Pastor Greg Locke defied social distancing measures there to protect vulnerable Americans from coronavirus to reenact Christ’s crucifixion. (Screen captures via Twitter)
In a series of words we never thought could be strung together, an anti-gay right-wing American pastor defied social distancing orders amid the coronavirus pandemic to host a live reenactment of Christ’s crucifixion starring his teenage son and daughter as Jesus and Mary.
Yes, really.
Greg Locke, who recently tweeted that there has “never been a [coronavirus] pandemic” and it is, instead, a “calculated effort to destroy America with fear”, somehow, has refused to comply with the advice from health experts to halt his church sermons.
A look at our Live crucifixion scene. IT IS FINISHED. #GoodFriday2020 pic.twitter.com/UFbgtriu4q
— Pastor Greg Locke (@pastorlocke) April 10, 2020
Right-wing pastor shows off his son and ‘nearly 18-year-old’ daughter reenacting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
On Friday afternoon, the pastor of Global Vision Bible Church in Tennessee defied guidelines and held the tribute featuring his 16-year-old son as Jesus and his 17-year-old daughter as Mary.
While Tennesse lawmakers and authorities have urged non-essential services, businesses and operations to stall to curb the climbing coronavirus caseloads, Locke vowed to carry on.
In the footage on Locke’s mobile phone, he gives a tour of the Good Friday service, showing his children and other community leaders and churchgoers in different roles as Lydia Laird’s “Where Your Heart Is” blasts from a speaker system behind him.
His son is shown to the camera in the role of Jesus Christ who has a foot stand while perched on the cross.
He described how “hundreds of people” have driven by the reenactment, on 2060 Old Lebanon Dirt Road in Mt Juliet, to snap photographs.
Greg Locke’s church is hosting a knife defence class in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking to Tennessean, Locke, who once derided LGBT+ Pride month as “foolishness” as queer folk are “not persecuted”, stated that his services are “essential” in late March.
“It’s important for us to remain open,” he said, “it’s not because we’re trying to prove a point.”
Locke, who once used his finite time on this planet whirring around the void of deep space to say that the criticism Straight Pride parades have faced shows that the LGBT+ community are “looking for domination”, is keeping his church open in the midst of a public health crisis so it can host knife fighting sessions.
On May 2, according to Eventbrite, Global Vision Bible Church will host a seminar on “knife defence and the nearly lost art of knife fighting”.
Tickets cost $25, and organisers recommend that those attending the session open to under-18s with an accompanying guardian wear “something you would wear for a casual walk in the park”.