Religion/ Spirituality

The Easter Bunny's making a comeback of sorts, and this time it doesn't just mean Spring is sprung, it's a sign Americans are getting ready to celebrate Easter like it's 2019 ... for better or worse.

The bellwether in this case -- bunny costume sales, and they're super hot with Easter less than 2 weeks away. A rep at HalloweenCostumes.com, the world's largest costume retailer, tells TMZ ... its Easter category sales are up over 75% year-to-year.

For instance, this time last year -- as the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns were beginning -- the retailer had sold just 49 bunny costumes. This year, with COVID cases flat or dropping in most places, they've sold 171 ... and expect to sell out before Easter, which is April 4.

The easy explanation for biz boomin' is two-fold -- the decrease in cases and the increase in availability of COVID-19 vaccines. Not to mention the loosening of restrictions in many states, and total lack of them in others.

What's more ... the CDC also recently said vaccinated people can visit indoors with unvaccinated people of a single household without masks or social distancing if unvaccinated people are in the low-risk category. Great news for grandma and grandpa heading into the holiday!

Important to note, though, that if no one in your family's been vaccinated, the CDC is still recommending keeping celebrations within your household, and gathering virtually with others. And, of course, outdoor gatherings, if weather permits, are most ideal.

Meyers Leonard's time in South Beach is over -- the Miami Heat are trading the controversial center just one week after he spewed an anti-Semitic slur on a live stream.

The Heat are shipping the 29-year-old and a 2027 2nd-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Trevor Ariza, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski ... but OKC is not expected to keep Leonard once the trade is completed.

In other words, the Thunder didn't want Leonard ... the team just used his contract to make the trade work.

As a good faith gesture to the Heat, Leonard waived his no-trade clause to help get the deal done.

Remember, Leonard was handed a one-week suspension and a $50,000 fine by the NBA after he called an opponent a "f***ing k*** bitch" during a video game sesh on March 9.

The NBA also required Leonard to participate in a cultural diversity program as part of his punishment.

NBA commish Adam Silver condemned Leonard's remarks ... calling them "inexcusable and hurtful" ... adding, "such an offensive term has no place in the NBA or in our society."

Leonard apologized following the incident ... saying he did not know about the history of the slur, but did not want to use it as an excuse.

"I acknowledge and own my mistake and there's no running from something like this that is so hurtful to someone else."

As we previously reported, Leonard has been in touch with various Jewish groups and leaders from the community in an effort to educate himself about why the word he used is offensive and dangerous ... and we're told he's committed to continuing that work no matter what happens with his NBA career.

For now, we're told Leonard is staying in Miami to continue to train and rehab -- and continue his education with a broad range of leaders in the Jewish community.

There's a good chance Leonard doesn't play NBA ball again for a while -- he played in 3 games in 2020-21 and underwent season-ending surgery in February.

"We’re not playing the Jehovah’s Witness All-Star team here. We’re playing the [Florida] Gators, man."

What a stupid thing to say, right?!

Well, the man behind that idiotic quote is Virginia Tech basketball coach Mike Young ... and guess what, he's apologizing now!

Young was addressing the media during an NCAA Tournament news conference Tuesday ... when he was asked about his mindset going into the team's 1st round game against the Florida Gators.

"We’re not playing the Jehovah’s Witness all-star team here. We’re playing the Gators, man. We’re playing the Gators."

Get it ... Young's insinuating that a team full of Jehovah's Witnesses would be trash compared to the Florida Gators.

Someone wanna clue in Coach Young about Serena Williams -- perhaps the most dominant athlete on the planet ... who also happens to be a Jehovah's Witness?

Obviously, there are many examples of talented JW athletes -- but that's not the point. The point is, it was a stupid and offensive comment. And, within hours, Coach Young was apologizing.

"Earlier today on the NCAA Tournament conference call, I attempted to show my respect for our upcoming opponent, the University of Florida. Regrettably, I didn’t articulate that sentiment in an appropriate manner," Young said.

