I know of a church where there were effectively two different congregations meeting as one. There was a precipitating occasion that led to a significant proportion leaving and forming a new church. I don’t know how it is doing, but the remaining congregation is much better for it.
There can be significant differences between churches within a denomination too, of course.
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I’m sorry you’re experiencing this. I have had similar feelings, though I appreciate that the elders at my church have reached the consensus to follow the rules, despite pushback. It may be a case where the most extreme viewpoints are also the loudest, but it still makes it seem like so many people are unraveling and not just the ones who are usually down the rabbit hole, but people that I would have considered more discerning too. On the one hand this seems like a bad time to leave a church, but on the other, this may be exposing ideas that were there all along, just beneath the surface.
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Yes, definitely true. And there can be a variety of views in one large congregation. But it sounds like this church has its ways set in stone, a “my way or the highway” kind of thinking. It’s very depressing!
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I can understand. It’s truly difficult to know what to do. It could be that God could use you as a voice of reason in that congregation. It could be that God wants you elsewhere. I guess it could be a lot of things, and the only way to know is through prayer. He promises wisdom to those who ask, right? 
I will pray now for you.
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I’ve heard this a lot in my circles too. I might hear it more phrased ‘if you are comfortable or not.’
Another thing I thought is that people might just come if symptomatic. I don’t really trust my fellow humans (or myself) to do a proper clinical diagnosis in the absence of a viral or antibody test. I’ve heard so many people say “oh this is just a cough I’ve always had” or “it’s just allergies.” They might be right but… yeah.
In light of me potentially be asymptomatic I wore a face mask to church to help protect others and I was the only person out of about 40 who had one. And at least one person said they felt fear and asked if I was afraid. I told them “no.” And I later got to say this mask is not for me, it’s for you. That was a short conversation.
That reminds me of this:
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My church just announced they tentatively plan to reopen in August, and they noted that is subject to change. On-line services continue. That seems a prudent approach.
But I think part of the narrative is not about religious freedom specifically; it is more about freedom and personal choice in general.
There is a philosophy that people should be able to make up their own minds about how much risk to take in life. That is appealing to me.
Although it is difficult to change churches, that might be something you may consider in the future — if you have lost confidence in the judgment of the leadership at your church.
In the interim, there are lots of opportunities to sample other churches now without leaving home!
And I think that’s a dangerous thing to let people decide when it comes to certain things… especially when the risk is invisible and is a risk to public health.
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These conspiracies are so American.
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This thread is long gone, but could we try to get back to the original focus of the topic which is dealing with covid conspiracies/in your local church? Are there some things about the thread that stand out to anyone that can be helpful for others?
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I moved the 235 off-topic posts, so we can more effectively reboot now.
COVID conspiracies at church…Discuss.
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There is a new thing I keep hearing brought up in person and online. I have no idea if it’s true , or being misinterpreted or what.
But lately , last day or two, I keep hearing that scientists are saying that the masks are not effective at all and it’s useless to wear them.
By default, it does not sound right to me. So I don’t believe it. Just bringing it up as something I am hearing. Once I look into it my self I can have an actual opinion. But I am hearing it a lot and people I know who was wearing masks stopped wearing masks.
Also here are some good examples of why it can be important to combat COVID-19 conspiracies or other misinformation- they can lead to people’s deaths:
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We’ll see how this one goes. Some local leaders sent my wife a clip of Bill Gates talking to the CIA from 2005 only it’s not actually Bill Gates nor the CIA:
I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.
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So here’s what my YEC cousin posted on Facebook:
Below information was copied from the Kayleigh McEnany website.
The CDC admitted they screwed up COVID19 infection counts and INTENTIONALLY misled the public and have apologized, clarifying that the amount of people truly infected is much lower than what was originally reported
An error so egregious it made the director of the Harvard Global Health Institute say, “How could the CDC make this mistake? This is a mess."
The American Coronavirus Task Force also admitted to fudging the National COVID19 death count when Dr. Birx said the deaths are people who died “with” COVID19 not “from” COVID19, thus making the real death count much lower than what is currently being reported
Dr. Anthony Fauci admitted masks won’t help against the virus and mask manufacturers are now including warnings that their products do not deter COVID19. He also said that continuing to close the country could cause irreparable damage.
