Open (More or Less) Post on Covid 53

[ecosophia]

As we move into the second year of these open posts, it's pretty clear that the official narrative is cracking as the toll of deaths and injuries from the Covid vaccines rises steadily and the vaccines themselves demonstrate their total uselesness at preventing Covid infection or transmission. It's still important to keep watch over the mis-, mal- and nonfeasance of our self-proclaimed health gruppenfuehrers, and the disastrous results of the Covid mania, but I think it's also time to begin thinking about what might be possible as the existing medical industry reels under the impact of its own self-inflicted injuries. 

(Yes, the change in image theme reflects that; the earlier sequence served its purpose. With a nod to El Gato Malo (1, 2, 3), the posts to come will be headed by thoughtful memes relevant to the Covid mess. Yes, I'll take nominations -- you can post links in the thread.)

So it's time for another open post. The rules are the same as before: 

1. If you plan on parroting the party line of the medical industry and its paid shills, please go away. This is a place for people to talk openly, honestly, and freely about their concerns that the party line in question is dangerously flawed and that actions being pushed by the medical industry et al. are causing injury and death. It is not a place for you to dismiss those concerns. Anyone who wants to hear the official story and the arguments in favor of it can find those on hundreds of thousands of websites.

2. If you plan on insisting that the current situation is the result of a deliberate plot by some villainous group of people or other, please go away. There are tens of thousands of websites currently rehashing various conspiracy theories about the Covid-19 outbreak and the vaccines. This is not one of them. What we're exploring is the likelihood that what's going on is the product of the same arrogance, incompetence, and corruption that the medical industry and its tame politicians have displayed so abundantly in recent decades. That possibility deserves a space of its own for discussion, and that's what we're doing here. 
 
3. If you plan on using rent-a-troll derailing or disruption tactics, please go away. I'm quite familiar with the standard tactics used by troll farms to disrupt online forums, and am ready, willing, and able -- and in fact quite eager -- to ban people permanently for engaging in them here. Oh, and I also lurk on other Covid-19 vaccine skeptic blogs, so I'm likely to notice when the same posts are showing up on more than one venue. 

4. If you don't believe in treating people with common courtesy, please go away. I have, and enforce, a strict courtesy policy on my blogs and online forums, and this is no exception. The sort of schoolyard bullying that takes place on so many other internet forums will get you deleted and banned here. No, I don't care if you disagree with that: my journal, my rules. 

With that said, the floor is open for discussion. 

Comments

Re: Reconciliation?

[(Anonymous)]

I have the same problem. I am now a member of two synagogues; the first (which gives women a large role in ritual and study) went totally vax + covid crazy and lost a lot of its culture, traditions... and membership. And actually kicked me and my children out of high holy day services for not being foxx’d!

They are now “Welcoming everyone back” while still requesting the unvaccinated mask.

The other, more orthodox, stayed in person the whole time and kept its congenial culture and membership. And gained a bunch of folks from my former synagogue! But it excludes women from public ritual and study almost entirely... and a few of my progressive friends absolutely won’t step inside it.

What to do? Rejoin the former synagogue, pretend nothing happened, ignore the rabid woke politics of the rabbi?

Or stay with the welcoming orthodox community that doesn’t value my ritual skills, wants my daughters to learn nothing of the kind, but has a rabbi who espouses strong traditional values and would know a dybbuk if he met one—and be able to exorcise it?

Hard choices. And you can’t afford to alienate people when you’re a member of a minority faith, a small community at the best of times.

I’m curious how others are dealing with these dilemmas.

—Ms. Krieger

Re: Reconciliation?

[(Anonymous)]

I tell myself, this too shall pass. Like a really putrid fart.

I believe that among many covidians discussion of the vaxxes, and having excluded the unvaxxed, will one day soon-- and sooner than you might think-- become taboo.

This is how I saw it from the beginning: It made no sense to be taking multiple injections of experimental gene therapy for a corona virus. I could see that this maniacal insistence that everyone get "vaccinated" wasn't going to continue indefinitely, nor to end well. It was a kind of insanity-- and I literally sensed that insanity on the astral, like a thick black rubbery blanket.

It's breaking up now, as I perceive it.

My ego would prefer to conjure up a whole new community for myself, at the click of my fingers, and yes, I am making efforts to find new friends & etc etc, however, I don't throw everyone away so easily.

Just the really awful ones. I see who they are, they're gone from my life.

Self-described Psychic Medium

Re: Reconciliation?

[(Anonymous)]

“like a really putrid fart”

May it be so!!!!

Re: Reconciliation?

[(Anonymous)]

I'm in the same boat. My Reform synagogue required the vex for a year, then relented, but only if you masked. The regional Reform Jewish summer camp also mandated the vex for the kids. My younger daughter (with support of her mom) wanted it, and only the most strenuous efforts on my part, along with prayer and intercessory prayer, kept her from getting vex'd. (My gratitude continues towards those who offered their prayers, and the responding deity(s)) That camp mandate enraged me to no end. I'm embittered by the experience. The vex'ing of 90% of the Israeli population also has me dismayed. And don't get me started on Critical Race Theory and other nostrums of Wokesterism that pervade the Reform Jewish world. I can't see how I could ever return to a Reform synagogue.

