Dear Trump, your call to allow all churches to reopen was dangerous. Sincerely, two evangelicals.
Religion And Faith,Donald Trump,Safety And Sanity During COVID-19,Public Health
Earlier this year, many pastors received inadequate information on when to close their doors, and some faced deadly consequences. Your announcement makes decisions harder for church leaders by complicating clear public health messaging that caution during reopening is key.
Of course we want to go back to church. Some pastors who began opening in certain states have been preparing for several weeks for how to open safely and in consultation with their local public health officials. But an announcement on Friday does not give pastors adequate time to take the necessary preemptive steps to open by Sunday.
And pastors, just because the president said on Friday churches are “essential” and should reopen does not mean that you should switch the lights back on this Sunday.
Public health experts have urged caution in resuming in-person mass gatherings. Earlier this week, director of the National Institutes of Health Francis Collins publicly said, “I think as Christians we have to have as our number one priority that we are going to care for the sick and the vulnerable. I cannot see, therefore, that it’s justifiable to bring large numbers of people together even in the name of worship, because of the risk it carries.”
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