do they have church lawyers? of course they do. >> is church a business? >> is church a business.y have to be run like a business often times. >> matt anthony runs a church law group. >> they have to accomplish their charitable purpose. >> now charities have to report how much they are given. it ends up where you think it's supposed to go. do churches have the same? >> charities have to file a public information tax return. they do not have to file a 990. >> do you think there is a separation of church and state in america? >> primarily there is. there is exceptions and time when the line is crossed. especially when it comes to politics. >> church and politics need to mix, but the way jesus intended. enjoy your holiday. let's get into one of the most controversial topics. the separation of church and state. the phrase separation of church and state was coined by baptists and they department want to be treated like a business, but away from financial ties and no law should respect an establishment of religion and then tax exempt status and then no checks and balances on what's happ

the faith church.es a tad too accommodating to current -- they say they want to go to family has a sense of right and wrong, that has a loving mother but not afraid about the dangers. and we find today, that some people are saying we find today the church is now a little bit too permissive and a bit too accommodating. we kind of get it from both sides. gerry: is not what francis is been trying to do? to make it seem a little more permissible. on issues like communion -- chris could be. i think he is remained solid on what you may call the basic issues of faith and morals. in the presentation of the public face, no doubt, he's trying to become a bit more conciliatory. gerry: will become back we will talk with the cardinal about one of the most pressing issues. the abuse of children and others by priests and what the church did or did not do about it. it. it. comcast business built the nation's largest gig-speed network. then went beyond. beyond chasing down network problems. to knowing when and where th

do they have church lawyers? of course they do. is church a business?ave to be run like a business. >> i'm hear to talk to matt anthony. >> they have budgets and accomplish the chartable purpose. >> charities have to report how much money they're given ends up where you think it's supposed to go. do churches have that same responsibility? >> charities file a public information tax return. i 90. churches don't have to file that. >> is there a separation of church and state in america. >> primarily. there's exceptions and times when the line is crossed. especially politics. >> as far as i'm concerned church and politics need to mix. but the way jesus intended. i know a famous pastor who agrees. enjoy your holiday. one of the most controversial topics out there. affirmative action. drum vs. flat. separation of church and state. coined by baptist in 1802 in virginia. they didn't want to be a business. but away from financial ties. congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. along came tax exempt status and no form of checks and balan

and catholic church in particular is the culture we live in has moved in the direction the church seems to oppose, issues such as anything from gay marriage, abortion, contraception, divorce. the sanctity of marriage. the church continues to preach a very strong message on those things. but the united states, many people in the practical lives have moved on beyond that and defined the church message irrelevant at best or worse actually harmful and offensive. >> afraid they have, afraid you are right. that again is a challenge for us within the church because very often, the church -- not only the catholic church but traditional, you know what statistics show is that the so-called inherited religions, in other words the religions into which we are born, what would that be? catholicism, judaism, orthodoxy, just to name a few. they are suffering a decline. because an inherited, the fact that you are born into a faith, no longer seems to have the impact that it used to. which brings up our whole challenge of evangelizing. inviting people back. but we have to do is cleanse ourselves of the c

we're not a minority of the church the coptic orthodox church is the native church of the christians of egypt lubell it is thank god a strong and growing church yes it is growing and me as you can see from the fact that there are copts all over the world. for many here the attacks carried out by members of the muslim brotherhood in twenty thirteen are still fresh in their memory. ever been especially in the fee. bothered among the muslims there are admittedly some fanatical groups we don't deny that last going to win the muslim brotherhood was in power a door was open to fanaticism but. we saw that during the riots in the raw district city of a few many coptic church is in egypt were also set on fire. thank god things have improved under our current president abdel fatah el-sisi. ordinary egyptians do not feel hate the whole of this is an enormous opportunity to live together in peace be it on the usual and i say feeling that. although there are no official figures between ten and twenty million copts live in egypt between ten and twenty percent of the population there are hundreds o

it was the catholic church in drc, we have the catholic church, sometimes they speak in so many otherds what they want to do. apparently the pope blessed them and said that's a very good thing, go ahead, you are doing the right thing. i think we should have it as a norm you are addressing issues of poverty and all those things. the church can play a big role in challenging the lack of democracy. catherine, when religious organisations fall short of their own values, for the catholic church, this has been a very significant problem, an organisation which is, what are the conditions in which an organisation does not live up to its values? we have seen the catholic church not living up to its values when it comes to child abuse, it has been on a global scandal. it has wounded and scarred it in terms of its reputation, shattered it in many ways. in that sense, that is a church that has not lived up to its own values and its reputation and is going to have to rebuild. and many people have been very alienated by what has happened. so it is a question of the church losing many members have w

