What is the requirement to get into heaven? There’s really just one: be holy and perfect as God is holy and perfect. That’s it. No special arrangements, no impossible journey to complete, no special blood line, no special ability, nothing. Just be holy as God is holy and you are in. However, there is something in the fine print that everyone knows: no one except God can do that.
One of the accusations I have seen skeptics make against Christianity is that the standard for “getting in” is too high that no one can make it, and therefore God is setting us up for failure. So instead, they complain about the standards, not willing to address the fact that they don’t cut it. In baseball, every pitcher is judged on his ability to get a ball over a 19 square inch target, and whoever cannot hit that target isn’t qualified to be a pitcher. The rules don’t change because a bunch of people who want to play ball cannot hit that target. The same concept is true with Christianity. Just because no one can hit the target of perfection and holiness, that doesn’t mean the standards are unfair or unjust. God makes the rules. He is the Creator. If we took the time to study how holy God is and what our sin truly is, we’d understand why God must set the bar so high.
Yet, God commands us to be holy as He is holy. How can He do that, knowing we are still in bodies corrupted by sin? The answer is simple: we aren’t meant to even try. This is one of the greatest things about the Gospel, and yet one of the most difficult things for any of us to put into practice. We don’t cut it, nor were we ever meant to try. What makes the Gospel work is not man reaching a standard to get to God. Even if anyone could do it, he’d be so proud of his accomplishment that it would wipe out all of it in his pride. What makes the Gospel work is Jesus Christ living out His life in and through us.
Yet while God gets all the credit for getting the work done, there are still commands we must follow that enable God to do His work. Something completely missing from most churches today is a doctrine of separation. I cannot spell this any simpler than this: We cannot claim to be a Christian and look like the world, talk like the world, live like the world, and think like the world. There MUST be separation. Most people don’t like this idea. Why? Because the more you show yourself to be “other than” in this world, suddenly you become a target. Peer-pressure doesn’t go away after you graduate from the school yard playground; it only gets worse, and God calls every Christian to stand out like a sore thumb. In fact, the church is meant to be the conscience of the society, which means we are to be a nuisance to this world. Now, don’t hear what I am not saying. I am not saying we are to be annoying. But we are also not to capitulate to the world’s thinking and world’s progression away from God. We are to be a light in the darkness, but when people prefer the light to be off because of their evil deeds, they will do everything they can to shut the light off. We are to light the world and save souls, and we cannot save souls if we are too much like the world.
I write fiction as well as blog posts. In my time around writing circles, one of the great myths of storytelling is the “monomyth” made famous by Joseph Campbell and his study The Hero with a Thousand Faces. In this study, Campbell examined all the great stories that withstood the test of time and found many commonalities. One of the is the nature of the hero. The great hero of each story is an outsider. He doesn’t fit nor belong. Think of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars or Neo in The Matrix. While in the world, they definitely were not of it. They stood out.
Another character in these stories is the anima, often known as the “Damsel in Distress.” This is the Hero’s equal but opposite gender. Think of Princess Leia or Trinity. The anima has a problem: she is the best of the best the world that needs to be rescued has to offer and she can’t do it. She can’t make it, nor can she rescue her people. She is too associated to the system that needs to be rescued. She needs the hero, who is outside the system, to do it for her.
All of man’s religions is little different the anima of a story trying to save their own from within their own system. It does not and cannot work. It takes someone outside the system, who is Jesus Christ, to save us. Then when He does save us, He sends us back into the world to fill the role of the hero and save people. Now we aren’t the HERO, but in each of our own lives, we are the hero (small letters on purpose), the protagonist. If we are to complete the “Hero’s Journey,” we must be outsiders, holy, separate from this world.
How do we do this? Here are some Scriptures to get started:
Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” [emphasis mine].
Romans 12:2: “Do not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”
We cannot think, act, or operate as the world does. Next week, I’ll dig deeper into this with some practical solutions and warnings on what not to do.
