Cabarrus Today

State Sen. Carl Ford (R-Rowan) supported a letter that claims the government holds churches to different standards than the retail industry when it comes to an executive order concerning COVID-19.

The letter called out government regulation that Republican lawmakers alleged means, “‘No communion,’ ‘no tithes,’ ‘no [religious] literature’ even as take-out orders and cash transactions permitted for retailers,” Ford reposted to his Facebook. “Govt’ restrictions bar church access while allowing congregations in retail stores.”

He replied to the letter on Facebook and saluted Sens. Danny Britt (R-Robeson), Warren Daniel (R-Burke), and Jim Perry (R-Lenoir). He added the caption, “Yes I’m on board 100%!!!”

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The lawmakers claimed that churches aren’t allowed to have things like communion and collect tithes and offerings while restaurants are still allowed to receive payments via cash. They also called out Gov. Roy Cooper’s executive order, claiming that it lets shoppers inside stores, as long as it doesn’t go more than 20% above the capacity detailed in the fire code. 

“But those same executive orders prohibit churches of identical square footage from allowing any more than 10 people inside,” the lawmakers wrote. 

Daniel, who is a co-chair for the Senate Judiciary Committee, also alleged that the government is singling out churches, giving them more limits and restrictions compared to retail shops. 

He wrote, “I urge Governor Cooper to intervene and resolve this local government mess immediately and to relax his restrictions to allow the same occupancy standards for churches as he does for retailers.”

Britt, who also serves as co-chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, added, “This is unspeakably disturbing.”

He also said these types of rules are more likely to be “in a history book about Mao’s China,” according to the post. He added, “But there they are, right on the homepages of North Carolina government.”