On December 7, Colorado changed its list of “critical services” as defined by the pandemic to include “houses of worship,” eliminating the cap on the number of people who can attend religious services in person. As a result, local churches are wasting no time packing people back in to in-person services at the start of the new year. The move to lift the cap on church attendance came after the U.S. Supreme Court’s new conservative majority ruled against the State of New York in a lawsuit in which the governor sought to limit in-person attendance at religious services to reduce the spread of the deadly coronavirus pandemic. It also comes just as a new, more communicable strain of Corona virus was discovered in the state, at a time when the state is lifting some restrictions on businesses and as School District 51 announced a return to in-person learning this week — a potent combination that could greatly increase the spread of the deadly virus.
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, writing for himself, ruled with the minority in the 5-4 decision, saying “It is a significant matter to override determinations made by public health officials concerning what is necessary for public safety in the midst of a deadly pandemic.”
A look at the parking lots of a handful of churches in Grand Junction on Sunday morning, Jan. 3 shows them filled with cars and people, a few of them with masks on while outside the churches, but mostly without.
The uptick in in-person attendance at religious services locally comes after Colorado announced December 29 that the new, more contagious strain of Coronavirus first found in the United Kingdom was confirmed to be in Colorado. The appearance of the more communicable strain combined with a statewide uptick in in-person attendance at church services is likely to cause yet another spike in Covid-19 deaths, coming very shortly after spikes we’ve already experienced after people gathered against public health advice for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year.
It also comes at a time when, even though cases and deaths have decreased slightly locally, Mesa County is also close to maxing out the number of ICU beds available to treat people who become extremely ill with Covid-19.
Just like the futility of “thoughts and prayers” after mass casualty gun events, the believers think that a bit of mental effort directed at a mythical father-figure residing in the sky can mitigate their ineptitude at understanding the scientific evidence about viruses and their effects on human biological systems.
We’d have a great society without religion. Conservative “christians” are the blight of this nation and this valley. I rue the day I moved here. I came for the climate and the low taxes, but these right-wingers and their batty beliefs are truly intolerable. If they vote, their churches should be taxed or stopped from preaching politics to their uneducated sheep.
Nothing is more christlike than defiance and ignorance and arrogance. To not be all three of these atrocities is to commit irredeemable heresy. The nicene creed loosely translates as: “be defiant, be ignorant, be arrogant, for you are a christian and that makes you superior and entitled and exceptional, so hold onto your guns and kick some ass for Jesus.”
Was Boebert at mass today? No god would ever save that hideous cretin.
No, she was being sworn in to represent us in the 3rd congressional district, so she can object to who legally won the election. Maybe they were in church asking for help saving us from her. LOL
The Diamonds & Silks are everywhere.
Did any of the christians wear their burkas?
At least there was mostly an end to Nazi power and destruction after only a decade or two. The Christians, on the other hand, have been doing way worse for thousands of years, with no repercussions.
Believers seeking the “rapture” are risking the “rupture”. As in, micro clots throughout the brain and lungs.
These are the same COVIDiots who want to send their kids back to school, who travelled over the holidays, had huge gatherings with people around the holidays, and who shop maskless!
MARY is 100% CORRECT! Why do so many religious people totally ignore the factual science about COVID? I’m a Christian, but I have intentionally NOT attended church for about a year now, because I know that many of my fellow believers are probably infected and contagious — and may CAUSE my DEATH! Our LOVE for others REQUIRES that we NOT attend church!
Whats all the “believing” about? A flower doesn’t sit around believing in its nature, nor does a deer sit around repenting about sins.
Not surprised. Religions have been using their ‘rights’ to infringe on others’ wellbeing for years and this is only highlighting that. As they lose credibility and influence they’ll claim ‘persecution’ but we’ll know they did it to themselves and will have to answer to god for their callousness and blatent misrepresentation of their biblical values to care for one another.
This is so indicative of the depth of their faith. Hospital staff will be asked to be their model of care and compassion, while risking themselves and their families. This is one sad community