"Yet some groups protested, refusing to keep their distance, marching against travel restrictions — as if measures that governments must impose for the good of their people constitute some kind of political assault on autonomy or personal freedom! Looking to the common good is much more than the sum of what is good for individuals. It means having a regard for all citizens and seeking to respond effectively to the needs of the least fortunate." Pope Francis
I guess the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn did not get the Pope’s memo…
Update: The Diocese came out and claimed they were in agreement with the Pope's position. The facts clearly indicates they are not.
The Supreme Court recently sided with two religious organizations in New York that are unabashed about placing their follower’s health in peril. Their decision not only impacts New Yorkers, but the rest of America as well. I’ve toned down this post considerably because I find the decision not only outrageous, but deadly. I’m leaving a lot out such as my own beliefs, because this post is not about any one individual, group, or religion. This post concerns all of us - it is about public health.
Let me warn you, some may be offended by this post although that is not my intent. I am directing this blog post to every entity, group, organization or business that caters to a stationary crowd. However, the only two religious affiliations I know of that have filed lawsuits are from the Christian and Jewish faiths. At least that holds true in this particular Supreme Court case just ruled on November 26, which is at the center of this post.
The lawsuit in the Supreme Court was brought forward by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and Agudath Israel of America. They claimed in their lawsuits Governor Andrew Cuomo was discriminating against them by implementing coronavirus restrictions for the churches and synagogues that fell under their jurisdiction. I personally believe after reading their complaint, they cited religious discrimination in an attempt to solely add validity to their claim.
In other words, their angle was to make it appear as if Cuomo was singling them out because of their religion to increase their probability of winning the lawsuit. Common sense dictates a group of people enclosed together have far more potential of spreading the coronavirus than any other variable out there. But in this case the plaintiffs prevailed. They asserted Cuomo targeted Catholics and Jews by his coronavirus restrictions, which in their hearts they know it is not true.
Andrew Cuomo is Catholic, so it is ludicrous to believe he would intentionally seek harm toward Catholic entities or organizations in New York. Cuomo did not deliberately single out Jewish religious organizations either; he actually met with those in the Jewish community about the high number of cases among their community. His coronavirus restrictions are solely based on specific metrics pertaining to medical and scientific data in a given area - period.
Let me give you an analogy, although it’s not the best one. Predicting the weather involves analyzing a set of factors that leads to a conclusion, let’s say in this case a tornado watch is going to be issued. That conclusion may be based on a boundary between a cold front and a warm front, the moisture in the air, propensity for rotation, etc. Cuomo sees the data first, and then determines and analyze those things in a given area or community contributing to the increase in coronavirus numbers. His team of health experts are also involved analyzing the data.
Cuomo’s strategy is purely about the numbers; regardless if those numbers can be attributed to a business, a circus, or a church. By now it should be readily apparent his decisions are based on facts that consider the number of coronavirus cases in a given location. Being he is the governor of New York; he has a responsibility to the state – not just one group of people. He has the weight of all New Yorkers on his shoulders.
Ironically, the governor is far more interested in keeping the members under the umbrella of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and Agudath Israel of America safe than they themselves are. Their actions will impact others in the community. Covid-19 is not just about a group here, or a business there – it impacts everyone when there is community spread. In other words – it is not just about you, your business, or organization. Your actions impact other people, and with the coronavirus it can easily mean a matter of life or death.
The idea you have the right to make someone else sick or not take precautions is diabolical to the very heart of Jesus Christ. The hard truth of the matter is the coronavirus simply does not care who you are, what religion you embrace, or whether you are in a church, synagogue, or at a White House Rose Garden ceremony. When an opportunity presents itself, the coronavirus is more than happy to take you up on it.
It will find you wherever you are; especially if you are not using your head and doing your best to mitigate it. God gave you a brain for a reason - He expects you to use it. The God I know is everywhere. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. Acts 17:24-25
You are doing God no favors by continuing to gather in groups and furthering the spread of Covid-19. I don’t know what god you believe in or whether you’re an atheist, but the God I know wants us to put the welfare of other people first. That means putting your own desires aside, and the needs ahead of others first. That is what love is. Love wants to protect others from harm, and is not resentful by doing such.
Justice Neil Gorsuch provided an example behind his ruling – a lame one at that. He stated, "So, at least according to the Governor, it may be unsafe to go to church, but it is always fine to pick up another bottle of wine" or "shop for a new bike." To compare a large, prolong stationary crowd to a number people inside of store is like comparing a steak to potted meat. A person going to a liquor store or market who stays over an hour or two, is more than likely casing the place. Crowds matter. Gorsuch seemed to have conveniently forgotten Cuomo is not encouraging people to get out and carry on business as if the coronavirus does not exist.
Unfortunately, I took away several other conclusions after the Supreme Court‘s verdict. First, it demonstrates Amy Coney Barrett's appointment is going to have on the court. Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell stacked the court in their favor; no question about it. Brett Kavanaugh and Barrett are doing Trump proud, but not cause he cares about the issue behind this particular case. For Trump, everything, even this is about him.
Barrett went through Covid-19 for the most part with no real repercussions, so it may further explain her indifference towards protecting others. Trump’s indifference by continuing to hold rallies after contracting the virus seems to suggest to me they have more in common than I thought. Religious freedom is fine and it is our right, but not if it involve certain physical manifestations or actions that put others and society at risk.
Second, the ruling proves the Supreme Court discounted the scientific and medical data that epidemiologist and medical experts have been warning us. I find that to be particularly daunting given the battle America is facing now. Many lives will be loss from this Supreme Court decision; although I have a strong suspicion it won’t matter to the judges who voted against the restrictions. These five justices are pretty selective about which lives matters and the ones that don’t; so don’t expect them to lose any sleep over it.
