Religion/ Spirituality

The Nike lawsuit might have caught Lil Nas X by surprise, but he had to see this coming -- the Church of Satan is throwing its support behind his new limited edition "Satan Shoes."

David Harris, magister for the Church of Satan, tells TMZ ... the shoes, which feature an inverted cross, bronze pentagram and a drop of human blood, are getting a ton of love from the Church because they embrace the essence of Satanism.

For the uninitiated ... Satanists do not actually worship Satan, nor do they believe in God or the Devil. They are opposed to all spirituality and anything supernatural, and with no belief in the afterlife, Satanists emphasize being your true self, living life to the fullest and personal achievement ... values it says LNX is following with his new kicks.

Harris, who's pretty high up in the Church of Satan (kinda like a cardinal), says Satanists are digging the way Lil Nas X is turning against religion to market his customized Nike Air Max 97 shoes.

The shoe's Monday release came on the heels of Lil Nas X's polarizing "MONTERO" music vid featuring the Prince of Darkness -- a brilliant marketing plan, apparently, because all 666 pairs sold out within minutes, with folks shelling out $1,018 a pop for the limited-edition kicks. BTW, that price tag is an ode to the bible scripture emblazoned on the side, Luke 10:18, which references Satan's banishment from heaven.

Between the shoes and the "breathtaking" music vid, Harris says LNX is clearly extending a middle finger to folks who told him he'd burn in hell for his sexuality. However, the Church of Satan applauds Lil Nas X for living life on his own terms and being his honest self ... which will, no doubt, infuriate his critics even more.

Lil Nas X is fully leaning into his new hellish aesthetic -- teaming up with an idea org to release "Satan Shoes" ... this on the heels of his polarizing music video on the same subject.

The rapper/pop star is putting out a limited release of Nike sneakers that are all about the Prince of Darkness and his kingdom ... right down to the box artwork and even the shoe design itself, which features a pentagram emblem sitting on the laces.

Check out the photos ... they're not leaving much to the imagination here.

The shoe body is a Nike Air Max '97, which MSCHF -- the company behind this campaign -- has reinvented with Nas X's new 'Montero' song and video in mind. It's got a bible scripture emblazoned on the side, Luke 10:18, which references Satan's banishment from heaven.

There's also a 666 reference toward the back of the shoe ... with another number in front of it, alluding to which limited unit it is. Word is, MSCHF/Nike are only dishing out 666 of these puppies to the public ... so if you have 6/666, that seems to mean you got the 6th model.

Here's the kicker ... apparently, these shoes will contain one drop of human blood somewhere along the soles. And no, not the metaphorical blood, sweat and tears of the factory workers who will presumably put these together ... like, actual plasma-filled red stuff.

Unclear whose blood exactly is being used for this ... but it's provocative, without a doubt.

Of course, the collab follows Nas X dropping a visual project for his track 'Montero (Call Me By Your Name)' ... which got a lot of mixed reactions this past week.

It depicts him descending into hell and cozying up to Lucifer himself ... and giving him an erotic lap dance, no less. Some loved it, saying it's a celebration of Nas X's sexuality. Others, including some parents, felt it was over the top and NSFW ... especially considering Nas X's younger audience, aka children, who came to know/love him through 'Old Town Road.'

A high school football coach in Massachusetts has just been fired ... after investigators say they confirmed he used anti-Semitic play calls during a game this month.

Officials involved in the case at Duxbury HS say head man Dave Maimaron used terms such as "Auschwitz," "rabbi" and "dreidel" to describe plays for his players in a tilt with Plymouth North on March 12.

And, after days of parents, fans and civil rights leaders calling for action ... the school finally made the move to can the coach Wednesday, blasting him for the naming of the calls.

"The fact that members of our school community used such offensive language, including anti-Semitic language, is horrifying and disappointing," Duxbury HS officials said in a statement.

Officials added they did not believe the terms were directed at players or used to insult opponents ... but said, "The outrage is real, warranted, and we hear it."

The school announced it's cancelling its game against Hingham on Friday after cutting ties with the coach. It has yet to make a decision on its future schedule past that.

For his part, Maimaron released an apology in a statement earlier this week ... saying the anti-Semitic words were "careless, unnecessary and most importantly hurtful on its face -- inexcusable."

"On behalf of the staff and players of the Duxbury High School football team," the coach added, "I want to extend my apology for the insensitive, crass and inappropriate language used in the game on March 12th."

Duxbury -- which had been playing its football season this spring after the pandemic postponed its usual fall season -- is known as one of the better football programs in MA. The school has won five state titles in the last 16 years.

Justin Bieber is back in L.A. after a break in the islands, and one of his first orders of business is telling prisoners about the big man upstairs ... TMZ has learned.

The singer's RV was spotted Tuesday pulling into the California State Prison of L.A. County -- which prompted the question ... what the heck is he doing there, especially on the heels of his Turks and Caicos weekend getaway with the missus???

The answer, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, is quite simple -- the Biebs was there to spread the good word.

A rep for the CDCR tells TMZ ... the warden of the state prison signed off on a brief visit for him and his pastor to support faith-based programs. Unclear what JB exactly did -- singing or speaking the gospel -- but we're told COVID protocols were followed to a T, and it all went smoothly.

If Justin was aiming for anonymity ... he definitely chose the wrong ride. That RV of his was a dead giveaway, as he and Hailey have been seen cruising all over the Western U.S. in it.

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.