by Rod Williams - There was a massive "worship protest" in the park in front of the Metro Courthouse on Sunday. Thousands attended. Sean Feucht, a guy I have never heard of until now, was the organizer of the event. He is based out of California and apparently has a massive following in evangelical Christian circles. He has had similar events at cities across America. I am usually pretty attuned to what is happening in conservative, Republican, or libertarian circles in Nashville but did not know this event was planned. I am not nearly as attuned to the Christian community as I am the right-of-center political community. This was primarily, it seems, a religious event rather than a political event but addressed political issues.
Part of the message of the protest was racial reconciliation. A participant at the even by the name of McKibben is quoted in the Tennessean as saying that one of the messages that stood out to her from the event was that of racial reconciliation. This has long been a staple of evangelical, especially charismatic, Christianity. Feucht has expressed opposition to the BLM movement but approves of the sentiment. He has let protest in opposition to BLM. "We can’t let our God-given empathy get hijacked by a dark movement with hidden agendas", he has said on Facebook, according to The Tennessean.
The Tennessean and local government leaders and some mainstream Christian faith leaders have expressed concern over the large gathering with minimal social distancing and many not wearing mask. This is so hypocritical. Local officials said the event took place without a permit and the city was investigating and would pursue appropriate penalties against the organizer.
This is the heights of hypocrisy. Time and time again BLM has protested in Nashville and even closed streets with no permit. David Plazas community engagement editor for the Tennessean, editorialized about how irresponsible Feucht's event was. He has not so editorialized when thousands of BLM protestors took to the streets. This is an example of how our liberties are at stake. When favored groups can have a protest without a permit but groups not favored are suppose to get a permit, we are less free. When the government urges people to join the unpermitted protest of a favored group but threatens to take punitive action against an unfavored group for a protest, we are not free. Either a permit is required for a protest or it is not. Equality under the law is a basic tenant of democratic systems. I will gladly attend a unpermitted protest about the selective enforcement of law and government having one set of rules for favored groups and another set of rules for unfavored groups.
For more info on this see the following: link, link, Rogue Pandemic Preacher Brings ‘Superspreader’ Terror to Nashville.
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