Five months into the pandemic shut-down, Los Angeles County is asking for the courts to find that Grace Community Church Pastor John MacArthur acted in contempt of court for holding services this past weekend, and for fines of $20,000 against church leaders and the congregation.
Legal Issues
Two Southern California Judges Refuse to Shut Down Churches This Weekend
With outdoor temperatures expected to pass the 100-degree mark, two Los Angeles area judges have given local churches some comforting news.
Ventura County Sues to Stop Church from Meeting Indoors
On August 2, 2020, the church again met indoors and Pastor McCoy said he was “willing to go to jail” and “willing for them to take our building” rather than comply with the state and local orders.
Founders’ First Freedom urges Supreme Court to Restore Title VII Workplace Religious Accommodation Standard
Today, Founders’ First Freedom, Inc. filed an amicus brief urging the United States Supreme Court to revisit and restore the workplace religious accommodation standard found in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Court rules agency can decide if employers must provide contraceptive coverage
Supreme Court sidesteps the free exercise claim and grants government agencies the power to determine whether to apply the ACA contraceptive mandates to employers.
Supreme Court: Religious schools immune from teachers’ discrimination claims
The ethical and moral onus is now on religious institutions as they decide whether to fire “ministerial” employees for reasons illegal in the secular world, such as age or the need for cancer treatment. Institutions engaging in this kind of discriminatory tactic will still need to answer to a Higher Source who will not be impressed with their ability to obtain summary judgment. The way for religious institutions to “win” these cases is to avoid them in the first place by taking the lead in treating employees with the highest degree of care and concern.
Did the Supreme Court open the door to regulation of religious schools?
With the death of state Blaine Amendments this week, religious schools that welcome state money might find that they are now subject to regulation that may undermine their very reason for existence.
Soros-backed bid to eliminate anti-prostitution pledge loses at SCOTUS
The Supreme Court has ruled against George Soros’ Open Society Foundations and upheld a law requiring foreign NGOs receiving funds to sign an anti-prostitution pledge.
Court strikes down Louisiana law that abortion doctors must have admitting privileges at local hospital
This morning the Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law that required doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. The issue in June Medical Services LLC v. Russo, was whether this limit actually protected the health of pregnant women and wasn’t in place just to make it more difficult to have an abortion. This was very similar to the issue the Court last visited in 2016 (Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt) when it overturned a Texas abortion doctor admitting privileges requirement.
Federal Court rules church can be excluded from California city downtown area
A federal court in the San Francisco Bay Area has determined that churches do not contribute to a vibrant and fun atmosphere and therefore may be excluded from Salinas’ downtown area.