“The church was made for moments like these,” Pastor John McArthur’s said referring to the chaos surrounding the COVID pandemic (from the movie “The Essential Church”). The Church is definitely needed during such crises: to tend to the sick, to support those who have lost loved ones, to provide hope, to reach out to those isolated from normal touchpoints, to tend to the spiritual health of its flock, to offer a biblical view to counter the secular worldview.
The government, on the other hand, also projected itself as vital during this moment. It proclaimed to be motivated strictly by concern for the physical health of its citizenry. During the pandemic’s initial stages (the first few weeks), government restrictions had broad support, even among church-going faithful. Initially, everyone struggled to understand the risks and proper responses. However, the moment of crisis lasted far too long. Churches were restricted far longer than was necessary to protect public health.
The conflict pitted public (physical) health against the faithful’s spiritual health. The church-going faithful did not minimize their own or others’ physical health, but they quickly recognized the problems associated with neglecting their spiritual health. Government’s motivation was not suspected initially, but it gradually showed its hand. The government targeted those simply attempting to strike the proper balance in their own lives: caring for both their spiritual and physical health. It attacked any who questioned its policies or motivation, including countless highly credentialed medical experts who offered counter opinions.
Hardware stores, Las Vegas casinos, and George Floyd protests, were called essential while church services were limited or banned altogether. Many high profile politicians openly broke their own rules, rules ostensibly needed to protect the rest of us from being infected at church.
In the movie, Pastor McArthur noted: the Church would not compel parishioners to attend services in the midst of a hurricane; COVID began as a similar imminent threat. However, as the COVID threat became better understood, as the public adapted to this new reality, and as individuals (and their doctors) calculated their own risks, the ground rules should have changed. Fifteen days to slow the spread (and determine the risk) was appropriate. After that brief period, government needed to relinquish its authority back to the true sovereign (the people); it refused. Had government eventually reversed policy its credibility might have remained in tact (many government officials still defend their actions to this day). Instead, its true (sinister) intentions were exposed as it clung to the notion the crisis must never end. Its was drunk on power and it cherished the opportunity to vanquish its enemy (the Church). COVID was a great clarifying event for those who would see.
Though you have eyes, do you not see? Though you have ears, do you not hear? Mark 8:18
Government infringed upon personal and spiritual choices in ways it never should have. Now we know the lengths it will go to, the founding principles it will trample on, and the harm it is willing to subject the public to, in order to increase its own power and diminish its opponents. Government repeatedly said they cared, but numerous COVID policies belied the fact that the government cared at all about the public’s well being. Three years later, “The Essential Church” movie highlights how far our government has fallen. Today’s massive government increasingly views churches, religious conservatives in general, as enemies. Restricting church attendance, imprisoning pastors, and misleading the faithful about its true intentions were its shameless tactics. Our situation will only worsen until we recognize the problem and take back power from government miscreants. The movie portrays the story of a few who recognized the problem and pushed back. Unfortunately, too many other churches today fail to push back adequately, are fooled by government’s supposed compassion, or have been co-opted and bought into government’s sinister policies. This is the great battle we must fight and win in the coming years.
Catastrophic Government Failures
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, MD and Stanford professor, quoted in the movie said America’s COVID response “was the worst public health mistake in peacetime history“. Dr. Scott Atlas, a former member of the government’s COVID task force and another Stanford professor, spoke of the “heinous problem of this policy“. During numerous posts, I have highlighted countless concerns from numerous reputable and highly credentialed medical authorities. In one post, I quoted three other doctors, including another on the president’s COVID task force who concurred:
cdc-director-there-is-no-science-we-made-it-up
The three doctors agree COVID has revealed (and been the catalyst for) “catastrophic failures” of the medical industry along with shocking departures from professional and medical standards the last three years. The damage is severe; much is irreversible.
