There’s a vaccine for cancer. It’s been around for a while and has almost completely eradicated this awful disease. But I’m not going to give my son the vaccine. Why not? Well let me tell you, oh uninformed one! You need to do some research! I read about this research some guy did a while back that proved the cancer vaccine increases a child’s likelihood of being dyslexic. Even though the guy who did the research later admitted his findings were bogus I am still not going to vaccinate my son. What’s the reason for my obstinance? Because I love my kid I take advice from former MTV stars. Britney Spears has spoken out against the cancer vaccine. Since Britney is famous and all famous people are experts on everything they speak to, I can trust her. Oh sure she based her opinion on the research that was later proven false, but what does that matter? She’s a celebrity. She can’t possibly be wrong. 
Do you see why some people might think I’m a little bit crazy? Maybe just a little off my rocker? Especially if I’m also going around trying to convince people that 9/11 was an inside job and Sandy Hook was orchestrated by the government to take guns away from people (how’d that work out? Oh, the complete opposite effect). Certainly you’re free to not vaccinate your child and you’re free to believe the government planned 9/11 and Sandy Hook. That’s your prerogative. Read carefully. I’m NOT saying the government is wonderfully moral and pure and morally incapable of doing those things. That’s NOT what I’m saying. I’m not saying I trust the government. What I am saying is that no reasonable evidence exists that would lead me to jump to such irrational conclusions - namely that our government is actively concocting a relentless barrage of diabolical schemes.
The reason I am pro-vaccination is because all the evidence strongly suggests that vaccines are doing good work and there’s no evidence to lead me to believe it’s causing autism. Do I think you’re crazy for not vaccinating? Yea, a little bit and I’m sure you think my wife and I are crazy for some of the conclusions we’ve come to. I also don’t think the government should force you to vaccinate your child. I also don’t think your rights are being violated if a public school won’t allow you to enroll your unvaccinated child. That’s the choice you made when you chose not to vaccinate. Sorry. Home school that kid.
Let’s take a look at Josiah and see what we can glean about the importance of making well-informed decisions based on good information. Josiah was a good king. One of the few good kings of Judah.
2 Chronicles 35
20 After all this, when Josiah had set the [d]temple in order, Neco king of Egypt came up to make war at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to engage him. 21 But [e]Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “What have we to do with each other, O King of Judah? I am not coming against you today but against the house with which I am at war, and God has ordered me to hurry. Stop for your own sake from interfering with God who is with me, so that He will not destroy you.” 22 However, Josiah would not turn[f]away from him, but disguised himself in order to make war with him; nor did he listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to make war on the plain of Megiddo. 23 The archers shot King Josiah, and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded.” 24 So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in the second chariot which he had, and brought him to Jerusalem [g]where he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.
What’s Josiah’s deal? Why didn’t he listen to Neco? Neco spelled it out to Josiah! Josiah was a good king who made a really bad decision based on good information. If Josiah, a good king, can make bad decisions based on good information then certainly we can make bad decisions based on bad information! We are likely to always make a bad decision if we’re using bad information as the basis for our decision.
Any decision we make, whether it be the mundane choice of where to go out to eat (I wonder how much time couples spend per year pondering that question), what church to attend or whether to be a 3, 4 or 5 point Calvinist we need to base all of those decisions on the best information we can get ahold of.
What does Jesus say?
Luke 14
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| How fitting that a notorious false prophet, Rex Humbard, ran out of money to build a tower? And then Ernest Angley took it over! Quite appropriate. |
27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
Admittedly the context of that passage is about being a disciple of Christ but a secondary principal we take from that is the importance of research! Do I really want to be a disciple of Christ? Let me examine what the Bible says it will cost me. Oh, it’ll cost me a lot. Am I ready for that level of commitment? And to the lesser degree we examine each and every decision carefully and with good information. We don’t consult the Koran or Hemingway when choosing (uh oh, did a 5 point Calvinist just say choose?) to be a disciple or not. Neither would we consult a former MTV star when deciding to vaccinate our children or not. We’d consult the best available source of information, seek Godly counsel and pray. Just don’t base your decisions on bad information! Don’t base your decisions about Christ on any of man’s words or actions. Base your decision about Christ on the book He authored!
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