The Government is “seeking to rape me of my God-given right to worship Christ”, says Christchurch pastor Carl Bromley.
He made the claim after police confronted him during the weekend for hosting a church service during a pandemic lockdown.
Bromley, the Life Connection Missionary Baptist Fellowship founder, insisted on holding a church service on Sunday despite the Alert Level 4 COVID-19 rules. Any gathering outside one’s own household bubble is currently banned to prevent spread of the virus. Gatherings at churches are included in this restriction.
Bromley took to social media on Sunday to air his views about having his service closed down.
In first of three videos (since removed for misinformation about COVID), a police officer confronts Bromley.
She warns him he could face arrest or a fine, but he says he won’t “bow down to any legislation that deprives me of my God-given right to worship.”
He tells her the legislation is a breach of his human rights and claims he’s happy to be arrested and go to jail over it.
Comparing the current COVID-19 public health measures with Nazi Germany, he goes on to tell the officer: “Just because it’s legal, doesn’t make it right; just because it’s illegal, doesn’t mean it’s wrong.”
Bromley is not alone in comparing the COVID legislation to the uber-regulated Nazi regime. Various anti-lockdown activists have compared New Zealand’s restrictions to the horrific Nazi regime of the 1930s, but there are marked differences between the two.
The Government’s level 4 regulations are designed to stop people falling ill and dying from COVID-19. The Nazis, on the other hand, actively sought to marginalise, imprison and exterminate people.
In another video filmed after the service, Bromley can be seen accosting four police officers. They were waiting outside his home to speak to church-goers about the health regulations.
“I’m the pastor here… are you waiting to arrest me after worship, are you?”
They explained they weren’t arresting anyone, just educating them on the COVID-19 regulations. With that, Bromley laughed, saying “what a totalitarian state is all about.”
Police say no arrests were made or infringements issued during the incident. However, they “will not hesitate to take enforcement action for deliberate and blatant breaches.
“The safety of our community is front of mind. We continue to take an education-first approach to advise members of the public of the current alert level 4 restrictions,” a Police spokesperson says.
In his third social media post, Bromley says the Government is “seeking to rape me of my God-given right to worship Christ.” Like the “totalitarian foot soldier” police and the public, who “endorse and tolerate this tyranny” – should be ashamed.
“I will die on this hill if need be, by the grace and provision of God,” he says.
Among the reasons Bromley opposes the lockdown are what he sees as the disproportion to the risks associated with COVID-19 and the unrealistic notion of an elimination strategy.
He also thinks it is part of a conspiracy to encourage more vaccinations and violates human rights and the Nuremberg Code.
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