we're not a minority you need some of our church the coptic orthodox church is the native churn. the christians of egypt little belive it is thank god a strong them growing the church yes it is growing the enemy as you can see from the fact that there are costs all over the world. for many here the attacks carried out by members of the muslim brotherhood in twenty thirteen are still fresh in their memory. ever been misspending in the field. among the muslims there are admittedly some fanatical groups but we don't deny that lost going to win the muslim brotherhood was in power a door was open to fanaticism. we saw that during the riots in the rob i'm not a district city of efi many coptic church is in egypt were also set on fire. thank god fings have been approved under our current president abdel fatah el-sisi. ordinary egyptians do not feel hate the whole this is an enormous opportunity to live together in peace be another i usually say feel that. although there are no official figures between ten and twenty million copts live in egypt between ten and twenty percent of the popul

this morning, easter sunday, in two of my churches, saint anthony's church and saint sebastian's churchthat have come to me. so it is a very, very sad day for all of this. i wish to therefore express my deepest sorrow and sympathy to all those innocent families that have lost someone and also to those who have been injured and vendor destitute. i would like to call upon all to three that all those who are injured may be healed soon and that all these families who have lost someone all these families who have lost someone maybe consult. i condemn to the utmost of my capacity this act that has caused so much death and suffering to the people. i would also like to ask government to hold also like to ask government to hold a very impartial, strong inquiry and find out who is responsible behind this act. and also to punish them mercilessly because only animals can be like this. the archbishop of colombo. if your password is 123456, then you share it with more than 23 million people. that‘s according to a study published today by britain‘s cyber—security watchdog. use the word "password". it‘

a lot of churches since then so therefore culturally church was pretty quick to say that's not our business that's the french state building so they have. to repair it and. but still there are some criticism. because as you say it's the catholic church and especially in france is there rich and kurds could afford at least to co-found the restoration of the church. i mean with the religious oh oh no there's a magnificent building. that's also there the issue for for the government it's also a building from the national on that national importance is not only. a place of religion. but still they decided to. give it their are going to resist and for people who want donation to rebuild the church if you give to nestle station that is from public interest you get the part of the money back when you raise your taxes and they want to raise the rates because they were changed venues no. where will. and. lives and hundreds just. in terms of it. and. try again soon that for us to paris and bring in that data because when it's on lease and there said lisa at how did this set events come so come to be.

it remained a modern church until the 1920's when one of the best things that ever happened to the church happened, a fire started. it started right behind this wall and burnt a lot of the modern, quick fixes. in the 1920's, people got excited about restoring this building, but they did not have the money to make necessary repairs. the first thing they had to do was restore the roof and ceiling area -- and ceiling. the six beams above the altar were damaged in the 1920's fire, but the seventh beam and others are original to the mission era. by the 1930's, they got the money to rebuild the belltower and by the 1940's, to read to -- redo the interior of the church and double the addition. then they decided to redo the 1940's restoration to bring it back to an appearance symbolic of the original. this was a native american village that had overlays of different people. there was a so-called northern here, some of this tribe, which is to the north of us, and full disclosure on historians, some of them were born here. occasionally, some of the jo coots from the central valley would come into t

when i go to churches, some churches area when i go to churches, some churches are a very vibrant and but others you go and you just wonder where are the people? the young people out there roving around, they don't know it sunday, in africa they are still praying and it is still growing. it is a problem vincent raises a sensible question for european religious leaders as well, when they look at the figures and buy some predictions china will be the biggest, the largest number of christians which is an openly allowing the atheist society, and communist society, they have the largest number of christians. you think vincent has mentioned, his experience of people coming into the uk and other countries in an increasingly secular europe is in turn those people are a benefit to the churches because they help fill the churches because they help fill the pews but they are also a challenge to secular society because of the values they bring with them which are not always quite the norm, as secular britain has them. then he mentioned china and it makes one wonder the extent to which religions t

