Megachurch pastor John MacArthur and his congregation can continue to meeting [sic] indoors for worship, a California judge ruled Friday (August 14).
But they must wear face coverings and practice social distancing, according to a California Superior Court judge’s order. …
…[T]hey [must] post the judge’s order. County health officials must also be allowed on the church property to verify that the order is being complied with.
And how did Pastor MacArthur respond to this intimidation? With half a loaf:
“I am very grateful the court has allowed us to meet inside and we are happy for a few weeks to comply and respect what the judge has asked of us because he is allowing us to meet,” MacArthur told Fox News in a statement. “This vindicates our desire to stay open and serve our people. This also gives us an opportunity to show that we are not trying to be rebellious or unreasonable, but that we will stand firm to protect our church against unreasonable, unconstitutional restrictions.”
Scott in Colorado, who forwarded this story, notes that it’s “sad” MacArthur bowed to some, even if not all, of this bullying, “[b]ut still, he is moving in a better direction than in April,” when he closed his church entirely.
If you’re like me, you want your heroes full-throated and unflinching. For that we look to Pastor Rob McCoy—and pray for him, too, per Scott’s request:
A Ventura County judge fined Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Newbury Park $3,000 today for continuing to host indoor worship services in violation of a temporary restraining order granted Aug. 7.
Legal counsel representing Ventura County Public Health had recommended a penalty of $6,000 and attorney fees, neither of which the judge agreed to.
Broken down, the fine comes to $500 per indoor worship service (six over two Sundays) at Godspeak since the injunction was put in place.
The penalty is for the church specifically and not its pastor, Rob McCoy, who reopened the church in May and continued to hold indoor services even after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s July 13 order banning a host of indoor activities …
The judge explained his reasoning:
“The issues are narrow today, as I mentioned at the start,” O’Neill said … “I fully understand that there’s a reason that freedom of religion is protected by the very first amendment, but I have a duty to uphold the court’s order that was duly issued.” …
“There was jurisdiction for the order. There was knowledge of it and ability to comply and clearly willful disobedience, although well-motivated.”
O’Neill said the church’s failure to indicate it would stop holding services inside its Dos Vientos sanctuary dictated that some punishment had to be meted out.
“What I’m not hearing . . . is any suggestion that there will be any modification of the way the services have been held and in terms of future behavior,” he said.
The judge said it was significant because Godspeak has other options. Churches throughout the county have been meeting outdoors, which is allowed under the governor’s order provided congregants wear masks and practice social distancing.
“It’s not the government telling people not to worship or even congregate,” O’Neill said.
Such legal “logic” is why we should not count on the courts for relief from tyranny. If we mean to live free, we must defy these despots consistently and en masse.
That means all pastors must re-open their churches now, not three months from now after receiving permission from bureaucrats and politicians. They must also reject the unscriptural nonsense of masks and anti-social distancing while standing with these brothers—shoulder-to-shoulder, not six feet apart—against Leviathan’s tantrums.
10:33 am on August 22, 2020
Email Becky Akers