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July 6, 2020 1:00 pm
Jay Sekulow line Gov. Newsom band singing in church in California ACLJ preparing to take action live from Washington DC Jay Sekulow phone lines are open for your questions right now called 1-800-684-3110 one 800-6841 10 and now your host secular so as we were treated to a holiday weekend. If call it that this year will be days of holidays many days working from home you where you are the country, Gavin Newsom, the governor of California along with the California Department of Public Health. If you watch your solitaire here is what they put out along with OSHA, California's Department of industrial relations.
Without this guidance, covert, 19 industry guidance on places of worship and providers of religious services and cultural ceremonies that don't breeze through this and think, well, hey, these are just recommendations because we get right into it.
Let me read directly from this new guidance, even with adherence to physical distance and convening in a congregational setting of multiple different households to practice a personal faith carries a relatively higher risk for widespread transmission of the covert, 19 virus in May were in may result in may results 25 a spot there.
Again, it may result in increased rates of infection, hospitalization and death, especially among more vulnerable populations in particular activities such as singing and chanting the gate. The risk reduction achieved through 6 feet of physical distance you dad. This is where it's key. This is mostly recommendation doesn't sound like one to me. When you read this, places of worship must keyword their must therefore discontinue seeking enchanting activities and limit indoor tennis to 25% of Billick building capacity or maximum of 100 attendees, whichever is lower.
Desolate.
Let's break this down for everyone because I think the first thing you look at is, places of worship must therefore discontinue singing and chanting activity so you cannot sing or chant in a church that's is operating under the guidelines of California guidelines. They have band singing in church or chanting and in some faith traditions as were to learn chanting as part of the liturgy.
Now take a step further. You think they're going to prohibit singing and chanting and protests that are taking place throughout the country.
I think the answer is no, then I could do that. So here you have the question of constitutionality is it constitutional to ban singing and chanting, even when exercising the restraints that you put in place to prevent the spread of the virus and the answer to that is, it has to be unconstitutional and friends working to find out because the American Center for Law and Justice is teaming up with our friends and advocates for faith and freedom are good friend Bob Tyler were to be filing a series of lawsuits challenging this big.
I look we been resistant to filing lawsuits in this issue because we know that the local localities are trying to work through these situations, but this one came to our attention. First was that he can't possibly be true.
And then they write it as guidance. But then, in the order itself it's crystal clear its prohibited activity is right. So when you read the consideration for place of worship, which is much later in the document itself like a consideration. Consider discontinue singing, chanting, and other practices in performance where there is increased likelihood of transmission from contaminated hail exhaled droplets can sit are practicing these activities to alternate methods, but the word consider is not used in the beginning of the document where it says places of worship must must therefore discontinue singing and chanting and limit the indirect attendance to 25% of the building's capacity, or max of 100. Whatever is less, whatever smaller than that. You gotta limit your ability to that's a must that mean something in law, and I'm sure the drafters of this new exactly what they were doing California Department health will people just shrugged her shoulders. No churches are already reaching out to the ACLJ boarding challenge this fact. So folks support the work of the ACLJ we have a matching challenge right now is how we stay on top of all these issues get right into court double the impact your donation ace the American Center for Law and Justice were engaged in critical issues at home and abroad. Whether it's defending religious freedom. Protecting those who are persecuted for their faith. Uncovering corruption in the Washington bureaucracy and fighting to protect life saving commerce ACLJ would not be able to do any of this without your support for that. We are grateful. Now there's an opportunity for you to help me way limited time you can participate in the ACLJ's matching challenge every dollar you donate $10 gift dollar gift becomes 100.
This is a critical time for the ACLJ the work we simply would not occur without your generous support. Take part in our matching challenge make a difference in protecting the constitutional and religious freedoms you forgive today online ACLJ only one.
