Coronavirus cases in Louisiana are spiking at an alarming rate, and despite that, a pastor at a church near Baton Rouge is defying a ban on large gatherings and continues to lead Sunday services with more than 1,000 congregants in attendance.
Pastor Tony Spell of the Life Tabernacle Church says he will continue welcoming people to his Sunday and Tuesday services because he doesn’t believe anyone is at risk of catching the virus. He told reporters, “It’s not a concern. The virus, we believe, is politically motivated. We hold our religious rights dear and we are going to assemble no matter what someone says.”
Spell told his congregation this week, “This is an extreme test brought on us by the spirit of antichrist and the mystery of lawlessness. What good is the church in an hour of peril if the church craters and caves into the fears and the spirits of torment in our society?”
There have been 65 deaths reported so far in Louisiana. There is an online petition calling for the arrest of Pastor Spell. (USA Today)
Hot Takes:
- The infection rate in Louisiana is very scary. These crowds can’t continue.
- The governor is in a tough spot. He has to choose between public health and religious freedom.
- Hopefully this doesn’t end in an ugly showdown. There has been talk of using the National Guard to shut down the church.
