https://slate.com/human-interest/2021/10/christian-drowning-man-parable-covid-vaccine.htmlThe Parable of the Drowning Man in the Age of COVID
How a corny joke became the preferred way to challenge Christian anti-vaxxers.
The joke goes something like this: A ferocious storm sweeps through a town, and in the aftermath, a man clambers onto his roof to escape the floodwaters.
As he sits there, someone in a canoe comes by and offers to carry him to safety.
“No, thanks,” the man replies. “God will save me.”
The man paddles off, and the waters continue to rise. Shortly afterward, someone in a boat pulls up to offer help.
“No, thank you,” the man says again. “God will deliver me.”
The waters rise higher. Finally, a Coast Guard helicopter appears; someone with a megaphone offers to drop a ladder.
“No, thank you,” the man says for a final time. “I prayed for God to save me.”
The helicopter flies off, the waters engulf the roof, and the man drowns. When the man arrives in heaven, he asks in confusion, “What happened, God? Why didn’t you rescue me?” God replies, “I sent you a canoe, a boat, and a helicopter. What more did you want?”
If you ever regularly attended a Christian church, you’ve probably heard a version of this story, sometimes called the “parable of the drowning man.” But in the last year, a new version has cropped up. In it, a man ignores advice to wear masks, avoid large gatherings, and get the COVID vaccine.
When he dies after contracting the virus at a party, God tells the confused Christian that he gave public health officials the intelligence to develop the vaccine and to educate the public about social distancing, hand-washing, masks, and other measures. “I imparted wisdom to your leaders, who realized the dangers of COVID-19 and how humans could protect themselves."
“Many of your leaders made sure they communicated to everyone. What more could I have done?”