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
Over the past few weeks, we have seen two very different mindsets rearing their heads in public. It’s really easy to post cute and positive quotes from great people in history or some encouraging and uplifting song and think that we are living our lives in that way, but one has to think… are we really?
It’s easy to share or talk about living a life without fear, but once the rubber hits the road or the fecal matter hits the fan, how are we really living? Do we get anxious and fear, or do we choose to rejoice in the difficulty? We know that things are going to be difficult, but what is our mindset throughout the trial? Are we willing to face a difficulty head on, knowing that bad things could happen but trusting in God that no matter what the trial brings, we will rejoice in the Lord? If our plans are changed and we don’t know why or how this could happen, how do we deal with this outcome? What is our attitude?
For instance, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ and work in retail and you are worried about getting sick, I would ask, why are you worried and what are you worried about? Believe me, I am not judging you; I am trying to encourage you in your faith in Christ. Are Christ’s words true or not? You have to decide.
Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:25-34)
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
by Chad Koons
Where is God in the pandemic? Is it judgment? Will God stop it?
The virus has greatly impacted Italy, Spain, China, the United Kingdom, the United States, and many other nations on the earth. Personally, I do not believe that the virus is the judgment of God. I believe that the Lord is right where He always is, that He is listening to our prayer and moving with His Church when they move. And I do believe that it will be stopped. But this is not a post on “why do bad things happen,” nor is this is a sermon about surrounding topics. I’ve been listening to how we have been responding to this crisis, and now I’m going to speak.
We are in a CRUCIAL moment in the history of the world, especially for the Church. How do we respond?
Christians have been saying quite a lot about the pandemic. Some good, a lot of bad. Let’s see if any of the following sounds familiar.
Here’s what Christians are saying:
Let me give you positive thoughts and encouragement!
You don’t have enough faith… so I’m going to criticize you for it!
This is the judgment of God!
Trust God, it’ll all work out.
Build your faith, here are some Scriptures…
Take this more seriously and protect the weakest among us, you idiots!
Be wise, wash your hands, and practice social distancing.
Wisdom is a code word for fear, ignore restrictions and have more faith!
Let’s do a prayer chain!
Be informed: here are the facts and statistics as theY play out…
Take it easy everyone, don’t panic!
This is horrible, I’m panicking!
We are in the end times!
I don’t know what to do so let’s joke about it!
This is all government-planned… have you heard my latest conspiracy theory?
Look at your Church, Jesus! Aren’t You proud of us?! If you can’t say “amen,” at least you can say “ouch.” Christians, what have we become? Or what have we already been? This crisis has not made us this way, it has simply revealed who we actually were. I suspect that many of us will eat our words if we haven’t already, yet I also suspect that we will learn a great deal from this whole disaster, if we are open and teachable.
To those with ears, let them hear.
Our response matters. More than any other voice, your voice as a follower of Christ matters and carries much weight. The world doesn’t need our commentary unless it is the cure, the very words of life.
We need comfort in this time, but we also need building up. We need strength. We need faith. Here are some key points that I am remembering in this crazy season that we find ourselves in:
1. Jesus hasn’t changed – Do you deeply understand that Jesus is STILL the same? There isn’t a passive version of Jesus, and there isn’t a denominational version of Him, either. He is the same as He is described in the Word of God. How does that impact your expectation of Him and His power in your life? Acts 10:38. And I’ll just say it: John 14:12.
2. The Lord is not shaken – Just read this and tell me what you think: He remains your very able help and rock of salvation. Read this a few times and build your faith for real.
3. Healing and protection are still in the Lord – Do you pray? Tell the Lord that you remember Psalm 91 and read it aloud before Him in prayer. Make your home in Him. Do not be afraid to have faith in the Lord for protection and healing.
4. We have been through this before – There is nothing new under the sun. Pandemics have come and gone, and this one will pass, too. See above!
5. There is work for you to do – Take courage. Stand up, Man of God! Stand up, Woman of God! You are NOT defeated. The Kingdom needs you, go look in the mirror and remind yourself that you are the Ambassador for Christ to the world surrounding you! Now go do something about it.
