Dave Dozier

Is the Swine Flu Judgment From God?



Posted: Thursday, April 30, 2009

by Dave Dozier

Is the Swine Flu God's final judgment on the errant world, as some religious leaders think? Or is it a media frenzy fueled by a population living in an uncertain time? Let's look at some history.

First of all, the flu is nothing to sneeze at (pun intended). In 1968 and 1969, over 50 million Americans were infected by the Hong Kong Flu, leaving 33,000 dead. In 1957, the Asian flu infected 45 million Americans and killed 70,000. The Spanish flu of 1919 killed anywhere between 20 and 100 million people worldwide (statistics are taken from Wikipedia).

Why is influenza so lethal? Quoting from Wikipedia's article on Swine Influenza:

The flu virus is perhaps the trickiest known to medical science; it constantly changes form to elude the protective antibodies that the body has developed in response to previous exposures to influenza or to influenza vaccines . Every two or three years the virus undergoes minor changes. Then, at intervals of roughly a decade, after the bulk of the world's population has developed some level of resistance to these minor changes, it undergoes a major shift that enables it to tear off on yet another pandemic sweep around the world, infecting hundreds of millions of people who suddenly find their antibody defenses outflanked. Even during the Spanish flu pandemic, the initial wave of the disease was relatively mild, while the second wave was highly lethal.

So, back to the question: Is this God's judgment? I think not. God judged humanity and the world long ago, and promised that one day a better world would come. Until then, we live in a broken world with broken people and broken systems running broken civilizations. In a sense, all of life's unpleasantries are God's judgment on humanity.

The Swine Flu is, however, a great opportunity for the Chicken Littles of the world to stir up panic in the general population and sell some books in the process. You remember Chicken Little, don't you? She is the hen who had a rain drop fall on her head and subsequently ran around declaring "the sky is falling!"

Consider the fodder for Chicken Littles over the last forty years:

1973- Comet Kohoutek was coming to bring a doomsday event. Right.

1976- President Ford calls for nation-wide immunizations against a Swine flu epidemic that never materialized.

1979- Skylab was going to fall on our heads. It fell harmlessly into the ocean.

1988- The booklet "88 reasons Why the Rapture is in 1988"

1999- Y2K

If the Swine Flu does become a pandemic, we will all need to follow the guidance of our leaders. Until then, wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough, and follow the other advice that your mother gave you when you were a child.

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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)
» left by Anonymous 3 years 7 days ago.
Dave, no, not as yet but certainly a possible confirmation?
» left by Dave Dozier 3 years 5 days ago.
8 fans.

By "confirmation", are you suggesting that the swine flu is God's way of telling us that He is unhappy with the way we are living? He has already made that abundantly clear in His Word, the Bible.

 

I believe that all human misery can be traced back to mankind's breaking away from fellowship with the Creator. All humans are diseased by sin (Romans 3) along with all of nature as well (Genesis 3 and Romans 8:19-22).  Thus, all human misery is confirmation that God long ago judged the world, and that we live in a broken world.

 

When we point to disasters such as hurricanes, war, and famine, and declare them to be "God's judgment", we unintentionally imply that individuals and societies that do not suffer from these things must be "on God's side".  This leads to an unfortunate conclusion that people and nations who are prosperous and healthy are on God's side, while those who are poor and in desperate need are being judged by God. This position is not supported by Scripture (see Romans 8:36-39;  James 2:5)

 

God, in His infinite patience, is allowing this world to continue on, having promised that one day He will bring a new heaven and earth.  Until that time, we will have seasons of fortune and seasons of misfortune.  As Jesus said, the Father brings rain and sunshine into the lives of the evil and the good (Matthew 5)

 

I will say, however, that tragedy such as sickness, death, and disasters can be used by God to cause us to turn our eyes toward heaven and seek Him.  It may well be that events like this will bring our people to call upon God and seek Him.

 

» left by Anonymous
 3 years 3 days ago.
Shalom Dave,
 
Yes, Tikkun Olam is what your friend is speaking of and it does span all branches of Judaism in one form or another even with us Messianics. But there are some differences. Kabbalistic Jews add much mysticism to the idea but they do have a basic principle correct. All things that are good do have a yearning to return to the perfection in which they were created. We believe that after the Last Days that we (Believers in Yeshua) will not just be sitting in heaven playing harps but rather we will have a job to do. We will have to repair the universe (the word "world" can include the universe in Hebrew) which was damaged when sin entered it. We will bring it back to the perfection that was lost when chaos struck at the fall of Satan and his hosts. Playing a harp sounds quite boring to me, I would prefer to restore a dying star or recreate with HaShem (The Name) a planet that could support life. Whatever the plan, I think it'll be exciting and something to look forward to.
 
Some Jews say this concept only dates back to early Rabbinic Judaism but I think it's common sense to think that it dates to the moment destruction first reared it's ugly head. If it's broken, fix it and that's what we'll do.
 
Rabbi Stanley
» left by mr hurry
from Australia 2 years 340 days ago.
Its to early to tell what the swine flu could be , it could be some media hype true,or more than that , i like the last sentence that David said , if anything this should help us seek God even more.and also, who is to say the judgment has not already been  in full swing anyway, maybe not even so long ago in this century . i saw that someone also said ,and the animals may  be part  in sin , i would say if anything we poison the animals with our  false way of thinking and volition in life, its the animlas that live in harmony and try to hold a balance ,not us .what about the sheep and goats being divided up , this is what  we should be focused on ,  seek it out and beware and protect yourself   . be careful not to be dragged down by the wrong principle in others and in life  , the world really is in a purification period for the coming judgment , and we need to seek his will and his will only, its also individual ,regardless of what religion or what  race or denomination one may come from . we must see those who are not willing to strive for the new ,and  for peace in a most natural manner , and help with the  swinging , of the natural laws that the universe may offer us .Not everyone is a child of God only he who turns himself into one . Gee i could name many more reasons for end times than just the swine flu in the last 70 years , wake up world and keep your eyes and ears open for it is how we stand in the glory of Gods will . Christ once said forgive them lord for they know not what they do . Well 2,000 years has past this should be  time enough the difference now is for a greater part of man today is , they do  know ,not what they  do . 
 
 We stand in the light ,and know of thee,  oh creator of the universe . We know of thy infinite wisdom and goodness, of thy ever lasting might and exhaustible power . Humbly i cast my self down before  thee. And dedicate my whole being to thee, fill though me in thy radiant strength with thy holy light ,  that i may serve thee until eternity Amen. THIS  MAY HELP Thank You 
 
 Mr Hurry
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