# Omnibus "religious people who think they control the virus" thread. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 29, 2020, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616 "2020-03-29T19:40:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/21 "2020-03-30T00:23:19Z")
The Westboro Baptist Church says God sent the virus as a punishment for the US tolerance of homosexuality. Hinest, it was on their sign last week. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/22 "2020-03-30T01:07:24Z")
Leaders of major Orthodox Jewish organizations called on followers to heed social distancing advisories. [Others thought God would protect them](https://www.amny.com/brooklyn/despite-coronavirus-jewish-residents-in-brooklyn-choose-to-celebrate-purim-together/). ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/23 "2020-03-30T01:12:38Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > [Others thought God would protect them](https://www.amny.com/brooklyn/despite-coronavirus-jewish-residents-in-brooklyn-choose-to-celebrate-purim-together/). That link is fucked up. > [@](#): > > �t5���R��\>m�\*�K�9�p@���,\_{l�/��8&��̚���$��~��u(] > �3I���瑏�Ց[Pq�͓���r��?M҄%��-\_��d]�,��I������;+���i�� ���+����a`��B�� �I��I�!�\<�ӄ/ It goes on for a long time, too. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/24 "2020-03-30T01:24:41Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > The fundamentalists in Pakistan know how to handle things:From [a frightening NYT article](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/world/asia/pakistan-coronavirus-tablighi-jamaat.html) (paywalled or use up a free view). > > ETA: And in a nation with teeming, crowded urban centres, wall to wall poverty, and very limited healthcare. The mind reels. They should know better, as the 1918-19 flu killed between 12 and 18 million on the Indian subcontinent (there was no Pakistan then). This could do just as much damage even with a lower death rate considering the size of the population… But people who don’t (or won’t) learn from history are condemned to repeat it…over and over and over… ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/25 "2020-03-30T01:40:07Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > That link is fucked up.It goes on for a long time, too. Works fine on my iPhone. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/26 "2020-03-30T01:40:40Z")
When this story from Bangladesh came out, a lot of us thought it was actually from The Onion or some similar fake news website, with a stock photo. It wasn’t. > **[Coronavirus: Bangladesh mass prayer event prompts alarm](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-51956510)** > > The religious leader who organised the event said it would offer people protection from the virus. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/27 "2020-03-30T01:51:49Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > The thing is, the religious right wing can pivot from: > > “The virus is a fake liberal hoax designed to damage Dear Leader Trump” > > to > > “Dear Leader Trump knew all along how serious the virus was, and he was stopped by the horrible liberal secularists from helping us” > > And they can do this in the space of about two minutes. Without a doubt in their mind that they have had the second thought all along. > [@running\_coach](#): > > And they can do this in the space of about .00002 seconds. > FTFY. Like the old Boston band Siege once said - “Sad But True” - these Chosen Ones just plug their brain cords into their Fox-only tv sets, and at the first blurting of a Stu Varney, they’ll make that rapier-quick pivot (okay maybe not .00002 seconds). They’re as unreachable as the “better Russian n’Democrat” xenophobes (huh, how do you like that for an oxymoron?), or any of the other usual “burn it to the ground” suspects - amazing how Trumpists have become not just ideologically but actually physically, toxically repellent as well. Apt - horrifically so - this truly lethal, physical manifestation, of (AFAIC) that ugliness infesting inside them. > [@Voyager](#): > > Since these people think God will cure them, let’s make sure they are at the end of the line for ventilators. > > I wonder if the Darwin Award people can do a mass awarding. With the awards event held at Liberty or Westboro Baptist. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/28 "2020-03-30T01:52:31Z")
The only reason I would point at video of this preacher is when a poster at The DailyKos , that investigates and denounces very ugly misleading information, talks about it: > **[Should we be shocked to hear this?](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/3/18/1928925/-Should-we-be-shocked-to-hear-this)** > > A friend shared this video. I generally don’t even look at this, but it was interesting, so I decided to listen to it. Just listen to it and understand why we all live in the same country, but different realities … This is what Fox News and fake... > [@](#): > > Just listen to it and understand why we all live in the same country, but different realities … > [@](#): > > Basically this pastor is a trump supporter trying to explain why we have the Virus, who created it (Deep State of course: Obama and Hillary). He got his information from “very well connected sources”. It has to do with 5G. He connects 9/11 and coronavirus. He explains why trump didn’t do anything at first. Then how he was forced to do things (by the media and illuminati). This BTW was a video shown by one superior at my workplace, I did risk being fired by complaining right away when at the beginning there was a “the stupid, it burns” statement from the preacher, that anyone with the symptoms should never get a vaccine… when there is no vaccine available yet… and that is not how vaccines work. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/29 "2020-03-30T02:00:23Z")