Beloved, DO NOT BE AFRAID. See who God is and say what God says. Will you be the most wise and mature version of you that you can be? Do not spread division. Do not spread fear. Do not spread conspiracy. In this season, you have been given the unique platform of being the light of the Lord to a people in the grip of social, economic, and personal terror. What will you do with this opportunity? I know what I need to do.
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
In last week’s passage of Ecclesiastes 5:8-12, the Teacher began discussing money and how it is meaningless in the context of eternity. Check out last week’s blog post for more on that. He continues that discussion in today’s passage of Ecclesiastes 5:13-20.
The Teacher first goes on a little rant about the first “grievous evil” he sees regarding money in verses 13-15. This has two parts: either a person hoarding wealth or a person losing wealth because of a great misfortune. Both of these situations can cause harm to people. If a person hoards wealth, he will become very greedy and never be satisfied. If a person loses great wealth, they will also be dissatisfied and it may cause great difficulty in life for that person or their children.
If the father has wasted his life being completely driven toward accumulating wealth and the son expected to receive all that wealth, when something happens and wealth is lost, both are greatly disappointed. We come into this world with nothing, and we will leave it with nothing; therefore, what’s the point of amassing so much more than we really need?
We don’t earn anything from our work that we can take with us into the next world. This world measures success by a different standard than God does. The Teacher shares this as another “grievous evil” in verses 16-17. In the context of eternity, our labor in this world really doesn’t amount to anything substantial. Yes, our jobs help the economy function and the world go ‘round, but what purpose do they have for all eternity? When our focus is on the things of this earth, it’s like we’re living in darkness and frustration all our days.
But, the Teacher does share with the reader some good news in verses 18-19. We should find satisfaction in the work we do because it is what God has given us. When God does give us an abundance of possessions, we should enjoy them because they are a great gift from God. Work is not all meaningless, but it gives purpose to our days. Money and material things are not all evil and should bring us enjoyment, as long as we’re not being greedy and selfish regarding them.
If our hope is in God, then work and possessions are good things for us to enjoy. We should strive to find meaningful work that both gives meaning to our own lives and brings hope to others. If the tasks of our jobs don’t do this, then our attitudes should do so. Our attitudes should glorify God no matter what the actual work is that we are doing (Colossians 3:23).
The summary of this section of Ecclesiastes comes in verse 20: “They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.” We should not be depressed about the past or worry about what is to come when our joy and trust are in God. When God is our focus, nothing else will be of high importance but to serve Him in whatever way He calls us to.
What are your thoughts on money, employment, and material things? How do your views on these things line up with the Teacher’s perspective? Are you focused on trusting in God for all things, or are you worrying about the things of this world that are meaningless in the scope of eternity?
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
Whenever the term “holy judgment” comes to mind, I actually often think of a powerful magic attack in a video game using a “holy element.” When video games are not the context, very often it is the wrath of God coming down to wipe out anything and everything it its path. However, this is only a partial image. The real reason so many people dread Judgment Day is because we are all sinners facing a perfect standard and every one of us will be found guilty before it. Yet, Judgment Day is the most blessed day for the righteous.
One of the things that always baffles skeptics is how God deals with man. God is not like any of us. His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He is altogether “other-than” anything we can imagine. And He always seems to throw us for a loop. When we think judgment is due, He gives mercy. When we expect mercy, He executes judgment. Other times, He gives exactly what we ask for. And sometimes it is good; sometimes it is not.
God sent Jonah to preach to Nineveh and to warn them they had 40 days to live until judgment. Jonah ran away. Why? Because he knew God was a God of mercy and might spare Nineveh had they listened. God chose to spare them because even without the offer for repentance, they did anyway. He nearly spared Sodom and Gomorrah due to the pleading of Abraham, if only He found some righteous people.
God is extremely patient with people. It’s amazing how long He will let sin “slide” for a season. The primary reason why is found in 2 Peter 3:9. God longs that people repent rather than perish. Jesus said He came to save people, not to destroy them. He gave the people of Noah’s day 120 years’ notice before bringing on the Flood. No one except eight people listened until the day of. He gave Amalak 500 years to repent of waylaying Israel in the wilderness before sending Saul to finish them off.
