Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Yep, He Sure Did - Follow-Up on the Easter-Sunday Churchgoers/Beshear Standoff

For the background, please read my earlier posts on this subject, here and then here. 

I hadn't heard back, yet, where he followed through, but I knew Governor Beshear wasn't kidding.

Sure enough, he wasn't -  a few churches held regular services and people regularly attended, on Easter, and Beshear did issue them a court-mandated 14-day quarantine -  and as a result, 3 those Kentucky church attendees have sued Andy Beshear for violation of religious freedom/religious persecution.

Of course, we have no precedent yet set for religious freedom actions that also violate public health and safety laws, nor can we prove that any of the church members were either safe or unsafe from harm due to the restrictions in place.

We may never be able to prove that - first of all, because we still don't have widespread testing, especially in rural areas. 

And I mean, if you don't get the virus, can you definitively prove in court the reason is because of the social restrictions that were placed? 

Even though it's common sense, it would be difficult to prove or disprove in a court of law - which is why, either way, this lawsuit is frivolous and tying up the court system and our tax dollars with completely unnecessary BS nonsense. 

Once again, these churches had the option of virtual services, drive-thru, and "drive-in" services (in which people could drive up in their car and watch their minister on a stage with a large "drive-in" style screen above them) - but they nevertheless insisted it was necessary for them to congregate within the church together anyway, defying state emergency protection social-distancing orders.

Also note that Governor Beshear is a regular-church-attending Christian himself and actually canceled his own son's baptism at his personal church, which was scheduled for Easter Sunday.


However, the current federal US Department of Justice -  under Attorney General, William Barr - has already gone on record as defendnig Mississippi churchgoers, stating they were "unfairly targeted because of their religion"  ... 

...  despite the fact that the Mississippi governor who created those restrictions is a Republican, avowed Christian, and a  previously loyal and loud Trump supporter (Tate Reeves).

(I chose a very old, tried-and-true conservative news publication for the link, The Federalist, so as not to be accused of political slant by conservatives.)

*HOWEVER*note that Mississippi restricted drive-in services, whereas Kentucky did not.  Also, Mississippi actually penalty-fined the churchgoers, whereas Kentucky did not (Beshear just obtained court-mandated 14-day quarantines for the churchgoers). 

This is the epitome of politico-religious brainwashing  - ignoring basic common sense, and the well-being of not only yourself, but others - on behalf of just your personal civil liberties and then trying to call it "religious persecution," it's BS, and I'm embarrassed for my Christian brothers and sisters, right now :(

Heavenly Father - forgive us, and save us, from our own short-sighted, close-minded ignorance, greed, selfishness, and self-righteous indignation?



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PSIn my opinion, the only reason that I can think of that Barr/the DOJ would support the churchgoers instead of even Republican governors would be because of the current struggle for power between Trump as president and state governors of both parties.

In essence, it would be a desperate election play (considering Trump's approval numbers have dropped sharply to his lowest yet, due to the power struggle), to show loyalty/favor to Trump's federal power over the power of state governors, in the hopes of continuing to receive the voting support of fringe and far-right voters, who came out in droves to vote for Trump in 2016 ;)

That's a huge risk, pitting even Republican State governors against President Trump - one that may backfire - but all bets are off when it comes to Trump and his trance-like hold on half of America in cult-following.

Regardless, that's right - do not attempt to adjust your set either left nor right, it is what it is  - both Republican and Democrat State Governors, together in solidarity, are locked in a power struggle with President Trump/the Federal Government (with William Barr as Trump's personal lackey lap dog) over social-distancing restrictions. 


Who would've ever thunk it lol :)








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