A pastor is using deception to mislead people concerning Covid-19 vaccination. Media colleagues have reacted with sympathy and reasonable argument concerning his views, yet bothered at the obvious arrogance and hypocrisy displayed by the controversial pastor.
Barry Smith Taukolo, a Nuku’alofa pastor and TV evangelist, is adamant that the vaccination being injected to people in Tonga for protection from the Covid-19 pandemic is not only Satanic but is part of the international conspiracy for the “Antichrist” to control people.
The ingredients of the vaccines according to this extremist Pentecostal pastor is made up of horrific things that would alter the DNA of humans. Barry claims the ingredients of the vaccines include parts of cells from aborted baby fetuses.
The information he so uncritically believes and feeds to others is sourced from overseas, so-called scientific but also fanatically religious people, that he feels it is his religious duty to warn people against the vaccinations for Covid-19 protection.
Freedom of speech is not an issue here. What is a bother to an increasing number of people is the harassment he imposes on those who chooses to be vaccinated. Barry Taukolo is not only satisfied with his freedom not to be vaccinated but opposes the freedom of those who want to be vaccinated.
Condemnation of those who chooses to be vaccinated
In a call for prayer for a journalist who was at Vaiola Hospital, Barry’s immediate reaction was: “What happened? Did he took [take] the vax? No yes just asking?” But even after explaining that the journalist was in hospital because he has had a heart condition since his youth, and that his father had died from that condition, the anti-vaccine crusader did not apologize for his mistake in assuming vaccination was a cause.
Instead he rambled on about the vaccines and brought condemnation to those who have been vaccinated, including the patient at Vaiola hospital. No sympathies given; no prayers offered, just inhuman and misguided condemnation of those vaccinated.
“My conscience tells me that this vaccine has killed people and will continue to kill people. And as a media person, I cannot advocate premeditated murder,” Barry said.
In other words, the whole vaccination process carried out in Tonga, and other parts of the world is “premeditated murder.” The basis of this claim is a belief based on his “conscience”, a lie that is believed and proclaimed as truth.
Barry Taukolo is a leading voice in Tonga of those who mislead people to believe that the vaccines contain elements that are not only poisonous but would alter the DNA of people so they could easily be controlled by an imaginary one world government.
There are no evidences offered other than a “belief system”, and Barry himself denies the validity of any other source of information.
Barry and the few that follow his deceptions believe that more people die not from the coronavirus pandemic but from the vaccines. These are beliefs that are not based on facts, scientific or not, neither are they based on Biblical truth.
In the exchange in the media forum referred to earlier, Journalist and Media owner Katalina Tohi said: “No one has died from vaccination in Tonga. Whether you vaccinate or not is your choice… but your point is well noted, that no one knows more than you… you are saying you know best… more than anyone else.”
As pronounced often in Tonga, people have the freedom of choice as to what they believe, but to harass those with different views is a dangerous line to cross.
Barry said: “My conscience tells me that this vaccine has killed people and will continue to kill people. And as a media person, I cannot advocate premeditated murder.”
“Premeditated murder” is a very serious accusation the pastor has launched against the Ministry of Health in Tonga as well as the Government of Tonga whose responsible leadership is to help in the combat against COVID-19 by vaccination.
It is also a serious condemnation of all those who have been vaccinated, and that includes His Majesty King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u. Most, if not all the leaders in this country have been vaccinated. Are they all under the condemnation of “premeditated murder” as spelled out by Barry Taukolo?
Barry has also pronounced that, “those vaccinated will die within 2 years!” A time frame for disaster has been spelled out. He claims to have gotten this “information” from a reliable source.
The real proof of-course of the credibility of any prophet is simply whether his prediction would come to pass or not. No one has died yet from the vaccination in Tonga. Millions have died around the world from the virus; those who may have died from side-effect of the vaccination are estimated at one in a million.
The ages have had their share of false prophets, even those recently before the American Election who prophesied that “God told them Trump will win the election.”
Some have stepped up and apologized, but others have just gone on as if nothing really happened. One thing common among false prophets who do no admit their false prophesies: they do not have the humility to admit their mistake.
If this so-called prophesy by Barry and his inner circle of supporters are true, then we are looking at close to 30,000 people in Tonga that will die. That’s 30% of the Tongan population, dying within 2 years, not from Covid-19 but from the vaccination.
Barry Taukolo was once a political aspirant for Parliament. He said at the time he was running that God told him to be a candidate. The intimation was that he would be successful in running for Tongatapu 1 because “God told me to do so.”
There is also a strong element that comes through in Barry’s arguments, that he is not supportive of works by doctors and modern medicine that might not be in line with his beliefs of divine healing.
At the media forum, Journalist Ilex Tora replied to Barry: “God has given us doctors and medicine so we can use them and get well from sickness. So, Bro Barry, if you believe otherwise then bless your soul, but do not spread lies and try to cover that with Biblical half truths… if you do not believe… but stop polluting our minds.”
Tora reiterates that believing in the healing and protective power of the Living God does not negate the fact that doctors and medicine are also used by God to heal.
In a time when differing views about important things happen in this close-nit society, it becomes more important than ever that whatever we believe in is based on truth rather than on misguided, even deceptive theories. Truth matters. Facts matter. Truth is not determined by what we believe; what we believe should always be determined by truth.