"I apologize for my insensitive remark and am sincerely sorry for anyone I may have offended."

The Catholic Church is not allowed to bless same-sex unions because God "does not and cannot bless sin" ... according to the Vatican, in a decree approved by the Pope.

The Vatican's orthodoxy office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, issued the official ruling Monday in response to a question about whether or not Catholic clergy can bless gay unions.

The answer is no, because the Vatican says Catholicism teaches that marriage is a lifelong union between a man and a woman with the purpose of creating new life.

The decree seems pretty two-faced ... considering the Vatican says gay people must be treated with dignity and respect, and the church can continue to bless gay people ... as a whole.

On the flip side ... the Vatican also describes gay sex as "intrinsically disordered."

In recent years, Pope Francis has made headlines for his support of gay rights and even legal protections for same-sex couples -- but the buck clearly stops at marriage.

"Saturday Night Live's" Michael Che is getting dragged for what some are calling an anti-Semitic joke.

Che was at the anchor desk for "Weekend Update" Saturday night, when he quipped that half the folks in Israel have already gotten the COVID vaccine, adding, "I'm going to guess it's the Jewish half."

True enough ... Israel's faced criticism for not yet inoculating around 100,000 Palestinians who work in Israel. That said, Che did not say the Israeli half was vaccinated ... he said the Jewish half. By saying that, he made it about religion, not the government.

Fact is ... Israel is inoculating Jews, Arabs and Christians. They were slow on the uptake with Palestinians, but they're correcting that.

Twitter went crazy after Che dropped the joke, calling him out, but he has yet to address it.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger's not only in a battle with Republicans standing behind former President Donald Trump ... he's fighting with his own family, who've accused him of joining the "devil's army."

In a rancorous letter dated Jan. 8 -- the day after Kinzinger separated himself from his party by calling for the 25th Amendment to be used to remove Trump from office for his role in inciting the Capitol riots -- 11 of the Congressman's family members call him a disappointment "to us and to God" ... accuse him of being brainwashed, and supporting abortion and socialism, which they label "the ultimate sin."

The letter was penned by Kinzinger's cousin, Karen Otto, who according to The New York Times ... sent it certified mail to Rep. Kinzinger's dad to make sure he read it. It was signed by her husband Greg along with 9 other family members, but Karen claims in the letter ... there are more who feel the same way.

Along with calling Kinzinger an embarrassment and saying they are "truly disgusted" by him, the family seems to most offended he went against President Trump ... who they say is not perfect, but claim he is a Christian believer. They say they don't like his "horrible, rude accusations of President Trump!"

The irony in the letter is the line -- "It is not for us to judge or be judged!"

Rep. Kinzinger told TMZ earlier this month he's leading the push to reclaim the GOP, and get away from the radical, conspiracy-driven beliefs that have been promoted by Trump.

He's one of just a few House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, as well as strip Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from her committee posts.

Pope Francis is way too kneedy ... he eats too much pasta, and his doctors want him to drastically change his diet ... from A to Ziti.

The pasta-loving Pontiff's being advised to lose at least 4 lbs to help ease his sciatica and avoid a trip to the operating table, and now pasta and pizza are off the table ... according to The Sun.

It's not just carbs ... the Pope's also being told to steer clear of cakes. His doctors reportedly want him to chow down on fruits, vegetables, fish and olive oil, complemented by small bowls of rice.

Imagine telling his holiness to eat more greens. Wonder what his mother's thinking from up above.

Pope Francis has apparently been getting plump, and it's taking a toll on his body and changing the way he operates ... he reportedly sat during Thursday's meeting with cardinals, apologizing for not being able to speak standing up and blaming his sciatica.

The good news for Francis ... he should be fine if he eats healthier and follows his doctors' advice.

An Idaho woman showed up to a city council meeting dressed in what she described as Muslim attire, as an example of the lengths she says she goes to just to avoid wearing a mask.

