Take your pick in the Commonwealth: which is "ESSENTIAL" and stays open:




{Pastor] Law then outlines a formal biblical and practical argument for why the pastors believe that churches should be permitted to assemble again:



Pastors Slam Gov Northam Who Closed Churches, But Let Abortion Clinics KIll Babies

P.S.
It seems that alcohol is far more important than the Church.

Governor Northam ordered “non-essential retail businesses” in his state to shut down for a month starting at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday—but expressly exempted the state’s government-owned liquor stores, calling them “essential retail businesses.”

Church in KY sued the Governor and won.  Churches in KY can now meet again as long as they practice social distancing.

Divine providence has seen that this insanity should serve as a wakeup call to many Christians.  Good to hear that Virginia is fighting back.  Glad to hear of Kentucky too.

Liquor stores assemble crowds of a few hundred people and keep them in the store for 1-3 hours?

I guess that makes them the same.

I cannot tell if you are trolling or just a sloppy thinker.

No one made the argument you're attacking (that churches and liquor stores are the same or that liquor stores contain the same number of people as churches within the same period of time).  

If you read executive order 53, you'll see that it dictates, "...all public and private in person gatherings of 10 or more individuals are prohibited."  Also, "Essential retail businesses may remain open during their normal business hours. Such businesses are:
...
? Beer, wine, and liquor stores;
..."

If you read executive order 55, you'll see that is specifically bans gatherings with the purpose of worship and draws and provides an exception for the previously allowed entities under EO53, "2. All public and private in-person gatherings of more than ten individuals are prohibited. This includes parties, celebrations, religious, or other social events, whether they occur indoor or outdoor. This restriction does not apply:
a. To the operation of businesses not required to close to the public under Executive Order 53; or..."

Now, I've seen some pretty small chapels that would easily accommodate more than people while still adhering to the ridiculous space guidance.  The vast majority of churches could accommodate many times ten while still adhering to the space guidelines.  From a pragmatic perspective, most churches are much bigger than liquor stores; therefore, it makes no sense that they would be limited to ten people.  From a legal and moral perspective, it's problematic to restrict religious events to ten people, while excepting other entities such as liquor stores.

The problem is that the virus doesn't observe those distinctions.

It really doesn't care why the group assembles, unfortunately.

How long they stay together is also a factor, the longer together the greater the potential exposure and the attendant risk.

I honestly believe this is move by VA Democrats to put churches out of business financially.

You can have 100 people standing waiting for pickup food at Outback Steakhouse for mother's day but you can't have a social distanced church service?

You can't pick and chose who has rights.

I agree with what you state, but the people deserve the right to make those decisions for themselves.

Not if they become infected and either infect others or put the lives of those who are forced to care for them at risk. (or both)

We'll have to agree to disagree.

Illness, misfortune, and death have always been a part of humanity.  If you believe that a tyrant arbitrarily has the right to trample natural law and divine law, that is the properly ordered desire and justice for man to worship God, then no, we cannot agree to disagree.

Okay

Who is being forced to care for anyone?  Considering they are violating the first amendment, may as well violate the 13th amendment too.

What choice do the nurses and doctors have when the infected person shows up for treatment?

Career choice.