Faith Baptist Church in Wanamassa (Ocean,NJ). October 31, 2020. Paul Goldfinger photograph. ©
OG’s Bishop Janes Tabernacle while waiting for the (virtual) Choir Festival to begin. Sunday, August 30, 2020. Paul Goldfinger photograph. © Link * to the BF post about this year’s Choir Festival.
By Paul Goldfinger, MD. Editor, Blogfinger.net. 2020. This was a time, pandemic, when gatherings were limited due to COVID. We had distancing and masks.
2020 re-post: This past summer, Michael Badger, Camp Meeting Association President, prevailed on the Governor to allow more than a handful of worshippers to attend Sunday morning services in the cavernous Great Auditorium of Ocean Grove. It seemed like a reasonable request because hundreds of people could be safely distanced in that 6,000 seat space.
The Governor of New Jersey has been very concerned with respect to allowing usage in large spaces such as churches, casinos, nightclubs, and restaurants. He declined to grant the request.
This is what the State of New Jersey says:
“Indoor gatherings for religious and political activities protected under the First Amendment must be limited to 150 people or 25% of a room’s capacity — whichever number is lower.” And they must distance and wear masks.
“Face coverings are required in indoor public spaces and in outdoor public spaces when social distancing is difficult to maintain.”
Restricting to only 150 people in the GA is unreasonable. But services there are now closed till next spring.
The rules vary from state to state. In some states, large groups can gather for outdoors protests without any restrictions while churches can only admit small numbers.
Supreme Court Judge Neil Gorsuch ruled in a Nevada case where Casinos were allowed more admissions than a church. He said:
“This is a simple case. Under the Governor’s edict, a 10-screen “multiplex” may host 500 moviegoers at any time. A casino, too, may cater to hundreds at once, with perhaps six people huddled at each craps table here and a similar number gathered around every roulette wheel there. Large numbers and close quarters are fine in such places.
“But churches, synagogues, and mosques are banned from admitting more than 50 worshippers—no matter how large the building, how distant the individuals, how many wear face masks, no matter the precautions at all.
“In Nevada, it seems, it is better to be in entertainment than religion. Maybe that is nothing new. But the First Amendment prohibits such obvious discrimination against the exercise of religion. The world we inhabit today, with a pandemic upon us, poses unusual challenges. But there is no world in which the Constitution permits Nevada to favor Caesars Palace over Calvary Chapel”
But the church lost this case, and Gorsuch was in the minority.
One wonders about the damage to houses of worship in terms of maintaining operational expenses as well as maintaining the religious commitment of the faithful. Why is that important? Because religion, in our American democracy, represents forces for good: morality, belief in G-d, ethics, charity, peace, tolerance, love, honesty, family values, and consideration for others.
The loss of civility which has occurred during this political season may have been partly related to the (necessary) suppression of religion in the name of public health.
The OGCMA tried mightily this past season to have religious services while following the prescribed health precautions, and disappointed as they were, they succeeded in being a responsible force for good in the Grove by tempering their usual summer practices.
Note that 80% of Americans believe that houses of worship should be following the same rules as all other institutions.
Boardwalk Pavilion. Ocean Grove boards. Summer, 2020. Paul Goldfinger photo. ©
BRIAN WILSON “Love is Here to Stay.”