California is one of the last states to continue banning in-person religious services and now one church has taken that prohibition all the way to the US Supreme Court.
The South Bay Pentecostal Church has asked the high court to issue an emergency injunction against California’s governor.
The Chula Vista church’s attorneys said in a statement this weekend they want the justices to command Gov. Gavin Newsom “to cease and desist his biased shutdown of religious worship in California, in blatant violation of the First Amendment’s constitutional guarantee that citizens may freely exercise their religious faith.”
‘A Blatant Violation’
One of those attorneys, Tom Brejcha of the Thomas More Society, pointed out, “California’s four-stage Reopening Plan permits manufacturing, warehousing, retail, offices, seated dining at restaurants, and schools to reopen, but bans places of worship from holding church services. On its face, this plan is a blatant violation of the Free Exercise Clause of our First Amendment.”
After President Trump Friday, May 22 declared houses of worship “essential” and demanded all governors allow religious services “right now,” Governor Newsom announced he’ll layout guidelines for allowing houses of worship to resume services by May 25.
“But we still need the United States Supreme Court to weigh in on this critical matter to ensure that state or local officials refrain now and forever from governing by decree to curtail constitutional rights,” Brejcha stated.
Friday evening, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals sided with Governor Newsom and against the South Bay Pentecostal Church in a two-to-one decision. The 9th Circuit is often considered the most liberal of the circuit court of appeals and is also the most overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.
https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2020/may/california-church-banned-from-holding-services-appeals-to-us-supreme-court