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Televangelist Claims That God Can’t Hear Prayers Through A Mask, The Internet Reacts With 31 Hilarious Tweets
With the rise of the dangerous new Delta variant of COVID-19 this year, there’s never been a better time to mask up to protect yourself and others. However, wearing a face mask has somehow become a politicized issue in the US. There’s still a minority that refuses to do so and calls those who follow the rules ‘sheep’.
Jim Bakker, a disgraced US televangelist, is the latest figure to spread this message. And as God’s shepherd of a different kind of flock, he has shared his religious views on the sins of wearing a mask in church.
“How can you go to church and pray when you’re wearing a mask? Do you think God can hear your prayers through a mask?” Bakker said.
Naturally, his questions have blown the internet’s mind, so Bored Panda has collected the best responses to them. Vote for your favorites and let’s pray to God that anti-maskers will finally see the light.
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Image credits: DeaconBlues0
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#1
Patricia Stilwell 4 years ago
I thought Jim Bakker was in jail. When did he get out? Also thought Tammy Faye was dead?
Jess Thompson 4 years ago (edited)
I want to hear the full sermon. I’m sure he’s one of the ones who believes it shows lack of faith in God’s protection to take medicine and therefore wear a mask. I hope he is not genuinely saying a piece of cloth stops your voice being heard by and omnipotent deity? Why are so many stupid men given screen time? Go away Jim.
Raven DeathShade 4 years ago
Yeah. It shows respect to God to protect the body He gave you from viruses and the like. Now how come I can give responses here and not where I actually interact with people who think this way? Probably cause they won't change their minds -_-.
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Bart Moore 4 years ago
Hey Jimmie can god hear a person who can’t speak but can pray silently?
Michigan Guy 4 years ago
if jim bakker keeps a babbling his peculiar line of lies and grift? him doing *that* might well impede the Almighty from hearing any of the rest of us. i doubt a mask makes a difference...
Jim Bakker has a long history of controversy, and COVID-19 misinformation is just the tip of the iceberg. After becoming one of the most infamous televangelists of the ‘80s, his life came crashing down after multiple scandals.
He was accused of raping and drugging a woman and then using his money from his followers to bribe her into silence. There were further accusations of using the same church funds for his own gain, as if that wasn’t apparent already from the lavish lifestyle he was living.
RELATED:
#2
rspanther 4 years ago
I have always liked this quote; “Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?” ― Epicurus
John C 4 years ago
I most enjoy the mental gymnastics religious apologists do to overcome this argument - usually goes something like "it's all part of his plan". Sam Harris described this the best: "...playing tennis without the net"
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Ryan Deschanel 4 years ago
I'm pretty sure that if He can hear you through the 2 meters wide stone walls of a cathedral, He can hear you through a mask.
In 1989, Bakker was convicted of 24 counts of fraud and was sentenced to 45 years in prison. However, he was later paroled and served 5 years instead.
You would think that a wake-up call like this would help him to see the error of his ways. Perhaps it was a message from God and he would atone for his sins? But alas, nothing has changed. Bakker has continued to tout his brand of televangelism to scam people and build his own fortunes and platform.
#3
earringnut 4 years ago
He's an intentional treasure. There is enough of his whit, wisdom, and wholesome goodness for everyone.
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#4
Gold Medal Dyke 4 years ago
The building in the background - kinda looks like the Jefferson Memorial - I see that long- vacant building whenever I travel a certain segment of the 405 in Costa Mesa, Orange County, CA. When that ministry was a living thing, it was quite something to see it at night. Worshiping their God through the miracle of electricity.
And the COVID-19 pandemic was just another way for him to cash in on people’s beliefs. In the initial media frenzy and panic of the coronavirus, there were many unfounded claims and lies being told about it. Suddenly, everyone knew better than the professionals and gave their two cents on how to beat the virus. Bakker was no different.
#5
Marianne 4 years ago
I love it when people cite the Bible against Christian hypocrites like him.
Raven DeathShade 4 years ago
Me too. Seriously, does no-one else read the Bible for fun? And if they do, wouldn't they be able to find the verses that go something like "if thou believest that vaccines are evil, Harry Potter is demonic, and thou needest to rely on the LORD thy God alone for thy good health, thou shalt stick thy head where the sun may not shine upon it."
