How can they justify keeping communal places of worship open?

[Didyousaynutella]

People’s livelihoods are being destroyed, children are being denied an education but you can still go and sit together in church! It makes no sense.

You can’t go and sit together. You can sit in a household or a bubble.

Where are you? They are closed in Scotland from Friday.

To be fair, the attendance in most churches these days is so lamentable you'd have no problem putting 2m distance between congregants

But yeah, it's nuts.

I was about to say surely not but yeah, you totally can!

Seems daft

Nuts to keep the churches open, I meant. I completely support school closures, huge pain in the ass as it is.

As a churchgoer, this really is nuts. Do people realise that priests are still giving communion by hand to entire congregations? It’s madness.

I spotted that on gov website. I have no clue. Makes zero sense

They're not. They're only permitted to use them to broadcast, hold weddings & funerals

NO communal worship

They can’t justify it. It is insane.

You cant go and sit together. You have to sit socially apart and it's only open for private prayer. Maybe because of all the chaos people need a place to go and reflect. My church has about 4 or 5 people coming in to sit and pray once a week- all sitting apart in a huge ventilated room with the door open, wearing masks. They are given special rules they have to adhere to and they can't do services with any congregation there.

Churches will remain open in England for communal worship, it’s not just for private prayer and funerals etc

It's probably for mental health reasons, there has to be some kind of social support available.

But not all churches are like that. Mine wasn’t. I went over Christmas and never felt less safe. People need a lot of things.
I don’t see why you should be treated as special if you are religious. It doesn’t contribute to the economy. Most people in this country are not religious. Where do they get to go?

Maybe it's different everywhere but I know in my area theyve all only been open for private prayer once or twice a week or not open at all. I was so surprised to see the doors of one open once that I walked in thinking the rules had changed, sat down to reflect and realised I had gate crashed someone's funeral.

The rules for tier 4 did say that all support groups could remain open although I don't k now if that has changed from today.

Churches in England have been open for communal worship since lockdown 1 ended. Any churches closing or only opening for private prayer must have been deciding that for themselves

I've wondered this. I bet places which are normally busy are still busy.

went over Christmas and never felt less safe

so it’s ok when YOU fancy going? 🙄

My local church is normally busy but has been working on a ticket basis since lockdown 1 where you have to book a space and there are very limited places, so are managing the social distancing really well

They’re anything but empty here. They were often fully booked in December and pre covid the church attached to DDs school was always packed with many standing around the sides and back.

Ridiculous and they wonder why people don't take these lockdowns seriously. Can't go and play tennis or golf or swim outside but you can go into an enclosed building and sit 2m from someone. What a joke.

Well firstly, people can't sit together. And secondly, for many people their faith is the only thing getting them through this.

So they are standing 2m apart then? Don't believe they aren't sitting, even if it is 2m.

There are lots of things that people are using to get them through this and sport is probably one of the main ones. It's about time these things were given the same level of respect as communal worship.

Surely you don't need to be in a church or a synagogue or a mosque to connect with your chosen deity, if that faith is what's getting you through...

Loads of things that people rely heavily upon are no longer available. It's shit for absolutely everyone but I don't see why religion gets a free pass.

@2021vision

So they are standing 2m apart then? Don't believe they aren't sitting, even if it is 2m.

There are lots of things that people are using to get them through this and sport is probably one of the main ones. It's about time these things were given the same level of respect as communal worship.

Sport is not a religion, comparing the two is offensive to be honest. Clearly you haven't been to a church lately and have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.