The battle against COVID-19 is also a battle against wingnut disinformation.
If you put your ear to the ground and listen to these wingnut voices then what you will discover is that never before have we been faced with so many nominations for this year’s Darwin award. What is utterly tragic is that their utter stupidity is going to carry many of us over the cliff with them.
Let’s take a look to see what they have been claiming this past week.
Wingnut proclamations from the last 7 days
It is all very much everything you might expect and a lot more.
Wingnut Coronavirus Claims – Denialism meets brick wall of reality
- Ron Paul Suggested Coronavirus Was a ‘Big Hoax.’ Then His Son Caught It
- Tony Perkins Called Coronavirus Precautions ‘Irrational.’ Now He’s Changed His Tune
- … but no apology for what he previously said
- Virginia Pastor Who Said COVID-19 Was Anti-Trump “Mass Hysteria” Dies of Virus
- Landon Spradlin also shared a post saying “no germ will attach itself to me.”
- Ignoring Virus, an IL Church Held Services; Now Most of the Congregation is Sick
- It is not simply okay to skip church during a pandemic, it is okay to skip church, period.
Wingnut Coronavirus Claims – Folks who lack basic human empathy
- The Federalist Asks: Is America ‘Better Off’ Letting People Die From Coronavirus? … “Probably almost everyone would be willing to live a somewhat shorter normal life rather than a somewhat longer life under current conditions,”
- Probably … not.
- Coronavirus is a ‘Divine Opportunity,’ Say Dominionist ‘Apostles’ and ‘Prophets’ … “was sent by God to turn the eyes of the world toward the church“
- Translation: “Hey, let’s exploit peoples fears and use it to our advantage“
Wingnut Coronavirus Claims – Bizarre
- Steve Strang and Cal Pierce Decreed That Coronavirus Would Leave Earth Today … “We, as the body of Christ, speak to the mountain of coronavirus, ‘You spirit of death and fear, be taken up and cast back into the sea of hell. You will stop now and leave Earth.’“
- Checks stats … nope, not happening.
- Dave Daubenmire worries that a potential coronavirus vaccine could be a plot by the Antichrist to make Christians take the Mark of the Beast.
- I’m quite happy for Dave to give the vaccine a miss if he wishes to do so.
- Liz Crokin knows that being quarantined is no fun, but she wants everyone to just keep it all in perspective: “The reason that you are self-quarantined right now is because of these sickos who are raping kids.”
- Roy Moore Says Closing Churches Is ‘Tyranny,’ Tells Pastors They Have Duty to Assemble
- He is simply upset that all the malls are closed
- Jeremiah Johnson had a prophetic dream in which “a demon-possessed pitcher intended to throw a fastball right past Donald [Trump] for a strikeout,” but “by the time the ball got to Trump, it was going very slowly, and he hit the ball out of the park for a big home run.” Apparently, this means that the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak is going to end soon.
- Apparently not.
- Rodney Howard-Browne told his viewers on Periscope that if they lose their jobs because of the coronavirus outbreak, they should use their free time to tell everyone they know about God.
- I should thank his God that I don’t know any of his viewers
- Also Rodney Howard-Browne announces that he will continue to hold services because his church is the most sterile building in America, as it contains 13 machines that can instantaneously kill any virus: “If they sneeze, it shoots it down at like 100 mph. It’ll neutralize it in split seconds.”
- That’s not how virus infection works, nor is it a credible preventative measure
- E.W. Jackson boldly declares that he will not get the coronavirus because he is being protected by God.
Wingnut Coronavirus Claims – Conspiracy Claims
- And yet again Rodney Howard-Browne. (This guy was on a roll during the past week) He also Used His Sunday Service to Spread Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories …”Howard-Browne insisted that any discovery of a vaccine will be a sham designed to enrich pharmaceutical companies while also persecuting those, like the majority of his congregation, who will refuse to get the vaccine.“
- Mr Howard-Browne should perhaps be concerned that his advice will kill those that make donations to his ministry.
