[ad_1]
Pope Leo XIV tries to head off claims that chatbots are sentient beings with rights.
[ad_2]
Kristen Ziccarelli
Source link
Tag: Worship
-
Opinion | AI Is a Tool, Not a Soul
-
9th Circuit upholds California gun bans in some ‘sensitive’ places, but not others
[ad_1]
California may enforce its recent ban on guns in “sensitive places” when it comes to parks and playgrounds, bars and restaurants that serve alcohol, casinos, stadiums, amusement parks, zoos, libraries, museums, athletic facilities and the parking areas associated with them, a federal appellate court ruled Friday.
However, the state may not enforce similar restrictions in hospitals or other medical facilities, on public transit, at places of worship or financial institutions, or in the parking areas associated with or shared by those places, the three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals determined.
It also may not enforce its ban on guns at all events requiring a permit, or on visitors carrying guns onto any private property where the owner has not posted signs explicitly allowing them, the panel ruled.
The appellate panel — which simultaneously issued similar findings relating to laws in Hawaii — issued its ruling in response to broad injunctions by lower courts that had blocked the bans from taking effect amid ongoing litigation over the laws.
The panel noted that some locations where it rejected statewide bans, such as banks and churches, could still bar visitors from carrying guns based on existing property laws, but the state governments could not unilaterally and universally do so for them. It said owners of private property are similarly free to ban firearms on their property.
“For the places where we hold that the states likely may not prohibit the carry of firearms, the practical effect of our ruling is merely that private-property owners may choose to allow the carry of firearms,” Circuit Judge Susan P. Graber wrote for the panel. “Owners of hospitals, banks and churches, for example, remain free to ban firearms at those locations.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed partial victory — and said the state would continue fighting to drive down gun violence.
“We refuse to accept shootings at schools, parks and concerts as a normal fact of life. While we fought for the court to go further, today’s ruling affirms our state’s authority to limit guns in many public places,” Newsom said in a statement. “California will continue to take action to protect our residents, and defend our nation-leading, life-saving gun laws from an extreme gun lobby and politicians in their pockets.”
Gun advocates characterized the ruling as a partial win, as well.
“This partially favorable decision from the Ninth Circuit shows how far we’ve come over the past decade. But this case, and our work to restore the right to bear arms, is far from over,” said Brandon Combs, president of the Firearms Policy Coalition, which helped bring the challenge against the laws. “FPC will continue to fight forward until all peaceable people can fully exercise their right to carry in California and throughout the United States.”
Graber, an appointee of President Clinton, was joined in the decision by Circuit Judge Mary M. Schroeder, an appointee of President Carter; and Circuit Judge Jennifer Sung, an appointee of President Biden.
The ruling was the latest to apply the historical test for gun laws set out in 2022 by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn. vs. Bruen. There, the high court said that gun laws are legitimate only if they are rooted in the nation’s history and tradition or sufficiently analogous to some historical law.
Graber’s opinion parsed through an array of historical laws to determine whether lower court injunctions blocking many of the states’ bans on guns in sensitive places should stand, or if they should be reversed based on historical precedent.
In doing so, the ruling divided public places into those where guns may be banned, such as parks; and those where they may not be based on a lack of similar restrictions in the past, such as places of worship.
That partition highlighted a reality under Bruen’s “history and tradition” test that gun control advocates have denounced as preposterous: that it precludes leaders from crafting modern gun laws to address modern realities of gun violence, such as mass shootings at places of worship.
Billy Clark, senior litigation attorney at the gun control advocacy group Giffords Law Center, said the decision “further illustrates that it is constitutional to keep guns out of sensitive places” — but also more evidence of the “chaos” in 2nd Amendment law caused by the Bruen decision.
Janet Carter, senior director of issues and appeals at the gun control group Everytown Law, said her group didn’t agree with all aspects of the decision, but still found it “heartening.”
“Keeping guns out of sensitive places is common sense and these laws are crucial to keeping our communities safe from gun violence,” Carter said.
