This week we look at the world through three prayers – the first is that of a congressman in the US, the second of the Pope, and the third is Marys Magnificat. Through this we look at the current desperate situation in the US, the state of the Church, China and North Korea, Covid, the Woke Police, Grease, and a perverse ‘Messiah’….
https://theweeflea.podbean.com/e/quantum-128-the-world-in-three-prayers/
This podcast with Lional Shriver is well worth listening to…@!
This is so bad its hard to believe…
But this heretical prayer from the Pope is even worse –
https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/popes-epiphany-video-amplifies-masonic-heresy
China takes advantage of the chaos in the US and its new deal with the EU to clamp down again on Hong Kong. And refuses to let the WHO investigation team in.
Blapshemy against Christians and Christ is ok in Western ‘Progressive’ culture. This parody of The Messiah is apparently fine…
Catch up with last weeks here…
Happy New Year – Quantum 127 – Reflecting on the Year through Music.
Support Quantum here….
https://patron.podbean.com/theweeflea
I agree that Trump is irresponsible and many other things, but on the phone call he has been misrepresented. Read the full transcript (it’s quite long) and bemoan the ‘reporting’ thereof.
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/03/politics/trump-brad-raffensperger-phone-call-transcript/index.html
He should have known when to concede but he did not just say “Find me enough votes to win.”
No – he has not been misrepresented. I have the whole transcript and he did phone an election official and ask him to find another 11,000 votes. It was an outrageous abuse of power seeking to influence the result of an election. There were also many other errors/falsehoods – ie. Detroit had 139% turnout….(it was actually 50%). Whether through ignorance or lying, Trump is not to be trusted.
Hi David
I also listened to the transcript because I was shocked by the allegation of “finding votes”. It became obvious when I listened to it that President Trump was arguing that many votes had been fraudulent, I think he mentioned 44000 of a particular batch and what he was complaining about was that not even 11000 of those could be found to enable the result to change. He was not suggesting randomly finding 11,000 votes.
Simply, thank you. You have said a few things here that I have been trying to communicate to others, at least one of which who is a rude, arrogant liberal progressive that will punch you in the nose if you question his Christianity, yet he says the world will be better once I am silenced. All because our church’s prayer list, of which I do the typing as volunteer prayer team secretary, will not pray from “President Biden” until after the inauguration, because, for better or worse, Trump is still president. Yet, President-Elect Biden was added. And whether Trump has lost his mind or not (or as some think never had a mind to lose, but I think he has one), he needs our prayers. And then I listen to your podcast and it all seems to be less important, for we do not fight against flesh or principalities (Ephesians 6:12. loosely, very loosely). And maybe the crazy preacher on our local Christian TV station is right and the Rapture will be here before Spring. Why not? But thanks again, I am refreshed and I can move on, especially with your last prayer, or Mary’s…
Pence is perhaps the worst type of ‘Christian’ politician. Not a word of criticism during the antics and crimes of Donald Trump over 4 years, his hand was only forced when Congress was under siege from the religious mob. The Christian Religious Right has long been bankrupt not only in the USA but in Brazil and Africa. Look at Bolsonaro’s criticisms of women’s rights in Argentina!
What evidence do you have that the mob was ‘religious’ ….I suspect that they were not more religious than Antifa…but I guess when you have your kind of fundamentalist prejudice its easy to label and demonise….
Church Militant’s idea of Masonic influence on the Pope, isn’t it about time you abandoned conspiracy theories, David, haven’t you learnt from the siege of Congress where conspiracy theories lead to? The election of 2020 was correct and legitimate. This is what happens when Creationism is promoted in the USA, when you stop believing in reason and science, you end up believing any absurdity.
What a bizarre mix of conspiracy theories! The Pope preached heresy…I was not saying that the election of 2020 was incorrect – precisely the opposite. And creationism has nothing to do with yesterday. But you are right – when you stop believing in reason and science (although it should be reasoning not ‘belief’0 then you do end up believing any absurdity – like transgenderism, communism and that the baby in the womb is not human! Time to come out of your fundamentalist bunker…!
Is it grumpy old man – or having wisdom that comes with years? Steve is a spring chicken at 54 with me being 56 and you being 59 old man ;).
One thing I would say with the passing of time in agreement with you both is that time goes by quickly as we look back as we get older it seems.
A time to be be born and a time to die a time of war, a time of peace etc that you had Steve read from Ecclesiastes with me and my radio presenter head on had me going to The Byrds and the song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA2IYnGRYac
And yeah before you say anything David, I am showing my age with this being the song that comes to mind for me! haha.
What is wrong with a parody of the Messiah, I thought you believed in Freedom of Speech or is it only for your religion and no one else’s?
You havn’t quite grasped how freedom of speech works! It does not mean you have to agree with everyone or everything….
Not sure why Steeleye Span’s rather wonderful representation of a medieval chant is called a parody of the Messiah. Or have I missed something?
