For some. For others, it’s their community and source of social interaction. Which is one (not the only) reason the elderly are more likely to go. For other’s, it’s ingrained as necessary (they’d go even if no one was there).
None are objective reasons to call churches essential.
My brother-in-law is a Southern Baptist minister (side note: he isn’t a fan of Trump). I was shocked to learn his church is opening this Sunday. But they are following state guidelines (Democrat administration). Personally, I don’t think it’s worth the risk. But if they are going to act responsibly to maintain spacing, wear masks, sanitize rigorously, etc. (which is what they are doing), then I can’t completely condemn them either.
And if everyone could be trusted to be that rigorous, we probably could open up more. Thing is, don’t think everyone can be trusted. And Trump is foolishly encouraging bad behavior making opening even more dangerous.
Ironically a good portion of the Evangelical movement this is probably meant to placate was founded on the idea that no central authority, ordained clergy, or formal church is needed (or even desirable) for worship. The fundamental in Christian Fundamentalism can sorta be boiled down to all you need is The Bible. And that no authority should stand between a person and The Bible.
It’s definitely not worth the risk. The whole six feet thing only works if you aren’t hanging around the other person for very long (minutes). Being in a partially filled church for 2-3 hours, even if everyone spreads out is still not a good idea.
So let’s see what The Bible says. The Gospel of Matthew has an interesting tidbit:
6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
This is very shortly before the start of a well-known prayer, so it’s not like this instruction is tucked away in an obscure passage.
6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Church clergy continued to hold services, which helped keep up residents’ morale. Rev. J. Henry C. Helmuth, who led the city’s German Lutheran congregation, wrote A Short Account of the Yellow Fever in Philadelphia for the Reflecting Christian. He also left a diary. On September 16 he reported that his church was “very full” the day before. In one week in October, 130 members of his congregation were buried.
He figures that’s how he wins.
There’s an outside chance he will use Federal police or troops to stage a photo-op opening in a Blue State so his followers can enter orgasmic trance at him defending Jayzus from the Demoncraps.
Many religions have practices that do theologically require some form of in-person prayer, such as communion in Catholic and Orthodox Christianity or minyanim for mourners in Judaism.
I’m not saying that these practices should take precedence over public health safety, but it’s not accurate to say as a blanket statement that in-person worship is unnecessary for religious observance.
On the one hand, Trump is a oafish moron who can’t open his mouth without some dumb shit falling out.
On the other hand, people who are so consumed by faith in some make-believe nonsense; that they can’t wait to go running back to the dogma trough, even at the cost of their health and the health of the people around them, are a lost cause.
So, at the end of the day, two handfuls of shit with nowhere to put it till November…
I see, but earlier was me being nice. I don’t think any kind of religious observance at all is necessary. You’re a Christian or a Buddhist or a Muslim? Great. My favorite fictional character with great powers and a moral code is Green Lantern, but I don’t consider that an excuse to go out and get other people sick.
Take this the right way, but your brother-in-law is going to get a lot of people killed so that he can look like he’s doing his job in front of a large church. That’s it. That’s what he’s going to kill people over. I hope he has fun doing it. And I hope whatever God he believes in forgives him.
And that’s why America is home to an endless number of new Christian and post-Christian sects and churches and movements shooting up whenever some group splits up, and some charismatic loon with zero theological know-how or understanding of tradition gets his (or in rare cases, her) bunch of followers.
It’s the Charlottesville “both sides” dogwhistle for evangelicals.
12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the libtards, against the cucks, against the leftists of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