Adam Kraut, executive director of the gun rights advocacy group Second Amendment Foundation, said California’s expansion of “sensitive places” where guns are banned “goes beyond what the Supreme Court contemplated when it mentioned them in Bruen,” and said his group will continue to fight such bans in court.
[ad_2]
Kevin Rector
Source link -
Cape Ann religious news, services
[ad_1]
Carillon concerts
Carillonneurs Luann Pallazola, Cynthia Cafasso, and Thomas Dort will perform a Christmas in July concert, rain or shine, on Friday, July 26, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church, 142 Prospect St. in Gloucester. The concert of familiar traditional Christmas songs and carols will be recorded for a special CD to help raise money for the parish. Our Lady’s guild members will also offer snacks and drinks for sale.
Installed in 1922, the carillon bells in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church were the first toned set in the United States.
The annual summer carillon concert series continues on Fridays at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 9, 16, 23 and 30. More information is available by contacting Pallazola at lpallazola@gmail.com.
Assisi trip
The Assisi Project will be making a pilgrimage to Assisi, Carceri and LaVerna from Nov. 11-20 with Brother Patrick and the Rev. James Achadinha of Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport. Cost is $4,200 per person includes round-trip air travel, ground transportation, guest house accommodations with single rooms and private bathrooms and travel insurance. Travelers will visit several basilicas and sanctuaries, a hermitage, and Cathedral of San Rufino. Space is limited and reservations are open. More information is available by emailing Father Jim at frjim@assisiproject.com.
Services
First Baptist Church of Gloucester, 38 Gloucester Ave., hosts Sunday Services at 10 a.m. The sanctuary is open for worship, and been marked with arrows for entrance and exit, and some pews have been blocked to help observe proper COVID-19 protocols. Masks are required at all times, as well as practicing social distancing. The service is also available on Facebook Live for viewing as it is being conducted, or for viewing at a future time if desired. All are welcome.
First Baptist Church of Rockport, 4 High St. in Rockport, worships on Sundays at 10 a.m. Worship takes place in the sanctuary and is live streamed via facebook. There is a robust Children’s Church program divided by respective ages that takes place during the service. The service includes traditional and contemporary worship music.
For more information, visit FirstBaptistRockport.org or follow on Facebook and Instagram.
First Congregational Church of Essex holds Sunday Worship service in person & live streaming on our Facebook page (www.facebook/firstcongregationalchurchofessex). Our regular worship service is held from September, after Labor Day to the end of May from 10:30—11:30 a.m., with children’s Sunday school at the same time. Adult Sunday school is at 9:30 am. Family communion for all is held on the first Sunday of every month throughout the year. Summer worship starts the beginning of June to the beginning of September (before Labor Day) from 9:30—10:30 a.m. Visit us at www.fccoe.org. All are welcome!
First Congregational Church, UCC, of Rockport, 12 School St., is meeting in person and online on Sundays at 10 a.m. Links to online streaming can be found at www.oldsloop.org as well as weekly rebroadcasts of the Sunday service. Masks are now optional for in-person services and meetings in the buildings. See the church’s “calendar” of weekly activities and Zoom prayer meetings, storytelling, Bible study, book groups, coffee houses, choirs and poetry at the website, www.oldsloop.org, for times and locations. Questions? 978- 546-6638.
First Parish Church Congregational Manchester, 10 Central St. in Manchester, is hosting in-person and online Sunday morning worship at 10 a.m. Details can be found at firstparishchurch.org. Virtual worship can be found at facebook.com/firstparishmanchesterma/live and YouTube (search First Parish Church Manchester by the Sea).
Mondays: On first and third of month, “Still Speaking” group meets at 7:30 p.m. to discuss modern intellectuals’ thinking on issues of faith, morals and justice as they relate to our spiritual tradition. Last Monday of the month, the Book Group meets at 7 p.m. to discuss of a book of interest to people of various backgrounds.
