US Defense Secretary Delays Implementation of Policy Allowing Transgenders to Enlist in Military

US Defense Secretary Delays Implementation of Policy Allowing Transgenders to Enlist in Military

WASHINGTON — U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis has pushed back the date on when transgenders will be formally permitted to enlist in the military, stating that the matter needs further consideration. As previously reported, former Defense Secretary Ash Carter lifted the ban on open transgenders last year and set July 1 as the deadline for the […]

Canadian Landlord Ordered to Pay $12,000 for Not Removing Shoes in Muslim Couple’s Bedroom

Canadian Landlord Ordered to Pay $12,000 for Not Removing Shoes in Muslim Couple’s Bedroom

ONTARIO — A landlord in Canada is expressing dismay after he was recently ordered by a human rights tribunal to pay $12,000 to a Muslim couple for disrespecting their religion, in part for failing to remove his shoes in their bedroom, which was used as their Islamic prayer space. “I was humiliated. I was made to […]

Church of England Overwhelmingly Votes to ‘Welcome and Affirm’ Transgenders

Church of England Overwhelmingly Votes to ‘Welcome and Affirm’ Transgenders

YORK, U.K. — The Church of England, also known as the Anglican Church, has voted overwhelmingly to “welcome and affirm” transgendered persons, and might now also offer special liturgies to mark the person’s “transition” and accept them in their new perceived identity. According to the denomination’s website, the General Synod voted on Sunday to approve a motion […]

Atheist Group Urges Fire Dept. to Remove ‘Blatantly Unconstitutional’ Cross From Fire Station Lawn

Atheist Group Urges Fire Dept. to Remove ‘Blatantly Unconstitutional’ Cross From Fire Station Lawn

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – A prominent atheist group is demanding that a fire department in Georgia take down a cross that has stood outside of one of their fire stations for more than a decade. Catoosa County Fire Department serves a district in far northwestern Georgia, just across the state line from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Outside of […]

Commissioner Refuses Church-State Separation Group’s Request to Stop Reading Bible at Public Meetings

Commissioner Refuses Church-State Separation Group’s Request to Stop Reading Bible at Public Meetings

DELTONA, Fla. — A city commissioner in Florida has refused a prominent church-state separation group’s request to stop reading Bible verses at the conclusion of public meetings. Deltona Commissioner Christopher Alcantara recently sent a brief and blunt response to Americans United for Separation of Church and State after receiving a letter asserting that his Bible-reading […]

Virginia KKK Rally Countered by 1,000 Protesters

Virginia KKK Rally Countered by 1,000 Protesters

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — A KKK rally in Virginia was met with a swelling protest on Saturday. An estimated 50 Klan members gathered in Charlottesville to express objection to the city council’s decision to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from Lee Park, which has now been renamed Emancipation Park. The statue has stood […]

Hobby Lobby Agrees to Forfeit Over 5,500 Artifacts, Pay $3 Million in Settlement With Department of Justice

Hobby Lobby Agrees to Forfeit Over 5,500 Artifacts, Pay $3 Million in Settlement With Department of Justice

The popular arts and crafts chain Hobby Lobby has agreed to forfeit over 5,500 ancient artifacts and pay $3 million in a civil settlement after the U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint asserting that the items had been illegally shipped into the country from a dealer in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The company denies any intentional […]

Bench That Features ‘God’ Quote From Pennsylvania’s Founder Relocated Following Atheist Complaint

Bench That Features ‘God’ Quote From Pennsylvania’s Founder Relocated Following Atheist Complaint

OIL CITY, Pa. — The Oil City Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) held a public rededication ceremony outside its facility on Monday after a bench featuring a God-centered quote from Pennsylvania’s founder was given back to the organization as city leaders voted to remove the display from a public park due to a complaint from a professing […]