Will Jesus Keep Them Safe? Right Wing Hate Group Urges Churches To Reopen
Read Time:2 Minute, 18 Second
Vintage engraving from 1807 showing people being tortured during the Spanish Inquisition.
Is it really that important to you? Must you risk your life to attend a crowded church on Sunday? Can you not worship at home, via one of the many streaming services? Is Jesus not technologically advanced enough to be with you as you keep yourself safe in front of your TV? I would think He can pretty much do anything he wants, or do you not have that much confidence in Him?
The Liberty Counsel, a religious-right hate group, launched a campaign on Monday “calling on the churches to open and believers to start meeting again on Sunday, May 3,” which the far-right ‘counsel’ is calling ReOpen Church Sunday. Their announcement came as “reopen” protests organized by right-wing activists have targeted Democratic governors with calls to ease shutdown orders, with no regard for their own health and welfare.
Best known for its anti-LGBTQ-equality activism, Liberty Counsel has recently defended Rodney Howard-Browne, a Tampa, Florida-based pastor who was arrested at the end of March for holding services that violated COVID-19-related restrictions on public gatherings.
Following his arrest, Howard-Browne took his services online and has continued to use them to spread nonsensical conspiracy theories. The deaths of parishioners and pastors have been linked to church gatherings that defied social distancing guidelines.
On Monday, in a press release, Liberty Counsel connected its “ReOpen” churches campaign to the Trump administration’s recently announced phases for states to begin lifting social distancing restrictions. Once again, Trump rolls the dice, risking lives, under the guise of ‘reopening the economy.
The council does go on to say that churches “should include appropriate measures of sanitization and appropriate social distancing between families” and should consider a range of options, including seating outside the building and online access for higher-risk individuals. It challenges common sense to see how this could possibly work.
Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver said in the press release:
“The lockdowns have closed churches at a time of greatest need, and they must reopen to meet the burgeoning needs of the community.”
He undermined the thrust of his campaign, however, with the caveat,
“Each church is different and each one must assess when and how best to open.”
While the Dark Ages are behind us and the Spanish Inquisition is history, it appears people are still prostrating themselves at the altar of the Lord, risking not only their lives but the lives of whom they touch.
In case you missed it: AG Barr Threatens Legal Action Against States That Refuse To Lift Restrictions
Be sure to ‘like’ us on Facebook
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0
Caroline welcome back! I wondered what happened to you. You are right about the guy in the sky. Good to see you.
Hi Rachael! So nice to see you’re still hanging with us.
Religitards are addicts. They go through withdrawal if they don’t get their fix. Pastors are terrified that people will escape their addiction without their regular fix, and that thins the bi-weekly collections. (Jews just send a monthly bill so regular attendance isn’t as important).
How I wish I had something cute to add to this but in reality it just pisses me off, I have often been one that says it is fine with me someone wishes to believe in anything that helps them get through whatever goes bump in the night, but this is just like Trump. It is people who wants people to have others bowing and scraping at their feet and bringing the money to the church. They tend to forget the many times that the lord Jesus went in private to pray and the their God said that they should obey man’s law first. This may help the thinning of the herd of idiots.
Somehow I worry that two will pop up every time one dies because they will see it as part of their self-fulfilling apocalyptic dream. They’re being raptured you see. They will arrive in God’s floating city that hovers over wherever you are at the moment with lungs full of mucus and tubes down their throats and all will be well. If it’s true that it provides no immunity we’re all doomed eventually so as Trump says, “what do you have to lose?”
I believe a large swath of believers do think this is a sign of the rapture, which is just crazy!
Most of these silly groups are just fronts to keep the idiot brigade in the republican fold. I tend to think it’s that and the almighty dollar. Graham and others need a steady stream of tithes to maintain a lifestyle. So much for going to your room and closing the door to pray in private rather than making a spectacle of yourself to show other looks how holy you are. Too bad the words Jesus spoke never mattered. The twisting of their meaning to subjugate the masses is what matters. If only they would send their tithes to MadMikes America the world would be a better place.
We seem to have forgotten that there are drive-in and drive through churches all over and especially down here in Florida – America’s basement.
I’m fine with letting trump voters thin their herds in churches. There is also a Christian theme park in Orlando that could reopen to their cult of Jesus crowds. My biggest concern is that I want to safely reopen my mental health counseling center soon. I also hate to have my clients (past, present and future) die unnecessarily.
I love hearing very young children talking about their imaginary friends. They have special insight about what their invisible friend thinks and wants. They are so cute and creative (my daughter had a fuzzy blue lion friend when she was two). However, it’s neither cute nor creative when adults continue to have imaginary friends, such as Jesus.
I had an imaginary friend and his name was “Ten.” I loved him a lot, and would openly talk to him.
Lard Hammercy. Let them open and we will see Darwinism in action. I am a big fan and hey I might even begin to believe in a god if we can get rid of some of these assholes on my listicle.
God is with you everywhere you go he does not want you to put youself in danger there are church services on TV
Pat: I’m not a believer but if there were a god I would agree that he probably wouldn’t want people hurt.
Hi Pat! Welcome to the crew, although I must warn you there are a lot nasty Atheists over here, but we do have at least one believer. His name is Joe Hagstrom, and I think he’s the actual Republican Jesus. He’s a nice guy though, sometimes.
One of my favorite Star Trek episodes is Who watches the watchers where the primitive natives find religion, with a god named Picard.
I’m a big Star Trek fan and I remember that episode vividly.
Linda, you will fit in nicely with this gang! I don’t know of anyone, except maybe Joe Hagstrom, who is a fan of Jeebus, or some of his bellowing, knee bending, praying followers.
Nothing fails like prayer. I don’t understand this great need that they have to crowd together and blubber lies about an imaginary friend who will save them from thinking. No matter how much they believe otherwise, they still die within less than 120 years after birth- and with the help of covid19, a whole lot sooner. Praise Jeebus.
I expect there will always be some form of Jesus, even when we imagine Star Treks. Man needs something or someone to believe in who is greater than himself, thus God was born. Welcome back Caroline!