A society can agree that the most vulnerable invoice is, is there any hope for that culture to survive. And that's exactly what you are saying when you stand with the American Center for Law and Justice, defendant the right to life, we've created a free powerful publication offering a panoramic view of the ACLJ's battle for the unborn, called mission life will show you how you are personally publication includes a look at all major ACLJ were fighting for the rights of pro-life activist the ramifications of Roe V Wade, 40 years later Planned Parenthood's role in the what Obama care means to discover the many ways your membership is empowering the right to life question free copy of mission life today online ACLJ/Jay Sekulow we are to your phone calls 160, or 31 2060 31 to we know this is happening in California, we wonder if this is happening in other states to that may not be getting the same kind of attention that a state the size of California get skipped and sometimes they take the more extreme measures in this measure. They've tried to have it both ways a week. He had on as attorneys and until California backs down. What we read is that churches must discontinue singing, enchanting activities must must is a legal word. It is important word is not a recommendation is not something to consider must, it is you must stop at the stop sign is not a consideration. It is, you must do this you must pull over if there's a police behind you and you are speeding your that's a must situation so we have must situations that we have government recommendations. Those are different things you cannot have it both ways. When you use words like must, that if you're like most churches are out there worried. Right now my violation of some law because were planning to have singing this week and so it's a 16 page guidance, but that one section of the guide and says places of worship must therefore discontinue singing enchanting activities and that is regardless, by the way of the safety precautions are being put in place and let me say something first.
The freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion. The Supreme Court is held includes the freedom to worship that is constitutionally protected speech. I'm joined by Andy Connor most senior counsel for the ACLJ but also a very active member and a chapter in the Greek Orthodox Church and Andy this regulation knots will call it right now that within a challenge with our friends and advocate for faith and freedom says places of worship must therefore discontinue singing enchanting.
You can't help think the goal is that to your worship service in the Greek Orthodox church community. While it is part and parcel of Greek Orthodox period of orthodoxy in the old Eastern Roman Empire from the fourth century J. From the 300 that we chant our services. The chanters chant the responses.
The priest chance the liturgy and the services. Everything is chanted in song and intoned that nothing except the prayers occasionally are read as may be directed in the end, the guidebook of the church, but everything is to be chanted. So essentially what this does, at least in the Greek Orthodox church is it closes down our church.
We cannot perform the divine liturgy.
We cannot perform the services in the sacraments of baptism, of of the imposition of holy orders in the ordination of praise of marriage of confession of all the sacraments of the church in which the priest intones in chance these words are basically by this mandate closed down and that is an absolute abridgment of the free exercise of religion. The Orthodox Church and I would say also a veteran from personal experience that I've attended Jewish congregations and it's the same thing. There is chanting, pointing toward the Western Wall and pointing to the east and chanting in one direction how that is different from a mob of protesters screaming at the top of their ads to pull down statutes in the decigram monuments.
I have no idea what we about to become counsel with this case is already been contacted by number synagogues because you write in a Jewish worship service. The can't door the cancer is the chapter and he he or she actually sings the prayers, so they don't just say the prayer the prayer is chanted.
That's part of the liturgy in the Greek Orthodox community. I know this from experience.
Also, Andy.
The chanter will chant liturgy and often times there's a response from the choir that response would be prohibited under the singing prohibition you would negate the integral part of the service of the Orthodox Church, the divine liturgy and I'm talking about something that has been happening since early in the late antiquity. This is nothing new J we didn't just implement chanting in the Orthodox Church yesterday in the Jewish faith, singing enchanting, which was borrowed by Christianity because the first Christians were Jews. And that's what we got this practice of chanting.
We got in from the Jewish tradition.
This wet bar basically and and the practice of the divine liturgy and of holy services in the Orthodox Church. We don't speak the words we chant the words consistent with what the psalmist said raise a joyful noise unto the Lord, all you people and all you lands. We are based in biblical faith and tradition, and that says saying and chant and intoned not read and say the words velocity ceased to say because were starting to see this happen.
You start seeing California we heard about and others ERD have the limitations put in place that most of the time these limitations are recommendations that are not enforceable by legal order that state to state. Don't take my word for you need to know your your states laws and especially your your municipalities lost because some are enforceable, but in others, you see the word recommendation use a lot.
Kind of. This is what you should do but you don't have to necessarily doing kata frowned upon a WhatsApp Academy like the mid-Atlantic region in the churches around DC Maryland Virginia the visa again. They are autonomous states.