But in other cases, God brought down judgment immediately. He immediately struck down Nadab and Abihu, the two oldest sons of Aaron, for burning profane fire. He squashed the rebellion started by Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. He had Achan executed and killed Uzzah on the spot for touching the Ark of the Covenant. Why? I believe one reason was because God was establishing His law and order and if He let those slide, it would have had devastating results. Sometimes God spares the many because of the one. Other times, God has to think of the many and deal with the one.
Sometimes, God deals with people in terms of generations rather than individuals. Solomon, Ahab, and Hezekiah were all kings whom God had to discipline (among others). Yet each had their judgment extended beyond their lifetime to be experienced by their children. Solomon turned to idolatry yet due to His covenant with David, the splitting of the kingdom would take place with his son, Rehoboam. Ahab was given numerous chances to repent, yet after murdering Naboth and stealing his garden, Ahab actually wept authentically over his sin, and God sent Elijah to tell him that his doom would not come in his lifetime. Hezekiah committed the sin of boasting by showing off his wealth to Babylon. Every last penny he had was shown, so God said that Babylon would get it all, but not in his lifetime, due to his faithfulness overall.
But God doesn’t just dole out punishments; He rewards the faithful. God’s holy judgment is holy. Judgment is not just to penalize the wicked; it is also to reward the righteous. When I referee at fencing tournaments, I have three primary duties: control the bout (including fencers and spectators), enforce the rules, and award points (determine if a fencer’s actions earned them the point for scoring). If I show mercy to one fencer by not penalizing him, am I being just for the other fencer? At the same time, if one fencer keeps doing the same thing over and over again, scoring each time, and the other fencer keep getting hit, I have to be a just referee and award that good fencer for each point he is scoring.
Albeit nowhere near a perfect analogy, God is the same way. When we are obedient, He will give us justice too. When someone wrongs us, God will vindicate us. We don’t need revenge. God will take care of it. When we do right, God sees it. He especially takes notice of doing the right things when no one else is watching. When a politician goes to serve a Thanksgiving meal, comes in with all his cameras, serves one meal, then leaves, and the media says he served for Thanksgiving, that is all the reward he will get (yes, that has happened). But what you do in secret, God will reward. We don’t know what that reward will be. For some it will be in this life but in the next life. If you get your reward here and now, it will not be for your pleasure and enjoyment, but for you to share with the rest of the body of Christ.
God’s judgment is holy. It is unique and “other-than” anything we can imagine. It is perfect and accomplishes precisely what God needs done. When a punishment’s lesson is learned, the punishment ends. When a righteous deed is done, a prize awaits. And in all cases, God gets the glory.
Next week, I’ll look into how we are to be holy as God is holy.
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
On March 13-15, we held our Here I Stand Apologetics Conference in Findlay, Ohio. We were pleased with how things went and are looking forward to hosting another conference on Saturday, October 17, 2020. In these interesting times we live in as the world keeps changing and changing, it is very important to have a Biblical foundation not only for your own life and family but when engaging with others in this new world we find ourselves in.
Some things that have been said about our ministry and conferences from those who use our free online resources, read our books, and attend our conferences are as follows:
- The conference just helped me re-affirm the truth of God’s Word. The facts of God are all around us.
- It was good to be reminded that we can trust and rely the truth of God’s Word. We can be confident that what we confess is greater than the world and offers true hope to unbelievers.
- The resources you offer have given me a better understanding of a Biblical foundation and the importance of the Bible so I can know how to answer tough questions of unbelievers.
- I was encouraged and reminded that people must want to learn for me to speak and have dialogue about spiritual things.
- It was interesting to learn about how so many cultures around the world have stories about a worldwide flood.
- I loved learning about the importance of the Abrahamic Covenant. Very interesting.
- I appreciate that I was able to ask questions after each talk.
- I now have historic proof under my belt to be more confident in sharing God’s Word.