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Dan Buczynski 4 years ago
There's no money to be made if you're quietly praying in your house.
Suzanne Clark 4 years ago
I know this is mean but I think Jim Baker is a charleton and a moron. Sorry if I've offended.
#6
Moe Lewis 4 years ago
I refuse to believe that mimes aren't pure evil to begin with.
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Kaleb Prichard (MiraiKuma) 4 years ago
I mean technically there is a verse in the bible that says that if your body isn't normal than you and like 10 generations of your family can't go to church an therefore heaven. . . . . Leviticus 21 16 The LORD said to Moses, 17 “Say to Aaron: ‘For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer the food of his God. 18 No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; 19 no man with a crippled foot or hand, 20 or who is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles. 21 No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the offerings made to the LORD by fire. He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God. 22 He may eat the most holy food of his God, as well as the holy food; 23 yet because of his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, etc
Chris Wade 4 years ago
F*****g disgusting. The bible is full or racism, sexism, bigotry and hate. I get it it's so easy to get indoctrinated into believing in this load of bollocks but how do you turn a blind eye to s**t like this?
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grey galah 4 years ago
What if you have a lisp? or a bad cold? or dentures? or a bit tongue? Does god not hear?
Thomas Sweda 4 years ago
And all the religious that take a vow of silence. Seems counter productive.
He and his company, Morningside Church Productions, started selling their own snake oil to unsuspecting and panicked customers. The ‘Silver Solution’ (ironically named after the harmful colloidal silver used in it) would supposedly prevent and cure COVID-19, whilst simultaneously boosting the immune system.
#7
#8
Joe Reaves 4 years ago
He couldn't even stop Eve eating from the tree of knowledge and there were only two humans to keep an eye on then, I can't imagine he'd get better at micromanaging when there's 7 billion of us..
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Clara Edvardsson 4 years ago
No no.. he's wearing gloves when he steals. God can't see or hear through fabrics 😂😂
#9
John C 4 years ago
Inigo Montoya: "I do not think those words mean what you think they mean" :D
Chris Wade 4 years ago
Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.
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Of course, none of it was true and it should go without saying that trusting a convicted fraudster selling an unapproved medicine is a bad decision. Thankfully, Bakker was successfully sued by the state of Missouri to stop him and his company from selling the bogus cure, and he was ordered to pay back all the costs to the people he had defrauded.
#10
Kona Pake 4 years ago
Don’t forget to tack on the 20% interest for each of the five easy payments.
RandomBeing 4 years ago
Definitely. I actually don't speak much in my prayers. Just think em for the most part. I'm more articulate thinking and it doesn't matter if i don't know how to put stuff into words.
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Jackie Porter 4 years ago
I was about to say this. I'm an atheist but I have read the bible. I though God listened to the voice of your heart, not how loud you can yell your prayers?
#11
Terd Fergison 4 years ago
She's a hardcore atheist satirist. You probably shouldn't thank her for posting scripture. Maybe look up her works. She's hilarious and fascinating, always making great points.
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Christine Zanfino 4 years ago
Ok, if God created the entire universe, would it safe to say He gave us the science, masks and vaccine too? If your priest blesses your mask, would you then wear one? I'm Catholic, but even I know to trust the science. What about, "love thy neighbor, be kind and charitable"......oh, wait, that only applies if it doesn't inconvenience YOU !!
Samantha Lomb 4 years ago
It has nothing to do with Bakker but God's alleged inability to hear through paper. Hardly an omnipotent superbeing if that is the case.
Load More Replies...Although televangelism was in its heyday during the ‘80s, its format and concept still persist today in the US. And it seems to be as lucrative as ever.
Another popular televangelist, Kenneth Copeland, managed to build his wealth on the same business idea. With a net worth estimated somewhere between $300 million to $760 million and being the owner of three private jets, he seems to be doing well for himself.
When asked by investigative reporter Lisa Guerrero if all this was necessary for spreading the good word he said, “It takes a lot of money to do what we do.”
#13
Cori 4 years ago
Playing with its tail. Yeah... I'm gonna go with that. 😳
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Bacony Cakes 4 years ago
God can't understand a Scottish accent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYvFxs32zvQ
#14
Not Bill Cipher 4 years ago
That one guy at that cvs by my house is pretty cool.
