# America's Bible Belt played down the pandemic and even cashed in. Now dozens of pastors are dead **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [May 6, 2020, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-bible-belt-played-down-the-pandemic-and-even-cashed-in-now-dozens-of-pastors-are-dead/853240 "2020-05-06T01:31:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2020, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-bible-belt-played-down-the-pandemic-and-even-cashed-in-now-dozens-of-pastors-are-dead/853240/61 "2020-05-09T17:58:37Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > To obtain their metadata and their contacts? Feh! God cares nothing about privacy settings! ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2020, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-bible-belt-played-down-the-pandemic-and-even-cashed-in-now-dozens-of-pastors-are-dead/853240/62 "2020-05-09T19:51:05Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Feh! God cares nothing about privacy settings! I can’t find the cartoon, sorry, but there’s a strip where IIRC: 1st panel: Mom walks in on son jerking off. 2nd panel: Stop that! God is watching you! 3rd panel: holy Peeping Tom at the window 4th panel: HE runs off as Mom dials 911. Something like that. Jehovah is a voyeur; thus believers hold no secrets. Where does that mindset lead? Will Christian Scientists and other faith healers and their followers refuse COVID vaccines and die off? Is that Jehovah’s plan? Funny how if you live it’s a miracle but otherwise it’s Jehovah’s mysterious will. If Jehovah wants you dead, so be it. Sayonara, motherfucker! There’s an obvious message here. Have faith in magic, then sicken and die. Heed science, and live somewhat longer. Jehovah is being Darwinian. Oh, the humanity! ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2020, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-bible-belt-played-down-the-pandemic-and-even-cashed-in-now-dozens-of-pastors-are-dead/853240/63 "2020-05-09T19:56:48Z")
> [@rsat3acr](#): > > Well I have a degree in anthropology and about 50 books on my bookshelf about evolution. Maybe you should shut the hell up about what others speak of. I’m heeding the mod note and I apologize for suggesting that people shut the hell up. I shouldn’t have said that. I will say I get frustrated because there’s something about evolution that makes laypeople believe they can self-teach to the point of expertise and use it to explain complex social phenomena. They often get it wrong, and this frustrates me as someone who does have that background. By analogy, you said you have an anthropology degree. Do you often encounter laypeople going around anthropologizing everything and getting it wrong? I expect not, it wouldn’t even occur to me to try that, but if I did, I bet you’d find it very frustrating. Anyway, again, I’m not really saying shut the hell up, just venting a little steam at the incorrect (and insensitive) invocation of Darwin. It’s already been addressed, so I will now shut the hell up. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2020, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-bible-belt-played-down-the-pandemic-and-even-cashed-in-now-dozens-of-pastors-are-dead/853240/64 "2020-05-09T20:03:28Z")
Manny people ask me and now I wonder why some folks get so upset when others make a reference to “Darwin”. Me? I’ve found “Natural Selection” to be less controversial. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2020, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-bible-belt-played-down-the-pandemic-and-even-cashed-in-now-dozens-of-pastors-are-dead/853240/65 "2020-05-09T22:47:01Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > I’m heeding the mod note and I apologize for suggesting that people shut the hell up. I shouldn’t have said that. > > I will say I get frustrated because there’s something about evolution that makes laypeople believe they can self-teach to the point of expertise and use it to explain complex social phenomena. They often get it wrong, and this frustrates me as someone who does have that background. I’ve read of experts in their field who do this also, so it isn’t just random guys off the street. But while the details of how evolution works are complex, the basic principle isn’t. Which makes it odd that those deadset against evolution seem unable to understand it at the most basic level. Not a biologist, but my wife is one so maybe I get half credit. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2020, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-bible-belt-played-down-the-pandemic-and-even-cashed-in-now-dozens-of-pastors-are-dead/853240/66 "2020-05-10T02:47:13Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > I’m heeding the mod note and I apologize for suggesting that people shut the hell up. I shouldn’t have said that. > > I will say I get frustrated because there’s something about evolution that makes laypeople believe they can self-teach to the point of expertise and use it to explain complex social phenomena. They often get it wrong, and this frustrates me as someone who does have that background. > > By analogy, you said you have an anthropology degree. Do you often encounter laypeople going around anthropologizing everything and getting it wrong? I expect not, it wouldn’t even occur to me to try that, but if I did, I bet you’d find it very frustrating. > > Anyway, again, I’m not really saying shut the hell up, just venting a little steam at the incorrect (and insensitive) invocation of Darwin. It’s already been addressed, so I will now shut the hell up. I over reacted also and apologize to both you and **Colibri**. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2020, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-bible-belt-played-down-the-pandemic-and-even-cashed-in-now-dozens-of-pastors-are-dead/853240/67 "2020-05-10T02:54:53Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I’ve read of experts in their field who do this also, so it isn’t just random guys off the street. But while the details of how evolution works are complex, the basic principle isn’t. Which makes it odd that those deadset against evolution seem unable to understand it at the most basic level. > Not a biologist, but my wife is one so maybe I get half credit. I think that most people that are deadest against evolution are that way for religious reasons. Some folks truly don’t understand like when Reagan said it was only a theory and Bush II said we should teach the controversy. I don’t think either of those guys had a good handle on science in any form. Most of the folks that don’t understand could understand but choose not to. ---
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2020, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-bible-belt-played-down-the-pandemic-and-even-cashed-in-now-dozens-of-pastors-are-dead/853240/69 "2020-05-10T03:16:39Z")
> [@zpaulson34](#): > > I dont care what u have to say about me. My opinion on the pandemic is it’s not a big deal. the media makes it sound way worse than than it is. almost everyone who gets it survives. I understand If u have a underlying condition why it’s a big deal, but for everyone that doesnt, would u want get this so that if u develop a condition you’ve already built up immunity. my opinion, u can think what u want, but u will not change my mind. Unfortunately, some people who DON’T have an underlying condition get sick and die (or suffer permanent organ damage) from this disease. Sure, the older and sicker you are, the more likely you are to die, but being young and healthy isn’t a guarantee.Would it be a big deal to you if YOU (or people close to you) aren’t one of the majority who survive? Would that change your mind? What else would change your mind? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-bible-belt-played-down-the-pandemic-and-even-cashed-in-now-dozens-of-pastors-are-dead/853240.md?page=3)