- I loved the facility and the group was a perfect size. It gave me a “learning mindset.”
As you can see, our conference was a huge success. We plan to keep our free resources being available to the public. With all that said, I encourage you, even in this bizarre time in our nation, to get registered for our next conference coming up in October. You can register for this free conference at this link. We all hope to see you join us at this next conference in October!
1 Peter 3:15: “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
by Steve Risner
Note: All numbers reflected here are as of March 30, 2020. They will certainly be different tomorrow and next week, but the point is the same. Thank you for reading.
Here’s the deal: there are 2600 dead in the US from COVID-19. That seems like a lot, but when we understand how the numbers work in the US, it’s actually not. That’s 0.0008% of the population of the country. In Ohio, the number of dead works out to 0.0002% of the population. There have been 162,000 who have died in 2020 from heart disease. There have been nearly 35,000 deaths from stroke this year so far. The flu season, being labelled “normal to low,” has claimed 22,000 Americans. The H1N1 (swine flu) of 2009 claimed 1000 Americans before the president made any declarations, and those were to stay calm, don’t panic, and stay open if you’re a business or school. That pandemic rattled the world, killing nearly half a million worldwide and 12,000 to 18,000 (depending on who you talk to) in the States. Almost 300,000 deaths have been recorded (about 3200 per day) due to motor vehicle accidents this year so far in the US. In Ohio, this works out to be about 250 deaths from crashes so far this year (based on averages and stats). Something around 325,000 have died worldwide from TB this year. It's estimated that there have been 10,000,000 deaths worldwide and just short of 200,000 in the US since January 1 due to abortion. Again, if statistical averages hold true, we have had nearly 40,000 die in 2020 from communicable diseases. Almost 7% of those are from COVID-19. Nearly 60% of those are from influenza. That is 20x the deaths from the flu vs coronavirus. Now, there have been 14 million deaths this year worldwide. This means that, if there are currently 27,000 deaths from the novel coronavirus so far, that is less than 0.2% of all deaths.
Another thing to consider is the capacity of our health care system. We're told it's out of control and hospitals are being filled. I even heard a talking head on the news use the phrase, "People are dying in the streets." Is any of this true at the moment? Not at all. In the US, there are about 190,000 cases of coronavirus. Worldwide, about 5% require a hospital. This means about 9400 will require a hospital in this country over the last 3 months. This is fewer than 2 per facility. In Ohio, there are 2000 cases and just shy of 200 hospitals. At the 5% rate, that is 100 hospitalizations or 1 per every 2 hospitals. California is considered to be fairly bad; they have 8600 cases. About 430 should require a hospital over the 3 months thus far. There are over 300 hospitals there, putting fewer than 2 per facility in need. New York is considered the worst in the country as of right now; they are dealing with 75,000 cases or roughly 40% of the nation's cases. They may have trouble. That's 3700 critical cases or abut 17 per hospital in the state. But reports at those hospitals suggest many have 0 cases or only a couple. I realize more highly populated places will have a heavier case load, but the numbers aren't adding up to what we're being threatened with. And when the media puts up footage of hospitals in Italy but refer to the hospitals in New York City, I'm not sure why we should accept anything they're telling us.
Obviously, the number of cases in the US is going to go up very quickly. We knew this weeks ago because of testing. The previous president depleted our stores for dealing with this sort of thing 10 years ago and never put anything back into the pot. This has led to issues now, while the current administration is being blamed. But that’s not the real problem.
It’s certainly true that this novel coronavirus is a threat to some. When I say “some,” I mean a very small portion of the population. The mortality rate of REPORTED cases is 4.5% worldwide. Here in the States, it’s 1.4% of REPORTED cases. The mortality rate of the flu is believed to be around 0.1%. That seems like the flu is much milder than COVID-19, but that’s not comparing apples to apples. Influenza often kills up to 10% of known cases. The 0.1% comes from presumed cases. That’s a big difference. It’s very likely, when working this into COVID-19, we probably have 1/10th or even 1/100th of the total number of cases on record. It’s commonly known that this virus has been in the States since December (some reports say November). So, we have a few months of cases with no testing whatsoever, and most of these cases are mild to no symptoms. How many times of you heard of the flu having no symptoms or very mild symptoms? It doesn’t happen. The flu is terrible nearly every single time a person gets it. Not so with COVID-19. That’s because, for the vast majority of cases, it’s hardly even an inconvenience.
