If you want to know the future of America if Democrats are ever in full control, just take a look at California, where the Democrats control the governorship, both houses of the legislature, every statewide office, and the leadership of major cities. (When one party controls the office of governor, the state House, and the state Senate, that is called a trifecta. Currently, there are 21 Republican trifectas and 15 Democrat trifectas.) For example, their mindless commitment to Green Energy has resulted in third-world type brownouts across the state this summer. Their homosexual rights agenda has silenced free speech. Their clueless homeless policies have trashed formerly beautiful cities. Their public schools are removing the names of the nation’s Founding Fathers and brainwashing children in Marxist doctrine. That’s a very short list. Oh yes, and they are using the coronavirus situation to attack churches. I believe they will back off eventually and leave the churches alone for now, but only because (humanly speaking) they don’t have full power. The following is excerpted from “California’s All-Out War on Church Worship Intensifies,” PJ Media, Aug. 24, 2020: “California Governor Gavin Newsom and county leaders are escalating the state’s war on church worship services, dragging pastors into court and demanding thousands of dollars in fines for illegally singing and holding indoor worship services. The state is armed with Newsom’s no-worship order and subpoenas. Liberty Counsel’s Founder Mat Staver says Newsom’s worship ban is clearly unconstitutional. ‘The same governor who encourages mass protests, bans all worship and is now fining churches for their right to assemble and worship. The same governor who says the church can meet for secular services, bans the church from having religious worship. This unconstitutional hostility against religious worship must end.’ Newsom has issued a rule against singing and chanting–even in worship in private homes. Then, he outlawed church worship. The pastor of Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Ventura County, Rob McCoy, was in court on Friday and fined $3,000 for holding three socially distanced worship services each Sunday on August 9th and 16th. McCoy was ready to go to jail on Sunday if need be. Senator Ted Cruz sent a supportive tweet, letting California leaders know he’s watching. ‘Thx for standing up for the flock and We the People! The bullies won’t win. We are with you, Pastor.’ In Santa Clara, county officers sent in agents to spy on North Valley Baptist Church, according to documents the county gave to the court. That church has been fined $10,000 for illegally singing in two worship services. Singing. In Los Angeles County on Monday, megachurch Pastor John McArthur of Grace Community Church went to court for a fourth time to fight the governor’s ban on worship. [The county is seeking $20,000 in damages. On August 25, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff refused the county’s request to grant a temporary restraining order against the church’s services.] McArthur issued a declaration on Monday, saying it’s clear that the County thinks it’s OK to let ‘congregants to gather to worship the Lord in parking lots, in parks, or perhaps beaches–but never in any church. From Grace Community Church’s perspective, this is nonsensical, and we view it as a direct ban on engaging in the worship which our faith requires.’” The previous report did not mention Harvest Church of Pasadena, Calif. “Last week, Pasadena’s chief assistant city prosecutor sent Harvest Church Pastor Che Ahn a letter, threatening fines and up to one year in jail for anyone who attends a future service. [The letter, dated Aug. 13, reads:] ‘This letter is to remind you that violations of these orders are criminal in nature. Each day in violation is a separate violation and carries with it a potential punishment of up to one year in jail and a fine for each violation. Any violations in the future will subject your church, owners, administrators, operators, staff, and parishioners to the above-mentioned criminal penalties as well as the potential closure of your Church.’ Liberty Counsel founder and Chairman Mat Staver says, ‘These actions of the City of Pasadena and Gov. Gavin Newsom are akin to repressive foreign regimes, not America where the First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion’” (“Pasadena Threatens Church,” Christian Headlines, Aug. 20, 2020).
(Friday Church News Notes, August 28, 2020, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)