Yes – listen to the podcast and you will get it…Gaudete has nothing to do with the Messiah…
I enjoy the podcast but I do think that you are a little out of touch with the COVID situation in the UK. To continue to question the use of masks as a means of reducing transmission seems ludicrous!
https://twitter.com/bbc5live/status/1344543533173190663?s=24
I am fully in touch with the Covid situation in the UK – not only do I have family and friends there but I read UK newspapers, the BBC etc. Would you like to explain why the situation in the UK makes questioning masks ludicrous. Note – I question – I don’t have all the answers – \ My question is simply this – if masks are so effective – given that they are mandatory in the UK – why is the rate rising so rapidly? Are they really that effective? Or is it really the case that they make little difference (except in limited particular circumstances)and are largely psychological and political? Would love to hear the answer to that – its a question I have been asking a lot – and am usually just met with ‘of course masks work’!
With respect I’m not sure that having friends and family in the UK and reading about it on the BBC can give you enough perspective to be informed enough to question mask use here- especially with the influence you may have. Is this something you feel qualified to do? If you read the bbc did that include looking at the link provided in my last post?
Masks are most certainly not by any means the only mechanism through which the spread of covid will be reduced, but in areas where the prevalence is high and therefore baseline risk is high there is potentially a lot to be gained from their use:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30352-0/
As I’m sure you can appreciate mandating their use unfortunately is no guarantee of the public adhering to this or indeed other interventions that reduce spread. Spreading doubt on their use however, without adequate knowledge, to my mind could be considered irresponsible:
https://royalsociety.org/-/media/policy/projects/set-c/set-c-facemasks.pdf?la=en-GB&hash=A22A87CB28F7D6AD9BD93BBCBFC2BB24
Further info here:
https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2020/04/27/13993003.01260-2020
Hope that goes some way to answering your question.
Not really. I have read dozens of articles on Facemasks – most say that they can provide limited protection and should be worn in a confined crowded space where there is significant chance of community transmission. But that is not the question I asked….If masks (as per Biden and others) are the answer why is it that countries like the UK with soaring rates of transmission and mandatory mask policies, are not seeing them work? The latest WHO report (in December) also spread doubt on their use – were they being irresponsible? Maybe attacking people who question, without adequate knowledge could also be considered irresponsible? Have you also considered the harm that masks do?
I’m sorry you consider this to be an ‘attack.’ It was not intended as such, but I do think that raising doubt about clear and repeated guidance is not particularly helpful. I’m not sure if you read the articles I had signposted or not or understood my last response. The problem is not the guidance itself but that people are not following it. That is the reason for soaring rates of transmission. I see absolutely nothing within WHO guidance that spreads doubt on mask use. They are clear that they are part of a spectrum of measures that can help to reduce transmission. I am quite satisfied with my level of knowledge, as a healthcare professional. I am certain that a face mask has been one of the measures that has protected me thus far from COVID, despite significant exposure to it. In this context I don’t consider there to be any significant harms associated with their use.
Thanks Cameron – but the guidance is not clear (although I will grant you it is repeated). I had read all except one of those articles before. Again I just keep asking for evidence. It’s easy to say ‘its just that people are not following it’…what is your evidence for that? What studies do you have that show this is the reason for soaring rates of transmission? Might it be that in general the masks don’t work? Look at the WHO guidance at the beginning of December – Although they advise the use of masks they admit there is little scientific evidence for their efficacy – “At present there is only limited and inconsistent scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of masking of healthy
people in the community to prevent infection with respiratoryviruses, including SARS-CoV-2 (75).”
They also state that unless you are wearing a medical high grade mask they are highly unlikely to prevent you getting Covid (perhaps 5%). The purpose is to prevent you spreading it. The most recent German study says that there are harms for children and teenagers.
I have feeling we could go back and forward for some time on this David and it is with a sigh that I write this.
Public health guidance ( and messaging from health professionals) in Scotland has been clear for some months now about wearing of masks in public. The effectiveness will vary depending on the type of mask, how it is worn, whether it is put on and taken off with clean hands etc etc but you are absolutely right that the main benefit is in protecting others from yourself.
There are many sources of evidence that people are not following rules. I see it and hear about it everyday through the course of work. Beyond this you don’t have to look far:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/928684/S0732_CORSAIR_-_Adherence_to_the_test__trace_and_isolate_system.pdf
There are many reasons as to why the rates are and have been so high here- the uk has handled this terribly in comparison to New Zealand and Australia, but drawing the conclusion that it must be because masks don’t work is not correct and it I think it is completely disagree that there are significant harms associated with their use.
Anyway I won’t go on any further and I look forward to hearing the next podcast
But thats precisely why I don’t say the UK rate is high because of masks. Life is so much more complex. My point is that masks are primarily about psychology and politics – although there are some situations where wearing a mask does reduce the risk of spreading Covid.
So you have expended a fair amount of type with Cameron , and yet you’ve not offered a single alternative reason for the high rate of transmission in the UK?
Surely you have some thoughts about why masks are so ineffective?
As I have my own beliefs regarding Covid and its transmission I’m interested to hear how best you think we can contain it.
The high rate of transmission is due to a crowded island, community infection in too deep, and borders not being closed. Masks can assist in reducing transmission but only in a limited way – but because they are so visible they act as a useful ‘cure all’ for politicians. I’m not sure there is much we can do about Covid once it has entered into a significant way into the country. One way or another the only answer will be herd immunity (whether by vaccine or the number getting it becoming so great)..