If you drive by a Lowe's home improvement store, you will be hard-pressed to find a parking spot.
The same goes for Kroger, Walmart or any other store deemed "essential" during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But when you drive past a church in California on Sunday morning, the lots are empty.
Well, maybe not for long.
Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered all churches in The Golden State to close in response to the pandemic. Churches, you see, fall into the category of public events and gatherings, which are currently banned in California and many other places.
Has he driven by a supermarket in his state? Does he realize thousands of people gather there all day long?
His order to have places of worship closed is not a law, but a totalitarian decision. It's his choice.
Earlier in May, a federal judge sided with the governor and said Newsom, a Democrat, had the right to ban in-person church services, arguing that the governor was acting in the best interests of public health.
That decision came after a Sacramento-area church sued the governor over his actions to effectively ban congregants from worshiping together on Sundays.
The church lost, and the governor has gone on to say the state will remain largely closed for business for the next few months, though he indicated on May 7 it's possible churches can begin to reopen in about a month.
But thousands of churchgoers and leaders have had enough, and are vowing to begin holding services sooner than that.
The final few words in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution make it clear that Congress shall make no law to prohibit the rights of "people peaceably to assemble."
Yet during the pandemic, many lawmakers have thrown the Constitution into the garbage can, and some liberal judges have upheld their unconstitutional mandates.
Peaceful defiance is the hallmark of protesting unjust laws or draconian decisions throughout the land.
Praying, singing hymns and lifting your arms in praise to God might even be considered acts of peaceful defiance.
And many churches in California have played by made-up rules for long enough.
The Washington Examiner reported that California Church United, which represents about 3,000 churches throughout the state, plans to open doors to the houses of worship on May 31, regardless of what Newsom demands.
“He overstepped, and he's overreached," Matt Brown, pastor of Sandals Church, which is a member of California Church United, said of Newsom. "And he needs to step back, and he needs to declare that the church is an essential part of what we do as Americans, as what we do as Californians.”
Sandals, and many other churches planning to reopen, even plan to maintain social distancing guidelines and hygiene standards as they welcome congregants back.
Will they face backlash? Probably. Could they be arrested? Who knows?
But officials might find it difficult to arrest thousands of people at the same time. And the sentiment of frustration is mounting across the country.
But there is hope.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's order shutting down in-person church services was overruled by a federal judge after a church filed a lawsuit. The judge agreed that the order violated the First Amendment, according to WKYT.
There is no difference between walking the aisles of Walmart and running the aisles in a church service. If one is open, both should be.
No comments:
Post a Comment