it saw the church emptied. it saw the church shot through until the end of world war ii. and, yet, that church has always come back. it's always renewed itself. it's always revived. i believe this church this time, notre dame will eviev oncrevive again. >> stay with us, liz, the u.s. bishops here in washington has issued a statement. the horrific fire that is engulfing the cathedral of notre dame in paris is shocking. noble in architecture and art it has long been a symbol of the transcendent human spirit as well as the longing for god. our hearts go out to the afternoon archbishop and people of paris. and firefighters battling the fire. we are people of hope and resurrection, as devastating as this fire is, i know that the faith and love embodied by this magnificent cathedral will grow stronger in the hearts of all christians. anne thompson joins us as well. the use the word "resurrection," easter is coming up. the most important holy day on the catholic calendar. there would be events there all week long. the mass on easter would be not something you think of when you t

church i only came here because i enjoyed being a teacher for the catholic church. but over time our lord opened my eyes to the coptic church once i understood the depth of this faith i began to appreciate it if the shaft you know you lived that the eastern churches are more profound than the western european churches. and now you have such strong faith. and every sentence that crosses their lips you will hear the word of god. yes. shot of the liver at times in my life that i lived surrounded by rubbish does it by our lord to set me to it god knows best think about it you can see what has been made out of carbon all of it was made up by garbage collectors and i'm one of them why no one had me. most egyptian copts wear a small cross tattoo on their wrist as a visible mark of their face. as does come thick artist honey somewhere. with hundreds of churches in the city the icon painter and glass artist has more than enough work. yet this is the holy family with jesus mary and joseph depicted as a composite when they came to egypt. the background needs a few details that

many victims from that church at that and many of the churches. that was a song. kara head of the institute of national security studies and colombo sri lanka spoke to us earlier by phone let me quickly bring you up to speed on the story we've been following for you this hour officials now say at least two hundred seven people have been killed and hundreds injured in explosions at churches and hotels in sri lanka the first seven explosions hit colombo as well as the town of know. in the east of the country a major church and colombo was among the buildings other targets were five star hotels the defense minister says seven suspects have been arrested. for more analysis let's bring in. a car in our studio in delhi sonia people around the world are following events and what's been the reaction so far in india and other countries in the region. so well there's really been a flood of statements here across the continent across the indian subcontinent pretty condemning these attacks now here in india of course which is unable to cause and. prime minister has you know i

the support of the catholic church. the cathedral stands just south of the royal palace franco lived at the palace for a time after the civil war. after their interviews at the rally antonio and maria stopped for coffee. and tonio is researching the relationship between franco's government and the catholic church the church is the second largest property in spain after the federal government and antonio is preparing a report on its assets the church supported franco and in return acquired considerable new powers. when he was little. other would that go financial need here the catholic church in spain is an earthly kingdom that's worth billions of dollars there but church lost its privileges during the second republican the one nine hundred thirty s. but its support for franco soon paid off. in one thousand thirty seven the bishops announced that the civil war was a christian crusade in return franco approved legislation that allowed the church to register public buildings as private property for a small fee of all the b

because this church he's not a parish church obviously a shrine and therefore people. who like to come to these same group plays like a train. i did d.d.'s saw. you do you got to the people who would die debbie had more because b.c. i didn't defy because they had come from or it was. then they had working in colombo and i lodged. this and we identified it in a more case we had asked in the case of since her arrest since judging the gumball . it was much easier because most of the from the same village except a few people who came from i would say. three when they came into the church and they were. able to i need to fight him you enjoy but in the case of the. student there are some bodies that we have not been able to identify and we do know the hospital. so that was the situation we could go to the cash would use and in the control of those who. soft. we have made a good relationships with the thought of the forty legions between us we have. one fish in those bodies that meet and discuss issues. and have an understanding of the sort of such problems and the east dange

the church however. the police took on high alert and there was security given to this church and then last year there was also a deadly attacks which in begun a in fact was against the minority most name so i can't get into the minority has been happening in this country to miller we also understand that authorities have imposed a social media ban following attached could you give us a sense of what the new union's behind. lead basically when we woke up to easter sunday and when we got the news that these multiple attacks have brought colombo and out of the outskirts that was various misinformation which was being sent on facebook on locks up on the weibo and people started circulating pictures of dead bodies in just the scenes and the government was not able to control the misinformation which is reaching out which eventually led to them banning you. should know what happens now. in sri lanka. there may be clergy right now what we're hearing is that security has been come to you can eat beef up two way

