Measles Outbreak Blamed on Copeland's Anti-Vaccine Church

[Kilika]

Well, here we go! 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/emilywillingham/2013/08/24/measles-outbreak-traces-to-vaccine-refusing-megachurch/

Measles Outbreak Traces To Vaccine-Refusing Megachurch

A measles outbreak in Texas traces to a congregation of a megachurch whose leader, Kenneth Copeland, reportedly has warned followers away from vaccines, advocating for faith healing and pushing the debunked notion that vaccines cause autism. One of Copeland’s churches, Eagle Mountain International Church in North Texas, is the epicenter of the outbreak, which now has hit at least 20 people. According to USA Today’s Liz Szabo,

    Those sickened by measles include nine children and six adults, ranging in age from 4 months old to 44 years old. At least 12 of those infected were not fully immunized against measles, Roy says. The other patients lack documents to show whether they were vaccinated.

Just as Wales is paying the price of the autism-measles vaccine panic begun 15 years ago, so is this Texas community. In the wake of the outbreak, the church’s pastor and Kenneth Copeland’s daughter, Terri Copeland Pearsons, was urging congregants take advantage of a couple of free vaccination clinics the church suddenly has on offer or to self quarantine at home for two weeks if they didn’t want to receive vaccinations...

...The chain of infection began with a person who traveled somewhere outside the US where measles remains common. Unaware of being infected with the virus, this person then attended services at the church, reportedly even coming in contact with people in the childcare room, which might explain why a 4-month-old baby has been infected...

Okay, so are they not saying where outside the US, or do they not know where?

So self-quarantine then! OH, that's right, all those worldly churchianity types are servants to men, so they can't stay at home for 2 weeks or they might lose their jobs. 

I'd say it's a much higher chance that somebody infected their group intentionally, because look how fast they caved in.

[Mark]

Yep, it’s going to be those plague carrying Christians that brought death and ruin to our fair shores.

21 Measles Cases Linked to Megachurch in Texas

A Texas megachurch linked to at least 21 measles cases has been trying to contain the outbreak by hosting vaccination clinics, officials said Monday.
 
The outbreak started when a person who contracted measles overseas visited Eagle Mountain International Church in Newark, located about 20 miles north of Fort Worth, Texas. Officials with area health departments said those affected by the outbreak range in age from 4-months to 44-years-old. All of the school-aged children with measles were homeschooled, and majority of those who were infected had not been vaccinated.
 
In a recent sermon posted online, senior pastor Terri Pearsons encouraged those who haven't been vaccinated to do so, adding that the Old Testament is "full of precautionary measures."
 
"I would encourage you to do that. There's absolutely nothing wrong with doing that. Go do it. Go do it. Go do it. And go in faith," said Pearsons, whose father is televangelist Kenneth Copeland. But she added, if "you've got this covered in your household by faith and it crosses your heart of faith then don't go do it."
 
"The main thing is stay in faith no matter what you do."
 
In Tarrant County, where the church is located, 11 of the 16 people with measles were not vaccinated while the others may have had at least one measles vaccination. In nearby Denton County, none of their five cases had been vaccinated.
 
Texas Department of State Health Services spokeswoman Christine Mann said so far across the state there have been 27 cases of the measles this year, with five of those cases having no links to current outbreak. She said it is unclear whether a case recently diagnosed in Harris County, where Houston is located, is tied to the outbreak. There were no cases in the state last year and six the year before.
 
"If it finds a pocket of people who are unimmunized, and the majority of our cases are unimmunized so far, then if you are around a person with measles, you will get sick," said Russell Jones, chief epidemiologist for Tarrant County Public Health.
 
Measles is spread by coughing, sneezing and close personal contact with infected people; symptoms include a fever, cough, and a rash on the face. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children get two doses of the combined vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella, called the MMR. The first does should be when they are 12 to 15 months old and the second when they are 4 to 6 years old.
 
Vaccination opt-out rates nationwide have been creeping up since the mid-2000s, spurred in part by the belief the battery of vaccinations routinely given to infants could lead to autism despite scientific evidence to the contrary and the debunking of one of the most publicized studies that first fueled vaccine fears years ago.
 
Pearsons' father is a pioneer of the prosperity gospel, which holds that believers are destined to flourish spiritually, physically and financially — and share the wealth with others. He has built a vast ministry with a worldwide reach. Eagle Mountain International Church is located on the grounds as the Kenneth Copeland Ministries.
 
