Florida megachurch pastor says he's closing church due to 'tyrannical government'

[left-of-center2012]

Florida megachurch pastor Rodney Howard-Browne closed the doors to his church Monday to protect his congregation from "a tyrannical government."

"I actually have no choice at this juncture but to shut the church down this Sunday," Howard-Browne, pastor of The River at Tampa Bay, said on his livestream call-in show. "I have to do this to protect the congregation — not from the virus but from a tyrannical government," Howard-Browne said.

Howard-Browne was arrested Monday and charged with misdemeanor counts of unlawful assembly and violating public health rules after hosting two Sunday services at The River church. The church violated social distancing measures aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus by holding services with nearly 500 people in attendance.

He has gone on record claiming the coronavirus is a bio-weapon made by China to destroy the economy of the U.S. “The World Health Organization has come in and is using a pandemic to take over not just America, but the whole of the world,” he said Tuesday.

https://thehill.com/homenews/news/490789-florida-megachurch-pastor-says-hes-closing-church-due-to-tyrannical-government

[gibraltar72]

1. Prayer causes Corona Virus.

[lame54]

2. I thought he was given a pass...

Along with other churches

Or did the gov finally wise up

[left-of-center2012]

4. "I thought he was given a pass along with other churches"

Lord no.

Churches have had to go online,
live streaming services.

[lame54]

6. Florida gov gave them an exception...

That may have changed

But he originally did

[Caliman73]

15. Exempt from the Statewide order, not from local orders.

It was the County where the church is located that issued the original order for which the idiot is being charged. The State order does not supersede stricter orders from local authorities.

[lame54]

17. Good to hear

[lpbk2713]

3. He's pissed. They won't be passing the plates for a while.

Look at all that income he will be missing. He'll probably pay a
visit to the homes of the big donors once a week without fail.

[Newest Reality]

5. Oh,

What a paragon of virtue and a fine example of love and kindness, there, Pastor Rodney.

Make and example of enmity and projected paranoia for your flock instead of complying out of compassion and concern for your Brothers and Sisters in this World who are losing loved ones, falling sick, going broke, etc. Great job! How uplifting you are.

As has been pointed before, in Matthew, praying in your closet it the default position, so it is a non-essential service and your income and bills are not sacred or holy here, pal. You are out to protect yourself and your mammon stash, so take off the sheep's clothing and let's see the wolf under it.

Get ye wisdom. Be wise as serpents. I see nothing that calls you to be a money-grubbing, paranoid, bat shit, conspiracy theorist for Jesus who puts fear in his flock in order to pass the plate for more bucks. Do you come from a long line of money changers?

Get out and help people who are in need, slacker. You can do without some luxuries for a while. Love, peace, charity, helping the poor and sick, sacrifice and the rest are right there in your good book. Follow it for a change. You may need to get RIGHT with YOUR GOD!

[old guy]

7. Don't go away mad pastor,

Just go away. Preferably far, far away.

[ismnotwasm]

8. I watch my daughters former Priest

Conduct a Catholic mass, in Spanish, while steaming. The angle shot showed no audience, about 62 watched.

This man, who is a good, good man, now uses a walker, it was a poignant sight, and while I’m not religious, I don’t speak Spanish either, the sight of his dedication moved me. So I watched, well, I kept on, the whole thing.

These look-at-me prosperity preachers don’t understand their own religion. That’s always baffled me.

[Docreed2003]

9. How about steaming your service pastor?

It's not a tyrannical government who has shut you down, it's your own greed and desire for power.

[MustLoveBeagles]

18. He can

He just wants to whine and say "oh poor persecuted me".

"I actually have no choice at this juncture but to shut the church down this Sunday," Howard-Browne, pastor of The River at Tampa Bay, said on his livestream call-in show. "I have to do this to protect the congregation — not from the virus but from a tyrannical government," Howard-Browne said.

No one is shutting him down but himself. If he can livestream his pity party, he can livestream (or do remotely by phone) his religious services. Other posters on the thread have speculated he's just mad he can't pass the collection plate. I think that's what these crocodile tears are really about.

[stopbush]

10. Fucking elitist Christians.

[Maru Kitteh]

11. He's terrified he might have to actually get a real job.

Wouldn’t that suck?

[Volaris]

12. Tyrannical government hahaha.

Yeah, the Hammer of State Power came down hard with that little misdemeanor arrest, didnt it?

Smdh these people have NO IDEA...

Good thing this worthless snowflakes church wasnt in Baghdad.

[lettucebe]

13. His only concern is not being able to pass the collection plate

If he cared about his congregation he'd do services remotely, but for some reason he insists has to be in person so he can dig into people's pockets. Sick.

[not_the_one]

14. FINALLY!!! A silver lining...

[msongs]

16. does not have the courage of his (fund raising) convictions eh ... nt