Today, I had to take a break from social media. I usually love to see everyone’s Easter pictures and all the messages of hope flooding my Facebook feed, but today was not a typical holy holiday for anyone. We didn’t buy new Easter outfits in my family. No “Sunday Best” picture was taken. No egg hunt because of the weather, and no in-person church services followed by a massive Easter luncheon at our families’ homes to reminisce and enjoy each other’s company.

Instead, I sat with my immediate family in our living room and streamed my brother’s church service onto the TV. He’s a pastor, by the way, and a wonderful one at that. My Easter experience consisted of me sitting with wet hair and no makeup on the sofa with a blanket, wearing a sweatshirt and lounge pants. The service was amazing. The music was powerful, and not for ONE SECOND did I feel like I was being denied my right to convene by forgoing an in-house church service in the wake of a worldwide pandemic. In fact, I’d put money on it that more people “attended” a virtual church service today than they have in years. God works in mysterious ways.

In the wake of today’s events, Governor Beshear didn’t infringe on anyone’s rights illegally because as stated by Dr. James Hodge, director of the Center for Public Health Law and Policy for Arizona State University, “You don’t have a right to assemble against a backdrop of a known public health risk.” With Governor Beshear being the former Kentucky Attorney General, I’m pretty confident he knows what he’s doing, and that his actions aren’t illegal. https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article241106636.html

I would have question the mental state of anyone insisting that they would go to an in-house church service today under the current circumstances. You think I’m joking. I’d guess it’s currently compromised under social distancing or that they have a complete lack of understanding of what COVID-19 is, how it’s spread, and how deadly it can be.

Any church leader that chose to have normal services today with a congregation in-house likely is mentally unstable, and undoubtedly has an ego that probably barely fit through the church door. They chose to play God and encourage their members to come, regardless of the risks and consequences that may follow. And no, I’m not talking about drive-in services that follow the recommendations. The governor said those were fine. A couple of mayors did prohibit them, however, likely because of a high rate of noncompliance and infected citizens in their communities. Again, decisions made to try to protect others.

So why is it that thousands of Kentuckians are in such an outrage right now over a simple regulation made for today by our governor, that says those who attended church in-house today will be required to quarantine for two weeks? You would think he threatened to take their AR-15’s, and we all know how that would play out. We’ve only heard it a thousand times on Facebook. Eyeroll...

It’s the same ones who say “ALL lives matter,” but don’t bat an eye when there’s a case of inexcusable brutality and discrimination against someone who looks differently from them. The ones who don’t always mourn the loss of students slaughtered in the confines of their schools, but immediately are more concerned of how it could affect them and their weapons. All while being unwilling to even discuss any type of compromise on gun reform so our kids aren’t sitting ducks in classrooms. I’m not talking about banning guns so please calm down if you’re getting worked up. That’s not the goal of the largest percentage of people who think we need gun reform. I promise!

The ones complaining are likely the ones who are 100% for capital punishment, but in the next breath quote “thou shalt not kill” and harass women and girls as they enter Planned Parenthood, many of them just trying to get birth control so they don’t end up pregnant. I’d say most of the harassers aren’t even aware that abortion is a small part of Planned Parenthood’s services. Before you judge my morals, I don’t support abortion as a means of birth control, but refuse to make a blanket statement without considering the circumstances that may have led a woman or girl to seek one. I would hope that others try to be more understanding, as well.

My question to the complainers would be this. What gives you the right to claim that your freedom was revoked in regards to attending a church service in-house today, even though you never planned to set foot in a church right now anyhow since there’s a worldwide pandemic killing thousands running rampant in our country? That would be stupid! Right? But let’s beat the governor into the ground over it; because if I wanted to go, I shouldn’t have to quarantine! That’s my right! But is it?

Never mind the fact that it’s spread by droplets so singing, talking, and even breathing around someone within six feet of you could make them sick, even if you feel fine right now. Let’s not forget about the handshaking, hugs, passing of offering plates and communion, door greeters, choirs and all the displays of love that take place within the church. That makes you a hundred times more likely to get it at church than Wal-Mart, if you and the store are following the rules.

Fabric masks are better than nothing but give NO guarantee that you won’t get COVID-19 if exposed. N95 masks are THE ONLY mask approved to filter out the majority of the virus to prevent exposure, so there’s no true safeguard there for most people. Countless accounts of church services leading to large numbers of people being infected and many dying are occurring throughout the country, yet many refuse to acknowledge the data and are more concerned that someone has violated their civil liberties.

But many of these same people don’t think a twelve year old’s freedom is being hindered if she’s told that no abortions should be allowed under any circumstance because it interferes with their beliefs, regardless of the fact that she was molested by her own father and is pregnant without ever even being able to kiss a boy that she likes. But she should bear a child and deliver, regardless of how it may tax her tiny body or affect her mentally when she has to raise a child possibly with major birth defects, who’s the spawn of her own father. But they believe that should be their decision, not hers and her mother’s…

What about a man who murdered two people during his days in a gang; but is now a born again Christian on death row, who ministers to other inmates? Still pushing for capital punishment? What happened to “thou shalt not kill” and of God forgiving our sins? See the double-standard here?

The God I know says, “thou shalt not judge” but some are very quick to cherry pick “sins” that they don’t struggle with, like homosexuality, while blasting hateful and judgy posts on Facebook, all while the said person is on their third marriage or having an affair, or gets drunk on a nightly basis, or is addicted to porn. Seriously, it’s a ME, ME, ME train of thought, which is quite the opposite of what Jesus teaches.

