Coronavirus

[jeremyp]

Professor of virology, John Oxford said three weeks ago that 5,000 people had died from influenza in the UK already this winter gone.

Which coronavirus will overtake some time in the middle of the week after next if the current doubling rate of every four days remains the same.

[Spud]

Not sure I can take seriously a God who sends a plague to kill people that he supposedly loves. (And for Steveh I am only replying to Spuds specific assertion that God may have sent the virus - he said it not me).

Sounds as usual that God is a reflection of the posters views rather than any serious theological thought taking place.

I was 'just wondering' - and obviously was wrong, so I feel I should apologize.
Having reflected a bit, God always sent prophets to warn of judgment. I don't know of any prophecies of this virus, so should not claim that God sent it. It is a natural disaster though, a consequence of the Fall. Like in Luke 13:1-5, it warns us that we could die at any time and so should make sure we are ready.

[Spud]

5000 UK deaths from flu seems fairly low given that we are now at the end of the flu season. It will be good if we can keep covid deaths down at a similar level - but to do that we need to stop it spreading as no-one, as far as we know, has immunity whereas most people vulnerable to flu have been vaccinated.

Very good point - I had been wondering why such a fuss isn't made for a flu epidemic.

[Spud]

Or we can develop cleaner technologies that reduce emissions by 14% or more which would have the same or greater effect without massively impacting on our mental/physical health and our economy.

But to get the effect we see on the satellite images, with such a drastic drop in the pollution, do you really think that is achievable through technology?

[Roses]

I was 'just wondering' - and obviously was wrong, so I feel I should apologize.
Having reflected a bit, God always sent prophets to warn of judgment. I don't know of any prophecies of this virus, so should not claim that God sent it. It is a natural disaster though, a consequence of the Fall. Like in Luke 13:1-5, it warns us that we could die at any time and so should make sure we are ready.

I am sure the crazy end time nutters will be able to point a verse in that daft book of Revelation referring to Covid-19!

[Sriram]

Religion teaches humility and respect for the natural order. Recognition of ones tiny place in the totality.  That is what has been missing in recent decades/centuries.

The coronavirus will teach us some humility and respect for nature.  God is just a word for all those invisible and unknown factors that influence us.

[SusanDoris]

I have walked up and down from wall to wall and beside the work top - one lap = 25 steps, including turning, and have used my stretch strip for some arm exercises and there is still a long, extra long because of clocks forward,  day ahead... …
Bright sunshine yet again, but blowing a gale and again no chance of going out

[SteveH]

Clocks forward makes the day shorter, not longer, you'll be glad to hear.

[jeremyp]

Clocks forward makes the day shorter, not longer, you'll be glad to hear.

One hour's less lockdown.

[Walter]

Religion teaches humility and respect for the natural order. Recognition of ones tiny place in the totality.  That is what has been missing in recent decades/centuries.

The coronavirus will teach us some humility and respect for nature.  God is just a word for all those invisible and unknown factors that influence us.

sri

thanks for telling me that because I wasn't aware of that before FFS

[SusanDoris]

Clocks forward makes the day shorter, not longer, you'll be glad to hear.

Well, it's going to feel longer! I got up at today's time, but am working on yesterday's!! At the moment I'm waiting, on an 0800 number, to register for a shopping service.

[ippy]

Religion teaches hum
ility and respect for the natural order. Recognition of ones tiny place in the totality.  That is what has been missing in recent decades/centuries.




The coronavirus will teach us some humility and respect for nature.  God is just a word for all those invisible and unknown factors that influence us.

First, how does religion teach any of us humility and respect for your ideas about the natural order when we see that there is no sound evidential reason to take any form of religion seriously and it seems that the scientists and the authorities have all combined to help us all of out of the present viral problem plus the opera singing on the balconies in Italy, everybody here in the UK opening their doors cheering and clapping our health services heroic efforts, performed with all of the spirit and all of the HUMILITY necessary to perform the task, we virtually to a person were recognising their fight with our common world wide enemy

Purely out of interest Sriram, these invisible and unknown factors that influence us, if these are actually unknown factors how can anyone know about them.

You should admit that you've written and then posted a bit of a strange contradictory statement I'm aware that you're not one of the odd few posters we get on this forum from time to time, those that are more obviously choosing to live on the borders of rationality but it wouldn't be a bad idea on your part to post a clarification about this post of yours.

I'm not normally a sweary type person but on this occasion as for needing religion to teach us non-religious believing people or anyone else Fu,,,,g Humility, on this one occasion Sriram Fu,, off.

ippy.

[Sriram]

First, how does religion teach any of us humility and respect for your ideas about the natural order when we see that there is no sound evidential reason to take any form of religion seriously and it seems that the scientists and the authorities have all combined to help us all of out of the present viral problem plus the opera singing on the balconies in Italy, everybody here in the UK opening their doors cheering and clapping our health services heroic efforts, performed with all of the spirit and all of the HUMILITY necessary to perform the task, we virtually to a person were recognising their fight with our common world wide enemy

Purely out of interest Sriram, these invisible and unknown factors that influence us, if these are actually unknown factors how can anyone know about them.

You should admit that you've written and then posted a bit of a strange contradictory statement I'm aware that you're not one of the odd few posters we get on this forum from time to time, those that are more obviously choosing to live on the borders of rationality but it wouldn't be a bad idea on your part to post a clarification about this post of yours.

