Colorado federal judge prevents state from enforcing COVID-19 restrictions on churches
(Worthy News) – A Colorado federal district judge has issued an injunction preventing the state from enforcing Gov. Jared Polis’ COVID-19 orders on limiting numbers at indoor church services and requiring congregants to wear masks, CBN News reported Wednesday.
The lawsuit was filed by the pastors of Denver Bible Church in Wheat Ridge and Community Baptist Church in Brighton, claiming the governor’s public health order is a violation of their constitutional right to freedom of religion.
Representing the churches, Special Counsel Rebecca Messall of the Thomas More Society explained in a statement that the purpose of the lawsuit was to call “both the federal government and Colorado leaders into account for their violations of the right to free exercise of religion, among other abuses of power, primarily resulting from Gov. Jared Polis’ COVID-19 related Executive Orders.”
Trump appointee Judge Domenico granted the churches’ request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction on the governor’s ability to enforce his orders, CBN News reports.
In giving his ruling, Domenico said: “…the Constitution does not allow the State to tell a congregation how large it can be when comparable secular gatherings are not so limited, or to tell a congregation that its reason for wishing to remove facial coverings is less important than a restaurant’s or spa’s.”
The decision means the churches are not limited in the number of people they can have at an indoor service, and congregants are not required to wear masks. The state of Colorado reportedly plans to appeal the ruling.
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