Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

‘Free Healthcare for Illegals Is on the Ballot’—Church Faces Backlash for Message on Digital Billboard
Chruch Leaders ^ | October 30, 2024 | Dale Chamberlain

Posted on 10/30/2024 9:24:59 PM PDT by Morgana

A North Carolina church is facing backlash after displaying controversial political messages on its digital billboard. People’s Baptist Church in Greenville has since removed the messages, one of which stated that “free healthcare for illegals is on the ballot.”

While the church’s website boasts of a “warm, friendly atmosphere where everyone is welcome,” at least one member of the community feels otherwise. Jessi Melendez told WITN that the political messages were “disgusting.”

“You’re talking about human beings,” said Jessi Melendez. “Human beings deserve better than that. This church needs to do better.”

The messages on the digital billboard addressed issues of immigration, healthcare, and the economy.

Melendez, a member of the Latino community, found the church’s message about immigration particularly offensive.

“You’re a church. You’re literally a church. You’re supposed to be accepting and welcoming,” said Melendez. “I’m Puerto Rican, so there’s this assumption that, ‘Oh, I’m friends with a Latina’ or, ‘This person is a part of this, so it’s okay.’ No. No, it [isn’t].”

At a recent Trump rally, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made a number of racially charged jokes, including one in which he referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean.”

The joke has resulted in considerable backlash, including from President Joe Biden, who said, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters—his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”

Biden’s remarks have resulted in another wave of backlash, as many took the president to be saying that Trump supporters, who account for roughly half the nation’s citizens, are “garbage.”

Tim Butler, who serves as senior pastor of People’s Baptist Church, told WITN that the church posted political messages to its billboard in order to encourage voters to consider the various issues at play in the election.

“This is going to affect our communities this election, so all of these items are truthfully on the ballot for American voters and faith voters this year,” said Butler.

Sandy Moyer, a member of the church, said that the messages were meant to spark conversation.

“At the end of the day, that’s what politics is, right? These are things that are affecting the community,” said Moyer. “We should be having those conversations everywhere. That’s our First Amendment right as Americans. We should be able to talk about issues.”

ChurchLeaders has reached out to People’s Baptist Church for comment and will update this article in the event of a response


TOPICS: Evangelical Christian; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: northcarolina; partisanmediashills
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021 next last

1 posted on 10/30/2024 9:24:59 PM PDT by Morgana
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Morgana

A little too much on the nose but the church ⛪️ did have a point.


2 posted on 10/30/2024 9:26:08 PM PDT by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: No name given

Do those migrants pay taxes? If not, they have no right to benefit from govt largesse. They may be humans but they’re not American citizens. Big difference.


3 posted on 10/30/2024 9:30:10 PM PDT by Prince of Space (Trump 2024!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: No name given

I think the church was dead on. They don’t pay taxes and there are Americans who can’t get healthcare.

You know who should get free healthcare right off the top? All military vets. Second being police and firefighters. There I said it.


4 posted on 10/30/2024 9:32:08 PM PDT by Morgana ( “Abortion is the ultimate exploitation of women.” — Alice Paul )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

the responsibility of the church is to lay hands on the sick... and scripture says the prayer of faith will save the sick and they will recover. but there are times when it may NOT be God’s will to do a “miracle” on demand. God can use doctors.

the responsibility for collecting forced payments for others NOT in your family, or extracted from the church via state extorted health care insurance via an agnostic secular government, to pay “for profit” price gouging hospitals, corporations and the overall medical-industrial complex via forcible taxes on OTHER People... is NOT the church’s turf.

its communism.
and they want us to pay via taxes for their abortions and aids medications as well...


5 posted on 10/30/2024 9:36:03 PM PDT by MIA_eccl1212 (10-10-10-10)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Prince of Space

Too many Ammericans not paying taxes get largesse.

Musk needs to work on that.


6 posted on 10/30/2024 9:49:14 PM PDT by dp0622 (Tried a coup, a fake tax story, tramp slander, Russia nonsense, impeachment and a virus. They lost.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

Try going to Mexico, and ask for all the freebies Mexicans get from Uncle Sugar.


