Democrat Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas is demanding that churches in his city turn in the names, addresses, and contact information of attendees so the government can keep an eye on them.
The mayor is seeking this intensely private information to enforce quarantine orders, ostensibly to lower the spread of the coronavirus. Pastors who fail to comply could face up to six months in jail and the closure of their churches. If pastors do opt to comply, they would be forced to turn away anyone who refuses to provide the information the city is demanding.
Some individuals who are desperate to keep the pandemic from spreading at all costs would likely applaud the move. The fact that it also applies to all businesses in the city would make it seem like an “impartial” order that is instituted for the good of all. However, many others realize that the nation is at risk of losing its basic freedoms if local governments are given this sort of power.
As Liberty Counsel Founder Mat Staver chillingly points out, the Nazis took the same tack in the 1930s, visiting synagogues and taking down the names and addresses of all attendees.
Local and state officials have been especially hostile to religious entities throughout the shutdown. Governors and local officials in places like Michigan and New York have harassed churches for daring to host services, even if these services were drive-in events with no social contact between members. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio made news for threatening to arrest Hasidic Jews in New York for gathering to attend a funeral, while ignoring New Yorkers who congregated together to watch an aerial show honoring essential workers.
As a former law school professor, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas should know that forcing people to register their names and contact information to attend church is not only morally wrong, but also illegal. This constitutes a horrific infringement on Fourth Amendment rights, and also intimidates people into avoiding church at a time when many are struggling emotionally.
Thankfully, Liberty Counsel and other organizations are fighting against the draconian legislation measures in the name of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. As of now, views on forced quarantines largely fall upon party lines. This will no longer be the case if Democratic despots continue to strip away basic freedoms at a time when that may not even be necessary or helpful.
