I think you’ll find that most people here are paying attention to expert recommendations and taking this thing pretty seriously. I haven’t left the house since Saturday when I just went to Walmart to stock up on enough food to get us through 2 or so weeks. If I’m wrong, well, we’ve lost some income and missed out on a few activities. If you’re wrong, more people will die.
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I think people here are missing the point.
What is a faith if it has no baring on everyday life?
What is Christianity if Easter has no meaning?
If Easter is about defeating death why are we cowering before a minute threat of it?
It seems to me that all this proves is that our faith is meaningless. One crisis and it folds!
You can have 1000 people in one place as long as none of them have the virus. You cannot spread what is not there.
This whole thing has been escalated by both Media and governments. If you want to start a panic then you make a big deal!. This panic should have been avoided. Statistics do not match up to the ridiculous measures that have been put in place. And the Church should trust its God.
Richard
New data coming out of France and Italy is showing that younger people are being hospitalized at much higher rates now, possibly because they have not been socially distancing and self-isolating because they thought they were not going to be affected.
The symptoms are not being able to breathe.
There is no medication.
Just giving oxygen is not enough in many cases, lungs are filling with fluid. People need ventilators and there are not enough. Have you been paying any attention to what is happening in Italy?
Yes, it’s a huge crisis. Maybe that is why the government is considering a 1 trillion dollar aid package.
Italy is now charging people with intentional homicide, up to 22 years in prison if they catch people who have tested positive for coronavirus violating quarantines. It’s not the flu.
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I’d be very sad to not gather, but does Easter seriously lose all meaning when groups can’t gather in large numbers? What does that say about the early church or churches in more restricted countries?
If you’d like to perform tests on 1,000 people before they enter the church building, go for it, but that will be easier said than done. Taking care of our most vulnerable neighbors does not betray some kind of lack of trust in God.
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Beat me to it. I’ve no desire to be the next patient 31.
All the major denominations in the UK have ceased from meeting (or strongly recommended it). We’ve done likewise as I’ve mentioned in other places. Frankly, I think it is ludicrous to do otherwise. If a Christian or their church can’t function without a two-hour physical gathering on a Sunday morning then someone’s theology of the church (Ecclesiology) is massively out of whack!
Stream/record the sermon, publish the reading, link to some songs on Youtube for singing or reflection, and share communion in family units (even if that’s only bread and fruit juice). Simples.
As to civil disobedience, someone made a rather compelling case to me that it is better to cease meeting voluntarily than to force governments to pass legislation banning it. Legislation which could then be abused in the future.
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I’m pretty sure that Easter is not about contributing to the needless death of others.
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The virus is everywhere. Scientists are saying the actual infection rate may be 100 times the positive tests at the moment. You are contagious for up to five days before you show symptoms.
This is not about fear, it’s about not being ignorant and careless and equating faith with ignoring science.
The way we show faith in a time of crisis is by demonstrating the fruits of the spirit and sacrificing our privileges for the good of others. Every expert who has opened their mouths in recent weeks has emphasized how critical it is that everyone avoid contact with other people as much as possible to prevent the spread of the virus and the imminent collapse of our medical system. Sacrificing the privilege of celebrating Sunday the way we like, even if we are healthy and strong, is a small sacrifice to ask.
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Most of us are likely to get it eventually, the point of social,isolation is to slow it down so as not to overwhelm the system, to perhaps give time to test treatment protocols, to perhaps give time to develop vaccines. All those things show care and love for the most vulnerable. The downside of course is that it will flatten the curve, but spread it out over a longer period, so don’t think a week of extended spring break will do much. It is just what we do for now.
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What @Christy said…
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!~ Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV2011)
Then [Jesus] said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
~ Luke 9:23 (NIV2011)
Yes it is. It is about panic. And fear of death. (or causing death)
Yea though I walk through the valley of the Corona virus
I will fear it and self isolate!
God? What has He got to do with it anyway!
