Serving Christ through the community is a powerful mission. I'm not sure why it has to be inside a building that happens to act as a church. Watch it together online. Do FaceTime with the pastor or find a church with one who is accessible. After three weeks of isolation, I've become snippy at home and at work. I get how anxiety and depression can grow, esp for people working in "essential" service jobs that are higher risk and lower pay. These are trying times a church would excel at. But when a church is the building itself, or people are guilted or shamed into attending a Holy Day, that's the ugly habits I want no part of
I just go outside in my backyard and do an occasional rosary, find some pertinent readings online, and just listen to the sound of nature in my backyard in silent reflection. Takes all of maybe 15 minutes to do, and is something that can be done at home, work or in traffic. Or just a quick prayer before passing out before bed. Nothing too serious, but enough to let a higher power know that I care. To each their own that finds a sense of spirituality only in group communal settings though.
I am all for pointing out stupidity and ignorance. But I am not liking holding up peoples deaths as a gotcha moment. It's kind of icky.
One thing to be ignorant. One thing to have your ignorance cost you your life. This kind of ignorance endangers everyone around you. So, I don't feel bad about this at all.
The family still blames the media for them not trusting them rather than accepting that they are the ones who actually religously watch fake news (Fox News)
Since when did the right to religion and assembly become a privilege? I don't approve of them meeting and think they should go digital, but really we need to be careful about how authoritarian we get when handling the virus. And I am just bringing this up as a point we should consider really. I am not pro gathering right now and what they are doing is irresponsible make no mistake. BUT the constitution is not an optional deal. Maybe there are some laws on the books to support arresting people for this, but are they constitutional? Will these actions hold up if challenged in court?
I get you. But if freedom of assembly is paramount, it's not just churches being denied their constitutional rights. I think this might be a cry-fire-in-a-crowded-theatre sort of deal though. To exercise your constitutional right to assemble at this time, you are being grossly negligent about public safety. I'm happy to have the courts rule on it. Arrest parishioners who violate the orders and 2-3 years from now we'll know if they were oppressed -- but in the mean time, it keeps the infections down.
To follow up on Juan Valdez's post where does one's rights stand when they potentially hurt other's rights? As we all should know rights are not absolute and this is a situation where by exercising rights of assembly and worship could affect many many others besides those exercising them.
It’s no different than yelling “fire!” In a theatre. That’s restricting “freedom of speech,” but for the safety of the general public, it’s still illegal.