Wednesdays: Prayer & Meditation, 7 p.m. An opportunity to come together for quiet reflection, sharing of scripture and the offering of prayer intentions.
Thursdays: Bible Study, 4 p.m., discusses upcoming weekly scripture. No preparation is needed.
To join these programs on your computer, tablet, smart phone or phone, contact office.fpchurch@gmail.com or 978-526-7661 for details.
Gloucester Assembly of God, 211 Washington St., hosts Sunday services at 10 a.m. Care is available for infants and children up to age 5. More information is available by contacting Pastor Jim Williams at jim.williams@gloucesterassembly.org or the church office at 978-283-1736.
Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, 10 Church St., holds Sunday services at 10 a.m. in-person in its historic sanctuary, as well as online. Please visit the church’s website, www.gloucesteruu.org, for the link to the livestream. Activities provided during the service for elementary school-aged children. The church is handicap accessible. All are welcome.
North Shore Bible Church, 65 Eastern Ave. in Essex, hosts Sunday services at 10 a.m. The service is also live streamed at northshorebiblechurch.com. For more information call 978.768.3539 or email northshorebible@gmail.com.
North Shore Friends (Quakers) are now meeting at 10 a.m. on Sundays at 74 Hart St. in Beverly Farms. More information is available by contacting Martin Ray at 978-283-4585.
The Orthodox Congregational Church of Lanesville‘s Sunday 10 a.m. worship service takes place in person and online. Visit https://occlanesville.org/ for information or for the link to connect via Zoom or Facebook to participate.
Pigeon Cove Chapel in Rockport‘s services are being celebrated in person and online at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. See its YouTube channel, Pigeon Cove Chapel. 978-546-2523.
St. John’s Episcopal Church, 48 Middle St., has in-person worship Sundays at 10 a.m., and streaming the service live on Facebook, and posting later to YouTube at stjohnsgloucester. Updates, links to services, and more information are available at www.stjohnsgloucester.org.
St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1123 Washington St. in Gloucester, holds worship services every Sunday at 10 a.m., in-person and on Zoom. All ages, genders, sexual orientations, races, and faiths — including non-believers and persons curious about faith — are welcome. More information is available at www.stpaulcapeann.org or by calling 978-283-6550.
Temple Ahavat Achim is meeting in-person and via Zoom. Instructions on how to join the temple’s Zervices may be found at on its homepage, https://www.taagloucester.org/, where details on High Holidays programming can also be found.
Trinity Congregational Church UCC, 70 Middle St., Gloucester, invites all to its Sunday Services at 10:30 a.m. Guest musicians in a range of styles complement the weekly services. Zoom link available for those unable to attend. Please contact the church office, trinity@trinitycongregational.org for the link. Coffee hour following the service. All welcome. Connect with church via email, or online at www.trinitycongregational.org, where a full calendar can be found.
Unitarian Universalist Society of Rockport, 4 Cleaves St., Rockport, has resumed in-person worship on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Services will also be available via Zoom. Check the website (www.uusr.org) for the Zoom ID and password or email us at rockportuu@rockportuu.org, if you cannot attend in person. Everyone is welcome.
Visitation Parish, Churches of Sacred Heart & St. John the Baptist: The Rev. Paul Flammia celebrates Mass in Manchester at Sacred Heart Church, 62 School St., at 5 p.m. on Saturdays and at 8:30 a.m. on Sundays, and at 10 a.m. Sunday at St. John the Baptist, 52 Main St. in Essex. More information may found on the parish website at https://www.mecatholic.org.
West Gloucester Trinitarian Congregational Church, 488 Essex Ave. in Gloucester, an open and affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ, is hosting in-person services Sundays at 10 a.m. with the Rev. Rona Tyndall. Children’s Message & Music offered, children worship with their families. The church offers youth groups for junior high and high school students as well as programs for younger children. Masks are optional in the Sanctuary but are suggested. Services are also streamed live on the church’s Facebook page. You do not need to be a subscriber to Facebook to view the worship service.
