{"id":39344,"date":"2020-12-01T19:26:39","date_gmt":"2020-12-01T23:26:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/?p=39344"},"modified":"2020-12-01T19:26:39","modified_gmt":"2020-12-01T23:26:39","slug":"california-churches-to-defy-newsom-after-scotus-ruling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/?p=39344","title":{"rendered":"California Churches to Defy Newsom After SCOTUS Ruling"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>\u2018Biblical mandate.\u2019 California churches ready to defy Newsom after Supreme Court ruling<br \/>\n<!--more-->BY DALE KASLER<br \/>\nThe Sacramento Bee<\/h1>\n<style>.mcclatchy-embed{position:relative;padding:40px 0 56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;max-width:100%}.mcclatchy-embed iframe{position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%}<\/style>\n<div class=\"mcclatchy-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sacbee.com\/latest-news\/article244340632.html\/video-embed\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Greg Fairrington, pastor of a Rocklin megachurch that\u2019s been<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sacbee.com\/news\/coronavirus\/article247370154.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"Follow noopener noreferrer\">\u00a0defying California\u2019s pandemic restrictions\u00a0<\/a>on indoor churchgoing, opened Sunday\u2019s service by pulling out his cell phone and reading aloud from a fresh U.S. Supreme Court decision.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is no world in which the Constitution tolerates a color-coded executive edict that opens liquor stores &#8230; and bike shops but shutters churches,\u201d Fairrington said, quoting the opinion written by Justice Neil Gorsuch.<\/p>\n<p>The pastor then<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DestinyChurchOnline\/videos\/671102010262010\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"Follow noopener noreferrer\">\u00a0looked out at his congregants\u00a0<\/a>at Destiny Church and shouted: \u201cThe Supreme Court of the United States of America \u2014 yeah! We have a biblical mandate and First Amendment rights!\u201d What appeared to be a large crowd of worshippers, packed closely together, roared its approval.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ConnatixVideoAd\">\n<div class=\"connatix\">\n<div>TOP ARTICLES<\/div>\n<div class=\"cnx-resize-triggers\">\n<div class=\"cnx-expand-trigger\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cnx-contract-trigger\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cnx-resize-triggers\">\n<div class=\"cnx-expand-trigger\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cnx-contract-trigger\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img.connatix.com\/3514d70d-fb07-4350-af7e-e99f482b75a8\/56a92246-bc78-400c-a27a-dd4fea96a1a6.jpg?crop=550:309,smart&amp;width=550&amp;height=309&amp;format=jpeg&amp;quality=60&amp;fit=crop\" alt=\"Is it too late for Sacramento voters to mail in their ballot? No, but be aware of this\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img.connatix.com\/3514d70d-fb07-4350-af7e-e99f482b75a8\/f5d15cfe-fa17-49d5-b851-1a4b581e986a.jpg?crop=550:309,smart&amp;width=550&amp;height=309&amp;format=jpeg&amp;quality=60&amp;fit=crop\" alt=\"He filmed arrest of man shouting \u2018I can\u2019t breathe.\u2019 Minutes later, he was in handcuffs\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img.connatix.com\/3514d70d-fb07-4350-af7e-e99f482b75a8\/a0512310-d926-4716-9fc0-795170104611.jpg?crop=550:309,smart&amp;width=550&amp;height=309&amp;format=jpeg&amp;quality=60&amp;fit=crop\" alt=\"In a unanimous vote, Sacramento City Council votes \u201cYes\u201d on landmark public safety resolution\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img.connatix.com\/3514d70d-fb07-4350-af7e-e99f482b75a8\/704ccc0c-f688-4b74-b3d7-cb81f27bf0c7.jpg?crop=550:309,smart&amp;width=550&amp;height=309&amp;format=jpeg&amp;quality=60&amp;fit=crop\" alt=\"These tiny homes were going to help solve Sacramento\u2019s homeless crisis. So where are they?\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img.connatix.com\/3514d70d-fb07-4350-af7e-e99f482b75a8\/e8c4faa6-074b-4897-bb5c-87d32ff58ced.jpg?crop=550:309,smart&amp;width=550&amp;height=309&amp;format=jpeg&amp;quality=60&amp;fit=crop\" alt=\"Gill\u2019s gotta go: The Sacramento County CEO flouted COVID rules everyone else has to follow\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img.connatix.com\/3514d70d-fb07-4350-af7e-e99f482b75a8\/ce5fd288-9dca-4020-9d2c-2db4b61f2871.jpg?crop=550:309,smart&amp;width=550&amp;height=309&amp;format=jpeg&amp;quality=60&amp;fit=crop\" alt=\"Lodi City Council candidate arrested in money laundering, internet gambling operation case\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"cnx-ad-container cnx-full-height\">\n<div class=\"cnx-resize-triggers\">\n<div class=\"cnx-expand-trigger\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cnx-contract-trigger\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cnx-full-height\">\n<div id=\"cnx-ad-slot-4094c2cc3bf2018be7731606861778496\" class=\"cnx-ad-slot\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cnx-resize-triggers\">\n<div class=\"cnx-expand-trigger\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cnx-contract-trigger\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>SKIP AD<\/p>\n<div class=\"cnx-ad-container cnx-full-height cnx-ad-full-size-slot\">\n<div class=\"cnx-full-height\">\n<div id=\"cnx-ad-slot-4094c2cc3bf2018be7731606861778496\" class=\"cnx-ad-slot\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cnx-resize-triggers\">\n<div class=\"cnx-expand-trigger\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cnx-contract-trigger\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"cnx-mcc-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sacbee.com\/opinion\/article246728446.html?traffic_source=Connatix#intcid=connatix\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gill\u2019s gotta go: The Sacramento County CEO flouted COVID rules everyone else has to follow<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Gov. Gavin Newsom\u2019s order preventing indoor church services in much of California, a move aimed at halting the spread of COVID-19, may have hit a major legal obstacle. Last week, the Supreme Court struck down New York state\u2019s rules that limited in-person attendance at houses of worship, declaring it was unconstitutional to severely restrict church and synagogue attendance while allowing merchants and other non-religious institutions to welcome big crowds.