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SCOTUS Ruling on Religious Services During COVID Lockdowns Removes Obstacle Named Chief Justice Roberts
Townhall.com ^ | November 26, 2020 | Matt Vespa

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.”


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS: amyconeybarrett; andrewcuomo; antichristian; antisemitism; cheapjokestice; church; coronavirus; cuomo; johnroberts; judiciary; newyork; politicaljudiciary; relfreedom; religiousjudiciary; ruckfoberts; scotus; supremecourt
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To: Kaslin

Good for gorsuch. Would like to read the dissenting opinion. And Roberts wife is very Catholic.


21 posted on 11/26/2020 3:08:00 PM PST by gcparent (Justice Amy Coney Barrett)
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To: equaviator

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 never got a hearing. He nominated deep state approved hack John Roberts, and the when Rehenquist died he just said ‘uh, give him that job too’ and they did.


22 posted on 11/26/2020 3:08:43 PM PST by pepsi_junkie (Often wrong, but never in doubt!)
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To: Kaslin

Say it isn’t so, John...

Maybe it was that News guy...

John? Do you really think we believe that you have a constitutional argument
for your actions?

At least you’re being blatant enough to signal to us that [THEY] OWN you...
Thanks for that.

~Easy

23 posted on 11/26/2020 3:11:32 PM PST by EasySt (Say not this is the truth, but so it seems to me to be, as I see this thing I think I see #KAG)
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To: Kaslin

The fate of the world may depend upon the actions of two amazing women.

Barrett and Powell


24 posted on 11/26/2020 3:11:33 PM PST by Bobalu ("You can't serve papers on a rat, Baby Sister. You gotta kill him or let him be." --Rooster Cogburn)
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To: madison10

Why is Roberts the chief justice?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Deep State wanted someone they could control.


25 posted on 11/26/2020 3:12:27 PM PST by Lurkinanloomin (Natural Born Citizens Are Born Here of Citizen Parents|Know Islam, No Peace-No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: Mr. Mojo
Epstein Island.

YOU LIE!!! Epstein Island only had underaged girls.

26 posted on 11/26/2020 3:17:16 PM PST by MuttTheHoople (What if the Lord sent COVID-19 to immunize the world from something more deadly?)
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To: Kaslin
The key line buried in the unsigned per curium opinion of the conservative majority was "But even in a pandemic, the Constitution cannot be put away and forgotten." That says there is a majority also not willing to throw out the Constitution regarding an election due to pandemic concerns. If we can just get our strong cases to them all this allegedly pandemic fear driven fake law will be swatted by the Constitution. Trump wins. Then turns Hercules on the Augean stables.
27 posted on 11/26/2020 3:23:32 PM PST by JohnBovenmyer (Dewey eyed Joe lost)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The Lord was watching out for us on this one.


28 posted on 11/26/2020 3:25:59 PM PST by wjcsux (They are burning buildings and Bibles now, people are next!)
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To: Kaslin

Sotomayor has diabetes and Breyer is 82. If they both croak then Trump can appoint two more excellent constitutionalist.

Roberts will be shunned and only have Elana Flintstone to vote on his side.


29 posted on 11/26/2020 3:28:39 PM PST by Flavious_Maximus
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I’ll always believe God took rgb when he did for a reason. What her final destination was is not our business. HE has a plan regardless of what we want to happen (Proverbs 16 We may make our plans, but God has the last word). But praying sure don’t hurt.


30 posted on 11/26/2020 3:32:48 PM PST by V_TWIN (Where's Hunter???)
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To: wjcsux

HE is always watching my friend. See my post #30


31 posted on 11/26/2020 3:35:29 PM PST by V_TWIN (Where's Hunter???)
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To: madison10
Why is Roberts the chief justice?

Because Chief Justice Rehnquist died and it would be a hard sell to the Senate to move through a Chief Justice Scalia or Thomas. The other Republicans (Kennedy, Souter) were WORSE than Roberts.
32 posted on 11/26/2020 3:36:13 PM PST by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics)
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To: Kaslin

Who is blackmailing Gorsuch? I can’t believe he willingly made this decision.


33 posted on 11/26/2020 3:36:19 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: PAR35

Except there are five liberal members. Maybe six.


34 posted on 11/26/2020 3:38:37 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: Flavious_Maximus

I was thinking that too. Roberts is no longer the deciding vote. The fifth vote may now hinge on Cavanaugh. I don’t see Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, or Barrett budging too often.


35 posted on 11/26/2020 3:42:00 PM PST by Theodore R. ( )
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To: Dr. Sivana

If Kennedy is so bad, why do we have two of them on the court today?


36 posted on 11/26/2020 3:43:01 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
We all owe Ruth Buzzy a debt of gratitude for croaking when she did.

There is a Judge in heaven who is soverign and can take us out of this world any time He chooses. Those given great power and authority would be wise to make their decisions knowing that they will someday stand before Him! They would be wise to take His word to heard:

"There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him:
haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,
a false witness who breathes out lies,
and one who sows discord among brothers."
- Psalm 6:16-19

37 posted on 11/26/2020 3:43:31 PM PST by JesusIsLord
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To: Kaslin

Roberts hates Trump and that clouds his view on the Constitution he is a dickhead and should be impeached.


38 posted on 11/26/2020 3:50:20 PM PST by boomop1 (term limits NOW)
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To: V_TWIN

“I’ll always believe God took rgb when he did for a reason. What her final destination was is not our business. HE has a plan regardless of what we want to happen (Proverbs 16 We may make our plans, but God has the last word). But praying sure don’t hurt.”

AMEN!🙏🙏🙏


39 posted on 11/26/2020 3:50:34 PM PST by Americannae1362
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To: Kaslin

Roberts was a stealth Leftist from the beginning, another judicial cross-dresser who obfuscated his way onto the Supreme Court. In other words, a lying @$$hole.


40 posted on 11/26/2020 3:51:47 PM PST by twister881
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