Monthly Mission Bin Collection: Canned soup, coffee, tea and cocoa for The Open Door.
Coffee Hour Conversations on Christian Basics; Baptism, Holy Communion, membership and the United Church of Christ, Sunday mornings in Fellowship Hall after worship.
For pastoral needs, questions, or to reach the Rev. Rona Tyndall, please contact the church at 978-283-2817 or www.wgtccucc@gmail.net. The website is www.wgtccucc.org.
Annisquam Village Church, 820 Washington St., is conducting worship Sundays at 10 a.m. in person and via Zoom. There is a new Children’s Church program during the service for children ages 3 to 12; it offers music, storytelling, arts, nature-based activities, movement and more, with trained adult leaders. As an independent, interdenominational church, members come from a variety of religious backgrounds and strive to follow Jesus Christ’s way of love and compassion, while being open to the wisdom found in the world’s great religious and spiritual traditions. A non-dogmatic spiritual community, the church encourages members to care for oneanother and the Earth, and to reach out in service to the community and the world. All are welcome. Parking is available along Leonard and Washington Streets. For more information and web links, please visit annisquamvillagechurch.org.
Cape Ann Bible Church, 8 Thompson St., Gloucester, offers an in-person Sunday Service at 10:30 a.m. and continues to provide it live-streamed on facebook.com/capeannbiblechurch where past services and messages may be found. For more information go to capeannbiblechurch.org or call 978-281-3941.
The Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport‘s churches are open for Masses without capacity limits and reservations.
Saturday Vigil Masses are at 4 p.m. at St. Ann Church, 74 Pleasant St. in Gloucester, and 6 p.m. at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church, 142 Prospect St. in Gloucester.
Sunday Masses will at 7 and 11:45 a.m. in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church, 8:15 a.m. in St. Ann Church, and 10 a.m. in Saint Joachim Church, 56 Broadway in Rockport. Sunday Mass will also be offered online at the churches’ YouTube channel, https://bit.ly/3oXvBnf.
Daily Masses are celebrated at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m., Thursdays and Friday at 8 a.m., and on the first Saturday of the month at 8 a.m.
The sacrament of confession is offered Wednesdays from 6:05 to 6:45 p.m. at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church and by appointment.
The Rev. James Achadinha, pastor of the community, said all pastoral ministry and service organizations are meeting again. Pastoral assistance is always available by calling 978-281-4820 or office@ccgronline.com.
Community Church of East Gloucester, 7 Chapel St., Gloucester. Opportunities to worship available on the church’s website at https://www.eastgloucester.org/news/holy-week-2024.
Listings may be sent to: Religion Calendar, Gloucester Daily Times, 36 Whittemore St., Gloucester, MA 01930; or emailed to Andrea Holbrook at aholbrook@gloucestertimes.com, at least two weeks prior to the event.
[ad_2]
-
Officials talk of restricting masks at protests after violence outside L.A. synagogue
[ad_1]
The violent protest Sunday at a synagogue has prompted Mayor Karen Bass to say Los Angeles should consider rules governing demonstrations and the wearing of masks by those protesting.
Bass on Monday did not offer a proposal but said the city needed to look at the issue — including “the idea of people wearing masks at protests.” A number of pro-Palestinian protesters had their faces covered Sunday.
The mayor, at an afternoon news conference, also said she was seeking city and state funding for additional security measures at places of worship in the city. Hours after the clashes, she ordered the LAPD to increase patrols in the heavily Jewish Pico-Robertson area where the protest occurred and at religious venues.
Masks have been a part of many pro-Palestinian and some pro-Israeli protests over the war in Gaza, including on college campuses.
When a mob attacked a pro-Palestinian camp at UCLA in May, it was difficult to identify suspects because many wore masks that hid their identities. Police said they would use technology that captures facial images and outlines and compares them with other photos on the internet and social media to put names to faces.
It is unclear how the government could restrict mask use at protests.
