This week, global elites are discussing the potential danger of a future pandemic at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. There, World Health Organization (WHO) Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus led a panel on “Preparing for Disease X,” an objective WHO now pursues with religious zeal. Despite a pattern of new pandemics sweeping the globe approximately once a century, WHO insists on nations and individuals giving up their sovereignty and freedoms now.
Even before COVID, as early as 2018 the World Health Organization had placed an altar to the unknown “Disease X” alongside the other deities of its pathogenic pantheon, which now includes: “COVID-19, Ebola, Zika virus, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV), and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).”
The global scientific elites believe that mankind has progressed beyond the “times of ignorance” (Acts 17:30), when in the seat of Greek philosophy, pagan superstitions had led men to devote an altar “To the unknown god” (Acts 17:23). They believe in “Science,” after all, not some silly, antiquated myth. Yet their devotion to science, not to mention their blind faith in it, fits quite comfortably into the uniform of a religion. The global elites are “members of a godless secular cult,” said Larry Taunton, executive director of the Fixed Point Foundation, on “Washington Watch.”
Without knowing anything else about their new algebraic god, WHO is certain of one attribute — its vengefulness. “Disease X represents the knowledge that a serious international epidemic could be caused by a pathogen currently unknown to cause human disease,” insisted WHO, which hypothesizes that Disease X could result in 20 times more fatalities than COVID.
Incidentally, this means that, for all the fearmongering, COVID-19 was not the feared — and, to global health elites, eagerly awaited — Disease X. When COVID came, they “were questioning in their hearts” whether it might be their distorted, two-dimensional replacement for Christ (Luke 3:22). But, as it came and went and left healthy young people largely unaffected, that coronavirus “confessed, and did not deny, but confessed,” “I am not he” (John 1:20, Acts 13:25). (Indeed, one wonders why COVID-19 — 13,900 U.S. deaths in the last three months — still features on the list of “WHO’s biggest pandemic threats,” while the seasonal flu — an estimated 9,400-28,000 U.S. deaths from October 1 through January 6 — does not.)
Like pagan cults of yore, averting the hypothesized wrath of this impersonal and spurious deity requires both state and the common people to make an unspecified number of sacrifices, as interpreted by its priestly class — in this case known as, “public health experts.” They have plenty of ideas for how to accrue power and suppress individual liberty — although the connection of these ideas to improved health outcomes is less scientific than wishful.
Leadership at the World Health Organization is pushing both amendments to the International Health Regulations and a new pandemic treaty that would both internationalize certain elements of pandemic response, undermining national security, free speech, and the dignity of every human being in the process. “They want to clamp down on anyone who would challenge their global power grab when it comes to pandemics and health crises and emergencies,” said Family Research Council President Tony Perkins.
Enter the WEF, an annual gathering of the secular synod, where the scientism-ists meet to discuss the progress of their graceless gospel. In Paul’s day, “all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new” (Acts 17:21). In our day, that’s Davos — even if “something new” involves a scolding by Argentina’s free-market President Javier Milei or Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts.
“Even communities can prepare for Disease X,” Ghebreyesus declared at the WEF panel, suggesting the WHO’s new international health regulations would control public health, education, and communication, all the way down to the local level.
“The logic here is being used to justify a major revision of power,” explained Dr. Robert Malone, chief medical and regulatory officer for The Unity Project, on “Washington Watch:” an “increase in power and funding for the World Health Organization, the International Health Regulations, and the new pandemic treaty. All this is coming to a head as we’re rushing into both American and European elections.”
These elites patiently await the day when their unseen messiah arrives to “rule all the nations with a rod of iron” (Revelation 12:5), confident that they will then rule with it (Revelation 2:27). But they are laboring to advance their kingdom even now.
So devoted are these fanatics to their objectives that they’re ignoring the rules that ordinarily apply to international organizations. To push through the amendments, “They just said they voted, but they didn’t,” noted Jim Roguski, a member of the Law and Activism Committee at the World Council for Health,” on “Washington Watch.” Member nations have signed a letter asking for proof that the vote took place, he said. Drafters of the treaty had to “go back to the drawing board,” he added, because “the bureaucracy is not listening to what the nations have … said they want in the document.”
Scripture delivers stern warnings to those who have “exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25). This is especially true of those who worship “the work of human hands” — a manmade god powerless to speak, see, hear, smell, feel, or walk (Psalm 115:4-7). Deadly pathogens are created things. They might even be man-made things. Neither they nor the countermeasures against them are worthy of receiving anyone’s ultimate devotion or fear.
“Those who make them [idols] become like them; so do all who trust in them,” the Psalmist adds (Psalm 115:8) — powerless and foolish, that is. “The feeling you get when you engage with [WEF attendees] is that they’re absolutely clueless,” said Taunton, who was present as a reporter. “They don’t seem to even really be aware that there are people who don’t agree with what they’re doing.”
“This is about a common enemy,” claimed Ghebreyesus during his WEF panel. “And without a shared response, starting from the preparedness … we will face the same problem as COVID.” It’s true there are public health measures officials can take to prepare for a pandemic, such as stockpiling medical supplies. But does anyone really believe that the problem with the public health response during COVID was a lack of preparedness, that an unknown pandemic is something for which we can fully prepare? No, it was the lies, the censorship, the stifling of debate, the unreasonable edicts, the forcible mandates, the closure of churches and schools, the suppression of weddings and funerals.
A major theme of the 2024 WEF is “rebuilding trust.” WHO officials like Ghebreyesus believe they need more authority to manage the next pandemic. The reason why people no longer trust public health authorities is because they abused their authority. “The only way this [restored public trust] is going to happen is through accountability, argued Malone.
There is virtue in remaining vigilant against tyranny because, as Roguski said, “You get as much tyranny as you allow.”
However, Christians need fear neither public health bureaucrats nor the scientistic idols they erect. The reason is, their gods serve the one true God. The Lord God Almighty can send pestilence on the earth, and he can arrest its progress (2 Samuel 24:15-16). All forms of death are subject to his command (Revelation 6:7-8).
This is not to say that public health is a useless trade, and that we should abolish all related positions and agencies. Fighting diseases and protecting human lives are good, biblical objectives, and we should be thankful for people who devote their careers to that end.
But public health is not the most important thing. Its considerations should not automatically override other important considerations regarding the economy, education, freedom, and, most importantly, proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. We should especially resist attempts to sacrifice present goods in the pointless pursuit of preparedness against some hypothetical, unknown, future evil — of whose nature we haven’t the foggiest inkling. “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34).
Fear of the unknown is a normal human experience. Obsessing over it is paranoia. Replacing the fear of God with this lesser fear is idolatry.
Joshua Arnold is a senior writer at The Washington Stand.
