(Huffpost) Evangelical pastors in California have been fighting the state’s COVID-19 restrictions on houses of worship from the earliest months of the coronavirus pandemic. These pastors ― and the conservative law firms defending them ― have largely framed the debate as a matter of religious freedom, claiming that the government is discriminating against churches.
Pastor Rick Warren, founder of Saddleback Church, based in Orange County, appears to be taking a different approach.
In an interview with the Christian publication Relevant Magazine published Monday, the evangelical megachurch pastor and popular author suggested that COVID-19 restrictions are about protecting parishioners’ health.