Pastor Tony Spell of theLifeDeath Tabernacle Church in Louisiana has been having quite the pandemic.
Currently, he is under house arrest for insisting upon continuing to hold church services despite the fact that social distancing rules prohibit him doing so, and for nearly running a guy over with a school bus. Somehow, despite wearing an ankle bracelet, this wily motherfucker keeps getting out every Sunday to host, he claims, over 800 congregants at his church, where there is a lot of yelling and unfortunate dancing. So far, at least one of these congregants has died of COVID-19 and the lawyer who is representing him in all of this also contracted the virus.
But gathering a bunch of people together in a room at a time when a contagious and deadly virus is going around is not the only thing he's been doing these days. He has also issued the #StimulusChallenge, in which he "challenged" the faithful to give their stimulus checks to him and other evangelical pastors instead of spending it on worldly items like food and rent.
And, apparently, it's working out quite well for him!
Speaking to TMZ (because of course), Pastor Spell announced proudly that 205 people have responded to his "challenge" and given him at least a portion of their stimulus checks since April 19th. He did not divulge what he has done with that money or how much he raked in — could be anywhere up to $240,000. Or heck, more if they sent their spouses' and kids' shares too!
Spell also shared that he is totally fine with breaking the law, as long as it's for Jesus:
Spell says he knows he's in direct contempt of the court when he leaves his house to go to his church, but adds ... "The Bible commands us to go."
However, Spell tells us he will not be participating in his church's protest of stay-at-home orders Saturday outside the Governor's mansion. He says, "I do not want federal agents to pick me up when I am off the premises of my property." For the record, it would be local cops, not feds ... but ya get his drift.
We do!
It's hard to know whether to feel bad for the people handing over their stimulus checks to this schifos ' pastor or not. No one likes seeing people getting taken advantage of, but at some point we have to consider that if they're not giving their money to this guy, they'll be spending it on Jim Bakker's magic silver crap that turns you blue, and at least this way they're not drinking poison?
[ TMZ ]
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I'm a fan of Hawaiian Jesus, myself. Although my wife prefers sourdough Jesus.
"where there is a lot of yelling and unfortunate dancing."
It is generous to call 'losing control of your central nervous system' dancing.