THE Archbishop of Canterbury has seen fit to encourage the take-up of booster injections by alluding to what he claims ‘Jesus would have done’. Justin Welby infers that because getting the injections is an action to be undertaken on behalf of ‘others’ it is incumbent upon us to follow Christ’s example and take unto oneself the latest (but surely not the final) injection. Welby claims that it is ‘immoral’ to refuse.
The ‘what would Jesus do?’ question has become a guiding principle for many Christians. Yet the strategy means we run the risk of confecting a Jesus to suit our own ideas or, as in the case of Welby, moulded to fit the prevailing political winds.
I see nothing in the scriptures that translates as a modern requirement for anyone to undergo the risks associated with the injection process. I do not recall Jesus pushing his curatives against anyone’s will, threatening them or demanding his healing be undergone for the sake of others. There could be no profit motive behind his actions. Jesus did not do ‘social distancing’ with lepers, wear face coverings or make any other virtue signalling gestures. Quite the reverse, virtue signalling is a frequent focus of criticism for Jesus. Yet for Welby, it is of great importance to appear to be following the government’s line to the point where he is unafraid to place Jesus at the service of tawdry politicians and their advisers.
Shall we give the archbishop the benefit of the doubt for one moment and ask if he believes that he is doing good in joining the ranks of the celebrity drug pushers? After all, one might be able to make a case for the injections if they performed like vaccines by conferring sterilising immunity, and were clearly going to bring to an end the era of restrictions. We would see the last of the dehumanising (and useless) face masks and an end to the engorgement of landfill sites and sea-beds replete with the filthy hateful things.
We know after nearly two years that this is not the case. Unlike traditional vaccines, more and more ‘boosters’ are ordered in at great cost to the taxpayer, making gargantuan profits for the pharmaceutical companies. Furthermore, many of those taking decisions regarding these procurements have vested interests in these juicy financial returns. As Welby surely knows, you cannot serve both God and mammon.
