Dr. Kent Brantly is shown in this 2013 photo provided by JPS Health Network. (AP Photo/JPS Health Network)
Posted on 08/03/2014 10:09:39 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Last summer, long before he traveled to Liberia, worked to combat the largest outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in history, or fell ill with the incurable virus and became the first infected person to come into the U.S., Dr. Kent Brantly returned to his hometown church and delivered a sermon.
Dr. Kent Brantly is shown in this 2013 photo provided by JPS Health Network. (AP Photo/JPS Health Network)
“In October, [my wife] Amber and the kids and I are moving to Monrovia, Liberia, to work as medical missionaries at ELWA Hospital,” Brantly told the congregation at Southeastern Church of Christ in Indianapolis. “For two years we will live and work and serve among the people who, until the last 10 years of peace, had known nothing but the violence and devastation of war for the previous 20 years.”
He added, “I’ve never been to Liberia.”
Why did he decide to take his family to “this far-off place” he knew nothing about?
“It’s because God has a call on my life,” Brantly said.
(Excerpt) Read more at theblaze.com ...
Well...that’s good and everything...but don’t come back sick. I’m not ready to give up my family and loved ones to a disease that you spread.
Bingo. Now people here will be (potentially) getting the disease of this guy’s ego.
And, “Africa won again”.
There are things beyond the power of individuals or even whole societies.
Unless, and until, Africans decide to abandon the primitive culture they suffer under and embrace the Western culture which makes possible the Western societal success - they will remain little better off than their ancestor were when first ‘discovered’ by Western explorers long ago.
Playing “Albert Schweitzer’ has risks in the Age of Ebola. Just as Schweitzer had no lasting impact on Africa, neither will this well meaning man.
Trying to cure Ebola with present technology is like trying to cure mental illness with the ‘wisdom and methodology’ of Sigmund Fraud, oops - make that Sigmund Freud.
Meds have helped the mentally ill, not care and understanding. Meds will cure Ebola, not mere ‘caring’, because empathy has no effect on a virus.
Motivated Christians might consider supporting medical research rather than futile “missions” which are Missions Impossible”.
If the Divine gave men reason, perhaps deliberate denial of what reason makes clear will not be pleasing to the source of that reasoning ability, as in “I gave you reason and you did WHAT with it?”.
Ego? Huh?
Totally incorrect. God has used these people to bring many to Christ, and in their lives there is now Jesus. Maybe it doesn’t change the whole continent, but that will be an individual who will stand in front of the Throne and praise God for sending that medical missionary.
God doesn’t look at success as changing the continent, God is looking at success in each individual life. If God called that man to Liberia so he could reach one person, then God’s will has been done.
Do not conflate your idea of success with God’s ideas.
At the end of his service, he should isolated himself and his family over there.
“God doesn’t look at success as changing the continent, God is looking at success in each individual life. If God called that man to Liberia so he could reach one person, then God’s will has been done.
Do not conflate your idea of success with God’s ideas.”
You advised me against conflation of my ideas with G*d’s yet you also wrote as if you knew the Divine measure of success.
I further must question your theological interpretations as the man we are discussing had a family to whom he took certain vows, witnessed by the Almighty.
Arguably, exposing his children and their mother to Ebola would not be carrying out the terms of his marriage vows.
While ‘witnessing” and mission work are good, in their place, there is a time and place for everything.
Ebola wards are no place for anyone responsible, not unless they go through the quarantine period which should/must be imposed on all who insist on visiting such plague ridden areas.
His theological desires must not be allowed to bring Ebola into a continent free of it.
That Physician/missionary isn’t Moses, this isn’t Egypt, and G*d didn’t authorize him to visit Ebola on America.
Note for the microbiologically unaware - one Ebola patient could cause Ebola to become established in America.
YMMV
Because of your generosity, may the good Lord heal you completely, Dr. Brantly, In Jesus’ name, Amen.
AMEN!
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In the HOLY NAME of Jesus HEAL this Christian believer. AMEN!
Excellent points. I'm sorry that he's ill and pray that he recovers, but he freely chose the path that led him to this crisis, and now, rather than fully accept the consequences of his decision, he has willingly put others at risk who unlike him have no choice in the matter. How is that not selfish rather than heroic?
“Excellent points. I’m sorry that he’s ill and pray that he recovers, but he freely chose the path that led him to this crisis, and now, rather than fully accept the consequences of his decision, he has willingly put others at risk who unlike him have no choice in the matter. How is that not selfish rather than heroic?”
Their egos will be everybody’s doom. If they are what they say they are, then be martyrs and stay there... don’t try to infect rest of the world.
I know these people; they want to be living martyrs. They like the kitchen, but not the heat.
You’re going to die. You might as well die doing something you believe in.
Yet like it or not, because we have an “open southern border”, all types of diseases are now coming in as well.
Amen.
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