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Title: Foolishness isn't faith
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Published: Apr 6, 2020
Author: THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Post Date: 2020-04-06 15:47:01 by Gatlin
Keywords: None
Views: 2423
Comments: 17
Foolishness isn't faith In times of crisis and fear, many Americans rightly turn to their faith. But what happens when faith leaders put their followers in peril by insisting the only way to properly worship is to gather in large groups that risk spreading the deadly coronavirus?
Officials in Florida have taken the drastic step of filing charges against a pastor who defied that state’s stay-home order, calling on congregants to attend Sunday services at his megachurch. The Rev. Rodney Howard-Browne presided over several services with several hundred parishioners at the River Church.
The pastor has blasted stay-home orders as anti-Christian and an infringement on freedom of religion. He also has complained that warnings about the dangers of the coronavirus pandemic have been overblown. Mr. Howard-Browne allegedly encouraged his followers to hug each other during church services, which they apparently willingly did.
Tom Walters, pastor of Word of Life Church in Hempfield, Pa., held a Sunday service late last month despite Gov. Tom Wolf’s stay-at-home order, suggesting that such orders amount to “a direct attack against the church itself.” He later apologized but to some extent the damage was done. He had pitted public health against freedom to worship, as if the two cannot co-exist.
In Louisiana, the Rev. Tony Spell, pastor of Life Tabernacle Church near Baton Rouge, held services for 1,200 people in violation of state rules against large gatherings. According to news reports, Mr. Spell compared himself with Jesus after a summons for his arrest was issued. “Never been more proud to be persecuted for the faith like my savior,” Mr. Spell said.
Religious leaders have a special authority in the community, and Mr. Howard- Browne and Mr. Spell, especially, recklessly abused theirs. Florida and Louisiana authorities should throw the book at them.
More than that, other clergy considering flouting public safety and common sense as important holidays approach in several religions should reconsider and reflect on their true responsibility to the faithful.
Yes, many religions call on followers to gather together for worship — for Sunday church services, for Friday prayers, for the Seder. But as many religious leaders have argued in recent weeks, getting together in close proximity for these important rituals is not more important than human life.
Foolishly insisting on holding large-group services and taking on authorities who want to prohibit it is not only reckless, it diverts energy from offering real spiritual support and comfort in a time of great need.
In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine has resisted issuing orders to close down worship services, rightly leery of crossing boundaries of church and state separation. Instead the governor has prevailed upon the wisdom of conscientious faith leaders. In response those leaders have nearly all done what is best for their communities, canceling in-person worship services during the pandemic and ramping up safer ministering over the phone and the Internet.
Congregants do not need to risk their health and the health of their communities to practice their faiths. What they need are religious leaders who can reassure them it is all right to avoid dangerous large gatherings and who can offer alternative and safe ways to connect with each other.
Canceling in-person worship services is not canceling worship.
Those who jeopardize the lives of their flocks as Mr. Howard-Browne and Mr. Spell did deserve to face swift and severe justice.
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Why should anyone care about the opinion of "THE EDITORIAL BOARD"?
Just a bunch of liberal nobodies whose opinions are totally worthless.
And the Toledo Blade...how much fake news have they published since 1835?
From wiki:
In 2007 photojournalist Allan Detrich left The Blade when it was discovered that he had digitally altered a photo that was published on the front page of the March 31, 2007, edition. A subsequent investigation revealed that he had digitally altered and submitted 79 photos during the first 14 weeks of 2007, 58 of which ran either in The Blade or on its website.[6][7]
Yella journalism
#2. To: watchman (#1)
Why should anyone care about the opinion of "THE EDITORIAL BOARD"?
Just a bunch of liberal nobodies whose opinions are totally worthless.
Being objective …
On the other hand – it is absolutely prudent to ask:
“why should anyone care about YOUR opinion of "THE EDITORIAL BOARD"?
Respectfully …
#3. To: watchman (#1) (Edited)
That is most certainly an open-ended question.
“An open-ended question is a question that cannot be answered with a "yes" or "no" response, or with a static response. Open-ended questions are phrased as a statement which requires a response. The response can be compared to information that is already known to the questioner.”
You therefore have the obligation to answer your own question.
Can you?
