By Donald A. Collins | 27 March 2020
Church and State
As I opined in my last COVID-19 op ed, the verity of religious fantasy will come under increasing skepticism around the world.
This seems certain despite the fervent and frequent protestations of Billy Graham’s son, Franklin, on TV to those of us hunkered down at home, to the “facts” he is selling on that web site.
Of course, these historical old religious forces can and will argue, clearly reflecting human irrationality, that this latest virus is punishment for our sins and thus we need God to protect us from future outbreaks!
If it eases your mental and emotional discomfort, I can only suggest that giving Franklin your fealty as requested on the above line gift prompt you will only engender more fantasy statements, but no new solutions to this urgent and likely to be repeated kind of problem.
Will skepticism about religious claims solve the presence of other tyrannies?
Obviously not, as regimes such as Chi’s China or Kim’s North Korea or even Hindu fixated Modi’s in India will still allow them to practice their dictatorial ways.
But as the virus continues its worldwide march of terror now well proclaimed by all these pervasive media stories most people if not their self-interested government leaders will see the value of sharing data and engaging in increased cooperation.
Thus, will this desperate need to share ways of treatment change basic governmental structures in dictatorships? Somewhat at least I am betting!
Recall that back in the 1940’s US Presidential candidate Wendell L Willkie and others called for one world cooperation.
So now all individual nations are in need of sharing their knowledge about suppressing COVID-19 in their own self-interest! Talk about a powerful motive for more cooperation even among governments with highly disparate political systems! And the urgent incentive to work toward peaceful, SECULAR world cooperation!
Now with electronic knowledge rampantly available to so many of us, the incentive may force despots to seize the opportunity to cooperate with everybody in joining the distribution of worldwide help! How it cannot!!
Can this current health disaster lead to the betterment of world cooperation?!
Former US Navy officer, banker and venture capitalist, Donald A. Collins, a free lance writer living in Washington, DC., has spent over 40 years working for women’s reproductive health as a board member and/or officer of numerous family planning organizations including Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Guttmacher Institute, Family Health International and Ipas. Yale under graduate, NYU MBA. He is the author of From the Dissident Left: A Collection of Essays 2004-2013.
From the Dissident Left: A Collection of Essays 2004-2013
By Donald A. Collins
Publisher: Church and State Press (July 30, 2014)
ASIN: B00MA40TVE
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All these pastors including Franklin Graham are so misguided & full of crap. I wouldn’t give any of them a second of my time.