There is a saying that it’s easier to fool someone than to convince someone that they have been fooled.
There is another saying that it’s easier to convince people of a huge lie than a small one.
Once our thinking is built on a foundation of lies or half truths we have a hard time discerning truth. How do we know?
There is another concept I’ve encountered that goes something like this, “Those who control the present, control the past. Those who control the past, control the future.”
Schools throughout the world teach history. Rarely will the curriculums from one country to another align. Sometimes different regions of a country have different history. Information about the past is transmitted to the next generations via curriculum for a variety of reasons. Many Christian homeschoolers carefully choose curricula that will support their Biblical world view. As a resident, turned citizen, of South Africa from 1983 to 2013, I heard a lot of discussion about educational curriculum in light of the profound changes the country experienced. Many past events were revised with a new understanding in light of the release of Nelson Mandela from prison and his election as President of the country that had once considered him a dangerous terrorist.
Rarely is history as clear as we’d like to be able to teach our children. Many of us grew up hearing lots of dates and facts in history class and lost interest in the topic. The intrigues of nation against nation and political rise and fall doesn’t captivate very many. Learning early on that history is boring, we put our attention and energy into areas that are more captivating.
As a retired homeschool mom [all five have long since graduated], I’ve grown to be very intrigued by history and explored a variety of different sources. The reality of the role of propaganda throughout history is undeniable, yet none of us wants to admit we have been a victim of propaganda! Could much of our early education and exposure to media have been part of a tactic to influence or control my thinking? We pride ourselves on our independent thought, yet how independent is my understanding of world affairs both past and present?
One thing I have learned in light of recent crazy events, God’s word is a great place to place my trust. The old testament accounts sound amazingly similar to what we are witnessing first hand today. God’s word is true. God is trustworthy. As I view current events in light of God’s eternal truths, I have more understanding. I also have confidence in our all powerful God!
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities: All things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. Colossians 1:15-17
God is still in control. All things are working for His purpose and for our ultimate good.
I found this lecture/interview with Professor Mark Crispin Miller from NYU quite profound. He is a student and teacher of propaganda throughout history. He makes some pretty startling statements in this 30 minute interview.
Mark Cripsin Miller: “It seems to me that the year 2020 and the first half of 2021 have comprised a global propaganda spectacle of unprecedented scale and sophistication. I for one believe that we were subjected to a series of carefully planned psychological operations over the course of 2020 and just beyond. I think it started with the roll-out of the virus. This particular instance of fear-mongering is the most persuasive, the most compelling, the most devastating kind of fear-mongering that’s ever really been used in the history of propaganda and that’s really saying something. We’ve seen the fear propaganda move from the Hun to Communism to Terrorism but now it makes the crucial move to the thing itself. The thing with which previous enemies have been compared. The evocation of The Virus Is All Around Us was enough to turn the wits of millions of highly educated people. It’s a very easy matter to get people to do what you want. Just convince them they’re under attack and that anyone who argues with that claim is putting them at risk.”
“Propaganda is the executive arm of the invisible government,” wrote Edward Bernays [in 1929], the father of modern propaganda. In part one of Episode 17, Mark Crispin Miller, professor of Media Studies at New York University, discusses the propaganda onslaught that defined the year 2020, when what was dismissed one week is confirmed the next, and why questioning official narratives “necessarily means taking ‘conspiracy theory’ seriously.”
We can feel uneasy and unsettled when faced with such information. Sometimes we prefer to bury our heads in the sand and pretend our fantasy picture of the world is accurate! Understanding that there is something not quite right about the narrative we’ve been presented can actually open up our faith and cause us to grow as we seek to know God and call on Him to guide us as we navigate life with a new understanding. God is faithful. He is calling His children to trust Him. He is still at work building His Kingdom. We need to re-evaluate our tightly held ideas about the world and re-examine everything in light of God’s unfailing truth.
Ultimately we can no longer live in a fantasy world. The adage, “What you don’t know doesn’t hurt you,” is changed to “What you do know won’t hurt you.”
Becky Hastings collects information on health and tries her best to discover and share truth. “By God’s grace, through Jesus Christ, I was saved, blessed with a husband of 40 years, and have five precious babies all grown up. I now get to delight as nine grandchildren grow! Together we can help each other discover a healthy path in this crazy upside down world.“
We all want health. Our biggest challenge is discerning HOW to achieve our goal in this age when we are bombarded with information and opinions – many of which are directly contradictory. Health is a topic I began to seriously explore after taking a course called Nutritional Chemistry in 1979. I found some reflections by another health seeker that I want to share. There are many voices that agree that true health and protection from illness will not come through an injection, but these voices are often muted in this age. Here are 18 Reasons I Won’t Be Getting a Covid Vaccine by Christian Elliot with some minor editing to condense it. For me, personally, number one and two are all I need to make this decision, but please read through the whole list. At the end I’ll add a couple more to consider.
A few friends have asked my thoughts the covid jab(s) so I thought it was time to write an article on the topic. Many were unfamiliar with most of the details I shared. I’ve put them together to share with a wider audience.
Knowing how contentious this issue is, part of me would rather just write about something else, but I feel like the discussion/news is so one-sided that I should speak up. As I always strive to do, I promise to do my best to be level-headed and non-hysterical.
I’m not here to pick a fight with anyone, just to walk you through some of what I’ve read, my lingering questions, and explain why I can’t make sense of these covid vaccines.
THREE GROUND RULES FOR DISCUSSION
If you care to engage on this topic with me, excellent. Here are the rules… I am more than happy to correspond with you if…
You are respectful and treat me the way you would want to be treated.
You ask genuinely thoughtful questions about what makes sense to you.
You make your points using sound logic and don’t hide behind links or the word “science.”
If you do respond, and you break any of those rules, your comments will be ignored/deleted. With that out of the way, let me say this… I don’t know everything, but so far no one has been able to answer the objections below.
So here are the reasons I’m opting out of the covid vaccine.
#1: VACCINE MAKERS ARE IMMUNE FROM LIABILITY
The only industry in the world that bears no liability for injuries or deaths resulting from their products, are vaccine makers.
First established in 1986 with the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, and reinforced by the PREP Act, vaccine makers cannot be sued, even if they are shown to be negligent.
#2: THE CHECKERED PAST OF THE VACCINE COMPANIES
The four major companies who are making these covid vaccines are/have either:
Never brought a vaccine to market before covid (Moderna and Johnson & Johnson).
