The Covid inquisition
Police are now breaking up baptisms which contravene the Covid rules.
At the weekend, police stormed the Angel Church in Clerkenwell, London to break up a baptism.
Islington baptism service halted by police due to lockdown rules https://t.co/T4cOxvGQvC
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) November 15, 2020
Lockdown rules mean baptisms are currently banned, but roughly 30 people had gathered for the service. After police intervened, an outdoor gathering was conducted instead, as officers prevented people entering the church. Three police vehicles were at the scene of the ‘crime’.
The lead pastor of the church, Regan King, said he went ahead with the service ‘because I believe we serve a greater good’. ‘This is an essential service that we provide’, he said.
King also defended the church’s ongoing work with people ‘who are extremely vulnerable, homeless or on the verge of being very isolated’.
Indeed, the role that churches and other faith institutions play in the community is surely more vital than ever during a period of crisis. But the British state’s religious devotion to lockdown seems to trump all other concerns.
Picture by: Getty.