The return to Church - more health roulette

[_I have a question]

There are a number of issues with the decision to start holding Church Meetings. Covid-19 has not gone away and you cannot adequately social distance in a Chapel setting.

“Singing (at church) just seems like the perfect way to spread disease,” said Jaxon Peterson, a 31-year-old father of two, to the Deseret News this week.

https://www.deseret.com/indepth/2020/6/ ... -reopening
Covid 19 spreads via droplets expelled from an infected persons mouth or nose. Singing hymns forces people to expel droplets into the air. So if you're sat within the vicinity of someone signing a hymn who is knowingly or unknowingly infected, you're at risk.

And then there's the sacrament.

• Priesthood holders who do not feel well should remain at home.

• Priesthood holders may wear face masks while preparing, blessing and passing the sacrament.

• Priesthood holders should thoroughly wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before preparing, blessing and passing the sacrament. If hand washing is not available, they should use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. They should then avoid shaking hands or touching their eyes, nose or mouth.

• All members should cover their cough or sneeze with a tissue. They should then throw the tissue in the trash and wash or sanitize their hands. Surfaces on sacrament trays, including handles, should be cleaned and disinfected frequently.

https://www.deseret.com/faith/2020/5/19 ... us-covid19
It would only take one infected person putting their hand into the sacrament tray to spread the disease to every subsequent person who ingests a tainted piece of bread. Will you be risking health roulette and going back to sit near people singing and putting their hands on bread pieces that you then eat?

[_Shulem]

O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, JeZuZ ChriZtuZ, that none of the members within the congregation will catch Corona today.

[Guest]

Well, if I catch Corona, at least I will go to heaven.



Don't do it!

[_Shulem]

I don't want Corona but I must obey Church and do as they say.



It is better to obey and die for the Church rather than remain in your sins

[_Lemmie]

Surely there will be a policy change? At least temporarily? In my spouse’s catholic mass, only one person, two at most, both adults, touch the host before it’s placed in one’s hand. There is a hand sanitizer dispenser upfront and as the people go up to assist they literally clean their hands right before touching anything. And that was before the current situation. The wine is optional and even before the pandemic many people didn’t partake. There is no judgment of those who don’t.

I tried to explain Mormon sacrament to my husband, that teenagers handle and touch all of the bread (which comes from god only knows where) and water, and then younger teenagers hand the trays to someone at the end of a full row where at least one child grubs around in the tray touching every piece before picking one, and then sloshes the water around for good measure. Not that the adults are any better, since at least 2 or 3 or more touch the tray and breath on it and then on you as they manhandle their multiple kids to get the trays moved along. I read one young mother’s account where she despaired of ever attending a sacrament meeting where she would NOT have to tell at least one of her five children under eight to quit picking their nose right before touching the bread tray.

[_Shulem]

There is no judgment of those who don’t.

Just the opposite of the Mormon Church in which members are judged for not conforming.

teenagers handle and touch all of the bread (which comes from god only knows where)

It's easy to imagine where teen boys stick their hands.

at least one child grubs around in the tray touching every piece before picking one

Eeww, gross. Snotty baby fingers on the bread.

:surprised:

quit picking their nose right before touching the bread tray

That might tend to make the break stick, do you think?

:confused:

[_Lemmie]

:surprised:

quit picking their nose right before touching the bread tray

That might tend to make the break stick, do you think?

:confused:

Lol. Well, children can be very enterprising, I suppose. Maybe it allows them to snag an extra piece, especially if it’s Fast Sunday and they are positive they are about to die of starvation. Ox in the mire and all.

[_I have a question]

What does the congregation do when, during the sacrament, someone in the front pew inadvertently coughs near the bread tray?

With the lack of proper explanations the Church has placed the consequences of things going wrong on the local leaders, as always. If a member contracts coronavirus at Church and subsequently dies, where does that leave the Bishop?

Why haven’t they been as prescriptive about passing the sacrament in a Covid-19 world, as they’ve been about the foyer and artwork? Because Lawyers.

[_Dr LOD]

A few days ago I had a quick conversation with my GA friend. Here is how he understood what may happen.

-multiple short meetings, with the attempt to at least get each family/individual an opportunity to attend once a month.

-Any symptoms asked not to attend.

-Masks requested, but not required

-social distancing in the chapel, family groups sit together

-Sacrament tray specific to the family group.

-no singing

-good hand hygiene with sacrament preparation. required masks for these people.

That being said that individual does not plan on attending a sacrament meeting due to age and other medical conditions.

Overall it seems like they are playing it safe with that criteria. From how I see Mormons in the community with their lax behavior if this is how the church does it it may be a bit of a shock.

[_reflexzero]

Ehh, they could just do it like initiatory. “The toast you ate for breakfast is now authorized.”

Or increase the potency of the sacrament, so that it’s supposed effects lasts longer than the completely arbitrary 7 days from Sunday to Sunday.