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.
Abbotts 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-Brownes actions reckless disregard of public safety.
Coincidence only stretches so far.
Sixty singers, 45 of them sick, 3 hospitalized 2 dead. It is mathematically impossible for a group of 60 to have 75% infected when a random group of people would have less than 1% infected unless they were all infected by the same event.
Those who are holding services with large groups likley want to see the revenue generated as well.
isnt that the responsible thing to do and not have the government tell you what you cant do.
True, except for snowflakes and U of Texas students who don’t have the brains of flies.
'Obey lawful orders'
Remember that.
I dont say its all coincidence I just say its not all from rehearsal either.
I just found the headline sensationalistic in that sense.
They were in a hot spot and high risk. So they could have gotten it lots of places around town.
On Earth, as it is in TEXAS!
But Skagit County hadnt reported any cases, schools and businesses remained open, and prohibitions on large gatherings had yet to be announced.
They were not in a high risk area. There were no cases reported at the time in that area.
My pathology professor gave me good advice decades ago. When you hear hoof beats think horses not zebras. I am concerned that you are trying to cobble together a case for something that is mathematically impossible to avoid looking at the most probable truth.
Ten cases I could see as possible, even though in NJ, which actually is a hotbed with 22k cases and 355 deaths, few people have more than 1-2 acquaintances that have been diagnosed with COVID-19. 45 out of 60, impossible.
I would not care that you were pursuing a zebra so assiduously if there was no downside but this incident is the most extensive transmission of the virus within a group, seen to this point in America. There is something unique about this incident and we need to be armed with the knowledge of what that might be. The choir would have been breathing in deeply & expelling with force. Prudent people should not ignore the likelihood of enhanced risk of spread in similar circumstance.
Are you going to define lawful, or are you leaving that to me?
I think were are on the same page
I believe it was around but not diagnosed yet.
In either event the fact that those seniors were all at that practice doesnt mean they all got it there. Obviously. Some probably brought it there for one thing.
Some went to lunch together a week later, some went to the grocery store, some played golf, some visited family in a nursing home...
Im not saying none possibly caught it at the rehearsal. I hear hoof beats too and they are all over town.
Now shuts ins at a nursing home yeah they obviously all caught it there. They dont go anywhere else.
SOLUTION is to hold services outside. The Wuhan virus has a much harder time spreading outside aka the great outdoors, where Jesus often preached. God’s sunlight kills the virus and God’s winds, breezes and micro winds waft it around too much.
The Wuhan-V loves the indoors and likes lots of people in confined airless rooms.
What is a “lawful” order?
Ha! I’ve never in my life heard Obama say the term. He may have said it, but that’s not where I got it from! It was strictly my own choice of words to use.
Wow.
That would not be the case in my little north central Texas town.
We have one grocery store , three gas stations, and three restaurants.
The restaurants are closed.
How many in the entire community have the virus?
There are a lot of choke points for social contact in a small town or within a tight community that is part of a larger city.
The thing is, its ALL gatherings that are not being permitted across the country. Its not just discriminating against religion.
Id think they could hold tight for 2 more weeks.
Progress in the wrong direction. Just open everything up. Start school again, stores, bars & restaurants It only works if its consistent. Just dont leave Texas for a while ok.
Skagit County Public Health Officer Howard Leibrand said two of the deaths were of residents at Prestige Care nursing home in Burlington.After all 35 residents and 45 staff at that facility were tested, seven staff and 14 residents were confirmed to have COVID-19.
Local choir suffers devastating losses By Skagit Publishing staff Mar 30, 2020
Howard Leibrand, Skagit Countys health officer, said this cluster of cases shows how easily the virus can spread.
The precautions taken at the meeting increasing hand-washing and maintaining distance from each other are generally in line with what the county had recommended.
But that wasnt enough in this case, Leibrand said.
It turned out the experience the choir went through would provide new information about the disease. It apparently could spread without touch and among people who were asymptomatic.
Report of a cluster
The choirs COVID-19 cases sparked an investigation by Skagit County Public Health, which contacted all participants and close contacts of those with symptoms. All were advised to quarantine or isolate themselves.
Public Health reported it was investigating a cluster, but did not name the group.
https://www.goskagit.com/entertainment/local-choir-suffers-devastating-losses/article_18fcf658-f59d-5d4a-a64f-b00d026b3ba7.html
I am not going to argue this case further. I have no dog in the fight. The Health Officer in Skagit called it a cluster and attributed it to the spread of droplets from singing. If others think that they have a better handle on it than the health officers who did the interviews and the contact tracing then let them believe as they will.
You posted obey lawful orders. As a former military officer I have a background that includes understanding that, while soldiers are expected to follow orders, those orders must be lawful. Lt Calley gave unlawful orders in Mai Ly in 68 and its a case study in what lawful orders are for military soldiers.
I dont know if there is a civilian equivalent case, but that doesnt mean civilian law trumps all. All law emanates from God through the Bible, and laws of man must be consistent with His word to be moral. In addition, all peace officers swear an oath to the constitution, same as the military, though the wording may be slightly different. So in carrying out local or state laws or executive orders or other directives, law officers should discern if those orders are consistent legally with the constitution and morally with Gods law.
This is one reason you see sheriffs (the ones who understand this and are loyal to the constitution) that refuse to enforce unconstitutional gun laws.
I hope this answers your question. I still am not sure your purpose in asking, but based on some of your other posts I was guessing your question was not to pick at my post but to generate this discussion.
American citizens still react strenuously against any experimentation on their liberties, or whatever the Federalist Papers said. That is encouraging. But mis-directed in this instance, too.
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