Indiana Governor Signs Law To Make Churches Essential Business

The following report is from the Christian Post:

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a new law that prohibits the state government and its agencies from treating a religious body worse during a public health emergency than secular entities.

Known as Senate Enrolled Act 263 and signed Thursday, the legislation designates houses of worship as essential services and thus prohibits them from being treated worse than secular entities.

Religious organizations provide essential services that are necessary for the health and welfare of the public during a disaster emergency.

[T]he state and a political subdivision may not impose restrictions on … the operation of a religious organization; or … religious services that are more restrictive than the restrictions imposed on other businesses and organizations that provide essential services to the public.

[The new law] does not prohibit the state or a political subdivision from requiring a religious organization to comply with a generally applicable health, safety, or occupancy requirement that is neutral towards religious organizations and equally applicable to any organization or business that provides essential services.

However, the state or political subdivision may not enforce any health, safety, or occupancy requirement that imposes a substantial burden on a religious service unless the state or political subdivision demonstrates that applying the burden to the religious service in this particular instance is essential to further a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.

 Eeads SEA 263 in part.

Alliance Defending Freedom’s legal counsel Greg Chafuen issued a statement Friday in support of the new law, saying that “religious organizations provide soul-sustaining operations that are essential to our society and protected by the First Amendment.”

While public officials have the authority and responsibility to protect public health and safety, the Supreme Court has made clear that the First Amendment ‘cannot be put away and forgotten’ even in a pandemic.

We commend Gov. Holcomb and the Indiana Legislature for making it clear that officials cannot use a public crisis to discriminate against religious operations.

Greg Chafuen

Authored by Indiana state Sen. Eric Koch in January, the bill passed the state House of Representatives by a vote of 74–20 and then the Senate by a vote of 36–10.

Critics of the legislation included the Indiana chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which claimed that the measure gave special treatment to houses of worship.

The right to exercise one’s faith, including the freedom to hold and attend worship services, is among our most fundamental rights.

But religious freedom does not entitle religious institutions to receive special exemptions from the law if it would pose a grave risk to the health and lives of individuals and the public health. SB 263, however, would authorize just that.

Stated the ACLU of Indiana back in January.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum signed a similar bill into law in March, likewise preventing state health officials from, among other things, issuing emergency orders that treat religious bodies worse than secular entities unless there is a compelling state interest.

The new North Dakota law stated that “any orders relating to disease control measures” cannot substantially “burden a person’s exercise of religion unless the order is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.”

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AUTHOR COMMENTARY

[1] The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. [2] For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.

Proverbs 28:1-2

WinePress readers know that the whole Covid thing is a crock of nonsense, but hypothetically speaking, if my governor (I live in Northern Indiana next to the border of Michigan) really cared about “religious freedom” then this law and/or order would have been in place from the onset. But in truth, this bill is an INFRINGEMENT on our freedoms.

You see, whether it be Democrat or Republican (which is what Holcomb is), they do not care about your freedoms.

The Bill of Rights plainly says this:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment I

So now the governor of Indiana, and North Dakota, and others, are now writing laws for something that was already a right of the people that cannot be infringed upon! And, if you go back and read what the new Indiana bill says, you can see all kinds of government red tape, loopholes, and bureaucratic bungling, that, if I were a devious lawyer, I could make lots of money picking that law apart. Read it again:

However, the state or political subdivision may not enforce any health, safety, or occupancy requirement that imposes a substantial burden on a religious service UNLESS the state or political subdivision demonstrates that applying the burden to the religious service in this particular instance is essential to further a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.

In other words, Holcomb and the Indiana government has written a law with the perception that there is freedom to worship however you wish, but if for any reason the government feels they need to infringe on those God-given rights, they now legally can and will.

But this is what happens when you yoke up with and hop in bed with the government in the first place. Pretty much all the church buildings you see are government incorporated with the state and IRS. When this happens that church loses its first amendment rights because they become a creature and subsidiary to the state; therefore, they cannot influence public policy. It is hard for the IRS on their own to enforce the rules, but all you need is a “crisis” like “Covid,” and that’s the ticket!

America: Land of the slave, home of the sissy – land of the depraved, home of the enslaved.

[12] If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked. [13] The poor and the deceitful man meet together: the LORD lighteneth both their eyes.

Proverbs 29:12-13

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