Posted on 03/18/2020 4:35:19 AM PDT by abb
CENTRAL, La. (WAFB) - The pastor of a Louisiana church who says he believes the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is “politically motivated” defied government orders and welcomed hundreds of people into his church service Tuesday evening (March 17).
The gathering directly defied an order by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards that bans groups larger than 50 from gathering at any one time, including in churches. President Donald Trump has recommended no groups larger than 10.
The pastor, Rev. Tony Spell, says police showed up at the church after the service telling him the National Guard would break up any future services with more than 50 people gathered. Spell says 305 people attended the service in the sanctuary Tuesday night.
Numerous churches across the state have canceled services until further notice because of the governor’s proclamation, which he says aims to control the spread of the virus.
Tuesday’s service was held at Life Tabernacle Church in the City of Central, located in East Baton Rouge Parish. Rev. Spell says he does not believe his congregation is at risk of getting COVID-19.
“It’s not a concern,” Spell said of the virus. “The virus, we believe, is politically motivated. We hold our religious rights dear and we are going to assemble no matter what someone says.”
East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore says those violating the governor’s proclamation could face prosecution as a last resort. Reverend Spell is not concerned with that and boasted he had an even larger crowd this past weekend, days after the governor’s proclamation was issued.
“I had 1,170 in attendance Sunday,” Spell said. “We have 27 buses on Sundays picking up people in a five-parish area,” he said.
Spell says the more than 1,000 people who attended Sunday were in various parts of the church. However, he says a large portion of them were gathered in the main worship area of the church that day.
Gov. Edwards addressed the ban on large gatherings at bars, restaurants, churches, and other places during a news conference Saturday, March 14.
“I'm a person of faith,” the governor said. “I happen to believe very much in the awesome power of prayer. I also believe in science, and the scientists at the CDC say that the measures we are taking will minimize the spread."
U.S. Congressman Clay Higgins, a Republican from Louisiana, sent a letter to the governor last week saying he believes the limit on the size of church gatherings is unconstitutional.
“I agree that all our constituents and religious leaders should follow the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC),” Higgins wrote.
“However, the decision to gather should be the choice of the individual or institution and not a mandate by any government entity. The state has no authority to enforce this proclamation nor any ban on worship.”
Moore, when asked about the Tuesday night service at Life Tabernacle, said all people and groups, including churches, should follow the rules. Moore says he does not believe churches are exempt from the proclamation just so long as the proclamation is narrowly tailored and not targeting any particular church.
“This is a very delicate issue and balance between emergency powers, the First Amendment, and religious rights and freedom,” Moore said. “We respect the people’s right to meet and practice their religion, but during these dangerous times, some temporary restrictions will prevail.”
Moore acknowledged those in violation of the proclamation could be prosecuted, but will first be asked by law enforcement to voluntarily comply.
“Hopefully, there will be some alternatives this church can use to ‘congregate’ and pray through other means that comply with the restrictions,” Moore said. “Summonses and prosecution will be the least favorable means to have well intended people comply.”
Former Louisiana state legislator, Woody Jenkins, attended the church service and live-streamed video of it to Facebook. Jenkins, who owns the Central City News newspaper, says he’s a not a member of the church, but supports the congregation’s right to assemble.
“Our attitude is the First Amendment rights rise and fall together: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, and freedom of the press,” he said.
Jenkins says another church in Central, Milldale Baptist Church, has a large church service scheduled for Wednesday evening.
A reporter from WAFB was given permission to attend the service Tuesday evening, but remained in the church lobby, shooting video through a window.
The Central Police Department issued the following statement about the service:
"Monday, with the support of President Trump, health officials, and physicians, the governor issued an emergency order banning public or private gatherings with more than 50 people. This order was put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19. Central Police Chief Roger Corcoran
The service started with several songs followed by a sermon about not living in fear.
“We want to encourage other religious leaders in churches like us, do not let the fear of persecution of any government official, any dictator law, prevent you from worshiping God, which our First Amendment states you are not allowed to do in any form,” said Spell. “Our church is a hospital where the sick can come and get healing. Cancers are healed here, people are healed of HIV in these services, and we believe that tonight, we’re also going to pass out anointed handkerchiefs to people who may have a fear, who may have a sickness, and we believe that when those anointed handkerchiefs go, that healing virtue is going to go on them as well."
