Pastor Defies State Orders...

[Sparko]

It just seems so stupid to have us all parading down the isle single file --- I'd MUCH rather see who's coming at me, and if they look sickly, I can chose to go back out the isle and go elsewhere.

But, yeah, common sense - no fear.

If you are all going in the same direction you are just walking into the exhaled germs of the person in front of you, even if they are wearing a mask.

[Cow Poke]

Oh, you're a ChrINO. What makes you people attack the person rather than what they say? It certainly isn't any indwelling spirit of Christ...

Jesus was very compassionate to those who were even the slightest bit open to being seekers -- not so much with those who were there just to do battle with Him. He called them blind guides, fools, whitewashed tombs, snakes, vipers, hypocrites....
Paul instructed Titus to rebuke people sharply.

No one forces services to be that long.

And nobody forces people to attend.

And in any case, in the dead of winter, plenty of people run their cars to keep them warm (for some period of time), so it's not like this is some idea alien to people in your geography.

And people die of carbon monoxide poisoning from sitting in running parked cars.

What a great time to hold church services, forcing people to leave their homes in order to sit - bored - on hard church pews, listening to the same nonsense spun into some "new" sermon.

Again, people attend church because they want to, not because they are forced. You argument is just so silly on so many fronts.

[Cow Poke]

If you are all going in the same direction you are just walking into the exhaled germs of the person in front of you, even if they are wearing a mask.

EGGzackly --- it's like when you walk down the isle behind somebody who's wearing too much makeup or cologne or something..... you're walking in their "trail".

[Sparko]

EGGzackly --- it's like when you walk down the isle behind somebody who's wearing too much makeup or cologne or something..... you're walking in their "trail".

What they need to do is install exhaust fans in the ceiling over the aisles that continually draw up the air and exhaust it outside.

[Cow Poke]

What they need to do is install exhaust fans in the ceiling over the aisles that continually draw up the air and exhaust it outside.

Imagine what that could do the the AC bill in Texas!

[Sparko]

Imagine what that could do the the AC bill in Texas!

The hot air helps to kill the virus faster.

[shunyadragon]

But are they, shuny? They've been open for 3 weeks now, and there is no indication that the number of covid cases has increased in that time in this church. You are making it up by saying that "evidence shows they are promoting the spread" because there is no proof.

And by the way, how about the riots? How much covid have they spread that nobody, including you, seems to care about.

You are all so hypocritical, it's sickening.

Yes, it is sickening. Considering the many cases of spreading the COVID-19 from xhurxh services. They are playing Russian Roulette with two bullets.

[Cow Poke]

Yes, it is sickening. Considering the many cases of spreading the COVID-19 from xhurxh services. They are playing Russian Roulette with two bullets.

Ah, so very clever!!! Spelling Church with two x's! How VERY grown up!

[shunyadragon]

Ah, so very clever!!! Spelling Church with two x's! How VERY grown up!

Anal grammarians do not respond coherently to post.

[Cow Poke]

Anal grammarians do not respond coherently to post.

Well, there has to be a coherent post to which to respond! Your post was crap.

[mossrose]

Oh, you're a ChrINO. What makes you people attack the person rather than what they say? It certainly isn't any indwelling spirit of Christ...

Well, aren't you Mr. Holier-Than-Thou. It's ok for you to call us names, apparently. And you obviously have no idea what the indwelling Spirit of Christ is. Remember Christ, who told the Pharisees and scribes exactly what He thought of them, those brood of vipers, who were of their father the devil, as I believe you are also? And cleaned the rot out of the temple, twice? Remember Him?

No one forces services to be that long. And in any case, in the dead of winter, plenty of people run their cars to keep them warm (for some period of time), so it's not like this is some idea alien to people in your geography.

Why do you think you have the right to proscribe how long anybody's church service is? And apparently you are not aware that where I live, we are not allowed to idle our cars for longer than it takes to warm them up when we first start them, and no longer than the time it takes for us to get through the Timmy's drivethrough. I think, 15 minutes at the most. You see, the environmentalist nutcases made such a stink about emissions that we had to get bylaws in place so we horrible, nasty, polluting, earth-destroying people could only attend a 15 minute church service.

What a great time to hold church services, forcing people to leave their homes in order to sit - bored - on hard church pews, listening to the same nonsense spun into some "new" sermon.

Wow. Again you show your ignorance about what CHURCH really is! You are bored because you believe God's word to be "nonsense", which actually means you are doing exactly what God's word said you would do in 1 Corinthians 1:18:

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Did you get that? You are perishing because of your unbelief.

I am not bored at church. I am worshiping the God who created me, who bought me with His blood, and who gave me new life through His resurrection from the dead. It is a joy and privilege to worship Him, and no, I am never, ever bored. And my pastor preaches hour-long sermons! And nobody, ever, forces me to go to church.

So, take your foolishness and spend it on your atheist buddies here. I'm sure they'll agree with you.

[NorrinRadd]

Well, there has to be a coherent post to which to respond! Your post was crap.

I think you mean "xrap."

[NorrinRadd]

I'm not surprised when infidels totally fail to understand Christian beliefs and practices, and regard them as "non-essential" *at best*.

But I'm puzzled when American "Christians" seem to be fine with Caesar imposing tight constraints, with no end in sight, in direct violation of the text of the Bill of Rights.

[Cow Poke]

I think you mean "xrap."

[rogue06]

Well, aren't you Mr. Holier-Than-Thou. It's ok for you to call us names, apparently. And you obviously have no idea what the indwelling Spirit of Christ is. Remember Christ, who told the Pharisees and scribes exactly what He thought of them, those brood of vipers, who were of their father the devil, as I believe you are also? And cleaned the rot out of the temple, twice? Remember Him?

This is a point that I and others frequently raise when unbelievers start this crap.

Christ used insults Himself to drive home His message. He understood that some times it was necessary to speak plainly and directly, to explicitly call out something as it is by its right name rather than sugar coat it. This was something that folks like Paul, John the Baptist and the prophets and even Jesus often did. They did not shrink from using harsh language to make their point and did not beat around the bush because they were scared they might upset someone's delicate sensibilities. Jesus did not come to make "nice" but rather was honest and forthright

For instance, look at what Christ said in Matthew 23:33 to the Pharisees: "You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?" In the same exchange He repeatedly and explicitly referred to them as "hypocrites," as well as "whitewashed tombs" (looks good on the outside but full of rot and uncleanness on the inside), "blind fools" and even "child of hell" (in John 8:44 He said "You are of your father the devil"^[1]).

Earlier at His baptism He called the Pharisees and Sadducees a brood of vipers (Matthew 3:7) and again after casting out a demon He said "You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil?" (Matthew 12:34).

And often the insults were much more subtle (at least to us in the 21st century) but just as telling. For instance in Matt. 12:5 when Christ asks the Pharisees "Or have you not read in the Law..." this was a very serious slap in the face. The Pharisees spent a great deal of their time reading and studying the Law so to ask them "have you not read" was akin to calling them morons and imbeciles for being incapable of understanding what they read.

Moreover Jesus did far more than merely use strong language as you alluded to. In the cleansing of the Temple account we are told in John 2 that Jesus made a whip or scourge out of cords and used it to drive out the money-changers (who's tables He over-turned in the process).

But atheists want us to believe that Jesus was all about hugs and saying things like "can't we all just get along?" in order to browbeat us into submission and meekly accepting whatever drek they try to cram down our throats. I think whateverman and those like him would condemn Jesus as acting in an unchristlike manner









1. Paul also called someone (Elymas the magician) "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy" as recorded in Acts 13:10. Should he have hugged him and been cautious of hurting his feelings instead?