7 posted on 10/30/2024 10:15:51 PM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

I still don’t know if the church is for or against health care for illegals. I am not of course. They just don’t belong here and I owe them nothing.


8 posted on 10/30/2024 10:32:47 PM PDT by Sequoyah101 (More important than why there was nobody protecting the AGR roof, how did Crooks know that?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

>> Melendez, a member of the Latino community

...but not a member of the church.

Just another wetback-loving “activist”.

Rot in hell, melendez, you satanic piece of sh!t.


9 posted on 10/30/2024 10:44:56 PM PDT by Nervous Tick ("First the Saturday people, then the Sunday people...": ISLAM is the problem!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

“Warm and friendly” Doesn’t mean sucker. There are some things ch4istians shouldn’t do, and one of them is support illegal activities such as invaders from foreign countries. Minneapolis has been ruined by catholic and Lutheran churches sponsoring illegals . Especially Somalia.


10 posted on 10/31/2024 1:24:15 AM PDT by Ikeon (If the we outlaw margarine, the world would be a butter place)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana
“You’re talking about human beings,” said Jessi Melendez.

No, Jessi, you're talking about leeches.

11 posted on 10/31/2024 1:35:13 AM PDT by grobdriver (The CDC can KMA!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

This billboard does not criticize anyone by race. Is Melendez in the US illegally? If not then he is not a target.

Either way his point is not valid. These saboteurs overlook the word “illegal” intentionally in order to divide us in the minds of the brainless and naturally resentful.


12 posted on 10/31/2024 4:02:04 AM PDT by nagant (PHENOMENON)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

Jessi Melendez.

There he is. They out themselves.

And the church falls all over themselves to get back in line behind their true leader.

Be warm, kind, and welcoming all you want, but not to the other guy! Damn.


13 posted on 10/31/2024 4:16:26 AM PDT by Sarcazmo (I live by the Golden Rule. As applied by others; I'm not selfish.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: grobdriver

And straight up criminals. Robbers. Thieves.

and Jessi Melendez sides with them and sways his church to tolerate evil.

And they do.


14 posted on 10/31/2024 4:19:04 AM PDT by Sarcazmo (I live by the Golden Rule. As applied by others; I'm not selfish.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Ikeon

““Warm and friendly” Doesn’t mean sucker.”

XD XD.

You can be warm and friendly with a drug addict.

But don’t do dope with him!


15 posted on 10/31/2024 4:20:43 AM PDT by Sarcazmo (I live by the Golden Rule. As applied by others; I'm not selfish.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: MIA_eccl1212

“lay hands on the sick”

And that’s fine and good. But pretty soon, these commies start laying their hands on my wallet while sobbing crocodile tears about how it’s my duty to lay my wallet on the sick and... wait, what?

That train is never late.

And boy is there lot of “sick” people these days, have to turn sideways to squeeze into the ER.


17 posted on 10/31/2024 4:26:51 AM PDT by Sarcazmo (I live by the Golden Rule. As applied by others; I'm not selfish.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: No name given

Naw, I think it was fine.

The people telling us to pull punches... those are the adversaries BTW.

Probably shouldn’t be taking their advice.


18 posted on 10/31/2024 4:30:21 AM PDT by Sarcazmo (I live by the Golden Rule. As applied by others; I'm not selfish.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Nervous Tick

>Just another wetback-loving “activist<

The message is completely ambiguous. The church could easily be saying that free healthcare for illegals is a good thing. Apparently Jessi, the newly outed racist, thinks it’s a bad thing.

EC


19 posted on 10/31/2024 5:58:38 AM PDT by Ex-Con777
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

The church (generic, all faiths) is welcome to provide healthcare, housing and other services to legal or illegal immigrants, domestic layabouts or any other demographic they choose. Just don’t take MY money to do it!


20 posted on 10/31/2024 9:24:34 AM PDT by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Finish the damned WALL! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH! )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson