Posted on 04/01/2020 9:21:17 AM PDT by abb
As authorities arrest pastors for holding Sunday services in defiance of social distancing orders, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that religious services are to be considered essential in his state.
Abbott issued an executive order relating to state-wide continuity of essential services and activities during the coronavirus pandemic. The order mandated that all Texans will minimize social gatherings and in-person contact with people who are not in the same household, and, among other statutes, clarified that religious services conducted in churches, congregations and houses of worship are to be considered essential services.
“‘Essential services’ shall consist of everything listed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in its Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce, Version 2.0, plus religious services conducted in churches, congregations, and houses of worship,” the order stated. “Other essential services may be added to this list with the approval of the Texas Division of Emergency Management.”
The governor encouraged those involved in essential services to practice good hygiene, environmental cleanliness, sanitation, social distancing and working from home when possible.
Abbott’s order came as authorities arrested pastors in Louisiana and Florida for holding Sunday services and bused large groups of people to attend the services. (RELATED: Florida Sheriff Issues Arrest Warrant For Pastor Who Refused To Cancel Services)
Central Police Chief Roger Corcoran called Rev. Tony Spell of the Louisiana Life Tabernacle Church “reckless and irresponsible” for holding Sunday services, and Florida Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister called megachurch pastor Rodney Howard-Browne’s actions “reckless disregard of public safety.”
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2020/04/01/abbott-churches-should-conduct-services-remotely-but-if-they-must-meet-in-person-they-should-follow-social-distancing-guidelines/
Abbott: Churches should conduct services remotely, but if they must meet in person, they should follow social-distancing guidelines
https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Gov-Abbott-overrides-San-Antonio-Bexar-County-15170236.php
Gov. Abbott overrides San Antonio, Bexar County rules on religious gatherings amid coronavirus crisis
https://www.khou.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/gov-abbotts-stay-at-home-advisory-appears-to-open-the-door-for-church-services-despite-coronavirus-pandemic/285-353266b3-d4d9-424b-8d6d-f190036dd7be
Gov. Abbott’s stay at home advisory appears to open the door for church services during coronavirus pandemic
Harris and other Texas counties had banned religious gatherings to help stop the spread of the dangerous virus.
https://www.ktsa.com/governors-order-trumps-local-rules-on-religious-gatherings/
Governor’s order trumps local rules on religious services
Ping!
As long as they don’t sing.
A choir decided to go ahead with rehearsal. Now dozens of members have COVID-19 and two are dead
...Sixty singers showed up. A greeter offered hand sanitizer at the door, and members refrained from the usual hugs and handshakes.
“It seemed like a normal rehearsal, except that choirs are huggy places,” Burdick recalled. “We were making music and trying to keep a certain distance between each other.”
After 2½ hours, the singers parted ways at 9 p.m.
Nearly three weeks later, 45 have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or ill with the symptoms, at least three have been hospitalized, and two are dead...
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-03-29/coronavirus-choir-outbreak
We do it online.
I a in Texas and we are doing ours online.
Thank God for our lesser magistrates
I will go if my church holds easter services.
My God is not my health or my wealth.
That story should be required (ok, strongly requested reading) reading for every American. I think it should be read during a press conference.
I saw where some churches held services in their parking lot. The participants stayed in their cars.
Thanks for this. LUV my GUV!
I think each of us who worship should make his or her own decision based on their state of health and whether they can actually practice “social distancing” within the building. Small churches...like the one I attend...might have an easier time of it than the so-called mega-churches. We shouldn’t feel any guilt if we can’t meet together in person. I think we can be forgiven for protecting those we love in God’s family and watching on-line, while it’s not the same, does give you God’s Word in a safe form.
Could even have services outside; set up benches in the parking lots. Still have the distance, AND the services.
Weather permitting, obviously, but it’s doable.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3830601/posts
Meanwhile people going on vacation are called all manner of names on the same site?
Like how hard is it to modify your church service to negate the risk someone could get sick from this? Like is that just too much for some people to deal with?
Well at least the prisons are empty because of the danger of virus transmission, quick go fill them up with Christians and people who were hiking in the wilderness.
That will teach them not to defy goobermint minions.
The irony of taking people from their homes and packing them in prisons to punish them for ignoring social distancing is thicker than Bidens thought processes.
I wonder how God will judge these people in their day in court.
They could have gotten it anywhere.
There is no evidence they all got it at rehearsal.
They may have. But it’s no fact.
I am all for keeping six feet between family groups. No one is objecting to that.
We are objecting to them being wholesale forbidden.
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