In one of his recent posts, Jerry Coyne
professed atheist, commented on an article by Curtis Chang and Kris Carter
in the NYT titled:
|
| Don't they see the Holy Grail? (©NYT) |
The reasons for evangelists not taking their jabs are manifold. Before I try to dig
into the complex material, here are two salient paragraphs from the original article in the NYT:
"But American evangelicals are historically prone to ambivalence toward dominant secular institutions. In fact, a posture of critical evaluation is built into the fabric of our faith. Evangelicals interpret Jesus' teaching that his followers are in the world but not "of the world" (John 17:16) to mean we should engage with secular institutions with a certain measure of wariness. Some amount of caution is healthy for all communities, not just for evangelicals. No institution is infallible, and critical thinking can be a civic virtue."
"Unfortunately, in recent years, the evangelical approach to engaging with secular institutions has morphed from caution into outright fear and hostility. Three forces have exploited this inherent ambivalence toward secular institutions. First, conservative media has mastered the art of sowing evangelical suspicion of the establishment to increase ratings. Second, politicians — some Christian and some not — have used evangelicals' distrust of so-called elite institutions to gain our votes. Third, conspiracy movements such as QAnon and antivaccine campaigns have targeted evangelicals, conjuring fictional enemies intent on destroying our values and, in the case of the vaccines, our actual bodies. All of these forces shape how large segments of the evangelical community perceive the Covid vaccines."
Professor Coyne tries to beat the evangelists at their own game, "Whatever happened to 'Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's (Ἀπόδοτε οὖν τὰ Καίσαρος Καίσαρι καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Θεῷ).[Matthew 22:21].' For surely the vaccine is Caesar's!"
According to the Gospel of John, Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd and know my sheep" [John 10:14], to which Red Baron adds, "but they are stubborn and won't get herd immunity."
At present, anti-vaxxers are not yet a problem in Germany. Regarding them, Christian Drosten's* comments are cynical, "those who actively decide against vaccination must know that they are deliberately deciding in favor of natural infection," adding, "I say this without any judgment."
"But American evangelicals are historically prone to ambivalence toward dominant secular institutions. In fact, a posture of critical evaluation is built into the fabric of our faith. Evangelicals interpret Jesus' teaching that his followers are in the world but not "of the world" (John 17:16) to mean we should engage with secular institutions with a certain measure of wariness. Some amount of caution is healthy for all communities, not just for evangelicals. No institution is infallible, and critical thinking can be a civic virtue."
"Unfortunately, in recent years, the evangelical approach to engaging with secular institutions has morphed from caution into outright fear and hostility. Three forces have exploited this inherent ambivalence toward secular institutions. First, conservative media has mastered the art of sowing evangelical suspicion of the establishment to increase ratings. Second, politicians — some Christian and some not — have used evangelicals' distrust of so-called elite institutions to gain our votes. Third, conspiracy movements such as QAnon and antivaccine campaigns have targeted evangelicals, conjuring fictional enemies intent on destroying our values and, in the case of the vaccines, our actual bodies. All of these forces shape how large segments of the evangelical community perceive the Covid vaccines."
Professor Coyne tries to beat the evangelists at their own game, "Whatever happened to 'Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's (Ἀπόδοτε οὖν τὰ Καίσαρος Καίσαρι καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Θεῷ).[Matthew 22:21].' For surely the vaccine is Caesar's!"
According to the Gospel of John, Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd and know my sheep" [John 10:14], to which Red Baron adds, "but they are stubborn and won't get herd immunity."
At present, anti-vaxxers are not yet a problem in Germany. Regarding them, Christian Drosten's* comments are cynical, "those who actively decide against vaccination must know that they are deliberately deciding in favor of natural infection," adding, "I say this without any judgment."
*Germany's Fauci
In other words, if you don't vaccinate, you let the virus do its work, i.e., life will punish you with a potentially life-threatening infection.
*
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