Per bit.ly/34tBeza by Emma O'Connor and Kadia Goba @kadiagoba via @BuzzFeedNews ., “As BuzzFeed News reported last month¬- a poll conducted in mid-March found that nearly a fifth of religious Americans said they were still attending in-person services...1/13 pls RT
Per bit.ly/34tBeza ,"...However¬- conditions have changed and worsenedSignificantly since then¬- and some outbreaks haveEven occurredExplicitly due to church gatherings¬- AtLeast 70 attendees of a church in Sacramento, CaliforniaWere diagnosed with COVID-19...2/13 pls RT
Per bit.ly/34tBeza ,"... last week¬- and in March churches in Arkansas and Illinois saw dozens of citizens fall ill after attending church events...3/13 pls RT
Per bit.ly/34tBeza ,"... Several states that have issued stay-at-home orders have included exceptions for houses of worship...4/13 pls RT
Per bit.ly/34tBeza ,"...¬- New York¬- Pennsylvania¬- Texas¬- Michigan¬-[Florida] and California have all issued stay-at-home orders that either designate houses of worship as “essential” (exempting them from having to close)...5/13 pls RT
Per bit.ly/34tBeza ,"... or encourage them to close but exempt them from penalties¬- For example¬- Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer banned all gatherings outside the home¬- but added that “a place of religious worship...6/13 pls RT
Per bit.ly/34tBeza ,"...when used for religious worship¬- is not subject to penalty" for violating the order¬-Other states have directives that are not particularly clear on the guidelines for houses of worship...7/13 pls RT
Per bit.ly/34tBeza ,"...South Carolina and Alabama did not explicitly address houses of worship¬- but left them out of their list of nonessential businesses required to close...8/13 pls RT
Per bit.ly/34tBeza ,"...Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards issued an executive order in mid-March that banned gatherings of more than 50 people¬- but made exceptions for traveling “to-and-from” houses of worship...9/13 pls RT
Per bit.ly/34tBeza ,"...Ohio Gov¬- Mike DeWine’s order exempts houses of worship from the state’s ban on gatherings of more than 10 people¬- but he then tweeted a plea to religious leaders to halt in-person services...10/13 pls RT
Per bit.ly/34tBeza ,"...Even with these exemptions¬- some religious leaders¬- like Spell [Pastor Tony Spell, Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana]¬- have flouted directives so openly that they are now facing criminal charges...11/13 pls RT
Per bit.ly/34tBeza ,"...“Right now I have$5,000 inFines&amFacing upTo900 days inJail ”Spell [Pastor Tony Spell, Life TabernacleChurch in BatonRouge, LA] said ThursdayAdding that his congregationContinues to support him& is even growing with each service...12/13 pls RT
Per bit.ly/34tBeza ,"... people coming from all over the country¬- he [Pastor Tony Spell, Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana] said¬- from as far as Michigan and Minnesota¬- He has¬- at times¬- claimed his congregation is as big as 1,800 ---13/13 pls RT
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