DOJ argues Virginia stay-at-home order interfered with church's free exercise of religion

[Zorro]

The Department of Justice is siding with a Virginia church that filed a lawsuit against the state over Gov. Ralph Northam's (D) stay-at-home order restricting in-person religious services to no more than 10 people amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The Lighthouse Fellowship Church, a congregation in Chincoteague, Va., filed the suit after its pastor received a criminal citation for holding a church service with 16 people in attendance in early April. The church requested a temporary restraining order and an injunction to pause enforcement of the governor's policy.

On Sunday, lawyers from the Justice Department filed a statement of interest supporting the church's action. The department argued that the church had a "strong case" because Northam's executive order allowed other venues, such as liquor stores and law offices, to hold gatherings with more than 10 people.

"Permitting similar opportunities for in-person gatherings of more than 10 individuals, while at the same time prohibiting churches from gathering in groups of more than 10 — even with social distancing measures and other precautions — has impermissibly interfered with the church’s free exercise of religion,” the Justice Department said in the filing.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/495915-justice-dept-argues-virginia-stay-at-home-order-interfered-with

[underpants]

1. 2 PM today Gov to announce any changes in stay at home rules

Remember Northam does not have to run for re-election

[onenote]

2. I look forward to DOJ jumping in the next time an attempt is made to block a mosque

from being built or a demand is made that a mosque should be closed.

[nykym]

3. Send the police

to video tape all cars license plates under the guise of contact tracing.

[DFW]

4. Radical right wing Republicans have a difficult dilemma here

Pro-religious stupidity which will cost lives of some right-wing Republicans, or staying at home to preserve the lives of right-wing Republicans. Too bad for them that they such an impatient God. If he's as they describe, I would have credited him with a bit more eternity.

[maxrandb]

5. There is fucking nowhere in Governor Northams order

that allows the gathering of 10 or more at liquor stores or law offices.

[Botany]

6. "They" want to kill us. End of story.

God only knows how many of us will get sick and or die? Bill Barr is Trump's hit man.

[Zorro]

8. The religious right wants to help fulfill end-time prophecies

to hasten the rapture.

They're OK with lots of people dying.

They're a bunch of sick mfers.

[CrispyQ]

10. I wish their stupid rapture would happen & suck all these mean-spirited fucks off the planet. -nt

[Botany]

11. Barr & Trump aren't part of the religious right but it looks like they want to kill us in order ...

... to keep power. We are into Joe Stalin type of stuff. They know that opening things back up
will sicken and or kill God only knows how many.

[spanone]

7. Fuck Bill Barr.

[Nancy Waterman]

9. As FintanO'Toole put it

in a recent article in the Irish Times:

But this is not just Donald Trump. The crisis has shown definitively that Trump’s presidency is not an aberration. It has grown on soil long prepared to receive it. The monstrous blossoming of misrule has structure and purpose and strategy behind it.

There are very powerful interests who demand “freedom” in order to do as they like with the environment, society and the economy. They have infused a very large part of American culture with the belief that “freedom” is literally more important than life. My freedom to own assault weapons trumps your right not to get shot at school. Now, my freedom to go to the barber (“I Need a Haircut” read one banner this week in St Paul, Minnesota) trumps your need to avoid infection.

[C_U_L8R]

12. They don't have the right to make people sick

[Chainfire]

13. So, if I founded a religion

based upon (direct) human sacrifice, would I be able to carry out my services without government interference? If the actions of the church causes people, outside of the church, to become ill, or die, then they have forced their religion upon others in a way that is contrary to the Constitution. Perhaps what the government is unwilling to do, for political reasons, civil lawyers will take care of.

Conservative politics and religion have become so intertwined you can't tell where one begins and the other ends.