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Terd Fergison 4 years ago
Obviously. Can you name a single disease any god has cured? Science has cured a good number of diseases. Thank scientists!
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#16
Shelby Minchew 4 years ago
Or his private jet as "people on commercial flights make it too difficult to pray" - seriously that was said! How could anyone believe his array of bullshit!
#17
Not Bill Cipher 4 years ago
Omniscient means you can hear everything, right? Wow, that's gotta be painful for your ears.
#18
#19
#20
JuJu 4 years ago
Of course! Didn't you know you get a face mask with every Quran? You do know that there are a LOT of passages in the bible where "men of god" do horrible things to their women (have a good look at the Book of Judges)
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#21
#22
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
Televangescammer Kenneth Copeland did better when he said that even when people lose their jobs because of the coronavirus outbreak, they must continue giving to the church: "Whatever you do right now, don't you stop tithing!"
Daniel R Jepsen 4 years ago
Except that its not true: https://www.politicalflare.com/2021/08/televangelist-jim-bakker-complains-that-god-cannot-hear-prayers-through-masks/
#24
Thomas Sweda 4 years ago
If Baker was selling masks, (which still may happen), God would probably be able to hear you then.
#25
Earl Grey 4 years ago
These t-shirts were popular some years ago. 03E454F8-6...4-jpeg.jpg 
Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago
Great documentary about her, post-Jim; “ The Eyes of Tammy Faye”. Find it. Watch it.
Natalie 4 years ago
That looks like an alien predator made an attempt at a human-lure, like a deep sea angler fish. I've never seen an actual human look so 'uncanny valley' before.
Bacony Cakes 4 years ago
All the other aliens are like "Dude, we could just go and buy a McRib."
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#26
Kona Pake 4 years ago
What they’re trying to do is drown out your prayers by screaming (it doesn’t work).
Terd Fergison 4 years ago
Scientific study after scientific study have shown that petitionary prayer has the same outcome as random chance. Prayer is less useless, it's detrimental. Jesus says that you can actually move mountains with prayer alone and faith the size of a mustard seed. Go do it! Go move a mountain with prayer. I won't hold my breathe while waiting. If COVID has shown us anything, it's that prayer is less than useless. Every person of every prayer denomination all over the world has prayed for over a year for COVID to end, and it hasn't. Science and human actions will be the only thing to stop COVID, not invisible sky daddies and magical thoughts.
Load More Replies... WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
He read something in the Bible about "Let the children come to me" and 30 pieces of silver, mixed that up and got his religion of idiots donating money to a madman.
MAL 4 years ago
He may be a terrible Christian, but he's still a Christian.
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#27
#28
#29
Jill Taylor 4 years ago
John, thanks for proving that there’s no arguing with bat sh1t crazy.
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#30
Terd Fergison 4 years ago (edited)
I'm against Bakker and his evil grifting, but this comment is just completely false. Scientific study after scientific study have shown that petitionary prayer has the same outcome as random chance. Prayer is less than useless, it's detrimental. Jesus says that you can actually move mountains with prayer alone and faith the size of a mustard seed. Go do it! Go move a mountain with prayer. I won't hold my breathe while waiting. If COVID has shown us anything, it's that prayer is less than useless. Every person of every prayer denomination all over the world has prayed for over a year for COVID to end, and it hasn't. Science and human actions will be the only thing to stop COVID, not invisible sky daddies and magical thoughts.
Mazer 4 years ago
IMHO (never humble), if religion makes someone a better person in their actions towards others and they find solace in prayers, I am no one to judge, good on them. But those who use religion as a weapon to hate and/or judge or who tie money to religion using magical thinking to justify living the high life as pastors when so many are struggling, are morally bankrupt
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Joanie 4 years ago
All I know is, I watched son be put on life support with a 10% chance of survival. As I sat by his bedside I had no family, yet I knew that I was never alone. God moved mountains in the form of hearts and minds. He changed circumstances. I may be in the minority here and that's okay. I just don't want to miss a chance to speak up for those of us who trust and believe in the living God.
Terd Fergison 4 years ago (edited)
First you have to prove that a god even exists. Then you would have to prove that it was god that did something and actually answered the prayer. Why aren't you thanking the doctors, and medical scientists? The human body has remarkable, near miraculous healing abilities, no gods required. If your god is so real can you please pray to him to regrow the limbs of an amputee? Let me know how that goes. Can you go pray to move an actual mountain? I think it's shameful the way you just disregarded those medical professionals and all of their hard work, giving praise to a fictional, genocidal dictator in the sky.
