# 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:** 4
**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, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/61 "2020-03-30T21:08:08Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > He doesn’t look like a giant shitbag at all. Fuck him. Hope he dies of it. BTW, [he also thinks God provides magic toilet paper](https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2020/03/29/pastor-if-you-have-faith-in-god-hell-multiply-your-toilet-paper-rolls/). ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/62 "2020-03-30T22:59:26Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > These Christians don’t grasp the difference between faith in God, and presumption of God. The former is faith, the latter is believing God will give you something He never said He would (i.e., safety from a virus when deliberately putting yourself in the virus’ harm way.) “For it it written: you shall not test the Lord your God” ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/63 "2020-03-31T02:40:19Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > "A Florida pastor was arrested Monday one day after his church was packed with worshippers, despite a local “safer-at-home” order that was designed to help [curb the spread](https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/coronavirus-disease-covid-19-latest-news-2020-03-30/) of coronavirus, [reports CBS Tampa affiliate WTSP-TV](https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/river-at-tampa-bay-church-arrest-warrant-hillsborough-county-pastor-rodney-howard-brown/67-16b7919e-3cad-45e6-b0d2-c1c14725e976). A [live-stream of the service](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb3NYFjO-BM) at The River at Tampa Bay Church showed its crowded main sanctuary. > > According to WTSP, the sheriff told church leaders they were in direct violation of the order that was issued by Hillsborough County officials and went into effect Friday. It requires that businesses and organizations considered essential abide by social distancing guidelines and keep people 6 feet away from each other or shut down. > “We received an anonymous tip that Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne refused a request to temporarily stop holding large gatherings at his church,” said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Instead, he was encouraging his large congregation to meet at his church.” > > [Florida pastor arrested after church seen jammed for Sunday service during pandemic - CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-florida-pastor-arrested-tampa-florida-church-jammed-sunday-service-despite-pandemic/) > Is he a martyr yet? Someone on another board who lives in that area said that when the police found out that there is a large weapons arsenal at that church, they decided not to arrest him themselves and instead had his lawyer bring him in. :eek: That just boggles my mind that they would do this with a pastor! He’s probably made threats, among other things. ---
**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 31, 2020, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/64 "2020-03-31T02:57:46Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > That just boggles my mind that they would do this with a pastor! Why? ---
**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 31, 2020, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/65 "2020-03-31T17:35:33Z")
[Pastor wants to organize a national Dumbstock](https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2020/03/31/pastor-despite-covid-19-im-planning-a-woodstock-like-easter-gathering/). (Yes, Shalmanese, I’m aware that he isn’t _actually_ calling it “Dumbstock.”) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/66 "2020-03-31T18:08:18Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > From a slightly different angle, alcoholic beverages are illegal in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and a rumor started that drinking methanol, which is an ingredient in antifreeze and is highly toxic in extremely small amounts, would cure or prevent COVID. At least 300 people are known to have died as a result. > > [Coronavirus: Hundreds dead in Iran from drinking methanol amid fake reports it cures disease | The Independent | The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-coronavirus-methanol-drink-cure-deaths-fake-a9429956.html) Hah… lightweights… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/67 "2020-03-31T19:52:07Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Hah… lightweights… Is that one of those posts a basically decent guy makes without really thinking it all the way through, but regrets after he reconsiders it? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/68 "2020-03-31T20:09:54Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Is that one of those posts a basically decent guy makes without really thinking it all the way through, but regrets after he reconsiders it? In that story a 5-year-old is now permanently blind after being given methanol to drink. It’s accurate to call him a lightweight but I don’t see the humor in it. ---
**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:** [March 31, 2020, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/69 "2020-03-31T20:21:27Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Someone on another board who lives in that area said that when the police found out that there is a large weapons arsenal at that church, they decided not to arrest him themselves and instead had his lawyer bring him in. :eek: I wonder if the arsenal included a holy hand grenade. I wonder how many in his congregation will die from the stupid. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/70 "2020-03-31T22:16:17Z")
Yeah, I know I already started a thread about this, but Saudi Arabia shut down Umrah, the year-round pilgrimages to Mecca, last month, and is encouraging people not to do the Hajj, which is scheduled for July, this year, at least until further notice. > **[Citing COVID-19, Saudi Arabia asks Muslims to put hajj plans on hold | CBC News](https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/saudi-arabia-hajj-covid-1.5516368)** > > Saudi Arabia wants Muslims to wait until there is more clarity about the COVID-19 pandemic before planning to attend the annual hajj pilgrimage, the minister for hajj and umrah said on state TV Tuesday. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/71 "2020-03-31T22:23:50Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > [Pastor wants to organize a national Dumbstock](https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2020/03/31/pastor-despite-covid-19-im-planning-a-woodstock-like-easter-gathering/). (Yes, Shalmanese, I’m aware that he isn’t _actually_ calling it “Dumbstock.”) Committing mass suicide to own the libs. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/72 "2020-03-31T23:03:03Z")
> [@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.) Blood is traif. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/73 "2020-03-31T23:19:35Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Is that one of those posts a basically decent guy makes without really thinking it all the way through, but regrets after he reconsiders it? I don’t know, I don’t regret the joke, which very clearly _is_ a joke, i.e. the notion that one can build up a tolerance to antifreeze as one might to alcohol, and further in the context of a Pit thread created specifically to mock ignorance. The receiver’s response is up to them. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/74 "2020-04-01T00:13:27Z")
Anecdotal story, I was driving by a Subway today that had a ratty looking old SUV in the parking lot pulled close to the main road. It had two guys in the seat and a huge billboard type sign on the top with miscellaneous other signs all over it. The gist of the signs was that Coronavirus was a divine punishment. One sign said something like “national sins create national calamities”. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2020, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/75 "2020-04-01T01:12:39Z")
[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints](https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/coronavirus-update#large-gatherings) back on 12 March 2020 suspended all worship services worldwide. On 25 March 2020, they closed all temples worldwide. On 19 March 2020, they announced [General Conference](https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/coronavirus-update#general-conference) will go on, but the only people present will be the handful of speakers and those giving the opening and closing prayers; music for the conference will be played from recordings; the conference will be broadcast via the usual ways (Internet, TV, etc.). Looks to me like a plan. And speaking of planning, [this is on the church’s web site](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/callings/church-safety-and-health/pandemic-planning). ---
**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:** [April 1, 2020, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/76 "2020-04-01T02:27:03Z")
Mormons are supposed to keep a year’s worth of non-perishables on hand anyway. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2020, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/77 "2020-04-01T02:43:55Z")
[Another pastor is charged](https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/03/31/us/louisiana-pastor-arrest-tony-spell/index.html). Police chief says > [@](#): > > “Instead of showing the strength and resilience of our community during this difficult time, Mr. Spell has chosen to embarrass us for his own self-promotion,” ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/78 "2020-04-01T04:53:37Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I wonder if the arsenal included a holy hand grenade. I’m wondering if the church count of the arsenal was 60% of the law enforcement count (_“One, two,… FIVE!”_) ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/79 "2020-04-01T10:57:48Z")
> [@pool](#): > > The gist of the signs was that Coronavirus was a divine punishment. It is. See \*\*Exodus 32 (NIV): \*\* \*31 So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.” 33 The Lord replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book. 34 Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin.” 35 And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made.\* ---
**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:** [April 1, 2020, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616/80 "2020-04-01T13:20:38Z")
Bit of a delayed reaction, though; isn’t it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-religious-people-who-think-they-control-the-virus-thread/850616.md?page=5)