- Sandy Rios Claims Democrats Will Use Vote-by-Mail Protections to Rig Elections
- Her evidence that this would actually happen … exactly zero.
- John Guandolo says that we cannot dismiss the idea that the Democrats worked with the Chinese government to release the coronavirus: “I don’t think it is far-fetched that communists would work with communists.”
- … actually … yes we can dismiss that idea, and yes it is far-fetched, and no the democrats are not communists. This is all rather blatant emotional manipulation that panders to a xenophobic fear of “them”.
- COVID-19 is Chinese Bio Warfare, Says Trump-Allied Megachurch Pastor Jack Hibbs … “I cannot imagine what condition we would be in if Trump would not have been elected,”
- Actually I can … we would have had early and rapid federal help being deployed. We would have also had a pandemic team in place (the team that Trump disbanded and fired 2 years ago) who would have seen this coming and triggered preparations so that much of what is now happening would not have happened.
- Ann Vandersteel declares that the COVID-19 coronavirus is a “biological agent” that Bill Gates and the Chinese government launched on the world.
- Josh Bernstein is now warning that a “vaccine deep state” will use the coronavirus outbreak to require mandatory vaccinations and verification.
- I’m quite happy if this guy also opts out of any vaccination
- Scott Lively says that “the very same people that have orchestrated this pandemic and that are trying to take down the world economy are the same people that have purged God from America.”
- Who do I complain to, because whoever has supposedly “purged God from America.” has done a rather crap job. We have religious nutters all over the place.
Wingnut Coronavirus Claims – The Wrath Of God
- Rick Wiles Says Coronavirus Death of LGBTQ Lawyer Is a Sign of God’s Judgment … “He was a senior lawyer for the LGBT Bar Association of New York,” Wiles said. “The lawyers who sue churches, the lawyers who sue ministries … one of their senior lawyers for the gay rights movement died today in New York City of the coronavirus. There is a judgment, I’m telling you, a plague is underway. Get under the blood of Jesus Christ. Do not be in opposition to the Lord Jesus Christ and his church!”
- Translation: “Something bad happened, the Gods must be angry.”
- Also Rick Wiles Says God Is Spreading the Coronavirus in Synagogues as Punishment for Opposing Jesus
- Irvin Baxter Says Coronavirus Is a Warning From God About the Sin of Fornication
- I have a really hard time grasping the idea that the supposed creator of the entire universe actually gives a fuck about people fucking.
- Bryan Fischer says “the coronavirus is the finger of God, the chastisement of God on a wayward, unruly, disobedient, and stubborn nation.”
Trump
- Brenden Dilley is “a very brilliant person,” so he knows that when he doesn’t understand what Trump is doing, it’s because Trump is smarter than everyone else: “It’s not that he’s making mistakes—it’s that I don’t understand what he is doing yet.”
- Key summary: “I don’t understand” … and sadly neither does Trump
- Scott Lively warns that “Trump Derangement Syndrome might very well kill far more people through suicide than the coronavirus does.”
- Trump Asks Pastors to Pray for Reelection, Calls Nov. 3 ‘One of the Biggest Dates in the History of Religion’
As I pointed out last week, it might be tempting to think that the news of the Coronavirus has turned all these folks crazy. Alas no, they were always this crazy.
Utterly Bizarre …
The normal crazy stuff also popped up as usual …
- Brenden Dilley doesn’t like what is happening in America today when he can’t make a racist joke without being called a racist.
- It is perhaps a tradition for racists to be pissed about being called racists.
- Josh Bernstein Wants to Cancel the 2020 Election Because Democrats ‘Don’t Deserve the Right’ to Challenge Trump … “In times like this, you should be kissing the ground that President Trump walks on,”
- The people who die because of Trump’s utter incompetence and anti-science denialism beg to differ
What else came out of the Wingnut fantasy land?
Lots of other stuff.
As always, it is an endless stream. Some of it is sad, some is rather grim, and some is quite frankly hilarious. Here are a few more samples …
- Christian-Owned Hobby Lobby Refuses to Close All Stores During Pandemic
- The billionaire owner told employees they would need to “tighten their belts.”
