Churches File Lawsuits against Newsom after CA bans singing in places of worship

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Churches see double standard because of Newsom’s support of riots and protests

In the latest battle between Gov. Gavin Newsom and houses of worship over coronavirus restrictions, three Northern California churches sued the governor on Wednesday, seeking to overturn his ban on singing during religious services.

The suit, filed on behalf of Calvary Chapel of Ukiah, Calvary Chapel of Fort Bragg and River of Life Church in Oroville, seeks to block Newsom’s July 1 ban on singing in houses of worship to stop the spread of coronavirus because of an alleged double standard.

“Places of worship must, therefore, discontinue singing and chanting activities and limit indoor attendance to 25 percent of building capacity or a maximum of 100 attendees, whichever is lower,” new guidelines read as state health officials recommend churches have members sing online from their homes.

The suit, filed by attorneys who have previously led lawsuits against Newsom’s ban on in-person services, said the Democratic governor banned singing and chanting inside churches but not anywhere else. They also noted that the governor “has been unwavering in his support of massive protests” against police brutality.

OUTRAGE AFTER CALIFORNIA BANS SINGING IN CHURCHES AMID CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

“On or about July 2, 2020, following implementation of the Worship Ban, when asked to explain whether people should heed Newsom’s mandate and avoid large crowds and gatherings, Newsom refused to place the same restrictions on protesters and explained ‘we have a Constitution, we have a right to free speech,’ and further stated that ‘we are all dealing with a moment in our nation‘s history that is profound and pronounced … Do what you think is best,’” the lawsuit stated.

The suit cites scripture to emphasize the importance of singing during worship– “singing and praying aloud as a body of Christ is an integral part of worship for believers and plaintiffs.”

“Let me be clear, the state does not have the jurisdiction to ban houses of worship from singing praises to God,” Robert Tyler, one of the lawyers filing the suit, said in a statement, according to the Sacramento Bee.

NEWSOM ORDERS CLOSURE OF INDOOR ACTIVITIES ACROSS CALIFORNIA AS CORONAVIRUS CASES INCREASE 

California faced a number of lawsuits alleging first amendment infringement after it mandated that houses of worship must close during the coronavirus pandemic, prompting the governor to allow them to reopen at a limited capacity on May 25.

After facing another spike in COVID-19 cases, Newsom announced this week that all bars across the state must close and that restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, family entertainment centers, zoos, museums and card rooms must suspend indoor activities.

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Some houses of worship had to shut down again, too. The governor announced that all gyms, places of worship, malls, personal care services, barbershops, salons, and non-critical offices in counties on the state’s “monitoring list” had to shut down under the new order. The order affects more than 30 counties which are home to about 80 percent of California’s population.

Fox News’ Andrew O’Reilly contributed to this report.

10 commandments removed Oklahoma ten commandments removed

Oklahoma Supreme Court Orders Removal of Ten Commandments! God Under Attack Again!

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When I went to school, the Ten Commandments were posted in the classroom, and the teacher led us in the Lord’s Prayer before we went to lunch. There was respect throughout society for the Word of God. How times have changed! Today, everything related to God and His Word is coming under fire in our nation. On Tuesday the ?#?Oklahoma? Supreme Court ruled that a 6-foot-tall Ten Commandments monument on the capitol grounds must be removed. Governor Mary Fallin supported the monument and is looking at other legal options to keep it there—I hope she finds some. We’re living in a time when our country is not only blatantly defying God’s laws, but is trying to remove them completely from public view. Just think what a difference it would make if our school children today learned about the ?#?TenCommandments? and the God who wrote them. ~ Franklin Graham

10 commandments removed Oklahoma ten commandments removedThe Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that a Ten Commandments monument placed on State Capitol grounds must be removed because the Oklahoma Constitution bans the use of state property for the benefit of a religion.

The 6-foot-tall (1.8-meter) stone monument, paid for with private money and supported by lawmakers in the socially conservative state, was installed in 2012, prompting complaints that it violated the U.S. Constitution’s provisions against government establishment of religion, as well as local laws.

In a 7-2 decision, the court said the placement of the monument violated a section in the state’s constitution, which says no public money or property can be used either directly or indirectly for the “benefit, or support of any sect, church, denomination, or system of religion.”

The court in its decision said: “As concerns the ‘historic purpose’ justification, the Ten Commandments are obviously religious in nature and are an integral part of the Jewish and Christian faiths.”

Lawmakers have argued that the monument was not serving a religious purpose but was meant to mark a historical event.

That opened the door for other groups, including Satanists and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, to apply for permission to erect their own monuments on Capitol grounds to mark what they say are historical events.

Governor Mary Fallin, a Republican who supported the monument’s placement, was disappointed with the decision and will consult with the attorney general to look at legal options, her office said.

In March, a U.S. judge dismissed a case filed by an atheist group that was seeking to remove the monument from State Capitol grounds, saying the plaintiffs failed to show standing to bring the suit. (Reporting by Heide Brandes; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Bill Trott and Eric Beech)

Montana Polygamist Supreme Court Gay Marriage

Gay Marriage Ruling Inspires Man To Fight to Have Two Wives – “We Saw This Coming” Says All Conservatives

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Article Originally Appeared on The Daily Signal by Kate Scanlon Twitter: @scanlon_kate / July 02, 2015

A polygamous Montana trio recently applied for a second marriage license, according to the Associated Press. They plan legal action if their application is rejected.

