A majority of people believe that governments should allow some form of in-person religious services, according to a new poll.
The poll, from the Associated Press and University of Chicago Divinity School, found that in early May, just over half of the public thinks that during coronavirus shutdowns, churches should not be required to cancel public services entirely. At the same time, most people believe that churches should not be permitted to resume activities as they were conducted before the virus’s outbreak.
Support for in-person church fell below support for drive-in services, the poll found. About 60% of people believe that drive-in services are safe, a number that falls below the nearly 70% of people who said that going to the park, to the beach, or doing other outdoor activities is safe.
The poll also found that the majority of the public does not think that government restrictions on church services are a violation of religious freedom. Only 42% of people said that banning drive-in services is a violation, and 35% said that banning in-person services infringed upon religious liberty. Those numbers rise among Christians, 36% of whom said that prohibiting in-person services was a violation, as opposed to the 9% of nonreligious people who said it was.
Republicans are more likely than Democrats to call restrictions violations of religious freedom: Nearly 60% of Republicans said that banning drive-in services was an attack on religious liberty. Democrats and independents are also more skeptical of reopening churches, the poll found.
At the same time, a vocal and growing minority of church leaders and religious liberty advocates are suing governors for the right to hold in-person services. Churches in Virginia, Illinois, Oregon, and elsewhere are calling bans and restrictions “unconstitutional.”
Attorney General William Barr’s Justice Department filed a statement of interest Sunday supporting a church in Virginia that is attempting to hold in-person services. In the statement, officials wrote that Gov. Ralph Northam’s order limiting church gatherings to 10 people was likely not the “least restrictive” way to regulate churches and ensure public health during the pandemic.
