General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThere is a sincerely held belief by some religious folks that this virus is from god and meant to
push people away from secularism and back to god.
We see pastors (and hopefully attendees) arrested for ignoring conditions and spreading the virus at church services, BUT this very act on their part could very well be seen as their ultimate religious freedom right!
I am an atheist but I have a very close relative who is EXTREMELY religious, Christian, and is NOT a part of any organized religion and has very strong feelings on that.
I asked him and he told me that while I would not like the answer, YES this is god getting people to turn away from secularism.
Now I dont want them congregating, you dont want them congregating, and in the case of many (not all) pastors like Falwell, it is ONLY about their pocketbooks, of course. But there are some who are sincere and do this for religious, not greed reasons.
I still say arrest them if they do it, but then where do we put them?
Just thought I would open this up for discussion.
BTW when he said that this was god pushing people back to him I said it sure seemed like a hellish way to do it, all the suffering of people including what will be his own family members, but he simply said it is not up to him to judge and if god wants to do it this way, so be it...
Blues Heron
(5,898 posts)And not cough, amen
Moostache
(9,895 posts)Eliot Rosewater
(31,097 posts)tanyev
(42,360 posts)Secularists who stay home will probably be OK.
Moostache
(9,895 posts)But reality is they will get sick, they will infect others, especially others of the "non-bat guano huffing" variety, and people may die who do not have to die because of them.
Religious beliefs are total bullshit.
Utter, and complete bullshit.
Having imaginary conversations in your head with your invisible friend Jesus is harmless UNTIL you project it outward...and THEN, you're gonna have to answer for it.
The most "devout" believers are full of shit more than the garden variety 'go-along-to-get-along' style followers. This was ALWAYS true, but recently the GOP and Trumpers have made it blatantly clear - they do not care about their 'religion' (Jesus' message and words have LONG left their examples and they do not care about that one bit), they do not care about their 'beliefs' (sanctity of marriage, 'harm' to marriage done by homosexuals - especially when their king can be thrice married, thrice baby-daddy, they do not care about the bible (especially these tricky to name books like Two Corinthians)...
In short, someone telling me they believe is worthless....someone SHOWING me they believe and are internally consistent in those actions...now they can get an honest hearing from me...but THAT unicorn is not easy to find...
rusty fender
(3,428 posts)Cattledog
(5,897 posts)Eliot Rosewater
(31,097 posts)WyattKansas
(1,648 posts)All these years and completely failing at protecting others from this virus.
They can lie to themselves all they want, but they know they cannot lie to God.
Keep repeating it to them and torment the hell out of them with it.
Maybe then they will have a real come to Jesus moment and see the light.
Eliot Rosewater
(31,097 posts)I do have respect for people who are at least consistent with their beliefs.
So I am trying to find consistency with them but it is hard; ADAMANTLY against abortion but OK with people dying from the virus...sigh, I guess I will have to keep looking, wont I!
Was truly hoping some of the DU Christians would chime in.
old guy
(3,281 posts)Last edited Mon Mar 30, 2020, 05:20 PM - Edit history (1)
Chainfire
(17,308 posts)Many people are quite willing to sacrifice logic for promise of immortality. I believe that many professed Christians are people who are merely hedging their bets. I also believe that many high profile preachers are con men who don't believe any more than I do. For if you really believed in the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth, and the God of Abraham, and pulled some of the tricks they do, they would know that they would be Hell bound.
I went to a lecture by Dr. Carl Sagan some many years ago. There was a question and answer period after the talk and a member of the audience stood and smugly asked Dr. Sagan if he believed in God. Sagan replied, "which god?" which left the questioner tongue tied.
I do know many people that I know sincerely believe and I bear them no malice. I sometimes feel a bit sorry for them. What they do, and what they think is none of my business as long as it does not interfere with my life. I don't care what people do, think, or believe as long as they leave me alone. I guess it is the old hippie coming out.
HAB911
(8,811 posts)SCantiGOP
(13,856 posts)that the plague was sent to punish the right-wing leaders in ascendancy around the world (our petty dictator just being the most powerful example) and how the evangelicals have abandoned all true teachings from the New Testament (feed the hungry, treat the sick, welcome the immigrant, give your riches to help the poor, etc.) in favor of building ever bigger temples and amassing unimaginable wealth.
If I were put in charge of a traditional version of heaven I would have a tough time deciding whom to smite first, but it surely wouldn't be a lot of unlucky, random people who just happened to breathe or touch something at the wrong time or place.
I might, however, see how long it took some investigative reporter to figure out that each of the TV preachers who died instantly of a massive aneurysm while preforming their show had just made their plea for more donations from the flock. Or, I might smite the shit out of every public leader who sincerely asks, "Can we now bow our heads in prayer?"
The Magistrate
(95,237 posts)Since they certain they are saved and Heaven-bound, how could that possibly be?
No, it must be somebody else, something else, God is punishing.
