Nothing quite uplifts our devotion to God like a song.
That must be why California Governor Gavin Newsom is banning singing in houses of worship.
Sure you might be able to scream into a megaphone and threaten to burn down Los Angeles in Newsom’s state, but please, sit down and shut up when you go to church.
From CNN:
While you can still attend in-person church services in California, you can’t sing.
The state, to curb a rapidly worsening pandemic, has temporarily banned singing and chanting in places of worship.
“Practices and performances present an increased likelihood for transmission of Covid-19 through contaminated exhaled droplets and should occur through alternative methods like internet streaming,” the state’s Department of Public Health announced in an order Wednesday.
California has had more than 24,000 coronavirus cases. On Tuesday, it announced 6,367 cases, the second highest total for the state since the pandemic began. This has prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to tighten restrictions.Singing at services has proven to be one way to spread a virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The agency studied how coronavirus spread from one member to 87% of the singers at a Washington choir practice and said in a report:
“The act of singing, itself, might have contributed to transmission through emission of aerosols, which is affected by loudness of vocalization.”
The Sacramento Bee details the story further:
The new guidelines were released the same day Newsom issued his most dramatic reversal yet on reopening the economy, calling on Sacramento and 18 other counties to halt indoor restaurant dining and close movie theaters, card rooms, indoor museums and other venues. Sacramento County’s closures took effect Thursday at 3 p.m.
Unlike the restaurant closures, Newsom said little about the new guidelines on houses of worship, mentioning them only in passing during a press conference Thursday.
It remains to be seen if, or how, the state or counties are expected to enforce the ban on singing in houses of worship. Churches were among the most aggressive institutions in pushing back on Newsom’s original stay-at-home order in mid-March. Several sued the governor to overturn the order, saying it violated their First Amendment rights, although none were successful in court."
There seems to be no end to the hypocrisy of the left.
There no boundaries to destroying our country's heritage, our civil liberties, our acts of faith, but don't you dare arrest those rioters!
Heck, Newsom damn near endorsed the throngs of people out there causing mayhem in his state.
From SFGate:
On Thursday, KCBS Radio's Doug Sovern asked the governor, "I've heard from a number of people who don't understand why they're being told you can't go see grandpa this weekend, you can't see Uncle Joe, you can't have a barbecue with your neighbors but then they turn on the TV and see hundreds or thousands of people protesting. So can you explain the selective enforcement or preferential treatment given based on political persuasion? Can you explain to people why they should listen to these messages when they do see that happening and no one is getting tickets, no one is even being told to enforce the masks or social distancing?"
Newsom responded with, "If they care about their grandfather, their uncle, their aunt, that's why they should listen."
The governor then stated that no one will be cracking down on social gatherings in backyards before returning to commenting on the protests.
"I maybe was unique in my household but I don't think I was, I think it was universally taught: Just because someone else is doing it, doesn't mean you should," Newsom said. "People know what the right thing to do is. I encourage them to do the right thing. And people also understand that we have a Constitution, we have a right to free speech and we are all dealing with a moment in our nation's history that is profound and pronounced... but I recognize the dichotomy and to the extent the dialectic between those examples and all I can offer is this consideration: Do what you think is best not only for you but for the health of the people you love."
It is unclear to what extent the protests contributed to the spread of the virus. An Associated Press investigation found little evidence the demonstrations are primarily responsible for recent upticks, but Los Angeles County public health director Barbara Ferrer has stated it is "highly likely" the protests led to an increase in positive cases.
When the protests first started, Newsom told the demonstrators, "You’ve lost patience, so have I. You are right to feel wronged. You are right to feel the way you are feeling" and retweeted images of protests in praise. After police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse crowds, he tweeted, "Protesters have the right to protest peacefully — not be harassed."
Yes indeed, we have a constitution, but it only seems to apply these days when people want to tear down the institutions of this country. Well, Governor, our constitution says we have the right to assemble and worship freely.
And we'll sing if we want to.
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