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Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Christians across New York City mark Holy Thursday
Christians all over the world marked Holy Thursday, which commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ.
Archbishop of New York Timothy Cardinal Dolan blessed cases of free food and the New Yorkers receiving it.
"It's a day, for me, to celebrate the fact that the teaching and work of Jesus continues," Dolan said. "This is a time to kind of affirm and celebrate the great works of charity, assistance, community involvement."
(CBS News 4/28/24) READ MORE>>>>>
Christians all over the world marked Holy Thursday, which commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ.
Archbishop of New York Timothy Cardinal Dolan blessed cases of free food and the New Yorkers receiving it.
"It's a day, for me, to celebrate the fact that the teaching and work of Jesus continues," Dolan said. "This is a time to kind of affirm and celebrate the great works of charity, assistance, community involvement."
(CBS News 4/28/24) READ MORE>>>>>
Catholic Nuns Fight in Court Against New York Mandate Forcing Them to Fund Abortions
A diverse coalition of religious groups was at the New York Court of Appeals yesterday to continue their fight against the state’s abortion mandate. In Diocese of Albany v. Harris, a group of Anglican and Catholic nuns, Catholic dioceses, Christian churches, and faith-based social ministries sued New York after it mandated that they cover abortion in their employee health insurance plans in violation of their religious beliefs. After state courts left the mandate in place, Becket, Jones Day and Tobin and Dempf, LLP, asked the Supreme Court to step in. In 2021, the Justices reversed the lower courts’ rulings and told them to reconsider the case. When the New York State Department of Financial Services initially proposed the abortion mandate, it promised to exempt employers with religious objections. However, after facing pressure from abortion activists, New York radically narrowed the exemption to cover only religious groups that both primarily teach religion and
primarily serve and hire those who share their faith. This exception does not apply to most religious ministries that seek to serve all people, regardless of faith. For example, the exemption doesn’t extend to the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm and their Teresian Nursing Home because they serve the elderly and dying regardless of religious affiliation. (Life News 4/17/24) READ MORE>>>>>
A diverse coalition of religious groups was at the New York Court of Appeals yesterday to continue their fight against the state’s abortion mandate. In Diocese of Albany v. Harris, a group of Anglican and Catholic nuns, Catholic dioceses, Christian churches, and faith-based social ministries sued New York after it mandated that they cover abortion in their employee health insurance plans in violation of their religious beliefs. After state courts left the mandate in place, Becket, Jones Day and Tobin and Dempf, LLP, asked the Supreme Court to step in. In 2021, the Justices reversed the lower courts’ rulings and told them to reconsider the case. When the New York State Department of Financial Services initially proposed the abortion mandate, it promised to exempt employers with religious objections. However, after facing pressure from abortion activists, New York radically narrowed the exemption to cover only religious groups that both primarily teach religion and
primarily serve and hire those who share their faith. This exception does not apply to most religious ministries that seek to serve all people, regardless of faith. For example, the exemption doesn’t extend to the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm and their Teresian Nursing Home because they serve the elderly and dying regardless of religious affiliation. (Life News 4/17/24) READ MORE>>>>>
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
New York City's notorious 'bling pastor' Lamor Whitehead, the founder of Brooklyn's Leaders of Tomorrow International Church, was charged in December 2022 with scamming his parishioners out of more than $100,000 and lying to the FBI.
Whitehead, who made headlines for preaching prosperity, was robbed at gunpoint by two men while he was giving a live-streamed sermon.
It was later revealed that he had previously served two years in a state prison on multiple counts of identity fraud and grand larceny before he was released early for good behavior.
According to the indictment, Whitehead scammed one of his parishioners out of $90,000 from her retirement savings.
It says he had promised to buy the woman a home, but instead spent the money on luxury goods and clothing.
Separately, federal authorities allege Whitehead extorted an unnamed businessman out of $5,000 in April and May of 2022 and asked the man to lend him $50,000, promising he could make them both 'millions'.
The pastor also made a name for himself negotiating the surrender of a subway shooting suspect who was wanted for killing a Goldman Sachs employee.
In May 2022, Whitehead rolled up to the NYPD's Fifth Police Precinct on behalf of the shooting suspect in his $350,000 Rolls-Royce, wearing a Fendi blazer.
Whitehead, who denies the fraud allegations, was later hit with further fraud charges for fabricating bank records in an attempt to finance his million-dollar New Jersey mansion, federal prosecutors said.
The pastor allegedly created a fake bank account to get a mortgage loan in 2019 and altered bank records to make it appear that the LLC had an average balance of more than $2 million, when it actually had less than $10.
New York City's notorious 'bling pastor' Lamor Whitehead, the founder of Brooklyn's Leaders of Tomorrow International Church, was charged in December 2022 with scamming his parishioners out of more than $100,000 and lying to the FBI.
