Posted on 07/12/2020 6:08:29 PM PDT by marshmallow
SACRAMENTO, California Crossroads Community Church Senior Pastor Jim Clark wants to keep his 1,500 parishioners safe during the coronavirus pandemic but hes drawing the line at a new California ban on singing or chanting at religious services.
I said enoughs enough, Clark said. We will be singing and praising the Lord. We dont chant, but if we did chant, wed be chanting too.
The California ban was one of a number of restrictions on indoor businesses and gatherings put in place last week by Gov. Gavin Newsom amid fast-rising virus cases and hospitalizations. Its unclear if any similar prohibition on singing exists in the United States, though there is one in England.
The virus is more easily transmitted indoors and singing releases minuscule droplets that can carry the disease. The ban may well end up in court as there are differing opinions on its legality, with some groups arguing it infringes on religious freedom while others believe its constitutional, especially during a pandemic.
The American Center for Law and Justice, a religious freedom law firm, says it will sue.
We cant stand by and watch as California strips its believers of their God-given right to raise their voices in worship and praise, executive director Jordan Sekulow said on the centers website. The center, which was founded by televangelist Pat Robertson, did not say how quickly it would sue.
Sekulow was a member of Trumps defense team, and his father, Jay Sekulow, the centers chief legal counsel, was one of Trumps lead attorneys during the impeachment trial.
Another conservative-leaning legal group, The Pacific Justice Institute, told faith leaders in a letter that Newsoms guidance is advisory because it does not say it is an order, cites no legal authority, isnt signed by any official and includes no reference to.....
(Excerpt) Read more at cruxnow.com ...
Gosh thats too bad. You dont exactly have a lot of Covid cases there...
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