Our Commitment To Truth Series

The commitment to truth is a challenge that crosses the political spectrum. [2]

I recently had an exchange with a friend in the medical research field...and his last line said...

“The toll from this pandemic is truly shocking.   The disinformation campaign on both sides has been soul crushing at times.”

The disinformation campaign on both sides has been soul crushing at times.

That line hung out there...it spoke to what has been difficult for me during this season.

I have had to face that Christian culture is the one that is the most consumed by what I believe are legitimately conspiracies... and can easily being the most consumed...and the one suffering with conflict.

I have heard many public declarations by leaders within the American Christian culture that I believe are both false and irresponsible... particularly in the certainty by which they are said.

I have heard,

“There is no pandemic.”

“This global pandemic is actually no more significant than the common flu.”

“This global pandemic is a conspiracy perpetuated by the Democratic Party.”

“Masks are just a placebo.”

“Any pastor who isn’t gathering people indoors as usual has allowed this demonic deception and fear to rule over the church...and is simply lacking courage.”

I want to be honest... these kinds of statements have been maybe the hardest part of the past couple years....for a few reasons I suppose.

First... simply because I would contend that they’re false.. I don’t begin to have had this all figured out. But these statements are outside the realm of consistent and coherent facts... and certainly beyond claiming them with such certainty.

I know that some have wondered of all the number of deaths could be false... I have certainly wondered if there was any large scale inflating of the losses... and found there is one rather simple way to confirm the scope. Excess death... difference between the usual number of deaths in any given country...which remain fairly steady...and these which have occurred these past two years. Excess death throughout the pandemic reveals numbers significantly HIGHER than the deaths that have been attributed to the Covid virus. [3]

As for comparisons to the flu... the annual death rate of the flu is significant... but Covid has been at least ten times greater... even with every measure to stop transmission.

As for the presumption that the pandemic has been a source of some unusual deceptive spiritual fear has never been my experience. I don’t find any unique work of fear about this virus in myself... nor in any of those I am close to. I don’t sense something dissimilar to how I tend to relate to the countless mandates related to following health care... driving rules... or building codes.

Second, because they are said by those with an ability to know that they would be difficult to defend in a public forum that they didn’t control. They weren’t intended to reflect a reasonably full and fair assessment of the facts. They are intended to serve a larger narrative. They represent truth based more on fit than on fact.