Singing in Church

[Carborendum]

I thought I'd share.  Our bishopric announced today that we'd be singing out loud now.  There was quite a commotion about it.

[Vort]

I conducted a baptism yesterday where the bishop was presiding. When I announced that we would sing the opening hymn, the bishop corrected me that we would just be listening to the hymn, because we weren't allowed to sing. How did I feel?

A. Embarrassed
B. Irritated at the stupidity of such an Inslee-inspired-sounding regulation
C. Both of the above

Edited September 13, 2020 by Vort

[Still_Small_Voice]

I'm grateful they did not do this to churches in my State.  The no singing in church state regulation was unConstitutional and ridiculous.  I think some little tyrant state authorities like to exercise their power in ways that make them feel powerful.

[NeedleinA]

5 hours ago, Vort said:

B. Irritated at the stupidity of such an Inslee-inspired-sounding regulation

B

Our ward just had a munch and mingle after church for about 20 minutes. It was nice to say the least.

Edited September 14, 2020 by NeedleinA

[Vort]

28 minutes ago, NeedleinA said:

B

Our ward just had a munch and mingle after church for about 20 minutes. I was nice to say the least.

It probably should have been B. Sadly, it was not.

[NeedleinA]

7 minutes ago, Vort said:

It probably should have been B. Sadly, it was not.

D. Wishing it would have been B but having chosen A or C instead.  

[Vort]

C, ftr.

[NeedleinA]

6 minutes ago, Vort said:

C, ftr.

C = I've been there before.
Then it is usually followed by some degree of frustration for allowing myself to be embarrassed.

[seashmore]

2 hours ago, Still_Small_Voice said:

I'm grateful they did not do this to churches in my State.  The no singing in church state regulation was unConstitutional and ridiculous.  I think some little tyrant state authorities like to exercise their power in ways that make them feel powerful.

I didn't realize this was a state-regulated thing.  I'm in notoriously red Nebraska and we haven't been singing.  Either our no-singing mandate came from local Church leaders, or your city/state has passed a regulation that I can't imagine mine passing, since we never officially went into shutdown. 

[NeedleinA]

57 minutes ago, seashmore said:

Nebraska

Either our no-singing mandate came from local Church leaders,

It came from the combined agreement/consensus of the 5 area stake presidents and the area 70.

[seashmore]

8 minutes ago, NeedleinA said:

It came from the combined agreement/consensus of the 5 area stake presidents and the area 70.

That's what I thought, but @Still_Small_Voice made it sound like there were places that had state-wide mandates against singing, which is why I brought it up.

 

3 hours ago, Still_Small_Voice said:

The no singing in church state regulation was unConstitutional and ridiculous.

 

[Still_Small_Voice]

1 hour ago, seashmore said:

I didn't realize this was a state-regulated thing.  I'm in notoriously red Nebraska and we haven't been singing.  Either our no-singing mandate came from local Church leaders, or your city/state has passed a regulation that I can't imagine mine passing, since we never officially went into shutdown. 

The California Governor forbade singing in churches.  I do not know if it is still in effect but it was a tyrannical mandate nonetheless.  I expect such things from California.  There is a reason many people are fleeing the State.  I do not know what other States put this mandate in.

https://townhall.com/columnists/toddstarnes/2020/07/04/californias-governor-forbids-christians-from-singing-in-church-houses-n2571849

[pam]

Weird.  I had not heard there was a no singing rule.

[Still_Small_Voice]

Liberty Counsel reported this:

Pastor Trieber has served at North Valley Baptist Church for 45 years. In March, when Governor Newsom issued a total prohibition on religious worship services, regardless of the number attending or whether social distancing and personal hygiene practices were followed, including attendance at in-home worship services. North Valley Baptist Church ceased its in-person worship services, K4 through 12 Christian school, college, bus ministry, jail ministry, public school ministry, nursing home ministry, door-to-door visitation, hospital visitation, children’s ministries and Sunday School. 

“We wanted to err on the side of safety so we shut down everything. And we closed down as we were instructed,” said Pastor Trieber. 

However, now that the church is meeting again, he has been forced to risk imprisonment and incur unconstitutional fees in order to stand for God and for his congregation. 

Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “As a result of Governor Newsom’s unconstitutional orders, North Valley Baptist Church is now incurring horrendous fees for simply exercising its First Amendment right to worship. Yet, Governor Newsom supports tens of thousands of protestors, saying ‘God bless you. Keep doing it.’ This is wrong, and the governor’s unconstitutional hostility and discrimination against religious worship must end.” 

After the Santa Clara County Public Health Office posted a cease and desist letter on North Valley Baptist Church’s doors on Friday, August 21, 2020 the government has now fined the church $52,750 as of September 1, 2020. 

https://lc.org/newsroom/details/090220-county-throws-unconstitutional-fines-at-ca-church-1

[NeuroTypical]

I think this study is what placed "singing at church during COVID" on everyone's radar:

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6919e6.htm - "High SARS-CoV-2 Attack Rate Following Exposure at a Choir Practice — Skagit County, Washington, March 2020"

Quote

Following a 2.5-hour choir practice attended by 61 persons, including a symptomatic index patient, 32 confirmed and 20 probable secondary COVID-19 cases occurred (attack rate = 53.3% to 86.7%); three patients were hospitalized, and two died.

Poo-poo it all you want, but it seems reasonable to ask people to at least understand what they're poo-poo-ing.  It's good to have a working knowledge of human rights and the constitution.  But folks without at least a basic understanding of "emitters" and "superemitters", and the relationship of droplet formation and loudness/volume, would seem to be at a disadvantage when trying to form a relevant opinion - because the lawfulness of a public health order is only half the story.

Edited September 16, 2020 by NeuroTypical