Robert Hayes, risk manager with Kenneth Copeland Ministries, said they have held several vaccination clinics since the outbreak. He said the church has never advised against adults or children getting immunized for measles or seeking medical care.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/21-measles-cases-linked-megachurch-texas-20075546

Funny how they were all against vaccinations, and now they are hosting vaccination parties. Isnt Copeland part of the CRT? Think about it, we are all against vaccinations, but wait we need to have them now, come on down and we will shoot you right up. THAT is right out of the CRT playbook

[Psalm 51:17]

Saw this on my local news last week(as this is in my backyard). My thoughts exactly when I heard the news reports. They said someone got measles from another country brought it back, but didn't say who, and they kept it mysteriously. More fearmongering, yeah.

Also, a couple of years ago, a First Baptist Church in my area was offering free vaccinations.

[Psalm 51:17]

http://news.yahoo.com/measles-cases-put-texas-megachurch-under-scrutiny-165150724.html
Measles cases put Texas megachurch under scrutiny
8/31/13

NEWARK, Texas (AP) — The teachings of televangelist Kenneth Copeland and his family focusing on the virtues of trusting God to keep healthy are under scrutiny after a cluster of measles cases linked to his family's North Texas megachurch revealed many congregants hadn't been vaccinated against the highly contagious disease.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries has won supporters worldwide through television programs, crusades, conferences and prayer request networks. He was a pioneer of the prosperity gospel, which holds that believers are destined to flourish spiritually, physically and financially.

Although church officials were quick to act after the outbreak — including hosting clinics in August where 220 people received immunization shots — and have denied they are against medical care or vaccinations, people familiar with the ministry say there is a pervasive culture that believers should rely on God, not modern medicine, to keep them well.

"To get a vaccine would have been viewed by me and my friends and my peers as an act of fear — that you doubted God would keep you safe, you doubted God would keep you healthy. We simply didn't do it," former church member Amy Arden told The Associated Press.

Health officials say 21 people were sickened with the measles after a person who contracted the virus overseas visited the 1,500-member Eagle Mountain International Church located on the vast grounds of Kenneth Copeland Ministries in Newark, about 20 miles north of Fort Worth.

Of the 21 people who contracted measles linked to the church, 16 were unvaccinated. The others may have had at least one vaccination, but had no documentation.

Symptoms of the measles, which is spread by coughing, sneezing and close personal contact with infected people, include a fever, cough and rash. Those infected are contagious from about four days before breaking out into the rash to four days after.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children get two doses of the combined vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella, called the MMR. The first dose should be given when the child is 12 to 15 months old and the second at 4 to 6 years old.

During an August 2010 broadcast, Copeland expressed shock at the number of vaccinations recommended for his great-grandchild.

"I got to looking into that and some of it is criminal. ... You're not putting — what is it Hepatitis B — in an infant! That's crazy. That is a shot for a sexually transmitted disease. What? In a baby?" he said. "You don't take the word of the guy that's trying to give the shot about what's good and what isn't. You better go read the can or read the thing — find out what's going on there and get the information on there because I'm telling you, it's very dangerous the things that are happening around us all the time."

His wife Gloria bragged during a conference that she and her husband don't need prescription drugs, adding that the Lord heals all diseases.

Robert Hayes, risk manager for the ministries, denied that the church's teachings ever have advised against immunizations and noted the facility includes a medical clinic staffed with a physician.

Ole Anthony, president of the Dallas-based religious watchdog group Trinity Foundation, said that while there might not be specific guidance on topics such as vaccinations, the views of the leadership are clear.

"The whole atmosphere is to encourage them to have faith, and it's no faith if they go to the doctor, that's the bottom line," Anthony said.

In a sermon posted online following the outbreak, Copeland's daughter, Terri Pearsons, who is a senior pastor at Eagle Mountain along with her husband, encouraged those who hadn't been vaccinated to have it done, but added that if "you've got this covered in your household by faith and it crosses your heart of faith, then don't go do it."

In a statement denying that she opposes vaccinations, she added the concerns they had had were "primarily with very young children who have a family history of autism and with bundling too many immunizations at one time."

A fear of the MMR vaccine can be traced to a now-discredited paper published in 1998 by British researcher Andrew Wakefield and colleagues that suggested a link between autism and the combined childhood vaccine for MMR. Repeated studies since have shown no connection, the paper was eventually rejected by the journal that published it and Britain's top medical board stripped Wakefield of the right to practice medicine.

"We do know how to effectively prevent measles. We do know that and so a choice not to do that, to put a child at risk is just an unsupportable, an unconscionable choice. And in addition, you put others at risk," said Dr. Paul Offit, chief of infectious diseases at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Arden, who attended church at Eagle Mountain from 1997 to 2003 and worked at the ministries for three years, said the distrust of vaccines was so pervasive that her daughter, who as an 11-month-old was up to date on her immunizations when they joined the church, didn't get any others until they left.

