The Madness of Our Times

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Something that I have noticed in these unfortunate times is the surprisingly high proportion of people who are ‘experts’ on the covid situation, and who know exactly what everyone else should do. Fortunately for us ordinary and uneducated rubes, these people are kind enough to share with us exactly what we ought to be doing. All the time. One only has to naively sign into one’s social media account to be accosted by ignorant fools pontificating on the latest developments.

What I find extremely amusing is that many of these ‘experts’ who seek to win people over to their position, are people whose advice and common sense I would never consult in most ordinary life situations because they have never shown themselves to be competent adult citizens. Nonetheless, in one of the more unsettling ironies of our time, an inversely proportional relationship exists between one’s competence and one’s willingness to publicise one’s views on a particular topic. These people tend to be extremely zealous on social media in attempting to win people over to their point of view, which incidentally tends to be a parroting of government propaganda and poorly researched ‘facts’.

What is ridiculous about this is that such pawns would assume that intelligent critical thinking individuals would actually be interested in listening to what they have to say. Personal credibility matters.

How’s That Line in the Sand Going?

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GUEST POST – Scott Kennedy

It’s been over a week now since I went public with the article “My Line in the Sand”. What a rollercoaster ride! In this time I’ve been inundated with messages some supporting my line in the sand, some suggesting I smooth over the sand and choose a new location for the line, and others questioning my character, sanity and motivations. So in this piece I will share my reflections on the reaction to my article.

The Positives

Firstly let me reflect on some of the positives. A highlight for me has been realising I am not alone. There are a lot of us out there. Never before in my life have I received so many encouraging messages about what I am doing most of them from complete strangers. Thank you to all of you who shared messages of support. Our family was blown away with the support and humbled to see the care and concern of many for our plight, and the plight of many good citizens in New Zealand.

A number of supporters have been extremely generous. There have been suggestions and practical tips to help deal with stress and anxiety (thanks Juana from The BFD), multiple offers of financial assistance should we require it, offers of a holiday spot for the family this summer, offers of work, offers of help setting up a small business and many new contacts and alliances formed. Frankly, I’ve been astounded by the love and generosity of these people many of whom have come from the Christian community, and most who do not know me personally.

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Holding Us to Ransom?

In the past few weeks, I have begun to hear the phase ‘holding us to ransom’ a lot more frequently. Specifically, it is the unvaccinated who are apparently holding the country to ransom. Really?

Let’s imagine a scenario where a terrorist grabs two teenage children of wealthy elites and asks for a ransom from both sets of parents before he will release them. The parents of one immediately pay the ransom, and the other set, not so sure that paying the ransom will in fact lead to the release of their child, refuse to pay. The parents who have paid the ransom then turn on the other more suspicious parents and say, “Stop holding us to ransom!” While I can understand their frustration, it is in fact the terrorist who has held them to ransom. Not paying the ransom is not equivalent to holding someone to ransom.

In my mind, it is actually many unvaccinated people who are being held to ransom. Those who are teachers or nurses are being told that unless they bow to the government’s wishes they will have no job. Others who have no vaccine mandates (yet) will be denied entry to restaurants, big events and churches. Not bowing to the government on this is not holding others to ransom. It’s refusing to pay the ransom. We don’t negotiate with terrorists!

Most unvaccinated people I have chatted with are happy for the government to open up society. They have made their choice based on their own risk-benefit analysis. They tend to be a lot more clued up on the stats than many who have just gone ahead and got vaccinated. It is not they who are holding us to ransom, but our government. Our government is threatening people with loss of livelihood and like the grinch is planning on stealing Christmas too unless we all bow to their demands. Don’t turn on your fellow prisoners. Remember who the real enemy is in all of this.

Vaccine Mandates – A Small Business Perspective

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The Sojournal asked, following Scott Kennedy’s post, if anyone else had their own experience to share, so I thought I may offer a few cents.

I must start by saying that I have a confession to make.

For quite a number of months now I have been struggling with the question of when it is time to take a stand. Without getting bogged down in the detail, I love freedom, and I believe we have God-given freedoms as image-bearers of God, that to some degree are covered by our Bill of Rights. But I also know that God is the ultimate authority that installs Governments and does so for our good. There are sometimes circumstances that require the government to use extreme measures and I do want to think well of the intention of my government, even where I disagree. There is a balance with these things, but with a balance, there is also a tipping point, or as Scott put it in his post, a “line in the sand”, where you no longer can sit back hoping for the best but have to start putting yourself into uncomfortable positions.

While thinking and struggling with this I was often reminded of the well-known quote by German Pastor Martin Niemoller:
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

My confession is that I think I left it too late.

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Are you Affected by the Vaccine Mandates?

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As a result of our recent guest post, My Line in the Sand, we have been inundated with views and comments.

To follow up on this, we at The Sojournal, are trying to collect and publish stories from people who are affected by the COVID vaccine mandate. We are keen to publish respectful articles or videos that address your personal situation. If you wish to remain anonymous, that is fine too.

If you would like to be involved, please use the contact form and we will get back to you. If you know of someone affected, please alert them to our plans.

