Churches opening during a pandemic has stirred up a lot of controversy because people claim there are not enough precautions being taken during this time. Although I understand why people would state this, I do also believe that people have the right to their religious beliefs and that they shouldn’t have to close during a pandemic.

At the beginning of March when the pandemic began and the initial lockdowns were announced, all houses of worship were shut down. But later in May, when governor Gavin Newsom had announced reopenings of businesses and venues as Covid cases went down, faith leaders and pastors were confused as to why the reopening of worship centers was at the bottom of the list. 

Southern California became the center of this debate and alerted the government and public health officials against the reopening of churches. After hearing this, president Donald Trump showed his support behind churches keeping their doors open for in-person worship. 

Thankfully, Trump spoke up about this matter thus allowing people to attend their house of worship and continue on with their religious beliefs. Something like the announcement of COVID-19 shouldn’t affect the closure of churches because to some people it’s what keeps them motivated everyday.