America's Bible Belt played down the pandemic and even cashed in. Now dozens of pastors are dead

[babylonsister]

'A phantom plague': America's Bible Belt played down the pandemic and even cashed in. Now dozens of pastors are dead
Right to worship emerges as battleground in looming culture war as many congregations hit hard by coronavirus
Alex Woodward
New York


Dozens of pastors across the Bible Belt have succumbed to coronavirus after churches and televangelists played down the pandemic and actively encouraged churchgoers to flout self-distancing guidelines.

As many as 30 church leaders from the nation's largest African American Pentecostal denomination have now been confirmed to have died in the outbreak, as members defied public health warnings to avoid large gatherings to prevent transmitting the virus.

Deaths across the US in areas where the Church of God in Christ has a presence have reportedly stemmed from funerals and other meetings among clergy and other church staff held during the pandemic.

The tragedy among one of the largest black Pentecostal groups follows a message of defiance from many American churches, particularly conservative Christian groups, to ignore state and local government mandates against group gatherings, with police increasingly called in to enforce the bans and hold preachers accountable.

The virus has had a wildly disproportionate impact among black congregations, many of which have relied on group worship.

Yet despite the climbing death toll, many US church leaders throughout the Bible Belt have not only continued to hold services but have urged worshippers to continue paying tithes — including recent stimulus checks — to support their mission.

Bishop Gerald Glenn, founder and leader since 1995 of the New Deliverance Evangelistic Church in Chesterfield, Virginia, was the first black chaplain of the town's police. He had vowed to continue preaching "unless I'm in jail or the hospital" before his death from coronavirus earlier this month.

more...

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/bible-belt-us-coronavirus-pandemic-pastors-church-a9481226.html

[Thomas Hurt]

1. Awful lot of testing the Lord God going on...

[SWBTATTReg]

2. Well, not to beat a dead horse literally, but logic and science finally wins. Unfortunately, people

are dying because of these idiots stuck in a time warp, and the so called leaders of our Country, the slime bag republicans haven't stood up and told rump to just shut up.

The silence of the republicans is deafening. Their silence is costing them big time.

[malaise]

11. Beat that dead horse literally

I can hear my paternal grandma - those who don't hear will feel

[Dan]

3. Well not sure how this is going to go over, but....

I wonder if the continuation of church services during a pandemic was more about the ‘collection plate’ than ‘right to worship’?

[crickets]

6. A little of column a, a little of column b -- depending on the congregation

and their pastor. Tony Spell, Kenneth Copeland, Jim Bakker and the like are absolutely going after the money.

[Leghorn21]

4. Well, I hope these 30 deaths prompted some in their congregations to go home and STAY THERE

anybody remember Daegu

[Newest Reality]

5. The Message!

"Well, I told you people point blank that going to your services was non-essential, if you even read what I said about going in your closet to pray by yourself. I told you to get wisdom and be wise as serpents, so where's your excuse there? You don't listen to ME? Based on that, I sent you scores and scores of signs and messages to help keep you safe, like social distancing, staying home, wearing masks and much more. I am unlimited, so what makes you think I can't do that?

"I mean, come on, these are not the biblical days, fools. We didn't have mass media and the Internet. Who could miss all of that wise information from people who knew what they were talking about though? Even those who don't follow me got the memo, well, except for that guy who works for the Other Side in the White House that you went and picked to worship. Don't implicate me in that one.

"You didn't see it all? Were you like, being so special that you needed some new dispensation or a miracle? Are the blind STILL leading the blind? You don't even check the credentials of your Pastors or Political Icons, so would can I expect? Sorry, but I have bad news about your judgement day and won't be there to meet you, oh ye of little faith in being sensible."

[GusBob]

7. Chik-Fil-A karma

These assholes have it coming

[backscatter712]

8. Natural selection...

[TheBlackAdder]

9. COGIC to COVID

[dmr]

10. I wonder how the congregants are doing.

It's shamefully selfish that the ministers are asking for the stimulus checks, and also encourage to tithing even as families struggle to pay for their living expenses.

[RussBLib]

12. what? the power of prayer didn't help?

That's just shocking! (now THAT, Trump, is sarcasm)

[msongs]

13. the religion is just a front to get $$. well I hear you can't take it with you n t

[stopbush]

14. They'll keep on dying until they realize there is no god and that they have no special defense

against diseases.

The conceit among these Christians that they are somehow special is killing them.