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wnylib

(21,146 posts)
35. You nailed this exactly.
Sat May 23, 2020, 06:02 AM
May 2020

This whole thing is about energizing the base and presenting the image of himself as a patriotic defender of constitutional rights. This is the 2020 equivalent of the 2016 campaign slogan to "build that wall." The wall was a symbol of physically defending the country from "the other " The open churches is a symbol of religious rights and he will use it to vilify Dems as godless tyrants.

If it backfires because of increased spread through the churches and increased deaths, he will be toast. There will be no coming back from that because it will be clear cut and obvious to all after he has made such an issue over it, that he encouraged and enabled the spread. So he is desperate enough to take that risk.

Fot the sake of everyone, I hope that there are not new clusters breaking out from open churches. But I am very afraid that there will be.

I have heard people compare open retail stores to opening the churches. They don't recognize the differences. In a store, you pass by people. Even in line, there is a 6 foot distance.

In churches, you are stationary, seated close to people in an enclosed space. An infected person can spread the virus farther through a loud voice, e.g. singing. Just the act of seating yourself in a pew means touching shared surfaces by sliding along the same bench as other people, while often grasping the back of the one ahead of you for balance support. Or stepping over someone to leave if necessary.

There are the hymn books that everyone touches and the bulletins being passed out to people. Plus passing of the collection plate. In Catholic churches, there is the shared holy water. In all Christian churches, there is communion
which means passing bread (or wafers) and wine or juice out to everyone, either in their seats or by coming forward and brushing against others in the process.

Then there is the custom of sharing the peace. It means turning to the people around you and grasping their hand or shoulder, or hugging them, and speaking, face to face, to say, "Peace be with you." In most churches, this extends to crossing the aisles to greet friends, too, so that everyone is milling around in close contact for a few minutes.

In other words, without some BIG changes in how services are conducted, churches would become incubators for viral infection and spread.

Having never attended services in a mosque or synagogue, I can't speak for them, but I expect there are some similarities in closeness of people.



Attending religious services in person is voluntary. milestogo May 2020 #1
So let me get this straight leftieNanner May 2020 #2
I work for a church teenagebambam May 2020 #3
Everything is easier when you don't have to leave the house! forgotmylogin May 2020 #15
It's a lot easier to attend virtually. roamer65 May 2020 #26
What would God do ... GeorgeGist May 2020 #4
DO the happy dance whistler162 May 2020 #24
Notice how he threw in that abortion clinic reference. badhair77 May 2020 #5
Puppet for the fundies. That cross up his ass must seriously hurt. Keep thinking of Sinclair Lewis Evolve Dammit May 2020 #6
Little formal power or not, Trump isn't relying on that. Solly Mack May 2020 #7
You nailed this exactly. wnylib May 2020 #35
Of course he doesn't have a religious bone in his body. totodeinhere May 2020 #8
And don't forget his so-called spritual advisor, Paula White Fritz Walter May 2020 #9
Go for it! Kill off your Evilgelical voters. lagomorph777 May 2020 #10
The orange messiah doesn't give one shit about church people, other than pandering for their votes. OverBurn May 2020 #11
What could possibly go wrong? BadGimp May 2020 #12
Is he trying to kill them all? LisaM May 2020 #13
If we are going to test the water, I guess those predisposed to fanaticism should go first. nt Gore1FL May 2020 #14
Right on. Why not. JudyM May 2020 #31
Is this an admission that CHURCHES and such are places of BUSINESS? Brainfodder May 2020 #16
Trump is a lion Botany May 2020 #17
↑ Thread winner sandensea May 2020 #18
She will Botany May 2020 #19
I'm racking my brain here... jmowreader May 2020 #20
That is checkmate. Jamastiene May 2020 #21
Link to Chicago Tribune nitpicker May 2020 #22
One possible consequence nitpicker May 2020 #23
He can not override state health orders. roamer65 May 2020 #25
Bring all thy sheep into this house of the Lord.......for slaughter. KY_EnviroGuy May 2020 #27
Don't ever bet that Trump locks May 2020 #28
Yeah. Big Christian trump. murielm99 May 2020 #29
Fat Donnie: "If they don't do it, I will override the governors." LastLiberal in PalmSprings May 2020 #30
Anyone else notice how he is standing in that picture? Jamastiene May 2020 #32
I'm sure at some point he complained that he gets treated worse than Jesus Christ. tclambert May 2020 #34
States' rights! States' rights! That used to be a thing Republicans would yell about. tclambert May 2020 #33
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