Are serial felons (Pfizer and Astra Zeneca).
Are both of the above (Johnson & Johnson).
Moderna had been trying to “Modernize our RNA” (thus the company name) for years, but had never successfully brought ANY product to market — how nice for them to get a major cash infusion from the government to keep trying.
In fact, all major vaccine makers (save Moderna) have paid out tens of billions of dollars in damages for other products they brought to market when then knew those product would cause injuries and death–see Vioxx, Bextra, Celebrex, Thalidomide, and Opioids as a few examples.
If drug companies willfully choose to put harmful products in the market, when they can be sued, why would we trust any product where they have NO liability?
In case it hasn’t sunk in, let me reiterated…3 of the 4 covid vaccine makers have been sued for products they brought to market even though they knew injuries and deaths would result.
Astra Zeneca has similarly lost so many lawsuits it’s hard to count. Here’s one. Here’s another…you get the point. And in case you missed it, the company had their covid vaccine suspended in at least 18 countries over concerns of blood clots, and they completely botched their meeting with the FDA with numbers from their study that didn’t match.
Oh, and apparently J&J (whose vaccine is approved in the US) and Astrazenca (whose vaccine is not approved in the US), had a little mix up in their ingredients…in 15 million doses. Oops.
Let me reiterate this point:
Given the free pass from liability, and the checkered past of these companies, why would we assume that all their vaccines are safe and made completely above board? Where else in life would we trust someone with that kind of reputation?
To me that makes as much sense as expecting a remorseless, abusive, unfaithful lover to become a different person because a judge said deep down they are a good person.
No. I don’t trust trust them. No liability. No trust.
#3: THE UGLY HISTORY OF ATTEMPTS TO MAKE CORONAVIRUS VACCINES
In the 1960s, attempts to make a coronavirus vaccine killed children in human trials, in the 21st century (not making the mistake of skipping animal trials this time), attempts to make similar vaccines sickened or killed ALL of the ferrets in animal trials. All of them.
In both instances mentioned above, the children and the animals produced beautiful antibody responses after being vaccinated. They manufacturers thought they hit the jackpot. The problem came when the children and animals were exposed to the wild version of the virus.
When that happened, an unexplained phenomenon called Antibody Dependent Enhancement (ADE) also known as Vaccine Enhanced Disease (VED) occurred where the immune system produced a “cytokine storm” (i.e. overwhelmingly attacked the body), and the children/animals died.
The vaccine makers have no data to suggest their rushed vaccines have overcome that problem.
#4: THE “DATA GAPS” SUBMITTED TO THE FDA BY THE VACCINE MAKERS
When vaccine makers submitted their papers to the FDA for the Emergency Use Authorization (Note: An EUA is not the same as a full FDA approval), among the many “Data Gaps” they reported was that they have nothing in their trials to suggest they overcame that pesky problem of Vaccine Enhanced Disease.
They simply don’t know–i.e. they have no idea if the vaccines they’ve made will also produce the same cytokine storm (and deaths) as previous attempts at such products.
If that’s not alarming enough, here are other gaps in the data–i.e. there is no data to suggest safety or efficacy regarding:
Anyone younger than age 18 or older than age 55
Pregnant or lactating mothers
Auto-immune conditions
Immunocompromised individuals
No data on transmission of covid
No data on preventing mortality from covid
No data on duration of protection from covid
Hard to believe right? In case you think I’m making this up, or want to see the actual documents sent to the FDA by Pfizer and Moderna for their Emergency Use Authorization, you can check out this, or this respectively. The data gaps can be found starting with page 46 and 48 respectively.
For now let’s turn our eyes to the raw data the vaccine makers used to submit for emergency use authorization.
#5: NO ACCESS TO THE RAW DATA FROM THE TRIALS
Would you like to see the raw data that produced the “90% and 95% effective” claims touted in the news? Me too… But they won’t let us see that data.
As pointed out in the BMJ, something about the Pfizer and Moderna efficacy claims smells really funny. There were
“3,410 total cases of suspected, but unconfirmed covid-19 in the overall study population, 1,594 occurred in the vaccine group vs. 1,816 in the placebo group.”
Wait…what? Did they fail to do science in their scientific study by not verifying a major variable Could they not test those “suspected but unconfirmed” cases to find out if they had covid?
Apparently not. Why not test all 3,410 participants for the sake of accuracy? We can only guess they didn’t test because it would mess up their “90-95% effective” claims. Where’s the FDA?
Would it not be prudent for the FDA, to expect (demand) that the vaccine makers test people who have “covid-like symptoms,” and release their raw data so outside, third-parties could examine how the manufacturers justified the numbers?
I mean it’s only every citizen of the world we’re trying to get to take these experimental products… Why did the FDA not require that? Isn’t that the entire purpose of the FDA anyway?
Good question. Foxes guarding the hen house? Seems like it.
No liability. No trust.
#6: NO LONG-TERM SAFETY TESTING
Obviously, with products that have only been on the market a few months, we have no long-term safety data. In other words, we have no idea what this product will do in the body months or years from now–for ANY population.
Given all the risks above (risks that ALL pharmaceutical products have), would it not be prudent to wait to see if the worst-case scenarios have indeed been avoided? Would it not make sense to want to fill those pesky “data gaps” before we try to give this to every man, woman, and child on the planet?
Well…that would make sense, but to have that data, they need to test it on people, which leads me to my next point…
#7: NO INFORMED CONSENT
What most who are taking the vaccine don’t know is that because these products are still in clinical trials, anyone who gets the shot is now part of the clinical trial. They are part of the experiment. Those (like me) who do not take it, are part of the control group.
Time will tell how this experiment works out.
#8: UNDER-REPORTING OF ADVERSE REACTIONS AND DEATH
According to a study done by Harvard (at the commission of our own government), less than 1% of all adverse reactions to vaccines are actually submitted to the National Vaccine Adverse Events Reports System (VAERS) – read page 6 at the link above.
While the problems with VAERS have not been fixed (as you can read about this letter to the CDC), at the time off this writing VEARS still reports over 2,200 deaths for the current covid vaccines, as well as close to 60,000 adverse reactions.
“VAERS data released today showed 50,861 reports of adverse events following COVID vaccines, including 2,249 deaths and 7,726 serious injuries between Dec. 14, 2020 and March 26, 2021.”
