Oath Keepers Chaplain Quits Over Leader's COVID Response
Chuck Baldwin, who has served as the national chaplain of the antigovernment Oath Keepers聽since 2013, announced his resignation early Tuesday morning on Facebook.
Baldwin is an antigovernment Christian 聽pastor whose tenure in the Patriot world predates his involvement with Oath Keepers. Baldwin gained national notoriety in 2010 when he moved his congregation from Florida to the Flathead Valley in Montana as part of his belief in a coming biblical conflict.
In April 2014 Baldwin delivered a 聽to a gathering of antigovernment patriots and militiamen who joined Cliven Bundy and his family in an armed standoff聽against Bureau of Land Management agents.
In a 聽addressed to Stewart Rhodes, founder and president of Oath Keepers,聽Baldwin cited Rhodes鈥� 鈥渙pen letter to State governors regarding the Coronavirus鈥� as the impetus behind his departure.
The letter in question, posted to the Oath Keepers鈥� website on March 11 and signed by Stewart Rhodes, encourages governors to 鈥渂e proactive, rather than reactive,鈥� and to implement a number of policies 鈥渢o assist during this health emergency.鈥� Rhodes founded Oath Keepers in 2009.
These recommendations include declaring 鈥減andemic health emergenc[ies],鈥� canceling public gatherings and church services, mobilizing national guard units and distributing essential equipment and supplies to local hospitals.
Baldwin wrote 鈥渘ot out of pleasure but of conviction鈥� to explain his departure on April 3 and to disparage Rhodes鈥� recommendations as 鈥渁n egregious violation of our Constitution and Bill of Rights.鈥�
鈥淏y resorting to gross fearmongering and hyperbole, you have joined the mainstream media and Big Government medical hacks in attacking virtually every constitutionally protected liberty upon which our country was founded,鈥� Baldwin continued.
His letter closed by musing on whether 鈥渢he feds鈥� had compromised Rhodes, whether Rhodes had 鈥渁lways been controlled opposition鈥� or if Rhodes鈥� commitment to the 鈥渢otalitarian nature of the 鈥榮olutions鈥欌�� in the open letter were sincere.
Rhodes鈥� recommendations stand in contrast with the beliefs of many in the Patriot community who have derided calls for social distancing and public closures saying they are overreactions at best 鈥� and at worst part of a shadowy plot to deprive Americans of their civil rights.
The divisiveness of the issue among the Patriot community can be seen on the Oath Keepers鈥� website, Twitter and Facebook platforms, which are littered with an array of articles dispensing advice on 聽and accusing social media companies and government officials of trying to 聽against stay-at-home orders.
A brief survey of the articles on Oath Keepers鈥� website indicates that Rhodes鈥� opinion might represent a minority among the nation鈥檚 largest organized antigovernment group.
The most recent articles posted include such titles as 鈥淪heriff: I Won鈥檛 Assist in Destruction of Businesses or People鈥檚 Constitutional Rights,鈥� 鈥淢ark Zuckerberg: Lockdown Protests Are 鈥楳isinformation,鈥� Facebook Will Ban Organizers鈥� and 鈥溾�樷�櫬燣ifts the Mask on the Mainstream Media and Hollywood.鈥�
Nevertheless, Rhodes is not without his defenders among the Oath Keepers鈥� ranks. The group鈥檚 Texas state chaplain, 鈥淐happy,鈥� on the group鈥檚 main Facebook page expressing his disappointment with Baldwin:
Did anyone actually read the Letter to the Governors? The wording was carefully reviewed by a team of Oath Keepers, Nowhere in that letter, is anything Unconstitutional.
鈥淐happy鈥� concludes by blaming Baldwin鈥檚 letter on the former national chaplain鈥檚 鈥渟trong dislike of President Trump,鈥� whom Rhodes and Oath Keepers strongly support.
Photo illustration by 人兽性交
