I've always been under the impression that faith requires commitment.
When James Randi discussed psychics and faith healers in his seminal works, "Flimflam" and "The Faith Healers," he repeatedly pointed out how con men do their best to not commit to any specific prediction or outcome. They say one thing, but cover their predictive asses by saying something else.
Take Reverend Tony Spell of the Apostolic Tabernacle Church near Baton Rouge, for example. Reporting that he expects a crowd of 2,000 for Sunday's Easter service, he said two very interesting things during two different interviews this week. He told Reuters Friday, "Satan and a virus will not stop us. God will shield us from all harm and sickness." Then, while talking to TMZ, he said, "True Christians do not mind dying. Like any zealot or like any pure religious person, death looks to them like a welcome friend."
Now, am I the only one who noticed that he seems to have bet both heads and tails here? First, he proclaims that God will shield his congregation from harm and sickness. Then he says, well, if not, it's okay because true Christians don't mind dying. Yeah, he's pretty much covered his bases.
Then I got to thinking, Reverend Spell is one of those laying-on-of-hands dudes. He thinks that he can help the sick by laying his hands on them. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but if a faith healer's entire congregation gets together during a pandemic, isn't that great for repeat business? Seems like an ideal business model. I can't be the only person who picked up on this getting-them-sick-then-healing-them business model, but who knows? Sometimes we professional gamblers have an eye for the obvious.
Meanwhile, in the realm of the rational, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has decided that anyone attending Easter services in person at churches will have their license plates recorded. They will then be charged with misdemeanors and given quarantine notices. I salute the governor. There is something profoundly illogical about celebrating someone coming back from the dead while putting others' lives at risk.
Finally, the "Red Dawn" emails have taken center stage, courtesy of The New York Times. Well, of course something like this is on record. If a poor professional gambler with nary a biological credential to his name understood the scoop as it unfolded, how could leading epidemiologists and cross-discipline luminaries be in the dark?
April 11, 2020
Bob Dietz
