Faith groups join call to take virus precautions
Three faith coalitions are calling on Oklahoma's faith community to consider worshiping virtually, wearing masks and staying home in response to the state's current COVID-19 crisis.
Friday, leaders of the Oklahoma Conference of
Churches, Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma and Tulsa Metropolitan Ministries teamed up with Dr. Noel Williams for a virtual news conference to address the surge of coronavirus cases around the state.
Williams said he has been meeting with numerous medical and hospital groups around Oklahoma for the last nine months to address the ongoing health emergency.
He said he joined with the faith leaders on Friday to imp lore people of faith to take the crisis seriously and help reduce t he spread of COVID-19.
“We're in big trouble. It's a dire, terrible situation so what we're asking everyone for is help,” he said.
The doctor said wearing
masks is key and “it's not political.”
“The No. 1 thing for us is whether you believe it or not, masks do help — the data shows they help. They give you a two-thirds reduction in hospital admissions in the counties that have masks verses counties that don't. ... We're seeing a 2-to-1 ratio of people from nonmask communities versus mask (mandate) communities in the hospital and in the intensive care so we have to cut the caseload.”
Faith leaders echoed Williams sentiments about the importance of masks. They also recommended t hat people worship virtually and, if they decide to attend inperson worship services, to practice social distancing in addition to wearing masks.
The Rev. Shannon Fleck, Oklahoma Conference of Churches' executive director, said the conference released its statement on COVID19 on Friday which outlined the coalitions recommendations. Those include advocating for mask requirements on the local and state level. Many cities around Oklahoma have implemented mask man dates, while Gov. Kevin St it th as said he isn' t inclined to implement a statewide mask requirement.
“Some version of `The Golden Rule' exists in every religious tr a dition, demonstrating the importance of caring for our neighbor as an act of faithfulness. We can and should be guided by common concern to protect life, particularly during a pandemic when our behavior has a direct and immediate impact on the lives of those around us. In our current context, `Love Your Neighbor' means ` wear a mask,'” the conference's statement reads.
Rabbi Abby Jacobson, spiritual leader of Emanuel Synagogue and president of the Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma, also spoke along with Aliye Shimi, executive director of Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry, an interfaith coalition of faith organizations.
Shimi said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19 precautionary guidelines are critically important.
“It is also incumbent upon us as faith leaders to lead by example and enforce those guidelines,” she said.
Jacobson urged people of faith to help make their neighbors and communities safer by adhering to the CDC's guidelines and strongly consider opting to worship virtually via technology instead of attending in-person activities.
“We areas king you to make use of those resources t hat God has given us to reach people who should not be endangered.
“We areas king you to do the deeply faithful thing of putting yourself second and putting the needs of the vulnerable first,” she said.
“We are not commanding you — we are begging you. This is about imploring you: Will you help us?”
To read the Oklahoma Conference of Churches' full statement on COVID19, to https://www. okchurches.org/news.