Religion/ Spirituality

A gunman has reportedly taken several people hostage at a synagogue in Texas, and his demands are simple ... free his sister, who was once suspected of terrorist activities.

According to ABC's Aaron Katersky, the armed man who wandered into the Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Colleyville Saturday has allegedly been ID'd as Muhammad Siddiqui, whom he says is claiming to be the brother of convicted felon Aafia Siddiqui.

She was sent to prison in 2010 after being found guilty of attempted murder of a U.S. military officer in Afghanistan -- among a slew of other charges -- and is serving out an 86-year sentence in the Fort Worth area. She's alleged to have had ties with al-Qaeda over the years ... and has been placed on federal law enforcement terrorism watch lists in the past.

Per Katersky, the gunman is demanding her release. Other reports say the perp claims to be armed with bombs, among other weapons ... the full extent of which is still unknown. Local law enforcement has descended on the scene to negotiate, as has the FBI.

Even crazier ... there was apparently a bar-mitzvah going on when the guy busted in, which was being live-streamed to the synagogue's FB account ... a stream that has since been deactivated. Still, some of the snippets that were captured are now surfacing, and you can hear what is presumably the hostage-taker railing on America, and saying he's willing to die.

The fact this man crashed a synagogue for hostages is not lost on those who covered the Siddiqui case. She is reported to have had strong objections to Jewish people representing her in her defense. She also asked for Jews to be tossed from the jury pool at the time.

At the moment, the synagogue's rabbi and three others are believed to be among those being held captive. No word on injuries or deaths yet, but SWAT units have arrived.

When the Lord said, "Let there be inflation," that pretty much gave Christian landlords the green light to raise rents without guilt ... that seems to be Dave Ramsey's take, anyway.

The financial guru radio host -- who's also a devout evangelical -- took this stance earlier in the week ... and it's getting a lot of backlash now from people who think the very nature of booting a tenant because they can't afford the rent anymore is ... not very Christ-like.

Not so, according to DR ... who gave his thoughts on the subject after a fan wrote in talking about his inner turmoil regarding raising prices on his properties, and reconciling that with his faith.

It's an interesting premise (if you're religious) ... the viewer says he feels he's technically responsible for displacing someone if he chooses to evict -- and thinks that makes him a bad Christian. But, Ramsey takes the opposite view ... saying that's total nonsense.

Check out the full clip for the entire context -- in which Ramsey and his cohost say there are circumstances where you don't have to be a cold, hard capitalist -- but for the most part ... they seem to agree that there's nothing un-Christian about adapting to the marketplace.

Of course, not everyone agrees with DR and co., including some prominent Christians ... who feel like, yeah, being a landlord that's willing to put someone out on the street DOES make one a crappy steward of Christianity.

One pastor writes, "We are absolutely responsible when our actions displace others from their homes. The Son of Man had no place to rest His head, and it sounds like Dave wouldn't give him one for even a penny under what he thinks 'market value' is."

Big Daddy Weave's Jason "Jay" Weaver is dead after suffering complications from COVID-19.

In a heartfelt message on Instagram his brother and fellow band member, Mike, shared the tragic news ... "I'm sorry to bring this news, but I am excited to celebrate where he is right now. My brother Jay went to be with Jesus just a couple hours ago."

Jay was a bass player and vocalist for the Christian band and had a history of health complications. Back in 2016, he was rushed to the hospital and had to get both feet amputated to fight an infection in his body.

In his message, Mike thanked everyone for their prayers and support for his late brother throughout his battles with his health ... "you've seen him walk the uphill battle and you guys helped carry him through so much."

"Even though COVID took his last breath, Jesus was right there to catch him," he said.

Big Daddy Weave started in 1998, dropping their first album in 2001 and touring with big hits in the Christian music scene ever since.

Mike talked about his brother's impact -- "The Lord used him in such a mighty way out on the road for many years."

He says their family will deal with the heartache "as it comes" but for now, they are turning to their faith to celebrate Jay ... "The prayers of healing can now turn into prayers of thanksgiving now that Jay is in God's presence."

Jay was 42.

Britney Spears gave a giant "f you" to her family Monday ... literally saying "f you" to them.

Spears was clearly angry when she posted, “Not doing music anymore is my way of saying ‘F–k You’ in a sense when it only actually benefits my family by ignoring my real work." She went on ... “It’s like I’ve subconsciously let them win.”

