Churches somehow protect from COVID?

[Notthemessiah]

Why am I only allowed to meet one person outdoors when my churchgoing nextdoor neighbours can still meet up with all of their religious friends and family indoors?

Fed up with the irrational exemptions given to religion. Why do people's non-provable beliefs give them special treatment and so put everyone else at increased risk?

Our church has been online since March.

@TwilightSkies

As has been explained. Theatres run for profit. They can't profit on minimal attendance, they'll go bust. Churches/Synagogues/Mosques etc don't run for profit.

They don’t? Are you sure?

Yep. That's a naive statement, they most certainly do run for profit (the large ones anyway).

[quote DayBath]@Notthemessiah Thank you for your acknowledgement and I also apologize if I took things too far. Perhaps we can respectfully agree to disagree.

And in all seriousness, churches welcome all, no matter how skeptical they may be. So if you are curious please feel free to attend.[/quote]
Thank you for the invitation. I'd also like to think too that it is possible to have this kind of discussion, on an admittedly emotive topic and be respectful to other people's beliefs, which is why I'm annoyed with myself for not doing so in this instance. I may not agree with churches being open at this time, but I hope that, if they are, they do provide a source of comfort for people in these fairly awful times - I think we all could so with some at the moment.

We are not meeting up for a party. Churches deliver an important service to their communities. Church attendance has doubled this year so we must be offering people something that they need.

So I think that in a time when a lot of people are struggling with their mental health, the government doesn't want to deprive them of a source of comfort/help.

Although I wouldn't be surprised if churches are closed again after christmas and only available for quiet prayer like last time.

For many people who attend, church is a support group, albeit one where you can’t talk to anyone but God!

In our village 95% of us go online. A few of the older folk go in person, mostly those who can’t work modern technology and are very lonely otherwise. They don’t even go to cafés or the shops, church is much safer than those. Capacity is 20 households rather than 300+ we normally have.

Also, so nice to see a thread where people apologise to each other when it gets heated.

@Fieldofyellowflowers

We are not meeting up for a party. Churches deliver an important service to their communities. Church attendance has doubled this year so we must be offering people something that they need.

So do pubs and football clubs and theatres.

I'm a Jehovahs Witness. We haven't held meetings at any of our halls since March. We have all our meetings via zoom now. We are being very cautious and not wanting to out any members in danger especially our elderly and vulnerable. Xxx

You don't have to believe anything to go to church. Anyone can go. Also it's free. Most of your other examples cost money. Why should those who can afford theatre tickets or a meal out be allowed to do those things?
Also the way churches are currently run, there is absolutely no socialising. You have to pre book, the seating is spread out and allocated, and arrival and departure is timed so you can't even chat on the way out.
The service is an hour long then you go home and the building is empty for 3 days.
No toilet access either.
It's a world away from any of your other examples.

My church is still closed, it can’t meet the covid requirements due to size of congregation (big) versus size of building (small)

The church in my village is doing outdoor services with social distancing.

MIL’s church is massive and has a tiny congregation, so they’re still meeting, but there is such strict protocol that she’s worshipping at home anyway. You can’t mix anymore than you can if you saw your friend in tesco I.e wave and shout from a social distance.

Pubs and football clubs have already created local outbreaks. Repeatedly.

At a theatre, I cannot go up to one if the actors or the director and say I am having this problem with my mental health/finances/marriage/health etc and receive help. Church leaders do more than just pray, they offer real, proper help and advice. And by help and advice, I don't mean just from the bible.

My Catholic Church;

Ticket system only for Christmas masses. Only a safe number allowed. Only 1 household can sit together. Two single people can sit either end of each row. 2 metre distance at all times.

No hymn books, papers, news or mass sheets etc.

You must sign track and trace form or scan with the app on entrance.

Hand sanitiser must be used on entry.

No mask, no entry.

One way system.

Every other row sealed off.

Must sit on designated duct taped x. This is fumigated with disinfectant immediately on departure.

No singing. No sign of peace. No bidding prayers. Mass is kept as short as possible.

No loitering.

Microphone and hands sanitised in between readers.

Priest is masked for holy communion. Communicants under strict orders only to briefly remove mask by the ear loops to take the host (no one wine/precious blood given).

Several stewards on duty who indicate when to get up for Holy Communion as well as ensuring social distancing, compliance.

One way system only.

It’s run with military precision.