#9: THE VACCINES DO NOT STOP TRANSMISSION OR INFECTION
Wait, what? Aren’t these vaccines supposed to be what we’ve been waiting for to “go back to normal”? Nope.
Why do you think we’re getting all these conflicting messages about needing to practice social distancing and wear masks AFTER we get a vaccine? The reason is because these vaccines were never designed to stop transmission OR infection. If you don’t believe me, I refer you again to the papers submitted to the FDA I linked to above.
The primary endpoint (what the vaccines are meant to accomplish) is to lower your symptoms. Sounds like just about every other drug on the market right?
That’s it…lowering your symptoms is the big payoff we’ve been waiting for. Does that seem completely pointless to anyone but me?
It can’t stop us from spreading the virus.
It can’t stop the virus from infecting us once we have it.
To get the vaccine is to accept all the risk of these experimental products and the best it might do is lower symptoms?
Heck, there are plenty of other things I can do to lower my symptoms that don’t involve taking what appears to be a really risky product?
Now for the next logical question:
If we’re worried about asymptomatic spreaders, would the vaccine not make it more likely that we are creating asymptomatic spread?
If it indeed reduces symptoms, anyone who gets it might not even know they are sick and thus they are more likely to spread the virus, right? For what it’s worth, I’ve heard many people say the side effects of the vaccine (especially the second dose) are worse than catching covid.
I can’t make sense of that either. Take the risk. Get no protection. Suffer through the vaccine side-effects. Keep wearing your mask and social distancing… And continue to be able to spread the virus.
#10: PEOPLE ARE CATCHING COVID AFTER BEING FULLY VACCINATED
Talk about a bummer. You get vaccinated and you still catch covid.
In reality, this phenomenon is probably happening everywhere, but those are the ones making the news now. Given the reasons above (and what’s below), maybe this doesn’t surprise you, but bummer if you thought the vaccine was a shield to keep you safe. It’s not. That was never the point.
If 66% of healthcare workers are going to delay or skip the vaccine…maybe they aren’t wowed by the rushed science either. Maybe they are watching the shady way deaths and cases are being reported…
#11: THE OVERALL DEATH RATE FROM COVID
According the the CDC’s own numbers, covid has a 99.74% survival rate.
Why would I take a risk on a product, that doesn’t stop infection or transmission, to help me overcome a cold that has a .26% chance of killing me–actually in my age range is has about a 0.1% chance of killing me (and .01% chance of killing my kids), but let’s not split hairs here.
With a bar (death rate) that low, we will be in lockdown every year…i.e. forever. But wait, what about the 500,000 plus deaths, that’s alarming right?
#12: THE BLOATED COVID DEATH NUMBERS
Something smells really funny about this one. Never before in the history of death certificates has our own government changed how deaths are reported. Why now, are we reporting everyone who dies with covid in their body, as having died of covid, rather than the co-morbidities that actually took their life?
Until covid, all coronaviruses (common colds) were never listed as the primary cause of death when someone died of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, auto-immune conditions, or any other major co-morbidity. The disease was listed as the cause of death, and a confounding factor like flu or pneumonia was listed on a separate line.
To bloat the number even more, both the W.H.O. and the C.D.C. changed their guidelines such that those who are suspected or probable (but were never confirmed) of having died of covid, are also included in the death numbers.
Seriously? If we are going to do that then should we not go back and change the numbers of all past cold and flu seasons so we can compare apples to apples when it comes to death rates?
According to the CDCs own numbers, (scroll down to the section “Comorbidities and other conditions”) only 6% of the deaths being attributed to covid are instances where covid seems to be the only issue at hand.
In other words, reduce the death numbers you see on the news by 94% and you have what is likely the real numbers of deaths from just covid.
Even if the former CDC director is correct and covid-19 was lab-enhanced virus, a .26% death rate is still in line with the viral death rate that circles the planet ever year.
Then there’s this Fauci guy.
I’d really love to trust him, but besides the fact that he hasn’t treated one covid patient…and you should probably know…
#13: FAUCI AND SIX OTHERS AT NIAID OWN PATENTS IN THE MODERNA VACCINE
Thanks to the Bayh-Dole Act, government workers are allowed to file patents on any research they do using tax payer funding.
Tony Fauci owns over 1,000 patents, including patents being used on the Moderna vaccine…which he approved government funding for. Does anyone else see this as a MAJOR conflict of interest, or criminal even?
And then there’s this pesky problem…
#14: THE VIRUS CONTINUES TO MUTATE
Not only does the virus (like all viruses) continue to mutate, but according to world-renown vaccine developer Geert Vanden Bossche (who you’ll meet below if you don’t know him) it’s mutating about every 10 hours.
How in the world are we going to keep creating vaccines to keep up with that level of mutation?
We’re not. Might that also explain why fully vaccinated people are continuing to catch covid?
Why, given that natural immunity has never ultimately failed humanity, do we suddenly not trust it?
Why, if I ask questions like the above, or post links like what you find above, will my thoughts be deleted from all major social media platforms?
That brings me to the next troubling problem I have with these vaccines.
#16: CENSORSHIP…AND THE COMPLETE ABSENCE OF SCIENTIFIC DEBATE
I can’t help but get snarky here, so humor me.
How did you enjoy all those nationally and globally-televised, robust debates put on by public health officials, and broadcast simultaneously on every major news station?
Wasn’t it great hearing from the best minds in medicine, virology, epidemiology, economics, and vaccinology from all over the world as they vigorously and respectfully debated thingslike:
Lockdowns
Mask wearing
Social-distancing
Vaccine efficacy and safety trials
How to screen for susceptibility to vaccine injury
Wasn’t it great seeing public health officials (who never treated anyone with covid) have their “science” questioned.
Wasn’t it great seeing the FDA panel publicly grill the vaccine makers in prime time as they stood in the hot-seat of tough questions about products of which they have no liability?
When did the first amendment become a suggestion? It’s the FIRST amendment Mark–the one our founders thought was most important. With so much at stake, why are we fed only one narrative…shouldn’t many perspectives be heard and professionally debated?
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO SCIENCE?
What has happened to the scientific method of always challenging our assumptions?
What happened to lively debate in this country, or at least in Western society? Why did anyone who disagrees with the WHO, or the CDC get censored so heavily?
Is the science of public health a religion now, or is science supposed to be about debate?
If someone says “the science is settled” that’s how I know I’m dealing with someone who is closed minded.
By definition science (especially biological science) is never settled.