Our local pediatrician in his latest newsletter made this comment:
Link to newsletter: https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001xQbTsTOUeGCCuHBIaK9NoqSiCrtJi5d_kvi0-tJS-L8K1JEayZdxQWmPMtfopQ60MJ4FpkexhFqGUrTcYYKSxP-IEbqaboMe22l_ofG55c8%3D
In this Covid post mortem, blue states and especially the Democratic dominated large cities suffered from poor public policy decisions and the influence of teachers unions not seeing the greater picture as it related to children. School systems abandoned their primary responsibility, the child and their entire well being.
The harsh criticisms go on ad nauseum, and rightly so. The contrast between what is truth and what we were told by government and media–regarding the actual COVID threat along with solutions such as masks, vaccines, treatments, lockdowns, distancing, etc.–is so stark and so disturbing. Why do those whose job it is to protect our health and safety lie about public health? Why do they barely attempt to conceal their lies? Why have so many of the trusting public not awakened after three years of continual lies?
Even liberal news organizations like MSN, recognized the counter-productive nature of the lockdowns in a retrospective.
As David Nabarro, the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 envoy (and an eventual lockdown critic), put it, “The only time we believe a lockdown is justified is to buy you time to reorganize, regroup, rebalance your resources, protect your health workers who are exhausted, but by and large we’d rather not do it.”,
In many blue states, however, that rationale was forgotten over time, and many people remained confined to their homes or apartments not just for a few weeks but for a year or more — even after the vaccine became available. And many of the country’s biggest cities continually re-imposed lockdowns whenever there was an uptick in COVID cases — not just telling people to shelter in place, but also closing small businesses and restaurants, outlawing sports events and social gatherings, and shutting down in-school learning.
If we knew better, and many public health officials did, why did so many persist in locking us down?
In North Carolina, the situation was not quite so bad. A May 2020 judicial ruling allowed us to return to church after an eight week pause (technically, church services were held, but numbers were severely limited). Thankfully, our governor did not appeal the court decision. Eight weeks was too long, but our situation was vastly better than California’s. The Constitution’s promise of freedom of religion was rightly upheld in North Carolina.
Our parish and the state as a whole didn’t experience sudden upticks in deaths because we were congregating (North Carolina, one of the most populous states, consistently ranked very low in deaths per capita throughout the pandemic). In fact, COVID deaths severely declined between May and June 2020 and stayed relatively low until the Fall. Those who felt uncomfortable or most at-risk stayed away. By May 2020, it was clear to most of us we were not taking an unreasonable risk by venturing outside our homes, yet lockdowns were established policy by then. The risk we accepted was not dissimilar to the risk most of us take (willingly and almost unconsciously) when we venture out on the road in our vehicles.
Meanwhile, the media, Dr, Fauci, and most of government, harangued us for simply choosing to live our lives in the way we saw fit. Grace Community Church and thousands of other California churches had to battle for religious freedom. In Canada, two pastors were actually imprisoned and churches fined. Countless other individuals, throughout the US and Canada lost jobs, careers, homes, businesses, health, and reputations.
Was government policy wielded in this manner because they saw the church and its worldview as an enemy to the power of the state? Was it a means to subsume the church and the family, the institutions most threatening to the state? Was COVID an opportunity to demoralize and strip away from the ranks of the faithful? I think yes in all cases.
The Fight is Joined
Progressives preach the principle of “separation of church and state”. They declare it vital for our functioning democracy and rail against churches seeking to impose their will upon the general public. Real power today lies with the state. The state has so many more resources than the Church. Churches today have power as reactionary forces pushing back against evil or government wrong-doing, but the state is the only power who can actually compel others to act (while it portrays itself as a benevolent force only seeking public good). Those who continually warn of a theocracy and insist on separation of church and state quickly abandoned that principle during the pandemic. They revealed the principle only works in one direction, used only to limit Church and religious figures influence in politics. Following the principle should lead to the logical conclusion the state has no role in interfering in matters of the church and limiting the access of the faithful. That is not what happened. Again, COVID policy was a clarifier. It is clear now who the state believes is the enemy.
Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose
Nothing, and that’s all that Bobby left me.
Janis Joplin, Me and Bobby McGee
Our Constitution says nothing of the “separation of church and state”. It provides no exceptions for abridging exercise of religion in time of crisis, medical emergency or when Dr. Fauci says so.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
The First Amendment is absolute. There shall be “no laws” and no exceptions. The principle does not work otherwise.
While “fifteen days to slow the spread” was underway, I often found myself at Lowe’s Hardware (as virtually any home owner does throughout the year). Our store’s hours were curtailed, but it was still open every single day. Government deemed it “essential” for Americans to have continual access to kitchen appliances, generators, flashlights, 30-gallon garbage cans, lumber, table saws and other tools. Grocery stores never closed either. Toilet paper was in short supply for a while, but otherwise, we had total access to comestibles throughout. After a couple weeks of uncertainty, we realized we weren’t going to immediately die from COVID when purchasing a few essential items. We quickly adapted and lived our lives as best we could (as we generally do). The stores adapted as well: they put up plexiglass and hand washing stations, required customers to stand six feet apart, cleaned shopping carts, etc. The shopping experience was safer but wasn’t all that different than before. The human race is so adept at adapting to changing circumstances; we don’t need our daily routine dictated by the government, especially a government not adept at responding to changing circumstances.
Not only could large numbers of individuals purchase groceries and hardware items and yet survive the “pandemic of the century”, there was simply no reason why those willing to venture forth couldn’t also attend church (or many other events) for an hour weekly. This seemed so obvious, but the obvious was denied.
Once the North Carolina judicial ruling went into effect, our church immediately opened and we adapted: we met outside; families stood apart from each other; we refrained from shaking hands; communion was still given but the priest cleaned his hands after delivering the host (I still recall the antiseptic taste of the communion wafer). Every mass was streamed for the benefit of those too concerned to congregate. Our bishop lifted the obligation to attend Sunday mass, so nobody, especially not the least healthy, should have felt guilty for staying home and limiting their exposure.
We had this. We didn’t need Dr. Fauci to run our lives. The church, not government, determined the terms of worship. The church-going experience was altered to keep us safe, but our First Amendment rights remained in tact. This freedom is essential, and should never have been threatened. We proved it could work in North Carolina. It was frightening our governor had succeeded in shutting down church for eight weeks, yet also gratifying that a judge returned power to the individual. The COVID risk was not overwhelming for most. Each adapted to the situation given their own unique circumstances; we all could choose to accept (or not accept) the increased risk and act accordingly. Yet, government continually tried to re-impose its will throughout. It repeatedly (and unconscionably) interfered in our personal choices. It was suffocating and wholly unreasonable in many locations–and many restrictions lasted for years, often after many had put COVID behind us.
California restrictions remained far longer than eight weeks. As the “Essential Church” depicted, the separation of church and state was defended by Pastor McArthur and Grace Community Church, but not by the California government. Actions speak louder than words.
Give Under to Caesar
During the movie, Pastor McArthur addresses this question to our government overlords: “Why did you do this?” It’s a question I have pondered for three years. It was all so unnecessary.
The movie answers this question effectively. The church is a threat to government power, and government seeks absolute power. It is a force when it stands for right and pushes back against government over-reach. Our government is becoming more Marxist and more authoritarian; all such regimes are unwilling to share power with religious institutions. Religious institutions are able to rally the people and push back against egregious government behavior. COVID accelerated that trend. Government realized how much it could get away with and took full advantage. The church was the biggest threat to their overreach, so it was curtailed purposely. I am still dumbfounded so many I know are still critical of my stance that churches, schools, and businesses should have re-opened in April 2020. Many of our fellow Americans are fine with being governed in this way as long as they have their amenities and privileges.