DC also gets some control with that, along with the federal government are churches operating at all the limitations are slowly lifting Jordan are concerned from the beginning really is not that different from a concern in California is that not only when the restrictions are put in place that they were applied equally but also as they are lifted Jordan places of worship have to be at the leading edge of those restrictions lifting I were starting to see some concerns that that may not be the case where you know a business that is similarly situated to a church across the street has different restrictions are lifted at different times and I would I'm just harking back to something that Andy said this is this is consistent when you look at the biblical moorings of the Protestant church MEP reference Psalm 100, but first Chronicles 1623 Jeremiah 2013 essay specifically to sing to the Lord.
So again you're talking about a foundational requirement across people of many different denominations and Jordan I would just say what echo something that you said right at the beginning of this we were very encouraging of places of worship to follow the guidance of governments of the look.
It's gotta be applied equally.
This is not only mandatory Jordan.
It's also not equally a client applied to people of faith in people without faith diamond right on Facebook rotor. This is interesting because he said when I heard about this I told my friend the ACLJ will be on top of this, now Telluride little bit behind-the-scenes. The first thing we looked at was whether or not this was just one of those recommendations.
Like received from so many mayors and governors and then businesses deciding to take those recommendations and put them into action. So it was actually a private business that said you cannot patron you cannot be a patron here without a mask on so was the government not saying you had to government with the being was recommending but now we see the word must we realize that yes, I think the American people are extremely too tolerant of this kind of government action right now way too tolerant. The good thing has been that when the courts have looked at this. They've not been so tolerant I let me remind you about what happened in Wisconsin. What happened in places like Michigan and others that had these extreme rules in place.
They were all starting to fall by the courts but yet during this time, when the numbers started rising again in some states. You saw more and more people voluntarily accept voluntarily accept the giving up of their rights, but in California you don't have that choice to voluntarily do it or not, it's a must. You must stop singing that what's interesting is what will find out in court is what happens if you don't know dad what happens if you don't stop so they can start sending in the SWAT teams to close down churches when they say it's a violation of the law. Yes, you may find I would expect and all of go quickly Mandy on this, but what I would expect Andy is the state must labor challenging the front and where to try to get an injunction to stop the enforcement of this rule.
That's what we will do, because if we don't what I'm afraid is the state of California will get injunctions against churches. Any that's what I'm concerned about here.
What could possibly be the case. Can you imagine having a court issue an injunction to the Greek Orthodox metropolis of San Francisco, saying, you may not practice in your church, what you have practiced for 2000 years and that is the singing and the intoning and the chanting of the divine liturgy. I doubt any US District Judge would have the courage to make a statement so contrary to the precepts of history and the practice of the holy gospel has to tell you choke off chanting, you may not say that you can only read these words that's not I hope and pray what will happen J go to court on this. We think this is an outrage.
We think it's a violation of the Constitution.
We working with our good friend Bob Tyler and advocate for faith and freedom.
Another great organization is support and encourage and support them support the ACLJ as well were a matching challenge towards the tell you about this but folks we been tolerant at the ACLJ we work with churches to work around work through issues with local municipalities, but no singing or chanting under any circumstance. That's a clear violation religious speech includes the right worship is protected by the First Amendment. Folks, that's exactly what were doing here were jumping on this on the front and we did our initial research, we saw that word Boston.
We said we must get engaged and we need your support to continue to fight all of these new cases arising out of covert, 19 only one. A society can agree the most vulnerable invoice is, is there any hope for that culture to survive. And that's exactly what you are saying when the American Center for Law and Justice, defendant the right to life, we've created a free and powerful publication offering a panoramic view of the ACLJ's battle for the unborn is called mission will show you how you are personally publication includes all major ACLJ were fighting for the rights of pro-life activist ramifications 40 years later Planned Parenthood's role in the what Obama care means to discover many ways your membership is empowering the right question mission life today online/the American Center for Law and Justice were engaged in critical issues at home and abroad.
Whether it's defending religious freedom. Protecting those faith uncovering corruption in Washington fighting to protect life in the courts and in Congress. ACLJ would not be able to do any of this without your support for that. We are grateful.
Now there's an opportunity for you to help me way you can participate in the ACLJ's matching challenge every dollar you donate $10 gift gift becomes 100. This is a critical time for the ACLJ. The work we simply would not occur without your generous heart wrenching challenge make a difference in protecting the constitutional and religious freedoms gift today online ACLJ. Jay Sekulow life is Jordan secular.
We are to your phone calls, 1-800-684-3110 at 2000 684-3110. Are you a church experiencing these kind of restrictions, recommendations or even requirements about singing singing.
