Shokhin Vladimir

Vaccinophobia, “fundamentalism” and the fine tuning of the present-day pandemic

Abstract

This article is a response to the paper that discloses the unwillingness to get vaccination against Covid-19 as based on the apocalyptic mentality. This topic is extended so that I analyse not only subjective but also objective reasons for the phenomenon which in the above-mentioned paper is termed vaccinophobia. I go even further and examine not only the consequences but also the cause, i.e. the pandemic itself and the various aspects of its impact on society and religion. I argue that the understanding of Covid is possible not only in the domain of doctors, sociologists, politologists, but also of theologians. I study the following main directions of its impact, i.e. being the instument used to destroy the traditional historical, cultural, and even biological identity of present-day Westerners; abnormal control over society on the pretext of caring for people, and extreme pressure on church life under the same pretext. My conclusion is that it is possible to see analogies between the fi ne tuning of Creation and coordination of the factors listed above in the context of the pervading purposeful set of objectives which are initially oppossed to the divine plan and are becoming more and more sophisticated. I cite opinions of prominent virusologists about the artifi cial origin of Covid as well as the arguments in favour of the view that the Christian teaching about hell can no longer be seen as a remnant of Middle Ages but constitutes an integral part of the Christian doctrine and fully retains validity in the present day.

Keywords

COVID, vaccinophobia, fundamentalism, alarmism, conspiracy theory, church life, teleology, rational plan, fi ne tuning, Christian teaching about hell

References

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Information about the author

Shokhin Vladimir

Academic Degree: Doctor of Sciences* in Philosophy;
Academic Rank: Professor;
Place of work: Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences; Goncharnaya Str. 12/1, Moscow 109240, Russian Federation;
Post: Head of the Sector of Philosophy of Religion;
ORCID: 0000-0002-2111-8740;
Email: vladshokhin@yandex.ru.

*According to ISCED 2011, a post-doctoral degree called Doctor of Sciences (D.Sc.) is given to reflect second advanced research qualifications or higher doctorates.