More and more Americans are becoming disconnected from reality. Does anyone recall the USA ever being in such a mess? Violent civil unrest, unwarranted attacks on innocent people, rampant conspiracy theories, looting and rioting and more. We’ve had civil unrest in the past, and not all of it bad. Women, blacks and gays all had to fight for equality in a nation dominated by old white men reluctant to give up their stranglehold on American society. They won, and that’s a good thing. We’re supposed to be a free nation. But… We might be free but we’re certainly not united.
We’re at each others’ throats, each claiming the other is the first / worst offender. And I have come to believe that the bulk of the problem lies in misinformation. Too many lies, and too many gullible people who believe those lies.

America is split into so many different factions…

• Black vs white
• Religious vs non-religious
• Religion vs “that other” religion
• Gay vs straight
• Liberal vs conservative
• Educated vs ignorant

And of course everything is a conspiracy…

• Vaccines are deadly and “they” are killing us for profit
• Covid-19 / masks / lockdowns are a conspiracy to control our society and/or wreck the economy
• Facebook / government / the atheists are trying to silence religion
• Jet aircraft are spreading dangerous chemicals in the atmosphere via “chemtrails”
• The HAARP facility in Alaska can control the weather, human minds, and cause earthquakes
• Our government will use the “Mark of the Beast” to change us into a cashless society
• Bill Gates is an evil bastard who does experiments on innocent children
• Bill Gates is also an evil bastard because he wants to implant us with microchips (which are the “Mark of the Beast”)
• Everyone in Hollywood is a child molester and they all gather at the same pizza parlor
• And let’s not forget that a spherical Earth is a conspiracy dating back to Copernicus

And all of the above surely must involve George Soros, the Rockefellers, the Clintons, George Bush, Barack Obama, the Illuminati and the aforementioned Mr. Gates. And of course depending upon which side of the political fence you’re on, either the Democrats or the Republicans are involved.

And the memes! Look at the memes on Facebook. I have to wonder about the thought processes that lead to them. I guess people who will believe anything will say anything. And it’s easy for some to just believe without doing any sort of fact-checking before they decide it’s the Gospel (whatever it is). They’re too mentally lazy to check out a story. Or as the old programmer’s saying goes, “garbage in, garbage out.” Okay yeah, the Soros / horns thing is mine. Couldn’t help myself. 😉

And some of this bullshittery doesn’t even rise to the level of a conspiracy. My personal favorite is the hoopla surrounding the use of masks during the Covid-19 pandemic. Apparently there are a lot of knuckle-dragging morons out there who regard having to wear a mask as a form of tyranny. Yes, you read that right. They’re calling it tyranny. It’d be funny if they weren’t so dangerous. We’ll take a closer look at this one in a minute or two.

There are other conspiracy theories and other factions. I can’t possibly mention them all here (okay I could, but damn). Right now I want to zero in on just a few.

Disconnect #1: Churches Must Be Exempt From Public Health Laws
First, it seems that many Christians believe the pandemic lockdowns are an attempt to shut down churches and stop people from worshiping. Never mind the fact that a number of local outbreaks have been traced directly back to churches that held normal services in spite of public health warnings. But many other churches have done the sensible thing and adapted to keep their congregants safe. Some services are broadcast online, some have had congregants remain in their cars while the pastor broadcasted a weak FM signal to their radios. I tip my hat to them for their ingenuity and dedication even though I disagree with them on so many things.

But others believe that any attempt to curb the spread of the virus that involves adaptation on the part of churches is an attack on the sanctity of the church itself. These people truly believe that churches should be exempt from any such regulations because they are answerable only to God, not government. A perfect example of this mindset is John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church in California. Here’s some of what he had to say in a recent blog post titled “Christ, not Caesar, Is Head of the Church“:

Christ is Lord of all. He is the one true head of the church (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23; Colossians 1:18). He is also King of kings—sovereign over every earthly authority (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; 19:16). Grace Community Church has always stood immovably on those biblical principles. As His people, we are subject to His will and commands as revealed in Scripture. Therefore we cannot and will not acquiesce to a government-imposed moratorium on our weekly congregational worship or other regular corporate gatherings. Compliance would be disobedience to our Lord’s clear commands.

Some will think such a firm statement is inexorably in conflict with the command to be subject to governing authorities laid out in Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2. Scripture does mandate careful, conscientious obedience to all governing authority, including kings, governors, employers, and their agents (in Peter’s words, “not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable” [1 Peter 2:18]). Insofar as government authorities do not attempt to assert ecclesiastical authority or issue orders that forbid our obedience to God’s law, their authority is to be obeyed whether we agree with their rulings or not. In other words, Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 still bind the consciences of individual Christians. We are to obey our civil authorities as powers that God Himself has ordained.