Jesus loved EVERYONE. He associated with murderers, prostitutes, thieves, and many in society that “religious” people scorned. He believed in forgiveness and said ALL sins are equal.

Case in point: Governor Beshear is releasing some nonviolent felons from prison early amid the pandemic for their protection, as well as the protection of the staff within the prisons. Because if one of them gets it–MANY will get it and some will die. If most of the staff of the prison fall ill, who will pick up the void and be willing to walk into that fire with an infected group of people? I’d put money on it that none of these people would, who are griping about nonviolent felons being released.

How many would volunteer at the hospital on the COVID wing, which is treating that group of 80 plus people who chose to go to that in-house church service on Easter Sunday? A right that they felt they shouldn’t be denied? Instead, it’s fair game to send healthcare staff into the fire without enough PPE to keep them protected because “They signed up for that.” As an RN and a former public health and epidemiology nurse, no they didn’t. They didn’t sign up to go to war with little if any protection. What about their rights because it directly affects them and their families too?

As much as these people want to CONSTANTLY bring up the fact that our governor is pro-choice and call him a murderer amongst other things, how many of them have actually adopted a child to take that burden off the teenage girl who doesn’t know how she’ll raise a baby? Very few, I can guarantee that.

There are women who are raped, molested, and whose lives are at stake that shouldn’t have that decision made for them by a guy whose never been in that position and doesn’t have a vagina or a uterus. Again, I don’t condone abortion, but it’s not as black and white as many want to claim.

Many of the people complaining are often the ones who are unable to show empathy for people whose lives look different from theirs. Who judge everyone on welfare as being lazy and nothing but a baby factory, assuming none of them work when many single moms are working two jobs and still struggling to keep the lights on. Many husband/wife families with two incomes also struggle because they barely get by with pay that falls below a living wage, as the cost of living continues to increase. Does that make them lazy as well?

The complainers never realize they had an upper hand in life. It may have been from the financial or educational status of their parents. Or the fact that they were raised by their own parent(s) and not grandparents or aunts and uncles or in foster care. It could be that they’ve never had to apply for food stamps or Medicaid. Or that they had encouragement at home and people who believed in them and that they could be successful in life. For some, it could be as simple as having a very white, ordinary name whose resume doesn’t get tossed to the side because their name has too many syllables.

They are at an advantage if they were born on American soil and have never known the plight of those escaping persecution, or those who simply want the best for their children and a life that they never got to have. But for those fleeing for their lives and from countries with political corruption and instability, we want to build a wall and not offer them the same opportunities that we have today because of our ancestors were actually welcomed here.

The complainers will give you ten reasons why they had no more advantage in life than anyone else, but it’s because they refuse to look and see it. I’ll admit. I used to be one of those people; but I’ve made it a mission to learn more about others’ paths and grow as an individual in my understanding of mankind.

We all need to learn more about others and their plights. To get out of the comfort zones of our middle to upper class neighborhoods and to actually get to know more about people who may look different from us or come from different backgrounds than us.

Many evangelicals fall into a group and show praise for a president who cheated on his pregnant wife with a porn star, calls some women pigs and bases his opinion of them only on their appearance, talks of forcing kisses on women and grabbing them by the nether regions, publicly mocks the handicapped, and calls people names routinely on Twitter. They hold in the highest religious regard a man who is a bully, who has been married multiple times with many affairs, and has an ego larger than anyone I’ve ever encountered. They cheer him on and laugh at his unruly displays, while the next minute praising him for his quote he made about God. But they call us sheep. Actions speak louder than words to some but not all unfortunately…

We have a governor who is a Christian. Who daily talks about his faith in his briefings and discusses the numerous ways we can honor God besides meeting in a congregation inside a church under the current circumstances. He even encourages us to rely on our faith during this time. He explains very plainly that he’s having to make tough decisions in order to protect us. He truly mourns those that succumb to the virus. You can see and hear it in his demeanor. Even though he informs his constituents of the aftermath of a revival service in Kentucky affecting dozens and killing several, some still choose to disregard his warning. Afraid that someone may step on their civil liberties, with no regard for others who wouldn’t survive COVID-19.

One in-house church service could cause another community outbreak. One in which some hospitals couldn’t handle because they are running out of PPE and beds. Circumstances that could easily cause that nurse or doctor, EMT or paramedic, lab or radiology tech, P.A. or housekeeper, pharmacist, registration clerk or food service employee to become infected and potentially die. All because someone didn’t want “their rights” infringed upon during a public health emergency. Sorry, but that’s selfish and not very Christlike, which is supposed to be the whole basis for their disdain, so they say. To be honest, I’m not sure that it’s not just a reason to complain about a governor who has had a high approval rating that isn’t from their own political party.

That’s exactly why so many Christians get a bad rep. It’s a double standard and much of the complainers’ political rhetoric is thinking about no one but themselves. I am not and will not be that type of Christian. So today, I am having to take a step back and lose my religion for a minute and focus on my spirituality, one where I hope we all can evolve to grow and become better versions of ourselves and more thoughtful towards others. Starting tomorrow because I met my limit today! LOL. Because life isn’t all about ME but US. We will get through this together.

Thanks for stopping in. If you’d like to receive my latest posts, be sure to drop your email. Lots of love and stay safe! xo, Christy