If it was, it would be dogma, not science.
OK, before I get too worked up, let me say this… I WANT TO BE A GOOD CITIZEN I really do.
If lockdowns work, I want to do my part and stay home.
If masks work, I want to wear them.
If social distancing is effective, I want to comply.
But, if there is evidence they don’t, I want to hear that evidence too. If highly-credentialed scientists have different opinions, I want to know what they think? I want a chance to hear their arguments and make up my own mind. I don’t think I’m the smartest person in the world, but I think I can think. Maybe I’m weird, but if someone is censored, then I REALLY want to hear what they think.
Don’t you?
To all my friends who don’t have a problem with censorship, will you have the same opinion when what you think is censored? Is censorship not the technique of dictators, tyrants, and greedy, power-hungry people? Is it not a sign that those who are doing the censoring know it’s the only way to win? What if a man who spent his entire life developing vaccines was willing to put his entire reputation on the line and call on all global leaders to immediately stop the covid vaccines because of problems with the science? What if he pleaded for an open-scientific debate on a global stage? Would you want to hear what he has to say? Would you want to see the debate he’s asking for?
#17: A WORLD LEADING VACCINOLOGIST IS SOUNDING THE ALARM…
Here is what may be the biggest reason this covid vaccine doesn’t make sense to me.
When someone who is very pro-vaccine, who has spent his entire professional career overseeing the development of vaccines, is shouting from the mountaintops that we have a major problem, I think the man should be heard.
Why the covid vaccine may be putting so much pressure on the virus that we are accelerating it’s ability to mutate and become more deadly.
Why the covid vaccines may be creating vaccine-resistant viruses (similar to anti-biotic resistant bacteria).
Why, because of previous problems with Antibody Dependent Enhancement, we may be looking at a mass casualty event in the next few months/years.
If half of what he says comes true, these vaccines could be the worst invention of all time. If you don’t like his science, take it up with him. I’m just the messenger.
But I can also speak to covid personally.
#18: I ALREADY HAD COVID
I didn’t enjoy it. It was a nasty cold for two days:
Unrelenting butt/low-back aches
Very low energy.
Low-grade fever.
It was weird not being able to smell anything for a couple days. A week later, coffee still tasted a little “off.” But I survived.
Now it appears (as it always has) that I have beautiful, natural, life-long immunity…not something likely to wear off in a few months if I get the vaccine. In my body, and my household, covid is over.
In fact, now that I’ve had it, there is evidence the covid vaccine might actually be more dangerous for me. That is not a risk I’m willing to take.
IN SUMMARY
The above are just my reasons for not wanting the vaccine. Maybe my reasons make sense to you, maybe they don’t. Whatever does makes sense to you, hopefully we can still be friends.
I for one think there’s a lot more that we have in common that what separates us.
We all want to live in a world of freedom.
We all want to do our part to help others and to live well.
We all want the right to express our opinions without fearing we’ll be censored or viciously attacked.
We all deserve to have the access to the facts so we can make informed decisions.
Agree or disagree with me; I’ll treat you no differently. You’re a human just as worthy of love and respect as anyone else. For that I salute you, and I truly wish you all the best.
I hope you found this helpful. If so, feel free to share.
If not, feel free to (kindly) let me know what didn’t make sense to you and I’d be happy to hear your thoughts too.
Stay curious and stay humble.
Until next time,
Christian Elliot
PS. If you think I studied this topic well, think about how much thought I would put into helping you with your health. Helping people with their health is what I do all day, every day.
If you have read attentively this far, you might have noticed that there is no #15! I’m waiting to hear from Christian about that one! Meantime, here are some more reasons I can think of on why accepting this shot is probably not the best idea. I’d love to know if you have some unique reasons that aren’t presented here!
There are effective treatment options both to prevent and heal from this infection that are safe.
The death rate is extremely low, nowhere near what was initially projected. If you want to know for sure, phone your local mortuary or funeral home and ask them if 2020 was a big year for the death industry, or was it similar to previous years.
Most of the ‘vaccines’ (which perhaps should be called gene therapy) require extremely low temperatures from the time of manufacture to delivery into a body. How do we know for certain the injection coming into an arm has been properly stored? That is a lot of faith and trust in a supply chain, never mind in the manufacturing process that is rushing millions of doses around the world.
The amount of hype and fear used to push this product on the public should raise serious red flags.
Threats of not being allowed to engage in certain activities if you do not accept this shot, combined with promised rewards such as ‘life can only get back to normal’ if you do get this shot seem a lot like manipulation. Do a little research on manipulation techniques – strategies used by military and predators for decades.
My body is God’s temple. He designed every part – including the incredible amazing immune system. Injecting experimental liability free substances with a hope of ‘protection’ or ‘freedom’ does not seem the best way to honor and worship God. In fact, it seems more like idolatry.
I’d love to hear your reasons. Really, we don’t need that many reasons. But we do need to examine this issue rationally.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming; and now it is already in the world. 4 Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.5 They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15 God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. 16 So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.
God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.
1 John 4:1-18
Becky Hastings collects information on health and tries her best to discover and share truth. By God’s grace, through Jesus Christ, I was saved, blessed with a husband of 40 years, and five precious babies all grown up. I now get to delight as nine grandchildren grow! Together we can help each other discover a healthy path in this crazy upside down world.
A few reflections. A mini devotional. I do NOT possess all the answers!
My son and I were discussing Biblical prophesy. In light of world events many are seeking to figure out what is going on in the world, and what is coming. I don’t claim to know, but I keep going back to the Bible and I ask myself, What is clear?
In Luke 21 Jesus predicts the temple will be destroyed and the disciples ask Him, when?
Does His answer cover only the destruction of the temple, or does it also cover His return, the event we know as the ‘Second Coming’? I don’t know.
Either way, we can take His words to heart, “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21: 34-36
Earlier, in Luke 17, the Pharisees asked Jesus WHEN the kingdom of God would come. Jesus said it’s not something you will see, it is something within you.
Jesus says “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed” referring to the days before the flood and the days before Sodom was destroyed. Both acts reveal God’s judgment, but people were just living life and unaware of the big change that the world would experience.
Jesus is conveying urgency. Don’t go back to your house to get your possessions. Flee from the judgment. Don’t be like Lot’s wife – attached to the material comfort she had gotten used to.
Jesus says clearly, “Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.” Luke 17:33
This is clear. The next verses have been interpreted many ways. What are these words of Jesus supposed to mean? Leaving all my preconceived ideas, or previous teaching, what do they say?
