Stirring up shit is not leadership

This is such a hideous and inappropriate thing to say. And just wrong. Many journalists are people of faith. It’s also our job to ask if it’s *safe* for people to go back to churches and other houses of worship. https://t.co/YCdjCSM5Cg

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 22, 2020

So let's start here:

Governors in a number of states have included houses of worship in their reopening plans. Although, according to Pew Research Center, as of the end of April, only 10 states had outright banned in-person services altogether.

That was reported on May 9; almost two weeks ago.  Churches in Texas started opening about that time:

When more than 1,000 masked parishioners attended six reopening services at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in the Houston area last weekend, they arrived with tickets reserved in advance, lining up outside with their confirmation codes ready about half an hour before each Mass. For the services held Saturday and Sunday, parishioners were seated one by one, according to social distancing guidelines, with every other pew blocked off.

For those who showed up without a reservation, there was a standby line, just like at an airport.

That's likely what parishioners can expect this weekend, too, as Texas continues to allow churches to reopen at 25 percent capacity with certain social distancing restrictions.

“We told our parishioners, ‘We want you for the time to treat this like boarding and deboarding an airplane,’” said Stephen Lenahan, director of development and communications at the church.

With churches allowed to partially reopen in Texas as of May 1, the coronavirus pandemic has meant a new reality for many. Some houses of worship chose to open right away under Texas' plan, but others decided to wait and continue to provide services online in the interest of safety.

That last line is the key:  "in the interest of safety."  Holy Ghost Catholic Church here in Houston closed until further notice after the priest died from Covid-19 and several parishioners were diagnosed with the disease. The church had started celebrating Mass on May 2nd, as soon as they could.  Too soon, it turned out.

Meanwhile, St Anthony of Padua is trampling on other "constitutional rights":

Parishioners have been told to wear masks to services for now, and those who do not want to comply have been told to continue watching the Mass livestreams for the time being, he said.

And at St. Martha Catholic Church in Porter, Texas:

The church would usually get between 1,200 and 1,400 people at its two busiest Sunday services before the pandemic, he said. This past Sunday, 200 and 230 people came to the services.

So where are all these people breaking into churches because they want to worship?  I understand the need to worship, the sense of community, etc.  My argument is not with that desire; it's with the idea that they are being denied an access many don't feel safe taking advantage of yet.  Where's the outrage?  Over there, in a box.

And at Second Baptist, the biggest church in Houston:

“From masks to hand sanitizer to social distancing, we are implementing best practices on every campus!” he wrote.

“If you or someone you love is in a high-risk category, I encourage you to stay home and continue to worship online with us,” [Pastor Ed] Young wrote.

Which is entirely sensible and not at all nuts.  And Pastor Bonnie How of St. Luke's Methodist in Austin gets the last word:

“I said to everybody who was gathered on that Zoom call, ‘What would it take for you to be comfortable coming to worship in person?’” she said. “And the majority of them laughed and said, ‘A vaccine.’”

How said the sentiment her congregation expressed was, “We would feel terrible if any one of us got sick and there's no reason to. We are gathering together even though we're doing it online.”

“It’s more of a safety issue,” she said. 

It's not the reporters in the White House Press room who want to see the churches remain closed.

It’s unlikely that critics of church closings alone are responsible for the decline in Trump’s favorability among critical religious demographics. According to the Pew survey, 43 percent of white evangelicals and 52 percent of white Catholics think the current restrictions on public activity in their areas are appropriate versus 42 percent and 31 percent, respectively, who think fewer restrictions would be better. Greater shares of white evangelicals and white Catholics also said they are more afraid about their state governments lifting restrictions on public activity too soon than they are about leaving the restrictions in place for too long.

As the coronavirus-related death toll approaches 100,000 and outbreaks emerge in locations where social distancing is more difficult, Laura Gifford, a historian of politics and religion at George Fox University, said it’s likely become harder for the president’s supporters to embrace his plans for an accelerated reopening of the country. The more Trump contradicts health officials who have warned against reopening schools and non-essential businesses, she suggested, the less accepting his usual supporters might become of his overall response.

Trump thinks he can frame this as a "religious freedom" issue.  But where people are free to return to church, they still don't want to.  I think that's fine.  I also think it doesn't benefit Trump one whit.

Then again, not everything is about politics and who wins the zero sum game.  Sometimes "It's more of a safety issue."