I thought this was an Onion piece, but it isn't.

Also, I do not want to be perceived as mocking religion as I respect people's religious beliefs, but this is just crazy.

quote:

A conservative evangelical pastor has suggested to his followers that God will help multiply their toilet rolls amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In a clip posted to Twitter, pastor Rodney Howard-Browne, leader of the Florida-based Revival Ministries International, told his congregation that "this should be a time of supernatural sustenance, where what you have in your hand will multiply."

"And every day there will be multiplications," he continued. "You look at your toilet paper and you think I'm going to run out of toilet paper, but you have another roll where that one was and you don't know how did that even take place."

Howard-Brown added: "Are the toilet paper rolls getting together and having families now? What is taking place? When you look again, there's still enough. You think you're going to run out but when you look again there's still enough. That's supernatural sustenance."

Newsweek reached out to Howard-Browne's church for comment.

As COVID-19 rapidly spread across the country, threatening American life and rattling global economies, Howard-Browne on March 16 told his followers at the River Tampa Bay Church that he will not be closing down because they are not "pansies."

"We are not stopping anything," he said. "I've got news for you, this church will never close. The only time the church will close is when the Rapture is taking place.

"This Bible school is open because we're raising up revivalists, not pansies," Howard-Browne added.

He also told his congregation to shake each other's hands, despite the federal government urging social distancing in an attempt to contain the virus. "Well I know they don't want us to do this, but just turn around and greet two, three people. Tell them you love them, Jesus loves them," Howards-Browne said, according to the website Right Wing Watch. "Listen, this has to be the safest place. If you cannot be saved in church, you in serious trouble."

https://www.newsweek.com/conse...od-will-help-1494903

The ignorance is astounding.

And dangerous.

Do people seriously believe this BS?

Thank goodness someone who knows better is doing something.

quote:

A Tampa Bay area pastor has been arrested following two large services at his church over the weekend.

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister says he has made the decision Sunday night to seek an arrest warrant against the pastor of River at Tampa Bay Church for violating social distancing guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic.

https://www.wfla.com/news/hill...stancing-guidelines/

Gov Whitmer of Michigan actually relaxed the stay-at-home policy to exclude religious groups who hold services from any fines should they choose to ignore the stay at home orders. I think that was a big mistake.

Starting to sound like a version of the Prosperity Gospel.

Trouble is, it's also political in that it can be used as a way to bolster Trump's relevant positions re the economy/social-medical policy.

Also to effectively blame the sick and even those who succumb. They deserved it, just as in Biblical Times. That it's all somehow the will of G-d, and those who are faithful enough are immune from illness.

(Until the first round of family members and leaders are struck down, that is, but perhaps by then there will be a proprietary vaccine to protect those who can afford it.)

I have a deep fear that Trump and cohort are entirely capable of exploiting this plague to their advantage.

Face it, mightn't it seem like divine justice - certainly, a godsend - to "thin the herd" (of what the Nazis called "useless eaters ".) In Trumpese, that would mean: (non-affluent) seniors, disabled, those caught in generational poverty - in short, all unable to pay for themselves and their families to secure good enough care to survive even a bad infection.
Money talks! It buys ICU care with private care regardless of what the hoi polloi can get.
It ensures provision of ventilators, quality masks and protection gear for both patients and their carers (ones paid enough to manage without being overworked, or dangerous exposure endangering the
care-givers and their families).

That is, they'd care optimally for those who actually fall ill in the first place. Many might be able to avoid that fate because they could sequester themselves and theirs away from centers of infection. Reminds me of Sir Isaac Newton whose weathy family retreated to their family estate where all stayed well through that round of the bubonic plague then raging, protected by servants and provisions. (And Sir Isaac was meanwhile able to think clearly enough to arrive at the foundations of Calculus!)

Mightn't it be a classist dream come true for them to be rid of all those in their despised Welfare State, bleeding the uppermost fraction of their wealth. Farewell Soc Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Disability, Unemployment Benefits, and all the rest. Thanks to the Flu there would be no smoking gun or wrangles with an opposition party!

What could his real self-interested motives be (has he any others?) for saving those unworthy lives, whose only remaining functions would be as consumers, and lower tier workers? He wouldn't even need to worry about preserving his voting base having won power by this demographic population shift.

Anyhow, such thoughts haunt me when I see him patching together trillion dollar "Relief" packages. They need never be repaid by these aristocrats (already benefiting by the Relief Bill!). I wonder about such behind-the-scenes manipulation which could allow him and Ilk to profit from this Flu. A Divine Gift to him/them! (And I'll bet he'd see it as deserved.) After all, Trump's G-d loves Winners - the losers deserved their fate. Apparently, his most devout religious followers see things the same. Some might even be willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of the Economy, they say (as well as to guarantee a permanent majority in the judiciary).

The present vicissitudes of the DOW -might be explained by this ultimate insider trading. The stuff of MY nightmares! Unfortunately, I don't perceive him as incapable of just such exploitation. As a Thought Exercise, ask yourself, would Trump hesitate to make such a "Deal" if he could get away with it?

I am becoming better at laughing at fools or at least shaking my head and continuing.