We want to hear from you. 1-800-684-3110 what we always know is that California these bigger states to get a lot of attention, but it's not usually the only state taking these kind of actions. It just gets a lot of attention because of its population and size so want to hear from you at 1-800-684-3110 Jerry is calling from Rhode Island online one Jerry welcome to Jay Sekulow live hello great aunt Dan both made the Lord like church and that cute little island where Matt and we have to social there to be in compliance. So when I saw this thing I do in China not California United States so I'm glad the lion field that was one thing about social distancing.
We didn't really know what was going on and where it churches being inside buildings and churches of God created my church does a lot of outside services right now and any kind of stagger them out throughout the week.
Some that are more welcoming to kids and some that are for elderly folks, so they did gotten creative. That being said, if they were told to stop singing it would it would seriously disrupt the entire worship experience at my church more so when you start getting into some of the Orthodox churches whether your time at work.
The Orthodox Judaism or or orthodox Christianity. Christianity itself, which is based around the singing of songs is a major part of the service and when you have an absolute ban bust stop singing.
So this thing under even if you exercise all of the requirements of the guidelines for safety during coded. You cannot sing or chant now West Smith is joining us. He is a Col. retired United States military chaplain also was a Episcopal priest when someone asked you a question.
This is obviously not having this where you are in Georgia right now, but I least I don't think we are but you we do have this in California now would they have said no worship can include singing or chanting the how significant restriction is that Wes on religious liberty in all the church right more.
Just when you think it cannot get any more inconsistent and insane regarding the government trying to control religion know this happened interesting to me. You are a roadblock for you all on a field that we can about your Independence Day, and held that the First Amendment was not designed to protect the government from religion. However, it is designed to protect religious groups and religious people from being interfered with by the government and this is a flagrant violation of that you know personally. Matthew J. If that even restricting worship, making purchase counselor limiting how many people it can. They don't have the constitutional authority to do that either. I don't think religious leaders of the Paris denominations can make this call in they have microchip and technically want to be sensitive to CDC guidelines. I think every pastor wants to protect his people, but to dictate the particulars of how people worship when they do gather, including permitting, singing or chanting that is the most flagrant and egregious violation of the First Amendment and Jade. There is no coronavirus exception to the Constitution. This is insane. Looking at websites of some of them left of center liberty groups and even they say religious speech and worship are affirmatively protected by the United States Constitution. So when you say I'm trying to look at this and says places of worship, so that means, churches, synagogues, moss place of worship must therefore discontinue singing and chanting activities and then they have the tennis limitation.
So even if your building was 5000 seat auditorium. You can only have 100 people.
But even in that situation, this is outrageous.
Andy no singing, no chanting that out right because you know the coronavirus not know the difference between a canning and a protest march and to say that you can sanction one and permit the other is hypocrisy in the worst possible way when we in the Orthodox Church, saying practice play we can during the land we sing the chant that begins on the subtle stall. Mahmoud Legal fees set up and never mottos. Let me open my mouth and let it be filled with the singing of the spirit okay and that stands for all chance in orthodoxy and I know also from personal experience in Judaism as well from which Christianity derives its chanting tradition and to say that that is prohibited while screaming and yelling moms and violent protests and the pulling down of statues and iconic memorials is not prohibited. This is hypocrisy in the worst degree and we have got to fight that in the courts and everywhere because we cannot permitted to stand as we hear. The site in court as we speak. We just launched a brand-new petition online@aclj.org and rewrite of my phone and this is a petition it's very clear. Don't ban singing in church. Can you believe in 2020. Think about that ACLJ as to launch a petition in the title of the petition is don't ban singing in church. That's because some states have done just that California is a big snow. Don't ban singing in church sign this petition right now ACLJ.org that's ACLJ.org if you had enough of the that just the radical left.
Try to take this moment were all facing pandemic and use it to reorganize our society to demonize. Think about that to demonize attending church and it's even worse than demonizing if you want to sing when your church sign the petition ACLJ.org.
