The Volokh Conspiracy

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Volokh Conspiracy

Calvary Chapel to Hold Prayer Service (for Trump) at Las Vegas Casino.

Evangelicals find a way to pray en masse in Nevada.

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Last month, the Supreme Court decided Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley v. Sisolak. The Court, by a 5-4 vote, upheld Nevada's shutdown orders. The state did not impose any caps on how many people could enter a casino. But the stat did impose a hard cap on how many people could enter a church, regardless of its size.

At the time, I quipped that houses of worship should rent space at casinos to meet en masse. And so they have.

President Trump's campaign is holding an "Evangelicals for Trump" event on Thursday at a Las Vegas hotel and casino, amid a controversial ban in the state on gatherings of more than 50 people in houses of worship while places like casinos are subject to a less stringent 50 percent capacity limit.

The event is scheduled to take place at the Ahern Hotel and Convention Center, one of the many joint hotels and casinos in Las Vegas. It will feature Trump spiritual adviser Pastor Paula White, megachurch Pastor Jentezen Franklin, Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills and others. The full event title is "Evangelicals for Trump: Praise, Prayer and Patriotism."

"In a time when many Nevadans can't go to church because of overreaching restrictions, President Trump's campaign is bringing together evangelicals from across the community to pray, worship and discuss key issues facing Americans in the November election," Trump 2020 deputy national press secretary Ken Farnaso said in a statement.

A pastor should offer a reading from the Holy Gospel according to John Roberts: Render unto Caesars Palace the things that are God's. Too conspiratorial?