"We were terrified to have any sort of fear. And anything that wasn't faith in God was fear," said Arden, 35, who now lives in New York City.

Kristy Beach, 41, said that because of the ministry's teachings, her mother, Bonnie Parker, refused to see a doctor, even as her cancer advanced rapidly. After Parker died in 2004 at age 59, Beach found her mother's diaries, which detailed the words of Kenneth and Gloria Copeland she'd heard on television in her home in Winnsboro, La.

"If she went to a doctor, it was a sin," Beach said. "You didn't believe enough if you did. She just wrote: 'God heal me. God heal me. God heal me.' "

[Kilika]

That is the real sad part of the sales pitch of the wicked. Those sick people mistakenly trust the church leaders to be knowledgeable about what God wants of His people, so they listen to them instead of reading and believing the bible for themselves, but they listen out of fear and unbelief, thus their prayers are not heard, not being born again. So when a person gets sick and dies, though the person and the people around them seem to be of great faith, then what?

While we have the mind of Christ, we don't know the mind of the Lord, that we can instruct Him. Even one of the brethren is mentioned being left behind sick. At the very least, I think we must consider this at least chastisement, even though the apostles did heal people, they obviously did not heal him for the trip. So, we see that it is still God in control among those that love Him.

For obvious recent reasons, this topic has been on my mind of late,  as I have been seeking from God more details about the experience I just went through. And recently God reminded me of Job.

17  Behold, happy [is] the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
18  For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.
19  He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
20  In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.
21  Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
22  At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
23  For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
24  And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle [shall be] in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.
25  Thou shalt know also that thy seed [shall be] great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.
26  Thou shalt come to [thy] grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.
27  Lo this, we have searched it, so it [is]; hear it, and know thou [it] for thy good.
Job 5:17-27 (KJB)

[Psalm 51:17]

17  Behold, happy [is] the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
18  For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.
19  He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
20  In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.
21  Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
22  At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
23  For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
24  And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle [shall be] in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.
25  Thou shalt know also that thy seed [shall be] great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.
26  Thou shalt come to [thy] grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.
27  Lo this, we have searched it, so it [is]; hear it, and know thou [it] for thy good.
Job 5:17-27 (KJB)

Yes, ultimately, that IS the whole point - we put our faith in Christ, he will NOT revoke his promises toward us which he has in his word. This is the big error with these church buildings - people just end up putting their faith in their "lecturer sermon" pastors.

The Apostles didn't exactly "lecture" when they preached the gospel, did they?

1The 5:27  I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.
1Th 5:28  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. The first epistle to the Thessalonians was written from Athens.

[Mark]

Copeland’s Church Responds to False Anti-Vaccination Accusations

Pastor George Pearsons of Eagle Mountain International Church, which is in partnership with Kenneth Copeland Ministries, is speaking out about false accusations that the church is against vaccinations. In a blog post called “Let’s Clear the Air," Pearsons lays out several talking points, in which he says:

◦Our church is not and has never been “anti-vaccination.”
◦We do not have an “anti-vaccination” policy.
◦In all our years of pastoring, we have never preached against vaccinations.
◦We have never advised anyone against a vaccination.

Pearsons also explains Kenneth Copeland’s position on receiving a vaccination. He reports Copeland as saying, “Pray over it with the same rules of faith and prayer that you use to pray over your food. Receive it with thanksgiving and sanctify it by the Word of God and prayer. Take advantage of what God has provided for you in Jesus’ Name.” Pearsons goes on to quote 1 Timothy 4:4-5, saying, "For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer.”

Parsons reports, “Recently, a visitor came to our church from an overseas missions trip and had contracted measles while there. After being tested, the lab notified the Tarrant County Health Department who confirmed it as measles. The Health Department met with our leadership team the next day and advised us on how to handle the situation.

“That day, without hesitation, Pastor Terri and I immediately complied with all of their recommendations. We invited the Health Department to conduct a total of five vaccination clinics at our church. Vaccinations were made available at no cost to our daycare children, KCM employees and congregation members. We have continued to work with the Health Department throughout this time and deeply appreciate their assistance and guidance. We also appreciate our on-site Kenneth Copeland Ministries Medical Clinic staffed by an MD and CMA.

“And we are thankful for the efforts of all involved, from our prayer teams, to our clinic, to the Tarrant County Health Department. Their quick action helped to avert what could have affected many more families.”

http://www.charismanews.com/us/40854-copeland-s-church-responds-to-false-anti-vaccination-accusations?utm