CDC Cautions Churches ... after COVID 19 outbreak

[TLK Valentine]

Okay, but do you think all this fear mongering is helpful for people? Fear 24/7, stay away from everyone, don't go out in public unless it's an emergency etc.

Maybe you're afraid 24/7, but the rest of us are being cautious.

People here are taking this so seriously, for real.

Pandemics are serious business, for real.

Watch t.v. that's not news you get commercial after commercial telling people not to go out and to be afraid, news is 24/7 how many people are dead today drama.

People dying is news... imagine what kind of world we'd live in if it wasn't?

Meanwhile, here's a thought: Turn. Off. The. TV.

Read a book. Practice the saxophone. Write bad poetry and post it on Facebook. Take a walk in the park.

Use this time to do something. Rather than mope and complain, why not see this time as an opportunity?

The people who want to live some without all the fear are being maligned as if we're monsters...

You want the rest of us to pretend there's nothing happening... big difference.

and come here to a Christian forum and around every corner is fear church, fear singing praise to God, fear God's people because they are all carrying the COVID and just don't know it.

It's not about "knowing" if you have COVID or not -- the problem is that you don't care.

And generally speaking, not caring about the welfare of your fellow man is not a good look for a Christian.

All this fear is unhealthy, to the point even on a Christian forum, saying just trust God is treated as some kind of evil being perpetrated on those who just want to live.

As Ronald Reagan said, "trust... but verify."

You trust God... but you still look both ways before you cross the street.
You trust God... but you still put on sunscreen when you go to the beach.
You trust God... but you still wear your seat belt when you're in the car.

Trust God -- but treat Him as something more than an excuse to think only of yourself.

But we have to live! We cant just hide from life.. it's why people are fed up!

You desperately need to get back into the world that, as Christians, I keep hearing that you're not a part of.

If I were a praying man, I'd think God's using this pandemic to separate the grain from the chaff.

 

[TLK Valentine]

I think your correct in this assessment; it does seem to be a call to repentance, but skipping everything about Christianity isn't really repenting now is it?

Going to church is "everything" about Christianity?

Is there nothing more to it?

If sin is the problem the church family is the most desperate need of the hour, not the least.

Pick up the phone, then.

 

[charsan]

But we have to live! We cant just hide from life.. it's why people are fed up!

It is more than apparent that people believe the lies and think we must live in fear the rest of our lives.

 

[bèlla]

They stopped everything. They really did. They don't call, they stopped checking in on one another..

I recall an earlier comment where you acknowledged the impact shelter-in-place mandates were having because they eliminated the few activities you looked forward to. Is it possible your frustration is due to the isolation you’re experiencing? I can empathize because I’m home full-time and don’t interact in the measure most do face to face.

But I also recall the period when I was ill and home as well. Many of my closest friends lived miles apart. I wasn’t out and about. I adapted to the changes and I’m encouraging you to do the same.

When Joseph faced numerous examples of uncertainty and aloneness the bible included a stanza after every one. “And the Lord was with him.” If you’re feeling forgotten or left out I think its better to say so. That allows others to minister to your needs.

But debating the shutdown isn’t addressing the deeper reasons you’re upset. Everything you’ve expressed is being felt by others. Why don’t you start a thread to encourage them and offer prayer and support? So you’re serving one another as He commands.

~Bella

 

[RDKirk]

Okay, but do you think all this fear mongering is helpful for people? Fear 24/7, stay away from everyone, don't go out in public unless it's an emergency etc.

People here are taking this so seriously, for real. Watch t.v. that's not news you get commercial after commercial telling people not to go out and to be afraid, news is 24/7 how many people are dead today drama.

The people who want to live some without all the fear are being maligned as if we're monsters... and come here to a Christian forum and around every corner is fear church, fear singing praise to God, fear God's people because they are all carrying the COVID and just don't know it.

All this fear is unhealthy, to the point even on a Christian forum, saying just trust God is treated as some kind of evil being perpetrated on those who just want to live.

But we have to live! We cant just hide from life.. it's why people are fed up!

You sound afraid. I'm not afraid. I get myself informed of the real dangers (and there are real dangers). I take precautions, I evaluate the levels of risks in various situations and avoid those risks.

If your congregational leaders can't find a way to do "church" things in this situation, they're frankly not trying hard enough. If they were the Church in North Korea, they'd figure out ways. If they were the Church in Vietnam, they'd figure out ways. It's a shame that such mild pressure has left your congregational leaders helpless.

