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The coronavirus is divine punishment, according to Valdemiro Santiago, head of the Universal Church of God’s Power. And in a recent video, Pastor Edir Macedo called the COVID-19 pandemic Satan’s work, claiming incorrectly that the virus was powerless against those who were not afraid of it. Macedo is the founder of the powerful Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (IURD), a worldwide network of evangelical churches. The multimillionaire also owns one of Brazil’s most influential television channels.
FEED THE POOR
Feeding the poor and needy is an act that draws us closer to Allah. We earn His forgiveness, mercies and blessings through this act of charity.
“Anyone who looks after and works for a widow and a poor person is like a warrior fighting for Allah?s cause, or like a person who fasts during the day and prays all night. (Bukhari)
Read more: Opinion: Economy vs. human life is not a moral dilemma
But the loudest voice in the crowd over the past couple of weeks has been that of Pastor Silas Malafaia, who is considered by many to be President Jair Bolsonaro’s spiritual teacher. Like Bolsonaro, the leader of the Assembly of God Victory in Christ Church is extremely critical of the current economic shutdown.
“Will the coronavirus kill people? Yes, but even more people will die if there is social disorder. Churches are essential for those desperate, fearful and depressed people who have been turned away from hospitals,” said Malafaia recently.