FāVS Religion News Roundup: Pro-Abortion Health Plans in Churches, a Mosque Burglary, Stained Glass Windows & More
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News Story by Tracy Simmons | FāVS News
We’ll start this week’s roundup with some statewide news.
Pro-Abortion Rights Health Plans in Anti-Abortion Churches
Just days ago a federal judge rejected a Kirkland church’s argument that a state law requiring health insurance coverage for abortion amounted to religious gerrymandering. The judge sided with the state after Cedar Park Assembly of God of Kirkland claimed Senate Bill 6219 violated its First Amendment right to freely practice its religious beliefs. Instead, the church argued the law coerces them to facilitate abortion through offering a group health plan, according to an article from Courthouse News Service.
The judge agreed with Washington that the statute was “rationally related to a legitimate governmental purpose.”
The church is being represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom and a representative said they are considering ‘next steps.’
Burglarized Mosque in Federal Way
CAIR Washington, a grassroots advocacy and civil rights organization serving the Muslim community across Washington state, is seeking help in identifying two people caught on video burglarizing the Islamic Center of Federal Way.
According to a statement from CAIR, two men were captured on video and seen entering the facility through a window, then walking all over the sacred space with their shoes on, before breaking into the mosque’s office.
According to mosque officials, the proceeds from charitable donations were stolen.
The Federal Way mosque can be contacted with any relevant information regarding this crime through the organization’s Facebook page.
Stained Glass Windows
In downtown Spokane, The Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes will soon have brighter and cleaner stained glass windows after a small crew from Bovard Studio in Iowa worked on restoring the historic windows.
The Spokesman-Review reported that the windows were designed by the Mayer family of Munich, Germany, and the first windows were placed in the church in 1911. The price tag for the restoration project is $400,000 and is expected to be completed this fall.
New Spokane Valley Thrift Store
This week Arc of Spokane opened a new thrift store in Spokane Valley, 1441 N Argonne Road.
Chief Executive Officer Sima Thorpe told KHQ, “This will allow us to expand to two stores providing critically needed funding for programs and services that support individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. This new store builds on the success of our dedicated team of thrift store professionals.”
The store is now open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Donation drop-off hours are Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
New Pastor at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Moscow, Idaho
And over in Moscow, Idaho, Emmanuel Lutheran Church welcomes the Rev. Sierra Westerman as their new minister. She most recently pastored in Minnesota, was raised in Wenatchee and received her B.A. from Whitworth.
The Rev. Nick Nicolai, who for many years was Lutheran Campus Minister at Washington State University, has served as interim pastor at Emmanuel Lutheran in Moscow from June of 2022 through this July.