- FL County Commissioner: I’m “Sorry” for Saying Hair Dryers Cure COVID-19
- Having Republicans in elected office is the real public health crisis.
- Liberty U. Professor: The Board Must Close the School Since Falwell Won’t Do It
- It takes a lot of courage to write a letter like this.
- Preacher: Trump’s Family Gave Up “Personal Comfort” for You Ungrateful People
- He also referred to the media as “paid assassins” for quoting Trump accurately.
- A KY Church Ignored Social Distancing Advice; Now, a Worshiper Has COVID-19
- Governor Andy Beshear warned them. They didn’t listen.
- Despite COVID-19, Jerry Falwell, Jr. Wants Students and Staff Back at Liberty U.
- As I mentioned in the opening at the top of the posting, never before have so many people been eligible for a Darwin Award.
- Right-Wing Activist Opposes COVID-19 Relief Since It Might Help Trans People
- This guy would rather see everyone suffer than trans people helped.
- 34 People Connected with One Arkansas Church Have Tested Positive for COVID-19
- The pastor and his wife, both infected, are urging everyone to listen to experts
- Catholic Cardinal: Churches Should Be Open Since They’re “Essential” Services
- Gathering in church is not as important as having access to food or access to decent healthcare.
- Lying Preacher: I Have a “Cure” for COVID-19, So Let Me Touch Homeless People
- His religious delusions have entered the real world.
- God Will Defeat COVID-19 “In 10 Days,” Said Two Christians More Than 10 Days Ago
- Oops.
- Louisiana Pastor Brings 26 Busloads of Passengers Together for Sunday Services
- So much for social distancing and self-quarantines.
- Catholic Writer: During the COVID-19 Outbreak, Protecting Life is Overrated
- If this is the “pro-life” argument, it needs a lot of work
- Pastor Rick Joyner: The U.S. and S. Korea Are Beating COVID-19 Because of Prayer
- Korea did or good job. Rapid testing, tracing, etc… hard work and focus, not prayer. Meanwhile in the US, incompetence and dithering by the idiot-in-chief is rapidly leading to many deaths and rapid spread.
- Colorado Pastor: I’m Ignoring All COVID-19 Safety Rules That Aren’t in the Bible
- “If it ain’t in this book, I’m not doing it!”
- Oklahoma Gov. Asks God for Help at Televised COVID-19-Inspired Christian Rally
- Good luck, Oklahoma. With leadership like this, you’re gonna need it.
- Preacher Jesse Duplantis: We’re Going to “Bind That Coronavirus” Through Prayer!
- That’s… not how you stop a virus.
- Christian “Prophetess”: I Command the “Pandemic to be Utterly Abolished”
- Well, that should take care of everything.
- A Chicago Pastor Told Staff to Keep a Colleague’s COVID-19 Infection a Secret
- Pastor Marty Sloan continued to expose staffers and volunteers to those who were infected.
Wingnut of the week – Jim Bakker
Yes, Scamvangelist Jim Bakker still retains the wingnut crown here.
The backstory here is that Jim Bakker was ordered by various state and federal agencies to stop suggesting that a silver solution sold by his network for about $125 could be used as a possible cure for the COVID-19 coronavirus
This is the latest update – Jim Bakker Decries ‘Warfare’ That Has Forced Him to Stop Lying About His Silver Solution
“My heart is broken,” he continued. “We know this is an inconvenience to those of you, our partners, who regularly use the Silver Sol solution and have done so for decades.”
“It has tore up a lot of our viewers,” Bakker added. “I am so heartbroken. It’s just like there is warfare. If there has ever been warfare in this country, it is right now.”
Yes indeed, of course his “heart is broken”. He can’t sell a fake coronavirus cure to his gullible viewers anymore, he has lost a stream of revenue.
For the record, Bakker is lying as usual. He was never ordered to stop selling his silver solution, but simply to stop promoting it as a treatment for coronavirus.