Skip to main content
Tags: antibodies | lockdowns
OPINION

Yes, Even Churches Failed Us, Kids During COVID

churches and coronavirus

In response to COVID-19, pandemic, services at an Episcopal church are cancelled through March. This photo was taken in Rutherford, New Jersey, on March 24, 2020. (Erin Alexis Randolph/Dreamstime.com)

  

Larry Provost By Friday, 01 September 2023 10:58 AM EDT Current | Bio | Archive

(Editor's Note: The following column has been authored by a non-clinician.)

Coinciding with election season '24 gearing up, warnings of COVID are appearing again.

However, a bigger warning goes to the church in America, and globally, regarding its response to COVID-19 as it related to children, especially when the pandemic was in its early stages.  

No reasonable person the severity of the pandemic; the number of patients flooding hospitals and mortality rates well beyond "normal."

Scores of bodies filling up morgues and refrigeration trucks attest to this grim reality.

The pandemic was real regardless of its origins (China), whether masks (were or are) effective in slowing it (most were not, nor worn properly), or the lie that getting the vaccine would serve as a "guarantee" to stop the pandemic. It didn't.

The virus became endemic: from people getting it and building up antibodies, and those eventually taking a vaccine for it.

Even at age 65, less than 1% of those who contracted the coronavirus died from it.

For children and those up to age 44, the percentage of deaths was even far less and dropped appreciably; it did so for younger age groups.

During the early phases of COVID, few knew how bad it would or wouldn't be. 

The church, along with other organizations, maintained a proper perspective of waiting.

But, in many ways, churches also stepped up during the heightened phases of the virus.

They did many things to help those economically distressed by the spreading infections.

Innovation through virtual worship was a temporary fix, allowing many to continue to worship, even aiding those who have other health issues otherwise preventing them from in-person attendance. 

Yet, the church sadly bought into the politicization of COVID-19: by teachers unions (the same organizations trying to cancel out the words "mother" and "father" in schools) and others who had a personal stake in keeping lockdowns going.

The church could have set an example for the rest of the nation by getting back to normal as quickly as possible, at least for the sake of kids; for psychological and economic reasons and for the reason of staying in faith, while keeping Scripture close by.  

The church as a whole, frankly, failed to say "enough is enough," and then reopen as before, at least for the sake of its younger congregants.

For far too long, churches relied on digital worship, in effect legitimizing the immense deleterious effects that electronic and social media have had upon our children for quite some time now, inclusive of discouraging them from interacting with others. 

Children actually largely knew they would not die from the virus, yet they were forced to suffer psychologically from not being in school and not being in their places of worship. 

More so, many children may have wondered: why be a part of an institution tacitly supportive the garbage laid upon them by other institutions: teacher unions, and goverment-oriented concerns?

The right of religious freedom taking general precedence over all other forms of freedom, a freedom that is given to terrorists in Guantanamo Bay, was given away at great costs.

Above all, the Biblical command to not forsake the gathering of believers was broken.

Children missed out on the preaching, teaching, fellowship (all variants of the Word of God), as well as the freedom Jesus offers from sinful lives, fallen homes, and our broken world.

As children were zonking-out through online learning and no social interaction, the one place where they should have been interacting (much more than the public school system) was in fact at a place of worship.

Our houses of worship were, and still are, the original "school" in our great nation.

It is there there children have learned about Jesus and his unconditional love for all of us.

Jesus suffered so we would not, so we would learn and stay in faith; to "be not afraid."

Meanwhile, let us not forget that in some localities, liquor stores and less than savory establishments were still deemed essential.

Thus, here we are today. At a place where even the left media is now airing stories on how children were harmed by draconian institutional coronavirus mandates. 

During COVID-19, it can be argued,  that the credibility of the church, in terms of appearing to be greater than Ceasar was damaged.

Thankfully, God’s Holy Word remains true.

Caesar, or his modern-day equivalents, can never change that.

It is we who are ultimately charged with guaranteeing our rights remain, triumphing over "Caesars'"

In Christendom, the church (along with the family) is God’s institution for the organization of humanity, far ahead of anything Caesar could accomplish or mandate.

Hopefully, the church, and all of us, will well-remember this.

Going forward, there will be, other crises testing our strength and faith.

Will we choose man or God?

Views in the preceding column are those of the author and not any government agency.

Larry Provost has written for Townhall, Fox News, The Baltic Times and InFocus (Jewish Policy Center) and has appeared on several television outlets, including “FOX News @Night with Shannon Bream." He holds degrees from several colleges, and is a Veteran of the World Trade Center search and rescue, Afghanistan, and Iraq. He and his wife are adoptive parents. Read more Larry Provost reports - Here.

© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


LarryProvost
Going forward, there will be, other crises testing our strength and faith. Will we choose man or God?
antibodies, lockdowns
880
2023-58-01
Friday, 01 September 2023 10:58 AM
Newsmax Media, Inc.

Sign up for Newsmax’s Daily Newsletter

Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.

(Optional for Local News)
Privacy: We never share your email address.
Join the Newsmax Community
Read and Post Comments
Please review Community Guidelines before posting a comment.
 
TOP

Interest-Based Advertising | Do not sell or share my personal information

Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.

NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Download the Newsmax App
NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved