A real conversation:



John Doe: I think I'm okay with the idea of a government vaccine mandate. If you're teetering on the edge of the cliff then you obviously should make every effort to get away from the cliff [and take the vaccine].
Me: But I've already survived covid, so from my view I'm not on the edge of the cliff and therefore don’t need to take the shot.

John: Well you should still want to take it just in case.
Me: But I don't.

John: But you should.

Me: Okay, make me.

John: What?

Me: Make me want to take it. Offer me a bribe. Give me $10,000 and I’ll get the shot.

John: No!

Me: Okay so what, $1,000? $500?

John: No and no.

Me: ...You aren't doing a very good job of offering me any incentive. Come on, you've been telling me this is really important. So how important is this? What would you be willing to give me?

John: 50 cents. That's as high as I would go.

Me: Really? 50 cents...Not even enough to buy something off the McDonald's dollar menu. Our country is supposedly on this precipice and it's so important that you're okay with the government forcefully injecting something into my body, but you aren't willing to offer me more than 50 cents. I guess this isn’t that important to you after all.

John: Well the government wouldn't be forceful.

Me: Oh, really? How would the government accomplish this then?

John: Well, they would do it by taxes or fees or something.

Me: Okay and what happens if I refuse to pay the fees? What happens when they try to arrest me and I resist arrest?

John: Oh….


There are a couple lessons here, the first is prices convey value. If you aren’t willing to pay for something, then you don’t value it. John isn’t willing to pay me to get the vaccine and therefore he really does not care whether I get the vaccine or not.
The second takeaway is all government action is backed by force, ie someone with a gun. Romans 12:18 says, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." People, but especially Christians, would do well to remember this before they say “the government should do something about…”

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