However, while civil government is invested with divine authority to rule the state, neither of those texts (nor any other) grants civic rulers jurisdiction over the church. God has established three institutions within human society: the family, the state, and the church. Each institution has a sphere of authority with jurisdictional limits that must be respected. A father’s authority is limited to his own family. Church leaders’ authority (which is delegated to them by Christ) is limited to church matters. And government is specifically tasked with the oversight and protection of civic peace and well-being within the boundaries of a nation or community. God has not granted civic rulers authority over the doctrine, practice, or polity of the church. The biblical framework limits the authority of each institution to its specific jurisdiction. The church does not have the right to meddle in the affairs of individual families and ignore parental authority. Parents do not have authority to manage civil matters while circumventing government officials. And similarly, government officials have no right to interfere in ecclesiastical matters in a way that undermines or disregards the God-given authority of pastors and elders.

There is so much wrong with this. He claimed that Jesus is “sovereign over every earthly authority.” In other words, his god (and no one else’s) should have authority over every leader of every nation on Earth. He presumes his god to be the only true god out of all the countless religions around the world. In a nation like ours that is designed to support true religious freedom, all religions must be respected. But that isn’t enough for MacArthur. From his his ramblings we can deduce that he believes all governing bodies and all people of other beliefs need to get the hell out of his way so he and his flock can do as they damn well please, at least as far as church services are concerned.

Wow. I seem to be heavily into run-on sentences here. Must be this new keyboard I bought the other day. Anyway…

But did MacArthur make a statement about religious freedom for all? No, he did not. Whether he realizes it or not he’s demanding Christian privilege, not religious freedom. I managed to read the entire post (it’s long), mainly out of morbid fascination. He’s insisting that Christianity specifically is exempt from public health laws regarding church services because Jesus, not the government, is the sole authority over not just the church but the whole frigging world.

And, he justifies his assertions entirely with Bible quotes. Well, sorry John but the Bible is not the governing document of the United States. That would be the Constitution. In a nation that promotes equality for all, everyone must follow the same set of rules. That means that the law must be applied equally across the population regardless of race, religion, gender, etc.

And how does one even begin to justify a view like MacArthur’s? His mindless defiance of a temporary rule put in place to protect those he doubtlessly claims to care about puts innocent people in danger. But he apparently cannot see beyond the convoluted argument he’s constructed from various Bible verses. Does he believe that “spiritual health” trumps physical health? It appears so. I get it, okay? He and other Christians believe “spiritual health” is important. But one should not claim any sort of special privilege (and that’s what it is) just because they believe in something that is unprovable and subject to the whims of geography, age, and culture. Science and recent events have proven such gatherings promote the spread of the virus. That should be the end of the debate. If MacArthur had any sort of critical thinking skill at all, he’d understand that.

Churches are not the only ones affected by such laws. The same applies to most any indoor gathering (and many outdoors). Cinemas, basketball games, concerts are all subject to such restrictions. Being Christian doesn’t make you special. You can catch the bug at church just as easily as you can at any other gathering where people are in close quarters with each other.

Our laws reflect physical reality. We live in the physical world. Our laws are intended to protect all of us without exception. There is no evidence of an existence for us beyond the one we’re living here and now. It is therefore unacceptable and nonsensical for a cleric of any religion to lay claim to his/her church answering only to a higher authority. John MacArthur and his church are answerable to the laws of Man just like everyone else. To have things be otherwise is a recipe for chaos. And he’s either too dumb to realize it or too arrogant to care.

Disconnect #2: Face Masks Are A Form Of Tyranny
Based upon what I’ve seen, those who object to mask requirements tend to be less-educated, more conservative and most likely deeply religious. And many of them were already conspiracy theorists, which I regard as an acquired mental health issue. As such, they’re quick to attach some nefarious motive to anything they happen not to like. Mind you, I’m hardly an academic. And I’m right-of-the-fence on most issues. But I do have sense enough to recognize the need for the modest protection masks provide. You don’t have to be a pointy-eared Vulcan to see the logic.

Most of those who object to masks don’t actually understand how they work. So on the off chance that any of them are still here after my persecution of Christianity above, I’ll explain it. Cuz I’m nice like that.

The masks do not prevent you from inhaling the virus. They help to prevent you from exhaling it. This works because when you exhale, the particulates in your breath are suspended in the moisture exiting your body. The moisture is the reason you can see your exhalations on a cold day. A lot of the moisture catches in the mask, thereby also catching the virus if you are infected. And by the way, you can have the virus but not show or feel symptoms. But you are most likely still contagious. Once the virus is airborne (like if you’re not wearing a mask), it dries out and can enter someone else’s mask when they breathe in. So… Wearing the mask allows you to protect others. By not wearing one when around others, you’re playing Russian Roulette with their lives. I’ll leave it to you to decide if you have the right to do that.

