Relaxing COVID-19 religious restrictions is good news. But keep staying home anyway
Patience is a central virtue for the world’s major religions. In the Bible’s New Testament, patience is identified as one of the nine Fruits of the Spirit by the Christian Apostle Paul. In the Old Testament, it’s one of the core teachings woven through the Hebrew Torah. In the Quran, the holy book of Islam, it’s mentioned at least 90 times.
People of faith in Washington have certainly had their patience tested these past two months, held captive by the statewide coronavirus shutdown that’s emptied churches, synagogues, temples and mosques.
Most religious leaders and their flocks have complied with Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-home orders, and for that they should be commended. Not gathering for major sacred observances — Easter, Passover and Ramadan — was a big sacrifice for different faith groups to make for the common good.
Now their patience is starting to be rewarded.
Inslee issued revised guidelines Wednesday allowing Washingtonians now in Phase 1 of the reopening process — including Pierce County — to convene outdoors for religious purposes in groups of up to 100 people. Those who’ve advanced to Phase 2 — which includes 24 of Washington’s 39 counties — have the option to meet indoors in groups of up to 50 people, or 25 percent of a church capacity, whichever is smaller.
Face coverings should be worn and social distancing strictly practiced, both indoors and outdoors, Inslee said.
This latest easing of restrictions follows previous religious accommodations made by the governor, such as allowing drive-in services earlier this month. It comes as the United States passes the sobering 100,000-death milestone in this pandemic; meanwhile, Washington is making progress decreasing deaths and hospitalizations and, to a lesser degree, infections.
As glad as we are that Washingtonians can worship together in person again, they’d be wise not to do it.
Churches across the state have become adept at meeting in Zoom rooms and other electronic settings. Why not keep it up while the virus threatens the demographic that attends church in disproportionate numbers — older people and those with underlying health conditions?
People of faith over age 65 comprise more than 30% of the average US congregation — nearly 40% for mainline Protestant churches — while comprising only about 15% of the US population, according to a 2015 survey by Faith Communities Today.
Inslee continues to preach staying home as the best course for public safety. But he’s clearly more comfortable talking about computer models than spiritual matters. And some churchgoers view him as an unrepentant trespasser of constitutional liberties.
So if you don’t trust him, listen to the religious leaders who appeared on camera at Wednesday’s press briefing.
“We don’t worship our places of worship, we worship God, and we are commanded to preserve life and uphold community wellbeing,” said Aneela Afzali of the Muslim Association of Puget Sound.
“I will prayerfully continue to encourage online worship,” said Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee, of the Northwest Washington Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. She added that she eagerly awaits “the day we can all gather safely in person again — from the most healthy to the most vulnerable — and we fill church buildings to overflowing again.”
Amen to that.
Critics of the shutdown have reasonable concerns about the free exercise of religion and the right of association. We don’t fault them for cherishing those rights.
But the First Amendment’s anti-establishment and free-exercise clauses merely require governments to show neutrality toward religious practice — neither antagonism nor favoritism. That means restrictions placed on faith communities should be narrowly drawn and equivalent to limits placed on businesses, sports and the rest of secular society.
That’s where Inslee needs to be careful. Saying “yes” to takeout cocktails during the pandemic but “no” to drive-through religious sacraments is hard to swallow. And issuing a face mask directive for religious gatherings but not for grocery or retail store visits also sends problematic mixed signals. (Stay tuned. Inslee says he’ll have more to say about masks this week).
Still, most people of faith can agree that a church is not a building, public health is worth preserving and every life has value in God’s eyes.
So let’s meet with our faith communities online for a while longer. And may patience prevail.
This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 12:00 PM.