Did you get the COVID vaccination?

[Josh]

This is just mind-boggling to me...

How many people died from COVID after this?

I don't know, and neither do you. This is a disease that spreads exponentially.

But let's just assume that COVID is roughly equal in severity to the seasonal flu. (I doubt this very much, but for the sake of discussion...) I find it hard to comprehend how people could go ahead with something that they realize will result in the spread of a flu equivalent through an entire community, and that the disease would be similarly spread to other communities also.

Maybe nobody died. Maybe "only" a couple of people were hospitalized. But maybe works both ways. And at the very least a large number of people from multiple communities caught and spread something like the flu (assuming, again, that COVID and the flu are equally severe).

In case you haven’t noticed, the plain world, as a whole, doesn’t care about the mainstream hysteria about covid and doesn’t agree with societal lockdowns and social isolation

The plain world concentrated in places like Holmes Co. hasn’t had an excess in deaths either - indeed, they have a lot less than other places, and their hospitals have never been full. Their vaccination rate is the lowest in the country.

Nobody in the plain world cares about covid anymore unless they’re a hypochondriac. People like you who complain about it should really think about exiting the plain world and finding a liberal community that shares your views.

[PeterG]

Josh, you completely missed my point. Also, did you intend to refer to me as a hypochondriac?

[nett]

I don't know, and neither do you. This is a disease that spreads exponentially.

But let's just assume that COVID is roughly equal in severity to the seasonal flu. (I doubt this very much, but for the sake of discussion...) I find it hard to comprehend how people could go ahead with something that they realize will result in the spread of a flu equivalent through an entire community, and that the disease would be similarly spread to other communities also.

Maybe nobody died. Maybe "only" a couple of people were hospitalized. But maybe works both ways. And at the very least a large number of people from multiple communities caught and spread something like the flu (assuming, again, that COVID and the flu are equally severe).

It sounds like people decided that the tradition of gathering to mourn the loss, and celebrate the life of a loved one was more important than the risk of getting sick. Knowing what I know about COVID as it pertains to me, I would make the same decision in a heartbeat. I deeply regret the two funerals I missed at our church while we were quarantining in our home during COVID.

At the same time, I would not judge elderly or frail people who chose to avoid such gatherings.

[PeterG]

I'm not so confounded that the funerals were held. It's more that, as RZehr said, no precautions were taken. It's not an all-or-nothing thing.

[nett]

I'm not so confounded that the funerals were held. It's more that, as RZehr said, no precautions were taken. It's not an all-or-nothing thing.

What precautions would you advise?

[PeterG]

Maybe they could've had multiple services to lessen the density of people in the building. Maybe one of those services could've been outdoors. There was likely an outdoor component to the service already, at the graveside.

[nett]

Maybe they could've had multiple services to lessen the density of people in the building. Maybe one of those services could've been outdoors. There was likely an outdoor component to the service already, at the graveside.

Studies found that social distance of 25' would need to be maintained to make a discernible difference. There is also a human cost to social distance, when people are grieving, not being to be close to people seems cruel.

An outdoor gathering would make sense to me.

[RZehr]

Actually, I believe one of those two older men did not get it at the funeral. He was from that church, and I think he stayed away from the funeral because he had Covid at the time. So I think it was more accurate to say that there was one person hospitalized after the funeral.

Also, I said that everyone knew it would be a super spreader event. Actually, I am sure there were many people there who simply didn't consider it to be a problem, or whatever.
So it would be more accurate to say that some of us fully expected it to be a super spreader event. Because of that possibility, my wife and I left our children at home. We had planned to minimize contact etc., but really there was no way to really do that. You go in and sit right with everyone else, and stay there the full service, and then you go outside. Just like normal.
We knew it was in the community, but I felt that it was more important to be there. I figured that I already had Covid once, so I wasn't too worried.

[Josh]

Maybe they could've had multiple services to lessen the density of people in the building. Maybe one of those services could've been outdoors. There was likely an outdoor component to the service already, at the graveside.

Why is there a need to do any of these things? I don't agree with throwing away centuries of traditions, particularly around funerals, just to comply with some ever-changing health guidelines.

As you may recall, I was fine with locking down and really changing our practices for a few months to "flatten the curve". It's now been 18 months. Most of the plain world has gone back to normal, and isn't interested in permanently changing or cancelling weddings, funerals, church services, Bible schools, young people's gatherings, and everything else. (Getting young people to stop gathering is basically impossible anyway - they just will go do it in secret if you don't have organised activities.)

We recently had a 400+ person wedding, with no "precautions". Everything was fine. People have been travelling to out of state weddings, and also have been fine. There simply is no reason to be afraid anymore, at least for the plain community, which seems to have achieved herd immunity and virtually everyone I know in that community has gotten covid and recovered.

Some people care very much about worldly reputations and worldly wisdom. The world right now says to be a hypochondriac and to be very afraid. The plain community, as a whole, isn't doing that.

[Josh]

Josh, you completely missed my point. Also, did you intend to refer to me as a hypochondriac?

If you're afraid of plain people having funerals, yes, you're a hypochondriac. Large gatherings are happening and there are zero ill effects.

AIC this spring is an example of one such gathering. So were the many weddings that happened this year. At some point, you need to actually look at the lived cultural experience. If you wanted to save the lives of plain people, you would be better off to focus on helping overweight people reduce their waistlines and discouraging 13 year olds from riding ATVs dangerously.

The rest of our surrounding community seems happy with us as well. (Before we resumed having "normal" church services, the leadership in my congregation reached out to our neighbours to ask them what they think. They were enthusiastic in thinking we should have normal church, and some were surprised we were not doing so already.) They seem comfortable attending recent weddings & funerals.

People who don't want to live in that kind of society might feel more comfortable moving to a place like L.A., New York City, Australia, or New Zealand.