Once I'm more established in my restarted medical practice, I'm going to check out the local Chabad. They're more focused on the college students though, and don't recognize my Reform Jewish conversion. Also, Orthodox Judaism is rather fundamentalist, which doesn't sit well with me. Still, I'll give it another look.

I thank JMG for acquainting me with the concept of henotheism; it's really untied some knots for me. I have an affinity for the Virgin Mary, and am becoming acquainted with, and enchanted by, the esoteric teachings surrounding Mary Magdalen, and the apocryphal Gospels. I find Jesus meaningful, believable and potent when the traditional Gospels are interpreted symbolically, and I also find the liturgy/practice of Orthodox Christianity or pre-Vatican II Catholicism to be potent. Trouble is: Christians insist on treating their scriptures exclusively as history rather than symbol or myth, and so I find that any conversations addressing such become intolerably awkward. I could only become Christian by becoming a closet heretic. I'm going to hold off on that.

I've also had startling experiences that have led me to private, solitary devotion to the ancient Greek Pantheon. There is no community of Helenists locally, and others that I've heard of I want nothing to do with. And I don't see ever being able to share it with my daughters.

So yeah, I'm a homeless spiritual orphan.

--Lunar Apprentice.

Re: Reconciliation?

[(Anonymous)]

I feel you on the crazed Wokesterism. My moderate shul used to be Conservadox and extremely apolitical. Then our new rabbi and covid happened....and now I’m running to the (modern) Orthodox to get away from a social agenda that seems misguided at best.

I don’t blame the new rabbi entirely; it’s more like the world has gone crazy.

Re: Reconciliation?

[(Anonymous)]

Hey Lunar Apprentice,

I hope all is going well with the new practice!

I too am trying to find a spiritual home for us, for my 5 year old to grow up in. Not at all easy. All the mainstream protestant churches are pretty PC and pushed the foxes and masking. We did go to the main Catholic cathedral for Xmas Eve, unmasked, as they were about the only church in town that didn't require it. But official Catholicism isn't for us, alas.

We have one Orthodox church in town which I may check out but fear it might be too big of a leap for me as a non-Greek, former Mainline Presbyterian... What to do when one is theologically more "liberal" but refuses to go along with 'rona requirements?

Ellen in ME

Re: Reconciliation?

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you. My practice is taking off agonizingly slowly, esp. considering cancellations and no-shows. In May, I saw only one patient, in June; two, in July; four. August is beginning to show some real action, with four patients seen so far, seven more scheduled with several more in the chute. And I've had one court deposition (those pay well). I can cover my business expenses.

It's proving easier than I expected to do all my own administrative/overhead work. And I'm sort of glad to have a light patient load while I learn the ropes.

I'm not exactly fledged yet, but I was starting to get real anxious in July and now I'm beginning to breath a little easier.

Still, I'll take any luck you send me.

--Lunar Apprentice

Re: Reconciliation?

[scotlyn]

You know you have my heartfelt good wishes and blessings always at your back. I am rooting for you, and praying for blessings upon you, upon your practice, and upon your patients.

Re: Reconciliation?

[(Anonymous)]

Oh I haven't forgotten you Scotlyn. And I remain as grateful as ever for your intercessory prayers (to speak nothing of my gratitude to the Holy One who answers prayers).

Many blessings to you and your loved ones in return.

your's

--Lunar Apprentice

Re: Reconciliation?

[methylethyl]

That's wonderful news! I was wondering how your new venture was going, and am delighted to see a positive report :)

Re: Reconciliation?

[p_coyle]

you're doing the right thing. i would happily choose you as my doc if you lived where i do. i am so looking into medical alternatives for both me and my cat.

current circumstances make me think the internet and some research are my best options. i wish it weren't so, as i don't know anything about that stuff. but that's where i find myself.

i wish you the best of luck. keep on fighting the good fight. i think what you've been trying to do is important. and i will do my best to send some luck. we're all going to need it.

keep your hand on the plow.

Re: Reconciliation?

[methylethyl]

For what it's worth, I've been through similar, albeit to a lesser degree. I'm now an experienced liturgical chanter because my old church needed one. The last time we moved, we had the option of maybe three different parishes, two of which *needed* me as a chanter, and the third... is the church we ended up at. Of the three, it's the one with a good, cohesive church community, regular services (not just liturgy on Sunday), and lots of kids. And I have kids-- bringing them up *in the life of the church* is more important than me being a chanter. I really miss being a chanter. Sigh. Sometimes I just have to realize that I can't have everything I want at the same time/place, and prioritize what's most important. If God wills it, I'll get to be a chanter again. But right now isn't the time. It's a lesson in humility.

