From the belief in prayers as an efficacious form of solving infection of a virus or other physical ailments to the active social and political efforts to ram creationism down the public’s throat — primarily done through the churches and creation science organizations in the country, not all religions, honestly, mostly some of the more hardcore Christian religion in Canadian society retains a highly negative impact on all of us.
It becomes particularly pronounced in the midst of pandemic circumstances when ignorant and faith-based lack of caution create havoc for the rest of the population. If death or injurious health by the coronavirus is the personal wish, then this can a respected freedom; however, the harm to others by engagement in public activities becomes another matter entirely. Something of concern to all Canadians, including other Christians who regard scientific knowledge with a modicum of respect.
Read the headlines, examine the articles, look at the criminal cases having to be launched against communities and religious leaders, these are almost always Christian in this country. It’s shameful immorality and proud ignorance on the march to kill and harm themselves and others.
The virus doesn’t care about how many times, “Hail Mary,” is said with sincere faith. It doesn’t care about the prayers, about church service, about the Bible, even about Jesus. Your fellow Canadians care. Because you’re harming yourselves, dutifully without care, and others, unfortunately. Words are cheap in pandemics.
“Sorry,” doesn’t cut it. “Sorry,” doesn’t bring back the dead or return an individual to relative lifelong optimal health. You’re at fault and should be legally and financially liable, for one, and are being lambasted and shamed publicly, for two (rightfully).
A case in point within the most recent news, a church in Courtenay had a retreat, Consumed Youth Conference. It happened between November 19 and 21 at Northgate Church. 350 kids from Grades 6 to 12. One mother Jessica Livingstone, from Campbell River, spoke out about it. Same with Stephani Hyde who has been “indirectly impacted” by the event based on 15 exposures at her daughter’s school with some linked to the event.
Livingstone said, after having seen a video of event, “There are no masks. There are no hand-washing stations. There was no social distancing. You know it was just a bunch of youth and adults basically in a Petri dish.”
“I’ve had to keep my children home from school for the last two weeks and home school them,” Hyde said.
Hyde believes the church owes the community an apology.
It doesn’t seem to cut it, honestly. Religions are given undue privileges in this country, especially the Christian religion. This can be seen with religious exemptions, which become a sort of loop hole for public image managers of the churches.
For example, Northgate Church’s communications manager, Matt Morrison, said, “At the time, the public health order was that this would fall into the religious exemption order, which meant no vaccine mandates were required and there were no capacity limits.”
This is the problem. The churches and said church communities, in general, play, by a first-order set of rules excluding them from restrictions and requirements in a pandemic required of others at different times and places in the country. Why? Then there’s the crocodile tears apology, always.
The church posted a statement on the website, saying, in part, “There is a lot of disappointment across the valley and so for any part that Northgate might have played in that we want you to know we’re truly sorry.”
Your young, and others, were unduly affected by your irresponsibility. It carries the same insincerity in its predictability of image management as, ‘Super sorry ‘bout that, bro.’
“Sorry,” doesn’t cut it. Canadians should re-examine the role of religions in Canadian society when coming into conflict with obvious knowns about science and public health.
It has been continually like this within pandemic contexts, but it has a long history.
With files from ChekNews
Photo by Edwin Andrade on Unsplash