Geoff W. Sutton Blog

A conspiracy theory claims Bill Gates plans to insert microchips into a Covid-19 vaccine, which would facilitate tracking people. The chip insertion is false and malicious gossip; however, Christians are passing the ominous story around. Why do they do this? That’s what I want to consider. Normally, I wouldn’t pay much attention to such a story, but it caught my attention because I am writing about Pentecostal-Charismatic Christians and psychotherapy. And I remembered joking about how nice it would be to insert a memory card into my brain to help my memory. That quip didn’t go over well with some Christians. Chips and Route 666 For those who are not familiar with Pentecostal theologies, they include versions of eschatology (teachings about end times) that refer to humans identified by a mark of a beast, which is listed as 666 in the book of Revelation. Contemporary fundamentalist writers (not just Pentecostals) look at technological advances like RFID chips and othe...

During the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, the number of dead people lead news stories. And many people require scarce ventilators to fight for their lives. Scary stuff! Sensible people are afraid.  Sensible people embrace fear as a powerful motivator to take evidence-based pathways to health and safety. Possible Downsides:  When People do not Embrace Fear People who do not embrace fear can get sick and die or kill their family and friends if they ignore sound advice. Ignoring fear can be deadly. The dead testify to the reality of the fear.  Fear is a sign of mental wellness  as long as the fear is real and leads to positive action. The damaging side of fear can happen if we dwell on the fear after taking appropriate action. Filling our minds with misery and death can be discouraging or even depressing leaving us with low energy and distress. Fear is an emotional reaction to a real or perceived threat, but anxiety is an emotional reaction exp...