“I tell you, on that night” [which night? His Second coming? The destruction of Jerusalem?]. Bear in mind that the original question was when the kingdom of God would come.
“Two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding corn together; one will be taken and the other left.” Luke 17:34-35
“‘Where, Lord?’” they asked.” Who is the “they”? Disciples or Pharisees? Were they asking where those who are taken would be taken to? Somewhat unclear.
Jesus’ answer is wide open to interpretation. “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.” Luke 17:37
Wow. What does that mean? One thing is clear to me, Jesus didn’t intend to be clear! If Jesus is not clear, should we seek to force clarity?
What is clear from these words, this teaching of Jesus? The kingdom of God is not what we expect. We need to be ready and watchful. We need to loosen our attachment to the material world. We need to grow our faith and trust in God and His provision. We can pray (from Luke 21:36) that we may be able to escape (with our loved ones) and that we will be able to stand before Jesus. This makes me think of the parable of the talents as related in Matthew 24. We have all been entrusted with life and blessings and one day we will stand before our Creator and give an account of how we used what He gave us.
One thing more, verse 24 says “For the Son of Man in His day will be like lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.”
It is unclear what “the Son of Man in His day” means. But it will be evident and obvious. Could this be a reference to when the curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom, unusual darkness had been over the earth, and people came out of their graves at the time of Jesus’ death? This is possibly inferred from the next verse, “But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.”
Think about all the people living in the time of Noah and Lot. We are told that wickedness abounded. But there were perhaps many other people who were just tolerating the wicked, and just trying to live their life the best they knew how. They knew the wickedness happening all around them was evil and perhaps some chose not to participate, but they didn’t hate it enough to point it our or separate themselves from it. They tolerated it. The angels visited Lot. People, innocent bystanders, could have joined Lot and his family to flee the corruption. They either didn’t believe judgment was coming, or didn’t believe Lot offered a legitimate safety option. Noah spent 80 years building the huge structure we know as the ark. During that time he preached and warned. There was ample room in the ark for all who could see the coming judgment and would put their trust in God’s provision to escape it. Yet except for Noah, his three sons, and their wives, all stuck steadfastly with the culture. They stayed with the material life that they knew. They may have been victims of evil. They may have been observers. No doubt there was a wide range of response to the evil and wickedness happening at that time. But only those who fully trusted God and demonstrated it by the action of walking into the ark were protected.
How do I apply Jesus’ teaching on future events from these passages to my life? Should I have absolute confidence that God will rescue me out of judgment and I’ll sail away before it happens? Did Jesus promise that those who follow Him will avoid all suffering? Most of us recognize the proliferation of evil around us. But do we separate ourselves from it? What does that even look like in 2021?
The people living during the time of Noah and Lot were just doing the best they could under difficult circumstances, but failed to dig into the heart of God, understand the world from a spiritual perspective, believe His word and warnings, and look to Him for deliverance. Jesus’ death and resurrection ushered in the kingdom of God. Everything changed for mankind from that time forward. This is clear from what Jesus said about John the Baptist, “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” Luke 7:28.
I cannot fully fathom God’s mysteries. I don’t understand the many references to future events, but I can respond with gratitude.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, risen Savior, that I have been washed. I am forgiven. I have been ‘taken’. I have been ‘released’ from the power of the god of this world and You will deliver me through whatever trials may come. Help me to offer light to those still in darkness and to love them enough to warn them of the coming judgement. Help me to rightly discern Your word and world events so that I can walk boldly in the provision and protection of Your Holy Spirit. I do not know the future or understand fully how everything will transpire, but I trust in Your provision and protection. Help me to stand strong before you in the strength You provide.
by Becky Hastings who collects information on health and tries her best to discover and share truth. By God’s grace, through Jesus Christ, I was saved, blessed with a husband of 40 years, and five precious babies all grown up. I now get to delight as nine grandchildren grow! Together we can help each other discover a healthy path in this crazy upside down world.
My perspective differs significantly to ‘majority opinion’.
I have been pursuing health through a wide variety of healthy practices for decades. I have thoroughly searched scientific literature and concluded that wearing masks is not going to provide benefit, and can actually bring harm physically, psychologically, and relationally.
I believe that we should speak up and graciously explain our position.
The reason I do not wear a mask, and smile and interact with everyone I meet, is so I can be a benefit and blessing to others. God did not give us a spirit of fear. I do not fear a virus, nor am I a walking health hazard. God created our bodies with a need for oxygen, for face to face interactions, and to have community. I trust the immune system He designed and I practice good hygiene and respect for others.
Dig a little deeper into the actual infection fatality rate from the so-called unique virus – there is a >99% recovery rate for all ages. We need to disconnect from the fear driven mainstream media narrative. More people will die from despair related circumstances than from a virus. All cause mortality rate is lower in 2020 than it was in 2019. Look up stats for flu deaths this year. Almost non-existent. We really need discernment in knowing what information to trust.
Do not fear. God is not surprised by world events. There are many people who don’t wear masks and do not fear a virus. Find them. They will encourage you!
My three brothers and I, maskless, at a recent family gathering.
Becky Hastings collects information on health and tries her best to discover and share truth. By God’s grace, through Jesus Christ, I was saved. Blessed with a husband of 40 years, five precious babies all grown up, I now get to delight as nine grandchildren grow! Together we can help each other discover a healthy path in this crazy upside down world.
In one of his very first messages delivered to a public audience not long after Jesus’ death, resurrection, appearance, and return to heaven, Peter proclaims this timeless warning: “Save yourself from this corrupt generation.” Acts 2:40
Peter’s words, recorded 2000 years ago, ring very true today.
Sinners sin. Power corrupts. Leaders and governments control through any means possible. Why are we surprised?
Because we’ve been presented with a veneer that our country, our government, our leaders, our health care system, even the UN and WHO, have only good intentions for ‘we the people’.
A facade. We believed lies. We were deeply deceived. Programmed from birth through many sophisticated methods available: entertainment, media, news, education, medical standards, ‘science’, etc.
God is not surprised by current circumstances. His Word has timeless answers and will lead to wisdom and discernment – exactly what we need to navigate our current culture.
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. Acts 2:38-41
Read the whole chapter – Acts 2. I read God’s word every day, and these days the ancient writings seem more applicable than ever! As you seek God, He will answer. He promises that ALL who seek Him will find Him.