Re: Reconciliation?

[(Anonymous)]

Yes, this is very similar to my position. There are a few more issues—the Orthodox synagogue requires my husband do things on my behalf that I could do for myself in the other congregation. Unfortunately he is not a Jew under their definition (that’s totally ok by them, which would not be true in all Orthodox communities) but it means that he cannot perform these religious acts either!

I will probably end up making a similar decision as you, too, and just accept much of my practice will be private.

Incidentally, I didn’t know about Eastern Orthodox liturgical chanting—it sounds very similar to Jewish leyning. Is the text chanted in Greek, or English?

Re: Reconciliation?

[(Anonymous)]

EO chant is derived from the Jewish tradition, IIRC-- particularly the type used in Greek and Arab churches. Russians have their own thing going, and it sounds more like European choral music.

The language used depends on the parish. I have done it in both Greek and in English, but since I don't speak Greek that's more difficult.

Re: Reconciliation?

[temporaryreality]

How possible is it to attend the Orthodox one but hold a separate women's ritual-focused gathering outside of it? Does membership at the traditional synagogue require you to NOT practice the rituals women practice at the other one?

Re: Reconciliation?

[(Anonymous)]

It is very possible, and not forbidden by any Jewish denomination, so far as I know. The challenge is finding enough Orthodox women with the liturgical skills; this is most commonly done in the context of Jewish schools, which have many learned female teachers.

Thank you for raising this possibility; I will think on it.

—Ms. Krieger

Re: Reconciliation?

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks for this post! It raises a question I’ve been wondering about. Are the traditional values of ‘men here, women there’ integral to a groups success when outside pressure comes along? Or are they tangential and not necessary? Are other aspects the bits that are really crucial in the final accounting? Could certain bits be extricated, allowing more modern understandings of gender to come in, or is the conservative cussedness of it all the key ingredient of hanging together when the going gets tough?

Re: Reconciliation?

[dendroica]

I think that if we were look at various groups' resilience across historical time, we would see that more traditional societies with more traditional gender roles would score higher.

That said, I don't personally think there is any magic sauce in the *gender roles* of traditional Christian, Jewish, or Muslim societies. Rather, I think it is the presence of *roles* in general. A group could assign wholly different roles to men and women, or assign roles to more than two genders (e.g. https://www.insideindonesia.org/sulawesis-fifth-gender), or perhaps even neglect to assign roles based on gender altogether. But I think it is important when the going gets rough for all members of a group to have culturally/religiously assigned roles and relationships that function as a glue and a safety net in the face of disruption. If not based on gender those could be based on age, family relationships, inheritance, geography, occupation, etc.

In our modern "free" society everyone is encouraged to live in isolation and have many shallow relationships, to get whatever job they want, to be whatever gender they want and to ignore traditional gender roles, and to eschew traditional family structure. That near complete absence of defined roles creates a serious vulnerability, as there is nothing to fall back on when jobs are lost, dear friends die, and certainties like the expertise of doctors and the availability of food and medical care become uncertainties.

So...to the extent that "conservative" means close-knit communities built around shared narratives/rituals and defined roles that voluntarily limit personal freedom and impose specific responsibilities to others, then I think that "conservative cussedness" is indeed a key ingredient. But I don't think it is fundamentally incompatible with gender fluidity or a conception of gender that deviates substantially from the Christian ideal.

Re: Reconciliation?

[(Anonymous)]

I agree with the general thrust except for a few things.
“That said, I don't personally think there is any magic sauce in the *gender roles* of traditional Christian, Jewish, or Muslim societies. Rather, I think it is the presence of *roles* in general.
But I don't think it is fundamentally incompatible with gender fluidity or a conception of gender that deviates substantially from the Christian ideal.“

I think as we look across cultures that certain roles are more tied to biology.
Men are, typically, larger, stronger and more aggressive. At least in Humans. They are also more expendable. In the old model women were gatherers and men were hunters. Again plenty of exclusions gray areas etc. Like Deserts where women outnumber men substantially.
So men are warriors, engage in typically more dangerous work construction, logging, etc.
I think that’s something hardwired into our DNA and comes from many harsh and unforgiving lessons and not necessarily some silly “arbitrary” judeo-Christian hang up. It’s easy to dismiss but that lesson as a man, father and construction worker (in a field more dangerous than police work according to the bureau of labor and statistics.) this is a lesson I feel in my bones. I don’t want to take a single thing away from anyone’s capabilities but women and children first is the rule. Men hold the line. We see it over and over from our culture to plains Indians to China etc.

Re: Reconciliation?

[scotlyn]

I suppose that this question is among those which Ivan Illich's book "Gender" tries to answer. It is worth noting that (among the things I read him as saying) the making of an engendered world leaves BOTH those "men here" AND those "women there" free to "hand make" worlds of their own which FIT them. And it is here that freedom lies.