Americans Support COVID-19 Restrictions On Churches: Pew Research
A new survey by Pew Research says that Americans overwhelmingly believe “houses of worship should be required to follow the same rules about social distancing and large gatherings as other organizations or businesses in their local area.”
As states reopen after COVID-19 lockdowns, many have placed restrictions on the practices of restaurants, entertainment venues and other businesses to reduce the spread of the virus: these include social distancing, mandatory mask wearing and limited capacity.
In light of these lockdown precautions, 79 percent of Americans surveyed in July say houses of worship should be required to follow the same rules. Only 19 percent said they should be allowed more flexibility as opposed to bars, restaurants and other businesses.
For the most part, this lines up with federal rulings on what church reopening policies should be. In a notable case from July, the Supreme Court ruled against a Nevada church that claimed it was being treated more harshly than bars and casinos. Casinos, restaurants and amusement parks had 50 percent capacity limits, while houses of worship were limited to 50 people.
Houses of worship were identified as a prominent source of COVID-19 spread by the New York Times in July, though there’s no data to suggest churches spread more cases than movie theaters or other businesses.
But more Pew data from earlier in the lockdown period says that houses of worship in 15 states were exempt from limits on gathering. Houses of worship in other states faced less stringent restrictions.
Read: Churches As Superspreaders: Worship Connection To COVID-19 Making News
It’s still the decision of states to set these restrictions on houses of worship, which can then decide how to host worship under these circumstances. Many churches have switched to virtual, but plenty are taking advantages of reopening practices to host services in person under various COVID-19 guidelines.
Congregants are still wearing masks, socially distancing and, in some cases, staying in their car to hear sermons preached from the parking lot.
Of those surveyed in the most recent study who typically attend religious services, 55 percent said their church is open with modifications and 31 percent said their church is closed. This generally aligns with what most churchgoers believe their church should be doing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Jillian Cheney is a Poynter-Koch fellow for Religion Unplugged who loves consuming good culture and writing about it. She also reports on American Protestantism and Evangelical Christianity. You can find her on Twitter @_jilliancheney.