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In a piece for The Conversation, IU McKinney Law Professor Ross Silverman cites the latest turn in the debate over what places of worship may do during the COVID-19 pandemic: the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision not to disturb the California governor’s order restricting religious service gatherings.

During the pandemic there have been frequent clashes as federal, state and local officials try to balance protecting the public’s health with the rights of individuals and groups to gather and practice their faith, according to Professor Silverman, in his article “When It Comes to Reopening Churches in the Pandemic, Supreme Court Says Grace Ain’t Groceries.”

The move lends support to state officials making science-informed decisions that may inhibit church congregants from fully engaging in their faith, Professor Silverman says.

“The loosening of formal in-person gathering restrictions is beginning to take place across the country. This will likely make monitoring the rules more difficult and could result in greater reliance upon the vigilance of religious leaders, their congregants and perhaps guidance from the churches’ risk-averse liability insurance companies. For now, most churches and other religious entities appear to be remaining careful amid concern over the still present risks. Some are not,” he wrote.

Professor Silverman is Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI with a secondary appointment at IU McKinney School of Law. His research interests include legal, ethical and policy issues in public health and medicine, professional school admissions, interdisciplinary curriculum development, medical humanities, human rights, and patient safety.