Gatherings of faith and the coronavirus.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Without the Lord's Day, we cannot live

Without social distancing, our grandparents won't live.

They had decades to discover the Lord.

You don’t get to call yourself pro-life ever again.

I don't consider myself very strongly pro-life anymore, for better or worse. I would balk at any abortion restrictions earlier than 16 weeks and even that is sort of pushing it. The status quo isn't terrible, but I would simply prefer an enormous effort to deliver free/accessible contraception.

I am very pro-euthanasia. I would like greater healthcare coverage, but it's more complicated than saying Universal Healthcare Now. The only thing that I am pro-life on is that I am 'generally' against the death penalty at least in its current application in the US.

The only matter with respect to abortion that I care about politically is respecting the heartfelt concerns of the protesters as legitimate and from a place of good intentions, though I tend to have a small philosophical disagreement with them.

Okay. So you have absolutely nothing of import to say about Christian bioethics and your frigid takes in this thread can safely be ignored.

[John Dule]

Without the Lord's Day, we cannot live

Without social distancing, our grandparents won't live.

They had decades to discover the Lord.

You don’t get to call yourself pro-life ever again.

I don't consider myself very strongly pro-life anymore, for better or worse. I would balk at any abortion restrictions earlier than 16 weeks and even that is sort of pushing it. The status quo isn't terrible, but I would simply prefer an enormous effort to deliver free/accessible contraception.

I am very pro-euthanasia. I would like greater healthcare coverage, but it's more complicated than saying Universal Healthcare Now. The only thing that I am pro-life on is that I am 'generally' against the death penalty at least in its current application in the US.

The only matter with respect to abortion that I care about politically is respecting the heartfelt concerns of the protesters as legitimate and from a place of good intentions, though I tend to have a small philosophical disagreement with them.

Okay. So you have absolutely nothing of import to say about Christian bioethics and your frigid takes in this thread can safely be ignored.

Why? He's being quite reasonable.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Without the Lord's Day, we cannot live

Without social distancing, our grandparents won't live.

They had decades to discover the Lord.

You don’t get to call yourself pro-life ever again.

I don't consider myself very strongly pro-life anymore, for better or worse. I would balk at any abortion restrictions earlier than 16 weeks and even that is sort of pushing it. The status quo isn't terrible, but I would simply prefer an enormous effort to deliver free/accessible contraception.

I am very pro-euthanasia. I would like greater healthcare coverage, but it's more complicated than saying Universal Healthcare Now. The only thing that I am pro-life on is that I am 'generally' against the death penalty at least in its current application in the US.

The only matter with respect to abortion that I care about politically is respecting the heartfelt concerns of the protesters as legitimate and from a place of good intentions, though I tend to have a small philosophical disagreement with them.

Okay. So you have absolutely nothing of import to say about Christian bioethics and your frigid takes in this thread can safely be ignored.

Why? He's being quite reasonable.

You know what? You're (sort of) right. He's wrong on reopening churches during a pandemic, mostly wrong on abortion, and sickeningly wrong on euthanasia, but it's a hell of a lot better than the bizarre crypto-Gnostic attempts to square the ">pro-life >wants grandma to get run over by a bull market" circle coming out of magazines like First Things right now.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

On euthanasia, please allow me to clarify that when I wrote that, my seemingly radical preference is in favor of 'right-to-die' which may well be settled and uncontroversial legally at this point though is perhaps contended ethically by pro-lifers. Apologies for that poor language choice. I don't have radical support for assisted suicide, but I am not opposed either. It shouldn't be used to the point that you can't count the number of applications per year on one hand, but I have read about enough specific instances to give some reprieve and allow for a dignified death.

I also have little interest in the current level of the stock market, particularly because I have next-to-no interest in the outcome of the 2020 US Elections.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

On euthanasia, please allow me to clarify that when I wrote that, my seemingly radical preference is in favor of 'right-to-die' which may well be settled and uncontroversial legally at this point though is perhaps contended ethically by pro-lifers. Apologies for that poor language choice. I don't have radical support for assisted suicide, but I am not opposed either. It shouldn't be used to the point that you can't count the number of applications per year on one hand, but I have read about enough specific instances to give some reprieve and allow for a dignified death.

Thanks for the clarification. "Very pro-euthanasia" gave me the wrong impression and I apologize for responding as harshly as I did.

[TJ in Oregon]

Without the Lord's Day, we cannot live

Without social distancing, our grandparents won't live.

They had decades to discover the Lord.

You don’t get to call yourself pro-life ever again.

I don't consider myself very strongly pro-life anymore, for better or worse. I would balk at any abortion restrictions earlier than 16 weeks and even that is sort of pushing it. The status quo isn't terrible, but I would simply prefer an enormous effort to deliver free/accessible contraception.

I am very pro-euthanasia. I would like greater healthcare coverage, but it's more complicated than saying Universal Healthcare Now. The only thing that I am pro-life on is that I am 'generally' against the death penalty at least in its current application in the US.

The only matter with respect to abortion that I care about politically is respecting the heartfelt concerns of the protesters as legitimate and from a place of good intentions, though I tend to have a small philosophical disagreement with them.

Okay. So you have absolutely nothing of import to say about Christian bioethics and your frigid takes in this thread can safely be ignored.

Why? He's being quite reasonable.

You know what? You're (sort of) right. He's wrong on reopening churches during a pandemic, mostly wrong on abortion, and sickeningly wrong on euthanasia, but it's a hell of a lot better than the bizarre crypto-Gnostic attempts to square the ">pro-life >wants grandma to get run over by a bull market" circle coming out of magazines like First Things right now.

They did at least publish this counter-argument.

[TJ in Oregon]

Without the Lord's Day, we cannot live

Without social distancing, our grandparents won't live.

