#190
Restrictions on Gatherings Continue to Pose Challenges

Public health regulations and postponements for conferences, festivals, and other large gatherings have almost become a normal part of life in 2022. However, the challenges and drawbacks of these restrictions are still felt by everyone, including religious groups. Recently, a long-running pagan gathering called “Between the Worlds” was postponed again as cases of omicron soared, after the conference was originally postponed from April 2020. One of the organizers said, “I think we will suffer if we continue to be physically separated.” The financial cost of continuing to postpone or cancel in-person gatherings is also difficult for smaller pagan nonprofits that rely on ticket sales to survive. Debates and tensions continue to turn around whether there is or should be some forms of special treatment for religious gatherings, and, in contrast, inappropriate forms of discrimination.
 
Another question is whether and how ​​religious destinations will suffer from a lack of tourism and pilgrimages. One study in the Journal of Heritage Tourism examines the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the decision of people to visit the Mount Athos monastic community. A broader question is that of the changing landscape of law and religion in the face of COVID-19, a topic that is taken up by a special edition of the Journal of the International Religious Liberty Association. Articles include “Reflecting on the Measure of our Humanity: Revisiting the Imperative of Human Solidarity,” by Ganoune Diop; “The Coronavirus, the Compelling State Interest in Health, and Religious Autonomy,” by W. Cole Durham Jr.; “Quarantines, Religious Groups, and 81 Some Questions About Equality,” by Christopher C. Lund; and many others that explore law and religion in particular regions. 

Finally, vaccine hesitancy continues to be a topic of great importance and interest. A recent study in the American Journal of Health Promotion analyzes vaccine hesitancy in certain religious communities in the United States. An article in MedPage Today explores historical roots of vaccination and vaccine hesitancy, arguing that the lessons of the past demonstrate that effective advocates for vaccination sometimes come from unexpected places, including religious and traditional communities.