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Post by Admin on May 4, 2020 13:01:21 GMT
“NAZI-LIKE MEASURES” Kansas City Orders Churches to Turn Over Membership Lists
Todd Starnes | May 3, 2020 Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, a Democrat, has ordered pastors to turn over the names, address and phone numbers of anyone who enters church houses.“ Never in our wildest dreams could we have imagined Nazi-like measures designed to surveil, track and spy upon what was once a FREE American people,” Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver said. “Yet that is exactly what Kansas City’s misguided government officials are now demanding.” Liberty Counsel, a law firm that handles religious liberty cases, tells the Todd Starnes Radio Show that they are representing several churches that allege their constitutional rights are being violated. “ I am running out of adjectives to describe how completely insane the tyrannical abuses launched by state governors and local officials against pastors and churches are becoming,” Staver said in a statement. “ It is as if these leaders never bothered to so much as glance at the Constitution they swore to uphold and defend. They seem to be governing from some make-believe, dystopian viewpoint.” The city’s order states: “Religious gatherings, including but not limited to, weddings, funerals, memorial services, and wakes, of ten persons inside or ten percent of building occupancy (whichever number is greater) and fifty people outside may resume, provided social distancing is maintained and event organizers maintain a record of attendees.” “Data obtained by the Department of Public Health, pursuant to this provision, shall, to the extent allowed by law, remain confidential in accordance with professional pubic health standards and may be used only to address public health concerns,” the order further reads. Rich Bott, president of Kansas City-based Bott Radio Network, told Metro Voice News the mayor’s order is a violation of longstanding guarantees in the Bill of Rights that protect religious activity from government oversight and control. “This is outrageous on the part of the KC municipal government officials. They are treating churches the same as businesses for COVID contact tracing purposes,” Bott said. “ This is a massive overreach violating the sanctity of churches and the privacy of their attendees. This must not go unchallenged.” Churches must refuse to comply with this order – even if it means pastors and church leadership must be incarcerated. We cannot and must not allow the government access to our church membership lists.
[Emphasis mine.]
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Post by Admin on May 4, 2020 13:05:11 GMT
From Matt Staver, an attorney from Liberty Counsel who is fighting these orders:
Churchgoers Must Register With the Government in Kansas City
May 1, 2020 Kansas City, Missouri, officials are now requiring every church to submit a list of members and attendees along with their names, addresses and telephone numbers to city officials for tracking and surveillance purposes. I am running out of adjectives to describe how completely insane the tyrannical abuses launched by state governors and local officials against pastors and churches are becoming. It is as if these leaders never bothered to so much as glance at the Constitution they swore to uphold and defend. They seem to be governing from some make-believe, dystopian viewpoint. Yesterday, we received a desperate call from a Kansas City, Missouri, church whose local government is reaching new and terrifying heights in destroying our constitutional freedom. The Kansas City government is now DEMANDING that churches turn over membership lists, along with the names, telephone numbers and physical addresses of anyone who enters a church! This order also applies to all businesses. The new order states that by recording names and contact information, the health department will be able “to more quickly trace, test, and isolate individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19.” Anyone who does not provide this information should be refused entrance! The Germans did this very thing to Jews – collecting the names and locations of all known synagogue attendees - in the early days of the Nazi regime. Never in our wildest dreams could we have imagined Nazi-like measures designed to surveil, track and spy upon what was once a FREE American people. Yet that is exactly what Kansas City’s misguided government officials are now demanding. Every day that passes during the COVID-19 panic seems to bring a new list of illegal and unconstitutional mandates issued by state and local politicians intent on ignoring their state laws, the U.S. Constitution, and the Department of Justice. Even the announcement that U.S. Attorney General William Barr will investigate and prosecute constitutional abuses has failed to stop the unbelievable overreach by these tyrannical officials. We are at the brink of losing America as we know it, along with all the liberties our once-free people enjoyed. Our President, Donald Trump, is doing his level best to bring the country out of the over-hyped, media-driven COVID panic. But some congressional and state level officials (led by Democrats) seem to be doing everything they can to thwart not only a recovery, but also the very foundations of our republic! These attacks on our churches cannot stand. The backbone of our country relies on our constitutionally guaranteed ability to worship and serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We have already filed suit in several states against governors who have illegally and unconstitutionally fomented the arrests of pastors and launched attacks on the liberties of congregants. We will fight these cases all the way to the Supreme Court if we must. |
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