During the 2020 George Floyd protests, some health officials urged demonstrators to wear masks to protect against COVID-19. Although coronavirus cases have fallen dramatically since then, masks can still offer protection, especially to those who have underlying health problems.
Earlier this month, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was considering a mask ban on the New York subway, saying she was concerned about people with face masks committing antisemitic acts.
“We will not tolerate individuals using masks to evade responsibility for criminal or threatening behavior,” Hochul told reporters at a news conference. “My team is working on a solution. But on a subway, people should not be able to hide behind a mask to commit crimes.”
New York Mayor Eric Adams supported the idea, telling reporters that “cowards cover their faces.”
Some civil liberties advocates opposed the idea.
“Mask bans were originally developed to squash political protests and, like other laws that criminalize people, they will be selectively enforced — used to arrest, doxx, surveil, and silence people of color and protesters the police disagree with,” Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement, according to the Associated Press.
North Carolina has also been talking about a mask ban, citing Gaza war protests. But there has been pushback from some health professionals and people with underlying health problems.
One North Carolina resident told the Washington Post: “I’ve thought I should wear masks with something printed on it like ‘immune deficient’ or ‘cancer patient.’ But we should not have to do that.”
A new proposal now includes health exemptions.
There have been no formal proposals in Los Angeles, and it’s unclear whether the City Council would support the idea.
But a local Anti-Defamation League official expressed support Monday for a mask restriction. Jeffrey Abrams, the ADL’s Los Angeles regional director, stood on stage alongside Bass at the afternoon news conference and said the city needed to do more to protect the community.
“Just as Mayor Bass said, we need to look at every available legal tool, as the city attorney looks at existing anti-masking laws in the state of California,” Abrams said.
The Sunday protest was condemned by top officials including Bass, President Biden and Gov. Gavin Newsom.
A pro-Palestinian protester gets in a car surrounded by pro-Israeli counterdemonstrators near Adas Torah synagogue Sunday.
(Zoë Cranfill / Los Angeles Times)
The protest began Sunday afternoon at the Adas Torah synagogue in the heavily Jewish Pico-Robertson neighborhood but eventually spread into nearby areas over several hours. Fistfights broke out between pro-Palestinian demonstrators — who said they were protesting an event at the synagogue promoting the sale of stolen Palestinian land — and supporters of Israel.
“Yesterday was abhorrent, and blocking access to a place of worship is absolutely unacceptable,” Bass said Monday. “This violence was designed to stoke fear. It was designed to divide. But hear me loud and clear: It will fail.”
“Intimidating Jewish congregants is dangerous, unconscionable, antisemitic, and un-American,” the president said in a statement. “Americans have a right to peaceful protest. But blocking access to a house of worship — and engaging in violence — is never acceptable.”
The law enforcement sources said the event was advertised in Friday’s issue of the Jewish Journal promising to provide information on “housing projects in all the best Anglo neighborhoods in Israel.” “Anglo” is a direct translation from Hebrew meaning “English-speaking.” The ad does not specify where in Israel the real estate is.
Protest fliers posted on social media said, “Our Land Is Not For Sale,” and condemned “land theft,” according to an Instagram post from the Southern California chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.
Hussam Ayloush, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations office in Los Angeles, said the site of the demonstration was chosen not because it was in front of a synagogue but because of the event it was hosting.
The protest “was in response to the blatant violations of both international law and human rights from agencies that seek to make a profit selling brutally stolen Palestinian land as the Israeli government continues its eight-month-long genocidal campaign and ethnic cleansing in Gaza,” he said in a statement.
“Elected officials and the mainstream media have politicized this incident as religious discrimination as opposed to a human rights issue,” Ayloush added.
Rabbi Hertzel Illulian, founder of the JEM Community Center in Beverly Hills, arrived at Adas Torah on Sunday to worship during afternoon prayer and was confronted by a group yelling into megaphones. Some synagogue visitors were blocked from going inside, he said.
“We could not pray well because these people outside were screaming,” he said.