Respectfully …
#4. To: watchman (#1) (Edited)
In 2007 photojournalist Allan Detrich left The Blade when it was discovered that he had digitally altered a photo that was published on the front page of the March 31, 2007, edition. A subsequent investigation revealed that he had digitally altered and submitted 79 photos during the first 14 weeks of 2007, 58 of which ran either in The Blade or on its website.[6][7]This is frivolously irrelevant information about an individual who left the Blade more that a decade ago and therefore had absolutely noting to do with the staff listed here who wrote this opinion piece.
Consequently, kindly please explain the relevance of this long-departed individual to the opinion piece under discussion – What is the quality or state of being closely connected or appropriate?
Respectfully …
#5. To: watchman (#1) (Edited)
Your yella opinion.
Respectfully …
#6. To: Gatlin (#2)
“why should anyone care about YOUR opinion of "THE EDITORIAL BOARD"?
I don't expect anyone to care about my opinion. I'm a nobody, too.
"THE EDITORIAL BOARD" certainly dismissed the opinion of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine who had a reasonable approach toward the religious leaders.
The opinion of "THE EDITORIAL BOARD" was a bit more unhinged when they called for "swift and severe justice" for the ministers.
There are even those unstable folks among us who might take that to mean vigilante justice.
#7. To: watchman (#6)
I don't expect anyone to care about my opinion. I'm a nobody, too.
That’s true. But you are entitled to your opinion, as is the staff of The Toledo Blade.
And when everone reads them, they must remember – They are only opinins.
Respectfully …
#8. To: watchman (#6)
So?
The editorial board has every right to do that.
Whether you agreed that they should have done that – is another matter.
Respectfully …
#9. To: watchman (#6)
You have a right to that opinion.
Respectfully …
#10. To: watchman (#6)
That could possibly be so.
Is that something of great concern to you?
If so, then I can supply you with the contact information for the staff and you can express your concern directly them.
I assure you that it will be no problem for me to get you that information.
Respectfully …
#11. To: Gatlin (#3) (Edited)
You therefore have the obligation to answer your own question.
Not necessarily.
Often an open-ended question is asked with the very intention of causing the reader to ponder, to think open-endedly.
Such as when you read an editorial from a source where deceit has been proven to take place, the open ended question regarding fake news should color what you read thereafter.
You should try it sometime...thinking, that is. It will be good for you.
I'm not going to answer my own question. I'm going to leave you to ponder it.
That way, if you learn to ponder now you will not end up like that poor soul, "The Thinker". He waited too late to ponder and by the time he did ponder he was caught on a ledge, a precipice, on his way down into the Lake of Fire. His sorry state so universally recognized in Auguste Rodin's monumental bronze masterpiece, "The Gates of Hell".
Ponder now Gatlin, before it is too late for you, as well.
#12. To: watchman (#11)
I will surely do that. I am going to give it some serious pondering. And after I have pondered it over and over I will get back to you on that.
I am going to make sure that I ponder it right.
To that end, I will begin carefully reading: DO YOU KNOW HOW TO PONDER to make sure I will be using the correctly accepted techniques to ponder.
Respectfully …
#13. To: watchman (#11) (Edited)
Nah.
That‘s only what some critics believe – that it was originally intended to depict Dante at the gates of Hell,
So, that is merely an opinion of some – And we have already discussed opinions.
Give me something more substantial than mere opinions – Please.
Respectfully …
#14. To: watchman (#11) (Edited)
Was deceit proven to have taken place is the editorial here? If any, then where?
I believe one should not let a partial reading up to a point in any way “color” his mind about what he is to read thereafter. I strongly support keeping an open mind throughout the entire reading.
I realize that keeping an open mind is probably one of the most difficult things to do – for some folks. For it means they must be “open” to to consider everything that comes their way. I believe in allowing yourself to embrace all different possibilities, views and interests. To do this, you need to proceed unprejudiced, without any stubbornness and remain flexible at all times. I have no problem doing that – Do you?
Wait …
You just said you couldn’t do that since your mind would become colored – Did I get the right?
Respectfully …
#15. To: Gatlin, Toledo Gay Blade (#0)
deserve to face swift and severe justice.
You're at the Gates of Hell, Toledo Gay Blade.
Justice WILL be swift & severe.
Ron Paul - Lake Jackson Texas Values
#16. To: Gatlin (#13)
That‘s only what some critics believe – that it was originally intended to depict Dante at the gates of Hell
If you had even seen the actual sculpture you would know that "The Thinker" is not Dante.
You are merely giving me the opinion of others.
#17. To: watchman (#16)
In response to you giving me YOUR opinion …
Respectfully …
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