Arrested Florida Pastor Says He’s Closing Church Due To ‘Tyrannical Government’
The restrictive measures to combat the coronavirus outbreak seem to be becoming more and more intrusive and disruptive each day. Even churches, which are protected by the First Amendment, are now being told that they absolutely cannot conduct any kind of in-person services and that those who violate these orders will be arrested and prosecuted.
A definite timeframe for
these restrictions to be lifted is not in sight, as health experts keep
claiming that the virus will peak in the coming weeks and enforced “stay at home”
measures are necessary for the foreseeable future.
One incident happened in Hillsborough County Florida, in the Tampa metro area. A pastor named Rodney Howard-Browne was arrested for holding services in his churches, despite claiming that he took many precautions that would have mitigated the potential for the virus to spread. Howard-Browne says that he gave out hand sanitizer, gave gloves to church staff members, and attempted to spread worshippers out as much as realistically possible.
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Howard-Browne’s attorney said it’s outrageous and unconstitutional the pastor was arrested given that grocery stores seem to be able to remain fully open without oversight or regulations requiring that they take any similar safety precautions, despite the potential for the coronavirus to easily spread in those situations.
The pastor faces two misdemeanor charges: unlawful assembly and violation of public health emergency order.
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Howard-Browne, who said two weeks ago that his church would “never close,” has reversed his decision.
“I actually have no choice at this juncture but to shut the church down this Sunday,” Howard-Browne said on his livestream call-in show on Wednesday.
“I have to do this to protect the congregation — not from the virus but from a tyrannical government,” he added.
Attorneys and civil rights activists are concerned about the constitutionality of governors and mayors unmilitary restricting the ability of American citizens to move freely or gather in large groups.
There is still debate among legal scholars regarding whether state, local, or the federal government can legitimately enact and enforce these kinds of bans without violating rights clearly outlined in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, such as freedom of assembly and freedom of religion.
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Additionally,
there does not seem to be a concrete definition regarding which businesses are
considered “essential,” and this classification can vary greatly by each state.
Also, the bans on businesses and gathering as well as social distancing requirements due to COVID-19 are likely to have long term economic and social consequences. Many have already predicted a long-term recession or depression due to the hastily forced shutdown of most sectors of the economy that are deemed “non-essential.”
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There
are also concerns about increased suicide, crime, substance abuse, and domestic
violence that could all result from the financial problems that will arise from
a destroyed economy.
Even though 701,000 Americans were laid off in March due to government mandates that so-called non-essential businesses close, the government has not taken decisive actions to make sure that Americans will be protected from bill collectors such as creditors and landlords during the coronavirus outbreak.