It was only back to you for second here and and and very quickly running out of time for this. Our but in a minute or so. The significance of this restriction on Christian worship. How would you summarize the significance of what this battle will be significant. J we let you know the camel's nose under the tent regarding their going to tell you that you can't think that you can't chat it it it it has the potential to lead to the government even being more and interfering and more restrictive on people's religious freedoms and it. Andy and I just said there is no constitutional exception for virus and on the one hand you want to be no careful CDC does say that that whenever people saying that that they give out more droplets express more topics singing, but that does not give the government the authority to tell people they cannot think that is a flagrant violation. Yet when the Constitution says that we cannot prohibit the free exercise of religion. If you tell someone they can't say if the government prohibiting the free exercise that serious but it's interesting here. These churches are willing to take into social distancing measures as far as even the singing and chanting so that there's no exposed and that's not enough. So the government just bans it. This is reminiscent of the cases I handled in the 1980s. That's what this reminds me of no Bibles in school. I remember that illegal possession of the Bible. Now we have no singing or chanting in a church folks, this is the reason why stand with the ACLJ in this matching challenge moment right Weaver matching challenge right now. Whatever you're able to donate online ACLJ is effectively doubled its how are able to jump right into these cases.
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We are to your phone calls. What hundred 684-3110. Let it set the stage you just joining us for our second half hour so California holding my hand for Facebook and periscope audience of this came from a July 1 just right before the holiday. Of course, typically when these things happen. This is from the California Department of Public Health and there OSHA their state, OSHA ended.
You see, this is covert, 19 industry guidance. This entire document on places of worship and providers of religious services and cultural ceremonies. Now it doesn't take long to get into the document restart seeing words like must, and how they use must, places of worship must therefore discontinue singing and chanting activities and limit indirect attendance to 25% building capacity or max of 100 attendees, whichever of course is lower so always take the lower number even if you could have again more than 100 people there based off your capacity under that 25% rule.
No, you got to limited at hundred but even worse, I think, is that they have mandated they have used the word must when it comes to discontinue singing and chanting activities. This impacts many different types of place of worship. Depending on what that denomination you may be a part of the part depending on whether you are Christian and what kind of Christian you are from the Orthodox faith the Catholic faith. Obviously, with a lot of singing, chanting to get coming together reading our prayers, which is common in many Protestant denominations during the Orthodox tradition where there's chanting and singing done officially as part of the service. You also see this in the Jewish faith in the Islamic faith every the list goes on and so they have targeted religion in California to say you must stop doing something which is so important crucial crucial element of your religious service and it is absurd.
I look at the headline on CNN and this is what the headline reads with worsening pandemic California ban singing places of worship.
Now we know the banning singing and chanting. We know they're not banning singing and chanting a mass protest going on in the streets. We know that there banning worship, which include singing and chanting in a church, even if the church was a 5000 seat auditorium and 100 people were there, spread out over the 5006 so there restriction on the number of people requirement and he actually makes our case even stronger that there is no constitutions, no compelling governmental interest, and this certainly isn't the least restrictive means which is the legal test and background log. A statement that you can only have 25% of what street would normally hold a maximum of 100, and attendees.
In other words, you have made a restriction on what a house of worship can hold but you make no restriction on what a street or sidewalk can hold you you you you are engaging in the ultimate in hypocrisy here and another thing J you are striking at the very core of the Christian faith. What is that in the Orthodox church every week from the beginning to the end, we chant all the songs the Psalms of David. Those were written by David intended to be sung on the liner to music and dance because that what have been needing to see on that's what the Orthodox Church says dance and praises Zion and it doesn't mean stand there and just mutely mouth the words but dance the words and saying the words. And these are tenants of the faith they go back to the founding of the church. George these are not anything new that we just started. Why can't we do the same thing in the church as we can on the street as a protest. Try to see the last rewrite how they control civil society how they control what you can do what I can do, how we can even worship their goal all along the radical left. How do we change society fundamentally allow mass protests in the street saying we should get rid of police defund police, no mass, no problem there, but would actually sing in church support the work ACLJ stand W impact your donation ACLJ.the American Center for Law and Justice were engaged in critical issues at home and abroad. Whether it's defending religious freedom. Protecting those faith uncovering corruption in Washington bureaucracy fighting to protect life in the courts and in Congress ACLJ would not be able to do any of this. For that we are grateful. Now there's an opportunity for you to help me way limited time you can participate in the ACLJ matching challenge every dollar you donate $10 gift gift becomes 100. This is time for the ACLJ the work we simply would not occur without your generous heart wrenching challenge make a difference in protecting the constitutional and religious freedoms gift today online ACLJ only one. A society can agree that the most vulnerable invoice. Is there any hope for that culture to survive. And that's exactly what you are saying the American Center for Law and Justice, defendant the right to life, we've created a free powerful publication offering a panoramic view of the ACLJ's battle for the unborn is called mission will show you how you are personally Tatian includes a look at all major ACLJ were fighting for the rights of pro-life activist ramifications 40 years later, when Obama care means many ways your membership is empowering the right question mission life today online/Jay Sekulow like this Jordan secular. We are taking your phone calls would hundred 6430 limited and we do about number calls it so to start with Julie in California living through this and that Gavin Newsom's new dictatorship Julie, welcome to Jay Sekulow live your on the air toward her on Saturday. I thought it was a joke, originally from email site and when I thought, which will thinking it kidding so I neatly texted my pastor and I just looked at online persons about Bible singing and the respect for right there and I said, who are we going to get glory to God or Gov. Newsom thanked God. But when I went to church.
