BuddhistCatholicContemplativeEvangelicalGeneral ChristianHinduJewishLatter-day SaintMuslimNew VisionsProgressive Christian
Beliefs
- Buddhist
- Catholic
- Contemplative
- Evangelical
- General Christian
- Hindu
- Jewish
- Latter-day Saint
- More Voices
- Muslim
- New Visions
- Pagan
- Progressive Christian
Topics
- Religion News
- Food and Religion
- Sports and Religion
- Religious Art
- Religious Music and Entertainment
- Religious Events
- History and Religion
- Style and Religion
- Politics and Religion
- Women in Religion
- Recreation Outdoors and Religion
- Business Finance and Religion
- Careers Workplace and Religion
- Education and Religion
- Family Parenting and Religion
- Health Fitness and Religion
- Home and Religion
- Relationships and Religion
- Technology and Religion
- Travel and Religion
Columnists
- Buddhist Columnists
- Business Finance and Religion Columnists
- Careers Workplace and Religion Columnists
- Catholic Columnists
- Contemplative Columnists
- Education and Religion Columnists
- Evangelists Columnists
- Family Parenting and Religion Columnists
- General Christian Columnists
- Health Fitness and Religion Columnists
- Hindu Columnists
- History and Religion Columnists
- Home and Religion Columnists
- Jewish Columnists
- More Voices Columnists
- Latter Day Columnists
- Muslim Columnists
- New Visions Columnists
- Nonreligious Columnists
- Pagan Columnists
- Politics and Religion Columnists
- Progressive Columnists
- Recreation Outdoors and Religion Columnists
- Relationships and Religion Columnists
- Religion News Columnists
- Religious Art Columnists
- Religious Events Columnists
- Religious Music and Entertainment Columnists
- Sports and Religion Columnists
- Style and Religion Columnists
- Technology and Religion Columnists
- Travel and Religion Columnists
- Women in Religion Columnists
Resource Library
- 2026 Calendar
- Library of World Religions
- The 100 Most Holy Places on Earth
- Patheos Answers
- Podcasts
- Videos
- Faith Leaders Database
- Anglican Episcopalian
- Bahai
- Baptist
- Buddhism
- Christianity
- Confucianism
- Eastern Orthodoxy
- Hinduism
- Holiness and Pentecostal
- ISKCON
- Islam
- Judaism
- Lutheran
- Methodist
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- New Age
- Paganism
- Presbytarian and Reformed
- Protestantism
- Religion Behind the Scenes
- Roman Catholic
- Scientology
- Shia Islam
- Sikhism
- Sufism
- Sunni Islam
- Taoism
- Zen
- See all religions
Research Tools
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support
- Trending:
- Forgiveness
- |
- Marriage
- |
- Consciousness
- |
- Death Penalty
- |
- Election
- |
- Halloween
The Freethinker
- Home
- Nonreligious
- Gay news outlet offers thoughts & prayers for ‘anti-mask’ pastor
Gay news outlet offers thoughts & prayers for ‘anti-mask’ pastor
Last updated on: September 18, 2020 at 10:16 pm by Barry Duke
Gay news outlet offers thoughts & prayers for ‘anti-mask’ pastor 2020-09-18T22:16:02+02:00 Barry Duke
Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.
PAUL Van Noy, senior pastor at Candlelight Christian Fellowship in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, is not a well man.

