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Religion as a facilitator of pandemic

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  • 21-07-2009 3:11pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 264 ✭✭


    As the world is gripped by swine flu, is it wise for entire towns and cities to meet up every week, in cramped conditions sharing the same air and shaking hands. I find it very ironic that while people are praying together for their salvation, they are actually instigating their own demise. In every religion I can think of there is a form of weekly congregation, with Christianity the most prevalent. Do they have measures to curb this ritual in a pandemic or does faith once again win over common sense.


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 9,788 ✭✭✭MrPudding


    God will protect his flock.

    MrP


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 5,760 Mod ✭✭✭✭irish_goat


    Should probs stop going to the pub, using the bus, visiting your elderly relatives in the old folks home, taking any trips to the hospital etc etc...


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,788 ✭✭✭MrPudding


    irish_goat wrote: »
    Should probs stop going to the pub, using the bus, visiting your elderly relatives in the old folks home, taking any trips to the hospital etc etc...
    Exactly. I work in an office with 1000 other people breathing recirculated air. A church would be a much safer environment.

    MrP


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,558 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dades


    The problem isn't with the older folk congregating - rather them young folk with their jet-set lifestyles and their fancy foreign holidays.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 10,076 Mod ✭✭✭✭marco_polo


    I'm gonna have to give a D- for this particular argument I'm afraid. No offense.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 5,475 ✭✭✭drkpower


    marco_polo wrote: »
    I'm gonna have to give a D- for this particular argument I'm afraid. No offense.

    I'd tend to agree.
    In the list of the crimes perpetrated by organised religon, facilitating swine flu would be very much at the bottom...


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,788 ✭✭✭MrPudding


    marco_polo wrote: »
    I'm gonna have to give a D- for this particular argument I'm afraid. No offense.

    Agreed.
    0131081425failblog2.th.jpg


    MrP


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 24,399 Mod ✭✭✭✭robindch


    MrPudding wrote: »
    God will protect his flock.
    Well, the WHO seem to think that he may not, if the plans they're currently drawing up are anything to go by:

    http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0721/breaking39.htm
    MrPudding wrote:
    A church would be a much safer environment.
    Never thought I'd hear you say that -- watch out for the candles all the same though :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,353 ✭✭✭Goduznt Xzst


    robindch wrote: »
    Never thought I'd hear you say that

    If it wasn't for all the religious guff Churches would actually be great places. In fact I love Churches when I'm traveling around Europe. They are usually cool inside regardless of the temperature outdoors, have some fantastic art and architecture and they are peaceful, insulated from the noise of the outside world and with an observed silence inside.

    Usually if my feet need a rest I'll pop into the nearest Church to sit down and take a load off. If there's free pipe organ music playing, all the better.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,406 ✭✭✭Pompey Magnus


    is it wise for entire towns and cities to meet up every week, in cramped conditions

    Cramped conditions? Not any more, there are more empty places at mass nowadays than at the annual Agoraphobia Sufferer's Mystery Tour.

    I'd say something like a music festival would be much more likely to facilitate the spread of the swine flu, surrounded by thousands of teenagers just back from their post leaving cert holidays to Spain where they would have come in various levels of contact with similar people from all across Europe etc...


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,609 ✭✭✭Flamed Diving


    irish_goat wrote: »
    Should probs stop going to the pub, using the bus, visiting your elderly relatives in the old folks home, taking any trips to the hospital etc etc...
    MrPudding wrote: »
    Exactly. I work in an office with 1000 other people breathing recirculated air. A church would be a much safer environment.

    MrP

    But these are both productive and practical use of our time, with tangible interaction.

    Unnecessary congregation of people speaking to nothing should be avoided.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 24,399 Mod ✭✭✭✭robindch


    In fact I love Churches when I'm traveling around Europe. They are usually cool inside regardless of the temperature outdoors, have some fantastic art and architecture and they are peaceful, insulated from the noise of the outside world and with an observed silence inside. Usually if my feet need a rest I'll pop into the nearest Church to sit down and take a load off.
    Couldn't agree more. IMHO, the Northern French ones are best: Amiens, Reims and the brilliant Chartres are the best. Will be going out of my way to visit the curious church in Albi in a few weeks time, as well as taking a spine across the modern day equivalent a few miles up the road -- the Millau Viaduct.
    If there's free pipe organ music playing, all the better.
    Speaking as a cathedral organist of mediocre and fading ability -- well, there's nothing to beat a peaceful, stringy low C as the sun goes down on a warm afternoon :)


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