The conflict between religious freedom and public health policies in the midst of a pandemic has led to various legal battles across the United States. But what transpires when a progressive college town is forced to choose between two sides of this divisive issue?
Three churchgoers in Moscow, Idaho, took their fight for religious freedom to court after being detained for holding an outside church service without masks. This was an unexpected turn of events.
The town eventually agreed to pay out an astounding$ 300,000 in a civil lawsuit after the incident, which quickly gained national attention.
A powerful tale of faith, legal rights, and the hazy boundaries of common safety regulations is told along the way to this resolution.
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Christ Church and its members, who were at odds with local law enforcement during a time of crisis, are at the center of the organization.
The members stood their ground after being arrested, detained, and accused of violating their First and Fourth Amendment rights under the city’s public health emergency ordinance.
We’ll delve deeper into this remarkable case below:
Victory: The city of Moscow, Idaho, is paying$ 300,000 to three Christians who were detained while wearing no mask during a pandemic outside church service. AGT5ZAF495 http :// t.co
— Breitbart News, July 21, 2023
PRESS RELEASE: Waste Tax Payers Money from the City of Moscow on July 17, 2023, to Defend Unconstitutional COVID Mandates; [ Pengo Media ] email protected ]
Moscow, Idaho: Gabriel Rench and his associates received$ 300,000 in mediation settlement on June 2, 2023, for breaking their … picture. twitter.com / AL75ynmQ2c
— July 17, 2023, Waterboy(@ GMRench )
THIS IS WHERE I GRADUATED A progressive college town in Moscow, Idaho is paying$ 300,000 to three Christian churchgoers who sued the city after being detained for failing to wear masks while attending an outside service and staying six feet apart during the COVID-19 pandemic. t.co / QnAbX4KUTB
— Jim Weed on July 21, 2023 (@ JimBobW49 )
But was it really about the masks, or were there more important issues at play?
Why did the court drop the lawsuit brought by these churchgoers?
What was the original president Donald Trump’s response to the event?
What does one of the churchgoers, Gabriel Rench, think about the government’s involvement in religious affairs in the wake of this constitutional victory?
What the Daily Wire had to say is as follows:
A progressive college town announced that it would donate$ 300,000 to a group of Christians who had been detained in Idaho during the pandemic for holding an outside church service without masks.
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The University of Idaho’s home city of Moscow, Idaho, announced last week that the churchgoers’ legal lawsuit had been resolved.
After being detained in September 2020 at an outdoor” psalm sing” with their church outside Moscow City Hall, three Christ Church members filed a lawsuit against the city. The protest with singing lasted for about 20 minutes. In March 2021, Gabriel Rench, Sean, and Rachel Bohnet filed a lawsuit alleging violations of their First and Fourth Amendment rights.
Rench’s hymnal was taken from him by police officers before being handcuffed and taken to the county jail along with the other two people, according to footage of the arrests that went viral on social media. The three were held in custody at the jail for a while.
Then-president Donald Trump tweeted that Democrats wanted to” permanently” shut down churches and denounced the arrests made at the time.
The three were accused of breaking the city’s emergency open health ordinance, but the prosecution was overturned by a judge.
The city’s request to dismiss the lawsuit against the three people detained was eventually denied by a federal judge, who noted that activities covered by the Idaho and U.S. constitutions were exempt from the epidemic ordinance. The three shouldn’t have been detained in the first place, according to the judge.
The judge observed that” apparently, every single City official involved overlooked the exclusionary language of constitutionally protected behavior” in the Ordinance.
When Rench was detained, he was running for the Latah County Commission.
Rench claimed that the city of Moscow was really breaking the law, according to Fox News. ” I was abiding by the law.” The social system doesn’t want to cede its power, and they believe that if they admit they are mistaken, they will lose that power.
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He claimed that he thinks the government is now focusing more on Christians.
But does this fiscal settlement actually put an end to things?
Or is it a smokescreen, allowing the city to leave without having to admit to any wrongdoing?
Unusually, the problem doesn’t end with the resolution.
A startling analogy is made by Douglas Wilson, top pastor of Christ Church, whose family is also embroiled in legal dispute with the local government.
His family’s experience and broader worries about political overreach, particularly with regard to spiritual freedoms, are connected, in his opinion.
