Irreverend: Faith and Current Affairs

We begin this episode with a comprehensive review of a recent audit published by the Daily Mail in which many of the catastrophic effects of the lockdown are laid bare. We then review a recent article written by a Christian surgeon, which is an exhortation for fellow Christians to stop dabbling in 'pseudoscientific claptrap'. We ask if the arguments presented in this article are persuasive. We finish with a short review of some of the salient themes of the important work of political theory, Covid 19: The Great Rest, written by the head of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Shwab.Rough Timings:Up to 27 minutes: Lockdown's Lethal Toll Laid BareAlso mentioned in this section: 4 Newborn Babies Die in Australia due to Coronavirus Travel RestrictionsStudent Dies in Lockdown after 'Suffering Severe Anxiety'27 - 51 minutes: Christians Must Stop Embracing Pseudo-Scientific Claptrap, Mark Surg51 minutes: The Great Reset, Klaus Schwab/Thierry MalleretAlso Mentioned:The Great Barrington DeclarationE-mail: irreverendpod@gmail.comTwitter: @irreverendpodPlease subscribe, rate and review us on iTunes!Support the show

As restrictions tighten once again in England, Jamie and Thomas critique the ostensible communitarian basis of lockdowns, arguing that they hurt the poor and marginalized the most. They suggest, following Matthew 25:31-46, that lockdowns are not the best way of recognizing the presence of Christ in all of the world's people.Mentioned in this episode:World Bank - Covid-19 to add as many as 150 million extreme poor by 2021Kaamil Almed - Hunger could kill millions more than Covid-19, warns OxfamAngus Dalgleish - Driven to despair, two of Professor Angus Dalgleish's colleagues took their own lives...Spectator TV - Andrew Neil and WHO Covid-19 Envoy David Nabarro (from minute 15)Follow us on Twitter @IrreverendPod!Support the show

The Reverend T.J. Pelham and The Reverend Doctor J.A. Franklin discuss the status and uses of science in our society. Is there a distinctively Christian or theological response to “the science” in the context of the Coronavirus crisis? How should Christians respond to the way that science has been wielded by politicians and the media? Should we accept these things at face value or should we look for a more nuanced approach? How do we balance the effects of one set of scientific claims with the extreme amount of damage that is being caused to people who are suffering as collateral damage from the responses to the putative threat of Covid-19? Mentioned in this episode:Rowina Seidler - Why Christians Must Question the Science Right Now Karina Reiss and Sucharit Bhakti - Corona, False Alarm? Facts and FiguresDr Sunetra Gupta, Dr. Martin Kulldorff, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya - Great Barrington DeclarationFollow us on Twitter @IrreverendPod!Support the show

Revs Jamie and Thomas discuss how the fear of death has affected our society since the beginning of the Coronavirus crisis. What is the Christian hope beyond death and how can it affect our response to this widespread fear? Is this fear rational, and what can the Christian faith say about it?Mentioned in this episode:Tom Wright - Surprised by HopeC.S. Lewis - Out of the Silent PlanetOut of proportion: People think coronavirus is more widespread, and more deadly, than official figures show (pg. 6)Follow us on Twitter @IrreverendPod!Support the show