easyt65
Diamond Member
- Aug 4, 2015
- 90,307
- 61,076
- 2,645
"The COVID-19 panic has prompted local and state government officials to temporarily shut down businesses, large group gatherings, and anything else they deem unsafe. Unfortunately, some local officials have taken this too far by targeting religious people. In some states, people of faith have filed lawsuits alleging local authorities have violated their free exercise and free speech rights."
RELIGIOUS TARGETING IN KANSAS:
Two churches in Kansas got a federal court to grant a restraining order last weekend to keep the provisions from Gov. Laura Kelly’s Executive Order (EO) 20-25 signed on April 17 from taking effect. The churches claimed parts of it infringed on Americans’ constitutional rights to worship freely.
Kelly’s order not only specifically states people must social distance in a religious setting, but gives at least 26 exemptions to the order such as gatherings in office buildings. The numerous exemptions provide proof that her EO explicitly targets people of faith, singling them out and applying rules to them that are not applied to nonreligious activities.
For example, Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer told me that based on the order, 100 people could gather to discuss a real estate deal in an office building but 11 people could not gather in that same building for a Bible study.
What the...?
CHATTANOOGA, TN
"A Chattanooga church filed a lawsuit in federal court a few days ago to challenge the city’s ban on drive-in church services. While originally Mayor Andrew Berke had banned large gatherings but allowed drive-in church services, on April 9, he abruptly issued a message on the city’s web site and Facebook page specifically prohibiting drive-in services, calling them “a violation of our shelter-in-place directive.”
MAYOR BERKE DOUBLES-DOWN ON RELIGIOUS TARGETING DESPITE SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES OBEYED
"A few weeks ago, at least one pastor approached the Chattanooga Police Department about whether drive-in church services were permitted in the city. He says he was told drive-in church services would not violate the city’s order. Even though multiple churches held such services following all the social distancing guidelines mandated by the state, as people remained in their cars and listened to their pastor on their car radios, Berke narrowed his ban and specifically called out drive-in church services."
N.C. - 'ABORTIONS A-OK, BUT PRAYING 6 FEET APART IS ILLEGAL'
"On April 4, police in Greensboro, North Carolina arrested eight people from “Love Life,” a pro-life organization, who were peacefully praying outside an abortion clinic. Law enforcement officials charged them with violating the city’s ban on mass gatherings due to COVID-19."
My wife can't have an operation right no to have surgical operation to correct a Stage 4 medical condition involving her abdomen / intestines because she was told there aren't enough surgical masks, gloves, and supplies (needed for COVID-19) and her condition is not immediately life-threatening....but states like N.C. are declaring ELECTIVE SURGERIES - Abortions - take precedence and can be performed.... And simultaneously, doctors can kill babies, but 8 people can not stand 6 feet apart outside and PRAY.
Again....What the...?
Kentucky Governor, Mayor Go Nuts on Churches
In at least two separate instances, state officials in Kentucky—particularly Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer—proved unable to balance social distancing mandates with First Amendment rights during Holy Week. On Friday, April 10—just before Easter Sunday—the governor suddenly announced he would track the license plates of church attendees, and local officials would force them to quarantine for 14 days in their home.
Also just before Easter Sunday, Fischer announced a ban on even drive-in church services. A local church protested and was able to receive an emergency temporary restraining order against the very targeted ban that only applied to people of faith.
'These instances are not only examples of people trying to continue to practice their faith in times of crisis, but they show just how quickly and easily government officials can abuse their power and disregard the sacred rights of religious Americans to practice their faith on an equal footing with all other activities, and with no interference from government with their worship, as the Constitution requires.'
thefederalist.com
RELIGIOUS TARGETING IN KANSAS:
Two churches in Kansas got a federal court to grant a restraining order last weekend to keep the provisions from Gov. Laura Kelly’s Executive Order (EO) 20-25 signed on April 17 from taking effect. The churches claimed parts of it infringed on Americans’ constitutional rights to worship freely.
Kelly’s order not only specifically states people must social distance in a religious setting, but gives at least 26 exemptions to the order such as gatherings in office buildings. The numerous exemptions provide proof that her EO explicitly targets people of faith, singling them out and applying rules to them that are not applied to nonreligious activities.
For example, Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer told me that based on the order, 100 people could gather to discuss a real estate deal in an office building but 11 people could not gather in that same building for a Bible study.
What the...?
CHATTANOOGA, TN
"A Chattanooga church filed a lawsuit in federal court a few days ago to challenge the city’s ban on drive-in church services. While originally Mayor Andrew Berke had banned large gatherings but allowed drive-in church services, on April 9, he abruptly issued a message on the city’s web site and Facebook page specifically prohibiting drive-in services, calling them “a violation of our shelter-in-place directive.”
MAYOR BERKE DOUBLES-DOWN ON RELIGIOUS TARGETING DESPITE SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES OBEYED
"A few weeks ago, at least one pastor approached the Chattanooga Police Department about whether drive-in church services were permitted in the city. He says he was told drive-in church services would not violate the city’s order. Even though multiple churches held such services following all the social distancing guidelines mandated by the state, as people remained in their cars and listened to their pastor on their car radios, Berke narrowed his ban and specifically called out drive-in church services."
N.C. - 'ABORTIONS A-OK, BUT PRAYING 6 FEET APART IS ILLEGAL'
"On April 4, police in Greensboro, North Carolina arrested eight people from “Love Life,” a pro-life organization, who were peacefully praying outside an abortion clinic. Law enforcement officials charged them with violating the city’s ban on mass gatherings due to COVID-19."
My wife can't have an operation right no to have surgical operation to correct a Stage 4 medical condition involving her abdomen / intestines because she was told there aren't enough surgical masks, gloves, and supplies (needed for COVID-19) and her condition is not immediately life-threatening....but states like N.C. are declaring ELECTIVE SURGERIES - Abortions - take precedence and can be performed.... And simultaneously, doctors can kill babies, but 8 people can not stand 6 feet apart outside and PRAY.
Again....What the...?
Kentucky Governor, Mayor Go Nuts on Churches
In at least two separate instances, state officials in Kentucky—particularly Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer—proved unable to balance social distancing mandates with First Amendment rights during Holy Week. On Friday, April 10—just before Easter Sunday—the governor suddenly announced he would track the license plates of church attendees, and local officials would force them to quarantine for 14 days in their home.
Also just before Easter Sunday, Fischer announced a ban on even drive-in church services. A local church protested and was able to receive an emergency temporary restraining order against the very targeted ban that only applied to people of faith.
'These instances are not only examples of people trying to continue to practice their faith in times of crisis, but they show just how quickly and easily government officials can abuse their power and disregard the sacred rights of religious Americans to practice their faith on an equal footing with all other activities, and with no interference from government with their worship, as the Constitution requires.'
Courts Begin To Halt Government’s Selective Bans On Americans’ Worship
Abolishing group gatherings is fine if such limits apply to everyone, but if they only apply to churchgoers that’s a moral and legal problem.
thefederalist.com