We were all singing socially distancing wearing a mask, but no, I am glad the ACLJ is going to do an injunction and did the petition because if they want to come and arrest me in church, singing, bringing on and I'm an older lady you know I will write thank you Lino I Julie I think you are tapping into something that a lot of Americans are tapping into it is. They told us not to wear mass that we must wear mass now. It's a mandate to wear a mask and are weaving to build open schools. What are we to be able to open up to be open a business is some did some close-ups say it will be until next year until they do. There's a lot of distrust of authority right now for good reason for good reason that the state levels were your most connected. This was Oakland yesterday okay on the streets of Oakland yesterday. This is what was going on that's chanting publicly habits of those people don't have mass gone just chant and scream in the street yesterday. This order targeting churches came out four days before that was right before the weekend and it was a holiday weekend, so the ACL people are paying as much attention. We are the mixer for Law and Justice.
We also pay attention to what you are allowing fewer allowing protesters in the streets to go would shout the top of their lungs. Whatever message they want with it, probably of the constitutional right to do it right so you try to limit that what you try to go after people, I Julie, who she said she older lady who was to go to church and singer songs. Okay, so let let's I would take this back down to kind of a grassroots level here personally to a fan of Weston and hair and then anti-West fan rather in Washington on Metro area. What is the situation for churches right now.
I was looking one of the restrictions in place yet were and what what what DC is calling phase 2J there allowing mass gatherings up to 50 people and is being applied, at least as of now equally to people of faith in people not of faith. Religious gatherings and our gathering out of the 50 limit. Some churches are a J I would say most are doing what Jordan has said still being creative, finding other ways to me, but there are some churches that had chosen to take social distancing precautions to meet in person to follow the guidelines to be respectful and J and I and and their singing as well. That restriction certainly is not come down from Washington DC I think that's probably the most important thing. Remember the President deem places of worship appropriately so he deemed them essential. So Jake it if governors want to put restrictions in place demonstrations which they may deem essential and places of worship which had been deemed essential. They have to have the same requirements in the same restrictions lifted. At the same time. It is interesting here. This is places of worship with the worship service was outside the place where she would still be applied. But I see that's why it's very confusing very very very overly written, but they use that word modest, which invites legal challenge. That's what was it good anyway so that the utilization the fact that it says places of worship, and he must discontinue muscle mandatory. That's not a voluntary document when it was sent to me over the weekend and I looked at it.
Good to see if this was considered an advisory opinion or a mandatory opinion whether was voluntary or whether it was necessary when I read that statement that places of worship must discontinue chanting and singing that it was clear to me that they have made a mandate into my church coming into my church my cathedral where I attend to worship God in the way that he is been worship since the year 325 A.D. when the Orthodox Church was founded and now you're going to tell me that I must discontinue the way that Christ worship since the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom was written in the fourth century. No way will I will have to drag me out and they'll drag me out singing and chanting Celeste to you again.