Whitehead, who made headlines for preaching prosperity, was robbed at gunpoint by two men while he was giving a live-streamed sermon.
It was later revealed that he had previously served two years in a state prison on multiple counts of identity fraud and grand larceny before he was released early for good behavior.
According to the indictment, Whitehead scammed one of his parishioners out of $90,000 from her retirement savings.
It says he had promised to buy the woman a home, but instead spent the money on luxury goods and clothing.
Separately, federal authorities allege Whitehead extorted an unnamed businessman out of $5,000 in April and May of 2022 and asked the man to lend him $50,000, promising he could make them both 'millions'.
The pastor also made a name for himself negotiating the surrender of a subway shooting suspect who was wanted for killing a Goldman Sachs employee.
In May 2022, Whitehead rolled up to the NYPD's Fifth Police Precinct on behalf of the shooting suspect in his $350,000 Rolls-Royce, wearing a Fendi blazer.
Whitehead, who denies the fraud allegations, was later hit with further fraud charges for fabricating bank records in an attempt to finance his million-dollar New Jersey mansion, federal prosecutors said.
The pastor allegedly created a fake bank account to get a mortgage loan in 2019 and altered bank records to make it appear that the LLC had an average balance of more than $2 million, when it actually had less than $10.
Mar 10, 2023: Axios: Religious leaders experiment with ChatGPT sermons
Case study: Rabbi Joshua Franklin, of the Jewish Center of the Hamptons in East Hampton, New York, delivered what he warned his flock was a "plagiarized" sermon about the theme of vulnerability in a story from Genesis — and was shocked when congregants guessed that it had been written by his father or a famous rabbi rather than AI.
Case study: Rabbi Joshua Franklin, of the Jewish Center of the Hamptons in East Hampton, New York, delivered what he warned his flock was a "plagiarized" sermon about the theme of vulnerability in a story from Genesis — and was shocked when congregants guessed that it had been written by his father or a famous rabbi rather than AI.
- "The more I was able to prompt [ChatGPT] and tell it what I was looking for and describe the style of how I wanted it to write, the better it got," Franklin said.
- One notable missing piece: the rabbi's own perspective and anecdotes. Had he written the sermon himself, "I would have told a story — something about me that modeled my own vulnerability and showed how it was a strength," he said.
Feb 28, 2023: HuffPost: New York City Mayor Dismisses Separation Of Church And State
Despite his vow to uphold the U.S. Constitution, Eric Adams said he “can’t separate” his Christian beliefs from his public duties.
Despite his vow to uphold the U.S. Constitution, Eric Adams said he “can’t separate” his Christian beliefs from his public duties.
March 9, 2023: Baptist Press: WEEK OF PRAYER: Romanian planter starts multicultural church in diverse area of New York City
In some ways, New York City’s Maranatha Baptist Church wasn’t much different from thousands of other churches throughout North America struggling to engage its community.
Planted 25 years ago to reach the growing Romanian population in the surrounding Ridgewood neighborhood, Maranatha initially reached their Romanian neighbors faithfully, growing steadily along the way.
In some ways, New York City’s Maranatha Baptist Church wasn’t much different from thousands of other churches throughout North America struggling to engage its community.
Planted 25 years ago to reach the growing Romanian population in the surrounding Ridgewood neighborhood, Maranatha initially reached their Romanian neighbors faithfully, growing steadily along the way.
May 20, 2022: The Christian Beat: Hezekiah Walker Brings Comfort & Hope To Buffalo With Inspirational Concert May 22
Hezekiah Walker’s music is part of the soundtrack of the African American church, and it is in the most challenging times that communities look to the church for comfort.
In the aftermath of the tragic shooting in Buffalo, New York, Hezekiah Walker received a call from city officials to help their community heal.
Hezekiah Walker’s music is part of the soundtrack of the African American church, and it is in the most challenging times that communities look to the church for comfort.
In the aftermath of the tragic shooting in Buffalo, New York, Hezekiah Walker received a call from city officials to help their community heal.
Mar 7, 2022: Christian Leaders: Cuomo Uses Brooklyn Church Pulpit to Defend Himself Against Sexual Harassment Allegations
Former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, appeared at God’s Battalion of Prayer Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., Sunday where he defended himself against allegations that he had sexually harassed multiple women. In his first public appearance since his resignation, Cuomo claimed he had been canceled and said that God and “the Good Book” had been guiding him.
Former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, appeared at God’s Battalion of Prayer Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., Sunday where he defended himself against allegations that he had sexually harassed multiple women. In his first public appearance since his resignation, Cuomo claimed he had been canceled and said that God and “the Good Book” had been guiding him.