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What can be done about religious groups regarding
their refusal to respect the 8 feet space and gather for ceremonies? Apr 05 20 06:20 am Link Nothing. Heaven awaits... Apr 05 20 08:00 am Link Maybe law enforcement could show up to the place of worship, surround them, and lock them all in for a four week quarantine. I'm sure they could fight the law restricting them from going to church but maybe they wouldn't have any luck fighting the law keeping them from leaving a medical quarantine. I think people are forced into quarantine when they disembark a cruise ship . Why not a church? Surely their god would forgive them for missing a few services. Apr 05 20 08:43 am Link One pastor of a megga-church held two services and got arrested, but posted the $500 fine and was released. https://nationalpost.com/news/world/cov … or-pansies We had a local gym whose owner refused to shut down saying "His exercise business was an essential service and could remain open." It was across the street from a TV station who ran a piece about it. Seems it got shuttered after that news flash. The "essential service" thing seems to be debatable among business owners. Apr 05 20 09:17 am Link "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." Apr 05 20 09:26 am Link ethasleftthebuilding wrote: As long as no one believes that the passage above means that they can ignore ANY laws that restrict their activities... Apr 05 20 10:05 am Link ethasleftthebuilding wrote: Agreed. Apr 05 20 10:16 am Link I decided not to attend the local church. They continue to congregate even tho a pastor has been arrested. I think there is a lot of confusion since the governor said the places of worship are exempt from closure but from what I saw in two cases in Texas of multitudes getting sick its not a good idea. At least some are doing on line conference type services or in some case drive in type services. Apr 05 20 11:44 am Link ethasleftthebuilding wrote: But- we have long recognized that this is not a blanket license to do as you please. Apr 05 20 03:35 pm Link Angel House Portraits wrote: What "multitudes" in Texas? Apr 05 20 07:44 pm Link Only those who worship a false idol will actually become sick.  Apr 06 20 10:14 pm Link I am not a religious person. It is certainly not my place to judge anyone who finds comfort--where ever they can. There are many stories about groups choosing to "buck the trend" and continue gathering in defiance of social distancing requests.. But- if you look, there are also stories about communities like the Amish, who live in a well defined communal society, making adjustments to the "new reality" and contributing in the best ways they can... In Ohio, the Amish Take on the Coronavirus ------ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/us/p … e=Homepage By Elizabeth Williamson April 9, 2020, 5:32 p.m. ET SUGARCREEK, Ohio — On April 1, John Miller, a manufacturer here with deep connections to the close-knit Amish community of Central Ohio, got a call from Cleveland Clinic. The hospital system was struggling to find protective face masks for its 55,000 employees, plus visitors. Could his team sew 12,000 masks in two days? He appealed to Abe Troyer with Keim, a local lumber mill and home goods business and a leader in the Amish community: “Abe, make a sewing frolic.” A frolic, Mr. Miller explained, “is a colloquial term here that means, ‘Get a bunch of people. Throw a bunch of people at this.’” [...] Apr 09 20 05:00 pm Link I won't speak about other religions because I don't know enough about other religions, but I expect it is the broadly defined religious group, with it's multitude of denominations, divisions, groups and cults with whom I am the most familiar, that are the most defiant. I believe that the greatest numbers are staying home. Certainly in my area. Red states? Where I lived in Florida? Hard to say. I don't currently know anyone that despises their own life, or that of their friends and families, enough, to defy the order to refrain from going to church. I see signs on local churches which are offering streaming services. A Bible study in my neighborhood has moved to Zoom. I can offer some talking points. What would Jesus do? Or more appropriately, what has been taught by Jesus or in the name of Jesus? NIV 1 Peter 2:13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. These faux christian people who defy a legal order to not congregate, an order that isn't intended to hinder their worship, which can be done at home, but is needed for not only their safety, but the safety of those in their community, do not love God and do not listen to God. They put their selfishness above all others. Their display of faith does not bring glory to God, it brings shame. It doesn't bear witness to the love of Christ when his followers don't love their neighbor enough to stay home for weeks, or months, and sacrifice that short amount of time for the benefit of others. Mark 12: 28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these.” In the US, it is going to be up to the courts. Some people have filed suit to undo stay at home orders and have asked the courts to declare worship as essential services. If the virus rips through their congregation, they may declare it to be God's will or come to a realization that they have injured and killed their friends and families. Per the news, some are flouting the bans and taking fines and will claim they are suffering for their faith, but that is a lie: 1 Peter 2:18 Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. &c If you really want to have fun with them, point out all the signs of the end time that are occurring around us and explain they have missed the rapture and what's his name is the antichrist.  