I don’t have all the answers. While there are many helpful theories about history, world operations, the route to health, I don’t believe any person alive understands all the background information needed to provide a comprehensive explanation. Any person who ignores God, His Creative work from the beginning of time, and His current explanation for world events, will miss out on huge portions of truth – even though they are sincerely seeking truth. Seeking God will lead to finding truth. I keep seeking. May I never hold on so tightly to my opinions that I miss seeing what God wants to show me. I have been deceived. We are all currently deceived about something. Jesus warns in Matthew 7, “Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inside are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will know them.”
If you are ready for a challenge, I have found an incredibly helpful method of exploring the collection of ancient documents joined together in the book we know as the Bible.
Becky Hastings, avid follower of Jesus Christ, wife, mother, grandmother, health seeker and reporter. Seeking truth can be challenging, and sometimes confusing, but far more rewarding than staying ignorant.
Will you commit 4 minutes a day for 30 days to a better you?
Do you have 4 minutes 6 days a week?
Will you replace your excuses with action?
This video outlines 5 simple exercises that you can do in 4 minutes. It’s claimed that this 4 minute workout will replace one hour in the gym! The key is to do them! Take it slow. Increase speed and repetitions ONLY as you are able. Determine to finish this 30 Day Challenge and meet the new YOU on the other side!
Some people like to weigh themselves, take ‘before photos’ or take measurements. If you want to do that, go ahead. However, one of the easiest measurements to notice is how your clothes fit and feel. After your first 30 days you will be seeing so much progress you will want to repeat it – and maybe add a few changes to your eating plan.
Remember to drink water every day to help your body ‘wash out’ and flush out the toxins. Let me know how your Waist disappears!
There are many benefits to a daily 4 minute exercise plan. I can’t wait for you to experience them!
Becky Hastings, avid follower of Jesus Christ, wife, mother, grandmother, health seeker, reporter, Biblical Counselor.
In this amazing talk Dr Zach Bush describes his journey as a traditionally trained medical doctor, specialising in treating people with serious chronic illness such as Type 2 Diabetes. His life was forever changed when he began asking questions, and finding answers outside of his training. When we are seeking truth we should be prepared to have some well entrenched paradigms shattered. It can be an unsettling process.
In this video from 2015, “Dr. Bush explains the unifying science behind devastating changes in the food, farming, and medical industries, introducing the breakthrough science of bacteria and their communication with the body’s defense systems. The industrial storm of the last 70 years has left the human gut and immune systems vulnerable to injury. Two synergistic toxins in our food and water systems have exploited this vulnerability, resulting in direct damage to the tight junctions that compose the natural firewalls at the gut/blood and blood/brain barriers. The correlations between diet, gut bacteria, and autism have been long-recognized. This new science reveals the mechanisms behind this relationship. The novel science of bacterial communication is the foundation for a new class of dietary supplements that go beyond what has been available.”
This might be two year old information, but many of us need to “catch up” with the latest knowledge and understanding of how environmental toxins are harming our guts leading to devastating health in all generations.
Becky Hastings, a wife, mom, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus, health promoter, breastfeeding counsellor helping moms for 22+ years, and someone who seeks to research, understand and share truth so people can make wise choices in our crazy mixed up, deceived world! Sometimes I share recipes and homespun teaching videos.
I’m older than you; probably a lot older. I even have children who are older than you. You know many people like me and you take our words with caution – because we can’t possible know or understand your reality. You might be bombarded with well meaning advice.
I pray you will take a few minutes and try to understand my heart. I truly want only the best for you. I am older, but I have learned a lot in my many years and would love to share what I have learned with you – both from my mistakes and from my learning.
I’ve always tended toward being a trusting person. I have been duped many times because I put trust in the wrong place. My life was forever changed when I made the choice to anchor my trust in Jesus Christ alone. My wholehearted desire to seek a growing relationship with Jesus, my Savior, has led me to investigate all the decisions I make differently, especially for my babies.
When I was a very young expectant mother, God brought several wise women across my path who provided input and wisdom beyond my years. They urged me to investigate:
Drugs given to women during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding and what impact they might have on the developing/new baby;
Procedures common for childbirth and newborns like episiotomies and circumcision and whether they were the best thing for long term health;
Routine standard of care procedures for newborns and babies like vaccines, vitamin K injections, and prophylactic eye ointment, and if they were safe and beneficial for newborns.
Breastfeeding and how to be successful – learning through the vast experience of other mothers.
I totally believe in your ability to be an amazing mother. However, there are forces at work in our society which are going to make it a lot harder for you to achieve your own expectations. There has never been a more difficult, more confusing time to be a mother.
When I was younger I couldn’t imagine a world where harm would be done to babies just for the sake of making a profit. Unfortunately, as I have learned more about the world, I’ve seen it happening in far too many arenas; confirmed by far too many moms. I don’t enjoy being skeptical and suspicious, but as a mother who desires only the best for her babies, it pays to be vigilant about everything.
Most parents are quite concerned about car seats, mattresses, diapers, and other basic baby items. I encourage you to be even more vigilant about the health choices you make for your baby. Don’t take anything for granted. Don’t wait until you are in the hospital or doctor’s office to investigate the many routine procedures they now perform on newborns or recommend during pregnancy. Don’t be afraid to hold a different opinion than the doctors or nurses. They probably have blindly accepted the information put out by the CDC. Their position and the pressure of insurance companies requires them to adhere to “routine standard of care” procedures, but that does not mean these practices are best for you and your baby. There are many highly intelligent members of the medical community who actively question and disagree with a lot of standard of care practices.
Making choices that go against mainstream recommendations can be a scary road to travel. I believe God gives mothers basic intuition on how to protect their baby and my desire is to nurture your intuition so that you can be a powerful advocate and warrior momma, doing everything you need to do to protect your baby from anything that could cause harm.
That is why I write. I am passionate about healthy empowered moms with healthy babies. I don’t make money! I have been researching many of these topics since I was newly pregnant 35 years ago. I have linked many of my previous blogs about these topics throughout this text. I encourage you to take a serious look at this information. I’d love to discuss any aspect of mothering with you. I realize you may make choices different from mine, and I respect your right to those choices. However, I urge you to make fully informed choices. Investigate, ask questions, dig deeper. Your baby will thank you.
