As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
SCOTUS
Supreme Court of the United States
“The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a lower federal court to reexamine California restrictions on indoor religious services in areas hard hit by the coronavirus in light of the justices’ recent ruling in favor of churches and synagogues in New York.” - CLeaders
In the last article, we saw the Court determined public health considerations cannot run roughshod over religious liberty concerns. Justice Gorsuch, who seemed particularly outraged, quipped the Constitution does not take a sabbatical during a pandemic. However, Justices Breyer, Sotomayor and Kagan disagree. They wish to continue to defer to Governors and public health orders.
This past Wednesday (25 November 2020), the Supreme Court (“SCOTUS”) barred restrictions on religious services in New York that Gov. Cuomo had imposed to combat COVID-19. The vote was 5-4. If the late Justice Ginsburg were on the bench instead of Amy Barrett, it would have gone the other way.
This is not a permanent decision. Justice Kavanaugh explains:
“In a 5-4 ruling, the US Supreme Court sided with religious organizations in a dispute over Covid-19 restrictions put in place by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo limiting the number of people attending religious services.” - CNN
“[Scalia] held that the Constitution does not allow religious adherents to violate a ‘neutral law of general applicability,’ by which he meant a law that applies to everyone and does not favor or disfavor people based on their religion or lack thereof.” - The Conversation
“The nation’s High Court allowed blatant discrimination to stand in at least two cases limiting church activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito told the Federalist Society Thursday (Nov. 12).” - BPNews
“Barrett was given the constitutional oath by Justice Clarence Thomas Monday night at an outdoor ceremony at the White House. Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the judicial oath to Barrett Tuesday (Oct. 27), the Supreme Court press information office announced Monday evening.” - BPNews
“Does the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) categorically bar successful plaintiffs from receiving a monetary award? In one of the first cases heard in the new U.S. Supreme Court term, justices heard oral arguments on that question.” - BJC
“Thomas wrote that the 5-4 majority in a 2015 case had ‘read a right to same-sex marriage’ into the Constitution, ‘even though that right is found nowhere in the text.’ And he said that the decision ‘enables courts and governments to brand religious adherents who believe that marriage is between one man and one woman as bigots.’” - C.Leaders/AP
“Southern Baptist leaders Russell Moore and Ronnie Floyd commended President Trump’s nomination Saturday (Sept. 26) of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.” - BPNews
Discussion