A church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is receiving online criticism due to a packed crowd at a recent indoor gathering — and its plans to hold a Thanksgiving event.
For Victory Church’s Nov. 22 Friendsgiving, the megachurch is encouraging its members to “bring a neighbor.”
“We always look forward to this meal with you. All of our campuses will be participating at their facility,” the church wrote on Facebook.
The plans come while the city and state are in the midst of a major COVID-19 surge. Tulsa reported 616 coronavirus cases on Nov. 14, 455 the following day and 398 on Nov. 17 — the three highest totals since the pandemic began.
The coronavirus has no respect for one's beliefs or creed. But what it has proven itself to be is a stupidty test, and a lot of people are failing it.
Unfortunately, it is the healthcare workers who end up bearing the brunt of it, caring for those who were too stupid to take precautions, or who got infected from a stupid member of their family.
Stupidity cannot be cured. Stupidity is the only universal capital crime; the sentence is death. There is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.
-- Robert A. Heinlein
Some things are timeless. Human stupidity in the face of knowledge is one of them.
From the Notebooks of Lazarus Long, a rare find these days.
ReplyDeleteHarsh, but the fact is stupidity endangers the entire community. While Heinlein couches his words in (((The Natural Order))), that stupid doesn't generally need help killing itself, who is to define the natural order? RAH was what we'd call today one of them Libitards, one of them republicans smokin' pot, and throughout his work survival - of the individual, the family, the species - was paramount, by whatever means necessary.
Farnham's Freehold is a fun read. Odd twist no one seems to get.
"Word." for the post. And "Word." for Ten Bears.
ReplyDeleteRAH had a way of cutting to the bone. Good read all.
ReplyDeleteThere are two words interlocked, freedom and responsibility. to whom
is one responsible, the belief its only to oneself is faulty. The
other is to everyone whose lives you may impact.
It was in the Declaration of Independence that gave us "life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness". The latter two are inextricably tied
to remaining alive. The founders knew this well, they didn't take it
lightly.
The price is that one must not impinge on another life or liberty and
happiness will be fore-shortend. Modern way is your fist or disease
is to stop at my nose and failing that, I get to deal the return blow.
You want to get Covid or believe its not real, there is a price
to pay. You may die or you may pass it to someone that may die,
possibly both. Giving it to others allows for retribution in the
form of restraint applied to you though the use of law or simple
extermination. The latter is potentially validated as you are
a threat.
So with that said the proper case for the gathered crowds is
a fence around the facility they gathered in and food and
water tossed over the fence until two weeks after the last
infection is a suitable course of action. Seems fair as you
put life of others at risk so therefore liberty and happiness
is suspended for a brief while. Quarantine them all, no
fines or jail. Attempts to escape during the period of
quarantine will be capture and sequestered for an additional
two weeks minimum and clear C-19 test in a more secure spot.
Eck!
I have a good friend who is a Deadhead, and he was at a party once with a lot of other Deadheads and some Hell's Angels. He said he saw one of the Deadheads approach one of the Hell's Angels and say "Hey, can I ask you a question?", to which the Hell's Angel replied "Is it gonna be a stupid question?" after which it got sort of quiet in the room (for a party, anyway).
ReplyDeleteI asked Mark what he did then and he said "Covered up my tie-dye with my jacket, mostly."
-Doug in Sugar Pine
"When any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know, the end result is tyranny and oppression no matter how holy the motives."
ReplyDeleteRAH
Charley Pierce: It doesn't matter how Christian you are. Your immune system is agnostic.
ReplyDeleteCovid-19 teaches humility.
ReplyDeleteIn your failure to avoid it You will acquire it and infect others with
it in both cases risking someone might die or become greatly injured.
Whatever it is your not that important.
In this case it would seem wise to avoid it by means already known for at
least a century.
Eck!