The overwhelming majority of American adults say houses of worship should follow the same coronavirus rules as businesses, a Pew study suggests.
Conservative Christian activists have pushed state and local authorities for months to allow houses of worship to reopen on their own terms during the coronavirus pandemic. But a new survey from the Pew Research Center suggests that most Americans ― including evangelicals ― believe houses of worship shouldn’t get special treatment.
The statistics suggest that, even as some evangelical pastors claim coronavirus restrictions are violating congregants’ religious liberty, many Americans of faith believe authorities do have the right to tell congregations how to worship during a global health crisis. President Donald Trump’s administration has also stepped in to defend churches’ ability to meet in person during the pandemic. In May, Trump decried the fact that “liquor stores and abortion clinics” were deemed essential in some places while churches were not, and threatened to “override” governors who didn’t allow churches to reopen.
The survey of 10,211 adults, conducted between July 13 and July 19, suggested that even though Americans have the option to attend services in some places, most people of faith are not ready to go back to life as usual.
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