Let’s show our overlords that we are free and principled people.

My Line in the Sand

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GUEST POST – Scott Kennedy

I am not an emotional person. In the last 20 years of life, I believe I can count on the fingers of one hand the times I have wept. Not that I think this is a virtue, it just seems part of my temperament. But twice in the last week, I have been so upset – distraught even – that I have wept.

Vaccine mandates. Our government went back on its word and has issued a vaccine mandate for all teachers. This is my line in the sand. But drawing this line is crushing me for a number of reasons.

Firstly, I have worked as a teacher for a decade in a full-time capacity and many more years than that in part-time roles. I am totally invested in the school that I work for and have given my time, my energy and even my money to help that school thrive and flourish. While I am not perhaps the most inspiring, interesting or creative teacher, I love my students, and I think they know I am committed to them and desirous of their success. My ex-students keep in touch. This is the area of life that God has gifted me in. I can teach. I can’t build. I’m not physically strong. I’m not able to do techy things. I’m pretty ordinary really. But teaching I can do. And the government with one edict from their Lectern of Lies has taken my livelihood away from me.

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Misinformation, Disinformation, and The Truth

We are increasingly becoming a society intolerant of dissent. Ironically, this is a result of what some have celebrated as ‘casting off the shackles’ of that apparently intolerant faith of Christianity. People who criticise the exclusivity of Christ’s claim to be the way the truth and the life are quite happy to claim exclusive truth themselves. Instead of Christ being the way the truth and the life and bringing individual freedom, we now have a State controlled by ‘experts’ who dictate from their daily podium of truth the way the truth and the life for us plebs.

Take the COVID-19 vaccine. Before anyone accuses me of being an anti-vaxxer, I am not. I have had vaccines and will continue to do so. However, question the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine as a layperson, or wonder whether that in the unholy rush of getting it to the public it is as safe as other vaccines, and dare to post such a sentiment on Facebook and the unbiased arbiters of truth will post little notes under your post giving everyone the ‘facts’. All impartial and neutral of course.

It’s worse if you are a doctor and you object to the vaccine. Speak out against it because you feel it might not be the best thing for some of your patients and you could lose your job.

Case 1: Dr Matthew Shelton

A recent case is Dr Matthew Shelton who texted his patients about the vaccine. His text read

“Hi —, your GP Dr Matt here. I cannot in conscience support of Covid vaccination of particularly, children, and pregnant and fertile women, from my assessment of current risks and benefits.”

And later on:

“All to make their best own decision. I apologise for any distress. My views are my own, not the consensus. PMC will continue with roll-out invites”

This has landed him in hot water after a few of his patients objected to the text. He has now had his contract terminated and is under investigation by the Medical Council. The media reports on it were barely veiled propaganda. We were informed that one of his patients thought he was a bit odd. We are told that he has no evidence to back up his claims. This is rubbish. He belongs to New Zealand Doctors Speaking Out With Science, a group of New Zealand doctors and dentists who are concerned about the vaccine rollout in New Zealand. This group has clear reasons and evidence to back up their concerns. We have the Health and Disabilities Commissioner claiming there is no place for ‘ inadequate or non-evidence-based information in professional health practice’ and that doctors ought to give ‘full and accurate information.” All a shoddy and pathetic attempt to blacken this doctor’s name. It’s his interpretation of the evidence that has led Shelton to send the text in question.

Case 2: Former Taranaki radiologist Peter Canaday

Next we have Peter Canaday who had the temerity to give public talks on Covid-19 and continued with an online video during the lockdown. Our ever compliant and government whore media helpfully told us what to think about this. Without allowing us to see the claims of the video, (although another media source had a point by point rebuttal of the video here) we are told that the scientists (you know people with white coats who know everything) they spoke to said the “claims were either completely false, not backed up with strong evidence or impossible to verify.“ Isn’t it strange they couldn’t find anyone to express an alternative opinion? Scientists all completely agree though, so nothing to see here, move on.

The Medical Council of New Zealand is reported as saying regarding this case, “There is no place for anti-vaccination messages in professional practice, nor any promotion of anti-vaccination claims including on social media and advertising by health practitioners.” Then we have prominent ‘experts’ warning that those spreading ‘misinformation’ (presumably anything that differs from the mainstream narrative) should be sacked. This seems to effectively mean that no doctor can question this vaccine. How is that scientific? How is that protecting the public? And people complain about the church shutting down Galileo! What if these guys have a point? Shouldn’t it be able to be discussed and debated without the threat of lost livelihoods?

Summary

Now whether Shelton and others at NZDSOS are right or not, I don’t know. I am no doctor. They may be exactly what they are presented as – eccentric kooks. What concerns me is that there can only be one truth and anyone who disagrees with that state-endorsed truth will be threatened with public vilification and losing their job.

Without underplaying the significance of deaths from this virus, what should we be more afraid of? A virus that has killed 0.7% of New Zealanders who have been confirmed to have the virus (and these mainly the very elderly and the very sick), or a virus that requires complete submission and unity of thought and paves the way for totalitarianism. I know which I’d rather risk.