CDC backtracked their initial claim that led governors to shutdown their states & clarified that COVID19 does not spread easily on surfaces.
Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo confirmed a recent health study showing that 70% of new infections actually originate at home, thus making stay at home orders one of the most dangerous mandates currently in place.
Trump stopped funding the WHO and threatened to cut off money permanently until they can prove they are no longer corruptly influenced by communist China after they lied to our country about human to human transmission of COVID19 in January
The curve is flattened, the CDC, WHO, Dr. Fauci, our governors, and many more were completely wrong about the potential threat of this virus. Even California is opening up sooner than anyone expected because the evidence contradicts the long standing and inaccurate narrative still upheld by the extremely dishonest & corrupt media
People called those of us who knew this all along conspiracy theorists, but it turns out we were just following the facts!
Open up your businesses, churches, and homes. Don’t fall for the lies any longer. If you fell for the lies this time, wake up and join the army of truth seekers fighting on the front lines.
The #CDC just confirmed a .2% death-rate for #COVID19 …
These consequences are largely due to two things:
The first is our view of government as a god that can control Providence and plagues. In our hubris, we increasingly view the government as a deity who can stop acts of nature.
The second is our sniveling, 21st-century commitment to safety. Our desire to be “safe” ruined our fiscal, physical, medical, food, energy, and national security.
Unfortunately there is no vaccine for cultural fragility.”
Written by JD Hall / Courtesy of Tara Thralls
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Everything is half-truths and distortions. I’ll post my reply, but everyone feel free to take up where I left off. If the mods decide this is too political, so be it. But COVID-19 itself is being politicized. It’s becoming hard to talk about it at all without involving politics.
Me: Don’t rely on Kayleigh McEnany for facts about the virus. We should be listening to the doctors and scientists, not politicians and spin doctors. Half-truths and lies will cost lives in the end. That’s the only reason I feel compelled to reply. Please don’t take offense.
The CDC admitted they screwed up COVID19 infection counts and INTENTIONALLY misled the public and have apologized
Me: This is ironic. The CDC was combining antibody tests and viral tests to make it look like the US was testing more people than we were and experiencing a lower rate of infection than we were. The states of Georgia and Texas used the same procedure as the basis to re-open their states early. Kayleigh can’t have it both ways. The article that she quotes is here: https://www.theatlantic.com/…/cdc-and-states…/611935/
The American Coronavirus Task Force also admitted to fudging the National COVID19 death count when Dr. Birx said the deaths are people who died “with” COVID19 not “from” COVID19, thus making the real death count much lower than what is currently being reported.
Me: No, the “real death count” is most likely under-reported. Many die at home without ever making it to the hospital. In any case, the task force is playing word games. It’s like saying that no one dies “from” the flu. Flu death rates should be “0” every year because the flu virus isn’t what kills them. They die of pneumonia and other related causes. My wife works in medical research at UNM, and part of her daily task was to track COVID deaths at UNM Hospital. COVID causes many complications for people with underlying conditions. A diabetic may suddenly experience circulatory problems and ultimately die of a heart attack. People’s blood pressure will spike into stroke levels and then crater for no apparent reason. Then there are issues with blood clots/stroke and, of course, pneumonia. All of them are real people who really died. Reclassifying those deaths as something other than COVID-related won’t bring them back to their loved ones.
Dr. Anthony Fauci admitted masks won’t help against the virus and mask manufacturers are now including warnings that their products do not deter COVID19.
Me: This is one of the most troubling half-truths because it’s intentionally misleading. Masks absolutely “help” against the virus. It’s true that masks don’t protect the wearer from CATCHING the virus. They work by preventing the person wearing it from SPREADING the virus. Unfortunately, this means that masks only work when everyone wears them, so propaganda that encourages people not to wear masks dooms us all to failure.
Virtually everything else in that post is a half-truth or lie, but I’ve spent enough time on it already. Suffice it to say that this virus is no joke. Economies are going to reopen regardless, but show some respect for the lives and health of others and wear a mask in public spaces. You could be infected right now and not know it.
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Jay, thanks for sharing.
Yes, lots of half-truths and distortions just as you described.
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