Posted on 06/26/2020 7:49:57 PM PDT by ransomnote
Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division issued the following statement in response to the federal court ruling today regarding religious liberty in New York City and New York State:
"Today’s federal court decision is a win for religious freedom and the civil liberties of New Yorkers. Government cannot discriminate by protecting free speech and the right to assemble while threatening or limiting religious exercise – it must protect all rights guaranteed under the First Amendment. The court’s decision is consistent with positions and arguments made by the United States Department of Justice in similar filings and letters, including in New York City and elsewhere around the country. The Department of Justice will continue to support people of faith who seek equal treatment against threats and actions by public officials who discriminate against them because of their religion. The Constitution and our oath to defend and protect it require nothing less."
The federal case is Soos et al., v. Cuomo et al., No. 1:20-cv-651 (N.D.N.Y).
The court opinion can be found here https://www.thomasmoresociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Dist.-Ct.-Memo-and-Order-June-26-2020.pdf. The department's previous statement on religious concerns in New York City can be found here https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/statement-assistant-attorney-general-eric-dreiband-and-us-attorney-matthew-schneider-new-york.
I guess I’ll wait to jump for joy until Cuomo and Deblasio are lead out as part of a long line of convicts who have just been tried & sentenced and are about to board a bus to Sing Sing...
To the contrary, Cuomo and DeBlasio will be lauded and applauded for refusing to allow the racist, right-wing, hate-filled white extremist Christian groups to coordinate their vile attacks in public - endangering all who did not attend!
Are synagogues allowed full attendance yet, or only BLM riots (er, pieceful protests)? How has that been handled by the large NY City-NJ-PA Jewish communities?
/agree
I was Eric’s secretary for several years. Outstanding human being.
Reports are Catholic churches in the state will comply with what the state wants regardless of the ruling.
Figures.
BTW, Upstate media outlets I’ve seen so far are either spinning or spiking this story.
Syracuse Roman Catholic Diocese to stay at 33%, despite federal ruling expanding religious services
i’ve been to mass the past two weeks since Catholic churches re-opened. They were to re-open at 25% capacity. Our church holds 500 and is one of the larger parishes in the area.
There have been maybe 25 people at mass- at most- the past two weeks.
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