Category: Faith - Page 13 - Alaska Watchman

Fairbanks Bishop: Catholics must ‘never vote for candidates’ who support abortion

AbortionOctober 26, 2020

Fairbanks Bishop Chad Zielinski has released a clarion call to Catholics in northern Alaska, saying they can “never morally support or vote” for political candidates who support abortion. Released earlier this month, his letter seeks to guide parishioners

Deceptive Catholic voter guide misleads Alaskans on abortion

AbortionOctober 22, 2020

Catholics, who comprise the largest religious group in Alaska, received a misleading voter guide this month, which claims to help roughly 31,000 Alaska Catholics make informed moral decisions during the 2020 state and national elections. But unlike the voter

Anchorage pastors issue call to reject racism because all are ‘created in God’s image’

CultureOctober 10, 2020

Editor’s note: A group of 21 Anchorage pastors issued a joint letter introducing a new initiative that aims to combat racism by building relationships across racial divides and affirming that all people have inherent dignity because they are created in

Newly installed Alaska archbishop denounces divisions in church

FaithSeptember 17, 2020

Pope Francis’ personal ambassador to the United States was in Anchorage on Sept. 17 for the installation of Archbishop Andrew Bellisario as the first archbishop of the newly formed Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau. Representing the Vatican, Archbishop

Ketchikan mayor defends religious liberty, vows to veto gender identity ordinance

FaithAugust 21, 2020

After an emotional and somewhat philosophical discussion about gender identity, religious freedom and discrimination, the Ketchikan Borough Assembly voted 6-1 in favor of a resolution asking the Alaska Legislature to pass a law that prohibits discrimination

Another church refuses to follow Anchorage mayor’s restriction on group size

CultureAugust 17, 2020

Yet another prominent Anchorage church has chosen to remain open for communal worship in the face of Mayor Ethan Berkowitz’s latest emergency order limiting all religious gatherings to 15 people or less. Cornerstone Church was open for Sunday worship on

Republicans far more likely to attend church during COVID

FaithAugust 14, 2020

The more conservative one’s political views, the more comfortable they are with attending religious services over the past few months. Republicans and Democrats hold vastly different views on COVID-19, including how worried they are about the virus. These

Prominent Alaska church defies mayor’s order restricting religious services

FaithAugust 10, 2020

Anchorage Baptist Temple is standing up to Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz’s latest emergency order that bans churches from having more than 15 people in attendance. On Sunday, Aug. 9, Pastor Ron Hoffman gave an inspired sermon to a large gathering inside

Alaska Attorney General supports high school coach’s right to pray on field

EducationJuly 30, 2020

Alaska Attorney General Kevin Clarkson joined 21 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief to the Ninth Circuit in support of a Washington state high school football coach who was fired for exercising his religious freedom by praying after games. Kennedy,

Alaskans scramble to save historic church from falling off cliff

CultureJuly 30, 2020

One of the oldest churches in Alaska, and a spiritual treasure to Orthodox Alaska Natives, is on the verge of falling off a massive cliff on Kodiak Island. Built in 1888 by the Russian Orthodox, The Ascension of Our Lord Chapel located near the remote Village

Faith