Most American Christians Oppose Exemptions to Social Distancing Rules for Churches

The vast majority of Americans believe churches should operate according to the same social distancing guidelines as other organizations, according to a recent survey by Pew Research Center. 79% of those surveyed said that houses of worship should “be subject to the same social distancing rules as other organizations.” Only 19% of those surveyed disagreed.

Three out of four Christians who responded to the survey, which was conducted between July 13^th and 19^th, also agreed that churches should follow the same rules. 74% of all Christians said churches should follow the same guidelines as other businesses while 25% said churches should be given more flexibility.

When Christians were polled about what they believed their churches should be doing right now, only 13% believed that their congregation should be operating in the same manner as it did before the outbreak of COVID-19. 28% believed their churches should still be closed to public gatherings and 57% said their churches should be opened with modifications.

These numbers tracked closely with the current practice of churches in the United States. Only 6% of respondents said their churches were meeting just as they were before the pandemic. 31% of those surveyed said their churches were still closed and 55% replied that their churches were open with modifications. Those modifications included social distancing,…