'The church was empty': Congregation walks out of service after pastor echoes Trump's comments

[RKP5637]

Well, another church will be for sale as people tire of jerks like this pastor. Fake pastors ... spreading the devil's word!

https://www.rawstory.com/2019/07/the-church-was-empty-congregation-walks-out-of-service-after-pastor-echoes-trumps-comments/?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=852&recip_id=31440&list_id=1

A pastor in Virginia is facing a revolt from his own congregation after he put up a sign echoed controversial comments from President Donald Trump.

Pastor E.W. Lucas of Friendship Baptist Church in Appomattox made headlines last week after putting up the sign “America, I love it. If you don’t love it, leave it.”

The pastor put up the sign the same week that Trump lashed out at progressive congresswomen with a racist demand they “go back” to their country of origin.

[gratuitous]

1. Not a wise move

If Friendship Baptist Church is like most Baptist congregations, the pastor is hired and serves at the pleasure of the congregation. A pastor that out of touch with his congregation is begging to be fired.

[RKP5637]

3. Yep!!! Agree!!! n/t

[SouthernProgressive]

2. 'America: Love or Leave it' sign at Virginia church drawing both concerns and support

APPOMATTOX, Va. (WSET) - A church sign in Appomattox is drawing both support and criticism on social media and beyond.

Those traveling down this stretch of Red House Road drive right past this Friendship Baptist Church sign that reads, “America: Love it or Leave It.”

"Since we’ve had favorable comments on it, I thought I’d just leave it a while," said Pastor E. W. Lucas, Friendship Baptist Church.

Pastor E. W. Lucas and his wife shared how he has put up signs since he started the church in 1979.

ABC

[Grokenstein]

18. Because popularity is what determines right and wrong, amirite?

/sarcasm

[blakstoneranger]

69. There will always be

people who will agree or disagree. As a pastor you're not there to tout politics but to help save souls and nurture christians in the name of Jesus. This is how evil our churches have because. Now this sinful pastor has been validated by other trump supporters relieving him of his christian moral values (why not, he doesn't care). I guess he can join the club of other greedy, money-hungry evangelicals who have done the same.

[SouthernProgressive]

70. "Now this sinful pastor"

That's funny.

[Claritie Pixie]

4. Oops! He doesn't know his congregation very well, does he?

And obviously doesn't know Jesus's teachings at all.

[dalton99a]

5. It's never too late to hate

[Aristus]

6. Now, why does he look EXACTLY the way I pictured him?

[RKP5637]

9. Yep!!! n/t

[bronxiteforever]

17. +1 OMG that is so true and funny!

[H2O Man]

43. !!!!!!!!!!!

[lonely bird]

54. Well, I think

They both look like they would be early birds at Old Country Buffet suckin’ down jello.

[47of74]

55. Which closet does he keep his Klan robes in?

Bedroom, spare bedroom, or up near the front door?

What about the materials for the cross burnings? Those kept in the garage or in a shed out back?

[dchill]

57. He just needs a MAGA hat...

...and a swastika armband.

[onethatcares]

7. golly gee wilbur,

it just came to him like it was an original thought or sumpin.
.

what a fucking idjit

[LiberalLovinLug]

20. The unspoken objection to this kind of slogan is.....no one has said they DON'T love America.

Its a very conservative, draconian and dare I say racist interpretation of four congresswomen's criticisms of how improvement can be made on a few issues.

Its laughable if only they'd see it, in that their main slogan is MAGA. Implying that there is something wrong with America that they want to fix. But love it or leave it doesn't apply to themselves.

[arthritisR_US]

61. +1000!

[Quackers]

23. Missing the pitchfork

[onetexan]

29. Lol so true

[olegramps]

73. That picture says more than a thousand of words.

[tirebiter]

8. Get those politics off our church, goddammit

This is America!

[FirstLight]

15. right?

Doesn't separation of church and state go both ways?

...also....non-profit /church means no taxes right?....yeahhhhh...maybe not if hes gonna get all political..

[Poiuyt]

35. Churches that delve into politics should have their nonprofit status revoked

Tax the hell out of them

[FirstLight]

38. AGREED!

[eggplant]

52. I love the idea of "taxing the hell out of them" -- seems sufficiently biblical.

[Sherman A1]

62. Agreed

I believe that taxing them into the dirt is too good for them, but it would be a place to start.

[Mariana]

10. Rev. Lucas said:

“People that feel hard about our president and want to down the president and down the country and everything, they ought to go over there and live in these other countries for a little while,” Lucas told WSET.

I wonder how much Lucas loved America and supported the President when Obama was in that office? Anyone want to guess?

[Mc Mike]

33. Yep. I also wonder if he told Rump to leave the US, when Rump spent 8 years screaming and crying

about how bad the President and the US was.

[True Blue American]

65. I left a Southern Baptist church

When the old, bigoted Pastor told us to vote gainst Obama so did several ell do black couples.he Church had to hit bottom before they could get rid of hm , a former Pastor had slipped into the contract they could not fire a Pastor.

New, young Pastor turned it around. I was honest with him why I left.

[oasis]

68. Let me guess how much he supported Obama's presidency.

[jmowreader]

11. Anyone who says that hates America

So when is he leaving?

[H2O Man]

44. Well done!

[William769]

12. K&R.

Little bit of history of the church (MCC ST. John the Apostle) I attend.

