(CBN) – A federal judge has stopped the Kentucky governor’s temporary ban on mass gatherings from applying to religious services, allowing churches to re-start Sunday services. The judge ruled Friday, “If social distancing is good enough for Home Depot and Kroger,
it is good enough for in-person religious services,” adding that unlike the stores, churches enjoy constitutional protection. The ruling clears the way for all of the churches in the state to hold services beginning immediately, provided they observe social distancing and hygiene guidelines recommended by the U.S. government.
The decision from U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove in the Eastern District of Kentucky handed down the decision, which could be challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court. He referenced the Constitution in his ruling.
“The Constitution will endure. It would be easy to put it on the shelf in times like this, to be pulled down and dusted off when more convenient,” Van Tatenhove’s opinion read. “But that is not our tradition. Its enduring quality requires that it be respected even when it is hard.” READ MORE