After Ignoring Warnings, Israeli Ultra-Orthodox Hit By Virus

[danieldemol]

‘BNEI BRAK, Israel (AP) — Early this week, the streets of the central Israeli city of Bnei Brak were bustling with shoppers as ultra-Orthodox residents, obeying their religious leaders, ignored pleas to stay home in the face of the coronavirus threat.

By Friday, Bnei Brak had become the country’s worst hot spot and now resembles a ghost town. One expert estimated that nearly 40% of the city’s population might already have been infected.


The city has become a lightning rod for anger and frustration by some secular Israelis who allege insular Haredi communities — with disproportionately high numbers of confirmed cases — are undermining national efforts to contain the virus.’

Read more here: After Ignoring Warnings, Israeli Ultra-Orthodox Hit By Virus | HuffPost

 

[Sunstone]

Predictable to most people. A surprise to them.

It is, however, human nature to deny reality in one way or another. Just some of us pick more lethal ways than others. Fools or not, they deserve our compassion (although we should not condone their foolishness). After all, they are --- in a very profound sense -- us.

 

[Hellbound Serpiente]

Ignorance and arrogance usually breeds destruction

 

[Debater Slayer]

I hope that there are as few casualties as possible and that the authorities can contain the virus before it affects more people.

The religious leaders who encouraged their audiences to ignore the pleas to stay home should perhaps be put on trial for endangering the public.

 

[Agnostisch]

I did not understand their point of view yet

 

[Sunstone]

Ideally, people would think for themselves, no matter what their leaders tell them. Ideally.

 

[Agnostisch]

Predictable to most people. A surprise to them.

It is, however, human nature to deny reality in one way or another. Just some of us pick more lethal ways than others. Fools or not, they deserve our compassion.

The virus does not differentiate between humans, so They must be suppressed

 

[Sunstone]

Ignorance and arrogance usually breeds destruction

True that. If often takes awhile, though. The gears of justice, karma, destiny -- whatever you want to call it -- tend to grind slowly. But this virus is one instance in which they are likely to move much faster than normal.

 

[Sunstone]

The virus does not differentiate between humans, so They must be suppressed

What do you mean by "suppressed"?

 

[columbus]

What do you mean by "suppressed"?

I was more interested in what he meant by "they".
Religious people? Viruses? Humans?
Tom

 

[Sunstone]

I was more interested in what he meant by "they".
Religious people? Viruses? Humans?
Tom

Good question.

 

[Revoltingest]

‘BNEI BRAK, Israel (AP) — Early this week, the streets of the central Israeli city of Bnei Brak were bustling with shoppers as ultra-Orthodox residents, obeying their religious leaders, ignored pleas to stay home in the face of the coronavirus threat.

By Friday, Bnei Brak had become the country’s worst hot spot and now resembles a ghost town. One expert estimated that nearly 40% of the city’s population might already have been infected.


The city has become a lightning rod for anger and frustration by some secular Israelis who allege insular Haredi communities — with disproportionately high numbers of confirmed cases — are undermining national efforts to contain the virus.’

Read more here: After Ignoring Warnings, Israeli Ultra-Orthodox Hit By Virus | HuffPost

Perhaps it'll be a learning experience which changes
traditions so they can better face the next epidemic.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Perhaps it'll be a learning experience which changes
traditions so they can better face the next epidemic.

Or perhaps just a new entry in the Darwin Awards, as some of us weed ourselves out of the gene pool....

 

[danieldemol]

Perhaps it'll be a learning experience which changes
traditions so they can better face the next epidemic.

One can only hope for the best

 

[Sunstone]

Or perhaps just a new entry in the Darwin Awards, as some of us weed ourselves out of the gene pool....

You are most likely right. I'm old. I've seen a lot. But I have relatively seldom seen people change their core beliefs for the merest reason that their beliefs were folly and nonsense. Far, far more likely the survivors will double-down on their beliefs.

 

[Revoltingest]

Or perhaps just a new entry in the Darwin Awards, as some of us weed ourselves out of the gene pool....

The ones who survive will reproduce.
They should learn new traditions.

 

[Revoltingest]

One can only hope for the best

True dat.

 

[Terry Sampson]

Possible lesson for me and other theists: God is merciful and forgiving; Mother Nature? Not so much.

 

[Sunstone]

There have been relatively few times in human history when something akin to this has happened that the 'survivors' have failed to double-down on their beliefs.

Look what the Jehovah Witnesses did after their founder failed to accurately predict the end of the world on two or three occasions in the 1900s. Did they say, "Gee, he (and we) must have been wrong"? Nope. They doubled-down.

Look at the many people whose notions that evolution or global climate are hoaxes have been shown to be nonsense. Do they change their minds? Nope. Most of the time, they double-down.

And on and on and on.

These good Orthodox people are almost certain to double-down on their core beliefs even as they bury their dead by the dozens or hundreds.

 

[Father Heathen]

Ignorance and arrogance usually breeds destruction

Something that many religions seem good at cultivating.