Missed edit: was hoping to delete my response to **Voyager** ’s post. I’d rather those folk not do that, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/30 "2020-03-30T02:06:47Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > That link is fucked up.It goes on for a long time, too. Works now. First time I’ve ever heard of Jewish Halloween. (Other than the sex act.) ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/31 "2020-03-30T02:19:58Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > This BTW was a video shown by one superior at my workplace, I did risk being fired by complaining right away when at the beginning there was a “the stupid, it burns” statement from the preacher, that anyone with the symptoms should never get a vaccine… when there is no vaccine available yet… and that is not how vaccines work. :smack: Where do you work where you have to listen to management’s religous preaching? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/32 "2020-03-30T02:33:09Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Works now. First time I’ve ever heard of Jewish Halloween. (Other than the sex act.) Purim. A festivity associated with the reading of the Book of Esther. As to the sex act, hey, it’s a mitzvah! ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/33 "2020-03-30T02:36:36Z")
I’ve heard of Purim, just didn’t know kids dressed as clowns and vampires for it. (“Jewish Halloween” was from the article.) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/34 "2020-03-30T02:47:54Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > I’ve heard of Purim, just didn’t know kids dressed as clowns and vampires for it. (“Jewish Halloween” was from the article.) I also learned that from this board, but a while back when some were talking about costumes. The thing I like the most is Purim Torah where they take the same types of arguments that are used in Jewish Law to come to absurd conclusions. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/35 "2020-03-30T02:51:55Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Where do you work where you have to listen to management’s religous preaching? I work part time for a couple of schools, one of them a public charter one. Incidentally no, there is no preaching, but that day a friend of management who was a preacher came for a visit. The conversation drifted from school issues to some end of days chat, the superior then was inspired to show him a “great video” that was sent by e-mail about the situation… it was not directed at me, but on those “open” offices, it is impossible for all others not to be a part of it. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/36 "2020-03-30T02:52:51Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > The thing I like the most is Purim Torah where they take the same types of arguments that are used in Jewish Law to come to absurd conclusions. So–like regular Torah? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/37 "2020-03-30T03:43:03Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > I work part time for a couple of schools, one of them a public charter one. Incidentally no, there is no preaching, but that day a friend of management who was a preacher came for a visit. The conversation drifted from school issues to some end of days chat, the superior then was inspired to show him a “great video” that was sent by e-mail about the situation… it was not directed at me, but on those “open” offices, it is impossible for all others not to be a part of it. Sounds illegal to me, especially if it’s obvious that it’s impossible to keep it private. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/38 "2020-03-30T03:44:05Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Works now. First time I’ve ever heard of Jewish Halloween. (Other than the sex act.) Dare I ask, what sex act? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/39 "2020-03-30T03:59:55Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Sounds illegal to me, especially if it’s obvious that it’s impossible to keep it private. I think so too… but it is a miracle that I’m working now. (Not for my complaint then, but because of the Corona issue) So, at least I got the pleasure of the superior telling me in the end, in a loud voice to me and others, that we should not discuss politics in the office!.. I know him enough to know (and the following day nothing was mentioned, so business as usual now) that the admonition was both for me and for him too when on that day I printed almost in real time the debunkings that were available already… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/40 "2020-03-30T04:19:13Z")
One thing that bothers me about most religious followers is that they often pick and choose selected parts of their religion to comply with depending on their own personal preferences. At least in this case, it’s an example of believers complying with their religious guidelines even if it means great harm to them. If God says people should be in church no matter what, then going to church during the virus outbreak is just following along with God’s will. Most believers would come up with a justification as to why it’s okay to stay home even though God says they have to go to church. Which religions have a god which commands going to church? I didn’t think the Christian god mandated going to church. I thought it was more about praying to God, but I don’t know if the Bible says you have to go to church to do it. Are the people gathering in churches following cultural conventions or are they obeying a mandate from their god? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616.md?page=3)