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Bacony Cakes 4 years ago
And The Crusades. And Vietnam. And World War 1. And pretty much all of human history.
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What do you think ?
Truth Monster 4 years ago
This is why Christians are commanded to "test the spirits", to see if what we are being told is actually true. Bakker is a nutbar, it confounds me that anyone gave him a platform after his embezzlement.
Rowan 4 years ago
Ah, true things like: Genesis 16:8 And he said “Hagar, Sarai’s slave girl, where have you come from and where are you going?” She answered, “I’m running away from Sarai, my mistress.” The angel of the Lord said to her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to ill treatment at her hands. Leviticus 24:16 Whoever utters the name of the Lord must be put to death. The whole community must stone him, whether alien or native. If he utters the name, he must be put to death. Deut. 25:11 When two men are fighting and the wife of one of them intervenes to drag her husband clear of his opponent, if she puts out her hand and catches hold of the man by his privates, you must cut off her hand and show her no mercy.
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Ryan Deschanel 4 years ago
The Pope : "Get that f*****g vaccine, you are killing people with your dumb selfishness! Trust the scientists, dammit!" Televangelists : "God says you must give me money, also masks are evil!"
Samantha Lomb 4 years ago
Let's not act like Popes don't have some serious skeletons in their closet either.
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deanna woods 4 years ago
Everytime one of these crazy televangelists says something stupid like this, they make us true Christians look like we are crazy. God can hear you through a mask because he can do anything, so please wear your mask and get your vaccine. Be safe. If God didn't want you to wear a mask, he wouldn't have created them.
Terd Fergison 4 years ago
Do you have any proof that any gods even exist? Do you have any evidence that any gods created anything?
Load More Replies... iblowsheep 4 years ago (edited)
WHOA! an evangelist saying something stupid???? That's about as unexpected as a dog licking his own balls
Gavin Johnson 4 years ago
How about ‘Mask or no mask God doesn’t exist, it’s all an elaborate scam to keep you religious types under control and toeing the line put down for you’? PS Wear a mask, get vaccinated, treat your fellow humans properly and be more kind.
Truth Monster 4 years ago
This is why Christians are commanded to "test the spirits", to see if what we are being told is actually true. Bakker is a nutbar, it confounds me that anyone gave him a platform after his embezzlement.
Rowan 4 years ago
Ah, true things like: Genesis 16:8 And he said “Hagar, Sarai’s slave girl, where have you come from and where are you going?” She answered, “I’m running away from Sarai, my mistress.” The angel of the Lord said to her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to ill treatment at her hands. Leviticus 24:16 Whoever utters the name of the Lord must be put to death. The whole community must stone him, whether alien or native. If he utters the name, he must be put to death. Deut. 25:11 When two men are fighting and the wife of one of them intervenes to drag her husband clear of his opponent, if she puts out her hand and catches hold of the man by his privates, you must cut off her hand and show her no mercy.
Load More Replies... Ryan Deschanel 4 years ago
The Pope : "Get that f*****g vaccine, you are killing people with your dumb selfishness! Trust the scientists, dammit!" Televangelists : "God says you must give me money, also masks are evil!"
Samantha Lomb 4 years ago
Let's not act like Popes don't have some serious skeletons in their closet either.
Load More Replies... deanna woods 4 years ago
Everytime one of these crazy televangelists says something stupid like this, they make us true Christians look like we are crazy. God can hear you through a mask because he can do anything, so please wear your mask and get your vaccine. Be safe. If God didn't want you to wear a mask, he wouldn't have created them.
Terd Fergison 4 years ago
Do you have any proof that any gods even exist? Do you have any evidence that any gods created anything?
Load More Replies... iblowsheep 4 years ago (edited)
WHOA! an evangelist saying something stupid???? That's about as unexpected as a dog licking his own balls
Gavin Johnson 4 years ago
How about ‘Mask or no mask God doesn’t exist, it’s all an elaborate scam to keep you religious types under control and toeing the line put down for you’? PS Wear a mask, get vaccinated, treat your fellow humans properly and be more kind.
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