Our instinct is to trust government until it proves itself untrustworthy. Indeed, many Grace Community Church’s elders, were hesitant to make a stand against California’s strict rules. The bible clearly highlights respect be given to government authority.
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment Romans 13:1-2
Still, government authority is to be followed only when it acts righteously. Our government repeatedly lied, did not respect laws restricting its own power (specifically, the First Amendment), and, worst of all, treated churches as enemies; therefore, dissent was justified. Government actions were too often not for the public good but for the benefit of those in power.
Authority does not derive its moral legitimacy from itself. It must not behave in a despotic manner, but must act for the common good as a “moral force based on freedom and a sense of responsibility”. A human law has the character of law to the extent that it accords with right reason, and thus derives from the eternal law. Insofar as it falls short of right reason it is said to be an unjust law, and thus has not so much the nature of law as of a kind of violence.
Authority is exercised legitimately only when it seeks the common good of the group concerned and if it employs morally licit means to attain it. If rulers were to enact unjust laws or take measures contrary to the moral order, such arrangements would not be binding in conscience. In such a case, “authority breaks down completely and results in shameful abuse.” Catechism of the Catholic Church 1902-1903
Grace Community Church recognized this problem and eventually received 100% concurrence from its elders. They re-opened in defiance of Governor Newsome. Grace Community Church is a very large and influential parish among Protestants, and Pastor McArthur is a well-known national figure. Their resistance was noticed and reported on nationally and internationally.
The Court Cases
Grace Community won its initial court case to the surprise of its lawyers. But LA County, unlike North Carolina, fought back. The ruling in favor of Grace Church was appealed and an injunction was placed on services. The church was threatened with fines. Pastor McArthur refused to relent and lawyers informed him the church could potentially pay millions as fines progressively increased. In September 2020, six months after the pandemic began, contempt charges were filed against Grace Community Church. In the film, Church representatives recounted warnings and threats from those friendly and unfriendly within the government: your future in business could be threatened if you stick by the church in this moment. They understood what was motivating these restrictions.
The movie also recounts the stories of two Canadian churches experiencing similar legal matters during that year as well. Canada’s government is not encumbered by a pesky First Amendment, so their punches had more pop. Two pastors were jailed for several weeks. The government released one pastor when his wife appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show; their excesses became too embarrassing. Even still, with pastors freed, churches were unable to meet as locks were changed and several layers of fencing put up around the churches.
Grace Community Church faced its own existential threat. LA County sought a total surrender from the church. According to McArthur and their attorneys, LA county would accept nothing less than full surrender. However, the tide finally turned in the church’s favor. A trial was to be held, and government officials, possibly the governor, possibly the LA County Public Health director would be deposed. This was the denouement church lawyers had been seeking. According to Ellis (quoted in the movie), the state backed down within 24 hours. They could not defend actions not based on fact or reason. They could not be exposed in this way. There were plenty of medical officials who would side with the church. They wanted to avoid this embarrassment, so they finally relented.
In November 2020, the Supreme Court ruled against New York state in a similar matter. The new court, with Justice Barret replacing Justice Ginsberg, finally turned the tide in favor of religious freedom.
The margin of victory in this fight was extremely narrow and coupled with the numbers willing to countenance attacks on our religious freedom, it is all very disturbing. Cardinal George’s prediction of his successor dying in prison no longer seems far away. The movie itself talks of the Marxist ideology infusing our government, and the penchant for Marxist to target religious institutions. The two cannot co-exist. Our nation must shed this move towards Marxist ideology and we must defend our freedom to practice our faith in the manner promised by the First Amendment, or the situation will continue to worsen.
Grace Community Church was re-opened in Fall 2020. In the end, the church was even able to recover damages from the state. The state was ultimately defeated, but they won several battles along the way and they will not relent in the future. We must recognize the enemy of religion, recognize their tactics, and we must defeat them fully.
Dave https://seek-the-truth.com/about/
more on COVID: https://seek-the-truth.com/category/covid/
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