A Kentucky pastor, joined by at least 50 other churches for an online petition, urges religious leaders across the nation to "step up and roar" for the right for worship amid coronavirus restrictions over churches.
Brian Gibson, pastor of His Church, a megachurch with locations in Owensboro, Ky., and Amarillo, Texas, told "Fox & Friends" Sunday that every day a church closed a bit of liberty dies.
"We need people to stand up and roar. There is a time to be quiet, a time to be the lamb, but today is the day to be the lion," Gibson told host Pete Hegseth.
The pastor of megachurch asked other faith leaders and pastors to sign an online petition to reopen churches responsibly using guidelines from the CDC, Fox News reported.
"I believe momentum is starting right now," the pastor continued. "Restrictions eased up on everyone around us but we couldn't do business as normal as the church."
Gibson pointed out that it is unreasonable that some churches were forced to stay closed while the businesses could reopen.
"We're looking across the road at fast-food places handing out french fries. Liquor stores are serving patrons -- but the church is the bad guy. It is time for us to stand up for our First Amendment rights," the pastor emphasized. "We have religious freedom in this nation. We'll not lay that down on our watch."
"We have a right to peaceably assemble," Gibson argued. "We want to be smart, be safe, be caring. We have all sorts of precautions put together... extra sterilization. We're taking care of everything, but we want to know our religious freedom isn't going to die with us.
