712: “Prayer is powerful when you're in distress.” Governors issuing constitutionally doubtful edicts aimed at houses of worship. @RichardAEpstein, @HooverInst
Image: 1945 Christ Church, Alexandria, VA., where Washington worshipped “Prayer is powerful when you're in distress.” Governors issuing constitutionally doubtful edicts aimed at houses of worship. @RichardAEpstein, @HooverInst Richard Epstein: @RichardAEpstein, @HooverInst; Chicago Law, NYU Law, Hoover Defining Ideas, in re: Religious liberty in the United States. Samuel Alito said the corona virus pandemic has resulted in previously-unimagined restrictions on religious liberty. “The real risk of government abuse arises” when the state enforces _____ laws. Threatening criminal arrest. The US is a large country with many different [subcultures]. . . . Further, what do you do with public schools and religious schools? Unions want to close public schools, whereas the latter want to meet in person. It's been over eight months. Fulton vs City of Philadelphia. The emerging regulations seem to be decided by seat-of-pants methods. When you can't go to church but see people going to casinos, it causes alienation. Unequal application of laws to religions—even among Catholics, Jews, Muslim, Protestants. Prayer is a powerful colleague when you're in distress. To close houses of worship requires much more scrutiny than it’s received. Abuse of power using the criminal code: this is not where you want people to enforce their opinions of what’s good and virtuous socially, especially such as the governor of New York is doing. The social fabric is sufficiently frayed at present; need to find ways to be as accommodating as possible. Classic cases of overreach by Governor Cuomo and Mayor DeBlasio. https://www.hoover.org/research/religious-liberty-should-prevail