Let me begin with a personal story. My daughter is a devout Christian and has been selected to be a pastor in a small church in North Carolina. I am a member of “religion none.” I do not believe in organized religion along with approximately 70 million other Americans. She and I agree on several things, and one of them has great importance for today’s America.

Everyone should stay at home and slow the progression of the coronavirus. We believe that religious leaders who continue to hold services in their churches are greedy hypocrites and have no interest in the welfare of their parishioners. What’s in the collection plate is worth more than a human life.

First, in the New Testament, Jesus supported all laws, whether they concurred with His beliefs and teachings or not, He believed in the right of authority to make laws governing their citizens and their subordinates.

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Matthew 5:17.

Therefore, any fake Christian minister who defies his or her governor to satisfy his or her personal ambitions is not following the teachings of Jesus, and cannot claim to be a Christian.

The Old Testament also offers instructions regarding the laws of man.

(Romans 13:1) – “Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.”

(1 Peter 2:13) – “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority.”

I am leading up to the story a pompous and self-righteous ass who can no longer claim to believe in the commandments of Jesus Christ. He calls himself Pastor Tony Spell. Spell was previously arrested for holding a crowded church service and failing to obey the state’s “stay at home orders.” He was charged with a misdemeanor. He didn’t stop there.

On Tuesday, Spell was arrested and charged with aggravated assault. Video revealed him attempting to back a church bus into a protestor. He turned himself in and offered a very thin excuse based on the video.

“I was pulling in from my bus route, picking up black children who haven’t eaten because of this sinister policy that has closed schools. I was going to approach this gentleman and ask him to leave,” he told the local outlet, adding that the man allegedly “shouts vulgarities” and displays “obscene finger gestures.”

 

“A fair viewing of the video will prove that Spell did not attempt to run over the protester, and the protester did not feel threatened, as he never moved when the bus came near,” Joseph Long, one of Spell’s attorneys, said on the incident.

This reminds me of fake religious zealots who murders doctors and nurses who perform or assist in legal abortions. The murderer always claims that he was “protecting human life.” Really!

Although I will never be a member of a single religion, I will fight for the rights of any individual who chooses to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, Mohammad, the Tora, Buddha, or any other religious leader or belief. This is America at its best. However, I also support others like myself who believe in spirituality offered by Confucius and other teachers of philosophy. We do not need another man or woman to lean on or learn from. All men and women know the difference between good and evil, right and wrong. We all have free will.

“To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.” Confucius

I admit that I do not always succeed, but this one quote is my life’s goal. If there is a God, I believe that if I accomplish even most of this, I will have justified my gift of life.

Op-ed by James Turnage

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