The vast majority of America’s religious leaders are doing the right thing and following public health orders. Those who are defiant tend to represent extreme fundamentalist factions; they’re the same people who have long argued that they have a right to put their interpretation of 'God’s law' above secular law.

Lake Wales, Fla., officials would do well to study this recent history and avoid repeating Brevard County’s costly mistake. They might also work on being more tolerant and open-minded.

During the rally, I heard the same messages I’d been hearing at Religious Right events since 1988: LGBTQ rights must be curbed. Because it is God’s plan for women to submit to men, husbands should run households. The Bible, which is to be read literally, provides answers to every issue we face. Contemporary culture mocks Christianity.

PPP money was supposed to help small businesses and nonprofits that might have experienced difficulty meeting payroll. Yet millions of tax dollars ended up in the coffers of wealthy private institutions.

History is important, but there’s another reason why that term came into existence: It’s a convenient way of explaining what the religious freedom provisions of the First Amendment do.

Private school vouchers also do not save taxpayers dollars in the long run. The number of students using private school vouchers to leave public schools is so minimal that it does not affect the operating costs of public schools.

The Supreme Court acted properly in refusing to intervene in either case. The constitutional right to worship freely is precious. But religious freedom should never be used as a justification for imposing harm on people.

What Trump failed to mention during his rant is that during this pandemic, houses of worship have been treated no differently than many of their secular counterparts.