Are "lockdown sceptics" looking for an easy way out?; Ethical and theological considerations of vaccination; SAGE wants to move Christmas

Irreverend: Faith and Current Affairs

Back to the home team this week as T.J. and J.A. consider an article written by Bishop of Liverpool Paul Bayes, in which it is asserted, amongst other things, that lockdown sceptics are looking for an easy way out. We discuss the nature of lockdown scepticism and whether the bishop's claim is justified. Is the lockdown sceptic position really an "easy" position to take? Are lockdown sceptics ignoring all the evidence? Or is the position actually counter-cultural and therefore more difficult to maintain in the face of the majority? Is it reasonable to imply that eminent scientists like Sunetra Gupta and Carl Heneghan are not interested in evidence? More broadly we consider what kind of "offence" Christians are supposed to cause and on which issues we are supposed to take a stand.
After that, we respond to the news of an apparent breakthrough in the Pfizer vaccine trial. We talk about the ethical and theological implications of mandating or coercing people into taking vaccines and other medical treatments, and we touch on the fact that aborted fetal tissue is often used in the production and testing of vaccines.
Finally, we look at on a headline claiming that the SAGE committee are interested in asking people to relocate Christmas to Summer 2021. We ask whether SAGE really has the power to make such profound ecclesiological pronouncements
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Links from this episode:
Rt Revd Paul Bayes - Uphill Struggles and the Road to Peace
Dr Lisa Forsberg et al - Compulsory Vaccination for Covid-19 and human rights law
Catherine Neilan, Telegraph - Give three month freedom pass to people who have recovered from Covid
Karina Reiss, Sucharit Bhakdi - Corona, False Alarm? Facts and Figures
Laura O'Callaghan, Express - Now SAGE wants to move Christmas celebrations to SUMMER because of Coronavirus
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