It’s basically been a 2 year long streak of anti-religion rhetoric throughout the country, much moreso in liberal states like cali and ny.
When you limit the number of people allowed to worship inside, it literally leaves people out in the cold.
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How so?
My thought is that it is probably multiple things, but my gut says a big one is social pressure. Before Covid, it would be noticed if a regular stopped coming. Covid resulted in a long time of no in building services, maybe that reduced social pressure to return to the pew?
reducing the number of people allowed to be inside the buildings (literally no more than 10 in some cases), deliberate overreach of the state against the church (non-denominational), attempts to ban religious gatherings, calling orthodox jewish gatherings “super spreaders” and making maps of their communities labeling them as “red zones”.
I could go on but I don’t particularly want to as I was not affected. I imagine you have noticed these events too, no?
Disclaimer: I’m 100% not religious. I just believe in everyone’s right to practice whatever religion they want, and that the state has no right to infringe on that.
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I honestly couldn’t tell you if social pressure was the cause of attendance being as high as it was, but you could be right.
I would say, if anything, that it had become acceptable to worship in your own way, in your own home, without the need of congregation. Perhaps this changed how people viewed their religion, or at least how they practiced it?
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It wasn’t anti religious rhetoric anymore than it was anti movie theater rhetoric then.
Sure, but the state has no right to tell people they cannot gather for religious practice; they CAN tell people they cannot go to the movies (according to power-grabbing politicians).
I couldn’t help but notice that you only argued against the rhetoric…
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No, I think it’s disengenious to say it was anti religion.
I think part of the issue is that religious services likely should have been exempt from being forced to close due to rights to practice religion in the US. So when churches broke the bans, and then caused spread of the virus, they got bad press. Would they have been labelled as super spreader events if there would have never been forced closures? I kinda think so, but it wouldn’t have been as negative (since they didn’t ignore the closure mandate as well).
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I get what you’re saying, the restrictions were infringements on rights.
But religion wasn’t targeted by the restrictions. Houses of worship were one of many businesses caught up in the restrictions.
So allowing bars, strip clubs and casinos to stay open, but closing churches is something other than anti religion?
Where did that happen? Were all those businesses subject to the same capacity restrictions?
Where I am, churches opened way before bars. Don’t know about the other two.
Is a church a business? As a non religious person, I tend to think so, but I think it is debatable, and as far as government goes, they are kinda their own separate thing.
Agreed. Just easier to type out.still have to follow public health laws/mandates.
Source is sus but california has had so many back-and-forth restrictions, it is very hard to find relevant stories.
Do you think it is acceptable for churches to be suspended from activities while BLM protests persist across the state? Newsom believed this to be the case (during Covid), and what’s worse is that his mandates didnt get shut down in the supreme court until Barrett was appointed.
Constitutionally, it is scary to think that this is a partisan issue. The party of the people’s rights (traditionally the left) is abandoning the “rights” part really fast.
Sorry for the derail.
Religious gatherings were limited in capacity indoors as we’re all indoor gatherings temporarily due to a public health emergency. I don’t have an issue there.
BLM protests were outdoors and subject to less restrictions because they were politically popular and posed less of a public health hazard. No need to encroach on more freedoms if not neccessary for public health, just to keep the facade of fairness. That said, I think it’s very fair to say the protests shouldn’t have been allowed, though cracking down there likely would have thrown gas on that fire. Juice not worth the squeeze.
And yes, the left abandoned the bill of rights while the right abandoned democracy and the constitution.
Not saying this is wrong, but can you elaborate on this?
The funny thing is, they really didnt have to. I know a number of churches that openly defied every bullshit gathering limit and mask mandate. They knew they were in the right and the state can go pound sand. Unjust laws aren’t to be followed. Now, my diocese is weak and run by a nutless bishop, so they did whatever NY and king cuomo said. For the most part the baptists kept it real, which i respect.
Not in home depot, lowes, Walmart or any of the grocery stores
I think perhaps you took my “in building” services to mean any business. I was only saying that in regards to in church (what I should have said) services, and the effect of not being allowed to have in church services had on attendance due to a lower social pressure.