Some Churches "Continue Holding Large Gatherings Despite Coronavirus Warnings"

My guess is that these are quite unusual, but still noteworthy.

Mike Stunson (McClatchy) has a story on this; an excerpt:

More than 1,800 people attended services for [Life Tabernacle Church in Louisiana, led by Pastor Tony Spell] Sunday, according to WVLA. The service was held despite Gov. John Bel Edwards' executive order that gatherings should be limited to 50 people or less….

There were around 200 people gathered at [Hempfield's Word of Life Church in Pennsylvania] Sunday, according to TribLive.com. The senior pastor, Tom Walters, said the church stayed open and went on as scheduled because the country's reaction to COVID-19 "could possibly be, disguised In everything else, a direct attack on the church," TribLive.com reported…. "If there's one person in this place, or two people, three people, perhaps, who may be carrying coronavirus, we declare you're healed in Jesus' name. Hallelujah," TribLive reported….

Hallelujah indeed! Why didn't the CDC think of that?

Comments

[librarian]

They would like nothing more than to be taken to jail.

[Dr. Ed]

Like Jesus was.

And many have more faith in the Lord than the state -- ever read Daniel 6:22?

[Orbital Mechanic]

This could turn out to be a demonstration of Darwinism if an infection takes hold there. I feel bad for them but sometimes you just can't protect people from themselves.

[Eugene Volokh]

But if an infection takes hold there, it may well spread further, no?

[Dr. Ed]

Yes, but of what kind?

I've long said that this country was overdue for another "Great Awakening" -- a religious revival and a return to our Judeo/Christian roots. This has repeatedly happened in American history and the largest (just before the Revolution) was ignited by a Diphtheria epidemic, and pre-vaccine, Diphtheria was way more scary than Wuhan Flu.

I think that there are a lot of people very much afraid of a religious revival -- that the issue isn't sanitation but a return to a values-based society. And hence I ask the question of "and what are people afraid will spread?"

[Dilan Esper]

I think organized religion is on a long-term decline in the Western world, and that this country has started to catch up with Europe on that.

Previous American religious revivals occurred where there were large numbers of unchurched Christians who got caught up a religious fervor. What you are seeing now is larger and larger numbers of non-believers, spiritualists, and the like. And they have zero interest in evangelical Christianity.

And if anything, the dumb things some evangelicals are saying and doing about coronavirus (e.g., Liberty University) are going to accelerate this trend.

[jubulent]

Immigrant populations are bringing their religious traditions into America and Western Europe. Non-religious people have more fewer kids.

It isn’t the Bible thumping Christians that are being replaced (contra some commentator), it is the (more educated and wealthier) secular leftists. And the replacements are the poor and poorly educated.

[Eddy]

"[Life Tabernacle Church in Pennsylvania , led by Pastor Tony Spell]"

I think that's Louisiana.

[Eugene Volokh]

Whoops, sorry, fixed!

[Eddy]

I managed to find a non-church example of defiant large gatherings - a car show:

[Eddy]

I managed to find a non-church example of defiant large gatherings - a car show:

[Eddy]

Here's a link:

https://bit.ly/2UBu9b9

[Eddy]

‘Rogue Event’ Planned At SF Nightclub Amid Coronavirus Health Order; City Attorney Moves To Shut It Down

https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2020/03/25/rogue-event-san-francisco-nightclub-city-attorney-shut-down-coronavirus-health-order/

[Eddy]

"A person who attended a "coronavirus party" in Kentucky has tested positive for the virus, Gov. Andy Beshear (D) announced Tuesday."

https://news.yahoo.com/kentucky-governor-says-young-adult-060007390.html

[Eddy]

"PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Officials in Philadelphia are still cracking down on those not obeying the stay-at-home order in effect amid the coronavirus outbreak.

"Sarah Maiellano says a group of people rented a home in her neighborhood and partied all night, disregarding the city's order."

https://6abc.com/society/partiers-defying-philadelphia-stay-at-home-order/6047935/

[bernard11]

Imbeciles.

[Ken Hagler]

Wow, freely exercising their religion, speaking, and peaceably assembling? It's like they think they're in America or something.

[Dr. Ed]

Exactly....

[bernard11]

Whatever.

Doesn't mean they're not imbeciles.

Here's a suggestion. When some of these people show up at hospitals tell them to get their ventilators from Jesus.

[Dr. Ed]

Some of us believe that Jesus inspired the guy who invented the ventilator, and hence *everyone* gets one from Jesus....

[Martinned]

Let them use that one, then.

[Sarcastr0]

You don't get to say the real world is all an inspiration lead by the hand of God, and also that acting in ways that deny real world consequences is fine because the hand of God will protect.

[MatthewSlyfield]

It's like old time trial by ordeal. The hand of God will protect the worthy.

If you get sick, well then you weren't worthy enough.

[Herb Spencer]

Anyone else see the video on last night's NBC Nightly News about the TX "pastor" who faith heals on TV by having his flock lay their hands on the TV screen while he does the same to the camera on his end?
Can snake healing be far behind?

[Vaclav Matthess]

My advice is that any church that wants to do this should first apply the "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego" test. Not that I would throw people into a fire. Rather, anyone going into the sanctuary, should first be required to remove a casserole heated to 400F from an oven, with their bare hands. If God protects those hands from burning, they can enter the sanctuary. Hallelujah!