“I think JM might be making the mistake of thinking that “freedom” is about ‘doing whatever you want’,”

More likely he probably thinks it means “doing whatever god says” and of course JM is god’s interpreter.

Yes, maybe …

I think JM might be making the mistake of thinking that “freedom” is about ‘doing whatever you want’, which actually leads to something akin to ‘the survival of the fittest’ (hence my ‘Darwinism’ jibe – which, if he claims to be Christian, he probably won’t appreciate!). It’s a common mistake, I reckon. True freedom and personal and social responsibility go hand-in-hand.

Whether the vaccines are ‘genuine vaccines’, or really ‘preventative therapies’ (a reasonable point to make, to be fair), is ultimately not relevant: the facts show that the dramatically improve people’s chances of living or not being hospitalized.

Terribly sorry to hear about your dad. My sincere condolences.

I think JM might be making the mistake of thinking that “freedom” is about ‘doing whatever you want’, which actually leads to something akin to ‘the survival of the fittest’ (hence my ‘Darwinism’ jibe – which, if he claims to be Christian, he probably won’t appreciate!). It’s a common mistake, I reckon. True freedom and personal and social responsibility go hand-in-hand.

Whether the vaccines are ‘genuine vaccines’, or really ‘preventative therapies’ (a reasonable point to make, to be fair), is ultimately not relevant: the facts shown that they dramatically improve people’s chances of living or not being hospitalized.

Terribly sorry to hear about your dad. My sincere condolences.

But you cannot deny that, generally, vaccination has had a hugely positive effect in many places. In the UK, for example, cases have been much higher this winter than last, but deaths at around just one fifth of last year’s level. Granted, this may be partly due to the less virulent nature of the Omicron strains, but the much more deadly Delta variant is still at large. I accept that, in the long run, some sort of herd immunity, maybe coupled with periodic boosters, is probably the only game in town; vaccination is a way of reaching that situation more quickly.

Another point: dying of COVID is not a ‘nice way to go’, and the kind of talk that says “well, it’s only the old and sick” sounds all rather Darwinian to me … These “old and sick people” are others’ spouses, parents, siblings, friends …

If healthcare services are under strain from unnecessarily high numbers of people being hospitalized with COVID, there is less capacity to treat the old and sick people that you love.

Get your jabs, honey!