I saw this Twitter thread from Fr. James Martin regarding vaccines:
You can feel the contempt and refusal to listen. That Fr. Martin seems to adopt the 'Science is 100% right 100% of the time' principle also appears clear. Which is odd. I don't expect science to always be right. I know it's been shocking for people to watch the scientific community 'make the sausage' when it comes to Covid. The scientific community has been wrong about many things since this virus first popped on the scene. Yet our modern sloganeering about science, which is based on anything but science, has given people a false sense of what actual science is all about. And it ain't about always being 100% right 100% of the time.
Of course those who choose to be vaccinated, or wear masks, or social distance, or stay home are fine with me. I completely understand and I support their right to take care of themselves as they see fit. But we now know that you can get Covid even when vaccinated, and you can spread Covid even when vaccinated, especially with Omicron. And based upon one report where 167 fully vaccinated and 157 unvaccinated were in the ICU due to Covid, it's appears the old 'plague of the unvaccinated' slogan might be dead on arrival. As have so many claims made since the beginning of the Covid era.
Therefore the decision to vaccinate is increasingly a decision for yourself and yourself alone. To deny the obvious means you're only willing to deny the obvious, not 'follow the science'. And that makes me wonder how concerned you really are about the science, or vaccines, or even the people involved.
Whatever the case, I'm glad he's not our priest. I don't think I knew a Protestant fundamentalist pastor with such contempt for those in his church who wouldn't agree with him. I wonder if that's what Pope Francis is thinking when he calls out fundamentalism. Nah.
On the other hand, there is always hope:
Hardcore vaccine proponent Deacon Greydanus draws the line at dancing on the graves of the unvaccinated. The call to whip it out and piss all over dead people who dared question the latest infallible science gets a Barthian Nein!
I would have liked it if Deacon Greydanus actually admitted that some of the advocates for his side can be pretty wretched to the core. After all, I notice how easy it is for some to find a single case of crazy opposition to the vaccines and use it to paint everyone who questions the vaccines the same color.
Nonetheless, I'll take it. Proud of Deacon Greydanus for calling out wretched, especially when it's someone clearly on his side. Even if he doesn't go to great lengths to portray it that way.
Here's the thing about rights: Where they really exist, they need no explanation for the likes of this priest. Did Rosa Parks have to have a medical reason to refuse to go to the back of the bus? If the "colored" fountain provides water that is just as clean and healthy as the "whites only" fountain, is it proper to ask what the big deal is, and why people insist on shaking the boat instead of going along with the government-mandated social distancing between the races?
ReplyDeleteI notice a definite lack of willingness to listen. But then, if you're repeating the sloganeering about the vaccines from over a year ago, it necessitates ignoring the subsequent year of developments. And since there might be people bringing those developments up in a discussion, not listening might be the only option.
Delete