The North Platte Baptist Church in North Platte, Nebraska recently published a tract that Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) evangelizers can use to evangelize people who are fearful or troubled by the Coronavirus pandemic.
The gist of this tract is what? Fear the Coronavirus? What/who you better fear is God and Hell. Here we are in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, and the pastor of North Platte, William Reeves, wants to put the fear of God in people instead of helping them materially and physically. IFB zealots can’t seem to let go of their dogma long enough to act like decent human beings.
Most of the readers of this blog are people who would be considered evangelization prospects by North Platte and other IFB zealots. Let me ask you, would this tract “speak” to you in any meaningful way? If you were infected with the Coronavirus, would you find this track helpful? Let’s be a focus study group for Pastor Reeves and North Platte Baptist Church. Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
Connect with me on social media:
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.
The whole information section on the virus is too brief and far too focused on instilling fear. Virus: Chinese origin (fire those racism neurons!), passed from person to person (other people are the problem!), slowly drains the life out of its host (vampires! monsters! the heart of darkness!)
What you can do: totally focused on actions a person can take to protect themselves. Completely disconnected from the social nature of pandemics, missing the key point of avoiding close contact with anyone outside your household and absolutely not going anywhere unnecessary or gathering in groups (like in your church). Also ignores the need to be a good, supportive citizen to protect both yourself AND others. Because we don’t want you to think about doing something for others, that will reduce your fear. Nothing must reduce the fear!
Okay, now that we’ve convinced you you’re gonna die from this, you need to understand that you are completely screwed if you don’t fix your sin nature before you die! Oh, and God really wants you in heaven, but he’s a dick and won’t let you there unless you choose to grovel at the feet of Jesus. But hey, we’re talking escape from fire and brimstone! What’s a little groveling?
Pastor, I’m annoyed that you will waste anyone’s time with this disgusting little piece of garbage. At least, remind people that they can sanitize the tract by tossing it in their fireplace.
I find that tract to be a very shallow,cheap trick attempt to sucker people into their bible thumping circle jerk.
Pastor, you are a fucking abusive asshole who has found himself a forum to harm human beings. Go fuck yourself, you slime-based slitherer. You snake! Go fuck yourself and harm everyone who is fool/unfortunate enough to have to listen to your STUPID shit. What a dumb fuck you are. I feel compassion for your family having to carry such a weight… -Brian Vanderlip
There’s nothing here that gives me any kind of comfort. Not physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually. I simply don’t believe in what they’re selling. As it’s been pointed out before, they like to pounce when they think a person is most vulnerable and threaten them with hellfire and brimstone. I have no time for their nonsense. I don’t need or want the god that they’re pimping. Ugh.
Nope, this tract only makes me want to social distance myself from Christians. Which probably wouldn’t be a bad idea.
I might call this “bait and switch”. R these people above the law of the land down there? Won’t they feel silly when science does find a cure. I think A. I. is our best bet. Let’s get these supercomputers involved!!!
Anyone who dared give me such a tract in person would run a non-zero risk of a punch in the nose.
Disgusting and vile. (insert hopping-mad dissing of Holy Spook here)
Wow, that is awful. Disgusting and dirty and sick. Morally reprehensible.
He considerately provided an address. Perhaps he’d appreciate receiving some mail from your readers, Bruce.
If I received that in my mailbox I would read it, laugh, and throw it away.
my email to preacher on Saturday:
Wow. What a pretty suit you wear while slithering around being a snake and using the new virus to strike fear into hearts and minds. I condemn and deny your message and any God you associate with is not getting through to you. Well, that is unless that God wants you to hurt others, to harm people for Jesus…Rescind that tract immediately and publicly apologize for your ignorant assault.Brian Vanderlip
preacher response: Dear Brian,
Should God rescind Revelation 20:15? [15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Should Jesus rescind Matthew 13:49-50? [49] So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, [50] And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
God does not insight fear with His words. He is telling them what is going to happen to them because he loves them. This tract shares Gods word with an invitation to access true peace by putting your trust in Christ. Peace from something way worse than sickness or death. Peace from eternal punishment for your sin.
No, we won’t be rescinding this tract. You might want to read it and call on Christ so you can have peace. Maybe you would then understand the compassion for others behind this tract. May God save your unrestful soul.
Love
Pastor Reeves
Sat, Mar 21, 8:32 AM (1 day ago) to preacher:
Mr. Reeves, By inviting people to come together, share hymnals, pass an offering plate, generally be in close quarters with one another, you are inciting harm to come to them, not loving them. I would hazard that if you did not lose your common sense by arbitrarily interpreting scriptures, you would see the obvious, foolhardy act you have already introduced for yourself and others. Self-isolation is imperative to reduce the curve of Covid-19 in the population. Love would mandate that you protect yourself and your congregation first, not present them with hazardous conditions and using no common sense, quote scripture. Medical professionals are mandating a two yard or so distance rule at this time and not grouping together for any type of gathering. Please help flatten the rising curve of infection among us and not harm those who trust you. Use your contacts to encourage frequent handwashing and self-isolation for the next little while, not church attendance. If you need the money, ask for it via your tracts or on the web. That you choose to see the pandemic as an opportunity to preach speaks volumes. You might better choose to help others now, do something for someone older and/or unwell, safely deliver them groceries or whatever they need. Instead, you produce tracts to harm and call it love. I find it disappointing, sad.Brian
from preacher:
North Platte Baptist ChurchSat, Mar 21, 8:40 AM (1 day ago) to me Brian,
Wow, you got all that from this tract?That is amazing.
I think you may be assuming way way more than any reasonable person would.
One could do all of those things and also give out a tract. You don’t really know what we are or are not doing.
Good day,
Pastor Reeves
As Bruce says, the church no doubt shuttered itself because of new cases evident. It certainly wasn’t a change of attitude. Or did he realize that shutting the church was indeed actively helping others instead of harming them?
Nevermind, rhetorical….
It’s a tract, not an article in the Journal of Medicine or a doctrinal thesis, people. Tracts are designed to be concise and to the point. They get you thinking. That’s their purpose. The bottom line? “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”