“That’s not the question here. It is not a matter of permitted or prohibited.”
If this is seriously your approach to halachah then I think we’re done here.
“You don’t win arguments by grandstanding”
Depends on how you define winning. This tactic is probably why the left (political/religious doesn’t matter) dominates every internet forum, because everyone else just gets annoyed with it and leaves.
If the rabbis giving the heter to go to church don’t have to give real reasons, why should a random guy on the coffeeroom defending the practice? The standards to which you hold this British Beis Din are nonsensically low.
Avira, I want to know honestly your answer to this hypothetical: let’s say a ton of people started emulating the cheif rabbi and going to church in order to appease goyim in various situations. Groups of major rabbis get together and sign a kol korah saying it must stop. Do you think their message would be “it’s only OK when he does it,” or “it’s never OK and there has never been any real heter?” We both know the reality.