Something whose punishment would vindicate them, not something that woudl condemn them.
"Christianity has not been tried and found wanting. Christianity has been found difficult and not seriously tried."
Maeve
(42,224 posts)One of my favorite writers
The Magistrate
(95,237 posts)I go only so far with the man, but he got off some apt and wicked lines. Another favorite I employ at times is "The poor object to being misgoverned. The rich object to being governed at all."
First encountered him through 'Father Brown' in my youth. Still dip into those on occasion. Hate the teevee show, I have seldom seen a worse botch of an old classic....
stopbush
(24,378 posts)The religious need to grow the fuck up.
MoonRiver
(36,926 posts)sanatanadharma
(3,639 posts)Somehow I doubt that the religionists in the USA will turn away from the secular pursuits of hoarding money, wealth, racism, stupidity; nor turn away from sports, stock market, mammon, etc.
Why bother, just to become a decent human being without prejudice and ignorance?
mainer
(12,013 posts)Once they see that religious folks who insist on meeting in crowds are dying in large numbers, it will make them re-think what their pastors told them.
Girard442
(6,059 posts)La-de-dah.
flibbitygiblets
(7,220 posts)I only say unfortunately because there will be a lot of collateral damage.
spanone
(135,636 posts)coti
(4,612 posts)Though your friend might not like that reply, you should tell them that.
tavernier
(12,322 posts)They even have museums and universities. And I think even a theme park.
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)Its sad and most important, dangerous.
G_j
(40,366 posts)never ends
malaise
(267,823 posts)They need to ask themselves why their gawd would make this happen during the Chosen One's tenure and why all the snake oil salesmen and women have failed to perform their so called healing miracles. They can't even collect their tithes.
As I am replying I see the Salvation Army begging on my TV. They will not get one penny from this home.
The empressof all
(29,098 posts)I don't really care if they gather together at this point. I would however require them to watch a video of people intubated and dying and then have them sign a waiver that would sign away their right to seek medical treatment if they get ill.
I'm sick of the stupidity.
PJMcK
(21,921 posts)The god of the Bible is a mass murderer with a fragile ego and a demanding, narcissistic personality.
Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
Walleye
(30,723 posts)If I do find myself in the afterlife, Ill walk up to god, look him straight in the eye, and tell him I was wrong. I forget who said that.
hunter
(38,264 posts)... they'll say, "Yeah, I can see why you did that," or they will lose their shit and kill or try to kill you.
Them that kill or try to kill you are the false gods.
tulipsandroses
(5,094 posts)God's punishment to religious folks for turning away from what Jesus taught? Take care of the sick, the poor, the stranger. This virus has laid bare many of the faults of society.Lack of access to healthcare, people that already live in poverty and have now lost their jobs, children that were only getting meals at school and now could go hungry with schools being closed. Supporting an immoral racist man instead of standing up for the vulnerable people he seeks to punish. Now, he would allow the most vulnerable to die to boost the economy to save his presidency.
Religion has not stepped up to fight these ills. They have been too pre-occupied with abortion and LGBTQ folks. Maybe this is God's punishment for them not taking action to take care of the most vulnerable as Jesus did.
By the way, I'm not religious, its just an interesting phenomena to me that they never think that they are the ones being punished.
Their continued gathering, speaks volumes of their selfishness. Again, not quite Christ like. Social distancing is not just about you.
As far as locking them up. I disagree with that notion. I do think we should start assessing fines. First a warning. If you violate again, stiff fines.
scarytomcat
(1,706 posts)we want with no facts
Midnight Writer
(21,548 posts)Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)in the late Forties,when our nation was enduring one type of Viral Infection are another. There were Tent Preachers running their sorry ass mouths off about how they could prevent the spread of Polio,Mumps or Whooping Cough if you gave them a few bucks for him laying his hands on you.
Funny thing,it did not work then and it will not work now.
Sunriser13
(612 posts)...there were the traveling "medicine men" who were around forever - selling their "cure-all" elixirs, guaranteed to cure anything that ails ya'.
They didn't cure a damn thing, but they sure did put a pep in the step of a whole lot of church ladies...
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)doc03
(35,148 posts)the COVID-19 to rid the earth of the Trump Virus? Just sayen if we had a Democrat in the Whitehouse
you know Pat Roberson, Jim Baker and other charlatans would be saying that.
customerserviceguy
(25,183 posts)that religion has been around, life has pretty much sucked for ordinary folks. Religion has had that long to come up with twisted explanations for why an omnipotent, all-seeing invisible skyfather can let shit happen.
KentuckyWoman
(6,666 posts)Would put people through flood, plagues, famine etc thinking it will make them love him more.
That is some seriously twisted abusive crap.
Mariana
(14,849 posts)it's a pretty stupid way to to it. First, God is killing mostly older people with it, who already tend to be less secular than young people. And then God is having it spread in churches. It won't take many more stories about infected congregations and dead choir members and such, before lots of people start to associate churches with disease, and act accordingly.