This went down Monday in the city of Lewiston, where council members opened the meeting with public comments ... which brought forth a throng of angry citizens, many of whom were griping about local mask mandates and restaurant shutdowns, claiming it was illegal.

Eventually, this woman -- who ID'd herself as Katie Dugger -- stepped up to the podium ... wearing a bright purple headdress that she later said she got in Peru, but apparently used in public to get out of putting on face covering.

Watch for yourself ... it's bonkers. Basically, Dugger says in order for her to go to school in-person, this is what she has to wear to get by without any hassle, passing herself off as a Muslim. She even wraps the fabric around her face like a burka, to bring her point home.

She isn't using the religious liberty argument ... she claims her aversion to mask-wearing is all about childhood trauma 🤷🏽‍♂️.

Sen. Raphael Warnock's come a long way since he was last at the U.S. Capitol  ... and he's letting everyone know he's there to stay a bit longer this time.

The Georgia Senator and Reverend just posted a powerful tweet reflecting on his journey -- which was capped off by winning a runoff election against Kelly Loeffler earlier this month.

Warnock shared a photo of himself arriving to work at the Capitol, saying ... "The last time I was here in 2017, Capitol police were escorting me to central booking for leading a non-violent protest of an immoral budget."

He adds ... "This time they just had to show me to my office."

It's true -- Warnock, along with other pastors -- got arrested in July 2017 in the Russell Senate Office building for leading a peaceful protest against the proposed budget and efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

He was handcuffed by Capitol Police as he and the others were singing and praying. Warnock said at the time it was a small price to pay to bring attention to those who would suffer.

The Reverend was booked, fined and released, but later added ... "As a pastor, I believe that the national budget is not just a fiscal document, but a moral document. It reflects what we believe and who we are for one another. And if this mean spirited budget were an EKG, it would indicate that America has a heart condition."

The NY Jets made history with their head coaching hire Thursday night ... they inked a deal with Robert Saleh, reportedly making him the NFL's 1st-ever Muslim head coach.

According to Muslim civil rights advocacy group CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) ... no other Muslim had been given the role in the league's history prior to Saleh's hiring.

"We welcome this development as another sign of the increasing inclusion and recognition of American Muslims in our diverse society," CAIR spokesperson Ibrahim Hooper said.

41-year-old Saleh -- who was born in Michigan but has family roots in Lebanon -- has been a straight-up hell of a coach since he was promoted to defensive coordinator in San Francisco.

In fact, many NFL pundits have already praised the Jets for the hire ... saying what Saleh did with the 49ers the past four seasons makes him a safe bet to succeed in New York.

Saleh's 49ers' defensive groups have been consistently some of the best in the NFL ... and stars like Richard Sherman praised him after the Jets made the hiring official this week.

"The @nyjets got a great one!" Sherman said on Twitter. "Congrats to them!"

The guy who authorities say was the one wearing a "Camp Auschwitz" hoodie during the Capitol riots has been arrested ... TMZ has confirmed

Robert Keith Packer was busted Wednesday morning in Newport News, VA and he's been charged with knowingly entering restricted grounds and disorderly conduct. He'd already drawn outrage for his hoodie, flippantly referencing the Nazi concentration camp where more than 1 million Jews were killed during World War II.

As if that wasn't disturbing enough ... the back of the hoodie also had the word "Staff" emblazoned on it. The bottom of his hoodie had the words, "Work brings freedom" ... a rough translation of "Arbeit macht frei" ... words inscribed on the concentration camp gates.

This apparently is not the first time Packer's run into trouble with the law. According to CNN, Packer's criminal history includes 3 convictions for driving under the influence and a felony conviction for forging public records.

The authorities say Parker was among hundreds who stormed the Capitol in a failed coup last week.

Andrew Yang's decision to run for mayor of New York City has brought one of his more unusual political positions back to light -- he's against circumcision.

