Swine Flu: 1. Jesus: 0.

[quicksand]

There is a New Testament story where Jesus' cures people possessed by demons by driving those demons out and into swine. Those pigs in turn, Jesus' sends to their death by drowning. So it is with great irony that I just can not resist rolling my eyes over this story.

 

"When worshippers clasp hands to "pass the peace" or share the communion cup and offering plates, religious leaders around the country want to be sure they don't also pass on swine flu."

Yep, that's correct. Fear over the near-pandemic status of the swine flu affected how believers took communion this past weekend in places like Miami, Austin, and Texas.

 

Church-goer Adelina Ramirez observes that "part when you go up to the priest, and he offers you the bread and the wine, which stand for everything that is Jesus Christ, it is such an important part of Mass."

 

Instead, priests are recommending that you just bow or nod at each other and calming fears that if one doesn't show up for mass, it is not a "sin." Similarly, it won't be a much of an issue if sick Muslims and Jews did not gather this past weekend. Apparently, it is okay with God if Muslims do their worship privately too.

 

Of course, these precautions are necessary, despite the whatever the apparent severity of this novel strain of the H1N1 virus is. But what I find funny is that the Power of God, infused in crackers and wine from the chanting of magic words, offers no special protection from sickness or disease from this ritualized form of cannibalism and is decidedly unhygienic and a perfect pathway for infection.

 

I guess the power of Christ is effective in stories, but in real life – fails.

 

 

 

(Reposted from my blog.)

[florduh]

I thought the believer could drink poison or handle vipers and be protected. How do people find value in a church where mere handshakes are discouraged out of fear that God WON'T protect you?

[mwc]

I thought the believer could drink poison or handle vipers and be protected. How do people find value in a church where mere handshakes are discouraged out of fear that God WON'T protect you?

Uh yeah. Poison. Check. Vipers. Check.

 

Bacteria? Virus? Eww. "God" doesn't like those icky things. Why do you think he makes the Jews get rid of leaven each year? He's not effective against molds, mildews and all that stuff.

 

mwc

[Kyle]

Hahahahahaahahaahaa. Oh what a strong faithed bunch

[R. S. Martin]

From the article at the link:

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state officials have confirmed dozens of cases of swine flu across the country, though just one death in the United States has been reported, in Houston. In most confirmed U.S. cases, the patients are recovering.

 

But with warnings that the virus is spreading, houses of worship are cutting back on activities that require close contact.

 

Couldn't be more obvious. God is telling theists they're doing it all wrong--folk gotta do their own thinking, not be so lovey-dovey hand-shaky and huggy--depending on the Pope and Pastor (a.k.a. The Church) to do their thinking.

 

Yeah, I read what someone said about death via automobile accident but that doesn't count. We can always build a better car and learn to drive more carefully. What we can't do is fight an invisible bacteria that not even the scientists can figure out. I assume that's what's so scary.

[ShackledNoMore]

I don't know if this is the thread to rant about this or not, but what's the friggin matter with people when it comes to risk assessment?

 

In the United States, annually 435,000 die from smoking, 112,000 die from obesity, 85,000 die alcohol related deaths, and 43,000 die in motor vehicle collisions. That's 1200, 300, 230, and 120 per day, to put things into perspective.

 

The last I heard, there have been around 250 total cases of Swine Flu nationwide and but one death, and there was cautious optimism that the severity of the Swine Flu may not be as bad as first expected.

 

These people were thousands of times more likely to die driving to church than to die by contracting Swine Flu at church, about which they were so paranoid.

 

Of course H1N1 is something that should be (and is) monitored by health officials and doctors (yes, many millions of people died in the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic), and people, doctors, and health officials should react appropriately if and when needed (it did seem prudent to temporarily curtail travel to hard hit areas of Mexico, for example, and obviously vaccines should be formulated, etc.), but the media frenzy, widespread hysteria among the sheeple, and the apparent need for people to live their lives in irrational fear just has me shaking my head.

[Amethyst]

Sigh...too many people get taken in by media hype. Oh well, I do have to say the common cup idea grossed me out, just because of normal, everyday germs that people carry. I wouldn't drink from one when I was at a church that did it.

[Vomit Comet]

Bill Maher: Swine Flu is EVOLUTION you religious idiots