• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
Supreme Court Takes up Bid To Revive Defense of Kentucky Abortion Law

SCOTUS Strikes Down California’s Limits on Indoor Religious Gathering

April 10, 2021
BOB UNANUE AND JORGE MARTINEZ: Lawlessness In LA Hits Hispanics Hardest

BOB UNANUE AND JORGE MARTINEZ: Lawlessness In LA Hits Hispanics Hardest

June 12, 2025
EXCLUSIVE: Jim Banks Unveils Bill To Protect Workers Who Disagree With Their Radical Left Bosses

EXCLUSIVE: Jim Banks Unveils Bill To Protect Workers Who Disagree With Their Radical Left Bosses

June 12, 2025
You Won’t Believe What Dems’ Favorite Suspected Human Smuggler Is Demanding Now

You Won’t Believe What Dems’ Favorite Suspected Human Smuggler Is Demanding Now

June 12, 2025
Kamala Harris Quietly Phones In To Newsom’s Voicemail Box Amid LA Riots

Kamala Harris Quietly Phones In To Newsom’s Voicemail Box Amid LA Riots

June 12, 2025
Trump Launches Waitlist for $5M ‘Trump Card’ to Fast-Track US Citizenship

Trump Launches Waitlist for $5M ‘Trump Card’ to Fast-Track US Citizenship

June 12, 2025
Israel Reportedly Gears Up To Bomb Iran

Israel Reportedly Gears Up To Bomb Iran

June 12, 2025
Arnold Schwarzenegger Pokes Hole In Gavin Newsom’s Threat To Stiff Uncle Sam

Arnold Schwarzenegger Pokes Hole In Gavin Newsom’s Threat To Stiff Uncle Sam

June 12, 2025
Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Faces Opposition From Senate GOP

Rand Paul Says He Was ‘Uninvited’ to White House Picnic

June 12, 2025
STEPHEN MOORE: Why Is Trump Funding The World Bank And The IMF?

STEPHEN MOORE: Why Is Trump Funding The World Bank And The IMF?

June 12, 2025
Trump Rejects $15M Offer From Paramount Over ’60 Minutes’ Lawsuit: Report

Trump Toots His Own Horn: ‘I could have been a flutist’

June 12, 2025
Trump Seeking Military Costumes for Parade

Trump Seeking Military Costumes for Parade

June 12, 2025
‘No Great Big Grand Final Bargain’: Brit Hume Says Deal With China Still ‘Has A Long Way To Go’

‘No Great Big Grand Final Bargain’: Brit Hume Says Deal With China Still ‘Has A Long Way To Go’

June 11, 2025
  • Donald Trump
  • State of the Union
  • Elon Musk
  • Tariffs
  • Congress
  • Faith
  • Immigration
Thursday, June 12, 2025
  • Login
IJR
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls
No Result
View All Result
IJR
No Result
View All Result
Home Wire

SCOTUS Strikes Down California’s Limits on Indoor Religious Gathering

by Western Journal
April 10, 2021
in Wire
247 5
0
Supreme Court Takes up Bid To Revive Defense of Kentucky Abortion Law

FILE PHOTO: The Supreme Court is seen in Washington, U.S., December 11, 2020. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters)

491
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of lifting California’s restrictions on in-home religious gatherings in a late Friday ruling that said the “Golden State” could not restrict gatherings like prayer meetings and Bible study classes.

The 5-4 unsigned ruling followed earlier decisions on limiting attendance at houses of worship to help slow the spread of coronavirus, according to The New York Times.

The ruling said that the government needs to prove religious gatherings pose a greater danger than other activities that are open before they can be limited.

“Government regulations are not neutral and generally applicable” and should be scrutinized “whenever they treat any comparable secular activity more favorably than religious exercise,” the opinion read.

“California treats some comparable secular activities more favorably than at-home religious exercise, permitting hair salons, retail stores, personal care services, movie theaters, private suites at sporting events and concerts, and indoor restaurants … .”

The ruling came after Rev. Jeremy Wong and Karen Busch of Santa Clara County challenged restrictions that prevented them from holding in-home gatherings with congregants for prayer meetings, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett wrote in the majority that the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit had repeatedly ignored instructions from the Supreme Court.

“This is the fifth time the court has summarily rejected the Ninth Circuit’s analysis of California’s Covid restrictions on religious exercise,” the opinion said.

Justices Elena Kagan, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor argued that California had complied with the First Amendment by treating religious gatherings like every other gathering.

“The First Amendment requires that a state treat religious conduct as well as the state treats comparable secular conduct. Sometimes finding the right secular analogue may raise hard questions. But not today,” Justice Kagan wrote.

“California limits religious gatherings in homes to three households,” she went on. “If the state also limits all secular gatherings in homes to three households, it has complied with the First Amendment. And the state does exactly that: It has adopted a blanket restriction on at-home gatherings of all kinds, religious and secular alike.”

Chief Justice John Roberts voted with the dissenters but did not join the minority opinion.

California’s restrictions in most of the state limit all indoor gatherings to members of up to three households.

U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh issued an 80-page opinion in February that denied the plaintiff’s request to block the restrictions, which was upheld by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in San Francisco.

“The state reasonably concluded that when people gather in social settings, their interactions are likely to be longer than they would be in a commercial setting,” the Ninth Circuit wrote, Fox News reported.

“That participants in a social gathering are more likely to be involved in prolonged conversations; that private houses are typically smaller and less ventilated than commercial establishments; and that social distancing and mask-wearing are less likely in private settings and enforcement is more difficult.”

In response to the Supreme Court’s ruling, California pointed to scientific evidence and said that because COVID-19 conditions have improved, the challenged regulations were set to be lifted this month.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

Tags: Coronavirus OutbreakSupreme Court
Share196Tweet123
Western Journal

Western Journal

Advertisements

Top Stories June 10th
Top Stories June 7th
Top Stories June 6th
Top Stories June 3rd
Top Stories May 30th
Top Stories May 29th
Top Stories May 24th
Top Stories May 23rd
Top Stories May 21st
Top Stories May 17th

Join Over 6M Subscribers

We’re organizing an online community to elevate trusted voices on all sides so that you can be fully informed.





IJR

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Trusted Voices On All Sides

  • About Us
  • GDPR Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Editorial Standards & Corrections Policy
  • Subscribe to IJR

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Top Stories June 10th Top Stories June 7th Top Stories June 6th Top Stories June 3rd Top Stories May 30th Top Stories May 29th Top Stories May 24th Top Stories May 23rd Top Stories May 21st Top Stories May 17th