A Christian Physician Looks at Coronavirus, How to Protect Yourself, and the Constitution

Guarding health is pro-life and falls under the 6th commandment of God’s 10 commandments. Historically, each of the 10 commandments has been correctly viewed as having both a positive and negative directive. As the 6th commandment forbids murder, it also commands the protection of life, which includes health. 

The rule of “first do no harm” not only applies to physicians, but applies to all of us, but the definition of do no harm is not always clear or agreed upon. 

Each of us has a responsibility to care for our health and on some level to care for our brother and neighbor, as illustrated when God spoke to Cain, and as Jesus taught in the parable of the Good Samaritan. 

Taking care of health depends on an understanding of how our bodies work — knowledge based in experience and science, and in discernment as situations arise in our lives. 

God gave us principles of health in His Word, and part of this does include the principle of isolation (quarantine). That directive is clearly to the person who is ill, and at times it involved caution on the part of others who were not ill — to take reasonable precautions against exposure for their own health. Avoiding danger of any kind is an obvious responsibility that we have before God. God gives us this principle through Solomon in Proverbs 22.3 – “The prudent sees the evil and hides himself, But the naive go on, and are punished for it.”

From our study of health and disease, we formulate more principles of health. 

Coronavirus

While the virus can affect vast numbers of people, it is certain that 80 percent of those infected will have mild symptoms and recover by the natural ability of their body and immune system. The issue of concern is the minority of people who will have serious illness and even succumb to death.  

This virus seriously effects those who are susceptible or at risk, and this risk ALWAYS has underlying factors. 

Serious risk and death is NEVER random or without cause !! 

Nothing happens without a cause. 

Every symptom and disease has a cause, and the severity of disease ALWAYS has underlying or predisposing factors. 

With the virus essentially being only one strain, the difference in severity of disease is that EVERY person severely effected had underlying factors that weakened their metabolism and immune defense system. However, this FACT will not be brought to light by the media, government, or conventional medical profession. 

Unfortunately, this weakness in the immune system is often not apparent, has not been measured, or has not been diagnosed. 

It also somewhat difficult to diagnose based on the mainstream paradigm of medicine and health care. 

Many people do not have optimal health and are NOT aware of this. They only sense that they do not have obvious symptoms.  

The conventional medical system is not interested in or has neglected this aspect of susceptibility to a serious virus due to lowered immune function for a variety of reasons including politics, economics, a drug-based medical system, and the tradition of how medicine has been practiced in the last 75 years. 

Again, the virus KILLS the susceptible, and every person who dies from the virus had particular underlying factors that made them susceptible. 

Every person is responsible on some level to guard their life and improve their health,  and every person can take a variety of actions to improve their metabolism and immune function. 

Basic considerations for health in this time are the following: 

First, nutrient levels are not optimal for the highest function of our body and immune systems. It is impossible based on the decreased nutrient levels of the agricultural soil. Additionally, the exposure to chemicals in food, and chemicals and other environmental toxins challenge or effect the systems of the body in such as a way that the body needs even higher levels of nutrients to counter this exposure or demand on the body. 

Second, people generally do not have any knowledge of or practice of detoxification to periodically eliminate the build up of toxins. Over time, this accumulation  of toxins will effect our health in such a way as to disrupt metabolism and weaken our immune function with the eventual and inevitable result of degenerative disease, auto-immune conditions, accelerated aging, and cancer. 

What to Do to Protect Yourself

In this immediate scenario of a contagious viral illness, my experience and the general consensus of functional medicine physicians is the following: 

1. Protect your health by supporting your immune system with the four basic and most important nutrients for the immune system:

Vitamin C  

Vitamin A

Vitamin D

Zinc 

I assume that NONE of my patients have optimal nutrient levels or immune function. This is partly based on specific testing that is available and my experience. This is also the safest assumption based on the potential seriousness of this virus in certain people who are at greater risk. I recommend these nutrients for EVERY person under my care and ANY person that asks for my professional advice.  

In modern medicine and health care, we have as much as fifty years of nutrition related experience and research that prove the value of these nutrients. 

2. Guard your life by isolation if you are at risk – if you are elderly and / or have medical conditions that would weaken your metabolism and immune function – either related to chronic disease or to the treatment of your condition.  

Any person with respiratory or viral symptoms is contagious and should avoid exposure with those at risk for one week after the resolution of their symptoms. 

We generally do this with the flu,  and in other situations such as as pregnancy with other viruses.  

I do think that when a family has a member(s) that is at risk, then the rest of the family should take reasonable precautions to not expose this person. This would be fulfilling the principle of do no harm, as well as God’s summary of all of His commandments of loving your neighbor as yourself. 

Remember 80 percent of people are NOT at significant risk in the light of the observed outcomes, but it is vital that 100% of people support their immune defense system. 

3. Practice health in the sense of hygiene. Certainly, the most fundamental and important hygiene practice is frequent hand washing based on the amount of interaction with the public and potential exposure. 

Correlating with this might even be disinfecting clothes after public exposure in higher risk scenarios – which would be obvious for health care workers in certain higher risk environments. Health care workers are doing this as they return home from hospitals and high risk medical facilities. 

4. In regard to managing the stress, alarm, and hysteria of this current viral situation, it is obvious that any news from the media has the potential to fuel the situation. I personally think that Americans should severely limit their exposure to news media and focus on the press conferences of the President and his health care team. 

5. In regard to public health measures, the scientific and medical communities have never advocated these forced measures of public isolation in the history of this country. There is NO precedent. 

The proposed benefits are partly based on mathematical models of contact. The proposed or hoped for benefits are theoretical. Forbidding the usual activities of life (business, church meetings, sports) is nonsense in the context of so many Americans going to obtain necessary food supplies in grocery stores. Ultimately, this basic and necessary activity spreads the virus on a daily basis. Notice – there is no acknowledgement of this fact. 