in the center of nazareth, the church of the annunciation. >> today, the church of the annunciationhe center of nazareth attracting tens of thousands of visitors a year. >> this is the traditional spot where the angel gabriel was believed to have announced to mary she was about to give birth to the messiah. >> as the mother of jesus, mary has always occupied a special place in the hearts of many christians. >> mary is really the closest to god. she is known as the queen of heaven and is foremost among all of the saints. >> mary's an incredibly important figure for the early church because she's a symbol for women. there's this idea of a loving individual who is seen as the special protector of the weak, of someone who protects women, who protects children, who protects elderly. >> today, the church of the annunciation is the largest in the middle east. the question is, if the seventh-century description of nazareth is accurate, what happened to the other church that once stood nearby? >> the church that was said to be built over the childhood home of jesus was called the church of t

a church.hroughout last year. they need to ensure the safety of those who are practising their religion, whatever it is. how do you do this when there are multiple sites needing protected at once? the government has questions to answer how such a militarised island could let something as horrific as this slip through the net. particularly we're hearing from government ministers, we do not want to return to violence. we were looking forward to marking ten years since end of the civil war, i know there have been incidents since but not on this scale sadly in sri lanka.|j understand what you are trying to say, of course that has been a decade since the end of the conflict. the final phase saw tens of thousands of civilians massacred in attacks on hospitals and others. no one wants to return to that level of violence or any level of violence out of. every community has been affected, especially their tamil community in the north—east and no one wants to return to that. what is sri lanka like to vis

and to really inside this church and that made up the fabric of precious fabric of this church may be lost the organ is damaged but seems to have survived that's what experts say at the moment one of the big grose windows of particularly beauty was one hundred years old glass dating back to the send to the thirteenth century could have been could be saved to some others so severely damaged the one in the middle at the front is lost you can. see the skies through it you can see that it's just simply gone melted in the heat and what was inside paintings of course wall hangings the old woodwork all that is gone so the damage is extensive of course the walls are still standing but if you could go inside that church you would not recognize it anymore we are looking right now barbara some live pictures of some of that work that you were just talking about that's taking place as investigators and emergency services continue to work and look and assess the damage as you said what do we know about the cause of the fire. the prosecutor of paris has opened an investigation they have called start

>> afraid because this church is a very important church for us. this is the most important of the symbol for the church of france. the sacred of this place could be very important. it's amazing this church could be on fire like that. because everybody is -- it's a surprise for us. i'm sorry. i don't find my words because we don't understand how it's possible that this church is coming to be on fire. >> sure. >> because it's a problem. it's impossible for us. impossible. >> and it is impossible as we watch along with you, arash. thank you so much for speaking with us from paris as you see this. what you are seeing right now, this is the cathedral of notre dame. it is on fire. these are pictures from momentimoments ago. the spire on the left of your screen has fallen. that's the side of the front facade your seeing on the right side. it's a double tower for lack of a better architectural world, facade you can see from the front. and these flames have been coming really from the back roof of the cathedral of notre dame, and they have been moving clos

i don't think so i think what we should be worried about is churches get christian churches targeted around the world this is a story that gets very little reporting relatively and i know your guests would rather see riding shelves of churches and our major cities because i am going to go out at a limit of soup she's an atheist or agnostic at best but most of the world would like to see these churches rebuild because of late there's no greater force for good and helping the poor in a country more good force for good in the world than the christian church and that is absent home for us or seems to appreciate facts ok we just got time to let you have you know i don't invite things up that isn't fact well well i mean obviously i don't think we're getting into a religious conversation here but the idea that you know religion says so great romping all over the world and great saviors and everything you know i mean it's just just the opposite ridiculous the truth is i maintain what i say and that is that money should be better placed given to people who truly need it the catholic church or

perhaps i must turn my faith to the inner spiritual church, the church within the church, as the true ekklesia and the hope of the world. but again, i am thankful to god that some noble souls from the ranks of organized religion have broken loose from the paralyzing chains of conformity and joined us as active partners in the struggle for freedom. they have left their secure congregations and walked the streets of albany, georgia, with us. they have gone down the highways of the south on torturous rides for freedom. mr. president, i yield to my friend from alabama and thank him for his leadership. mr. jones: mr. president, dr. king continues. yes, they have gone to jail with us. some have been dismissed from their churches, have lost the support of their bishops and fellow ministers. but they have acted in the faith that right defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. their witness has been the spiritual salt that has preserved the true meaning of the gospel in these troubled times. they have carved a tunnel of hope through the dark mountain of disappointment. i hope the church as a

