Daily Religion Headlines

Supreme Court sides with California religious ministry against state COVID restrictions
CNN

California church sees victory in order from high court
The Associated Press

NIH director tells churches to do the ‘altruistic, loving thing’ and stay closed
NPR

Governor resistant to mask mandate draws scathing criticism for declaring ‘day of prayer’
The Washington Post *

California megachurch pastor dies days after announcement of COVID-19 diagnosis
Religion News Service

Kentucky religious school defies COVID mandate, court ruling by continuing in-person class
NBC News

Chicago archdiocese to pay $1.5 million in sexual abuse suit
The Associated Press

How Eric Metaxas went from Trump despiser to true believer
Religion News Service
 

Greece’s skeptical church faces hard coronavirus reality
Agence France-Presse

‘Believe in miracles’: Spiritual cures soothe COVID-hit Albania
Agence France-Presse

Are COVID vaccines halal? Malaysia tries to find middle ground
Bloomberg News *

Muslims in Sri Lanka ‘denied justice’ over forced cremations of COVID victims
The Guardian

With no options, displaced Iraqi Yazidis return to homes destroyed in ISIS fight
NPR

Bangladesh ships Rohingya refugees to remote island despite outcry
Reuters

Uighurs forced to eat pork as China expands Xinjiang pig farms
Al Jazeera

Militants open fire and burn police car in Philippine town
The Associated Press
 

The Supreme Court is colliding with a less-religious America
The Atlantic *

Houses of worship shouldn’t be treated like bars or gyms
Bloomberg News *

What to make of the court’s church attendance ruling
RealClearPolitics

Indonesian politics roiled by return of radical firebrand imam Rizieq
Religion Unplugged

Should Hong Kong crackdowns count as ‘anti-Christian persecution’?
Crux

How Hanukkah came to be an annual White House celebration
The Conversation