We saw a piece lauding herd immunity. It made us think and discuss.
Herd immunity presupposes that if the entire herd is exposed to a deadly disease, eventually when enough are infected, the herd becomes stronger and resistant to the infection as antibodies are developed and immunity has grown.
That is very much the “survival of the fittest” notion espoused by Darwinians, clothed in a much more palatable and saleable package. The romantic concept and picturesque images of gentle cows with frisky calves in the “herd immunity” idea is based upon a community concept that is much easier to sell than the saying that we are willing just to let the weights on society—our elderly, our infirm, those with cancer and other forms of illnesses that compromise immunity—die so that the rest of us get stronger and, more importantly for a socialist viewpoint, we don’t have to take care of them anymore.
The “herd immunity” approach to the COVID-19 pandemic and any other illness or epidemic is costly to that very vulnerable population and to all of our souls. Consider,
Moreover, the Sweden example demonstrates that a targeted herd immunity strategy doesn’t do much to protect at-risk populations either. Deaths among the elderly in Sweden have been painfully high. In a more densely populated country like the United States, and with a larger proportion of vulnerable people, the human toll of a herd immunity strategy could be devastating. (from an internet article)
Driven from a purely economic or capitalist “freedom” perspective, there is no doubt that keeping business open, not closing down the community or limiting group sizes or congregation fuels the notion that “herd immunity” development is the better plan. So, we hear the cries that government officials have overstepped their bounds and, “You can’t infringe my liberties like that!” But is that really the heart of America?
Ruminate on this: even if you consider yourself a diehard Darwinian evolutionist, Americans have developed a deep-seated moral (now, where does morality come from Mr. Darwin) respect for the damaged of this world. We care for them, not discard them. Consider the well-known lines on the Statue of Liberty:
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
The fact is, we do as an American society (and, by the way, it’s not just America, look at many countries of this world beyond Sweden) care for the weak among us. We do not adopt policies to let them die. And, please mark this, we are not saying Swedes don’t care. This policy they’ve adopted simply misses the point. Give them the benefit of the doubt even if they’ve erred.
The expression of Dr. Rob Davidson (and this is not a general endorsement of everything Dr. Davidson might say, just an isolated statement that rings the bell) puts this in a nutshell,
The truth is:
If you decide to go to beaches in CA in groups, not wear masks in stores in MI, or just plain do whatever the hell you want to do anywhere else, you’re not fighting for your liberties, you just don’t give a damn about anyone but yourself. Just be honest.
We do care. And, as Christians we care more because of the great loss eternally for those who die without knowing the love that is in Christ Jesus. So, whether your neighbor is a Christian, some other “spiritual”-type person, or an avowed atheist or agnostic or whatever, we care and we will do whatever we can to stop the spread of this disease and stand by those who are afflicted. We should also stand beside—and financially help—those who have been sacrificed economically for the greater good in fighting this pandemic.
And for you overly self-righteous who pontificate that this is God’s judgment on the unbeliever and start preaching end times and apocalypse, Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. Remember this,
Unbelievers (the sought) afflicted with the present virus likely die in this crisis, alone, horribly stricken. Believer (His) on the other hand may very well walk through this valley on their way home, with The Shepherd who came to seek us all.
We are held to account. So if it is the end get busy! Take another look at Matthew 25:35-40. And, the righteous in the message from Jesus didn’t even know they did it!
God is patient, not wanting any to perish. Our hearts are tender toward those who perish alone, without God. Are we doing our part? Let’s do our part for stopping COVID-19 and every other threat to the health of our world, but more importantly (even at the same time) let’s reach out to those sought by Jesus and help them know the wondrous Love of God in Christ eternally.
Men Following Jesus 