It’s nice to see this. Church members from Christ_ Kirk who were detained in Moscow, Idaho, during the pandemic for participating in an outdoor” protest” and signing hymns will be given a settlement by the city. t.co / FKpPu1RPHt
Family Research Council(@ FRCdc ) July 21, 2023
Do you recall the Covid worship arrests that occurred in Moscow, Idaho, in September 2020? The SUED Moscow Police were detained. A settlement agreement was announced today. 300k! Bryankohberger picture twitter.com / ppBQQSANi9
— JLR(@ JLRINVESTIGATES ) July 15, 2023
Members of a church in Moscow, Idaho, were detained in 2020 for singing psalms in plain sight outside.
The city recently lost a lawsuit over it and is now required to pay$ 300,000 in damages. # LCMS # Lutheran
On July 21, 2023, The Old School Theology Show(@ TheologyShow )
Are personal citizens, like Wilson’s family, badly under pressure from the government, which seems to have unlimited resources, as this story raises a crucial question?
Are monetary settlements just a ploy to get around looking at the problems more closely?
These inquiries delve into the core of this continuous conflict, providing illuminating insight into a situation that involves much more than just face masks and pandemic rules.
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Fox News reports:
The city claimed in a press release released to Fox News Digital that its liability insurance provider, Idaho Counties Risk Management Program ( ICRMP ),” determined that financial settlement in the case was the best course of action to dispose of the suit and avoid protracted litigation proceedings.”
The release added that the settlement” provides closure of a matter related to the unprecedented COVID – 19 pandemic and the City’s efforts to protect the public during an exceptionally trying time ,” adding that” ICRMP will pay the full settlement amount of$ 300,000 and all claims against the city and its named City employees will be dismissed with prejudice along with any release of all liability.”
Since his son and two grandsons were charged with misdemeanor charges for protesting the arrests by mounting stickers on city utility poles, which are covered in numerous different stickers, Douglas Wilson, the senior pastor of Christ Church, told Fox News Digital that his family is still engaged in legitimate action with the city authorities.
Wilson’s grandsons, who were 18 and 14 at the time, slapped the poles in March 2021 with stickers that bore the words” Soviet Moscow, enforced because we care” and the COVID-19 and mask mandate slogan, as well as images of hammers and sickles. Wilson anticipates that the Idaho Supreme Court will hear the case.
Wilson asserted that there is a” straight-line connection” between the problems his family and church have been having in Moscow and the larger worries about President Biden’s Department of Justice targeting religious people. He claimed that the government’s unlimited financial resources at all levels are increasingly threatening to” run into the ground” personal citizens.
What do you think, then?
Was the settlement sufficient?
It is simpler for more people to look up and recognize some of the wrongdoings then that the pandemic is over.
It’s certainly meant to make fun of our past.
It’s about taking lessons from our past to improve ourselves.
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What happens when a liberal university town finds itself at a crossroads in this contentious issue during a pandemic?
Three churchgoers in Moscow, Idaho, took their fight for religious liberty to the courts, after being arrested for holding an outdoor church service with no masks.
The incident, which gained national attention, led to the town agreeing that it would pay out an astounding $300,000 as part of a civil suit.
The journey that led to this resolution weaves an enthralling story of faith, constitutional right, and blurred lines in public safety regulations.
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Christ Church and its congregation are at the heart of this case. They found themselves at odds during a crisis with local law enforcement.
The members were arrested, detained and charged under the city ordinance on public health emergencies. They stood their ground and claimed that their rights under the First and Fourth Amendments had been violated.
Below, we’ll explore this amazing case in more detail.
The city of Moscow in Idaho has paid $300,000 to three Christians who were arrested at an outdoor service while wearing masks during the pandemic. https://t.co/AGT5ZAF495
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) July 21, 2023
Press Release: City of Moscow Wastes Taxpayers’ Money on Defending Inconstitutional COVID MandatesJuly 17,2023Press Contact: Pengo Media[emailprotected]
[Moscow, Idaho] – On June 2, 2023 mediation settlement awarded Gabriel Rench et al $300,000 for violating their… pic.twitter.com/AL75ynmQ2c
Waterboy (@GMRench), July 17, 2023
This is where I graduated. A liberal college town Moscow in Idaho has paid $300,000 to three Christian Churchgoers who sued after being arrested for not wearing a mask at an outside service and staying 6′ apart during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://t.co/QnAbX4KUTB
— Jim Weed @JimBobW49 July 21, 2023
Was it really just about the masks or were there other issues at play?
Why did the court dismiss this case against churchgoers?
How did the former President Donald Trump respond to this incident?
What does Gabriel Rench think of the role of the government in religious affairs in the wake this legal victory?
