This should make Church of God leaders think twice about demanding their members show up for services every Saturday. Of course, they will screech PERSECUTION!
This should be a warning to at least three groups that still is having their members meet together.
Bob Thiel - Continuing Church of God
David C Pack - Restored Church of God
Gerald Flurry - Philadelphia Church of God
Arrest warrant issued for Tampa megachurch pastor who led packed services despite safer-at-home orders
TAMPA, Fla. - The pastor of a Tampa megachurch is facing charges after refusing to close its doors despite a "safer at home" order in effect in Hillsborough County, meant to stop the spread of COVID-19. The sheriff of Hillsborough County says one of two Sunday services had up to 500 people in attendance.Sheriff Chad Chronister and State Attorney Andrew Warren on Monday announced that an arrest warrant had been issued for Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne. He faces charges of unlawful assembly and violation of public health emergency order.The River at Tampa Bay Church held two services Sunday, Chronister said, and even offered bus transportation for those services. The chuch's livestream showed a packed crowd cheering and applauding.
17 comments:
This bunch of IDIOTS will scream religious freedom. They should be allowed to endanger themselves and the rest of us, because they believe that it's their right to do so? It was pointed out that they have alternatives - broadcasting online, via radio, via telephone, via dvd, etc. No one is preventing them from worshiping, and THERE IS a public interest in protecting the health of our citizens in the midst of a pandemic! American society, in the guise of the state, decided a long time ago that you DON'T have the right to multiple wives just because your religious beliefs say that you do!
And, in terms of Christian theology, they are on the wrong side of this issue. Check out this post: https://godcannotbecontained.blogspot.com/2020/03/god-coronavirus-faith-and-courage.html
Matthew 5:41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.
We are to obey civil authorities as long as it is not a sin. The current restrictions are temporary in nature, and not immoral. Romans 13 speaks about the power of government , within Gods Law as well. Yes, there is a time when one must, for conscience sake, disobey government. Short term personal distancing, and shutdown is not one of them.
Due to sparse COG membership (congregation isolation), aren't most splinter services "video groups" in members' homes? I remember Bob Thiel writing (back in 2012 or so) about his formal withdrawal from the LCG video group he attended.
Church leaders and ministers believing that they are above the law, is the norm.
I would love to see these church leaders arrested! It will bring to the forefront the lies they teach and how they endanger member's lives!
As I learned from reading up on the situation at Liberty University, there are two separate issues behind this negligent behavior.
1) Some Evangelical Christians still believe that the Corona Virus is a hoax designed to finally unseat "God's President".
2) There is also belief that if they continue their normal routine, God will protect them from the virus.
Once they are proven wrong, it's a moot point, because the damage will already have been done. People will die from their behavior, even as people died as a result of those who either denied the HIV virus, or maintained that it could not be spread by heterosexual sex. In the late '80's The American Spectator, often advertised on Rush's program, speculated that Magic Johnson must have either been an IV drug user, or indulged in homosexual activities, and wasn't being honest with the media. Some Evangelical Christians from back then were actually stating that all the moneys which were being designated for AIDS research were being taken away from the "more legitimate" cancer research.
I am in favor of religious freedom, don't get me wrong. But that ends when that religious freedom gives carte blanche to inflicting harm upon others. And, that is what generally results from religious leaders making medical decisions for their followers.
BB
Bob Thiel has already given coronavirus medical advice that borders on malpractice. I'm sure that as a professional naturopath he has learned exactly what he can and cannot say to avoid being sued or shut down, but I feel sorry for any of the poor souls who are loading up on Bob's favorite vitamins in the mistaken hope that this will make any significant difference in their immunity to the coronavirus.
there's a new article in The Trumpet website talking the 'one social distancing' option one could want. I truly believe that the social distancing we all need to have is from all COGs, specifically the PCG. theyre worse than the virus. at least the virus will kill you. PCG will bleed you of your money and your relations dry.
This Pastor has a history of being on the wild side. As I recall, he led the "laughter in the spirit" fad of the 1990s. He was in Toronto then, and claimed to be a "missionary from South Africa."
Lest we forget, let us pause here to remember that King Saul was an insane, murderous liar. Do not follow anyone into the blinding sun or your eyeballs will melt, your mind will frazzle, your money will ignite, your family will turn to dust. Your leaders are the whores of King Saul and shall desert you when you cry out at the last moment.
Doesn’t Bob Thiel own a supplement company?
And no self respecting COG leader will ever admit that any of their members have corona.
This is practice now in the RCG anyway: a few RCG members are infected, one member even in ICU.
They’ve put in prayer requests, as is a normal practice. And guess what? None of these requests are forwarded to others, because the official guideline is that RCG members do not get corona. Or, as David Pack is putting it “God will continue to protect us!”
"Anonymous said...
Doesn’t Bob Thiel own a supplement company?
March 31, 2020 at 1:15 AM"
More like a suppository company providing diarrhea of the mouth!
1st amendment rights are not absolute...neither are the others....
there are times when constitutional rights must be put on hold for a time....
George Washington said that without men of high moral character our republic will not stand.
personally, I think this whole virus hyperbole thing is the Globalists fighting back, trying to regain what they've lost around the world these last 4yr....(we know who THE leader of the Globalist movement is...hint: he's not human)
The others are correct but just to inform you, the PCG cancelled services for every single one of its congregations until further notice. I'm not from PCG but some of my family is.
6.48 AM
Actually, the supreme Court upheld the constitutional rights that Abraham
Lincoln tried to 'put on hold' during the civil war.
!special Message to you all!
We Ought to Obey God Rather Than Men
Jon W. Brisby; Eugene, OR., 3-28-2020
https://www.cogeternal.org/weekly-media/we-ought-to-obey-god-rather-than-men/
Tell me what you all think?
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