A Colorado church is refusing to take responsible steps to avoid the spread of COVID-19. They’re still gathering in person. They’re not distancing from each other. In fact, they refuse to do anything that’s not specifically listed in the Bible.

You can hear it all for yourself in a video from Colorado Springs Fellowship Church, where Pastor Rose Banks has all the worst advice for her congregation (6:08 mark):

… boy, do we have chaos in this country. But I’m gonna show you tonight, if you’re serving God, you have nothing to fear. You have nothing to fear. The scripture backs it up. God always takes care of his people…

Sure. That’s why all Christians are always immortal. And why they never face natural disasters or illnesses. And why they alway find the perfect parking spot.

What about social distancing? Jesus said nothing about that. (25:20 mark)

… they just wash. I mean, I always wash my hands. But I ain’t gonna wash it no more than I always wash it. What’s the biggie? This stuff is insane! We gotta sit 20 feet apart! Now, after a while, they gotta cut it down. So many come in the morning. The rest of y’all come at noontime. So we gotta stay 20 feet apart. Listen to that if you want to. There ain’t nothin in this Bible telling me to stay 10 feet apart from nothing. 20 feet apart from nothing. Here’s what you tell me: You can show it to me in scripture, that I should abide by that, I’m gonna do it, but if it ain’t in this book, I’m not doing it. Because this is the word of God! This is positive! This is power!…

Christ. Jesus wasn’t a virologist, therefore, this pastor doesn’t care what scientists and public health experts have to say about anything.

The Bible also doesn’t say you should livestream church services, but apparently this church doesn’t care about that. (The Bible very much has something to say about women in the pulpit, which Banks rightfully ignores.)

She’s just picking and choosing what to follow, and her ignorance now is putting the entire congregation and their communities at risk.

Colorado has already issued an order banning gatherings of 10 or more people, but the church’s leadership is defying that, saying their religious freedom overrides that request.

Leadership at Colorado Springs Fellowship Church tell KRDO they have no plans of closing. The church says that it has a Constitutional right to practice their religion, even amid the public health order aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Again the church leaders have no clue what they’re talking about. The state is allowed to create policies that apply to everyone equally — like how all buildings must have visible exit signs and fire extinguishers on site. Churches aren’t exempt from those rules just because they’re churches.

It’s not clear if Colorado will punish the church for defying those rules — they’re trying hard to avoid that for obvious reasons — but if they choose to do so, let’s be clear that what they’d be doing isn’t anti-Christian. It’s for public safety. And unfortunately for Colorado, these fools are part of the public.

(via OutThere Colorado. Thanks to Brian for the link)

