Bestselling Christian author Beth Moore‘s tweet calling out Christians who politicize the COVID-19 virus has gone viral and received many reactions, including from outspoken pastor Greg Locke and “Let Us Worship” leader Sean Feucht.
Moore’s tweet began with: “If we are in Christ, it is unconscionable for us to in any way politicize this virus. What on earth are we doing???”
“Our sides are not more important than lives,” Moore wrote, adding that Jesus calls Christians to “serve sacrificially.” Her frustration evident, Moore added: “For the love of God, we gotta love our neighbors. Even our enemies!”
The Living Proof Ministries’ Bible teacher made it clear she wasn’t talking to non-Christians. “For all our Jesus-talk, where on the ever-loving earth is our Jesus-walk?” she asked. “Jesus wasn’t playing when He called us to a whole different ethic from the world. We’re not loud-mouth boasters. We’re servants. We SERVE.”
Related article: Beth Moore Leaves the SBC, Saying ‘I Can No Longer Identify With Southern Baptists’
Moore equated unvaccinated, anti-mask Christians to saying, “My rights are more important than your life. Sorry, not sorry.” The former Southern Baptist wrote in all capital letters (which is widely understood to be yelling): “For the love of God, PUT ON A MASK IN PUBLIC PLACES WITH VULNERABLE PEOPLE.”
“Go ahead & unfollow me. I don’t care,” Moore told people who were offended by what she tweeted. Then she closed the tweet with: “FOLLOW JESUS.”
The next day, Moore expressed to her followers that she was all “worked up,” and said she cares about people. “As I live and breathe, it’s that I care and don’t want people to get sick and many die and leave loved ones devastated. I want to do right by people, protect people where possible, in Jesus’ name. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.”
Greg Locke and Sean Feucht Respond
Greg Locke, the pastor at Global Vision Bible Church who recently told his congregation he will ask them to leave if they start wearing masks again, replied to Moore’s post. He told her to “sit down,” closely reminiscent of when pastor John MacArthur told her to “go home.” Locke wrote, “You are pathetic. A mouthpiece for virtue signaling to an ungodly culture is what you’ve become. You lecture Believers and stand with Communists. Sit down!!!”
Related article: Pastor Greg Locke Tells CNN They ‘Will Burn in Hell’
Outspoken “Let Us Worship” leader Sean Feucht also replied to Moore, implying that she is “hiding in fear and self-preservation.” Feucht, who is known for defying public health orders by holding maskless worship events throughout the course of the pandemic, just days ago held a “Let Us Worship” event in Portland. He posted his thoughts regarding Moore’s tweets, saying: “Because ‘following Jesus’ equates to getting an experimental vaccine for a virus with a 99.8% survivable rate?! I believe Jesus stepped INTO people’s sickness, fear and heartache bringing healing and hope. That’s truly loving your neighbor. Not hiding in fear & self-preservation.”
Franklin Graham: ‘I Don’t Listen to Those People’
Earlier this year, Rev. Franklin Graham was interviewed by Mike Allen, the host of “Axios on HBO.” During the interview, Graham was asked how he finds the real truth about the COVID-19 vaccine amid the rampant misinformation being widely spread throughout the internet. Graham said of the misinformation spreaders, “I don’t listen to those people.” Graham shared he listens to trusted sources like his friend Dr. Ben Carson, who is an advocate for taking the vaccine.
“I’m not a doctor and I’m not a scientist,” Graham told Allen, “and when you hear those who are, and they have the comfort level in [the vaccine]—people I know—there is no question it was safe.”
Graham also encouraged all pastors to inform their congregations where they could receive the vaccine within their respective communities. “We are leaders in a community and we have a responsibility to inform of the truth.”
Robert Jeffress Also Advocates for the Vaccine
Dallas’ First Baptist Church’s senior pastor Robert Jeffress, like Graham, also encourages people to get the vaccine. His church even held a vaccine clinic in May and another in June after morning worship service.
The pro-Trump pastor, who has said he respects people’s right to refuse the vaccine and also called it a “gift from God,” told his congregants, “If you’re not back [to church] yet and you would like to come back, one option is to take the vaccine.” Taking the vaccine will provide you with a high degree of confidence, he said, and then we “really don’t have to worry about what anybody else here does or doesn’t do.”