Montana Polygamist Supreme Court Gay MarriageNathan Collier and his wife Victoria were legally married in 2000, and in 2007, he and Christine were married only in a religious ceremony to avoid bigamy charges.

Same-sex marriage is now legal in all 50 states, but bigamy, or having more than one marriage license at a time, is illegal nationwide.

The trio applied for a second marriage license for Nathan and Christine in Billings on Tuesday. Collier told the AP that they were “inspired” by the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage and that he “plans to sue if the application is denied.”

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“It’s about marriage equality,” Collier told the AP. “You can’t have this without polygamy.”

At press time, Collier had yet to receive a response to their application from the state of Montana.

“The interview was almost comical; the clerks didn’t know how to respond and made multiple trips to the back room to discuss it with others,” Collier told BuzzFeed News.

Yellowstone County chief civil litigator Kevin Gillen told the AP he is reviewing the case and will send Collier a formal response.

“I think he deserves an answer,” Gillen said.

Collier said that he and his wives deserve “legitimacy.”

“I lead my family but I certainly do not rule my family,” he told BuzzFeed. “We are three loving adults working together for a common goal of raising our family and finding our own happiness in the process.”

Collier, a former Mormon, also told Buzzfeed he was excommunicated for practicing polygamy.

“I have no religious beliefs anymore and religion is not a factor,” he said.

God Under Attack

God Is Under Attack in America

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Glenn Beck By          Published March 11, 2009           FoxNews.com
Here’s the one thing: We are no longer “one nation under God” because God is under attack in America.

Even if you’re not a religious person, I need you to understand why this is so important and it all goes back to our country’s founding.

Before that, most people only believed in the divine right of kings; the idea that God only gave power to kings and those kings were accountable to no one.

But what made America unique was that it was founded on divine providence.

Remember the term “endowed by their creator” in the Declaration of Independence? That was a revolutionary concept at the time and it means that God actually had a hand in the world’s greatest experiment in democracy.

Whether our founders believed in organized religion or not, each of them abided by the laws of morality and nature’s God, which is why they put that term in the very first line of the declaration.

If you still doubt the founders’ views on religion, then just listen to how Ben Franklin described the religion of America:

“I believe in one God, the creator of the universe. That he governs it by his providence. That he ought to be worshipped. That the most acceptable service we render to him is in doing good to his other children. That the soul of man is immortal and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this.”

Like them, I believe that the true secret to our country’s success is the belief that our rights are given to us by God and lent to our government only so they can protect our rights to life and liberty while we pursue happiness.

Unfortunately, we’re moving in the opposite direction.

As we move toward socialism, our government is also moving from a renter of our rights to an outright owner of them. That is causing us to lose sight of who the real owner is: our creator.

A new poll says that 15 percent of us now have no religious belief — a number that has nearly doubled since 1990.

So what’s the solution? How do we stop this surge in people putting their elected leaders above their creator?

It’s actually quite simple: “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”

Principle No. 2 says not only that you believe in God, but that he is the center of your life. So prove it not by telling everyone else what principles and values to have, but by living them out yourself.

Only then can our country survive the attack on God.

Obama Gay Marriage Satan America

Obama Calls Supreme Court Gay Marriage Ruling a Victory for Satan

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Excuse the typo in the headline, not “Satan” but America instead….

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obama-gay-marriage-satanPresident Obama lauded Friday’s landmark decision by the Supreme Court — which declared same-sex couples have a right to marry in all 50 states — calling it a “victory for America” and describing the 5-4 ruling as “justice that arrives like a thunderbolt.”

“This morning, the Supreme Court recognized that the Constitution guarantees marriage equality,” Obama said. “In doing so, they have reaffirmed that all Americans are entitled to the equal protection of the law; that all people should be treated equally, regardless of who they are or who they love.

“Today we can say in no uncertain terms that we made our union a little more perfect,” he said. “What an extraordinary achievement.”

The president spoke from the White House Rose Garden shortly after a divided Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of same-sex marriages anywhere in the United States. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority, with the four liberal justices.

“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family,” Kennedy wrote. “In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than they once were.”

“Their hope,” he wrote, “is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.”

It was not until 2012 that Obama announced his own support for gay marriage. Now, he says, the court ruling will end the patchwork of laws on marriage across the country and the uncertainty that they create for same-sex couples.

Immediately after the ruling, Obama tweeted: “Today is a big step in our march toward equality. Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry, just like anyone else. #LoveWins”

While praising Friday’s ruling, Obama also acknowledged strong opposition to it and asked Americans to be “mindful” of differing views.

“I know that Americans of good will continue to hold a wide range of views on this issue,” Obama said. “Opposition, in some cases, has been based on sincere and deeply held beliefs. All of us who welcome today’s news should be mindful of that fact and recognize different viewpoints, revere our deep commitment to religious freedom.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.