All my love,
Becky
Author: Becky Hastings, wife to John for 36 years, mother of five naturally born breastfed babies, grandmother of six, passionate follower of Jesus and truth. As a volunteer breastfeeding counselor since 1993, Becky is devoted to helping parents, especially mothers, make wise decisions for the long-term health and wellbeing of their babies.
No longer in the stage of life of having small children – with all the joys and tasks they create – I now have the blessing of grandchildren! This allows me time to think about the significance of motherhood and seek to encourage moms in the most important role they could ever have. Seeking wisdom through the Bible daily, God sheds light in my heart and I desire to share this light with others.
Peter speaks directly to leaders in chapter five of his first letter, “Shepherd God’s flock. Not for the money, but eagerly.” These words powerfully impacted my heart one morning. Who are these words directed to? Leaders. Who is a leader? Parents are leaders. Mothers are leaders. We are entrusted with the leadership of our children.
What does it mean to shepherd a flock? I’m no expert in sheep, but my guess is the obvious things – take care of them. Make sure they have safe food, a safe place to eat and protect them from forces that might attack and harm them. David is a great example of a committed shepherd. He tells us that he actively protected his sheep by killing a lion and a bear. He didn’t abandon his sheep. He didn’t expect anyone else to come in and do his work for him. He was ready. He was alert. He was practiced. He attacked the enemies that sought to attack his flock.
We also read many of David’s psalms and we know God asserted that David was “a man after God’s own heart.” David was certainly not perfect. He committed adultery and murder and sought to cover it up. He married many wives and didn’t have a great track record as a father. However, God continues to affirm that David’s heart was directed toward God. I believe part of this comes from his occupation during the boredom of looking after his sheep. Let’s face it, when you are looking after sheep, there are times of boredom – when everything seems to be going well. David used this time to exalt in God. He wrote down praises to God and he memorized them. He used his down time to extol God and bask in who God is.
As mother-leaders we are to be prepared to actively protect our flock – the children we are blessed to bear and raise. We can also use the times of boredom to dig deeper into knowing God, knowing His word, memorizing His word and exalting God in our lives.
In 2017 we need to know exactly what dangers our sheep are facing. We need to have an awareness of the very real dangers in our world so that we can expose them and help our children avoid being consumed by the enemies they will encounter. I don’t believe we are called to push for a better world, or even hope that there will be a political solution to the evil we see around us. But, as a vigilant shepherd, as a mother today, we seek to protect our babies. God has entrusted them to our care; we must be aware and warn them of danger. An alert shepherd will investigate potential danger before advancing to a new area. Shepherds should be able to understand, point out, and explain the reason a particular path holds danger.
For me personally, as someone who has been blessed to get support and information that enabled me to have natural births and breastfeed the five children I was blessed by God to bear, the world of childbirth and early parenting are close to my heart. Knowing how empowering the act of giving birth naturally was for me, knowing how empowering the act of nurturing a baby exclusively at the breast is, and watching with delight as baby grows and thrives on breast milk alone is an unparalleled experience.
I believe the enemy wants to rob women of this empowering experience. Further, the enemy seeks to sow discord in the hearts of children and break the bonding process experienced easily through natural birth and breastfeeding. I am not trying to criticize anyone who has had a different experience, but the reality is, bonding is more difficult when there are complications in childbirth and when early breastfeeding is a struggle. These are not insurmountable challenges, but require much more effort and determination to get through. As a breastfeeding counselor for 23+ years I have seen women overcome incredible challenges to successfully breastfeed, but my heart aches to watch completely unnecessary complications develop because of lack of support, or poor recommendations to unsuspecting women.
I believe the medical establishment has so medicalized the childbirth experience that most women are deprived of the support necessary to watch their body give birth. A woman is designed to give birth and her body is the most amazing part of the process. Our modern medical practices often unnecessarily complicate the process and serve to DISempower women of their biological strength. Again, this is not meant as a criticism to specific women, who generally do the best with the situation they face, but to the system. Medicalized births often lead to increased trauma to both mom and baby and can make breastfeeding more difficult. Additionally, standard hospital practices, such as early cord clamping, routine vitamin K injections, eye ointment, and some of the well meaning advice given by staff can adversely impact bonding and breastfeeding. Medical personnel who are ignorant of breastfeeding can create many obstacles for a brand new mother trying to get breastfeeding off to a good start. Routine circumcision of male newborns can seriously impact breastfeeding – yet mothers are not warned.
As a breastfeeding counselor, nothing hurts my heart more than watching innocent, but ignorant, parents, blindly follow medical or cultural advice and end up actually harming their own child. They do not intend harm to their precious baby, but the system has ensnared them into decisions that are not in their baby’s best interests for lifelong health.
How? The list is long. Giving pregnant women vaccines which are known to harm the developing baby, giving many ultrasounds in pregnancy, routine birth practices (such as routine inductions or quick C-sections) designed with the doctor or hospital in mind but which put baby at greater risk of harm, vaccines given to baby, circumcision, allergy shots for children, Tylenol, screen time for babies and children (more addictive and damaging than some drugs), GMO food, processed foods, blindly trusting public schools or curriculum, Disney movies, etc.
I was once in darkness about most of these things. I didn’t know how harmful they were. But, having researched and now understanding the danger, I can no longer blindly continue these harmful practices for myself. As an “older women” I can no longer stand idly by and watch younger women get sucked into very dangerous fields where the enemy stands ready to devour both them and their young lambs.
So, I must speak out and warn others, despite the risk of being dismissed as crazy, or ridiculed by what I point out. I am encouraged by Paul’s admission of craziness,
“For if we are out of our mind (super crazy), it is for God, and if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ compels, us because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all died. And He died for all that those who live, no longer live for themselves, but for Him who for their sake, died, and was raised.” 2 Corinthians 5:13-14
Peter warns us that we need to ‘”Be serious. Be alert. Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him and be firm in the faith.” 1 Peter 5:8-9
This is why I started this blog. Thanks for reading. Thanks for sharing.
Author: Becky Hastings, wife to John for 36 years, mother of five, MIL to two, grandmother of six, passionate follower of Jesus Christ. A full time truth seeker, especially in the areas of health and children. Navigating our present day world can be challenging, God’s timeless truths in the Bible are my guide.