She tried explaining why she pulled the plug on doing music ... "So much wasted time to only embarrass me and humiliate me and I guess it seems odd to most now why I don't even do my music anymore ... People have no idea the awful things that were done to me personally and after what I've been through, I'm scared of people and the business!!! They really hurt me!!!!!" She said recently more music is coming.

She continued to unload ... "I had an experience three years ago where i stopped believing in God!!!! From every angle i was being hurt for no reason and my family was hurting me ... I went into a state of shock and the way I coped was being fake denial ... I screamed alone a lot and I kept all that pain to myself!!!!"

Britney is angry over her sister, Jamie Lynn, performing a remix of her song "Till the World Ends" at the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards. She said, “It didn’t make sense how network television shows are showcasing my music with remixes of all of my music … yet the person who owns the music is told no!!!!” Britney wrote. “They even gave remixes to my sister but I was always told no?”

Britney was self-reflective, saying, “I obviously have serious insecurities. Otherwise I wouldn’t have acted like an obnoxious 8 year old last week defending myself with my accomplishments!!!!” She went on to say, "Honestly my family embarrassed me and hurt me deeply ... so tooting my own horn and seeing my past accomplishments reflecting back at me actually helped!!!!"

Neil deGrasse Tyson says the new NASA telescope observing the origins of the early universe isn't a shot across the bow at religion ... but being flexible is the key.

The famed astrophysicist joined us on "TMZ Live" and we asked if the research being done using the $10 billion Webb space telescope could challenge the foundations of religion.

Neil says the telescope, which launched into space on Christmas, will be used to fill in some gaps with the big bang theory ... but he's not buying the argument that such research will clash with generations of folks who believe God created the universe in 6 days.

The way Neil sees it ... religious folks are becoming more flexible and looking at things in a more spiritual sense ... so new discoveries won't cut to the core of belief systems.

Christmas is about peace on earth, but not necessarily peace in Church, because 2 dudes showed a pastor mid-sermon their hands were up to date.

It went down at the Olivet Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee Sunday, when suddenly one guy comes up to another sitting in the front row and starts swinging. The guy who was sitting instantly fully engages, and the 2 go off-screen as they continue punching each other.

Bishop Kevin Adams tries in vain to stop the fight, saying, "Stop it, Marcus. Marcus, come on."  It's unclear how long the fight went on, because someone pulled the plug on the Church's live stream.

The Bishop said afterward the man in the white t-shirt had just gotten out of rehab and beelined it for the youth pastor, who was sitting in the front row. The Bishop insinuates the man in the t may have relapsed, because he says the guy didn't know where he was.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a leader in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, has died.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Tutu's death, praising him as "a patriot without equal," adding he was "A man of extraordinary intellect, integrity and invincibility against the forces of apartheid, he was also tender and vulnerable in his compassion for those who had suffered oppression, injustice and violence under apartheid, and oppressed and downtrodden people around the world."

Tutu was recognized worldwide for his efforts, winning a Nobel Peace Prize ... among many other honors.

Tutu's efforts cannot be overstated ... he was the major force behind the challenge to end racial segregation in South Africa. After Nelson Mandela was released from prison and became President of South Africa, he tapped Tutu for the position of chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation said of Tutu ... "He was larger than life, and for so many in South Africa and around the world his life has been a blessing. His contributions to struggles against injustice, locally and globally, are matched only by the depth of his thinking about the making of liberatory futures for human societies."

Tutu received praise from the U.S. for his efforts to end apartheid. Back in 2009, then-President Obama bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tutu.

Tutu's efforts were not without great risk. As you know, the South African government retaliated against many leaders in the movement, including Nelson Mandela ... throwing a number of them in prison and shutting down opposition groups.

The Archbishop of Cape Town announced the church will organize Tutu's funeral and memorial, saying ... "Desmond Tutu's legacy is moral strength, moral courage and clarity. He felt with the people. In public and alone, he cried because he felt people's pain. And he laughed -- no, not just laughed, he cackled with delight when he shared their joy."

The Pope has died while discussing Covid-19 -- at least that's what one broadcaster almost had her viewers thinking ... when she mistakenly said the guy had croaked.