Oh and by the way, don’t try that phony BS argument about CO2 buildup in your mask. Yes, it’s possible. But you’re not going to experience Hypercapnia just going to the grocery store. This condition can occur with wearing a mask for long periods of time. But thirty minutes in Walmart won’t put you in a coma. Okay maybe, but that’s because of all the weird people and long checkout lines. That was already happening.

Disconnect #3: Yet Another Vaccine Conspiracy

I regard this as proof of my earlier assertion that conspiracy theorists are too lazy to fact-check before they post to social media. Read the text of the Facebook screen capture above. Sounds like a conspiracy, right? But then let’s actually look at the facts:

• The patent listed in the meme is for a SARS vaccine, not a chip.
• The supposed implanted chip conspiracy theory is rooted in a different patent. But it’s for wearable tech like smart watches. *Not* implants.
• Bill Gates attended Harvard, not Cornell. Gates attended Harvard in the 70s. Fauci graduated Cornell in ’66. So no they would not have been roommates.
• Soros did not “dissolve” IG Farben. He was only 14 years old at the time. The Allies dissolved IG and sold off its assets.
• Moderna was formed in 2010. It is therefore not where Epstein made his fortune. He was already a billionaire by then.
• Fauci was never the CEO of Moderna.

This is yet another example of someone just making shit up and other people swallowing it whole. Facebook has become a cesspool of false information. They’re supposedly taking steps to alleviate the problem, but it seems they’re also allowing their own biases to corrupt the process. Zuckerboy has of course promised to fix that. You’ll understand if I’m skeptical in that regard.

Disconnect #4: Bill Gates, RFID, 5G, Vaccines And The Mark Of The Beast
Holy moly. This one covers a lot of ground. A team at MIT developed a method of injecting “quantum dots” with a vaccine. The idea was to enable better vaccine record keeping in underdeveloped nations. They’re not microchips. They emit a tiny bit of light, invisible to the naked eye, in a pattern that would match to a particular vaccine. That’s it. No RFID chip. No tracking. No mind control. Just a subcutaneous record a doctor can access with a device designed to detect it.

Kevin McHugh, now an assistant professor of bioengineering at Rice University and the lead researcher on the project, said he’s baffled by the idea that his project involves tracking chips. “There’s no microchips at all,” he said. “I don’t even know where that comes from. All the quantum dots [do is] produce light.”

But the conspiracy nuts went… well, nuts.

It was discovered that Bill Gates (that evil bastard) was funding the research via his charitable foundation. Well, there’s a rich guy and of course all rich guys are evil, right? Surely he must be up to something. By the time the retards on the Internet were done, Gates was covertly funding research to implant microchips into unsuspecting people. And then said chips would be activated by the 5G network. We’d all be tracked. We’d be controlled. Oh my!

Even crazier, there are those who earnestly believe that the 5G network is somehow transmitting the virus. For this to be true, every cellular company on the planet would have to be involved, and they’d have to make some serious changes to the laws of physics. And they’d all be keeping it a secret. Unlikely. And besides, Gates doesn’t even own a cellular company (that I know of 😉 )

But even better – these RFID microchips Mr. Gates supposedly has a patent for (he doesn’t) constitute the biblical Mark Of The Beast. And it’s all part of a plan by the Illuminati or the New World Order or fill in your own evil bastards here to control us by creating a cashless society. If you don’t get with the program, they shut off your chip and you are unable to buy food or clothing. Oh yes, and the Illuminati and NWO are of course controlled by Satan. I know this because a Pentecostal truck driver in Tuscaloosa, AL told me so.

And In Closing…
Damn! You’re still here?! Thank you for sticking with me. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that many conspiracy theorists are deeply religious. Both conspiracy theory and religion require a suspension of disbelief. For either, one must be willing to accept a premise based upon the shadiest of evidence, if any at all. It requires an extreme amount of gullibility faith to believe any of the crazy stuff that’s floating around out there. Whether it’s the Flat Earth conspiracy or that a global flood wiped out all life on Earth except those in a homemade boat, you can’t require credible evidence or have applied critical thinking to it and believe this stuff.

Okay, enough. My fingers are getting blistered from all this typing. Actually that’s a lie. But the day is almost gone and I haven’t eaten all day. Time flies when you’re having fun. Mo’ later, y’all.

Sources and Related Reading

• John MacArthur Blog Post
• Forty People in Alabama Church Contract Covid-19
• Definition of “Maskhole”
• Fact-Check: Masks and CO2 Buildup
• The HAARP Conspiracy
• Anatomy of a Covid-19 Conspiracy Theory (Bill Gates, 5G etc)
• Fact-Check: Bill Gates and the Surveillance State
• Abstract of McHugh Article
• COVID-19 and the 5G Conspiracy Theory: Social Network Analysis of Twitter Data
• (Nutcase site) RFID and the Mark of the Beast
• RFID / Mark of the Beast Conspiracy Debunked
• Flat Earth and Religion
• PizzaGate
• People with coronavirus are highly contagious for days prior to symptoms, says scientist