Apr 09 20 06:43 pm Link IMAGINERIES wrote: As a fundamentalist prayer group discovered yesterday on this side of the Pacific, the police issue a $1300 on-the-spot fine to each person for a first offence, with larger fines and the possibility of gaol time for subsequent offences. Apr 09 20 06:58 pm Link I have a Photographer friend ( who is sorta on the fence with respect to his faith ) who has to photograph 4 virtual Church Services at one of our major Churches over the Easter Weekend Basically He will be the Congregation ( probably with a Video Person or two ) I don't think he has attended 4 church services in his life before now So I am interested as to what the affect will be on him Apr 09 20 09:04 pm Link Some Easter services will be broadcast on television. Apr 10 20 01:42 am Link rfordphotos wrote: Good article. Thanks for posting the link. Apr 10 20 04:36 am Link Kansas republicans allow church services https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2 … ronavirus/ Excerpts: She made the decision Tuesday to extend a ban on gatherings of more than 10 people to churches after health officials learned that church events are responsible for three clusters of coronavirus cases across the state. She stressed that the order limited but did not ban worship services. “This is a purely political move, one that I find incredibly unfortunate,” she said.[Gov Laura Kelly] While the legislature as a whole has the authority to check her emergency powers, she argued, the seven-person council does not. The Legislative Coordinating Council met this week in lieu of the full legislature, which has not been in session since mid-March because of the pandemic. At the heart of the legal case is whether the legislature can delegate its powers to revoke a governor’s executive order to just seven people on the council. Kelly argues it’s impossible, saying the legislature would need to pass a bill to change the law. Apr 10 20 07:01 am Link They are having a drive in Easter service at a large local parking lot. They have a local FM radio station broadcasting, so people can listen via car radios. They are going to use chalk to mark the parking spaces, so an empty space is left between each car. Apr 10 20 06:50 pm Link Paolo D Photography wrote: I am not worthy. Apr 11 20 04:11 pm Link Hunter GWB mention the Bible The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these.” I remember a 10 years old boy being asked why? Reply: " Because the other are too far"...….Love kids non nonsense reasoning!!...Maybe some kind of amendment is needed! Apr 11 20 05:45 pm Link IMAGINERIES wrote: I like that Apr 11 20 06:29 pm Link Apr 12 20 08:18 pm Link I heard a band practicing on Saturday night. Very loud drummer. Turns out it was for one of those "Roll-Up Door Churches." I.e. An industrial park with the metal roll-up doors where they store their folding chairs and move them out into the parking lot for their Sunday service to save on rent, mortgage, or lease. This time their Easter congregation stayed in their cars around the place and listened to the sermon on loudspeakers and honked their horns along with the band. The Mariachi horn part of the Christian band was highly amplified and drowned out the car horns. Apr 13 20 07:41 am Link There is a couple things I think of when I see these churches having attended church services. The first is the church is trying to demonstrate that it has power over the civilian authority, God is Greatest. The second is the church wants their parishioners in to make their donation to the collection plate. Personally I view most religions as organization that want to subordinate, marginalize and repress people. If they could adhere to the 10 commandments, I would likely be fine with them. If there is a superior entity, it is far more complex than the human brain can understand. When religion can start to explain the concepts of time and space, I might consider joining. However, I view the present renditions as a means of mind control. When the religious people say Have Faith, I am quickly reminded of the financial advisor and use car salesman that said Trust Me. These people that are attending the church services have chosen to disregard safety for the rest of the citizens that are responsible. It is an act of civil disobedience. Unfortunately, they have given up control of their minds. The church leaders should be held criminally responsible. Just think what you would do if someone put you in an environment where you might contract AIDS. Apr 13 20 08:26 am Link ignorance is bliss Apr 13 20 08:38 am Link So the local police in some town issued tickets (with a potential fine of $500) to church members who were sitting in their cars at a drive-in church service. The good folks were in their vehicles, with an empty parking space between each car, with the windows rolled up, listening to the service via FM radio. Now there is a lawsuit. Because apparently in this same city, just down the street, there is a Sonic, where people are in cars, parked closer together and with their windows down, and that is perfectly acceptable to the local police Apr 14 20 06:18 pm Link ethasleftthebuilding wrote: As I mentioned earlier, a strong case can be made against gatherings for an overwhelming health danger (reasonable risk of contagion), that is generally reasonably evenly enforced. Apr 15 20 03:20 pm Link |