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/opinions\/20pdf\/20a87_4g15.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"Follow noopener noreferrer\">The 5-4 ruling<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 with the swing vote cast by President Donald Trump\u2019s newest appointee to the court, Amy Coney Barrett \u2014 could scramble the pandemic legal landscape as coronavirus infections surge in California and elsewhere. A Pasadena church last week petitioned the Supreme Court for an injunction that would block Newsom\u2019s rules on church gatherings.<\/p>\n<div class=\"zone grid combo\">\n<div id=\"zone-el-101\" class=\"zone-el\">\n<form id=\"newsletter-signUpWidget\" class=\"inline-cta package\" method=\"POST\">\n<h5 id=\"newsletter-title\" class=\"h1\">Today\u2019s top headlines<\/h5>\n<p id=\"newsletter-summary\" class=\"summary\">Sign up for the Daily Afternoon Bulletin and get a quick summary of the day&#8217;s news.<\/p>\n<p><input id=\"s_email_address\" name=\"s_email_address\" type=\"email\" value=\"\" placeholder=\"Enter Email Address\" aria-label=\"Enter Email Address\" \/><button class=\"button disabled\">SIGN UP<\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"small sans gray\">This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/privacy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/terms\">Terms of Service<\/a>\u00a0apply.<\/p>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"zone-el-102\" class=\"zone zone-el\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Separately, a federal judge in Sacramento, presiding over a lawsuit filed against Newsom by a Lodi church, ordered both sides Monday to submit additional legal arguments about the potential impact of the New York case.<\/p>\n<p>The New York ruling shows \u201cthe Constitution is not suspended by the virus,\u201d said Dean Broyles, the lawyer representing Cross Culture Christian Center, the Lodi church challenging Newsom\u2019s directives. \u201cYou\u2019re going to see more and more churches defying the (governor\u2019s) order.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>New York\u2019s rules limited church attendance to 10 or 25 congregants, depending on the size of the institution. In California, indoor services are completely forbidden in counties that have been placed in the purple category \u2014 the most restrictive of the tiers. With coronavirus infections at record levels, about\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/profile\/ca.open.data#!\/vizhome\/Planforreducingcovid-19\/planforreducingcovid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"Follow noopener noreferrer\">99% of the state\u2019s population,\u00a0<\/a>including the greater Sacramento area, lives in purple counties.<\/p>\n<p>Capital Christian Center, one of the Sacramento area\u2019s largest churches, is looking at whether it can reopen for in-person attendance in light of the Supreme Court case.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are taking a fresh look,\u201d the church\u2019s chief operations officer Jason Batt said. \u201cWe\u2019re reading the ruling in depth.\u201d He added that Capital Christian believes it \u201ccan safely host in-person services\u201d but is also consulting with state and local health officials.<\/p>\n<div class=\"zone grid combo\">\n<div id=\"zone-el-103\" class=\"zone-el\">\n<div id=\"story-cta-widget\" class=\"inline-cta package ad-widget\">\n<h5 class=\"h1\">$20 FOR 1 YEAR<\/h5>\n<p class=\"summary\">Get unlimited digital access at our lowest price of the year<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"button impact\" href=\"https:\/\/account.sacbee.com\/subscribe\/create?param=f3JAAEo=&amp;offer=NmEfaxcUb3lSCUJAfRJECCNFDHY%2BfDNEexJCG15QPgoUG0hQeHNFC0pKb29STx0HLisVS1BIbxAxekBCfBoiDUtQMA%3D%3D&amp;cid=cta_onsite_20-1yr-49.99_cyber-week-sale_202011\">CLAIM OFFER<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"zone-el-104\" class=\"zone zone-el\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Leslie Jacobs, a constitutional law expert at the McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, said the New York case doesn\u2019t automatically toss aside California\u2019s rules on church attendance. But it could make it harder for California to defend in court why it\u2019s treating religious services differently \u201cthan hair salons and shopping malls,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<h3>COULD NEWSOM\u2019S PANDEMIC WINNING STREAK END?<\/h3>\n<p>So far, Newsom has successfully fended off all lawsuits filed over his stay-at-home orders, securing court orders against churches,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sacbee.com\/news\/local\/article246759451.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"Follow noopener noreferrer\">health clubs<\/a>\u00a0and other challengers.