The faithful members of the church say they’re not going anywhere.
“I love Pastor Spell for giving me the Word. I love him for the man he is. He changed me so much. I’m not missing my church because of no coronavirus. I love the Lord and He’s going to take care of us,” said Lillian Alexander, who attends the church often.
And that government that can't stop the invasion-is made up of republicans and democrats...EQUALLY. Read my tagline.
But this is the way it works in these situations. I worked on these plans when I was at NORTHCOM.
"CDC established COVID -19 IncidentManagementSystem on January 7 , 2020, and has been operationalizing its pandemic preparedness and response plans"
"HHSestablished a response effort from the Secretary s OperationsCenter on January 24"
"The BIA to the FIOP, approved in January 2017, provides strategic guidance for the coordination of the interagency during the response to a biologic incident."
"As the LFA for this federal response, the HHS Secretary activated the Secretary’s Operations Center (SOC) on January 24, 2020, as the center of gravity for interagency coordination."
"On January 27, the President’s Coronavirus Task Force was formed and charged with leading the USG response."
SO - don't sit there and tell me: "So the U.S. government’s COVID-19 response plan included a bunch of recommendations that were already being implemented by state/local governments and private industry?"
YOU have no clue what you are talking about. NONE ZERO. You are out of your depth....over your head. These quotes PROVE the team has been in charge and directing states and organizations from the beginning - and all you have to do is watch the president to understand that - and you WOULD if your cognative dissonance wasn't so great.
I’ve spent much of my adult life learning not to trust my government. If you worked for it, then that would include you. Ironic, isn’t it?
Do you believe and trust President Trump?
Can't trust me at all. Good day.
The pastor is an idiot. The virus is real. Actions like his will bring on even more drastic state action. Common sense and well established means of containing contagious diseases when herd immunity has not been established is not political.
Are people using this pandemic for political reasons? Yes. But that does not mean the health threat is not real. Even if that threat is mostly to a smaller demographic of the population than other historic pandemics.
Sure cause where else would you hear the Gospel expect for a mega church?
Works for me.
No church/pastor is worth dying for...none
Science. Especially medical science is hard for you, isn’t it.
Morons like those who did NOT follow sane science.
What you apparently fail to grasp is that ONE idiot who breaks quarantine can undo the positive effects of thousands who behaved correctly.
See "Typhoid Mary" effect.
Your comparison is faulty. A better one would be to compare the probability of dying in a car accident driving while drunk on a ice slick road in a car with bald tires and a broken headlight to driving sober on clear roads in a well maintained vehicle. The first involves risks factors that could have been eliminated or mitigated by human behavior.
Same goes for keeping the chances of spreading or catching the virus lower than catching it. Human behavior matters.
You’ve been found out!!! And you thought your secret was safe.
We must ask ourselves, “Has the pig started singing yet?”
The answer is always no. Poor thing can’t even hum.
Yup...put Baton Rouge under martial law...probable next step. Hopefully Edwards has the balls to actually do it.
The point is that it is not necessary to pile on a lot of improbable mitigating factors.
Death in an auto accident is in fact a leading cause of death regardless of the weather etc
I have no idea what you’re talking about. And I don’t care. But here, I’m giving you some attention that you desperately crave.
“But you lose me when you say you are healing cancer.”
I didn’t take it to mean that the pastor himself heals cancer. A pastor can’t do that. I do believe that God answered many prayers of my church members when I had cancer.
“A governor who calls out the National Guard to disrupt a church service is finished as a politician.”
Martial law to contain/restrain Christians ... not a good look. The governor might not only be finished as a politician, but also he might be finished. Period. Patriots won’t stand for that.
——Patriots won’t stand for that.-—
After thinking about it this morning, I decided that the actual threat of the National Guard to the church may actually have come from the local cop who was puffing himself up with a threat implying there were higher law enforcement powers than him.
The preacher knew the cop was blowing smoke
“Yes, because they are endangering others with their actions, which may include those others DYING.”
People who drive vehicles to church three+ times a week are endangering others, too.
Accidents happen. Life is fragile. Everybody dies. God decides when/how.
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