Rev. Tony Spell of Life Tabernacle Church in a suburb of Baton Rouge, a conservative church in Louisiana, has been charged with six state criminal counts after he repeatedly refused to close his church or adhere to COVID-19 lockdown policies. Now, he is attempting to revive a lawsuit that challenged the state’s COVID-19 lockdown.
Explaining his legal actions during a church service, Spell exclaimed, “The world needs to see some manly preachers. There’s enough fag, queer, skinny-jeaned, homo-effeminate, sissy preachers out there, with makeup and mascara on their eyes for the camera. Isn’t it about time you get some sweat on your forehead? isn’t it about time you get some dirt under your nails, and some grease on your hands? Isn’t it about time you get some blood on your sword? Cursed be the man that keepeth his sword from blood.” He added, “We need heroes in this hour. Heroes have calloused knees, heroes might get terminated from their jobs. Heroes might not get invited to the family reunion, but I’d rather have Jesus than silver and gold.”
The lawsuit was previously dismissed in November of 2020, with the judge stating that the lawsuit was moot – despite the criminal counts levied against Spell – because the COVID-19 restrictions had been lifted by time the lawsuit went before a judge. Now, Judge Stephen Higginson, one of the three appeals court judges now hearing the case in New Orleans, “questioned whether First Amendment protections of assembly and religious practices would render Edwards’ emergency restrictions illegal if churches weren’t being singled out,” according to local media. Higginson also “compared the COVID-19 restrictions with other public safety limits on gatherings, such as fire codes.”
Former U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore of Alabama is one of the lawyers representing Spell, and said that “What we’ve got here are governor’s proclamations,” and, “Everybody knows that governors don’t make laws.”
Moore’s son, Caleb Moore, told National File, “I think Spell hit the nail on the head. He’s absolutely right on this one. The church has become corrupt and perverted in many ways, you got preachers teaching that transgenderism is okay and that people are born this way.” Moore added, “Spell is absolutely correct. And not enough pastors have the courage to say it.”
