California can't ban indoor worship as Covid precaution, Supreme Court rules
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is telling California it can't enforce a ban on indoor church services because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The high court issued orders late Friday in two cases where churches had sued over coronavirus-related restrictions in the state. The high court said that for now, California can't ban indoor worship in areas where virus cases are surging, but it can cap indoor services at 25 percent of a building's capacity. The justices also declined to stop the state from barring singing and chanting at services.
The court's three liberal justices dissented.
The court's action follows a decision in a case from New York late last year in which the justices split 5-4 in barring the state from enforcing certain limits on attendance at churches and synagogues.
Shortly after, the justices told a federal court to reexamine a similar lawsuit over California's restrictions in light of the ruling.
The Associated Press
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Perrie, this very article was posted already by Texan1211 and as of this moment has 41 comments on it.
Maybe on this one, members can actually discuss the case.
Personally, It seems like Scotus would shoot down anything designed to save peoples lives 6-3 based on personal freedoms.
No more seat belts, helmets, face masks or social distancing. No restrictions on smoking anywhere. Legal conceal & carry for everyone.
Don't worry about texting while speeding, leave it up to the insurance companies and lawyers to sort out justice.
You forgot the caveat, one must be Christian.
You would think that in this day and age people would outgrow superstitions...
Gotta admit though, Barret kinda surprised me. She was not even the hardliner on the case.
If any thing tribalism seems genetic and leads to becoming blind, deaf and dumb even in the face
of tactile objective lessons.
I am not going to discuss if there is a god or not, just what the article is about.
If they are wearing masks, social distancing and not in any contact with other church members except their family members they are living with, then I don’t have a problem. If they are not doing those things, then I do have a problem. I know the movie theaters do that, so a church can too. Plus have more services and have only a few at a time.
Kathleen, that should be voted up a thousand times.
On the sister article a member is trying to argue with me that he thinks religious discrimination is an issue, and I have been trying to point out that instead of a church it could have been a live music auditorium, a movie theatre or a barn dance and the judgment would not have differed.
Ministers, pastors and priests are more special, lol
Sort of what they do in restaurants skipping tables. Skip a few pews with a sign. This pew you can sit on this end and the far other end. These two pews you cannot sit on. No choir, just a organist. No singing, just listening to hymns, prayers and a sermon. Leave the collection plate on a table when you come in and leave. No communion. Wipe down the pews and use typed up service papers. No greeters or the minister shaking hands at the end.
It can be done, just don’t be stupid about it.
As a Christian and Believer I can see the circumstances as is. There is something "challenging" to the faith in this coronavirus dilemma . On one hand we can understand it as a 'time of testing' and on the other hand its continuing separates and tries the meaning of "congregation." Moreover, many churches over many years have taught as doctrine the "gathering" aspect:
This singular verse is the impetus for modern churches connecting in-house. Now, doctrine is being challenged by nature.
Technology is a blessing, but churches never counted on it being their only source for gathering together and communing with one another. Yes, for the Church-at Large this is a uniquely "trying time" for the present.