The Justice Department accused a small city in northern Idaho of religious discrimination after it denied a zoning permit to a local evangelical church seeking to hold worship services.
The DOJ announced on May 20 it had filed a lawsuit alleging the city of Troy, Idaho, violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) after it denied a conditional use permit to Christ Church to hold services in its downtown C-1 zoning district, where nonreligious assembly uses such as clubs, museums, auditoriums, and art galleries were allowed.
The RLUIPA is federal legislation passed in 2000 that’s intended to "protect individuals, houses of worship, and other religious institutions from discrimination in zoning and landmarking laws," the DOJ states.
According to the lawsuit, Christ Church, a small but quickly growing evangelical church based in Moscow, Idaho, sought to accommodate its growth in September 2022 by establishing another church campus in the neighboring town of Troy. 


The conservative, evangelical church faced opposition from some in the Moscow community over the years because of its beliefs and influence in the liberal college town, with some residents boycotting businesses tied to the church, according to the Spokesman-Review. 
The church made national headlines in September 2020 after a few of its members were arrested for not wearing masks at an outside worship service protesting the city's mask mandate during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Senior Pastor Douglas Wilson faced criticism for his provocative writings and allegations he wants to make America a "Christian theocracy," according to a recent article from Politico.
Christ Church allegedly reached out to various locations in Troy to rent on weekends for services, without success. In November 2022, Matt Meyer, an elder at the church and Troy resident, purchased a vacant, former bank in the city’s downtown business district with the intention of converting part of the property into a space to be used by the church for worship services and church meetings, while the other part of the property would be rented out as an event space for the community.
Read Full Story Here: www.foxnews.com/media/justice-department-takes-small-idaho-town-religious-freedom-battle-over-church-permit

Noah's Ark theory gains momentum as soil tests reveal organic remains

A group of international researchers say they're getting closer and closer to identifying the possible remains of Noah’s Ark – and new test results are promising.
The focus of the research, the Durupinar site in eastern Turkey, was first identified in the 1950s. 
For decades, it's been speculated that the boat-shaped site once harbored Noah's Ark, but no definitive proof has emerged. Now, an organization called Noah's Ark Scans believes that recent soil samples point toward the site once housing "ancient wood."
​
Researchers collected soil samples from the site last September and analyzed them through this winter. The results "show significantly higher levels of organic matter and potassium compared to surrounding areas," according to a recent statement from the organization.
"[The results] provide compelling evidence of a unique, potentially man-made structure beneath the surface, distinct from the surrounding mudflow," Noah's Ark Scans said. 



"These findings suggest the presence of decayed wood or other organic materials, consistent with a large, ancient structure preserved within the mudflow," the statement added.
Lead archaeological researcher Andrew Jones told Fox News Digital that researchers are registering 2.72 times more carbon inside the "boat-shaped object" compared to its immediate outside location.
"The rotting ancient wood inside the boat-shaped area is likely creating a localized soil microenvironment by lowering pH … increasing organic matter [and] elevating potassium," he said. 


Rotting wood directly contributes to soil organic matter," he added. 
"As wood decomposes, it breaks down into humus, a stable form of organic matter rich in carbon. This increases the organic matter content in the soil where the wood is located."
In a statement, soil scientist William Crabtree said the results indicate "something extraordinary."
"The soil composition is markedly different from the natural mudflow, indicating something extraordinary at this site," Crabtree stated.