Aug 16th, 2021: What Do We Need To Do?
I usually don't get into politics with my blog because it is not the forum for it. However, I have been thinking a lot about vaccination passports. Many governments around the world are now either talking about it or doing it. I have mixed feelings about it. Please understand that I am not anti-vaccination. We have heard many people talking about having it for the greater good of society. Many of us have found it hard to believe that our governments are for the greater good of our nations. Some feel strongly that the governments have violated their privacy under the notion of "greater good".
Sociologists, philosophers, and legal experts have been struggling with the definition of privacy, so we are not alone. Let us consider privacy by looking at its values, complexity, and impact. There are two main concepts that we might want to consider:
The right to bodily integrity: Our body is a gift from God, and we do need to protect its integrity. However, in the teaching of the Bible, Christians are also part of the Body of Christ. So we have to consider the integrity of that body as well. It calls for the meaning of working together in loving-kindness and compassion. What does it mean for us to offer what is beneficial for one another before being asked? The inconsistency of our government is problematic here. Our law is all about the protection of the right of women over the body when it comes to abortion. The opposite is now being proposed when it comes to the pandemic. No one has the right over their body. We don't even want to talk about the greater good when we discuss abortion.
To be free from intrusive searches or surveillance: Some people think our governments have become intrusive in many aspects of our lives. We cannot even choose the kind of education we believe that our kids need. More and more, the curriculum for many schools has portrayed the bias toward people of faith. We cannot seek help for our underage children when it comes to their sexuality. A young person cannot drink or smoke in Canada until the age of 18. He (she) can decide on his (her) sexuality without help before then. The suspicion toward our government has grown bigger before the government's decision on vaccination. Many people are good citizens and don't believe in their governments. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has become a casualty of that distrust.
One more thing, in Canada, many of us have become wary about how politicians are not called on the floor to face their lack of ethics and integrity when it comes to the law. CBC reports that "The controversy over the federal government's decision to grant a $912 million contract to a charity with links to the prime minister's family opens Prime Minister Justin Trudeau up to the conclusion that he violated federal ethics rules a third time."
If we want to call on people to consider "the greater good", we might want to double-check our moral compass. Otherwise, it is pretty hollow. We are struggling to deal with the pandemic effectively because of the absence of leadership morally. Maybe we need to come back to the fundamental teaching of Jesus about dying to oneself. What does it mean for each of us to live out Jesus' teaching in Luke 9: 23?
"And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
The world won't change because of political decisions. They won't transform human hearts and minds. Spiritually, we are indeed at a crossroads.