What I find truly incredulous is the core issue of the case: the plaintiffs complained the coronavirus restrictions were far more restrictive for them than for secular businesses. Of course places of worship are going to face more restrictions by the very nature of their design and how they operated. Secular businesses rarely have large stationary crowds in an enclosed area for an hour or more. The coronavirus is an airborne disease. Yet, the plaintiffs knowingly misrepresented the intent of Andrew Cuomo’s restrictions, as if he had something personal against them.
Everyone now knows with the coronavirus, the size of the crowd and how long you are confined in a given space matters. New York has closed theaters, Broadway, schools, conventions, symphonies, and more. Professional sports cannot have fans in the crowd, or either they are extremely limited. When more Covid-19 cases break out in a given geographic location, there is a reason why. Don’t think the plaintiffs do not know this – by now everyone have far more knowledge about the cornavirus unlike back in March and April.
But if these two religious organizations claim they are being targeted and want to be treated as secular businesses, which they asserted in their lawsuit; then perhaps secular businesses are being targeted by being forced to pay more taxes. The IRS deems religious institutions as businesses. Perhaps the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and Agudath Israel of America need to start paying more in taxes? After all, they are now expressing a desire to be treated just like secular businesses.
This Supreme Court ruling sets a dangerous precedent throughout the entire United States. Quite frankly the vast majority of religious organizations throughout the United States have shown they are not interested in doing the right thing. It’s one thing to claim you care about those who attend your place of worship; yet you are not willing to take the necessary steps to keep them safe from the coronavirus. One has to ask –why?
So many are proceeding as business as usual and in a pandemic like this it is unacceptable. There is no legitimate excuse; it is placing their organizational needs ahead over the health and welfare of their members – and the public. And they are not alone – many businesses, entities, and other organizations are jeopardizing their patrons and the public’s health by refusing to adhere to restrictions. The larger the crowd, the greater the chance of community spread.
This pandemic is completely out of control in the United States. Anytime you are encouraging people to put themselves into a crowd, you are placing lives at unnecessary risk. When it comes to matters of religion or one’s spiritual beliefs, I recognize it is an individual’s choice. Many religious leaders are worried about their members remaining loyal to them and their organizations in the midst of this deadly pandemic. Americans are feeling the economic impact on their finances also - it is a difficult spot to be in. It is an unfortunate consequence of the coronavirus, however, it is not worth someone’s life.
How many pastors and priests have died from Covid-19? How many Americans have died from attending religious services or ceremonies? There are thousands of individuals who have contracted the coronavirus by attending a church, and I am sure that is the case for other places of worship. There is a misconception out there among almost all religions that somehow places of worship holds a power that keeps those within safe. By now it should be more than abundantly clear this is not case.
Bishop Gerald Glen of the “New Deliverance Evangelistic Church” in Virginia, unfortunately died of coronavirus after failing to abide by urgent warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Consequently, four other in his family contracted the virus as well. This occurred in early March as Covid-19 was getting revved up in America. The coronavirus pales in comparison back then as to how bad it is now.
In Colorado, an organization called Andrew Wommack Ministries filed a lawsuit against Governor Gov. Jared Polis over limits on gatherings during the pandemic. The state had implemented an indoor gathering limit of 175 individuals in July, and the ministry ignored the law and hosted an event with a crowd between 800 and 1,000 people. It fueled a super spreader event, resulting in the death of one person, and 63 cases of the coronavirus among just those in attendance. Can you imagine how many additional cases resulted in the community from just the 63 people infected?
Do not think Covid-19 outbreaks are only limited to large places of worship, mind you. In rural Arkansas in March, 92 people attended a church service which resulted in 38% of those attending catching Covid-19. Three people died who attended the service, and the gathering led to 26 more people in the community contracting the coronavirus; including one additional death.
The coronavirus case numbers are the highest it’s ever been, and yet we have a conservative Supreme Court that is highly selective about life and death issues. They are against abortion, but they are perfectly content with people dying slowly from lack of health care. They won’t stop religious organizations from encouraging their partisans out of their homes and into crowds that will invariably increase their risk for contracting Covid-19. And ultimately, that increases the risk for the general public.
I don’t believe religious freedom of expression should be at the expense at the public at large. Having a relationship with God is not the same or equal to having a relationship with a place of worship. No one is telling anyone they cannot worship or believe in the same God they always have. It would be an entirely different ball game if this was the case. These are not normal times that even the founders of our Constitution would have ever conceptualized. Sometimes in life there should not be absolutes – this is one of those times.
For the first time in world history every person on this planet has a role in keeping each other safe. Does love risk putting people in unnecessary harm's way? I don’t think so or at least it shouldn’t. I believe God wants us to stop and think about what is happening to other people stricken in this pandemic. I think He wants to see we are willing to give up some of our own desires to protect other people. These are not just numbers; these are real people dying and they mean something to their loved ones.
This ruling by the Supreme Court is sobering at best, and I fear what lies ahead for our nation. To discount science and proven facts at the detriment of the American people should had never happened. This decision will result in more deaths that could had been avoid. I wish I could say the coronavirus brought out the best in people, but I can’t.
The coronavirus impacts every single living being on earth, in one way or another. Every business or organization has a moral obligation to keep their patrons safe and not subject them to unnecessary harm. They also should have a broader moral obligation to the public at large. If a business or organization subjects the public unto unnecessary peril, I think they should be held liable. No one should be exempt from that responsibility in this pandemic now, but thanks the Supreme Court they will be. Nobody really wins this one.