Richard
Here’s the best advice I’ve seen so far:
When asking if your efforts of social distancing are enough, think about this: Don’t act like you’re trying to avoid getting the virus–act like you already have it and you’re trying to not give it to anyone else.
This is the level of care we should be having for our fellow humans.
My husband is a physician, and we are pretty resigned over here to believing he will be contracting and/or bringing it home (I am currently working from home now, and am also pregnant.). We are not living in fear of the actual consequences (even though I am slightly nervous as I temporarily fall into this “potentially at risk” category), but certainly not putting others at risk for no reason.
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By this terrible logic, no one should be afraid to drive drunk. It’s a selfish, irresponsible, and dangerous choice to drive drunk, regardless of whether or not you are afraid of dying, regardless of whether you are afraid of killing someone, and regardless of whether you may be statistically likely to make it home perfectly safe.
You are choosing not to trust reliable information from people who know best. That you are equating your willful ignorance with faith and fearlessness is kind of tragic.
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Fear of dying and fear of killing someone else are really, really different things. Not fearing death yourself is admirable. Not fearing killing someone else is sociopathic.
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This is what Lent is all about. This gave me pause and thought it was a lovely sentiment for this time of year. Being the body of Christ and loving our neighbor right now means protecting each other by staying away.
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Then why were lepers in the Old Testament told to separate from the camp? Shouldn’t the Israelites have been ok with having them hang around?
I agree we shouldn’t panic. But we can certainly take appropriate measures to slow the spread of the disease so as to not overwhelm the healthcare system. That’s a loving thing to do for our neighbor.
As far as Easter goes, it’s not mentioned in the Bible, so why is a man made holiday necessary for Christian faith? My church remembers the death and resurrection of Jesus every Sunday when we take the Lord’s Supper. We do just fine with that New Testament practice. 
Now my church did meet last Sunday for an abbreviated service (prayer, one song, words to focus us on the Lord’s Supper, taking the Lord’s Supper, and another prayer - no sermon). They served the bread and fruit of the vine in separate cups spaced from each other such that you could pick them up without touching someone else’s. No plates were passed around. Servers wore gloves. Offering plates were left on a table in the back instead of being passed. Bathroom doors were propped open so you didn’t have to touch them, water fountains were closed off, people were encouraged to leave quickly instead of hanging around and talking (THAT’S the hard part here in the south!). Currently they plan to do that again, though things could change. All other services are canceled. Classes are being held online.
Of course they should shut down activities involving more than a few people! (Unless they have a death wish.)
My church in the city is following all protocols from the various health organizations and the mayor. There is no public worship, but the church is open for private prayer. The boy choristers in our choral boarding school have been sent home. All concerts and organ recitals have been canceled. We do have non-public services involving the clergy, etc. and the gentlemen of the choir. These services are available via video webcasts.
The soup kitchen remains open. Our social worker is still working on behalf of the homeless. The priest in charge of pastoral care has been looking for not-at-risk parishioners to help in his ministry.
In my own town the churches are doing likewise.
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No, I am not talking about walking into a quarantine and expecting to be immune. Nor am I talking about going out if I have a cough or fever.
I am talking bout the reality, or lack of reality, of faith. If faith is only in theory then it is worthless.
By all accounts all these measures are only delaying the inevitable anyway. The virus will take its course and the death rate is no more than 2%. More people will die by road accident or pnumonia.
People who know best? Are not in the media or the government. I have a sister in the Health service. She says that this is the worst outbreak in her career. Fine. But that does not account for the hysteria that could have been avoided if people had not wanted a sensational story to sell their newspapers or justify their existence.
And as for the church? She has proved that she does not believe what she preaches and teaches.
You are assuming that churches will spread the virus… faith says that it won’t. But no one is prepared to put their bodies where their faith is… just in case!
By not doing so they prove that their faith is meaningless. By all rights the churches should now close for good. They have been shown to be false teachers.
Richard
THAT’S THE GOAL. SLOW IT DOWN so the healthcare system can keep up.
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Do you look both ways before you cross the street?
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