LA Churches Will Be Empty on Easter Sunday

For the first time in the history of Los Angeles, churches will be empty on Easter Sunday due to coronavirus quarantines. While churches are providing online services for their congregations, it simply won’t be the same as attending Easter services in person.

In a few states religious services are considered “essential” and may be held if social distancing is practiced, Los Angeles health officials have said attending church services is a violation of shelter in place orders.

Similar orders were issued in San Bernardino County, but The Center for American Liberty and the Dhillon Law Group sent demand letters to the county officials that prohibited residents from leaving their homes for services.

Churches in the county were planning only “drive-in” services where congregations would attend services in the parking lots with their windows rolled up, the county responded to the demand letter saying “Religious services will be allowed in San Bernardino county this weekend as long as the churches practice the same social distancing requirements as are mandated for grocery stores, laundromats, and marijuana dispensaries.”

The church in the photo below shows the irony of the situation. It refers to itself as Free City LA, yet it is not free to hold religious services on Easter Sunday. Many say that the prohibition of church services is a violation of the First Amendment to our Constitution and point out that no where in the Constitution does it say the provisions of the Constitution can be set aside for a health emergency.