Today In Homicidal Fundamentalism (UPDATED)

Recently, we observed defiant fundamentalist cranks encouraging their misguided flocks to fill their churches and disregard public health warnings not to gather in large groups and observe social distancing. One of the cranks, Tony "Under A" Spell of Baton Rouge, Louisiana's "Life Death Tabernacle Church," was charged last month with 6 misdemeanor violations of the state's emergency order banning gatherings of over 10 people. Since then, Spell has defiantly violated that order repeatedly, putting his congregation at risk of spreading COVID-19, while collecting their tithes.

Yesterday, a coroner's report indicated that a member of Spell's fundamentalist virus petri dish died from COVID-19. Asked by reporters about the death, Spell maintained that the man had died of other causes, something the medical examiner would disagree with. He also described the deceased as a "right-hand man" of his (and hopefully Spell shook that right hand frequently).

If you're not feeling disgust with Bible-thumping charlatans like Spell already, here's something else: this sick huckster wants people receiving their COVID-19 relief checks to donate them to him and like-minded fundamentalist hucksters. Because in their entirely worldly realm, it's about keeping the con alive, accumulating wealth, and letting the sheep they're fleecing fend -- and die -- for themselves.

UPDATE:  Now the charlatan is asking his congregants to send him their stimulus checks!!  Something something money changers in the temple something something.

(photo: TMZ. One face of homicidal fundamentalism.)