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The anti-vaccination movement has been steadily growing in the United States, UK, Australia, and Canada. Unfortunately, the proponents of this movement seem to hold a great deal of sway with conservative Christians and homeschoolers. This is truly unfortunate, because the anti-vaccination movement is full of lies, misrepresentations, and half-truths. I have personally read several books written by members of the anti-vaccination movement, and I have also listened to several anti-vaccination advocates on the radio. I am constantly surprised at the lack of scientific understanding that these "experts" demonstrate, and I am shocked at the misrepresentations that they foist on an unsuspecting audience. In my opinion, the sway that the anti-vaccination movement holds in Christian and homeschooling circles is simply a demonstration of what we have already been shown by the Y2K nonsense which held similar sway: some Christians and some homeschoolers still have a LOT of work to do when it comes to learning critical thinking skills!
Although I could write hundreds of lines about the lies, misrepresentations, and half-truths spread by the anti-vaccination movement, I choose to let others do it for me. Here are some links that you can follow to learn the TRUTH about vaccinations. If you have been swayed by the lies of the anti-vaccination movement, here is the first site you should visit. It is called QUACKWATCH, and it is run by a retired psychiatrist (all psychiatrists are trained medical doctors, by the way) who tries to combat all manner of health-related scams. The anti-vaccination movement is just one scam against which he fights.
http://www.apologia.com/vaccines_old.htmlQuote:
I decided to update this page from its previous form because I think it is important to compile the data regarding vaccines into one large resource, rather than several individual ones. If you are really interested in learning the facts regarding the vaccination issue, please follow the links provided below. Please understand, however, that you must have the courage to actually face the truth. If you have been deceived by the lies of the anti-vaccination movement, you might be upset by what you read. I do pray that you have the fortitude to proceed, however, as your children's lives might depend on it. Make no mistake, the facts are crystal clear: children and adults die or are permanently injured because of the lies of the anti-vaccination movement. If you care about your children and your loved ones, you will carefully investigate this issue.
Before I present you with links that lead you to the truth regarding vaccines, I want you to know a bit about why I take such a strong stance on this subject. Firstly, I am not, in any way, associated with any pharmaceutical company. My wife worked for a company many years ago which does have a pharmaceutical division, but it does not produce any vaccines. She also did not work for the pharmaceutical division. She worked in the division that produced research-grade reagents for biomedical research. She also quit that job in 1997 to run the business end of our ministry.
Secondly, I am not tied to the "mainstream" view on any scientific issue. I am not only a creationist, but I am a young earth creationist. I also consider global warming to be the scientific hoax of the century; the ozone layer problem to be blown way out of proportion; the CFC ban to be misguided and bad for humanity; and the "save the rainforest" movement to be well-meaning but deluded. Obviously, then, I do not simply toe the "mainstream" line. I hold all of these positions for the same reasons I hold my vaccination position: My faith and the facts clearly point to the truth of those positions.
I was first introduced to the anti-vaccination movement by a biology student. I discuss how vaccines work in my biology course, and the student was one who had been deceived by the lies of the anti-vaccination movement. At the time, however, I knew nothing about the movement, so I was eager to look into the matter. After all, I could imagine that the "mainstream" scientific view of vaccines was wrong. Certainly a lot of "mainstream" ideas are wrong (evolution, global warming, etc.), so I was ready to believe that the "mainstream" view of vaccinations was wrong. Thus, I read the references that the student gave me (a few websites and Neil Miller's book, Vaccines: Are They Really Safe And Effective?).
As I investigated this side of the vaccine issue, however, I became very disappointed. The materials she gave me demonstrated mostly the ignorance and deceit of the authors. Most of those in the anti-vaccination movement have little idea of how the human body or modern medical science works. Also, when they did reference the medical literature on the issue, they often lied about what it said .
Because well-meaning Christians have been fooled by the lies of the anti-vaccination movement, and because children and adults suffer and die when the anti-vaccination propagandists get their way, I consider it very important to educate those who have been fooled. Please investigate the links below. If you have been fooled by the anti-vaccination propagandists, you will be very surprised at what you read!
http://www.apologia.com/vaccines.htm
11 May 2008, 7:45 pm