If you don't recall ... Yang made headlines as a Democratic presidential candidate in early 2019 by tweeting that he was "against the practice" of routine infant circumcision.

He later clarified it's not a hard stance -- he just believes it should be a choice left up to parents -- but now he's having to explain himself all over again.

That's because Ben Max, Executive Editor at Gotham Gazette, tweeted that he'd just learned of Yang's anti-circumcision take and joked that it "may not be helpful in a Democratic primary in New York City" .... where, obviously, there is a very large Jewish population.

So, just like in 2019, Yang's trying to cut off the controversy early. He replied, saying he's attended many friends' brises and believes in religious freedom. He then reiterates ... "This is every parent’s personal decision and not a role of government. Happy New Year!"

This is very much in line with what Yang told us back in April 2019, when he made it clear he doesn't mean any disrespect to Jewish people or parents who choose to circumcise their children.

An evangelical Christian singer is coming to COVID-ravaged Los Angeles to spread more than holiday cheer.

It's unbelievable ... as L.A. fast approaches 10,000 COVID deaths and ICUs are filled to the brim, Sean Feucht -- a COVID defier -- plans mass gatherings on skid row and a tent city in Echo Park. The people he's visiting are most at risk, because they're not able to take the same precautions others with greater means have available.

Feucht has been defying health officials and other authorities for months. He threw "Let Us Worship" events over the summer ... open-air concerts around the country as he thumbed his nose at everyone warning people of the dangers. The crowds were packed in like sardines, most of course, not wearing masks. It's the textbook definition of a super-spreader event.

Some skid row activists plan to be on hand when Feucht shows up ... trying to block his efforts.

Feucht has jumped on social media, bragging he's ordered a couple thousand glow sticks for the celebrations.

By the way ... L.A. County is on virtual lockdown with the explosion of coronavirus hospitalizations and deaths.

Just like ol' times in Murdock, Minnesota, where a "whites-only" church just got approval to open its doors.

It's true ... The Asatru Folk Assembly applied and was granted a conditional use permit to preach its pre-Christian messages. The Church, which formed in Northern Europe, operates openly to exclude anyone but white people.

The Murdock City Council approved the permit this month, but not without protest. There's a petition drive opposing the Council's move and it has 50,000 signatures, though clearly not just from the town. Murdock has a population of 280.

Many locals have also protested, saying they support the growing Latino population in the town and favor them over the views of the church.

A neo-Nazi t-shirt is being hawked online, with a message bemoaning that more Jews were not exterminated during the Holocaust.

The shirt is emblazoned with letters and numbers ... "6MWE" -- that's code for 6 million wasn't enough.

It's important to note these do not seem to be Holocaust deniers ... they're actually acknowledging that 6 million Jews were savagely murdered, but they feel like the Nazis could have done more.

The logo has a resemblance to the Proud Boys logo, but it's unclear exactly who's behind this disgusting display.

The moment a crazed gunman was shot to death on the steps of an NYC church was captured on camera -- and the video is absolutely intense.

NYPD officers rushed to St. John the Divine Cathedral Sunday in Harlem, responding to reports of a guy opening fire into the air at an outdoor concert. Fortunately, nobody was hurt and folks were able to either escape outright or take cover inside the cathedral -- but it quickly led to a tense standoff right out front.

A man across the street recorded the fatal moment the gunman was struck by a bullet, which took him down. Prior to that though, he repeatedly dodged several shots from cops by taking cover behind a pillar at the cathedral's front doors.

You can hear cops demanding he drop his gun and surrender ... and at one point the guy screams "kill me" multiple times. NYPD says he was hit in the head, and later pronounced dead at a hospital.

The gunman was the only reported casualty or injury.

A ton of folks who'd taken shelter inside were safely evacuated -- and you can tell they're all rattled. So far, there's no suspected motive for the attempted shooting ... the only thing cops are saying is he came armed with multiple firearms -- including semi-automatic weapons -- some knives, rope, gasoline, wire and a bible in his backpack.