Anonymous
Source: County of Ventura
On Friday, August 7, 2020, the Ventura County Superior Court granted a temporary restraining order requiring Godspeak Calvary Chapel and Pastor Rob McCoy to adhere to statewide and local public health orders requiring church services to be conducted outdoors with masks and social distancing and/or online.
A further hearing on the matter is scheduled for August 31, 2020 and the temporary restraining order will remain in effect until that time.
Godspeak Calvary Chapel and McCoy, its pastor, have repeatedly held large, indoor worship services which violate current Health Orders issued by the State Public Health Officer and the Health Officer of Ventura County. These orders are aimed to mitigate the further spread of COVID-19 during the current global pandemic.
“Indoor gatherings, including indoor church services, are prohibited by the state at this time due to the increased person to person and community transmission leading to increased COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Churches can have their services outdoors and/or host virtual services,” said Public Health Director Rigo Vargas. “COVID-19 continues to spread from person to person and at gatherings. It is very important to follow the State’s guidance, so that the most vulnerable in our community can be spared from the disease. Churches and other community groups play a valuable role in the wellness of our County. We encourage people to stay connected, but to do so safely.”
In counties like Ventura, which are on the State Monitoring List due to concerning rates of disease spread, the health orders prohibit indoor gatherings for a number of businesses, activities, and events to protect the health and safety of residents from contracting COVID-19.
The orders prohibit indoor gatherings for places and events such as gyms and fitness centers, non-essential office buildings, malls, personal care services, hair salons and barbershops, protests, and worship services.
Despite these orders and notifications from Public Health to cease indoor services and to move services outdoors or to host services virtually, Godspeak Calvary Chapel and Pastor McCoy insisted upon holding services indoors, without requiring masks or social distancing.
Pastor McCoy has publicly stated that the church would not cease indoor services absent court intervention. The County and its Health Officer were therefore compelled to seek relief from the court, to protect the life, health and safety of Ventura County residents.
“The best way to gather at this time is virtually or outdoors in accordance with state orders and guidance. The more we can work together to follow these guidelines the quicker we can get back to enjoying activities indoors,” added Vargas.
Just curious Rob, what makes your church so special? All these other houses of worship (who worship the same God) are keeping their followers safe and practicing social distancing. You can worship in your car, your house, outside, 6ft away from others. So why are you so special that people must gather inside your building? Me thinks you have your own type of God-complex and were missing those offering baskets and are using the media to your advantage to buy a new suit or car or whatever the “church” needs.
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. … But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” Joshua Ben Joseph AKA Jesus, Messiah, King of Kings, Son of Man, Lord and Savior, the Good Shepherd ect
“If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” John 3:12
Earthy things = viruses are real, science is real. God made scientists too.
Looks like a “peaceful protest” to me 🙂
This church has the courage of their convictions. I don’t plan on going anywhere near Ventura in the near future, so let’s see how this experiment in divine providence works out.
Pitmix I assume this comment is meant as dry irony. But, unlike Las Vegas, what happens in Thousand Oaks doesn’t stay in Thousand Oaks. These people will not stay in the church and suffer alone when their convictions become disease. I will not go there but their stuff will come here. They are selfish, ignorant and self-righteous nuts.
Religion is such a trigger in this part of the Left Coast. You can predict the types of comments that will follow any article about persons enjoying or celebrating their own personal relationship with their faith. Stomach churning to have to read these predictible follow-up posts. I am sorry some became wounded by someone else’s religion. I wish they would back off- and follow their own advice they fling at religious followers: make their attacks on religious practice in private and not use them as badges of their own public wokeness. To be snide and dismissive about those who do exercise their religion, is doing what they think the religious followers are doing to them -judging lives from afar with one group allegedly holding themselves out to be more superior than the other. Nonsense. But this does remind one ofa few other apt biblical proscriptions: taking the mote out of your own eye before attempting to take it out of another, judge not lest you be judged, let he who is without sin cast the first stone, and of course do unto other as you would have them do unto you. There is wisdom in religious tradition.
Do they also hold live rattlesnakes to prove their faith?
Make that big “G” for gullible!
If there wasn’t the risk of collateral damage, I’d be all for these morons infecting themselves.
Time for the godless left to chime in how the Christians are crazy.
I bet if they did contact tracing (which the dictator of California promised by now, gruesome newsome.) no one would have contracted it at that church.
Remember you can eat at in n out and use there restroom which is filthy but can’t worship with a mask on. 8 our of 10 people don’t even know they have the virus. Meaning it’s pretty harmless…unless you been eating too many cheeseburgers and have a heart problem which happens to be the number one killer. But nooo keep eating your heart out but don’t worship.
I wonder if those quoting the Bible are Christians who accept Jesus as their savior? Because if not, you know what they say about those who quote the Bible who do not believe in Jesus or God – meaning, which beings or being does that.
*Meaning, we know which being does that.
10:33: I hope you have some ability to see your position objectively. You are simply saying that some religious practices are “correct” and others are not. This is the nub. You can say Shariah law is not part of Islam. I can say that agreeing to be taxed is part of Christ’s teaching. Others can say that Jews should not segregate women from men. Etc. Your conceit in believing that you know the “true teaching” is the problem. Others don’t think you do. So just keep this stuff out of governance.
I’d rather see people at church than rioting. I don’t attend church but don’t see the need to hate on people that go. A non-belief in god is no more valid than someone that does believe.
As long as the church service lasts 14 days, I’m good with it.
There are those who actually LIVE their beliefs. They are the folks who pass smoothly and quietly through life. We sense who they are. Their light is from within and is not amenable to such sophomoric stunts.
This type of GRANDSTANDING is an attempt to make up for what is lacking inside. These people are an empty drum pretending not to be empty.
Probably born-agains, right? If you believe the earth is flat or only 6000 years old, it’s not a big stretch beyond that to believe god will save you from Corona.
Selfish people
So we’re not allowed to quote from a famous text? What’s next, burning books? Scary times.
Its long past time to tax churches. We can call it a “Fee” if you prefer but its time to bring these institutions up to modern standards. The least they can do is to pay their fair share so that we as a society dont have to pay for the continued miss-deeds of the charlatan preachers and the poor unsuspecting victims, I mean followers…
Someone is a little confused by the ideals of religious freedom. Freedom of religion also means freedom from religion. But the “saved” and the “righteous” cant help themselves. They must force their chosen dogma down the throats of everyone else… I’m sorry but if you dont see that as the problem, then you are a part of the problem. Live and let live, right?
I don’t hate on people for gathering to worship. I resent them for gathering indoors, in close proximity to one another during a pandemic that is spread by exactly that behavior. If they feel protected by their deity, fine, but it is unchristian of them to risk exposing others, which they will do as they move through other aspects of their lives.
Christians should simply do as instructed in the Bible. Mathew 5:6 instructs the faithful to pray in private. Therefore, no need to go to church, especially during a pandemic!
Why can’t the court issue similar injunctions for people having parties? I still see lots of those!
They can if the people holding the parties continue. It is pretty hard to do if the parties are sporadic and movable. But any member of the community can seek an injunction against those who behavior constitutes a threat to their safety. You can try. Want to do it or is your ‘question’ more meant to be a sly comment?
Byz–so you are in favor of Shariah Law being enforced by that community? You want coerced coercion of “non-beliviers”? You would like to see a mandatory tithe for all people (which is what the tax break is in fact)? We need true separation of religion from rational government and we need them to give up their breaks and compete on an even keel with the ideas of political systems and democratic norms.
Religion is basically a social tool. And, as for any tool, it’s use determines its value.