Covid 19

[Sexton Blake]

I have a cousin in America aged about sixty.

 

She is not stupid but she is gullible and a firm anti-vaxxer.

 

In an email today, she rolls out the anti-vax lies and in an anti-science rant she sees the government preventing large gatherings as a plot to stop people going to church.

 

Also she accuses doctors of using untested vaccines on human guinea pigs as something along the lines of what was done in Nazi death camps.

 

I don't want to upset her but what can you say to such religious people without grossly offending them?

 

[Astreja]

As much as you don't want to offend her, I think a warning shot across the bow is called for:

 

"_________, don't send me any more anti-vax propaganda or COVID-related conspiracy theory e-mails, or I will block your e-mail until the end of the pandemic."

[Sexton Blake]

That would have upset her. Years ago when she tried to indoctrinate me with religion, I gave her some basic atheism and that upset her.

 

I did point out that hospitals say that up to 100% of Covid patients in them have not been vaccinated.

 

And that as Covid is now a preventable disease so catching it and dying of it is 100% your own fault.

 

Also that the pope (she's a catholic) uses distancing and such and does not rely on God to protect him.

 

And of course that herd immunity does not work as in Spanish Flt a century ago where with a quarter of the current world's population, nine times as many people died of the disease.

 

I also gave her an American list of diseases that have been eradicated by vaccination.

 

And seat belts. People complained when first forced to wear them until it was shown that there were far fewer organ donations from car crash victims.

[midniterider]

When email was the big social media I blocked emails that contained Jesus, God, Jesus Christ, Democrat and Republican. They automatically went to the shit can. 

 

I like your meme. Send her that.

 

My son feels that covid isn't a big deal, no worse than the flu....but also (at the same time, apparently) that it was designed as a biological weapon in a Wuhan lab and that Bill Gates financed it. He doesn't see the logical contradiction with these two statements (biological weapons being a bit more harsh than the flu). 

 

He also feels Fauci and others who are concerned about covid and mask wearing were bought off by the government for some nefarious plot with an objective that he can't really articulate. 

 

I started reading up on conspiracy mindset. May post it here .

[◊ Weezer ◊]

We must have the same cousin.  Except mine is male.  Can you just igmore those emails?  Or just ignore that subject, but respond to other subjects in the email?  That's what I do with my cousin.  Or simply say I don't agree.  Arguing with him is like pouring water on a ducks back and expecting it to soak in. 

[sdelsolray]

@Sexton Blake

 

You may wish to inventory and consider any codependence with your cousin and your apparent need to "not offend her".

I see four options:

 

1)  Placate her (which merely enables her);

 

2)  Provide her with accurate information refuting each and every nonsense claim she makes (you have already tried this...but you would need to consistently continue to do so);

 

3)  Tell her she is delusional (which may cause harm despite its accuracy); or

 

4)  Ignore her (which is probably reasonably safe but not very helpful).

 

Your choice.  I am reminded of an Einstein quote:

 

Weak people revenge.

Strong people forgive.

Intelligent people ignore.

 

—Albert Einstein

[mwc]

     You can't respond without offending.  They're evangelizing to you.  Either convert or laugh in their face and shut the door.

 

          mwc

 

[alreadyGone]

Reminds me of the time about 35 years ago when I attended a small AG church for a while.

 

I had seen an article reporting a resurgence of leprosy and mentioned it in the company of one of the most fervent believers, a middle-age woman known for her frequent praying-in-tongues.

 

She declared angrily, "that disease will NOT rise, I've prayed, and I bound it in the name of Jesus!"

[midniterider]

On 1/16/2022 at 5:02 PM, sdelsolray said:

 

 

2)  Provide her with accurate information refuting each and every nonsense claim she makes (you have already tried this...but you would need to consistently continue to do so);

 

 

That's a good strategy with someone like my son who actually hears what you say. My brother, however, just blah blah blahs about this conspiracy or that and generally ignores when you point out the illogic or contradictions that he spews forth. I'm glad we dont speak that often, really. 

[sdelsolray]

12 hours ago, midniterider said:

 

That's a good strategy with someone like my son who actually hears what you say. My brother, however, just blah blah blahs about this conspiracy or that and generally ignores when you point out the illogic or contradictions that he spews forth. I'm glad we dont speak that often, really. 

 

Continued effort over time may break his dream state.