Image via Facebook
In fact, the COVID-19 conspiracy theorist – pictured above with his wife Brenda – is so ill after contracting coronavirus that LGBT+ news outlet Queerty felt a twinge of sympathy for for him – even though he is certainly is no friend of The Gays.
Queerty‘s Graham Gremore today wrote:
We pray Van Noy makes a full recovery from COVID-19. And, once he does, we pray that he makes a full recovery from his homophobia, as well.
Gremore points out that Van Noy’s church:
Opposes same-sex marriage and masturbation and compares homosexuality to bestiality, stopping just short of saying anyone who engages in such behaviors should be put to death.
According to this report, when coronavirus cases began increasing in Coeur d’Alene in late July, Van Noy prayed with his congregation that the city council would not pass a mask mandate.
I don’t want to be told I have to wear a mask. We’re adults and we don’t need the government to tell us what to do.
In August, Van Noys used Facebook to say, among other things:
If you are still living in fear, Don’t be. The media, global organizations, the government, and its agencies ‘mislead’ the public.
People called those of us who knew this, all along, conspiracy theorists, but it turns out we were just following the facts!
Open up your businesses, churches, and homes. Don’t fall for the lies any longer. If you fell for the lies this time, wake up and join the army of truth-seekers fighting on the front lines.
One of his deranged supporters – a goggle-eyed ninnyhammer called Robert Housholder chimed in with:
This whole worldwide masking and distancing ECT is in reality a satanic occult-corona-Initiation-ritual to bring in a New World Order ….
A little over a month later, he and his wife contracted the virus and he has landed in the hospital’s intensive care unit struggling to breathe, he said in a statement this week.
Brenda Van Noy said on Facebook on September 4, shortly after her husband was admitted to the ICU:
I haven’t taken this covid seriously enough.
“No-masker” Van Noy defied an order requiring adults to wear face coverings in public places where six feet of distance cannot be easily maintained. He assured his congregation that they did not have to wear masks in his church.
We at Candlelight are exercising our freedom, and the right to allow you as members, to come into the facilities without the obligation to observe the Panhandle Health District ‘order.’
In his sermons and Facebook posts, Van Noy argued that while the coronavirus pandemic was not a hoax, hospitalisation and case numbers were being inflated by unnamed people with “agendas.”
Weeks later, Van Noy fell ill and his health deteriorated with what his wife called a “covid storm in Paul’s lungs.”
By September 3, the pastor was in the intensive care unit receiving oxygen while he battled to breathe.
His wife said:
I’m humbled. I have COVID and some of my friends have COVID now but more seriously my husband is in critical care in ICU with Covid and it is serious.
Various reports now say Van Noys is on a slow road to recovery.
Hat tip: Robert Stovold
• Please report any typos/errors to [email protected]
If you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee – and boy, do I get through a LOT of coffee keeping this site active – please click the link below.
Candlelight Christian Fellowship
Previous Post

September 18, 2020
'Jackass' priest blamed after a second botched baptism is exposed
Next Post

September 19, 2020 Justice Ginsburg is dead. 'We hope she repented' says Catholic bigot.
Browse Our Archives
Select a Category Archive My Atheism News Opinion Reviews Uncategorized
Select a Month December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 March 2007 April 2006 February 2006
Follow Us!
TAKE THE
Religious Wisdom Quiz
What sign did God give Noah as a promise not to flood the earth again?
Select your answer to see how you score.
Dove Thunder Rainbow Olive branch
Books by This Author Books by The Freethinker
Related posts from The Freethinker
Gothic novelist Anne Rice, who quit being a...
Survey shows that US atheists are overwhelmingly pro-vax
Plumber gets $20,000 for finding money stashed in...
Virginia library's festive holiday display sparks a devil...
TRENDING AT PATHEOS Nonreligious
Dethroning Jesus and Enthroning Yourself
Jesus Never Asked to Be Worshipped. He Asked to Be Understood. Christianity...
Why Most Christians are Really Paulians and Jobians
I Don't Care, But It Matters Let's get this out of the...
Essential Tips to Successfully Navigate the Selling Process
Selling a house can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be....
To Make Remote Work Effective, Think About Others
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many companies to rapidly transition to remote work....
Flexibility Is Key to Solving Problems of Tomorrow
The world of work is undergoing a dramatic transformation. The COVID-19 pandemic...
view all Nonreligious blogs
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support
- About Us
- 2026 Calendar
- Videos
- Podcasts
- Library of World Religions
- Faith In Media Tracker
- Advertise With Us
- Write for Us
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Do Not Sell My Data
- Contact Us
- Radiant Digital
- Manage Newsletter Subscriptions
- Unsubscribe From Notifications
- Sitemap
Copyright 2008-2026, Patheos. All rights reserved.
Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In