The Daily Wire has something to say about:
A liberal college town in Idaho announced that it would pay 300,000 dollars to a group Christians who were arrested after holding a church service outdoors without wearing masks when the pandemic was occurring.
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Last week, the city of Moscow in Idaho, home to the University of Idaho, announced a settlement of the civil lawsuit filed by churchgoers.
Three members of Christ Church sued the city in September 2020 after they were arrested at a “psalm singing” outside Moscow City Hall with their church. The protest singing lasted approximately 20 minutes. Gabriel Rench, Sean and Rachel Bohnet and their lawyers filed the lawsuit in March 2021. They claimed that their rights under the First and Fourth Amendments were violated.
Social media has been flooded with footage of the arrests. The video shows police officers removing Rench’s hymnal before handcuffing and bringing him and the other two people to the county prison. The three were held at the county jail for several hours.
Then-President Donald Trump condemned arrests at that time, tweeting Democrats wanted to shut down churches “permanently.”
The three were accused of violating the city ordinance on public health emergencies, but the judge dismissed the case against them.
A federal judge denied the city’s request to dismiss the case against the three arrested people, noting that Idaho and U.S. Constitutions protect religious services, which are protected by the city’s pandemic ordinance. The judge said that the three people arrested never should have been detained in the first instance.
The judge wrote: “Somehow, all the City officials involved missed the exclusionary language (of constitutionally protected conduct) in the Ordinance.”
Rench was running for Latah County Commission at the time of his arrest.
Rench told Fox News that it was Moscow, not Rench, who had broken the law. “I was following the law.” The political system does not want to give up its power. They think that if they admit their mistake, they will lose their political power.
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He believes that the government is now targeting Christians more.
Does this financial settlement really bring closure?
Is it a smokescreen, a way for the city to avoid admitting any wrongdoing while avoiding admission?
The issue does not end with the settlement.
Douglas Wilson, senior minister of Christ Church whose family is embroiled in legal disputes with the city authorities and whose family is still involved, draws an eerie parallel.
He sees a link between the experience of his family and broader concerns about government overreach, especially in regard to religious freedoms.
This is great to see. The city of Moscow will pay a settlement to @Christ_Kirk members who were arrested for signing hymns during the pandemic in Moscow, Idaho. https://t.co/FKpPu1RPHt
Family Research Council (@FRCdc), July 21, 2023
The settlement agreement for the Covid worship arrests that took place in Moscow, Idaho in September 2020 was announced today. !#Bryankohberger pic.twitter.com/ppBQQSANi9
— JLR (c) (@JLRINVESTIGATES), July 15, 2023
In 2020, members of a church in Moscow, Idaho were arrested for singing psalms outside unmasked.
The city has just lost a case and must pay $300,000. #LCMS #Lutheran
The Old School Theology Show July 21, 2023
This story raises a fundamental question: Are private citizens like Wilson’s Family being unfairly pressed by the seemingly limitless government resources?
Are financial settlements just a tactic used to avoid a more thorough examination of the issues?
These questions go to the heart of this ongoing fight, and offer a fascinating insight into a case that is about much more than face masks or pandemic regulations.
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Fox News:
According to a Fox News Digital press release, the city’s liability insurance provider, Idaho Counties Risk Management Program, “determined that a settlement was the best way to resolve the suit and avoid a lengthy litigation proceeding.”
The release stated that “under the terms of the settlement, ICRMP will make a total payment of $300,000. All claims against the City, and the named employees of the City, will be dismissed with prejudice along with the release of all liabilities.” It added that the settlement “provides a closure to a matter relating to the unprecedented COVID-19 Pandemic, and the City’s attempts to protect the public in an exceptionally difficult time.”
Douglas Wilson, senior pastor at Christ Church, told Fox News Digital his family is still fighting with the city authorities after his son and his two grandsons were charged with misdemeanors for placing stickers on city utility posts, which are already covered with stickers.
In March 2021 Wilson’s grandson, who were then 18 and 14, slapped stickers on the poles that depicted the hammer and the sickle, and were emblazoned “Soviet Moscow enforced because we are caring,” a reference the city’s COVID-19 slogan and mask mandate. Wilson expects that the case will reach the Idaho Supreme Court.
Wilson said that there is a “straight line connection” between the experiences of his family and his church in Moscow and wider concerns about President Biden’s Department of Justice pursuing people of faith. He said that private citizens are increasingly at risk of being “run to the ground” by government resources.
What do you think?
Was the settlement sufficient?
It’s easier to see the mistakes that were made now that the pandemic has passed.
It’s not a matter of shaming the past.
It’s about learning our history to be better.
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