Freedom of Religion

Freedom of Religion. In America, it's one of the basic freedoms protected by the United States Constitution.

Many of us first learned about it in grade school.

Over the past few months, as coronavirus has made its way into every community in this country,

state and local leaders have put new restrictions on almost every part of our lives, including religious gatherings.

Churches on Sunday, Mass, Dorn, Ramadan, Synagogues on the Sabbath, all of them, upended by this pandemic, and social distancing.

Many are offering prayers and ceremonies through livestream or services and parking lots, whatever it takes.

And even as the crowd restrictions are loosened, many places of worship are choosing to stay closed, at least for now.

Some black pastors, for example, see how hard this virus is hitting their own communities and say, you know what?

It's not time to get back together, not just yet.

But the coronavirus has also unleashed new clashes of church and state.

Despite the rules, after a revered rabbi in Brooklyn died of COVID-19, thousands of mourners jammed the streets for a public funeral in late April.

In Williamsburg police called to a large funeral of a rabbi tonight, large crowds packing Bedford Avenue to mourn, officers responding to dispersed the crowds for their own safety.

The city still has a long path towards some sort of normalcy.

President Trump tried to order states to reopen houses of worship.

The governors need to do the right thing and allow these very important, essential places of faith to open right now for this weekend.

If they don't do it, I will override the governors. In America, we need more prayer, not less.

And some churches have gone to court to push back.

And the church is imparted. It's a place where I came and somebody took me to the hand or put the arm around the neck.

And they said, hey, we're praying for you. We love you. The church is the place of physical and moral and spiritual support.

I'm Tremayne Lee and this is into America.

Today, church and state and the clash over the Constitution during a national health emergency.

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