Belief and Covid

[Beliefiseverything]

There is a lot of fear around Covid understandably. I’m not frightened by the number of deaths because I believe that God gives life and takes life. So if someone is destined to die on a particular day they will die whether it’s of Covid or something else. Have to be accepting of that as hard as it is to face. I’ve struggled when I faced loss of a child but ultimately it was the decision of God so I accepted it.

It's nice you have something to believe in though if it helps you through difficult times.

It is.
But it's bloody disrespectful of the OP to imply that there's no point in all the NHS staff risking their lives and health for others because god is going to do what the hell he wants anyway. Maybe that's not what the OP meant but it's the logical conclusion of her beliefs.

God won’t save you from COVID but science, medicine and the NHS might.

I agree with you Professor. I'm a Christian OP but I don't see things in the same way - a fatalistic view of God ordaining and us being somehow unable to intervene with death and disease. My life has been saved so many times now through treatment, because we as humans have amazing brains with the capacity to develop medicine and life saving treatment to help others. Your post to me seems to be saying we should not do that - we shouldn't bother with drugs etc because it would be interfering with the divine plan. That's very close to some cultic views I've seen, eg those churches who say we should not undergo treatment for cancer

I think we live in a broken world and we keep breaking it more. Actions have consequences and we keep screwing up. But we also keep developing helpful medication and immunisations. I don't think it's about the day of death being ordained whatever happens, but about how we find God amidst all this chaos, and how we access the peace of God in the darkest times. Particularly apt as we go into holy week when we remember Jesus's darkest times and how he went through them to bring us freedom and fullness of life, even through our valleys.
Many people will keep tragically dying of this and we must do our utmost to flatten the curve to save lives and help the NHS cope. That's what we should be thinking about.

Or if you don’t believe in God, just believe in your communities, large and small and what you can do personally to help as many people as possible come through this. It’s the same principle of ‘love thy neighbour’ but God doesn’t need to have anything to do with it if you don’t believe. It’s how we’ve kept ourselves safe since we huddled round a fire with someone watching out for something with teeth in the bushes.

Science medicine and NHS can’t stop the rising number of infections and people dying. That’s why some people die no matter what medical intervention takes place.

@ErrolTheDragon I’m not being disrespectful to the NHS. Not saying no one would seek medical help, It’s God who gives life and takes life.

Hmmm, not sure about that, Beliefiseverything. We don’t have smallpox or Black Death any more. Because Science.

@Beliefiseverything - your comments are ridiculous! We might as well forget the NHS and the self isolation and let everyone die!

God has nothing to do with saving our lives- it’s 100% down to years of study into science, medicine and the development of life saving drugs.

I don’t believe in god

But there must be people who do and therefore think this is god’s will?

I won’t have a go at anyone who says that. I’m just curious. I think we are in a time where few will admit their real feelings or have succumbed to hysteria.

@beliefiseverything can you please answer why it is God's will to take the life of 1200 children per day because of Malaria? Also why he gives the ability to procreate to abusive parents (multiple children) and not to some people who would be unbelievably kind parents? Not trying to be goady but have always wondered how this might be explained?

@ProfessorHasturLaVista ok we don’t have Black Death but new diseases and illnesses will keep coming along. Look are SARS, bird flu and Coronavirus. It makes no difference. When someone is destined to die they will die.

@Parker231 you don’t seem to get it. I’m not saying don’t seek help. But the NHS can’t stop a person from dying if they were destined to die. Of course everyone should look after their health but if you are destined to die then nothing can stop that. That’s why seemingly young healthy people can die for no apparent medical reason.

This life is a test and bad things do happen. It was never supposed to be a perfect world. That is for the hereafter. Every suffering that one has in this world will be forgotten in the next. People always focus on all the bad in this world and blame God, but when did people thank God for all the good in their lives? People don’t say why did God let this healthy child be born? Why didn’t the earthquake kill very single person? Why were there survivors? It’s not a utopia we are living in where everything is perfect. Everything is destined to die on this earth - animals, wildlife, humans. It’s the natural order.

Ok, OP, I can see we are coming at this from completely different viewpoints and are unlikely to agree. I wish you all the best and hope your belief system gives you some comfort in these difficult times, because that’s all we have to get us through, whether it’s faith based or not

You still didn't answer my questions.

When someone is destined to die they will die.

You're stating your beliefs as facts OP. They are the opposite of facts.

Other religions believe in reincarnation. Does that make it a fact?

OP I don’t believe in god but I much prefer your attitude to most on here.

you don’t seem to get it. I’m not saying don’t seek help.

Yes you are. You're saying that if someone is destined to die they will die even if they get medical help. If someone is not destined to die they will live even if they don't get medical help?

So what's the point in staying inside and social distancing? If you pass the disease on to someone and they die, well not your fault, they would have died anyway?

And you still haven't said what the 708 people would have died of if not corona? Spontanious combustion?

Believe whatever ridiculous nonsense you like if it makes you feel better. I'll stick with science and facts.

No sorry this is just nonsense.

People are not destined to die on certain days. If I have a car accident tomorrow and die it wasn't my destiny, it was a tragic accident.

Just to add to that.

If I have a car accident and get taken to hospital and I am saved in surgery, it was the doctor who saved me, not God. God didn't decide I should live. The doctors training and skill saved me.

Obesity, lack of exercise, drinking and smoking too much, lack of care for mental health, can all lead people to die earlier than they otherwise would. That has nothing to do with God.

If god existed then of course it would have everything to do with god. If god exists then everything is caused by him, directly or indirectly, because he created beings, planets, animals, natural phenomena etc with the potential to behave in the ways they do. For example god appears to have created some animals with no tendency to overeat and become obese. But not humans apparently. Why? God created a world with natural phenomena that can wipe out species and civilisations. Christians iften claim these are caused by human destruction. Tell that to the dinosaurs!

God could have created humans with less capacity for destruction and folly. Not without free will, but with instincts and tendencies which would naturally lead their will to want to do good. But no. Apparently he created paedophiles and murderers 'because free will'. If god were real, creation would be a reckless and cruel experiment.

OP, what is the point of trying to save someone from dying if their fate is already predestined?

People always focus on all the bad in this world and blame God, but when did people thank God for all the good in their lives?

I've seen plenty of people doing the opposite. Bad things are due to human sin, good things are due to god.

@Backfoot I’m not saying don’t seek medical help. It’s fine to seek medical help but if they are destined to die it makes no difference. It doesn’t mean we just lay down and do nothing and say we won’t eat because we are destined to die, we look after our bodies, go and earn money to buy food for our bodies, seek medical help. But even the best surgeons and doctors can’t save people if they are destined to die.

Tragic accident, call it what you like but even the best doctors and surgeons can’t save everyone and often can’t explain why people died.

It’s the order of life. Birth and death. Nothing lasts forever. Everything is destined to die.

@DareToTiger if people believe in reincarnation that’s fine. We all have the right to believe what we wish.

@LilacTree1 thank you for that. I’m not expecting everyone to agree with me and I respect people of all faiths and none. I wouldn’t call anyone’s beliefs or lack of beliefs silly nonsense.

You are perfectly entitled to believe what you want to believe. I am still wondering why God seems to favour rich white people.

If it makes no difference, why bother?

Should people ignore social distancing and go outside because anyone they infect is already predestined to either live or die?

Where in the bible does it say that people are destined to die on a predetermining date?