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===massachusetts===
Another Church Is Going Viral For Its Anti-MAGA Nativity Scene
Saint Susanna Parish in Dedham, Massachusetts, went viral last week for taking Baby Jesus out of their nativity scene and replacing him with a sign that said "ICE WAS HERE." The priest of the parish, Father Stephen Josoma, told Boston 25, "We thought this was a good way to show the dynamic of what’s happening in the world today. This is a stance I’d hope all churches would take. We should be a welcoming community."Well, this appears to be a trend. Another nativity scene is going viral, and this time it's in Evanston, Illinois, at Lake Street Church. (Buzzfeed; 12.12.25)READMORE>>>>>
Saint Susanna Parish in Dedham, Massachusetts, went viral last week for taking Baby Jesus out of their nativity scene and replacing him with a sign that said "ICE WAS HERE." The priest of the parish, Father Stephen Josoma, told Boston 25, "We thought this was a good way to show the dynamic of what’s happening in the world today. This is a stance I’d hope all churches would take. We should be a welcoming community."Well, this appears to be a trend. Another nativity scene is going viral, and this time it's in Evanston, Illinois, at Lake Street Church. (Buzzfeed; 12.12.25)READMORE>>>>>
At AAR/SBL, Religion Scholars Address Issues Ancient and Modern
Just a day before the world's largest gathering of religious scholars would kick off November 22 in Boston, the leadership of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature—the academics devoted to deep research on faith, philosophy, theology, and society ancient and modern—called for an “emergency session” on “ICE enforcement in sacred spaces,” for next afternoon. This urgent issue had muscled into the listings of more than 900 sessions planned at the Hynes Convention Center and adjacent hotels from Saturday to midday November 25. It spoke directly to a major theme for the gathering, which was "freedom" in all its manifestations—religious, academic, social, political, and more. "We are concerned about, and oppose, plans of ICE to detain/arrest people in places of worship, or other infringements on religious freedom," the AAR board said in a statement endorsed by the SBL council. Their statement and the session schedule were immediately uploaded to the joint meeting's web app where more than nearly 7,800 attendees were tracking their schedules through meeting rooms and a massive 85-booth book exposition.
(Publishers Weekly 11/27/25) READMORE>>>>
Just a day before the world's largest gathering of religious scholars would kick off November 22 in Boston, the leadership of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature—the academics devoted to deep research on faith, philosophy, theology, and society ancient and modern—called for an “emergency session” on “ICE enforcement in sacred spaces,” for next afternoon. This urgent issue had muscled into the listings of more than 900 sessions planned at the Hynes Convention Center and adjacent hotels from Saturday to midday November 25. It spoke directly to a major theme for the gathering, which was "freedom" in all its manifestations—religious, academic, social, political, and more. "We are concerned about, and oppose, plans of ICE to detain/arrest people in places of worship, or other infringements on religious freedom," the AAR board said in a statement endorsed by the SBL council. Their statement and the session schedule were immediately uploaded to the joint meeting's web app where more than nearly 7,800 attendees were tracking their schedules through meeting rooms and a massive 85-booth book exposition.
(Publishers Weekly 11/27/25) READMORE>>>>
Park Street Divided: Congregation Asked to End Conflict with a Vote
Ayears-long fight over leadership styles and decision-making processes at historic Park Street Church in Boston has boiled over into accusations of abusing spiritual authority and authoritarianism. There are petitions calling for a congregational review of the leadership’s decision to fire a popular former minister, an open letter defending the current senior minister, public statements about “escalating difficulties,” and overt campaigning for rival slates of elder candidates ahead of the church’s annual meeting. People on both sides of the division say the congregation is besieged by spiritual warfare.
(Christianity Today 2/21/24) READMORE>>>>>
Ayears-long fight over leadership styles and decision-making processes at historic Park Street Church in Boston has boiled over into accusations of abusing spiritual authority and authoritarianism. There are petitions calling for a congregational review of the leadership’s decision to fire a popular former minister, an open letter defending the current senior minister, public statements about “escalating difficulties,” and overt campaigning for rival slates of elder candidates ahead of the church’s annual meeting. People on both sides of the division say the congregation is besieged by spiritual warfare.
(Christianity Today 2/21/24) READMORE>>>>>
Quotables: October 29, 2023:
“I congratulate Speaker Mike Johnson on his election. Today, he stated that our nation’s founding creed is that all people are created equal and are endowed with certain unalienable rights. I sincerely hope that Speaker Johnson will honor those truths and work across the aisle to safeguard the freedom and human dignity of every person in this country.” --Democratic Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts
Jan 31, 2023: Fox News: Christian 'prayer warriors' raise alarm over Boston's SatanCon 2023: 'Using the supernatural'
A group of Christians is pushing back against SatanCon 2023, an event scheduled to take place in downtown Boston that is being touted by The Satanic Temple as the "largest satanic gathering in history."
Detractors say the temple is "using the supernatural" to manipulate people, though it bills itself as a nontheistic group that does not believe in the supernatural.
A group of Christians is pushing back against SatanCon 2023, an event scheduled to take place in downtown Boston that is being touted by The Satanic Temple as the "largest satanic gathering in history."
Detractors say the temple is "using the supernatural" to manipulate people, though it bills itself as a nontheistic group that does not believe in the supernatural.
Mar 12, 2023: Daily Mail: When good pastors go bad: From disgraced Carl Lentz's multiple affairs in Hillsong scandal to NYC's 'bling bishop', these are the biggest falls from grace
Leona Kimes, co-pastor of Hillsong Boston with her husband Josh, announced in a bombshell Medium post in May 2021 that she had been 'subjected to manipulation, control, bullying, abuse of power, and sexual abuse' by the Lentzes while working at their home as a nanny. The Lentzes strongly denied Kimes's allegations.
Leona Kimes, co-pastor of Hillsong Boston with her husband Josh, announced in a bombshell Medium post in May 2021 that she had been 'subjected to manipulation, control, bullying, abuse of power, and sexual abuse' by the Lentzes while working at their home as a nanny. The Lentzes strongly denied Kimes's allegations.
May 2, 2022: US News & World Report: Supreme Court Rules Against Boston in Christian Flag Case
A unanimous Supreme Court has ruled that Boston violated the free speech rights of a conservative activist when it refused his request to fly a Christian flag on a flagpole outside City Hall.
A unanimous Supreme Court has ruled that Boston violated the free speech rights of a conservative activist when it refused his request to fly a Christian flag on a flagpole outside City Hall.