I'm not normally a sweary type person but on this occasion as for needing religion to teach us non-religious believing people or anyone else Fu,,,,g Humility, on this one occasion Sriram Fu,, off.

ippy.

I don't want to derail this thread any further...but since this IS a  Religion board I thought I should post some relevant aspects about religion on this thread.

We have an animal nature in us that is primarily selfish and self preservative.  But as we humans have evolved, our social  and universal aspects have taken precedence over our personal self preservation.   This is the way we have evolved. I consider this a spiritual growth...an inner development.

Religion has been at the fore front to help us in this growth and to ensure that we develop this selfless part of our nature more and more and reduce our selfish nature. Christian missionaries are examples of this selfless service.

Without religion we would not have today evolved to a stage where common people are able to selflessly put themselves at risk just to save some elderly people.  We have to admire and emulate such people certainly....but I am talking about recognizing the spiritual development that has taken place in society over the centuries, that has made this situation possible.

https://tsriramrao.wordpress.com/2017/02/19/religions-have-suceeded/

Cheers.

Sriram

[Udayana]

I don't want to derail this thread any further...but since this IS a  Religion board I thought I should post some relevant aspects about religion on this thread.
...

That discussion clearly doesn't add any value to this thread ... it could be moved elsewhere?

btw. I notice that Modi has now apologized for the way he imposed the lockdown. India has hundreds of thousands of excellent scientists, engineers, thinkers and communicators. Are they all spending their time on their spiritual evolution instead of the welfare of the people?
 

[Udayana]

wrt. planning and preparedness this DT article on the 2016 exercise is a must read - but note it is fire-walled, it might be possible to read with a one article a week option.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/03/28/exclusive-ministers-warned-nhs-could-not-cope-pandemic-three/

[Roses]

You probably know this, COVID-19 stands for CO 'corona' VI ;virus' D 'disease' 19, 2019 the first time the mutation was discovered.

[Sassy]

Praying doesn’t work. Well, it might help the mental state of the person doing the praying but nothing else.

Coronavirus is a natural phenomenon. Your god didn’t do it. Your god won’t help us get out of this.

And you know this , WHY?  You can make decisions like the above. But when it comes to backing them up you have no evidence either.  I would have thought positive better than negative.

[Sassy]

If god exists most of the time it appears to stick two fingers up at those who pray for healing, maybe it enjoys human suffering.

I had a stroke in 2002 my husband and children were with me and when I went to different health departments the second the hospital I was taken into ICU and drips stuck in my hand and medication given and x'rays taken. Whilst in the ICU I spoke to God about what I believed his plan was for me and my life and could not understand what and why this was happening. My symptoms went away and the doctors and others asked me if I had ever took drugs. Just weeks before been put on a spray for angina and other medication. The head doctor came to see me the next day and he did all the tests himself including tread mill and heart scan whilst on tread mill. He took me off all medication and told me to go home and just lose a little weight/ They could not understand how over night my symptoms had cleared and even the angina had gone. God does heal you have not the humility to accept he does or can because then you would have to admit you were wrong and blaming him for what humans had done.   Truth must be a the thing we seek and that does not mean accepting our own beliefs because we are happy with them. Real faith comes from truth but you need to be able to seek and want it. It is the only reason you have no faith in God...it is because truth is not something you seek.

[Sassy]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52043767

This is absolutely bonkers - we don't need a new, untested ventilator (which even if it works NHS won't be experienced in operating and will need to be trained) - what we need are huge numbers of tried and tested designs. And if Dyson have a facility that can make thousands of ventilators they should make it available to produce existing designs, not some new experimental one.

Can you not give the medical profession or medical engineers the intelligence and abilities they are born with and have learned over the years spent in medical training. Don't cars work in the same way though different models. Whatever the car it takes a fuel and knowledge how to use. I can drive the different types of car having learned in a manuel. Where do you think the idea for a first respirator came from?

[Sassy]

A friend who is a nurse has just been moved into Intensive Therapy Unit with suspected coronavirus. Expected to be put on a ventilator this afternoon.

Praying they survive. x

[Nearly Sane]

The astrophysicist, the magnets and the virus


https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/30/astrophysicist-gets-magnets-stuck-up-nose-while-inventing-coronavirus-device

[jeremyp]

And you know this , WHY?  You can make decisions like the above. But when it comes to backing them up you have no evidence either.  I would have thought positive better than negative.

I have nothing against you praying if you like, but I strongly advise you to follow the advice of medical professionals. Don't just trust your god to get you through this.

[SteveH]

The astrophysicist, the magnets and the virus


https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/30/astrophysicist-gets-magnets-stuck-up-nose-while-inventing-coronavirus-device

Well, it makes a change from bottles up the arse...

[Aruntraveller]

Cummings now self isolating:

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/dominic-cummings-self-isolating-after-experiencing-coronavirus_uk_5e7e2c51c5b6cb9dc19f4d75?ncid=fcbklnkukhpmg00000008&fbclid=IwAR0V-1HfoTfJ6TbkIYhkfr17LygdQ3tLaWq8ykGejfPyPDEiX_neSeBOoGE

I can't trust myself to type anything further.

[SusanDoris]

My daughter-in-law has just phoned me to say that she has managed to get nearly all of the shopping I wanted. That is so very, very kind of her, as she had her own shopping to do as well. My son will bring it later and they live an hour away. That is such a relief, as I was beginning to wonder how the local councillor was going to organise volunteers and arrange for one of them to do it for me.