Then of course there’s all the other stuff; running the food bank, homeless drop in, socially distanced AA, giving out free school meals when they were stopped, outreach for families in need and shielders/other vulnerable, last rites for the dying, spiritual accompaniment.

I will not hear a bad word said against them.

@Fieldofyellowflowers

Church leaders do more than just pray, they offer real, proper help and advice. And by help and advice, I don't mean just from the bible.

Absolutely, wholeheartedly this. My church leaders have supported me so much through this last year (remotely obviously)

@Fieldofyellowflowers

Pubs and football clubs have already created local outbreaks. Repeatedly.

At a theatre, I cannot go up to one if the actors or the director and say I am having this problem with my mental health/finances/marriage/health etc and receive help. Church leaders do more than just pray, they offer real, proper help and advice. And by help and advice, I don't mean just from the bible.

Football clubs certainly haven't (as they only very recently started letting people back in, in a very controlled fashion). There is also no evidence that pubs or restaurants spread it in any higher rates than any other indoor venue.

Cinemas and theatres are no different in the way they implement COVID safe guidelines to churches or mosques.

There really is no real reason why places of worship are open while other similar indoor venues are not, other than the fact that religious belief is involved. Sorry and please, no disrespect to anyone's beliefs at all, but I just think that isn't right. We should all be treated equally, regardless of belief (or lack of it).

Absolutely. My kids are autistic and theatre makes a huge difference to their mental health.

@GlummyMcGlummerson

BTW I actually agree with you about plays, it's the same as church in terms of layout and if we don't support the arts we'll lose them. My "faith" answer is just the objective reason as to why places of worship have different rules

I think the reason is that most theatres have higher costs than churches. They can't afford to stay open.

And at one point this year, I can't remember exactly when, pubs were allowed to stay open but places of worship were not.

It's fucking Christmas. If anything should be open it is a church - if it wasn't for that we'd all still be at work as normal.

Theatres can afford to stay open. Many are open in Tier 2.

Several were open in London until Tuesday.

@Onetimeposter1

Hi op I’m a lurker normally and I’m also a Christian so I thought i should set up and account to post. I will be deregistering when I have posted. I’m sorry you feel this was op and of course the Bible tells us to expect hostility (1 Timothy 3:12). The huge majority of churches are covid secure. Please come this Christmas and see for yourself. For anyone who wants to learn more of become a Christian please follow this link. www.gotquestions.org/eternal-life.html . God bless you all this Christmas.

got questions is a horrible homophobic website, no wonder you wanted to name change to post it

@baroqueandblue our church is doing just that. The food bank has expanded from one walk in cupboard to taking over four whole rooms. From March until churches were allowed to reopen for services, foodbank volunteers a d clients were the only people allowed into the church. The need has more than trebled, some people have had foodbank parcels weekly since March, many, many more are needing them as furloughing bites. They estimate 700 people will be eating from foodbank Christmas hampers.

I was suicidal today. My priest spoke to me at a 3metre distance, both masked and he listened, prayed with me, everything I said was in total confidence. He saved my life and I was able to pray in front of the blessed sacrament which brought me massive comfort.

No pub or football club could have done this for me.

Places of worship are a vital lifeline for many. I’m only 36. I’m alone. I’m shielding. For so many people their only real community is their place of worship. It’s not a party. It’s not a booze up. For some people, faith is an integral part of their lives and one they’d die without.

I think you have confused going to church with socialising

Sadly (& he was only 13 at the time) I can say the same about Ds & his theatre group.

Because it's happening at christmas and there are 26 CofE bishops sitting in the house of lords.

Sorry. What I meant is, people go to see football matches. Stop by pubs on their way home. Don't self isolate. Spread Covid.

The biggest outbreak in my large home town was caused by people on a pub crawl.

To be fair, churches didn't make the decision to stay open. Bojo did. And who knows why he does the things that he does. I wouldn't be surprised if churches are closed after christmas.

Churches do a lot of community work around christmas time. My church already as a food bank, but at xmas we give away about 100 festive hampers to families in need. So maybe the government thinks they are giving us a chance to do this. (Even though we were allowed to run our food bank/baby bank through the last lockdown).

Plus the mental health factor churches have for people. I take comfort in going for a meal in the pub or to the theatre, but in a crisis, neither of these places are my first port of call. Plus the amount of church attendees has risen quite a lot across the country lately, so it is not just long standing Christians who are benefitting from them being open.