“The United States Supreme Court struck a blow for religious liberty in enjoining enforcement of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s restrictions on attendance
at religious services in the name of disease control,”* said Ruth Institute Founder and President Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse, Ph.D. Morse also noted,
“Given the disparity in treatment of secular and religious entities, you have to wonder if more than brainless bureaucracy was at work here.”
In what are designated “red zones” (where the number of COVID cases is highest), attendance at religious services in the state was limited to 10 people
(25 in orange zones) regardless of the size of the hall – for instance, St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The suit was brought by the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn
and an Orthodox Jewish social service organization.
Morse observed: “There were no similar caps on the number of customers at some retail establishments and businesses providing personal services, like big-lot
and pet stores and acupuncture parlors – which would suggest that the State of New York considers shopping more important than praying.”
“The 5-4 decision was along liberal/conservative lines,” Morse added. “Some reports claimed Chief Justice John Roberts ‘joined the Court’s liberals.’ In
fact, Roberts – an enormous disappointment to constitutionalists — is by now a certified member of the activist bloc. All three Trump appointees voted
for religious liberty, along with Thomas and Alito. If the president waited until after the election to fill the Ruth Bader Ginsburg vacancy, the decision
would have been a 4-4 tie and the regulations would have remained in effect.”
Morse wonders: “Could there be a connection between the harsh treatment of churches and synagogues and progressives’ disdain for Biblical morality? Whether
it’s Catholic churches, Orthodox Jewish congregations, or other traditional denominations, the religions hit the hardest all espouse sexual morality.
“Like most leaders of his party, Cuomo is a dogmatic advocate of abortion on demand and same-sex marriage. He once told an interviewer that right-to-lifers
and marriage proponents ‘have no place in New York.’
The denominations he singled out for punishment respect life and support man/woman marriage. Can this be a coincidence?”
In conclusion, Morse affirmed, “While reasonable restraints are to be expected during a pandemic, treating religious institutions and commercial enterprises
differently is anything but reasonable, and smacks of a special animus toward faith.”
* 20A87 Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo (11/25/2020) (supremecourt.gov)
The Ruth Institute is a global non-profit organization, leading an international interfaith
coalition to defend the family and build a civilization of love.
Jennifer Roback Morse is the author of The Sexual State: How Elite Ideologies Are Destroying Lives.
To schedule an interview with Dr. Morse, contact info@ruthinstitute.org.
