Civil Commotion

What do you know? Los Angelos County has sued Grace Community Church for defiantly holding a church service last Sunday.

Los Angeles County has sued an area megachurch after it blatantly broke the state’s mandate on large social gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as suing the county in an attempt to get the restrictions lifted.

[ … ]

Currently, places of worship in California can only have indoor services with 25 percent of their capacity or 100 people, whichever is lower. Singing and chanting have also been prohibited. California has been hit hard by the resurgence of the pandemic and now has over 600,000 confirmed cases.

Good. The Godly need to get over the idea that they’re special and that religious liberty excuses them from reasonable civic obligations.

It’s true, as Pastor MacArthur says, that nobody had to go, that attendance was voluntary. But … so what? Those people who contract the virus can be infectious, and actively spreading the virus, for up to 2-weeks before they’re symptomatic (if ever). The only way to stop the virus, short of a vaccine, is to interrupt transmission by isolating so that there can be no person-to-person spread.

The real problem here is a klatch of idiots who need to grow up, and until they do there is nothing inappropriate about the use of civil authority to circumscribe their activities.

A PEW survey finds that an overwhelming majority of Americans reject what John MacArthur, Franklin Graham, et cetera, are selling.

Most Americans oppose giving houses of worship religious exemptions from COVID-19 lockdown regulations, according to a new survey by Pew Research Center.

In findings released Friday, Pew found that 79% of respondents said religious institutions should be subject to the same social distancing guidelines as secular businesses and entities.

Good.

This is, like, a Florida Man benchmark; seriously, it will be a while before some addled lout tops this one.

In a state that sets new Covid-19 death and infection records daily, the Marion County sheriff has forbidden — yes, forbidden — his deputies to wear face masks and, what is more, forbids visitors to the sheriff’s office to wear face masks.

Sheriff Billy Woods forbids his employees and those visiting his offices to wear masks in most circumstances as Ocala wrestles with mask mandate.

As the city of Ocala wrestles with an ordinance requiring face coverings for people inside businesses, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods told his employees they will not wear masks at work and visitors to his office can’t wear masks either.

According to the Washington Post data compilation, Marion County, Florida, presently has 6798-active infections — 1255 more than last week. Put differently, the rate of infection in Marion County is growing by about 180-cases per day.

That’s an elected position, by the way, and it just goes to show you that business about the collective “wisdom of the people” is a happy-face myth.

Five years ago I published for the Amazon Kindle an anthology of texts arguing that churches ought to be taxed, and those texts ranged from writings of the Founders to contemporary research. Introducing the anthology, I quoted tweets written by Southern Baptists defending the display of the Confederate battle flag.

Even so, when at its 2016 annual meeting the Southern Baptists considered a resolution discouraging display of the flag, the flag’s supporters were incensed. In short order the discussion digressed into a discussion of loyalties, and on that subject Southern Baptists on both sides of the discussion were agreed.

Here is the text of some typical tweets:

• “I am a Christian first and an American second.”

• “Following Christ will always trump being an American.”

• “If I ever have to choose between the cross and the American flag, I will choose the cross every time.”

Well … that’s their right. But what right have they to expect their fellow Americans to subsidize their America Second loyalties?

Today, John MacArthur makes the same argument to defend holding un-masked church services in defiance of orders prohibiting large assemblies.

“Major public events that were planned for 2021 are already being canceled, signaling that officials are preparing to keep restrictions in place into next year and beyond,” the pastor wrote in a widely shared post titled ‘Christ, not Caesar, is head of the church.’ “That forces churches to choose between the clear command of our Lord and the government officials. Therefore, following the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, we gladly choose to obey Him.”

Granted, MacArthur and his followers are exhibiting what might arguably be characterized as disabling stupidity. Are they, objectively, competent adults? In view of the danger to themselves, and the unsuspecting people whom they encounter, a compelling case might be made that they are not.

Certainly they are not exhibiting their professed reverence for life.

And, of course, there is the business of obeying Our Invisible Friend rather than the lawfully established civil authority which is trying to keep them alive.

I’m inclined to think that this is about money, but … no matter: My question remains: Why do these self-aggrandizing assholes think they’re entitled to expect a subsidy from the rest of us?

Well?

I sure hope we can get rid of this vicious creature before he has broken everything.