<\/p>\n<p>He even\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/opinions\/19pdf\/19a1044_pok0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"Follow noopener noreferrer\">won a case in the U.S. Supreme Court<\/a>. In May, the court voted 5-4 to uphold rules that, at the time, allowed indoor services but limited attendance to 100 people or 25% capacity, whichever was smaller. The rules had been challenged by South Bay United Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista, near San Diego.<\/p>\n<p>Chief Justice John Roberts, who sided with Newsom, said the governor\u2019s rules were allowable in part because churches weren\u2019t being singled out for strict regulation.<\/p>\n<div id=\"zone-el-105\" class=\"zone zone-el\"><\/div>\n<p>\u201cSimilar or more severe restrictions apply to comparable secular gatherings, including lectures, concerts, movie showings, spectator sports, and theatrical performances, where large groups of people gather in close proximity for extended periods of time,\u201d Roberts wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Since then, however, California\u2019s rules on church gatherings have become considerably more restrictive \u2014 forbidding all indoor services in the purple counties.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s more, the Supreme Court\u2019s makeup has changed. The deciding vote in the New York case was cast by Coney Barrett, who replaced the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ginsburg voted to uphold the California rules in the South Bay church case.<\/p>\n<p>The court, with its more conservative outlook, has made clear it will \u201clook very carefully at restrictions on religious exercise,\u201d Jacobs said.<\/p>\n<p>Paul Jonna, a lawyer for the South Bay church, said the New York decision opens the door to fresh legal challenges to Newsom\u2019s restrictions \u2014 from his church and others.<\/p>\n<div id=\"zone-el-106\" class=\"zone zone-el\"><\/div>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a game-changer,\u201d he said. \u201cThe restrictions in California are far worse than New York\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Newsom administration continues to defend its approach in court.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/DocketPDF\/20\/20A94\/162116\/20201130164643091_Harvest%20Rock%20Church%20v.%20Newsom%20-%20Opposition%20to%20Emergency%20Application%20-%20Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"Follow noopener noreferrer\">In a filing Monday with the U.S. Supreme Court\u00a0<\/a>\u2014 seeking to thwart a lawsuit filed by Harvest Rock Church of Pasadena \u2014 Newsom\u2019s lawyers cited \u201cthe many reports of indoor communal gatherings (including indoor worship services) becoming \u2018super-spreader\u2019 events.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They added that indoor church services do pose a greater risk than, say, grocery shopping, where contact with other people is more fleeting.<\/p>\n<h3>\u2018RELYING ON THE SUPER-SPREADER MYTH\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>Church gatherings have been a highly sensitive topic since the pandemic began. One of the first major outbreaks in the Sacramento area occurred when 71 members of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sacbee.com\/news\/coronavirus\/article241905231.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"Follow noopener noreferrer\">Bethany Slavic Missionary Church,\u00a0<\/a>meeting on their own after the church halted indoor services, were infected with COVID-19.<\/p>\n<div id=\"zone-el-107\" class=\"zone zone-el\"><\/div>\n<p>In October, Bethel Church in Redding came under harsh criticism in the community after\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sacbee.com\/news\/coronavirus\/article246671032.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"Follow noopener noreferrer\">300 students and staff\u00a0<\/a>at the church\u2019s school tested positive. Church leaders went on social media and expressed disdain for public health protocols, although they later apologized.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, Bethel spokesman Aaron Tesauro said \u201cwe haven\u2019t had a chance to discuss how the (court) decision may or may not affect things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Broyles, the lawyer for the Lodi church, said Newsom\u2019s administration has been \u201crelying on the super-spreader myth\u201d in its crackdown on church attendance.<\/p>\n<p>In April, Cross Culture was planning to hold Palm Sunday services in defiance of Newsom\u2019s initial stay-at-home order but had to relent after its landlord padlocked the door under pressure from city officials. The church sued the governor three weeks later, and Broyles argues that church attendance shouldn\u2019t pose a public health risk so long as congregants are careful.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce you start taking basic precautions &#8230; it mitigates or reduces virus spread down to practically zero,\u201d Broyles said.<\/p>\n<p>___<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sacbee.com\/news\/california\/article247507750.html\">https:\/\/www.sacbee.com\/news\/california\/article247507750.html<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2018Biblical mandate.\u2019 California churches ready to defy Newsom after Supreme Court ruling<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39344","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=39344"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39344\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=39344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=39344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=39344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}