The will to annihilation

I am surrounded by a community that is anti-mask and anti-vaccine.  They think mandates in relation to masks and vaccines are a violation of individual rights despite recommendations from the medical community.  The same people who espouse these views turn to medical personnel & hospitals for their own health.  But they feel they know better in this situation.    

As I have previously mentioned my education is in public health.  What is public health? Public health is the science of disease prevention.  Regarding COVID-19 we have TWO main choices.  Best choice is get vaccinated (this will prevent you from getting severe disease) and wear a mask (to prevent the spread to those who cannot get vaccinated - such as children under 12).  

Yet here are things that have recently been said to me in person and via FB:

"I have done a lot of research on masks and they don't do anything." - neighbor

I am sure the 'research' done by my neighbor was peer reviewed, right?!?  I pointed out that there were ZERO cases of COVID-19 in the school last year when masks were required...so they probably worked, right?

"More people have died from the COVID-19 vaccine than COVID-19." -friend of a FB friend

When asked for proof they were unable to provide it - it just feels right to them.  This is absolute fiction.

"The vaccine is a way for Bill Gates to reduce the population of the globe." -friend of FB friend

?!?!?!  Asked for proof, got some lunatic video that took multiple Bill Gates interviews and cut pieces of them together in a crazy way.

"...trust your "science" and leave me alone." - friend of FB friend

My science??  The same science that you rely upon every time you have a serious medical concern?  The same science you have and continue to benefit from every day of your life?  The same science that has enabled you to rant crazy to the world through the internet?

I've tried to reason with people, I have tried to find areas of agreement.  I continue to point out that the vaccines were developed under Trump's Operation Warp Speed.  No matter - the memes and conspiracies have all the power right now.  

I will note that the above group of people are all very religious - they have faith that they will be ok.  They have more faith in memes and pseudo-science than in actual science (though I feel confident they would choose to go to a hospital if they were sick).  But underlying all of this distrust of fact is a will to annihilation.  Many religious people are actually wishing for the end of days. 

Like me many people look around and see that our systems have let us down and that it is difficult to pursue life, liberty and happiness.  Unlike me they want it all to end.  They don't give a shit about the climate, or their neighbors, or even themselves.  They know we will all die and they are fine if that death comes sooner rather than later.  They feel confident they will be rewarded for their choices in the afterlife.  But I imagine they will spend many more lives seeking to learn the lessons they failed to learn in this life.  The lesson is this - life is precious, fleeting, and wonderous and it should be valued.  We should work together to promote the health of our communities and the planet.  We should seek to act with love and compassion in our hearts, not spite and vengeance.  We are all connected.  To quote the Bible, "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." (1 Corinthians 12:27)

Their views are the antithesis of Christ's - they act out of fear and anger towards others who are different than them.  Christ washed the feet of the whore, clothed & fed the sick and needy.  He looked for ways to help those who suffer.  "...whatever you do to the least of my people you do unto me." (Matthew 25:40).  Science gives us a path to reduce suffering and they shun it.  Who are these religious people who hate knowledge, science and the reduction of suffering? .  They are acting out of a will to annihilation - their values corrupted by our greedy, consumeristic, disposable culture.  

Where conservation (conservativism) should be it is replaced with the myth of endless consumption.  Where community & family should be it is replaced with extreme individualism, xenophobia, isolation, fear and hate.  Our "Christian" culture glorifies violence when Jesus only taught love.  

Perhaps these are end days - but if they are it is because of the anti-Christ values of individualism, hate, intolerance, violence, and destruction.  Where we see opportunities to help each other we should do it.  Wearing masks is a small sacrifice for your neighbor.  If you are so firm in your belief that you don't need anyone - then please don't frequent the hospital and overburden the medical professionals when you get sick.  

Perhaps you can find some love for your fellow man and the planet that sustains you.  Perhaps you can embrace the message of Christ instead of the false gods of violence & ego.  Today, right now, you can be a different person and promote less suffering instead of willing the annihilation of yourself and those around you.