Corona’s Threat to Freedom of Religion

I am Michael Wright, a Program Director with Peace Catalyst International, a Christian organization that seeks to promote cordial and edifying relations between Christians and Muslims.

I define a divine wink as God’s dissatisfaction with divisive, zealous, religious arguments that unnecessarily separate good, God-fearing people, Christians and Muslims, who take their faith in God seriously. The definition is derived from Acts 17:30, which says, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.”

Today’s divine wink, however, addresses an issue that pits religions in general against prudent, legal regulations.

The news reported recently that a pastor, located in Florida’s Hillsborough County, held church services in defiance of county orders that required residents to stay home and to limit gatherings, in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. 

After receiving specific warnings from the county sheriff’s department, the pastor was charged with a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail, and a maximum fine of $500.

My good friend, Reverend Ryan Gaffney, pastor at College Park Presbyterian Church in Orlando, Florida, commented about this matter, 

He said, “I am seriously conflicted about the arrest of [this pastor]. On one hand, . . . I think he did a very dumb and irresponsible thing by holding services, and every attendee did a dumb thing by going.” 

“On the other hand, I am even less comfortable with the government deciding how and when people are allowed to worship, and arresting those who do not follow those guidelines. That is a precedent that cannot be un-set for other things the government might decide are stupid or irresponsible.”

“Everyone should stay home. But we should not cheer out rights being taken away. They generally do not get given back.”

I share Reverend Gaffney’s conflicting concerns. However, I believe Reverend Gaffney would agree that this is not the first time that authorities have taken steps that limit our constitutional freedom of religion.

Consider this example. Many members of Jehovah’s Witness congregations have religious convictions that they should not receive blood transfusions. However, there is a law that applies to children of Jehovah’s Witness parents when they require blood transfusions. In an article entitled, The challenges of treating Jehovah's Witnesses, posted on the Medical Protection organization’s website, the author states, “Today, if such a child’s parent refuses to consent to the administration of a blood transfusion by reason only of religious or other beliefs, the medical practitioner may, in terms of the Children’s Act, ignore such refusal and administer the blood transfusion, unless the parent can show that there is a medically accepted alternative choice available.”

This law obviously regulates our constitutional freedom of religion.  There are laws that limit other constitutional freedoms as well.  We have freedom of speech, for example.  But you will be arrested if you walk into a crowded theater and shout, “Fire!” Such prudent laws avert stupid and harmful acts, like creating dangerous panic in a crowd and needlessly exposing people to a deadly disease. To Reverend Gaffney’s point, such stupid actions are the catalyst that can erode our constitutional freedoms by prompting new laws that limit our highly valued freedoms.

Regarding the county’s actions against the church, The Tampa Bay Times quoted Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister who said, “Because of the reckless disregard of public safety and after repeated requests and warnings, I worked with our state attorney, Andrew Warren, to obtain a warrant for unlawful assembly and violation of public health emergency rules, both of which are second degree misdemeanors. Our goal here is not to stop anyone from worshiping, but the safety and well-being of our community must always come first."

State attorney Andrew Warren commented, “I’d remind the good pastor of Mark 12:31, which said there’s no more important commandment than to love thy neighbor as thyself,” Warren said. “Loving your neighbors is protecting them, not jeopardizing their health by exposing them to this deadly virus.”

I understand the Tampa pastor’s desire to exercise his faith and to obey the New Testament instruction in Hebrews 10:24-25, that says, “. . . let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” But thank God that today’s technology makes it possible to follow this biblical instruction by meeting together virtually, as many are doing.  So, I agree with Reverend Gaffney, that this pastor exercised very poor judgement, when he held his church service in defiance of the county’s orders to refrain from public meetings--a course of action that put his church members at serious risk.

Here is what Martin Luther, founder of the Lutheran Church, had to say when he lived through the bubonic plague that killed 25 million people in Europe. "I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I will fumigate, purify the air, administer medicine, and take medicine. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order to not become contaminated, and thus perchance inflict and pollute others, and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me. But, I have done what he has expected of me, and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me, however, I shall not avoid place or person, but will go freely. This is a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy, and does not tempt God."


I agree with the following anonymous statement,

“I trust God, and I wear my seat belt. 
I trust God, and I wear a motorcycle helmet. 
I trust God, and there are enough life jackets in my boat for everyone on board. 
I trust God, and I use oven mitts with really hot dishes. 
I trust God, and I lock my house at night. 
I trust God, and I have smoke detectors in my house. 
I trust God, and I take my prescribed medicines. 
I trust God, and I will follow the best guidelines to share the task of flattening the curve of Coronavirus (COVID-19). 
Acting with caution and wisdom does not indicate a lack of trust in God.“

Please pray, be prudent, follow the guidance of those who struggle to keep us safe, and be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem. Be safe, and stay well.

Please choose one of two options to help me with my efforts as a Program Director with Peace Catalyst International:

Go to www.adivinewink.com to purchase my book, A Divine Wink: When Love and Religion Become Rivals, or
Go to the same link, click on the Peace Catalyst option, and become a direct financial supporter of the Peace Catalyst mission.Peace Catalyst

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