Discriminatory COVID Fines Dropped for California Church

This victory is for religious freedom. 

Calvary Chapel San Jose, California was given a $200,000 fine by the state and $2.8million from San Jose County. The church held worship services but did not enforce mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some charges have since been dropped, but lead pastor Mike McClure deemed the fines “unconstitutional” and a violation of the First Amendment.

The church refused to pay the fines when it was handed them in 2020. The church reportedly failed to follow COVID-19 restrictions like holding in-person services, loose mask mandating, and a failure to submit social distancing protocol to the county. 

Pastor McClure and attorney Mariah Gondiero of Advocates for Faith & Freedom, spoke with Fox Thursday morning. They viewed the fines as discriminatory and an assault on religious freedom. 

Gondiero stated that the California court dropped charges because of the Supreme Court’s recent rulings, which sided with freedom-of-expression, and especially religious freedom. Kennedy v. Bremerton School District case. 

He also pointed out the hypocrisy of California’s COVID-19 regulations. Though the state had and still has stringent restrictions, it treats liquor stores, shopping stores and and pot shops “more favorably than churches,” Daily Citizen reported.

Fox News’ Carly Shimkus, Fox News host, noted that the priority given to attacks on churches is a mistake when there are other pressing issues in the state. For example, gavin Newsom is governor and has sanctuary status in the state for baby-killing. 

It’s persistence paid off and the $200,000 fine was dropped this week. McClure doesn’t care about the $2.8million fine. McClure is more focused on sharing the Gospel. 

You need to have a profound awakening. Christ is the only hope. He’s the one who died for us. The governor didn’t die for us. The county didn’t die for us. When you look at the reality of what Christ has done in people’s lives, and can do again in this generation, we need a great awakening. So, whatever comes from the county, I don’t care about that. It’s what I care about that matters. [that]Gospel is Jesus Christ’s good news to the world. 

McClure also likened his church’s situation to communist countries where dictators “stop religion first,” which appears to have motivated his perseverance through all the discrimination he and his church faced. 

This is for the moment a victory for religious freedom. The left will continue to pursue its progressive agenda and wakeful, progressive goals. Churches and other conservative organizations may be subject to discrimination. McClure has shown that the best form of retaliation is persistence and commitment to the cause. 

 

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