In New York, U.S. District Judge John Sinatra has issued a ruling against a law that prohibits the use of weapons in churches or other places of worship.
The legislation that includes the prohibition has been in force since July, but some religious leaders have expressed their opposition to the restriction, arguing that it violated the constitutional rights of United States citizens. The judge’s ruling came after two church leaders filed suit, asking the judge to block the law.
Premier Christian News reports:
“The nation’s history does not countenance such an incursion into the right to keep and bear arms across all places of worship across the state,” Sinatra wrote. “The right to self-defense is no less important and no less recognized at these places.”
The judge added that, based on the Supreme Court’s ruling earlier this year, the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their lawsuit.
A spokeswoman for the New York Attorney General said the office was reviewing the decision and “considering our options in our ongoing efforts to protect New Yorkers and defend our common sense gun laws.”
The ruling came on Oct. 6. The judge’s logic was based in part on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a previous New York law.
Premier Christian News continues:
“Sinatra agreed in a 40-page written ruling, issuing a temporary restraining order against the state of New York from abiding by the law while the fight continues in the court.
Sinatra cited a landmark US Supreme Court decision in June that struck down New York’s previous law, which prohibited people from carrying a gun in public without proof of special circumstances. The high court found that the statute, enacted in 1913, violated the Second Amendment.”
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