[ad_2]
Karen Garcia, Richard Winton, Hannah Fry, Nathan Solis
Source link -
Photos: Southland celebrates Eid al-Fitr
[ad_1]
Muslim communities ended the holy month of Ramadan on Wednesday and celebrated the holiday Eid al-Fitr.
Ramadan is the month on the Islamic lunar calendar during which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, focusing on worship, charity and good deeds.
The Islamic Society of West Valley celebrated its Eid al-Fitr, which means feasting, festival or breaking the fast, at Pierce College in Woodland Hills.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Women gather on the infield turf for the Islamic Society of West Valley’s Eid celebration in Woodland Hills.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
The faithful gather for the Islamic Society of West Valley’s Eid celebration at the Pierce College football stadium in Los Angeles.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
A boy stands as men kneel in prayer on the infield turf during an open air prayer service at the Pierce College football stadium in Los Angeles.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
A woman with henna tattoos prays during the Islamic Society of West Valley’s Eid celebration and open air prayer service at the Pierce College stadium in Los Angeles.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
[ad_2]
Brian van der Brug
Source link -
Trinity Security Allies & Church Safety
[ad_1]
Press Release
–
updated: Jun 8, 2017
Waynesville, NC, June 8, 2017 (Newswire.com)
–
Are you prepared for the dangers that your house of worship faces today? Threat profiling – ways to make your church a safer place.Jim Howard, a 35-year police veteran and principal with Trinity Security Allies, will make a presentation this Saturday, June 10th at Cornerstone Fellowship Church, 224 Barber Hill Drive, Waynesville, NC 28786. Mr. Howard started his law enforcement career in 1975 with the Norfolk Police Department in Norfolk, VA, and has been in law enforcement either sworn or working for the private sector all his adult life. Jim was with the Norfolk Police Department for 26 years, retiring from there as a Sergeant.
“There is so much value in raising awareness about an everyday threat facing our churches.”
Ed Klaameyer, Congregation President
How do you determine a threat has walked into your church?
Jim’s focus on church safety is that everyone must understand that the church’s key role is to enlarge the Kingdom of God. Jim explains how, by using a combination of time-tested, current trend profiling and behavior-patterning analysis staff, volunteers and members will be able to determent if a person needs help or is a threat to the church. Jim teaches churches to be prepared in today’s uncertain times for every dangerous situation that may come into their church, business, their home and their everyday life.
After becoming the safety team coordinator for Generations Christian Church, Jim started offering safety training to other churches for no cost throughout the Tampa Bay area. Right now, Jim is still working with over 40 churches in the Tampa Bay area, several in North Carolina and South Carolina. Jim holds monthly meetings where he and the other churches talk about current events that would affect a church’s safety and best practices on keeping churches safe.
Jim’s training educates church members, staff and volunteers in situational awareness, where they will look for warning sign, or red flags. He trains them to recognize the danger signs of a disruptive attendee, domestic violence or the possibility of an active shooter, and to alert others that may be able to stop something before it happens. Jim works through ways on how to prepare for those types of situation, to be able to slow down the threat until help can arrive. This threat profiling training is valuable for their staff, volunteers and members of the church and gives them the tools to see a threat before it turns dangerous, and ways to survive during the incident at the church, work, home or at play.
“Our church brought Jim in to educate our church staff, and we learned so much more that 6 weeks later, we opened our facility to the community with Jim as the main presenter. There is so much value in raising awareness about an everyday threat facing our churches,” states Ed Klaameyer, former congregational president of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Lutz, FL.
For more information:
Mitch Smithies: (727) 677-0454 / msmithies44@gmail.com
Jim Howard: (727) 534-6047 / jim@trinitysecurityallies.com
Event: Saturday, June 10th, 9 a.m. to 12 noon
Protecting Your House of Worship
Cornerstone Fellowship Church
224 Barber Hill Drive
Waynesville, NC 28786
*FREE EVENT – Donation appreciated.
Source: MyNetworkOne on Behalf of Trinity Security Allies
[ad_2]
