As we know, the entire country is going through a pandemic, in which most states have established a stay at home order. As the nation is looking to mitigate this, staying at home has become vital to lessen the chances of us contracting and/or spreading the virus.
However, local pastors from Houston, Texas have filed a lawsuit against the Harris County Judge. The local pastors want to continue their weekly services despite the nation's ongoing crisis. They believe that the stay at home order violates their First Amendment rights which gives individuals the right to freely practice the religion of one's choice.
One of these local pastors, Juan Carmen Bustamente, still had planned services despite the stay at home order. Depending on whether his services violate safety guidelines, he could be facing 180 days in jail and a $1000 fine.
Personally I believe that because of the current state of the nation, people should refrain from gathering in big groups. I do understand that they want to continue their weekly services but I feel like everyone should do their part with going out as less as they can.
I agree that people should refrain from gathering in big groups even if it means not going to weekly services. I've heard that some churches are doing service by live streaming, but I'm not sure if this is entirely true. I think it would be best for people to stay home as much as possible and avoid being in big crowds.
ReplyDeleteGoing to church has been known to give people a sense of community and comfort, something these pastors are trying to do for those that attend their services. However, in light of the virus, these pastors are putting peoples' lives at stake by trying to hold services. As Mariana mentioned, many churches are hosting services over video chats or live streaming, which is a great alternative, one that won't end with people potentially falling extremely ill.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that COVID-19 is not the first time in recent years that religion has clashed with public safety, as seen with the measles outbreak in New York's ultra-Orthodox Jewish Community. This group is also defying orders not to hold large gatherings currently. While Public officials criticize such actions, the ultra-Orthodox Jews believe that doing so would go against their religion. While religion helps keep people sane during difficult times, it is also important to consider people's safety and finding compromises, such as live streaming religious services or staying 6 feet away from others if holding gatherings. However, this is not always possible with some types of religious observances, in which case we have to establish our priorities.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/nyregion/coronavirus-hasidic-weddings-brooklyn.html?searchResultPosition=1
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/17/nyregion/measles-outbreak-jews-nyc.html?action=click