Democrat church singing ban reminiscent of ‘persecutions in the USSR’

Communist California 

Abolishes Religion

You Will Obey Your Leftist Masters

(Acton)  -  California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to ban singing inside churches -- and in some cases, to close churches outright -- is ringing some unpleasant bells.

The government’s “infringement of our religious rights” reminds his flock of “the era of godless persecutions in the USSR,” says a leader of the Russian religious community.

As Americans returned to their workplaces after celebrating the Fourth of July holiday on July 6, the state of California rolled out a new “guidance” requiring all churches and other places of worship to cease indoor singing.

One week later, on July 13, the governor intensified those regulations. In addition to closing all indoor dining in California, he ordered that counties which have been on the state's monitoring list for three consecutive days are "required to shut down" all malls, fitness centers, and "worship services" -- which are listed just before "protests."

“This is open discrimination, hypocrisy and the infringement of our religious rights, prompting us to recall the era of godless persecutions in the USSR.”

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Archbishop Kyrill 

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

As of this writing, the order applies to 30 of the state's 58 counties.

Archbishop Kyrill of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia is joined by pastors from a variety of Christian traditions in saying that the government order infringes on their religious liberty.

The state says the singing ban is necessary to stop the spread of COVID-19 – and its terms are not negotiable.

“Even with adherence to physical distancing, convening in a congregational setting of multiple different households to practice a personal faith carries a relatively higher risk for widespread transmission of the COVID-19 virus, and may result in increased rates of infection, hospitalization, and death, especially among more vulnerable populations,” the original document which banned church singing says.

“Places of worship must therefore discontinue indoor singing and chanting activities,” it continues.

The government regulation effectively makes it impossible for Eastern Orthodox Christians and Byzantine Catholics to celebrate their worship services properly. Not only the Divine Liturgy but every liturgical service in the Eastern Christian tradition is sung or chanted – a sign of the tradition’s ancient roots. Before the liturgical changes of the Second Vatican Council, celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass was divided into “high Mass” (which was sung or chanted) and “low Mass” (which was spoken). The Eastern Orthodox tradition has no equivalent to a “Low Mass.”

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