church leaders here want the city to bear the name of st peter. our guiding light was? the words of peter the great himself — the impossible does happen. this was a surprising result, a slim but safe majority, voted yes to the referendum question whether leningrad should become st petersburg once more. translation: it was an indescribable feeling of great romantic illusions and hopes, that this was the first step up a great ladder. many of our hopes did not come to pass. ludmilla narusova. for ourfinalfilm, we head to the vatican city. in a surprise announcement in 1959, popejohn xxiii called all the world's bishops and cardinals to rome to discuss modernising the church. the debates which became known as vatican ii went on throughout the 19605 and led to major changes any practice and outlook of millions of catholics. rome, where this week there opens the vatican council, the largest and the most important of any of the conferences in the whole 2,000 years of the roman catholic church. more than 2,000 cardinals and bishops... it was summoned by p

the church was destroyed many times by peter beating people. and supposed to destroy and make fire was put everything but in boss so it was not a story so make new idea. i mean this for. the first player from the first century but the last one from the fifteenth century what you see. by this is. from seventeenth century up to twenty years ago all the cherish was black like those blacks quit it was a miracle when we just clean this icons to be like this. we'll see the difference between the first on the last here in this alteration. of the law of the father from the seventeenth century others are from the first century there is a big difference even in cars we move about three players from this world to find the first player. this is like. when you look you will find. on the set all black so. you see the sign but you says it's and omega is a first unless the three optic i was the beginning of it and what our face twenty with us it was like this so pissing come from jesus himself. father marco's tends to the visitors to the monastery including th

perhaps i must turn my faith to the inner spiritual church, the church within the church, as the true ekklesia and the hope of the world. but again i am thankful to god that some noble souls from the ranks of organized religion have broken loose from the paralyzing chains of conformity and joined us as active partners in the struggle for freedom. they have left their secure congregations and walked the streets of albany, georgia, with us. they have gone down the highways of the south on torturous rides for freedom. mr. president, i yield to my friend from alabama and thank him for his leadership. mr. jones:: mr. president, dr. king continues. yes, they have gone to jail with us. some have been dismissed from their churches, have lost the support of their bishops and fellow ministers. but they have acted in the faith that right defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. their witness has been the spiritual salt that has preserved the true meaning of the gospel in these troubled times. they have carved a tunnel of hope through the dark mountain of disappointment. i hope the church as a

this morning, easter sunday, in two of my churches, saint anthony's church and saint sebastian's churchs exploded, killing nearly 150 people. from the initial statistics that have come to me. so it is a very, very sad day for all of us. i wish to therefore express my deepest sorrow and sympathy to all those innocent families that have lost someone and also to those who have been injured and rendered destitute. i would like to call upon all to pray that all those who are injured may be healed soon and that all these families who have lost someone may be consoled. i condemn to the utmost of my capacity this act that has caused so much of death and suffering to the people. i would also like to ask the government to hold a very impartial, strong inquiry and find out who is responsible behind this act. and also to punish them mercilessly because only animals can behave like that. the bbc‘s azzam ameen is in colombo, and we can speak to him now. they might, just talk us through the timeline of these explosions. around 845 local time, that is when we heard about the first attack that took plac

arthel: to your point, you can't go to church every sunday and walk out of church and hate the personat doesn't look or love like you. >> exactly true. arthel: got to go. >> at the end of mass we said best test of your christian faith, watch what you do in the parking lot. looking holy in church and then going outside and disliking people, contradiction. arthel: amen. happy easter. >> think you, my friend. happy easter. eric: parishioners and notre dame in paris celebrating a swear-- easter elsewhere this sunday after flames ripped through the cathedral monday. thankfully, all is not lost because easter brings the spirit of resurrection as the church plants you read though rise again which is the very meaning of this easter sunday. covering today's ceremony announcing paris, hi molly. reporter: hello. easter celebration that had been slated to be in the notre dame cathedral until the fire were moved to the nearby church. thousands crowded inside on this holy sunday to worship. one of the organist who played for the service the first row filled with firemen who were r bravery talk abou

