More Things on My MInd
I was tempted to do another "Go Away Please" post, but that's not necessarily the case with these issues.
1) Now I'm not particularly religious and I'm certainly not anti-Semitic, but this article really got me saying "you know, Jesus had a point". The readers digest version -- due to Orthodox restrictions of working on the Sabbath, there's been a debate on not only whether one can use an elevator on the Sabbath, but whether a workaround solution (having elevators that just automatically stop on each floor so observant Jews don't have to 'work' to press the button) is acceptable. Apparently some prestigious rabbi has ruled it is not. I'm still a bit unclear as to the logic as to why, but now the old and infirm are supposed to do what to avoid some kind of religious approbation? This is the ultimate example of form over function in religion -- taking a rule that at some point had some spiritual significance (encouraging reflection and honoring the Sabbath by not doing business) and turning it into such a minefield of pedantic adherence to appearances that defies logic, common sense, and compassion. And of course I could fill this blog to eternity if I put examples of this kind of crap from every religion, but this article just got me steamed. What idiocy.
2) The Nobel Peace Prize. I'm sure I don't need to go into this in any detail -- I haven't met anyone of any political stripe who thought Obama winning it had any merit and it only accomplished confirming that this prize is a political joke. Which is sad, as on some level I used to think this prize stood for something (even when it went off track and did things like award the prize to Yasir Arafat), but now it should just slink away.
3) The Anti-Science crowd. This is the one group to just PLEASE go away. The more I hear people making claims about the evils of the H1N1 vaccine, the more I want to just curl up and hide my head under the covers. On many message boards I follow, the postings all seem to be about 4-1 anti-vaccination, with people patting themselves on the back for being really worthy and spiritual by saying things like "i won't introduce such untested poison in my pregnant system or give it to my small child, because all you need is love and some immune boosting pseudoscientific crystals" and crap like that. While nothing is risk free, the number of people who have NO IDEA why vaccination is the single greatest advance in public health ever, combined with the number of people who want to believe that their government is in active cahoots with big business not only to bankrupt but kill us is just mind-blowing. The anti-scientific bias seems to be everywhere, and it's the new political correctness -- I see people apologizing on the boards for saying "hmm, I think may get myself and my child vaccinated. I know that makes me weak, but I'm just a little concerned". I'm more concerned at the numbers of us being put at risk because the numbers of vaccinated will be too low to confer the herd effect, which can lead to the deaths of those who really can't get vaccinated (the extremely young, those with severe egg allergies etc). Yes, most people who get the flu will emerge just fine on the other side, but when you can prevent something that kills by resorting to proven scientific evidence by falling back on unsubstantiated fears, unproven allegations, and belief in conspiracy theories, it does border on the criminal. And with the way most people do 'research' nowadays, the voices of the anti-vaccination crowd are so loud and pervasive, that if you do a google search you'll make your choices based on "wow, look at all these hits that are negative about the vaccine. There MUST be something to it".
Okay, off to bed.
I was tempted to do another "Go Away Please" post, but that's not necessarily the case with these issues.
1) Now I'm not particularly religious and I'm certainly not anti-Semitic, but this article really got me saying "you know, Jesus had a point". The readers digest version -- due to Orthodox restrictions of working on the Sabbath, there's been a debate on not only whether one can use an elevator on the Sabbath, but whether a workaround solution (having elevators that just automatically stop on each floor so observant Jews don't have to 'work' to press the button) is acceptable. Apparently some prestigious rabbi has ruled it is not. I'm still a bit unclear as to the logic as to why, but now the old and infirm are supposed to do what to avoid some kind of religious approbation? This is the ultimate example of form over function in religion -- taking a rule that at some point had some spiritual significance (encouraging reflection and honoring the Sabbath by not doing business) and turning it into such a minefield of pedantic adherence to appearances that defies logic, common sense, and compassion. And of course I could fill this blog to eternity if I put examples of this kind of crap from every religion, but this article just got me steamed. What idiocy.
2) The Nobel Peace Prize. I'm sure I don't need to go into this in any detail -- I haven't met anyone of any political stripe who thought Obama winning it had any merit and it only accomplished confirming that this prize is a political joke. Which is sad, as on some level I used to think this prize stood for something (even when it went off track and did things like award the prize to Yasir Arafat), but now it should just slink away.
3) The Anti-Science crowd. This is the one group to just PLEASE go away. The more I hear people making claims about the evils of the H1N1 vaccine, the more I want to just curl up and hide my head under the covers. On many message boards I follow, the postings all seem to be about 4-1 anti-vaccination, with people patting themselves on the back for being really worthy and spiritual by saying things like "i won't introduce such untested poison in my pregnant system or give it to my small child, because all you need is love and some immune boosting pseudoscientific crystals" and crap like that. While nothing is risk free, the number of people who have NO IDEA why vaccination is the single greatest advance in public health ever, combined with the number of people who want to believe that their government is in active cahoots with big business not only to bankrupt but kill us is just mind-blowing. The anti-scientific bias seems to be everywhere, and it's the new political correctness -- I see people apologizing on the boards for saying "hmm, I think may get myself and my child vaccinated. I know that makes me weak, but I'm just a little concerned". I'm more concerned at the numbers of us being put at risk because the numbers of vaccinated will be too low to confer the herd effect, which can lead to the deaths of those who really can't get vaccinated (the extremely young, those with severe egg allergies etc). Yes, most people who get the flu will emerge just fine on the other side, but when you can prevent something that kills by resorting to proven scientific evidence by falling back on unsubstantiated fears, unproven allegations, and belief in conspiracy theories, it does border on the criminal. And with the way most people do 'research' nowadays, the voices of the anti-vaccination crowd are so loud and pervasive, that if you do a google search you'll make your choices based on "wow, look at all these hits that are negative about the vaccine. There MUST be something to it".
Okay, off to bed.
Labels: nobel, rants, religion, vaccination
posted by Lily @ Saturday, October 10, 2009
2 Comments:
At 12:56 AM ,
Duke said...
Your point about the jews not pushing a button on the Sabbath is well taken. I think my favorite part of the whole thing is how selective they are about what's acceptable and not. For instance it's ok to watch TV if someone else turns it on but the TV runs on electricity doesn't it? Someone is working at the power plant. Jews don't turn the electricty off or the water or anything else. It's ok to use those things so long as you don't hit an elevator button.
I suspect if one had a heart attack they'd expect the doctor to work on them even if he's jewish. They don't lay in the floor until they die saying "I wish this had happened yesterday, now I have to die".
They can ask others to push the buttons for them and it's ok. I really don't see the distinction. To me that's like hiring a hit man and saying you're innocent because you didn't pull the trigger. No court would let him go free and I doubt God will believe their excuses either if you really think hitting an elevator button is a sin but it's ok to allow someone else to do it for you.
At 10:54 AM ,
Bet said...
I don't get why pushing the elevator button is considered work. If it is, walking up stairs instead should be hard labor. But I'm pretty ignorant.
For a time the Amish moved into a community about 20 miles from here. They're kind of a crock - all this stuff about no lights, no car, blah de blah. Well, we'd see the Amish at the stores in town, and not a horse and bugyy to be seen. Apparently you can't own a car but if someone offers you a lift into town, you can take it with immunity. To shop in stores with lights, electricity, fast food, television sets, and R-rated videos. Go figure.
I'm blase about the vaccine. I figure if there's any left over after the rush I'll take it. Frail people, old people, young people, and people in contact with babies should get first crack. I'm none of those. I'm certainly not anti-vaccine, though. I'll end up getting one after all those people, mainly because the boss said she'd pay for it.
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