Back in the very early 90's, we shared a Church with the Unitarians. in 1993 we decided it was time to have our own Church (only problem was money was tight). We found a Baptist church That was going bankrupt due to people just stopped going to it. In 1989 This is the same Church that gave an award to a local county judge for throwing a man out of his courtroom. Why was this man thrown out? Solely because he has AIDS. We ended up buying this Church and making it our own. Now I try to live right and do the right things, but every once in awhile I see some poetic justice that just makes me all warm & fuzzy inside.

In 2003 we moved to a bigger Church as our congregation grew ...

Ok I'm rambling, I'll shut up now.

Just wanted to share.

[MBS]

32. Excellent.

[FakeNoose]

13. I hope they boycott that church, or fire the minister

[lunatica]

16. Good one!

[demigoddess]

27. reeeeeeaaaally good one!!!!!

so very true

[Collimator]

40. Muy bueno

Me gusta mucho.

[G_j]

14. Love it or Leave it,

https://mobile.twitter.com/RevDrBarber/status/1151636140555980800

[peggysue2]

19. Walking out in protest is . . .

what real Christians should be doing. The paster says he loves and supports the country. All his sign says is that he loves and supports Donald Trump. Who is NOT the country.

Here's hoping the man loses his entire congregation.

[malaise]

21. Good

Fuck off monster

[KY_EnviroGuy]

22. The GOP has created a fake theocracy in America.

Christian religions have been totally flim-flammed by the GOP's plutocracy.

The wealthy Baptist hierarchy are completely responsible for this thinking........

[onetexan]

30. Its heretical and dangerous interpretations of the bible

And the teachings of Christ that os the problem. Most of these fanaticals dont realize Jesus himself was a Jew, anf a Person of color, one of the many minority traits they despise.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

42. And according to the Bible, he lived very modestly and shunned the greedy.

Quite a contrast with current-day prosperity gospel dogma.

KY.....

[Farmer-Rick]

39. The FBI report on Russian involvement in the election

Indicated that Putin reached out to Evangelical Christian leaders too. It has created a class of traitorous religious leaders who preach the GOP talking points from the pulpit. Those who didn't take Putin's money, imitate those who did, not knowing they are imitating traitors.

[raccoon]

24. Hurrah for the congregation! I hope they tell him, "You're fired!" Nt

[Crunchy Frog]

25. I wish some liberal churches that actually teach the Gospel of Jesus

Would start doing missionary work among the evangelical, and Southern Baptist heathens in the South.

Maybe some of those people simply need to hear a different and more Biblically sound message.

[MarcA]

26. That Moran pastor doesn't seem very "friendly".

Maybe he is still sore that Lee surrendered.

[keithbvadu2]

28. Ask them what countries they are going back to.

Many thousands (millions?) of republicans are wearing red hats that say America is not great.

In great big letters.

Ask them what countries they are going back to.

[LW1977]

31. True Christians should be disgusted!

Blasphemous fucker!

[tanyev]

36. Friendship Baptist Church: Love it or leave it.

They did.

[True Blue American]

67. :)

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

37. Friendship Baptist Church?

Oh, the irony.

[BigmanPigman]

41. You beat me to it!

[True Blue American]

66. Yeah!

Love Thy Neighbor!

[patphil]

45. The whole "love it or leave it" thing has always been a load of crap.

When people say this, they really mean that you must agree with them in order to love our country.
Dissent is equivalent to hating America in their eyes.
Of course they are the ones steeped in hatred because they hate any Americans that don't see things their way.
They are the ones who don't love America.
They are the ones that demand conformance, and are not inclined to believe in freedom to speak, choose, and act different from them.

They want to turn the "land of the free and the home of the brave" into a country where you have to be really brave to act free.
And, if you do, they are all over you for it.

The America I love embraces diversity and stands for true freedom of expression.
My America even has room for radical, hate-filled people. After all, they are Americans, but not truly patriotic since they reject the fundamental precepts of our Constitution.

They would condemn Lincoln if he were alive today, for he stood for freedom and equality. And yet they try to pass themselves off as the "party of Lincoln".
And that is one big load of crap.

Patrick Phillips

[RKP5637]

47. Extremely well said!!! K&R!!! n/t

[blueinredohio]

46. I was raised that religion and politics don't mix.

[RKP5637]

48. Yep! Same here! n/t

[Turbineguy]

49. The pastor figured out

another way to keep his tax-exempt status. Be broke.

[BlueIdaho]

50. I have an acquaintance who was a pastor.

He can tell you just how easy it is to find yourself out of a job when you cross the congregation. I think this fool needs to start packing his bags.

[Vogon_Glory]

51. Sure looks that way

He might need a new job.

I suppose he can shake the dust from his sandals at the edge of the parking lot, but he sounds like he’s heading for the door.

[roamer65]

53. Bet the church starts getting threats if they fire him.

Deplorables usual move.

[dchill]

56. Unchristian, unamerican. I'd untithe.

[Initech]

58. Mixing religion and politics can be quite the dangerous cocktail.

[catbyte]

59. LOL. It appears as if "Friendship Baptist Church" has become a wallflower. The church needs to

either change its name--or pastor. I guess they're only interested in being friends with narrow-minded white bigots. Awesome. Just what I imagine Jesus would do.

[Scurrilous]

60. ...

[ck4829]

63. Good on the congregation

[riversedge]

64. Oh, Karma is beautiful.

[mountain grammy]

71. Thanks for posting..

I need a ray of hope every day.

[live love laugh]

72. Their motto is "Virginia is for Lovers" ❤️ for good reason. nt

[geretogo]

74. Organized religion with devils like this guy is the reason more people are becoming atheists .

[RKP5637]

75. Yep, and why churches are closing. Religion could be helpful, but they only want hatred.

Basically IMO much of religion has become persecutory hate clubs.