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LINK Supreme Court: CA Can’t Ban Indoor Church Services, Even to Prevent COVID Spread | Hemant Mehta | Friendly Atheist | Patheos

In a decision released late last night, the Supreme Court ruled that California has no right to ban indoor church gatherings even in parts of the state where COVID cases are surging, though they may limit attendance to 25% capacity.

That means some of the largest churches in the state will be permitted to open its doors to hundreds, if not thousands, of people well before everyone has received the vaccine, to gather close to each other for hours at a time and spread the virus faster than they could ever spread the Gospel. The rationale is that churches are comparable to other places that have opened to the public — like shopping malls. Even though when people shop, they can enter and leave quickly without chatting with other people in close proximity.

snytiger6 9 Feb 6
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12 comments

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0

This shit shows why “Freedom “ can go too far. American took a possibly lethal blow because individual freedom takes presidency over the welfare of the whole. Also, democracy is equivalent to IDIOCRACY! The ignorant (the majority) decide the laws that the intelligent (minority) must abide by.
>> yes you heard me right: democracy and extreme personal freedom are NOT sustainable!!!

1

Is it NOT time that these Chrustians took a lesson from the a quote from Star Trek where Spock tells Kirk, " " There ARE times when the needs of the many MUST outweigh the needs of the few or the.one."
Imo, THIS IS one of those times.

3

No common sense in the US at all, none.

Has there ever REALY been such a thing in the United States of Absurdity?

@Triphid Thomas Payne did write a book about that.

@snytiger6 "Teach a monkey to use a typewriter and eventually it too will write something readable."

2

Insane

2

More stupid partisan decisions from Catholic fascist majority judges! Let the court packing begin!

It seems to me, imo, that amongst most religions, Christianity in particular, that "when you cannot get what you want by Fair and Equitable means THEN you must shout Foul, Conspiracy and Heresy BUT above ALL else shout loudest Persecution."

3

I don't understand the mentality of those people. All the churches around where I live have been closed since February last year and there are no signs of anyone suffering as a result.

Perhaps that may well be because Priests and the like have suddenly discovered a thing call Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale, aka, EFTPOS.

3

Anyone wanna bet that if the services were banned people would go to their churches regardless?

Yep, just like sheep, sheeple will still go a watering point even when it is as dry as bone.

3

Here's Elena Kagan doing her best to fill the RBG-sized hole in my heart:

"justices on this Court are not scientists, nor do we know much about public health policy...In the worst public health crisis in a century, this foray into armchair epidemiology cannot end well." And "I fervently hope that the Court’s intervention will not worsen the Nation’s COVID crisis. But if this decision causes suffering, we will not pay. Our marble halls are now closed to the public, and our life tenure forever insulates us from responsibility for our errors."

3

This SCOTUS is like something out of the 1800s. We have a country getting more liberal and a SCOTUS becoming more conservative. This does not bode well for the country.

2

I think this may be a response to the governor of California continually over stepping his authority. I don't think it had anything to with religion on the Supreme Court side. Just a way of trying to reign him in.

@OldMetalHead well they did put a cultist in the Supreme Court. I'm just throwing out possibilities.

4

In 'merca, we have freedoms but with that comes responsibilities for promoting the general welfare.

@Thirst2learn Yes, seeing the problem..

In most Westernized Countries we also have such Freedoms BUT we who are NOT Americans have also realized that the Needs of the Many MUST outweigh the Needs of the Few/One in times such as this.
Ergo, imo, we ALL must understand that we are NOT only responsible for ourselves but EVERYONE else as well.

4

As much as I despise religion, I agree that the state has no right to ban religious services. However they have the right to protect all citizens. The challenge is defining a way to allow service while maintaining the public safety.
So, instead of working together on an acceptable solution, we resort to political divisiveness which leads to bad behaviors on both sides....

The only reason the churches want in house congregations is to be able to pass the plate and collect the money. That is it in a nutshell. This has nothing to do with faith.

@Sticks48 very true, but what they choose to do with their right to religion is their business, not the question at hand.

@Sticks48 You are right. They could preach via Zoom calls, Go to meeting, or some other app. They just want to be able to collect money.

@Canndue How is it not the question at hand. They have no right to assembly than any other group of people in the interest of public health. If it weren't for the money they wouldn't be so resistant.

I despise religion too. But I agree people should be able to gather for whatever their reason provided it has been approved as a covid safe process through CDC. I just watched a superbowl yesterday with 25 thousand people in attendance. Surely football games are no more important than religion in accordance with our current U.S. social norms.

@kensmile4u yeah, also amazing how precautions vary tremendously between states based on political leadership. It is a messed up country...

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