EQUALITY FOR VICTORIA’S PEOPLE OF FAITH

We need to practice our faith it gives us inner healing and peace to Worship

Places of worship should be open

please open our churches

Galatians 6:7 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

We need the church to open please

Allow the people to attend church and have their worships. I’m not religious myself but am accepting of others beliefs and know this would be damaging to them to call on their all mighty god in these challenges times we face

if I can go to my grocery shop ... I should be able to go to my church

We r all eaqul

With appropriate implementation of social hygiene measures it is a no brainer to open places of worship to assist with maintaining people’s mental health.

I do not want restriction from public worship. I am responsible enough to take care of my own welfare. No one, including the government should interfere with the sacred right to worship God publicly.

for God's greater glory...

open all churches for the faithful. Churches are more important than brothels. Pls open up the churches to save prroples lives.

Worship services are an essential service for us as much as bread and water.

Specially during difficult times the church is a haven

Please be consistent in your application of public gatherings Premier. Supermarkets with dozens of people not socially distancing v churches with 4 SQM spacing not allowed to meet

Dear Premier Daniel Andrews, We, people of Victoria’s faith community, request that the ‘Roadmap for Reopening' be amended so that people of faith and places of worship are treated equitably and fairly. The 2016 national census indicates that approximately 60% of Victorians identify as religious. For people of faith, the ability to practise our beliefs – including through public worship – is essential to our wellbeing. As it stands, the ‘Roadmap’ suggests that our wellbeing has not been given due consideration. We are particularly concerned about the inequitable treatment of people of faith under ‘Step 3’ of your ‘Roadmap’. For example, ‘Step 3’ permits cafes and restaurants to seat up to 20 people indoors and 50 people outdoors yet restricts religious communities to outdoor gatherings of only 10 people and indoor private worship limited to 'household bubbles'. There is no logical reason for this discrepancy. People of faith are able to attend a service in a place of worship whilst wearing a face mask; physical distancing is not a challenge in what are often very large venues; services are time-limited and rigorous infection-control measures are able to be implemented. A place of worship can and should be accessible in a COVID-safe way. Religious organisations should be afforded the same opportunity to open for indoor worship with density quotients equivalent to those seen in other parts of the community such as hospitality. We were afforded the opportunity as we emerged from the first lockdown; we deserve to be afforded the same opportunity again as we emerge from the second lockdown. Premier Andrews, we, people of Victoria’s faith community, request that you adjust the ‘Roadmap for Reopening’ in a way that secures the equitable treatment of religious communities and grants us the opportunity to practise our faith in a COVID-safe manner. Signed, Joyce Khoo For people of all faiths, Mordialloc Victoria

1. People of faith are being treated unfairly by the Victorian government’s ‘Roadmap for Reopening’ 2. Under ‘Step 3’ of the Roadmap cafes / restaurants will be able to seat up to 20 people indoors and 50 people outdoors yet religious communities are restricted to outdoor gatherings of only 10 people and indoor private worship of household bubbles 3. There is no reason for this discrepancy 4. Places of worship can and should be allowed to open for ceremonies in a COVID-safe way 5. We were given the opportunity to open in line with other sectors following the first wave, we should be granted the same opportunity now 6. We are not asking for ‘special treatment’, we are asking for equal treatment 7. We are asking for the roadmap to be adjusted to secure fair treatment of religious communities

Please open the churches. This is ridiculous. God created us to need one another and to worship Him. Do not restrict singing it is a vital part of our worship