(ETH) – Apparently in the state of California strip clubs are deemed to be more essential than Houses of Worship. This comes as a judge has just ordered San Diego to reopen strip clubs while the county continues with its crackdown on churches and restrictions on in-person learning at schools.
According to the report from the Christian Post, San Diego Superior Court Judge Joel R. Wohlfeil has ordered California to end any actions that prevent the clubs from “being allowed to provide live adult entertainment,” This follows two adult clubs filing a lawsuit back in October, alleging that the county’s public health orders violated the businesses’ constitutional rights of due process and equal protection under the law, according to the Los Angeles Times.
This also comes while many California churches have been fighting legal battles with authorities for months to reopen in-person services. Paul Jonna, who is a special counsel for the conservative legal group Thomas More Society, said the churches are also entitled to constitutional protections if strip clubs are being protected.
“If you’re going to accept that argument that dancing nude is protected speech that’s so significant that it overcomes the government’s interest in regulating its citizens with COVID-19 orders, then obviously the divine worship of God, which is expressly mentioned in the First Amendment, should be held to a higher standard,” Jonna told the Beacon.
Jonna called the county’s decision “absurd” and shows double standards. “A judge who understands the Constitution will recognize the absurdity of the current state of the law. I think it’s a good sign that judges are starting to question whether the government has a legitimate interest in regulating any business or industry at this point.”
