I'm from a very small town in southeast Arkansas, wait let me finish, and in the past week a very controversial issue occurred. A local pastor thought it would be a great idea to go to Africa to preach to the victims of the Ebola outbreak. Of course, the two sides are, go do gods work as he commanded and no, you are risking contaminating our town. As you may have guessed, people taken to social media for the debate. I engaged into the conversation sharing my view that it was not a good idea and a religious agenda is no excuse for potentially spreading a deadly virus. Then it happened, a woman told me I should read the bible so I would know it said, "If God is with you no plague can harm you." Not sure if that's the exact verse. So my question is, Is this mentality a threat? The way I see it, what happens if someone with the same belief is in a place of power? What do we do when the CDC tells us to go get baptized instead of taking measures based on reality? Also, what can we do when 80% of a small town is encouraging a citizen to possibly bring home a lethal virus on the premise that , "God wanted him to."
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Hi Chris. Welcome.
This preacher is absolutely risking you and others if he goes there, has contact with known victims of Ebola, and then goes elsewhere. If any one got because of it, he would absolutely be culpable for it and, IMO, negligent.
If he goes, there's a good chance he won't be allowed to come back.
hmm an interesting point (if he goes he might not be allowed to return).... perhaps you should lobby for him to go :)
Damn, beat me to it^^^
Yea, support the idea for him to go on the condition that he leaves for good.
The bible says that you must leave everyone behind and follow after Jesus.
It seems reasonable to ask him, to never return again if he is really doing it for god.
Chistians will object to this because they are hypocrites of-course but just quote that verse, and it should shut them up :P
"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."
http://biblehub.com/luke/14-26.htm
"So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsakes not all that he has, he cannot be my disciple."
http://biblehub.com/luke/14-33.htm
Government cannot be controlled by one man. Congress and half of the office of the CDC would have to be under the belief that religion protects from disease.
Ebola is not a great threat to first world countries because we have a greater access to medication and care. Ebola is also not airborne. Spread through bodily fluids, the pastor may spread it to everyone in the church through holy water but after that it would not spread very fast.
But, its still can spread and him going increases that probability, correct? I understand about the chain of command, this example was just for an idea of where I'm coming from not a literal scenario. I think ya'll get the picture.
But, its still can spread and him going increases that probability, correct? I understand about the chain of command, this example was just for an idea of where I'm coming from not a literal scenario. I think ya'll get the picture.
All kidding aside, yeah, seriously, preaching to those dying from Ebola is not only insensitive but dumb and risks further spreading of the disease.
If this guy is dumb enough to do so I hope he can make a documentary preferably one that is to be broadcast live about it. As I think it would be a great display of how indecent and insensitive religious people can we in the face to real suffering and death. Honestly, all that said, I hope he does not go.
Has anybody considered this could be part of a scam he is running? Think about it, I want to go to Africa to spread the "good word" but I need money to finance the work I plan to do there. After gathering a boatload of money, would it not be easy to Africa and never be heard from again? Would people not just assume he died in some African Jungle for the cause?
The last thing doctors and other medical personnel need there is one more person not helping them do what needs to be done while running around spreading the word of God or whatever BS he is spouting.
You have to understand, Christianity makes stupid people and the few smart people tend to abuse them.
Top 5 Religious Scams which were caught:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dfor8BqFFk
The only reason that such obvious scams work is because they truly know that they can make money off the stupid.
Yea, your point is valid Chris, a more greater threat is when something major happens and the guy holding his finger on the nukes is a christian who things that the next world is better then this one.
That is what worries me most as of late.
Faith is not a reliable method of finding truth and this is another example of that.
Chris T., I just wanted to chime in to say I like the title to you post by the way.
That bible verse is not effective. Believers still with plaques accident of even killed through cruelty even if they think God is with them. We have to accept the fact that religion and faith can give us an invisible armor from harm but we can give ourselves a favor by staying in safe zone and take good care of our health.
This is not only irresponsible but expected. I used to live in the south where the religious in our ex church were not only ready but willing to help bring about the end times in their own lives, as a matter of fact they would pray for the end every Wednesday and Sunday before services. I think maybe this guy has a death wish and does not care about those he professes to love. As a matter of fact it may be seen by him the act of spreading this disease would possibly be an act of love in the religious mindset, which is very sick if you ask me. I am not surprised at his wants though. And if he feels god is leading him there then let him go but only on a one way ticket. He should be told by his followers hat he can go but he'll have to stay.
I'm not sure about him, but there were a few people in some other threads saying things like,"If he brings the virus back with him, it would have been Gods will." I shit you not.
' We have to accept the fact that religion and faith can give us an invisible armor from harm but we can give ourselves a favor by staying in safe zone and take good care of our health."-
Are telling me that faith gives you shields like those of the starship Enterprise, mysticrose?