Circumcision is a very hot topic. So hot, in fact, that many parent health forums on Facebook completely ban it from discussion and all posts using the word are deleted. Discussing the genitals of males seems to elicit strong emotion from all angles. For this reason, I believe a lot of people have never really taken a serious look at the discussion — have never investigated the true facts for themselves. My toddler grandson was able to get away from his mother during a diaper change at a church social gathering and enjoyed the freedom of walking around naked. There were several young fathers who noticed him and remarked amongst themselves, “He must be European.” Between them they had seven sons. They totally accepted that the American way is to cut off the foreskin.
1. Circumcision practiced today is NOT the same as Biblical circumcision. Firstly I want to address the actual word. The word circumcision is a familiar term to Christians and people familiar with the Torah or religious practices of Abraham’s descendants. The use of the word in our modern context is not at all the same. The procedure performed on infants today, predominantly in the US, should more appropriately be known as foreskin or prepuce amputation. Many people refer to it as genital mutilation.
Language is critically important in this discussion. The practice introduced to Abraham was not the same practice performed in US hospitals today. During Abraham’s time no one could imagine the complete amputation of an infant’s foreskin. This is part of the reason that ancient artistic depictions of the infant Jesus show him to be intact. (http://www.drmomma.org/2009/11/jack-black-on-circumcision.html) Of course the fact of Jesus’ circumcision according to the Jewish law was never questioned, but the procedure was one of a slight cutting of the foreskin which left the appearance of an intact organ. Biblical circumcision was a cutting of the foreskin, not a cutting off of the entire prepuce.
2. Rate of death from the modern practice of foreskin amputation is approximately one infant every two days in the US. According to those who have researched documented cases of death where the stated cause is circumcision, approximately every second day a baby boy dies as a result of circumcision complications. The actual number may be far higher, as circumcision is not always listed as the cause of death. Deaths may be attributed to a secondary cause such as infection or bleeding, which would never have occurred without the surgical procedure of cutting off the foreskin. Parents are rarely warned that there is a real risk of death from the trauma, or from the bleeding.
MORBIDITY: Deaths from circumcision and its complications are estimated at 229 per year based on a ratio from a British study. There are about 178 times the number of circumcision deaths than schoolyard violent deaths each year. http://www.cirp.org/library/statistics/bollinger2004/
3. The US is the only country with high rates of routine infant foreskin removal. Prevalence of circumcision in other countries according to the WHO is ±30% of the total male population. Parents in the US are completely oblivious to the rate of circumcision throughout the world.
“The strange truth is that the U.S. is the sole country in the world where a large majority of its male population is routinely circumcised at birth for non-religious reason.”
“The neonatal circumcision rate peaked in the U.S. in the late 1960s, at around 80-90%. Since then, the procedure has been slowly declining—in part due to the skepticism of parents who no longer place blind faith in the medical establishment and in part due to the profession’s own writings.”
Good news: “The intact rate among newborn males in the U.S. has increased from 15 percent in 1965 to 44.5 percent in 2006. This is an increase of 294 percent.” http://www.cirp.org/library/statistics/USA//
4. The positive role of the foreskin. The foreskin is an organ that the majority of men in the US have not experienced. “Removing this healthy, vital, fully functioning organ from a non-consenting person will forever change the sexuality of this future adult man and his partner.” The intact foreskin provides external protection, self-cleansing, internal self-protection, immunological protection, antibacterial function, coverage during erection, erogenous sensitivity, sexual functions, and self lubrication. Foreskin removal deprives a man of these benefits. http://www.drmomma.org/2009/09/functions-of-foreskin-purposes-of.html
5. There are no health benefits from routine infant foreskin removal. Circumcision has no justifiable benefits and is in fact harmful – from pain and suffering to surgical botches to reduced maternal-child bonding and interfering with breastfeeding. Medical authorities throughout the world consider circumcision medically unnecessary and unethical. Botched circumcisions can cause trauma for boys and men throughout their lives. https://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org
6. Blood loss is a serious risk of routine foreskin amputation, especially for infants. Parents are not adequately warned of this danger. Losing a small amount of blood results in a significant loss of a baby’s total blood volume. “An eight pound baby only needs to lose 1 ounce of blood to hemorrhage, and just 2.3 ounces to die as a result of this blood loss. It can, and does, occur at a frighteningly quick pace.” Smaller babies are even more at risk. http://www.drmomma.org/2010/05/death-from-circumcision.html
7. Baby Foreskin is a highly profitable commodity. Infant foreskins are sold at considerable profits for scientific research, vaccine development, and other consumable uses. Details of the many uses and how to harvest the highly valuable fibroblast cells are discussed here. https://vactruth.com/2017/09/28/foreskin-used-in-vaccines/
8. Baby boys should be like their fathers/brothers/etc.? Performing a surgical amputation is not justified because of a surgical amputation performed on the infant’s father, siblings, or other males. Most of us were taught as children, Two wrongs don’t make a right.
9. Male infants are not able to give informed consent AND the experience is painful and traumatic. The most popular surgical procedure performed on male babies is profoundly stressful, provides no medical benefit, and can impair breastfeeding and thus long-term health, yet it is completely cosmetic.
10. There is no current Biblical imperative for Christians to circumcise their infant. In fact, the imperative is to love and treat others the way you would want to be treated. Part of the parental role is to investigate every single medical procedure recommended for your baby and ask questions. Any procedure that provides an income stream to hospitals, doctors, and research labs is going to be promoted. Get the facts. I encourage you to read the entire letter Paul wrote to the Galatians, especially chapter 5 and 7. Here are the highlights:
“But if I still proclaim circumcision … then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.”
“I wish that those who are pushing you to do so would mutilate themselves!”
“And even those who advocate circumcision don’t really keep the whole law. They only want you to be circumcised so they can brag about it and claim you as their disciples.”
“For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matters. Rather, what matters is being a new creation.”
Galatians 5:11, 12; 6:13, 15
“Cutting off a functional, protective, and sensitive body part is a far-reaching decision that the vast majority of Europeans believe should be left to its owner when he becomes old enough to understand the consequences. Despite the recent, backward-looking statements by U.S. medical organizations, more and more Americans are beginning to agree.”Morten Frisch, M.D., Danish epidemiologist
“Genital cutting and the amputation of a healthy, functioning body organ from a non-consenting human being is a severe violation of human rights. If we did such a thing to a dog, we would be charged with animal abuse.” http://www.drmomma.org/2010/07/biblical-circumcision-information.html
Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus and truth. As a breastfeeding counselor for over 23 years Becky is devoted to helping parents make wise decisions for the long-term health and wellbeing of their babies.
