Browne would go on to explain that he is filing a federal challenge to the order from the county. First, he says because the charges were again "trumped up." Except they were not. The term trumped up means the charges were fake, a false accusation. Yet even Browne admits there was an order that he felt he tried to mitigate with all of his bogus purification efforts. Secondly, he says because of all the death threats he has received he will not hold service this week. So apparently it is ok to risk everyone else's lives but not his own. Let me close with one last portion:
"Third, The River Church provides many ministries more than services, where we physically gather together to worship. We have various training schools, and we also provide food and clothing to people in need. The Farmer's Market and the weekly food boxes we provide are greatly needed at this time to help needy and hurting families. These ministries need to continue to operate to help people. We have many inner-city people who do not have the luxury of watching church online at home. We feel obligated to continue to serve them in person and to make sure we continue to provide groceries to them every week. People in our community need help more than ever in this time of crisis, and the church is where many of them turn for spiritual and material help. We need to be able to minister, without unreasonably restrictive measures, to their spiritual and material needs. Church is a body of believers that cannot be substituted online, especially for people who do not have access to the internet, or their internet is too slow to watch video. Our church helps hurting people and those in need, both spiritually and physically. There is no substitute for meeting together to help one another. This can be done while also protecting the health and welfare of those who attend." -- Rodney Howard-Browne
I am not going to address again the sheer arrogance of thinking what he does is so special that he can violate the law and endanger the very people he claims to serve. Secondly, I am unsure why he thinks poor people cannot watch things online. If he is so magnanimous as to waste $100,000 on some air purifying, maybe he could help gets his congregants some decent Wi-Fi. I agree that church should not permanently be substituted online but temporarily? You betchya. There is just no realism in Browne's conclusions. Perhaps because he is so critical of the virus even existing his reasoning is blurred. You cannot hold a service for 500 people and think hand sanitizer will do the trick. And for what? To hear the holy ghost heretic spew anti-government conspiracy theories? This situation was made for the NAR dominionist crowd who loves pushing a false persecution model and loves playing the victim. The victim from those horrible lefties in this country, except Florida is decidedly right.
Browne's excuses are flimsy and transparent. He broke the law and was rightly arrested. I will say it again though that this transcends the legal issues. Because there is another idiot pastor in Louisiana that is doing the same thing. Now there is a moron in Pennsylvania who wants to hold a "Woodstock" like event for Easter. Stupidity breeds stupidity. If you truly care about the sheep God has entrusted to you then stay home. Live stream a sermon. Facebook a prayer service. Stop pretending that the crucial lynch pin in everyone's walk with God is your building. It is not.
Reverend Anthony Wade -- April 5, 2020
