Tag: COVID-19 and churches

Sticks & Carrots: Acting Mayor won’t nix COVID mandates unless 70% of Anchorage is vaccinated

FeaturedApril 12, 2021

Anchorage’s Acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson will not rescind her COVID mandates until 70% of Anchorage is vaccinated. In imposing the vaccine requirement through Emergency Order 20, Quinn-Davison urged city residents to apply pressure on family, friends

Amid COVID closures, Anchorage church forges ahead with ‘Christmas Spectacular’

FaithDecember 8, 2020

One of the most prominent churches in Anchorage is going big this holiday season with its annual community Christmas celebration. Dec. 11-13, Anchorage Baptist Temple will be transformed into a “Christmas Spectacular,” equipped with horse drawn sleigh

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

The bizarre inconsistency of our Catholic bishops

AbortionJuly 25, 2020

In these days of Alphabet Madness (COVID, LGBTQ, BLM, CHAZ), many Catholic bishops of the Western world fall lockstep into bizarre inconsistencies. Despite their oft-displayed role as shepherds with their mitre-and-crook and ceremonial affairs, many often

Municipal Attorney: Anchorage mayor’s new order doesn’t apply to churches

CultureJuly 23, 2020

In imposing his latest COVID-19 mandate Mayor Ethan Berkowitz’s emergency order made no mention of religious entities. According to July 24 email Municipal Attorney Kathryn Vogel, however, churches are still under a previous order in which gatherings of 500

Mayor’s latest emergency order again treats Anchorage churches as non-essential

CrimeJuly 22, 2020

Update from editor: While the actual text of Mayor Berkowitz’s latest emergency order makes no mention of churches or religious exemptions, his legal department clarified on July 23 that churches will be allowed to operate under a previous order which

Beware of those who twist constitutions to advance even a good cause

CultureJune 15, 2020

Properly understanding constitutions and charters is not hard. They are kept simple because the people ought to be able to comprehend them and, at least in a virtuous culture, sound the alarm if and when they might be violated. The trouble is we have

Anchorage Assembly to consider terminating or extending mayor’s COVID orders

PoliticsMay 26, 2020

The Anchorage Assembly will consider whether to terminate sections of Mayor Ethan Berkowitz’s COVID-19 emergency orders at their upcoming June 2 meeting. A resolution submitted by Assembly Members Suzanne LaFrance, John Weddleton and Jamie Allard calls for

Assembly member calls on Anchorage mayor to reopen society

PoliticsMay 22, 2020

Editor’s note: The following message was sent to us by newly elected Anchorage Assembly Member Jamie Allard in response to Mayor Ethan Berkowitz’s continued restrictions on businesses, churches and other venues despite Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s lifting of

Alaska among 10 states failing to enact religious exemptions during pandemic

CultureMay 21, 2020

Alaska is among just 10 states that failed to provide religious exemptions to protect First Amendment liberties of churches during the COVID-19 pandemic. Every state in the union implemented guidelines and mandates limiting social gatherings but some took

COVID-19 and churches