sebastian church the blast occurred after easter mass and thousands of people attended that church. we were told there were 30 bodies lying in the church, pieces of flesh were thrown on the walls in the sanctuary and even outside of the church. as you mentioned, the sri lankan government is trying to keep people away from areas where they could be targeted. the president of sri lanka expressive shock and dismay and ordering people off leave and come back and trying take every possible step to maintain law and order right now says the president of sri lanka. they are closing schools two days until wednesday. and just trying to come to grips with what happened and, at the moment, at this hour, trying to contain the situation and make sure they can prevent more people from being hurt and killed. >> all right. will ripley, thank you so much. we know this is a lot of information taken and we will check back in with you. we appreciate it. >>> the full horror of the scene in sri lanka is only just now becoming clear. we are getting new video in the aftermath and moment of the explosion. th

i prayed for my kids in that church. i've been with my wife in that church.t for solace during the terrible charlie hebdo attacks in the it means so much to so many people all over the world throughout time. and while it will never be forgotten and it can be rebuilt, so much of it is now gone. what we're told by the experts is the reason the fires are dying down is they're being fought, but they're also running out of fuel on the inside which means they're just devouring everything and so much of it can't be replaced. and in this week of all weeks, this is the main time the catholics come together. it's a three-day festival, what we call easter. it's a process of days and events and significance of what jesus brought into his crucifixion, why he went through it, the message to the rest of us, his descent to the death, and his rebirth and renewal. that will be the part we cling to in processing this situation no matter what you believe in terms of religion. the idea that something can be great again once it is destroyed, hard to believe in this moment. the fir

church? >> enormous relics. they're just remnants, the body of a saint, part of a body of the saint or something that the saint had been in touch with. a vivid reminder of these great figures. the crown of thorns, i don't know, i'm not sure what to make of that. when i was in paris, it was kept in the treasury, but i never heard that it was in that spire. i hope not. because that was, going back to the time of louis ix, st. louis, and they built the champs lapell for safe keeping. indeed i saw it there when i was in paris but it was in the treasury. >> where is that? >> that was in the -- it was like a lower section off the main part of the cathedral. i don't remember it being in the spire. st. genevieve, great protector of paris. so for catholics, relics are of great significance. >> these images are devastating. we're watching on the lower right-hand of your screen that entire that collapsed about 20 minutes ago, 750 tons. bishop baron, thank you so much for joining us today and sharing the

it was one of several luxury hotels and a church targeted in the capital. another blast happened at a church in the town of the combo north of the capital more than ninety people died here. then shortly afterwards the zion church in the eastern town of batticaloa was devastated by another device. it's the worst act of violence in ten years since the end of the country's civil war the government has blamed religious extremists and has warned of serious consequences for the nation. i see this as a serious situation and as destabilizing the country and the economy i strongly condemn this attack aimed at religious institutions and some hotels in the capital . in the aftermath of the carnage a number have arrests have been made and a curfew imposed on the government has been to hunt down all the perpetrators i was given latest now from sri lanka with jamila national dean editor of news in asia and she is a journalist there in colombo it's getting late and sri lanka what's the situation right now after today's were forgiven. hi so it's a nickel pass a little midn

the church which really is the churches that is the eldest daughter and so this is one of the great senses of christendom sixty crude and tonight it is crumbling in them in a matter of a couple of hours is there it's crumbling and then human crude at a good word you had a little bit of. let's little a difference and this is attach ourselves this parody account of ourselves this is really. as. your other guest said this is really a concept french identity that that as collapse tonight you know that it's important to reiterate that as well i mean this is an image that we're seeing now going up in flames that is recognize the world over and it represents. in so many things is a many people. oh go ahead million. it's this is the most visited morning. in the most visited city in what. it will visit with and about. you know this is the economy really underestimate not really going to see is a true test and we had a report not so long ago about the need for renovations at the cathedral and the need was dire we were talking about hundreds of millions of euros or innovations renovations that

but horowitz sace the slaughter of unarmed christians in a church was a cowardly attack on one church. but what happened after the church shooting was part of a wider war by the political left against cristians and christianity. as news of the shooting broke, prominent christians took to twitter and urged fellow believers to pray. speaker of the house paul ryan, a devout roman catholic, tweeted, quote, reports out of texas are devestathe. the people of southerland springs need our prayers right now. unquote. from hollywood to new york and washington, the left responded with a course of jeers and i sults. former msnbc political commentator keith olbermann suggested in a tweet that speaker ryan should prock toll jies himself with his prayers. seattle democratic representative jayapal tweeted, quote, they were praying when it happened, they don't need our prayers, they need us to address gun violence, unquote. commeedia sneered, quote, if prayers were the answer to mass shootings, wouldn't people at a church service be safe? unquote. actor will wheaten tweeted, quote, the murdered victim