So the idea is that all humans were tainted by sin because Eve ate the apple, so nobody could go to heaven when they died. Eight thousand years or so later (depending on your accounting) God decided to do something about it by killing his son, who was also himself. Since God can't die he didn't actually die after all. And now you can go to heaven, if and only if you believe this crap.
Every year Christians have a big celebration of this absurd tale, and many people go to church who don't bother most other weeks. This year in many states they aren't allowed to, but some pastors are doing it anyway, and in some states with Republican governors it's even legal. It isn't legal in Louisiana, which has a severe outbreak of a sometimes deadly contagious disease, but this asshole is having his church service anyway. The Trump Mini-me governor of Florida, Ron deSantis, has now declared church services to be legal after all, and a mega-church pastor in Tampa is having one.
No, the First Amendment doesn't let you do that. Religious practices are subject to the same public health and safety regulations as all other activities. You can't discriminate against religion, but it doesn't get special privileges either. If my religion requires human sacrifice, I don't get to practice it. Just for example. If people want to make themselves candidates for Darwin awards by attending these, that would be fine with me except that they are also imperiling other people. Not only will they likely sicken and perhaps kill people who didn't make this choice, they will delay the time when it is possible to relax restrictions, further harming the economy and the general welfare. All in the name of Jesus.
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God help us.
This is a constitutional question that is best answered by the courts.
They will claim the right to free assembly. Govt will claim public health.
I hope courts find a balance that won't destroy our civil liberties after this is all over. That's what I'm most worried about.
Well, it has been answered by the courts previously. I don't remember the case names, but the Supreme Court has ruled that the states' police power includes imposing isolation and quarantine, and restriction of gatherings, in time of epidemic. This is a power of the states, not the federal government. The federal government can restrict international and interstate travel, but its power does not extend beyond that.
There may well be litigation about where to draw the line, and what would constitute and appropriate or abusive use of the power. But there is no religious exemption in current constitutional doctrine. But again, this is a decision left to the states. Some states have allowed religious gatherings. We'll see what consequences there may be.
The media was rightly appalled at the sight of Chinese police dragging people out of their homes.
Now, we have a news story and video of a man being arrested by police and dragged off a bus, feet first, in Philadelphia for not wearing a mask.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/philadelphia-police-drag-man-mask-off-public-bus/story?id=70104383
Yeah I think that was inappropriate, to say the least.
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