To think places of Worship should be closed before pubs.

[StatisticalSense]

If it is found that more restrictions are going to be needed to keep the virus under control people immediately jump to pubs and other hospitality venues which are essential to keeping the economy functioning, employ literally millions of people (and support the jobs of millions more), and are beneficial to the mental health of many of their clientele. Places of worship however provide no economic benefit, and are just as much of a vector of spread as people socialise with many others who they wouldn't otherwise see. This means that it would clearly make sense from an economic and societal stand point to close places of worships if this would allow pubs to stay open.

@Flowers009

People could say pubs have no purpose but for people to get off their face.

I'm not religious and a pub person/drinker but just saying the other side argument

I'm a bit fed up of the suggestion that all pub goers are "pissed as a fart", "boozers" and "irresponsible morons".

I know people who have been to the pub and shock horror nobody was drunk and hugging each other

Many pubs also do food and so most of the patrons are buying a meal rather than just drinking. They employ thousands - not just bar workers, but chefs and waiters. Pubs may also be B&Bs or hotels. Closing pubs would close a huge sector.

If places of worship were the only places open the numbers visiting would almost certainly significantly increase simply because people will use them as an excuse to go out

What planet are you on??

Or what are you taking, because I'll have some.

That's hilarious.

@IncrediblySadToo, why would people in religious gatherings be unable to distance socially? And why is it either/or? if there is a serious danger of infection, surely pubs, restaurants and places of worship should all be treated the same way?

I don’t even go to a church and I think YABVU. You can’t compare a bunch of drunk people to a group of sober church goers.

Our church has chosen not to try & hold services, partly because the restrictions would be too depressing & inhibiting, especially for our children & young people (of which we have lots), partly because we just don't have the space to spread out anyway. I know many churches who have made the same choice. The ones holding services now are generally quite formal & tradition places with smaller congregations but big buildings, plus no or few children. And they're following all the rules, so its a very different experience. I highly doubt their services pose any risk to anyone

YABU. Drunk people can’t social distance. Drink at home. Pubs can still make money doing take away service.

No freedom of religion is more important than getting pissed.

YANBU.

Places of worship are not limited to churches

If a mosque or temple, or synagogue, or gurdwara can apply social distancing properly, then I don't see why they shouldn't be open.

Especially as there might not be a high overlap with pub goers, and community contact is important.

I'd keep the places where people are likely to be sober open for longer. Especially those which deliver homilies.

At my church, you have to book in advance via email. There's limited numbers. When you arrive you have to check your name off a list at the front before you can enter. They have set up the chairs inside according to who is on the list, so families sit together and there's 2m between seperate households. Masks must be worn. Services are only half hour and no hymns etc. One way system in and out.

Much safer than crowding into a pub and getting drunk with no SD!!

Our local mosque was very busy when I walked past a couple of days ago. Many, many families entering. No SD that I could see.

To be fair it is one of the big, v well known ones, so probably not representative of all.

My church in a fairly small town gets 1000 people in attendance per week usually

Wow!

We have 9 churches in a town of approx 20k, plus a Friends Meeting House. The RC church is quite busy, because it's linked to a school, but I'm buggered if I know how the rest of them keep going. You can drive through town on a Sunday morning and not see anyone about save for at three of them: the Catholic church, one that does loads of stuff in the community and one that is very traditional and still uses the King James bible.

Very occasionally, I see signs of activity at the one that's high Anglican, but that's more during the week than at weekends. There's one that I think is used more by people wanting the see the art and architecture (it's got an Arts and Crafts interior with some William de Morgan ceramics) than by people going to services, though it does have a delightfully eccentric biker vicar who loves real ale.

We have 17 pubs though, and most of them did a roaring trade pre-lockdown.

Sure. Alcohol and capitalism are the religion of this country. We might as well take this opportunity to formally acknowledge this and shut down places of worship permanently.

I've sometimes wondered what would have happened if this pandemic had happened at a time when churchgoing was more widespread. Would churches have been considered "essential" services? Would Christians have protested "in God's name" if they had been forcibly barred from church? Would Jesus have advocated hiding away and keeping separate in the name of health, as we have been forced to do? I realise that being able to livestream services nowadays has made things very different.

I understand your point, however I completely disagree. Our church is only open for private prayer, so we’re not even open for a service. Our community is suffering because all our events have been cancelled and we’re going to struggle because we’re not raising money. Our church is more a community link than our pubs. Church is a lifeline for a lot of people. I have even cried because I’m really missing it.

I agree, I don’t think any places of worship should be open with large groups gathering indoors.
And that includes pretending to be closed but letting people in the back door.
I’m sure 1:1 and small socially distanced groups could be organised if necessary.

Ahh, so the op is talking about Muslims, but couldn't actually say that or would have been accused of racism.

Either that or she is ignorant of Christian practices post covid where strict regulations are in place for safety.

OR she is atheist and just wants to be goady.

Yabu, anyway.

Yanbu, but pubs should be doing a better job of enforcing social distancing. Some are great but then some seem to be finding it harder and then don't eject the customers that refuse to do it.

The one thing that I really, really missed during the stricter lockdown was going to church. Social distancing is adhered to strictly, entry is permitted on a first come, first served basis. You sanitise before going in, everyone has to wear a face covering etc At the end of the Mass, the church is cleaned. I'm not a drinker, but do occasionally go to the pub for a meal but I wouldn't risk going into a pub at the moment.

The TV cameras have been inside a mosque near here and places for social distancing have been marked out and people were keeping to the rules.

They have had outside prayers for Eid, with social distancing.

"Our church is more a community link than our pubs"

Good point - I've occasionally seen a post about getting hold of XYZ during a period of isolation, along the lines of: 'if all else fails, try your vicar. You don't have to be religious, and they're really good at getting help"

Never seen similar about a publican - though I suppose in villages it could well be a community asset too. Towns and cities notso much

You talk about the effects on the economy, but if many people get COVID-19 because the pubs are open, then they won’t be able to work and THAT will effect the economy.

I think we should close all pubs, restaurants, places of worship. They are NOT essential.

We need to prioritise opening the schools. Fuck everything else.

I think you’ll find the bulk of churches are still not really operating anything that would impact on numbers even if it was stopped.
Pubs on the other hand are hotbeds for this virus .....

If places of worship were the only places open the numbers visiting would almost certainly significantly increase simply because people will use them as an excuse to go out. Only if they’re going to church to pray for the re-opening of the pubs. 😂

Off topic slightly but not everyone who goes to a pub is 'pissed' and rubbing up against their fellow pub goers (or at least they aren't where I am). It's possible to sit in the pub, at your socially distanced table, drink 2 glasses of wine, chatting only to your companion and the masked bar staff, then leave, without putting yourself at much risk of Covid at all. I don't know what pubs you lot go to where everyone is rolling all over each other.