Andy Wilson: Governor unfairly stepping on church-goers right to assembly

To The Daily Sun,

Governor Sununu’s emergency order #40 requires religious organizations to follow mitigation strategies that are more stringent than those required for similarly situated activities. As of May 11, retail businesses will be allowed to have their stores filled to 50 percent capacity. But church gatherings continue to be limited to under 10 persons through May 31. A sanctuary filled to 50 percent of its capacity would not be a greater risk for spreading the virus than a retail store filled to 50 percent of its capacity. The opposite is true. Stores are frequented by a wide array of people for dozens of hours per week. Church services are attended by basically the same people for a couple hours each week.

The fact that New Hampshire is statistically one of the least religious states in America should not cause our state officials to think little of overriding our First Amendment rights regarding the free exercise of religion. For Christians, the physical assembly of God’s people for worship is a key aspect of the church’s identity. The English term “church” translates the Greek term ekklesia, which literally means “assembly.” In being deprived of our ability to assemble physically for public worship in a meaningful sense, we are being deprived of something that is essential to our very being as Christ’s church. At the very least, the governor should permit religious organizations to operate by the same standard as retail businesses.

Andy Wilson

Laconia