Yes, this is serious for some. No, it’s not serious for most. Yes, we should do what we can to make sure everyone is safe. No, we don’t need to destroy the economy and shut down the world, shaming those who still need and want to work.
People keep saying that this will inundate our hospitals. I’ve seen numerous articles on it, warning of predicted full beds and no equipment to help. But while this might be true in New York City, it’s hardly come to a realization in the vast majority of places in the US. Yes, hospitals are busier than normal (since there have been 22,000 deaths from the flu) but when the media saturates the airwaves with terrifying news coverage, insinuating that all of the inhabitants of earth will die from this plague (when we can quite easily see that’s nowhere near the case) anytime someone has a sniffle, they’ll run to the ER because they’ve “got the corona!”
In Ohio, fewer than 5% of tests come back positive. There have been issues with tests reading false positives and negatives, and they’re supposedly getting better at this. But still… less than 5%. We also know that the projections from the top people in the fields involved have revised their numbers down dramatically over the last few weeks (before “stay at home” laws were implemented). You don’t see this in the media coverage because it doesn’t fit the apocalypse narrative at all.
It’s fear mongering. The numbers are inflated. This is obvious and to deny it is to ask no one to take you seriously. If there’s a good story or some positive news concerning this, you won’t see it covered by the media. It doesn’t fit the narrative. And there are lots of good things: experts predicting the worst is over, experts saying the mortality rate is much lower than we thought, experts telling us how many have recovered, and reports of how mild the symptoms are for the vast majority. Only 12% of those claimed to have died from this virus in Italy actually died from the virus. The largest portion died WITH it, not from it. As an aside, it would be very interesting to know what actually causes it to be worse in some and symptom free in another. It’s not age or health level, it seems, as some young people have been bad and some older have been mild.
It’s way too easy in these situations to ignore the facts and run with emotion. That’s what the media thrives on. You see pictures or hear stories of people dying and how awful it is, and your emotions are pricked. But reality needs to be in view here. Emotional arguments and positions are fine if they’re based on reality or at least peppered with it. Saying this virus is so terrible doesn’t work. Compared to things that happen all the time—flu, heart disease, stroke, car accidents, whatever—it’s a drop in a very large bucket. Yes, we need to do what we can to stop it, but shutting down the world makes no sense.
Experts are suggesting the data doesn’t support shutting everything down. It seems like this is impacted in a bigger way with good hygiene and not spreading your respiratory droplets on people or surfaces. Isolation may, in fact, make the situation worse by prolonging the epidemic and reducing herd immunity, so we have a spike in the near future which will return again and again. This doesn’t sound good to me. Keeping the number of hospitalized below the capacity of the hospitals is good. It seems like that is easily the case in nearly but not quite all hospitals. Keeping it much lower is bad because, again, it reduces herd immunity and prolongs the problem. We’ll deal with it for several months or even years rather than getting it finished in a few.
I hope this at least helps you explore what some of us believe about the situation. You can poo-poo my opinion all you want, but you can’t deny the facts if you want to be taken seriously.
My hope in all of this is that the Church, and especially myself and my family, can be a light in a dark place. My hope is that we rise up to the occasion to bless others and care for their needs. We’ve been looking for those who need a hand—whatever that may mean—and filling the void when we can. The Church needs to be out there in the trenches, meeting physical needs to so we can earn the right to tell people about their spiritual needs. Rather than fill people with dread and fear, my hope is to be joyous and encouraging. I want to spread hope rather than worry. I guess I want to be the opposite of the liberal media. I’ll be a light in a dark place. B.J. Palmer once said, “Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.” I’m lighting a candle.
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