Francis' Christmas day remarks were being recapped Saturday by ITV broadcaster Kylie Pentelow, who was plugging along nicely ... until a little slip at the end when she said, "His death was announced ..."

Pentelow caught herself before she said anything more, and then apologized briefly before doing a hard pause and moving on to the next story.

There didn't seem to be any explanation as to why she said that -- but the obvious answer seems to be that she was reading off of a teleprompter, which must've said something to that effect. Indeed, a true Ron Burgundy moment in real-time.

Of course, the Pope isn't dead -- he's alive and kicking. And as for what he had to say about 'rona during his speech at the Vatican ... it was all about praying the pandemic away, and lamenting those who've suffered through the era of Covid.

Ye's on a mission to help the homeless population of Los Angeles, meeting with charitable organizations and coming up with strategies he believes can help to ease the growing problem in the city.

As we'd shown you ... Kanye stopped by the L.A. Mission to drop off 1,000 meals last week but turns out he also took time to meet with the people in charge. We're told during his sit-down with Reverend Troy Vaughn, CEO of L.A. Mission, Ye laid out 4 ways he believes he can help the homeless.

First, Kanye wants to create a plan to continue feeding the unhoused by establishing a working relationship with orgs across the city. He also wants to use his own companies to help provide education, jobs and housing.

Ye believes he can use his platform and Sunday Service to inspire and uplift the homeless community in L.A. in only ways his artistry has been able to do with others.

Finally, Kanye wants to partner with other groups tackling the crisis and combine their efforts with his ability to provide a bold and innovative vision for the future. Together, he believes they can eliminate the homeless situation.

As we reported, Kanye also spoke to those in attendance at the mission, saying he believes God will bring him and Kim Kardashian back together ... inspiring millions of couples in the process.

Of course, the homeless population in L.A. has only grown since the start of the pandemic, with lawmakers and citizens looking for ways to help those in need.

Just hours after USC fans broke out a "F*** the Mormons" chant during the Trojans' game against BYU -- the school issued an apology, saying it was all "distasteful" and "offensive."

It's unclear at what point during BYU's game against USC on Saturday night that the synchronized yelling happened ... video has yet to surface of it all.

But, multiple people reported hearing it loud and clear during the contest at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum ... forcing USC officials to apologize on Sunday.

"The offensive chant from our student section directed towards BYU during the football game last night does not align with our Trojan values," the school said in a statement.

"It was distasteful and we apologize to the BYU program."

What's interesting ... USC's quarterback, Jaxson Dart, is actually a member of the LDS Church.

The Cougars, though, were clearly unfazed by the disturbing chants from the Trojan-heavy crowd ... they ended up winning the game, 35-31, improving their record to 10-2.

Dallas Jenkins says his show about Jesus isn't the same old, same old we've seen done time and again -- and as Christmas nears ... his latest installment might just be what everyone needs as we exit the pandemic.

We talked to the TV producer -- who's the EP of 'The Chosen,' which gives a modern take on Jesus' journeys -- and he tells us why he thinks his latest holiday special spinoff, 'Christmas with the Chosen: The Messengers,' is going to resonate with audiences.

First off, he acknowledges a lot of people have turned to religion during the pandemic -- plus everything else we've been through as a society over the past year-plus ... and his series is perfect for scooping those folks up and bringing them on an entertaining, spiritual journey.

As DJ explains ... he thinks the neat thing about Jesus, specifically, is that getting onboard with him is more about building a relationship and less about the institution of religion itself -- something that seems to come through on 'The Chosen,' which has been on since 2017.

Speaking of his show -- you might've heard about it ... it's very modern, in the sense that it plays like a comedy-drama from a major network -- and JC isn't portrayed as lily white stiff.

Pat Riley says he expects to see Meyers Leonard back in an NBA jersey at some point ... telling TMZ Sports he believes the hooper's basketball career ain't over despite his previous use of an anti-Semitic slur.

The former Heat center has been out of the league since he was filmed on a live stream dropping the k-word ... but he's worked tirelessly to educate himself on the Jewish community since.

The 29-year-old famously met a bunch of kids at a synagogue in Boca Raton in June ... and also teamed up with an anti-hate organization to speak at a virtual seminar back in August.

Riley has clearly taken note of Leonard's actions ... and he guaranteed the 6-foot-10 basketball player would get a second opportunity in the NBA in the future.