I think from the pastoral perspective. Here's a minister of the gospel. This prohibition if it will affect you and George. What would your reaction be you know I would. I would support what makes you feel James doing petition in trying to get an injunction and personally there is a time for simple obedience and if someone's going to tell me the particulars of how I'm going to worship or not worship that the time to stand up and say no and toot to actually practice civil disobedience and to say enough is enough. Yet there are limits to governmental authority under reason for that in the thing I think about Jay is that if religious rights aren't say what other constitutionally protected rights aren't safe as well and I think we all know that all the political left in our country, there is this you know very open animus towards religion and I think this is reflected that. But to true Christians of all denominations, whether you're into an independent your evangelical church or the Catholic Church, singing is a part of Judeo-Christian worship in my church. We think songs we think of Psalm the priest chance the Divine liturgy and and and I understand taking CDC advisory seriously in our church in Georgia. We are doing that our bishop is doing that but it's coming from our bishop and for me is the local priest. It is not some government official mandating that they will tell us not, whether or not we can worship but when we do, they're going to tell us how we can worship that is so unconstitutional and I will would stand against that take another call. Because of this importance, encouraging call this happen early on in this battle's grace in Washington state online for grace welcome to Jay Sekulow live a great paper alien and an enjoyment. I'm calling from Washington ate and our church along with our church in Washington along with the church in North and Washington got together with the Pacific Institute and not against our governor gently on discriminating with this days approach to helping.
Like all like most new and on in the faint opening he let movie theaters on open capacity churches are still like Nantucket out only confined to 50 people and so the suit with 510 on June 18 only hold governor gently changed his requirements and phase 1.5 which was wearing right now we can have up to 200 people in church and he just came out with a new patient and so our church no calling to find that we could and they drop suit because evidently change his mandate that this is the case so you know, we like to see quick resolution is to get out of this number is in a way to don't worry that was just guidance. Okay, we use the word must've been much into been there. It was just guidance when I can enforce it that way. That would be a win for us is not likely what the hell we need this and they were really going with the constitutional arguments why they don't now here's the thing I was talking about Tyler with advocates making freedom yesterday on this on Sunday. I think this case could end up aspect of this report.
So if you prepare for that and their rulings on this have been kinda mixed yet really mixed and sided with the local governments a lot, but this one is so outrageous, so extreme and the II just don't see how the court could say there's a compelling governmental interest that this across-the-board man on chanting and singing thing in which liberals and conservatives on the court would join together and say, look, we better draw a line somewhere in the line is drawn on the freedom of religious expression. We are not going to permit local governments to impact upon centuries-old traditions of churches and faith by telling them that they cannot saying that they cannot chance that they cannot exercise their liturgical practices as they have done for centuries and generations. I think even the Supreme Court divided as it is, say enough is enough and we draw the line here but of course you having been for that course 14 times no better than anybody else, but it's likely to do so will knock on those decisions today.
In the case involving the President not yet set another opinion.
Daily says we went on the air could be tomorrow could be this week to be next week is no set time right now. Some folks person you want to do.
Go to ACLJ.org sign a petition, don't man singing in church sign the petition ACLJ that order.
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I will tell you I've know Charlie for 35 years. We were very good friends. I've had the privilege to see him perform many many times his Christian testimony is remarkable. His impact on the world of music is legendary horse is a member of the country music Hall of Fame member of the grand old Opry. He, his wife, Hazel survives him and his son Charlie Daniels Junior as well and I will tell you talk about a living legend bigger than life by love the Lord.
Any serve the Lord and always at his concerts. Some gospel music that was Charlie Daniels saying how great thou art so all our thoughts and our prayers go to the Daniels family.
I know Charlie is rejoicing with the Savior right now.
But again, what out what I he was actively performing until right before the covert impact I had tickets to go see him in North Carolina in May. Of course, was canceled because a covert I he was performing was Charlie Daniels the Marshall Tucker band to my all-time favorites and obviously then he passed away. Having the stroke and as I said, he's won numerous awards us too many to name and really laid a framework for Southern really laid a great framework with Southern rock music. He's kind of the founder that he also I need to say this loading just about this to my attention that he helped us on our persecution. Cases like the case of site have a daily by making personal appeals to people support their release. So this is something about the impact the Charlie Daniels had created the genre music that we call southern rock still very popular even today and like Leonard Skinner followed in Marshall Tucker and others use impact on country music huge impact on gospel music spoke out for the church. A great man who leaves a great legacy with a great family again. Our thoughts and prayers with the Daniels family and I'm sure they miss my friend Charlie Daniels. He was up it was one-of-a-kind. Go back to those I Johnny in Florida online one Johnny takes hold on your own there. Thank you everybody good afternoon to the point and I'll be very quick and brief role in college.