They had decades to discover the Lord.

You don’t get to call yourself pro-life ever again.

I don't consider myself very strongly pro-life anymore, for better or worse. I would balk at any abortion restrictions earlier than 16 weeks and even that is sort of pushing it. The status quo isn't terrible, but I would simply prefer an enormous effort to deliver free/accessible contraception.

I am very pro-euthanasia. I would like greater healthcare coverage, but it's more complicated than saying Universal Healthcare Now. The only thing that I am pro-life on is that I am 'generally' against the death penalty at least in its current application in the US.

The only matter with respect to abortion that I care about politically is respecting the heartfelt concerns of the protesters as legitimate and from a place of good intentions, though I tend to have a small philosophical disagreement with them.

What brought about this drastic change in beliefs?

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Without the Lord's Day, we cannot live

Without social distancing, our grandparents won't live.

They had decades to discover the Lord.

You don’t get to call yourself pro-life ever again.

I don't consider myself very strongly pro-life anymore, for better or worse. I would balk at any abortion restrictions earlier than 16 weeks and even that is sort of pushing it. The status quo isn't terrible, but I would simply prefer an enormous effort to deliver free/accessible contraception.

I am very pro-euthanasia. I would like greater healthcare coverage, but it's more complicated than saying Universal Healthcare Now. The only thing that I am pro-life on is that I am 'generally' against the death penalty at least in its current application in the US.

The only matter with respect to abortion that I care about politically is respecting the heartfelt concerns of the protesters as legitimate and from a place of good intentions, though I tend to have a small philosophical disagreement with them.

Okay. So you have absolutely nothing of import to say about Christian bioethics and your frigid takes in this thread can safely be ignored.

Why? He's being quite reasonable.

You know what? You're (sort of) right. He's wrong on reopening churches during a pandemic, mostly wrong on abortion, and sickeningly wrong on euthanasia, but it's a hell of a lot better than the bizarre crypto-Gnostic attempts to square the ">pro-life >wants grandma to get run over by a bull market" circle coming out of magazines like First Things right now.

They did at least publish this counter-argument.

I saw that earlier this evening. I think it's an excellent essay. Good to see Reno's still open to hosting dissenting views; the lack of a "party line" was one of the best things about pre-Trump-era First Things (of which, as probably won't surprise you but might surprise other posters, I was a semi-regular reader).

[°Leprechaun]

By the way, Easter will also be on April 19:

https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/orthodox-easter-day

[brucejoel99]

Louisiana church expecting 2,000 at Easter service despite coronavirus: 'Satan and a virus will not stop us'

Bigger issue is the fact that they won't just be limiting transmission to their own parishioners; they'll then go out & spread it to others just trying to peacefully live.

Knowing the high likelihood of further community spread after this event, & the possible deaths resulting from it, it's not very Christian of them, now is it?

[°Leprechaun]

Louisiana church expecting 2,000 at Easter service despite coronavirus: 'Satan and a virus will not stop us'

Bigger issue is the fact that they won't just be limiting transmission to their own parishioners; they'll then go out & spread it to others just trying to peacefully live.

Knowing the high likelihood of further community spread after this event, & the possible deaths resulting from it, it's not very Christian of them, now is it?

First of they should all be quarantined for about a month and fined if they are breaking the law. Satan might not stop them, but will Jesus save them from the virus? I tend to think not.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

We’ve been online since March 22. Started with social distancing at our campuses March 15.

My campus leaders and I had Easter together.

For those who don’t know, I’m the worship pastor of a church in a small town in Indiana. Our main campus is in another small town also in Indiana.

[TransfemmeGoreVidal]

My church has actually been holding Zoom services.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

My church has actually been holding Zoom services.

Does your church worship the Deep Ones, Asenath?

[TransfemmeGoreVidal]

My church has actually been holding Zoom services.

Does your church worship the Deep Ones, Asenath?

Totally lol, Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn

[JGibson]

My church has actually been holding Zoom services.

Mine too.

[John Dule]

My church has actually been holding Zoom services.

Why can't those southern megachurches do this? Why do all those pastors keep violating the quarantine when sane alternatives are obviously available?

[TransfemmeGoreVidal]

My church has actually been holding Zoom services.

Why can't those southern megachurches do this? Why do all those pastors keep violating the quarantine when sane alternatives are obviously available?

Maybe because they think it'll bring about the rapture or something like that.

[fhtagn]

My church has actually been holding Zoom services.

Does your church worship the Deep Ones, Asenath?

Totally lol, Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn

I'm only here because I was summoned.

[fhtagn]

On a serious note, my church has been hosting services on facebook live, YouTube, on their website, etc.

However it's honestly getting to the point where it really wouldn't be unreasonable to allow in person services to resume, especially if churches are able and willing to abide by social distancing guidelines as stores are doing.

[TJ in Oregon]

On a serious note, my church has been hosting services on facebook live, YouTube, on their website, etc.

However it's honestly getting to the point where it really wouldn't be unreasonable to allow in person services to resume, especially if churches are able and willing to abide by social distancing guidelines as stores are doing.

Apparently Oregon is planning to start allowing in-person attendance of up to 25 people soon. My church has been video streaming Mass for what it's worth, but it would be nice to get to go at some point. Still, with only 25 people permitted, it may be quite a while.

[anthonyjg]

Pritzker recently amended our order to allow gatherings of at most 10 people after a law suit from some Evangelical church in Western Illinois.

Anyway, I've been wondering if local churches will consider parking lots or moving outdoors. Personally, I'd feel a lot more comfortable with it and I think it'd give a lot of people a much needed sense of community.

[DC Al Fine]

Nova Scotia is allowing drive in services. My church doesn't really have the parking facilities for this, so we'll be streaming for the forseeable future.