Will Sars-Cov-2 end institutionalised compassion

[mindlight]

With nearly 3 million recorded cases and 200,000 deaths the current Pandemic has shut down life as we knew it just a few months ago. The response of our countries has been a massively expensive quarantine designed to protect those most at risk. These are overwhelmingly old, sick or fat people. It is testimony to the influence of Christianity on our culture that we have sacrificed trillions to save the most vulnerable. Right now people understand that as the right thing to do. But as savings run out ,companies go bust and people are made unemployed and the isolation drives more andmore people mad what then?

Even if we survive this Pandemic and with Quantum easing wipe out all the debts incurred by it,what happens next time. Will we isolate a second time for a Sars-3.

Is this the beginning of a new social Darwinism? Or perhaps some kind of test of our Christian instincts as a culture? Is this plague just the beginning of a series of events aggravated by population growth and ecological collapse that will ultimately cause the love of the many for the few to grow cold and change the way we think about our communities? Or are we likelyto prioritise health budgets and care home provision to a greater extent when this is all over

 

[Jay Sea]

The pandemic is not the problem but the greed that is in the heart of mankind without the spirit of God. whether the system of government is Communist, Dictatorship, Kingdom or Democratic it is the uncharitable unsharing of the resources of this earth that God has gifted us. There is a sense that the "Churches Synagogues, Mosques, temples etc. all men of good will need to speak up and if need be rise up against these injustices. Any of the above political systems can be good or evil whatever system christians live in accept it and work with love and compassion for those who are powerless and down trodden.
In love
Jay

 

[mindlight]

The pandemic is not the problem but the greed that is in the heart of mankind without the spirit of God. whether the system of government is Communist, Dictatorship, Kingdom or Democratic it is the uncharitable unsharing of the resources of this earth that God has gifted us. There is a sense that the "Churches Synagogues, Mosques, temples etc. all men of good will need to speak up and if need be rise up against these injustices. Any of the above political systems can be good or evil whatever system christians live in accept it and work with love and compassion for those who are powerless and down trodden.
In love
Jay

Yes true, but even despite a lack of faith of many today Europe for example still institutionalises Christian compassion. To what extent will that endure when the costs of doing so become apparent. Will we sacrifice our old and our sick for the sake of our own ambitions and welfare?

 

[only a sojourner]

Mindlight, I have been commenting in the American Politics section on whether American patience will wear thin as restrictions continue and the economy contracts and how this might impact the presidential election in the fall. I see Americans as individualistic and unwilling to compromise individual liberty for collective causes. This may be the primary reason why the US is the only advanced economy without health insurance. It is the reason behind the many demonstrations and protests we have had recently against social distancing, business closures and other restrictions. According to Pew Research we are a religious nation at least in contrast to much of Europe so this may seem to be a parodox as many Christians are the most adamant supporters of these views. However it seems that there are many versions and interpretations of Christianity.

 

[mindlight]

Mindlight, I have been commenting in the American Politics section on whether American patience will wear thin as restrictions continue and the economy contracts and how this might impact the presidential election in the fall. I see Americans as individualistic and unwilling to compromise individual liberty for collective causes. This may be the primary reason why the US is the only advanced economy without health insurance. It is the reason behind the many demonstrations and protests we have had recently against social distancing, business closures and other restrictions. According to Pew Research we are a religious nation at least in contrast to much of Europe so this may seem to be a parodox as many Christians are the most adamant supporters of these views. However it seems that there are many versions and interpretations of Christianity.

The whole social justice agenda is one of the reasons why European and American Christians are so far a part. Europeans see Americans voicing praise for a God they do not honour with their actions and Europeans are accused of a shallow appreciation of God and worldliness for their concern for non Christian poor, sick and old people.

But both seem to be dying in equal numbers. So maybe God is not entirely happy with either.

Individualism will just prolong the plague and maximise its spread. But there does seem to be a need to find a balance between economic and social interests in the long run.

 

[Jay Sea]

I believe that compassion is sewn by God into the very fabric of humans if it is not killed by personal and societal ambition to advance ourselves or our city or nation without taking the least with us. We are our institutions when we gather together to keep those who "run" our institutions on course by our support or criticism or participation. I have faith that if not our sheep fold another of Yeshua's sheep folds will take up the slack and if they do we should join them. We should join with them anyway. Let the peoples of "God" and good will unite as the burden is large.

In love
Jay

 

[Radagast]

It is testimony to the influence of Christianity on our culture that we have sacrificed trillions to save the most vulnerable. Right now people understand that as the right thing to do.

Was it the right thing to do? Couldn't we just have isolated the vulnerable, for a tiny fraction of the cost?

Even if we survive this Pandemic and with Quantum easing wipe out all the debts incurred by it,what happens next time. Will we isolate a second time for a Sars-3.

The economic cost will be felt for many years to come. It will affect both household budgets and government budgets. So perhaps there will be a reluctance to isolate a second time.

 

[mindlight]

Was it the right thing to do? Couldn't we just have isolated the vulnerable, for a tiny fraction of the cost?

You can isolate a rich guy in his big gated mansion but it is harder to isolate OAPs in a big apartment block, who have to go out occasionally to do their shopping. The whole care home concept is also not at all plague resistant as young people, suppliers and family go in an out of these all the time bringing infections with them. So is it possible to isolate the older and sicker groups that are most vulnerable without isolating everybody would be the counter question. That said the ones that are actually dying are overwhelmingly those with underlying conditions that will eventually kill them anyway in a few years time. So those trillions of dollars may only be buying a few extra years for these people before they die anyway. Should we be sacrificing the livelihoods of the many for the few then is the basic question.

The economic cost will be felt for many years to come. It will affect both household budgets and government budgets. So perhaps there will be a reluctance to isolate a second time.

It seems to have been more devastating on an individual level in the USA than in Europe as companies and governments in Europe have cooperated to a greater degree to preserve employment through this crisis. Though certain sectors are obviously under water like transport and hospitality. Also how that extra government debt is handled is a point of discussion. Could we simply print the money to pay off the missing months for instance with some kind of Quantum Easing scheme done on an international level so that no one currency benefitted from it. Or would that generate hyperinflation for the long run?