So we have to take the challenge you want to walk in the in the air and give them a challenge and that they take it back a little bring a close giving the challenge as well, which is for them.
Psalms 147 Psalms 148 Psalms 139 Psalm 150 tells us all to pray. Come to acts chapters 5 accepted five now we have verse 28 and 29 when Peter was confronted on me tell you not to preach the name all here we go today and we tell you that you must be silent not okay. What was Peter's response when it comes to obeying authority.
We obey God than men appeals response 29 itself says no more, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with boldness, so there's plenty Scripture reference Andy here to protect the First Amendment rather than we know it, of course, in the Orthodox Church because we inherited from the Jewish tradition where the mental amalgamation of the Old Testament and the new covenant and all that is bounded in the praising of the Lord through hymns through chance through songs through singing, rejoicing through the use of your mouth filled with the spirit and all of that is not talk. It's not reciting but it singing and chanting and we are not going to let the government of all entities. Now tell us in our churches that we must be silenced when God in the Scripture tells us to do just the opposite as the caller so rightly said when he sided scriptural verse 164, 31 to Regency you get your phone calls. It's 164 $0.31 David in Georgia online to David, welcome to Jay Sekulow lives in my brother. It's amazing that Gavin Newsom might come back for a second bite at the apple. You all are real familiar with that Supreme Court case from about 5 to 6 weeks ago with a Pentecostal church in California was told they had to limit their work at the men lost five before Supreme Court Mr. Roberts just appointed me and now Gavin Newsom might your back is the thing I'm really me. I'm I am very aware in any would tell you this. I am really aware of what the challenge can be here, so here's the plan. When this case, the District Court level possible. When the Ninth Circuit and then presented to the Supreme Court in such a way. In the days ahead.
It would be so probably move very very quickly so that it's easier case it's not a defiance of were not even challenging at this point that limitation on the amount of people.
In fact, the fact that this limitation, the amount of people, which is so ironic that you could have a 5000 seat worship center and only allow 100 people in and they can't sing, or to literally be 200 yards away. But you can't sing and chant. You can't have a chamfer sing and chant. This is again California takes it that that further step to see what are how far can a government power go. How far can they push it, and people are experiencing this across the country. I listen this is a CNA in Maryland online five Siena welcome to Jay Sekulow live your own there. What I heard you I would not allowed inside week in Montgomery county Maryland we can think of 530 outside map on Saturday night and I would not allowed mangled banner because it was this weekend I my I couldn't hear you not allowed to see inside of church chant inside the church because of something that the government governor datable municipality or church decision to go look it up very executive in that we can find out for me if you can. Whether it was the church made the decision because I want to follow more stringent guidelines. That's one thing whether this was mandated by the government and an email us@aclj.org email a single focus on radio and here's the follow-up met and then those are the kind of things we want to know to keep your eyes open to up and watching to Maryland and Virginia yet will detail the counties around here have their own guidance and I would add, just maybe, this to the caller also asked then if the guidance and in Montgomery County applies that laces that are places of worship. Can you gather in another place. It's not a place of worship and and can't can you guide a place that's not a place of worship and IJ.
My guess is that you can do it in those cases I don't I don't know what they're good. I think you me I don't know if you were outside worship service at the church whether they let you do it but if you are outside protest.
I think they would point discrimination at a minimum it's it's content base and its targeting religious worship, which is protected by the First Amendment. They cannot do that is interesting. When that was going to talk to us as she is leads religious services on a military base in Texas. They said if she even lowered her mask for the singing part they would cancel the entire service summing. This is something everybody spacing at different levels over looking for the ACLJ is like what happened at a California legally actionable cases legally actionable cases God ACLJ.org/help if you could support the work ACLJ double the impact of your donation the entire month of July we are in a battle for religious liberty rights in the United States and we don't know how long this battle is going to go on the American; just as critical issues at home and abroad for limited time you can participate in the ACLJ challenge for every dollar you donate, it will be $10 gift becomes $20, $50 gift becomes 100 you can make a difference in protecting the constitutional and religious freedoms to you and your family. Give a gift today online okay