Pasadena Threatens Church Members with 1 Year of Jail for Attending Indoor Worship Service

[PeteS in CA]

Pasadena Threatens Church Members with 1 Year of Jail for Attending Indoor Worship Service

https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/michael-foust/pasadena-threatens-church-members-with-1-year-of-jail-for-attending-indoor-worship-service.html

The city of Pasadena, Calif., is threatening a local church with fines, jail and even closure for violating government restrictions prohibiting indoor worship services.

The congregation, Harvest Church, filed a lawsuit in July against the state of California over the restrictions and has continued to meet indoors. The suit said the attendees are required to wear masks and that seats are configured so people are socially distanced. Temperatures also are taken when individuals enter the building, according to the suit.

Last week, Pasadena’s chief assistant city prosecutor sent Harvest Church Pastor Che Ahn a letter, threatening fines and up to one year in jail for anyone who attends a future service. The letter also threatens “potential closure of your Church.”

The actual name of the church is Harvest Rock Church.

Government simply should not be pushing these kinds of conflicts. Whether Harvest, Grace, and that Calvary Chapel win their lawsuits or LA and Ventura Counties do, nobody really wins.

[PeteS in CA]

A bit more about what the church has asked its members and attendees to do:

Calif. prosecutor threatens church with closure, jail sentences for COVID-19 order violation

https://www.christianpost.com/news/calif-prosecutor-threatens-church-with-closure-jail-sentences-for-covid-19-order-violation.html

Harvest Rock Church asks that attendees abide by the church’s guidelines for safe attendance during the pandemic.

The church asks those who are high risk and those who live with people who are high risk to stay home and watch online. Meanwhile, the church also encourages families with children and those who experience symptoms such as cough, fever, sore throat and difficulty breathing to watch online.

Attendees are asked to wear a mask “when entering and exiting the auditorium” and practice social distancing “while entering, exiting and while on-site.”

[LegalAmerican]

Pasadena Threatens Church Members with 1 Year of Jail for Attending Indoor Worship Service

https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/michael-foust/pasadena-threatens-church-members-with-1-year-of-jail-for-attending-indoor-worship-service.html

The actual name of the church is Harvest Rock Church.

Government simply should not be pushing these kinds of conflicts. Whether Harvest, Grace, and that Calvary Chapel win their lawsuits or LA and Ventura Counties do, nobody really wins.

But no fines for RIOTERS...and ANTIFA BROWN SHIRTS.....BLM.   

[PeteS in CA]

But no fines for RIOTERS...and ANTIFA BROWN SHIRTS.....BLM.

Yeah, LA and Ventura Counties in their several cases are likely going to have to 'splain' encouraging the "protests", which are known to have caused spread, while shutting down church services that can be much more controlled.

I think the two counties seriously underestimated these congregations' will and capability to fight back. Like I posted above, governments should be working with churches, synagogues, etc., not pushing these kinds of conflicts.

[PeteS in CA]

Supreme Court Takes California Church’s Case to Stop Gavin Newsom’s Order Banning Worship

https://www.lifenews.com/2020/12/03/supreme-court-takes-california-churchs-case-to-stop-gavin-newsoms-order-banning-worship/

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court granted cert and vacated the lower court orders involving the emergency petition of Harvest Rock Church and Harvest International Ministry. The Court stated in its order:

“The application for injunctive relief, presented to Justice Kagan and by her referred to the Court, is treated as a petition for a writ of certiorari before judgment, and the petition is granted. The September 2 order of the United States District Court for the Central District of California is vacated, and the case is remanded to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit with instructions to remand to the District Court for further consideration in light of Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo, 592 U. S. ___ (2020).”

Tuesday, Liberty Counsel filed the final reply brief to the U.S. Supreme Court regarding its request for an injunction pending appeal in the churches’ federal lawsuit against California Governor Gavin Newsom’s unconstitutional worship ban and discriminatory treatment. The emergency petition also requested the extraordinary relief that the Court alternatively consider it as a petition for writ of cert before judgment. Today, the Supreme Court granted the petition, vacated the lower court orders, and remanded the case for further consideration in light of its ruling last week that granted an injunction pending appeal for churches and synagogues in New York.

This specific case involves Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, but it could also effect LA County's legal machinations against John MacArthur's Grace Community Church, a Calvary Chapel church in Ventura County a a couple of churches in Santa Clara County. It signals that the USSC is requiring appeals and district courts to take into account the ruling in the Cuomo smackdown.