Posted on 11/26/2020 2:42:24 PM PST by Kaslin
Alas, we have a victory for religious freedom in the COVID lockdown era. The Supreme Court recently ruled that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo illegally targeted churches in his COVID lockdown order—and Justice Amy Coney Barrett was the deciding vote. In the 5-4 decision, the Court ruled Cuomo’s edict violated First Amendment rights (via NYT):
The Supreme Court late Wednesday night barred restrictions on religious services in New York that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo had imposed to combat the coronavirus.The vote was 5 to 4, with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and the court’s three liberal members in dissent. The order was the first in which the court’s newest member, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, played a decisive role.
[…]
In an unsigned opinion, the majority said Mr. Cuomo’s restrictions violated the First Amendment’s protection of the free exercise of religion.
In a concurring opinion, Justice Neil M. Gorsuch said Mr. Cuomo had treated secular activities more favorably than religious ones.
“It is time — past time — to make plain that, while the pandemic poses many grave challenges, there is no world in which the Constitution tolerates color-coded executive edicts that reopen liquor stores and bike shops but shutter churches, synagogues, and mosques,” Justice Gorsuch wrote.
The court’s order addressed two applications: one filed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, the other by two synagogues, an Orthodox Jewish organization and two individuals. The applications both said Mr. Cuomo’s restrictions violated constitutional protections for the free exercise of religion, and the one from the synagogues added that Mr. Cuomo had “singled out a particular religion for blame and retribution for an uptick in a societywide pandemic.”
The Supreme Court late Wednesday night barred restrictions on religious services in New York that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo had imposed to combat the coronavirus.
The vote was 5 to 4, with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and the court’s three liberal members in dissent. The order was the first in which the court’s newest member, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, played a decisive role.
[…]
In an unsigned opinion, the majority said Mr. Cuomo’s restrictions violated the First Amendment’s protection of the free exercise of religion.
In a concurring opinion, Justice Neil M. Gorsuch said Mr. Cuomo had treated secular activities more favorably than religious ones.
“It is time — past time — to make plain that, while the pandemic poses many grave challenges, there is no world in which the Constitution tolerates color-coded executive edicts that reopen liquor stores and bike shops but shutter churches, synagogues, and mosques,” Justice Gorsuch wrote.
The court’s order addressed two applications: one filed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, the other by two synagogues, an Orthodox Jewish organization and two individuals. The applications both said Mr. Cuomo’s restrictions violated constitutional protections for the free exercise of religion, and the one from the synagogues added that Mr. Cuomo had “singled out a particular religion for blame and retribution for an uptick in a societywide pandemic.”
RE: Why is Roberts the chief justice?
When William Rehnquist, the then-incumbent Chief Justice, died before Roberts’s confirmation hearings began, President George W. Bush instead nominated Roberts for Chief Justice, this nomination was approved by Congress. So, there you have it.
His name is on the flight manifest and I’ve seen at least one photo of Roberts at the island — in the water with Clinton and some other people. There is a Freeper here who has posted it before. The suspicion is that it was young boys, not young girls, with Roberts.
Is that the picture of Roberts with a large briefcase outside an off-shore bank in Malta?
Or is that the picture with Roberts with his guy friends all having dinner in Malta?
Why not? They seem to have the authority to rule on EVERYTHING else.
Supposedly, actor Kevin Spacey was on one of those flight manifests to Epstein Island.
There’s no way Spacey was interested in females of ANY age, so it made me wonder if there were teenage boys on that island.
Sick.
bookmark
[Could it be cause Bush knew what lies beneath Roberts skin? Cause He knew the real Roberts?]
And perhaps because birds of a feather...
Make that like-minded individuals...
/shiny side out
.
“Yes, W nominated his personal lawyer Hariet Miers, a women so spectacularly unqualified that it was the GOP that forced him to pull back the nomination...”
She would have been better than Roberts.
I don’t want the US government involved in my Church at all. There never should have been any COVID-19 interference and no court cases. The First Amendment says that the government has no role in Churches and their practices.
I believe that was God’s will, because I firmly believe ACB will be part of the lynchpin to keep 45 in Office
There are lots of speculations. Illegal adoption of kids. Rides on Lolita Express. Funny business with guys.
Or it could be that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Could be that he’s simply an evil, liberal asshole.
“President Bush appointed him Chief justice to replace Rehnquist.”
Can Trump replace Roberts with Thomas or Gorsuch?
That is a ridiculous and piss poor example of legal reasoning, especially by the Chief Justice of SCOTUS.
Stupendously lazy and an obvious way to kill a legit constitutional case with zero effort. What a git he is.
I agree. I pray for our country and President and ask if it Gods will to please save us from this evil.
Roberts is OFFICIALLY a liberal and will vote with them 100% from now on. He is the new Daddy Bush’s type guy that was suppose to be on our side and wound up being on their side. Daddy put in that guy and W put in Blundering “It is A Tax” Roberts. Thankfully the Good LORD allowed the brand spanking new Justice to win the day for our side. They need to shut down that puke in HomoIslamKaliforniastan and allow those churches to open back up. Our church is and has been open for a few months now and we have had no Chinavirus casualties!!! We have been fine and we shout and sing and bump fist instead of shake hands, even tho some of us DO shake hands. We have the goopjell to wash our hands with also.
Huh?
If only some genius could figure out the threshold of prayer that works we'd be home free.
Another of Trump’s gifts to America. Not so proud of kavanaugh because of his ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma. It has created an unnecessary mess and he knew that it would.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.