Churches ordered ‘no singing’ during livestream services unless they’re in homes, California county COVID-19 restrictions say

– April 16, 2020

A northern California county issued revised shelter-in-place orders on Good Friday that outlaw singing during livestream church services unless the services take place in residences.

The specifics within Mendocino County’s 13-page document are found on page 8 under “Minimum Basic Operations” for “venues, such as concert halls, auditoriums, churches, temples, and playhouses, to enable a recorded and/or live-streamed event to be shared virtually with the public” — and then come the “limitations.”

First off, the order states that “only four individuals may be present for the live event. All others must participate remotely,” the document states.

Secondly, “Social Distancing Requirements must be maintained, include maintaining at least six feet of physical distancing from other individuals (physical distancing not required for members of the same household), frequently washing hands with soap and water for at least twenty seconds as frequently as possible or using hand sanitizer that is recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as effective in combatting COVID-19, covering coughs or sneezes (into the sleeve or elbow, not hands), regularly cleaning high-touch surfaces, not shaking hands, and, for those who are not on camera, to wear facial coverings as much as possible,” the document notes.

And then the powers that be get into specific activities not allowed during livestream events: “No singing or use of wind instruments, harmonicas, or other instruments that could spread COVID-19 through projected droplets shall be permitted unless the recording of the event is done at one’s residence, and involving only the members of one’s household or living unit, because of the increased risk of transmission of COVID-19.”The order is in effect until May 10 and “violation of or failure to comply with this Order is a misdemeanor punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both,” the document reads.

https://www.theblaze.com

Bill de Blasio Threatens to ‘Permanently’ Close Churches, Synagogues if They Meet During Coronavirus

Tyler O’Neil – March 30, 2020

On Friday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio warned that the city could shut down places of worship if congregants continued to violate the state’s stay-at-home orders.

“A small number of religious communities, specific churches, and specific synagogues are unfortunately not paying attention to this guidance even though it’s so widespread,” de Blasio said at a press conference. “I want to say to all those who are preparing for the potential of religious services this weekend: If you go to your synagogue, if you go to your church and attempt to hold services after having been told so often not to, our enforcement agents will have no choice but to shut down those services.”

The mayor said that city staff members have been instructed to break up church services and to “take additional action up to the point of fines and potentially closing the building permanently,” if worshippers do not comply.

De Blasio: churches and synagogues that hold worship services may be closed permanently pic.twitter.com/kdUsdbP2YO

— Matthew Schmitz (@matthewschmitz) March 29, 2020

Jeremy Dys, special counsel for litigation and communications at the religious freedom law firm First Liberty, condemned de Blasio’s threat in remarks to PJ Media.

“The American people will tolerate a lot during a time of national pandemic. They will not tolerate government threats to permanently close Houses of Worship. Such careless talk by Mayor De Blasio harms the ability of church and state to work together, not only to provide calm and comfort during a global pandemic, but to strengthen religious freedom,” Dys warned.

https://pjmedia.com

World edges toward zero-tolerance for Christians

Michael F. Haverluck – February 17, 2020

Whether they reside in Iran, China, Nigeria, or North Korea, the world is quickly becoming less tolerant of Christians.

According to findings from Open Doors‘ latest World Watch List (WWL) featuring the 50 least-safe nations to practice Christianity, the world has become a much more dangerous place for hundreds of millions of Christians.

“In the top 50 countries alone, 260 million Christians face a level of persecution measured as extreme, very high, or high,” Open Doors announced over the weekend. “In total, one in eight Christians worldwide face persecution measured as extreme, very high, or high – a 6% increase from 2019.”

Under Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, the Hermit Kingdom’s communist dictatorship only allows citizens to honor and bow down to the state.

“North Korea remains the most dangerous place for Christians, having been number one since the inception of the list in 2002,” the global outreach serving the persecuted Church reported. “Something as simple as owning a Bible can mean a person is arrested and taken to one of the country’s infamous labor camps – never to return.”

In other communist, Islamic and Hindu nations, things aren’t much better for those living out their faith in Jesus Christ.

For example, China is 23rd on the World Watch List. As the country with the world’s largest population of 1.3 billion, it is leading the way in the proliferation of “digital persecution”; with the second-most populous nation, India – with 1.2 billion residents – having a Hindu-led government that is also using this high-tech ability to weed out Christians.

“China has begun to utilize AI and biometric measurement to increase their surveillance and control of religious believers – as seen with their surveillance of Uighur Muslims, [and] at least one major church now has facial recognition cameras to record worshippers’ presence,” Open Doors revealed. “India (10) is also set to make use of these technologies.”

In sub-Saharan Africa, terrorism at the hands of Islamic fundamentalists is on the rise.

https://onenewsnow.com

Christians are being captured and killed across the globe: ‘World Watch List’ takes you inside the crisis

– February 10, 2020

Millions of Christians across the globe live in perpetual fear that they will be punished, harmed — or even killed — for merely practicing their faith.

Worldwide persecution continues to be at a fevered pitch, with varying degrees of affliction for those who openly embrace the Bible.

This tragic reality is more than evident in Open Doors USA’s latest “World Watch List,” an annual report that offers “an unparalleled glimpse into the 50 places around the world where it costs the most to be a Christian.”

According to the stunning 2020 report, more than 260 million Christians live in places where there is a high level of persecution, amounting to one-in-eight Christians worldwide.

https://www.theblaze.com