Televangelist Jim Bakker said, '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?'
Snopes is still fighting an 'infodemic' of rumors and misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, and you can help. Find out what we've learned and how to inoculate yourself against COVID-19 misinformation. Read the latest fact checks about the vaccines. Submit any questionable rumors and 'advice' you encounter. Become a Founding Member to help us hire more fact-checkers. And, please, follow the CDC or WHO for guidance on protecting your community from the disease. On Aug. 6, 2020, The Business Standard News published an article positing that televangelist Jim Bakker discouraged churchgoers from wearing masks as a form of protection from COVID-19 because God can't 'hear your prayers through a mask.' Bakker: Masks Are Satanic Because They Block Prayers Scamvangelist Jim Bakker claims he will refuse any government mandates that require mask usage. In a press release, Bakker also claimed masks were satanic and part of a government plot to suppress Christianity. 'How can you go to church and pray when you're wearing a mask?' said Bakker. 'Do you think God can hear your prayers through a mask?' This item was not a factual recounting of real-life events. The article originated with a website that describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature, as follows: 'The Business Standard News is a satirical site designed to parody the 24-hour news cycle. The stories are outlandish, but reality is so strange nowadays they could be true.' This quote also went viral in August 2021, largely via this now-deleted tweet: Bakker has been known for making outlandish comments before, though this is not the first time we have found incorrect attributions to him that were, in fact, satirical in nature. Business Standard News has been the source of some of those alleged quotes. In 2020, Bakker was sued by the state of Missouri for selling a fake 'treatment' for COVID-19 on his show. They settled the lawsuit, and Bakker and his church had to pay $156,000 in restitution fees. Bakker did not admit to any wrongdoing. We reached out to The Jim Bakker Show for comment on the alleged quote, and will update this post if we receive more information. For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.
nan
12344-proof-06-Copy-of-Rating-Overlay-FEATURED-IMG-25.jpeg