioning is a highly positive experience.' Writing in dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor focuses on another story, about Uncle Bobby's wedding to his boyfriend. Such books, she suggests, merely expose students 'to the 'message' that LGBTQ people exist, and that their loved ones may celebrate their marriages and life events.'
Fox News
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Bondi vows to 'protect every religion in this country' after Wray-era controversy
Attorney General Pam Bondi spoke about the Department of Justice's (DOJ) efforts to protect religious freedom rights during a House hearing Monday and indicated to lawmakers that she was focused on a range of religions, from Judaism to Islam. "It's not only Catholics, it's every religion, and even mosques that were slow-walked under the Biden administration and not allowed to open," Bondi said. "We will protect every religion in this country." The attorney general's remarks came in response to questions from Rep. Riley Moore, R-W. Va., who asked what budget resources Bondi needed to "eradicate anti-Christian bias" in the department. Bondi also referenced recent high-profile incidents that appeared to be rooted in antisemitism, including the murder of two people who worked at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. The pair were gunned down in May outside the Capitol Jewish Museum by a man who shouted "free Palestine!" as he was arrested. Bondi's nod to mosques was an apparent reference to a handful of blue-leaning states closing all religious buildings as part of their COVID-19 protocols in 2020 during the Trump administration. The attorney general said she talks "almost daily" with the DOJ Civil Rights Division, which handles discrimination cases, and she commended division head Harmeet Dhillon, who has upended the division and shifted its focus, in part, to religious freedom. "They are working to protect people of all religions," Bondi said. Moore also broached a controversial internal memo that originated in the FBI Richmond Field Office under former FBI Director Christopher Wray. The memo, which Congress made public in 2023 after receiving it from an FBI whistleblower, offered a threat assessment of "radical-traditionalist Catholics." The internal document laid out what the FBI perceived as a pattern of extremism among a small group of Catholics, identifying them as those who opposed modern-day popes, held "extremist ideological beliefs," and "engaged in violent rhetoric." The document pointed to three real-life examples of criminal suspects who identified with that sect of Catholicism to illustrate its point, and it used the Southern Poverty Law Center, a left-leaning nonprofit, to bolster its assessment. In response to backlash, the FBI retracted the memo. Wray later said he admonished employees involved with making it but also said he did not uncover any "bad faith conduct" among them. Bondi said during Monday's hearing that under her tenure, the DOJ will not use the Southern Poverty Law Center as a resource.
The Independent
02-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
Man convicted over Koran-burning in London says ruling is assault on free speech
A man who burned a Koran outside the Turkish consulate in London has branded his prosecution 'an assault on free speech' as campaigners argued the ruling 'signals a concerning capitulation to Islamic blasphemy codes'. Hamit Coskun was found guilty on Monday of a religiously aggravated public order offence, having shouted 'f*** Islam', 'Islam is religion of terrorism' and 'Koran is burning' while holding the flaming religious text aloft earlier this year. The 50-year-old had argued his criticism was of Islam in general rather than its followers, but District Judge John McGarva said he could not accept this, finding that Coskun's actions were 'highly provocative' and that he was 'motivated at least in part by a hatred of Muslims'. Coskun was convicted at Westminster Magistrates' Court of a religiously aggravated public order offence of using disorderly behaviour 'within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress', motivated by 'hostility towards members of a religious group, namely followers of Islam', contrary to the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and section five of the Public Order Act 1986. Turkey-born Coskun, who is half- Kurdish and half-Armenian, travelled from his home in the Midlands to carry out the act in Rutland Gardens, Knightsbridge, on February 13 and in court argued he had protested peacefully and burning the Koran amounted to freedom of expression. His legal fees are being paid by the National Secular Society (NSS) and the Free Speech Union (FSU), both of which criticised the ruling and said they intend to appeal 'and keep on appealing it until it's overturned'. In a statement issued through the FSU, Coskun said: 'This decision is an assault on free speech and will deter others from exercising their democratic rights to peaceful protest and freedom of expression. 'As an activist, I will continue to campaign against the threat of Islam. 'Christian blasphemy laws were repealed in this country more than 15 years ago and it cannot be right to prosecute someone for blaspheming against Islam. Would I have been prosecuted if I'd set fire to a copy of the bible outside Westminster Abbey? I doubt it.' Conservative shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick, posting on social media platform X, said the decision was 'wrong' and 'revives a blasphemy law that parliament repealed'. Judge McGarva, who issued a fine of £240, rejected the idea that the prosecution was 'an attempt to bring back and expand blasphemy law'. In his ruling, he said burning a religious book and making criticism of Islam or the Koran are 'not necessarily disorderly', but added: 'What made his conduct disorderly was the timing and location of the conduct and that all this was accompanied by abusive language.' The judge said Coskun, who is an atheist, has a 'deep-seated hatred of Islam and its followers', based on his experiences in Turkey and the experiences of his family and that it was 'not possible to separate his views about the religion from his views about its followers'. The judge said: 'A criminal conviction is a proportionate response to the defendant's conduct. 'I am sure that the defendant acted in a disorderly way by burning the Koran very obviously in front of the Turkish consulate where there were people who were likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress and accompanying his provocative act with bad language. 'I am sure that he was motivated at least in part by a hatred of Muslims. I therefore find the defendant guilty.' NSS chief executive Stephen Evans described the verdict as 'a significant blow to freedom of expression' and one which 'signals a concerning capitulation to Islamic blasphemy codes'. Mr Evans said the conviction 'suggests a troubling repurposing of public order laws as a proxy for blasphemy laws'. He added: 'This jeopardises freedom of expression by establishing a 'heckler's veto' that incentivises violent responses to suppress views deemed offensive. 'Such an erosion of free speech is detrimental to community relations. Social cohesion is best achieved not by restricting rights but by fostering their free exercise.' An FSU spokesperson said they will take the case 'all the way to the European Court of Human Rights' if necessary. They added: 'Religious tolerance is an important British value, but it doesn't require non-believers to respect the blasphemy codes of believers. On the contrary, it requires people of faith to tolerate those who criticise and protest against their religion, just as their values and beliefs are tolerated.' Humanists UK said that while the 'defendant's views, revealed in the course of the trial, are bigoted, and all decent people would be repelled by them', he had not expressed 'anything publicly that was prejudicial against Muslims' meaning in their view the ruling 'does raise concerns'. The organisation said the 'bar to successful prosecutions in cases like this is drawn too low' and warned public order legislation must not be 'used to disproportionately target speech – even offensive speech – on religious matters, thereby chilling legitimate criticism and expression'. In footage captured on a mobile phone by a passerby that was shown to the court, a man approached and asked Coskun why he was burning a copy of the Koran. Coskun can be heard making a reference to 'terrorist' and the man called the defendant 'a f****** idiot'. The court heard that the man approached Coskun allegedly holding a knife or bladed article and appeared to slash out at him, chase him and spit at and kick him. The man said: 'Burning the Koran? It's my religion, you don't burn the Koran.' Coskun had posted on social media that he was protesting against the 'Islamist government' of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who the defendant allegedly said 'has made Turkey a base for radical Islamists and is trying to establish a Sharia regime', prosecutors said. The Prime Minister's official spokesman declined to comment on the case but said there are no blasphemy laws in England nor are there any plans to introduce any.
