NYT: The Religious Right’s Hostility to Science Is Crippling Our Coronavirus Response

[Kurieuo]

New York Times published a new article:

The Religious Right’s Hostility to Science Is Crippling Our Coronavirus Response
URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/opin ... icals.html
Alt URL: https://archive.li/BVOo0

Is what is in this article true or deceitful?
Is such an article intended to bring people together, or to cause division?

[Philip]

My, my, K man - Q warned us about you. Notice, he just "happens to" have exactly 666 likes on the forum. Now that sounds very suspicious to me - so, who's really controlling him???!!! Could it be...

[Kurieuo]

Who has 666 likes? I only see 657 likes for me. You're not far behind. I just liked your post to get you closer to 666...

[edwardmurphy]

Is what is in this article true or deceitful?

It's an opinion piece. Whether or not the religious right’s hostility to science is actually crippling our coronavirus response is open to discussion. That said, the author supported each of her arguments with a link to the source. I had already heard some of the things mentioned. I regard the assertion that Trump has systematically replaced experts with yes men as factual, and the conclusion that it's bad for the country seems self evident.

I read about that imbecile Reverend Spell a couple of days ago, and I'd say that his decision to hold in-person worship during a pandemic is definitely hurting us. If there are other equally stupid pastors making equally stupid decisions then their behavior will be equally damaging, but I don't know that their idiotic behavior is sufficiently common that we can characterize the whole religious right as a detriment to our pandemic response efforts.

As far as the US religious right being anti-science I'd say that there's some truth to that, but with regards to Trump I think it's more accurate to say that populists disdain experts who disagree with them.

Is such an article intended to bring people together, or to cause division?

I think it's intended as a warning.

[Kurieuo]

My, my, K man - Q warned us about you. Notice, he just "happens to" have exactly 666 likes on the forum. Now that sounds very suspicious to me - so, who's really controlling him???!!! Could it be...

The hidden message behind Q

q-animation-666.gif (215.09 KiB) Viewed 13298 times

[Philip]

Ed: but I don't know that their idiotic behavior is sufficiently common that we can characterize the whole religious right as a detriment to our pandemic response efforts.

Which is why the article is just a bunch of cherrypicked, anecdotal evidence about whatever INDIVIDUALS. Just because something makes into print doesn't mean it's an accurate description of what's typical. It's also a slap at people of faith - that we can't have faith in God AND scientific evidence. In fact, all scientific evidence is merely data that must be interpreted. Most Christians I know are VERY pro-science. My pastor, very early on, cancelled services immediately after conversations with two different doctor / specialists. What a wide and wicked brush the writer tried to smear Christians with. But mostly, it's an attempt to play to the NYT's uber liberal, Trump-hating audience. Really, the Times has become the Saturday Night Live of newspapers - all they need now is to hire Alex Baldwin as a columnist!

[DBowling]

I read about that imbecile Reverend Spell a couple of days ago, and I'd say that his decision to hold in-person worship during a pandemic is definitely hurting us. If there are other equally stupid pastors making equally stupid decisions then their behavior will be equally damaging, but I don't know that their idiotic behavior is sufficiently common that we can characterize the whole religious right as a detriment to our pandemic response efforts.

Yes... Reverend Spell's behavior is idiotic.
No... Reverend Spell's behavior is not representative of the "Religious Right"

I live in the Detroit Metro area, and every church that I am aware of cancelled "in-person" services in accordance with the Governor's orders a few weeks ago.
My church and a number of other churches in the area are worshipping safely with online worship services.

Yesterday, my wife and I were discussing how technology available to us today allows us to worship together, stay in contact with other friends and family, take classes online, and in some cases (such as mine) work remotely during difficult times such as these when we are basically restricted to staying in our own homes.

With the options that are available to us today, there is no excuse for Reverend Spell's irresponsible and idiotic behavior.

[Philip]

Yes, God gave us a brain, logic and expects us to use it. This idea that a few have that, God will always protect us from unnecessarily putting ourselves at foolish risk, isn't one obtained from Scripture! And when any individuals merely calling themselves a Christian (whether they are or aren't) does something stupid, then THEY are the one being foolish. And those attempting to extrapolate the behaviors of various foolish Christians to supposedly be representative a mass group-think or behavior, or equate their Christianity as the reason for their stupidity, are simply being disingenuous and hiding their true agenda - like the columnist K posted.

[RickD]

DBowling wrote:
I live in the Detroit Metro area...

Ahhh...it’s all starting to make sense now.

[Philip]

DBowling wrote:
I live in the Detroit Metro area...

Ahhh...it’s all starting to make sense now.

Funny, because that's exactly what I said to myself when I realized Rick was from New England!

[claysmithr]

i thought Q was a pro trump conspiracy theory

[Kurieuo]

National Tracking Poll has Atheists and Agnostics as one of the lowest groups practicing "social distancing" at 80% and 78% respectively. All Christians are at 86%. https://morningconsult.com/wp-content/u ... lts_v1.pdf

In reality, I think it's more personality types that make more of a difference. I'm not going to antagonise Atheists by proclaiming, "see Christians are more intelligent and/or morally better!" Really, I think such is too simplistic. It could be more the case that around 10-20% of the population just have a "don't care" attitude whether Christian or non-Christian. Then there are also those who would care, but think the best way forward is to just continue as normal rather than be held ransom by fear and the like.

But, the above should put to rest the idea Christians are just going to pray away the virus. Such is far too simplicistic and just plays upon pre-existing sentiments in the base audience they're being targeted at. In reality Ed, most Christians accept a natural theology and not simply special revelation, while clearly some heighten one over the other.

Whatever the case, the NYT is being divisive as I see matters. They're trying to galvanise those whose pre-existing views are sypathetic to such a viewpoint against Christians, to reinforce their views that Christians are idiots and shouldn't be listened to, while at the same time pushing anti-Pence sentiments and as such being anti the Trump administration... Meanwhile it also ostracizes Christians who'll then distrust the NYT and related media even more.

This is what I mean, when in the other thread, I said CNN is divisive. It isn't just CNN though. Nor is it just the left-wing media outlets, but there are indeed conservative personality types and media as well who depend upon stirring up their base against the other side -- to try and garner greater popularity and support in their respective audiences.