Religion & Law

Church Challenges D.C.'s COVID-19 Orders

By Howard M. Friedman

The first suit by a church challenging the District of Columbia's COVID-19 Orders was filed last week by an 850-member evangelical congregation.  The D.C. Orders limit the number of persons who can gather for religious services. The complaint (full text) in Capitol Hill Baptist Church v. Bowser, (D DC, filed 9/22/2020), alleges in part:

For nearly 2,000 years, Christians have gathered each Sunday throughout the year in observance of Christ?s resurrection from the dead on the first day of the week, and the physical gathering of the church is central to that celebration. Indeed, the Greek word translated as ?church? in our English versions of the Christian scriptures is ?ekklesia,? which literally means ?assembly.?... 

As with other communities of Christian faith around the country, CHBC believes that a central part of following Christ is worshipping together in the same physical space.

The suit alleges violations of the 1st Amendment, the 5th Amendment and RFRA. Washington Post reports on the lawsuit.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on September 24, 2020 (boomark / email).