Moral conflict can be as uncomfortable as physical hardship, perhaps worse. I have a huge moral dilemma with what is happening in the world today as a result of the panic over the coronavirus pandemic.
My concern is that the desperate attempt to reduce the number of coronavirus infections and deaths ignores fundamental laws of nature and economics. Of all the industrialised countries, only Sweden seems to have got the balance right.
Our church recently held its first “virtual” service using Zoom. I did not feel I could attend. A member of the church asked me why.
My Moral Conflict With Online Services Now
This was my reply. I make no apology if my view offends you and I will understand if you feel you can no longer follow this blog or wish to unsubscribe from my updates. It is my view from my perspective and from my life spent until recently in a much harsher world where the realities of life and the inevitability of death were more readily accepted.
As you know I lost virtually everything in Zimbabwe because of the actions of the authoritarian government deciding that the rule of law did not apply to its desire to persecute one section of the community. As you also know from many discussions, I am politically conservative and have a huge distrust of big government.
I won’t flood you with links to unbiased reports, but there is enough scientifically substantiated data from Europe – including Italy – to show that the true mortality rate of the coronavirus is lower than that of the flu epidemic of 2017. That data also shows that the number of deaths from all causes in most European countries in March 2020 was lower than the long term average.
It seems it will not be significantly higher – if at all in April. There is proof that doctors have been pressured to attribute deaths to the virus when the patient has tested positive but clearly died from a pre-existing condition. Pennsylvania has just reduced its supposed deaths from corona count by 200 after pressure from coroners. The mainstream media, however, is happy to present a worst-case scenario to justify the effective house arrest of billions of people.
Quarantining healthy people makes no sense and is not that effective given the casualties we are experiencing in senior residences. We should be using all available resources to protect the vulnerable and let everyone else get on with their lives.
Apart from very few “hot spots”, hospitals in Europe and North America are not full, many are at 50% capacity with doctors and nurses laid off or working shorter hours. There is no overwhelm.
Sweden alone has not imposed a lockdown and is experiencing fewer deaths per million inhabitants than most other European countries.
There is much, much more to show that this lockdown is not only unnecessary but will create a bigger economic meltdown than the great depression, subject millions to a shortened life of hunger, misery and poverty and is already causing a spike in suicides, mental problems, child and spousal abuse. It is preventing people needing urgent medical intervention from getting the treatment that they need. Added on 1 May – as of today the deaths of 36 patients requiring surgery for heart attack complications and 1 for dialysis surgery all non-corona related but unable to be treated due to the shutdown.
A report today shows that by destroying the export market for African flowers and horticulture, the Zimbabwe (and other ) governments are likely to collapse and on the African continent, an additional 130 million people have been pushed to the brink of starvation.
I haven’t even mentioned the erosion of our constitutional rights to earn a living, travel, and worship. Instead, we are being rewarded for snitching on our neighbours – exactly how Hitler started the Nazi’s persecution of the Jews in 1938 Germany. The threats of electronic data surveillance, mandatory vaccination with an untested vaccine and a cashless society are yet more tools with which to control our lives and destroy our freedom.
What has that got to do with my opposition to online services? For the first time in my living memory and I am convinced in the last 2000 years, the Church (As far as I can see – all denominations) has sided with the government to oppress whole populations.
You and I have argued the merits of the Church speaking out on some issues. Whilst I might disagree with the validity of some of the causes, I have to acknowledge that the Church is always the first to stand up for any group it feels is being unfairly treated. Indigenous people, refugees, the homeless etc.
As long as they were still standing, churches stayed open throughout the London blitz in WWII, the terrorist war in Rhodesia, the Rwandan genocide and many other difficult situations. Even in the first few centuries of Christianity during terrible persecution, worshippers still got together.
I would not expect any vicar, pastor, lay reader or member of a congregation to be present at a service if he or she felt his or her health in danger. However, I believe it is disgraceful that churches across the nation have been ordered to close with absolutely no opposition from Church organizations. My view is that our diocese closed up and abandoned the flock with indecent haste.
I believe that in times of crisis churches should be open at least during normal service times so that those members or anyone in need can find some spiritual comfort even if an ordained minister was not always present. I would happily volunteer to be a presence at our church during service times.
So my friend, I feel by attending an online service, I would be condoning the authoritarian actions of the government to prevent me from practicing my religion and accepting the complicity of the Anglican church in aiding and abetting that. It would for me be similar to those Germans who stood by when Jewish shops were smashed during Crystalnicht.
Finally, I am not as learned about Christian matters as you, but I am convinced that if Jesus was here today, He and the disciples would not submit to stay at home orders or “social distancing”, they would be out ministering to people and defying an unjust regime.
I am not being callous, I do have great concerns for older people like your mother and others we know. I think the shut down of senior’s residences may be a good precaution, but not businesses and schools.
That’s just me standing up for my values. I have no problem if others feel an online service is better than no service.
End of email.
I don’t normally write about political stuff on this blog. However, I see my moral conflict as one that will concern more people as the shutdown drags on and as the loss of incomes, rising inflation and increasing food scarcity create hardship for huge numbers of people. I also accept that sometimes sacrifices must be made in the national interest.
The threats of electronic surveillance, physical tracking and compulsory vaccination with untested vaccines transitions the overreaction to the panic into a philosophical discussion more than a political one. As a conservative, I am disappointed that the opposition Conservative party in Canada and conservative governments elsewhere areas complicit in this as all shades of the political spectrum.
As I write on May 1 2020, an online survey – while recognizing the unreliability of self-selected surveys – indicates my view that the shutdown is wrong is only shared by around 15% of the Canadian Population. I would guess a larger percentage of Americans would be against the shutdown. From personal observation and despite their portrayal as being “right-wing agitators” by the mainstream media, it seems an increasing number of people are beginning to wrestle with their own moral conflict over the shutdown by holding protests.
Fear and panic are wonderful tools of control. The media has managed an incredibly effective campaign to persuade people to give up their freedom and rights. It has been more successful than any propaganda campaign in history. I fear the consequences will be more disastrous for humanity than the worst excesses of Caligula, Hitler, Pol Pot, and Idi Amin combined.
Time will tell whether the drastic shutdown strategy was worth the pain and suffering that it has already caused and will continue to cause in the years ahead.
I sincerely hope that I am wrong about my fears for the future, at my age I won’t be around too long. It’s my children’s and grandchildrens’ future that I worry about.
I am not afraid to speak out about my moral conflict, my conscience is clear.
Is yours?
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