"He's going to play basketball again," the Miami Heat president told us out at LAX. "He will."

Riley, though, said he wasn't sure if that opportunity would come from the Heat.

Tamar Braxton is the latest victim of brazen burglars -- but instead of vowing vengeance ... she's actually sending them prayers.

The singer broke the startling news early Wednesday morning, saying ... "A few hours ago, this broken, bum ass man (one that I know) broke into my home and stole my safe only."

In her post, Tamar notes nothing else was taken -- including valuables like a Birkin bag or a computer or gaming systems -- and that the safe seemed to be the only item sought.

She also had a message for the perp ... "I want you to know first hand that I'm not angry. You did not break me. You did not violate me. What your broken ass don't realize that God gave me that home and every single thing in it during a pandemic, & also during the time when I was all of those things. God personally put the pieces of my life back together again."

She adds, "So pumpkin, you did not steal from me. Those things you took, he will give back to me a million times fold!!! You took from God!!!"

Tamar then got seriously Biblical, saying the crook isn't ready for the kind of vengeance God is about to drop on them. She closed with, "Father, have your way -- Amen."

The Rev. Jesse Jackson is following through on his promise to attend the Ahmaud Arbery murder trial, and sticking it to one of the defense attorneys ... who openly griped about "Black pastors" in court.

Rev. Jackson was in the Brunswick, GA courtroom gallery Monday morning -- shoulder-to-shoulder with Ahmaud's family members -- showing the kind of support Kevin Gough complained about on Friday.

ICYMI ... Gough, defense attorney for William "Roddie" Bryan, said he wanted the judge to limit the number of Black pastors allowed in the courtroom because he feared it could be "consciously or unconsciously an attempt to pressure or influence the jury."

The embarrassing part for Gough -- he singled out Rev. Jackson for being in the courtroom, even though he'd never attended before today. Anyway, the judge denied his request.

Rev. Jackson's blasted Gough's motion as "unacceptable" because a "public trial involves public observation" ... and told us he planned to be in court.

The lawyer for defendant William 'Roddie' Bryan in the Ahmaud Arbery trial complained to the judge ... "black pastors" coming to court and sitting with the family is unfair.

Attorney Kevin Gough voiced his displeasure in open court after Rev. Al Sharpton showed up to sit with Arbery's family inside the courtroom.

Gough groused, "I've got nothing personally against Mr. Sharpton ... but if we're starting a precedent where we're gonna bring high-profile members of the African-American community into the courtroom to sit with the family during the trial in the presence of the jury, I believe that's intimidating and it's an attempt to consciously or unconsciously pressure or influence the jury."

And, he goes on ... " ... if their pastor is Al Sharpton right now, that's fine, but then that's it. We don't want any more black pastors coming in here. Jesse Jackson, whoever was in here earlier this week sitting with the victim's family trying to influence the jury in this case."

BTW ... Jesse Jackson was never in the courtroom. He may be referring to attorney Ben Crump, who was in court earlier in the week.

The judge was less than receptive, interrupting Gough and shutting down his argument, after the lawyer makes a Colonel Sanders reference.

Kanye West wants to honor the victims who died at Astroworld -- and he's using his religious vehicle of Sunday Service to do just that.

The rapper's latest spiritual music gathering is going on right now -- and before things officially got underway at around 1 PM PT ... there was a message posted on behalf of Kanye and co., reading, "Sunday Service dedication to the loved ones of Astroworld."

Obviously, Ye is referring to the 8 people who died while Travis Scott was performing Friday night ... not to mention the countless others who suffered injuries to varying degrees.

So far, it seems this Service has a much more somber tone than last week's -- when he brought out Marilyn Manson, Justin Bieber and others in what appeared to be broad daylight, where everyone was wearing white hoods as they engaged in worship and singing.

This time ... Kanye's got his choir and other accompanying singers dressed in all black, and they're performing in what seems to be a huge dark building, with just a sliver of light breaking through. The main choir ran through a few hymns, including some songs from "Donda" -- and now, it looks like Kanye's got a choir out there who are singing too.

No sign of Ye himself just yet ... and nobody has shared any explicit words of condolences at this point ... the show got underway, and it's been nothing but music ever since.

Ya gotta imagine Kanye might make an appearance at some point, and even say something to address the Astroworld tragedy ... as Travis is essentially his brother-in-law, and we know they're tight.