 

[Hazelelponi]

You sound afraid. I'm not afraid. I get myself informed of the real dangers (and there are real dangers). I take precautions, I evaluate the levels of risks in various situations and avoid those risks.

If your congregational leaders can't find a way to do "church" things in this situation, they're frankly not trying hard enough. If they were the Church in North Korea, they'd figure out ways. If they were the Church in Vietnam, they'd figure out ways. It's a shame that such mild pressure has left your congregational leaders helpless.

What I find frightening is not the pandemic, but the reaction to it. That scares me to death because to me this is just the preview, and the future is not bright.

But I agree... it's just crazy, and I can't fix crazy. I can solve almost any issue in life but I can't deal with crazy... I avoid it like the plague.. haha

 

[ViaCrucis]

Just so we're clear:

When I go to church and receive the Eucharist, I believe I am literally kneeling before and receiving the very Person of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate God-Man. It's His literal flesh, and His literal blood. That's Jesus there, the real, actual, Jesus. I'm literally meeting Jesus when I go to church. That's literally my salvation, my eternal life, in that bread and cup.

And I still believe it is a good idea for churches to refrain from opening their doors prematurely. There have been times throughout the Church's past which have interfered with the ordinary ministry of the Church, and it ultimately all it meant was waiting it out, patiently.

The Lord said to the devil, "It is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" It is not faith or courage to put other people's lives in jeopardy, it is just false piety masquerading as devotion.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[iluvatar5150]

They stopped everything. They really did. They don't call, they stopped checking in on one another..

they Facebook some, mainly stupid yet funny posts. Nothing real.

It's not right. And every singl time Christians say beware, be afraid, seems to me it's just making it worse. They've stopped being Christian in practice.

Sure. Now it's online preaching. Okay. No comfort of one another... no meetings. Just here's your sermons.. here's your Sunday school (which I can live without as they are a different denomination than me I just enjoyed church there and it's close by) if we're on a list they'll pray.

It's death by government and fear.

Here’s another vote for your church doing a poor job of handling things. My church is doing fully prerecorded services, with community groups, youth groups, membership classes, and various other hangouts all moved online. They’ve even been running a weekly trivia tournament that’s open to everybody and that is, frankly, better than most of the bar trivias I’ve been to. Some folks have a hard time getting online, but we don’t really have the resources to do both live church and livestream, so as things start to loosen up, they’re exploring the option of having people host small viewing “parties” at their homes until we’re ready to open back up completely.

 

[Jimmy D]

It is more than apparent that people believe the lies and think we must live in fear the rest of our lives.

What “lies“ are You referring to specifically?

Who has indicated that they think we need to live in fear for the rest of our lives?

What a drama queen.

 

[Richard T]

You may have a good point. I did finally decide this morning (after being unsure and waffling on it this last two weeks) that there's zero point in going back to the church I've been attending.

I'm not in agreement with everything they teach, but I've liked the atmosphere of the church a lot.

At least until I realized it was more than just different outlooks on some aspects of Scripture, it was nearly the whole and the atmosphere disappears in a heart beat.

So perhaps your right. But at the same time .. we need the body of Christ. Need them. We cant just be island's unto ourselves, or just our immediate family, God intended we have one another.

The whole thing is scary. Churches not preaching the heart and mind of God might be destined to fall away. We should not forsake the assembly but we are to love others too. It has been mentioned by others that love does not put the community at risk. We have to find other alternatives and most importantly, we have to have repentance and discipline in our own lives to draw closer to God, perhaps even without our habit of going to a physical church. I pray we all find the balance of safety, devotion and the love of God for others in all our fellowship.

 

[KCfromNC]

It is more than apparent that people believe the lies and think we must live in fear the rest of our lives.

The fear that a legitimate response to a once in a lifetime global pandemic is something more sinister than not wanting innocent victims to die needlessly?

 

[FireDragon76]

The Lord said to the devil, "It is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" It is not faith or courage to put other people's lives in jeopardy, it is just false piety masquerading as devotion.

-CryptoLutheran

I agree, but I believe it's more like demonolatry.

 

[RestoreTheJoy]

Then why did God tell the Israelites to put the infected lepers out of the camp if it wasn't in order to isolate the infected and save the lives of others? Why didn't He just heal the lepers and keep others from getting infected and dying?

It seems to me God was showing us how to fight a disease so it wouldn't become a pandemic.

Even when Jesus healed someone, He told the person to go show himself to the priest to follow protocol and be declared clean.