Going to church is apparently illegal in California. It has been very clear in the last few years that the leftist zeal that has taken over major parts of America, Canada, and the Western world is going after the very religion that founded it.
In the most recent example of Christian persecution, a church in California is being forced to pay millions of dollars in fines for breaking the states ridiculous Covid restrictions.
Busted!
The only religion you re allowed to practice in Santa Clara county is worshiping lord mask!
With 0 cluster RCTs conducted in America, we know this intervention would have saved lives– how? b/c faith– now, take your faith and shove it.https://t.co/5teOVOvAhm
— Vinay Prasad MD MPH (@VPrasadMDMPH) April 13, 2023
A church in Santa Clara County, California, has been ordered by the court to pay $1.2 million in fines due to violating health orders during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
A Superior Court of California ruled that San Jose’s Calvary church engaged in “egregious conduct.” Their crime was allowing their members, and the community, to come to worship Christ.
Liberal Judge Evette Pennypacker rejected the argument that religious freedom was restricted over public health orders and that the same orders were in violation of the Constitution.
A Superior Court in Santa Clara County, California, ordered a church to pay over $1 million in fines for operating indoor worship services amid the pandemic and not enforcing their parishioners to wear masks or social distance.https://t.co/qnbOQWyJ31
— BakersfieldNow (@bakersfieldnow) April 15, 2023
Local media outlets report that the church had services during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Those that came were largely unmasked which violated health orders in place at the time.
According to reports between May 31, 2020, and May 2021, the Santa Clara County Church held services with 300-500 people in attendance. They also held prayer gatherings and celebrated around 1,000 baptism events.
Calvary Chapel in San Jose continues to spend a lot of time and energy fighting Santa Clara County in court over pandemic-era public health rules that it openly defied. And a Superior Court judge has just ruled they should pay $1.3M in fines. https://t.co/mDy3NxNqGS
— SFist (@SFist) April 13, 2023
“It should appear clear to all—regardless of religious affiliation—that wearing a mask while worshiping one’s god and communing with other congregants is a simple, unobtrusive, giving way to protect others while still exercising your right to religious freedom,” the Office of the County Counsel said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, Defendants repeatedly refused to model, much less, enforce this gesture. Instead, they repeatedly flouted their refusal to comply with the Public Health Orders and urged others to do so ‘who cares what the cost,’ including death,” the statement concluded.