The alarm of the public and fear of death have driven people to hope that the actions of government will be effective. 

Guarding Liberty

We have the unprecedented actions of various levels of government that have never taken place in our country.

These actions essentially amount to martial law, assumption of illegitimate power, and violation of Constitutionally enumerated and protected rights of citizens. This is one of the most dangerous positions that American citizens and churches have ever been in. The potential consequences and precedents are nearly too vast to even calculate. 

We must bring the issues of constitutional liberties of citizens and the government’s appropriate constitutional duties and powers to the attention of the public. 

It is impossible that the actual severity of the virus or the value of the mandatory isolation directives could have been accurately known as the U.S government started their directives. These two factors alone give no justification for the actions of the government. 

There was no basis in science or medicine; there was no basis in the history of America, and there is no basis in our Constitution.

In addition to these constitutional and historical matters, there is the morality of these actions and the consequences. As the actions of individuals are moral, so the actions of governments are moral.  As Christians, we must know that every action must fall under God’s moral principles and God’s justice, and it is our duty to carefully apply God’s moral principles to all of life and in every sphere of life and government – personal, family, society, church, state. 

Because of the widespread alarm and fear (and because of other unstated reasons), Christians are not thinking  and discerning in all of these matters – people are not evaluating the government’s actions in terms of the limited powers of the constitutions, nor in terms of God’s Word for life. 

One nation under God is the summary principle that people and their civil magistrates are both under God – God requires obedience of individuals, and God requires obedience of governments.  One nation under God also summarizes our dedication to living for God. 

It would appear that government’s high (moral) principle is the saving of lives from the virus, but this is at the cost of many other principles and aspects of life, and with the vast potential consequences on individuals, families, businesses, the diminishing or loss of basic rights and liberties of Americans, and the reality of government that takes power that will be eventually exercised and almost never relinquished. 

The hypocrisy of government and people is that more lives will be lost in the murderous procedure of abortion than to the virus during this epidemic. 

Though life is vitally important, it is NOT at the neglect of the other vital, moral, and God given principles of life.  

How should we then live – in response ? 

How should we think about these matters ? 

What questions should every citizen, Christian, and church be asking ?

How has God directed us in His Word on all of these matters ? 

If God’s Word was foundational to the founding of America and our Constitutional Republic, why is it not vital for this crisis and going forward ? 

What is the standard of moral action of individuals and of governments ? 

How should all of this and the action of government be judged ? 

What are the consequences, including moral and financial, on individuals, families, businesses, and culture ?

Is there a Christian and Biblical basis for saving lives at the cost of finanical hardship or ruin for families and the nation ? 

Why is there not concern of citizens and churches in all these matters ?   

Why is there not discernment and response of citizens and churches ? 

As never before, Americans are looking (and seemingly being trained ) to government for their safety and happiness in the fundamental areas of life – the American federal and state governments were never intended to function in this way.  

Certain and many issues of life can never be solved by civil government, and the people who look to civil government to solve the issues will alway be disappointed, as well as be harmed in their loss of liberty, potential happiness (spiritual, physical, financial), and unfortunately in some cases the loss of life.  

If these current actions and directives of governments (federal, state, local) are morally proper, then these actions will be necessary for every similar viral epidemic in the future. The destructive consequences and precedents are nearly unimaginable. 

Increased Power and Coercion 

In the pretense of national interests (health, financial) –  will government exercise power to MANDATE vaccines for all citizens ? 

Will government take the unprecedented action to force Americans to undergo this medical therapy and the potential side effects of vaccines against their consent and faith? 

It is important to note that the COVID-10 vaccine will not have been adequately tested, and it will have been fast tracked to approval. 

Vaccines which will bring the pharmaceutical manufactures billions of dollars, but pharmaceutical manufactures will have no liability – as they have been granted immunity for decades by the federal government.  

When certain numbers of peoples are injured by vaccines, families will be left to carry the lifetime burden of on-going care and financial costs – as the court and medical system prevent the recognition of most vaccine injuries, and the vaccine injury compensation fund rarely ever compensates the injured. 

Fear of the Mortality Rate

The most alarming number to people is clearly the potential mortally rate – this seems to be used by media and government for many reasons and to accomplish objectives that threaten the liberties and well-being of each citizen, family, church, business, and institution.

A truly accurate mortality rate will NEVER be known as hundreds of thousands and millions of Americans will have had an unrecognized or undiagnosed Covid-19 illness – none of these cases will be included in the statistics. The inaccurate and inflated statistics will be used as a so-called legitimate basis for the actions of government, and they will even be used by citizens to rest in their trust and dependance on government that is not proper or healthy, that is destructive to America. 

Liberty in the Future

The violation of the rights of citizens and the abuse of power of government is right before our eyes, and the potential consequences and harm to America, its citizens and churches, and their liberties and happiness is very real.  

Leaders are even more critical at certain times, and people are quietly and desperately looking for leadership – leaders to represent, to guide, to give hope, and to fight for liberty, happiness, and life.  

The immediate crisis will likely end in the near future, but the on-going battle for liberty and keeping our Republic will continue. 

The COVID-19 virus will likely return next winter, or another similar viral threat will eventually come – with the exact same scenario of greater government use and abuse of power and intrusion into the lives of citizens, churches, businesses, etc. 

Individuals and churches can be better prepared and make better choices. They can act to defend their rights and influence government. They can shine light into darkness. 

Wisdom and discernment are as vital as is the message and timing.  

The counsel of the most trusted and capable people that you know is absolutely essential. 

Prayer of Righteous People 

Accomplishes Much 

As the story goes, after many weeks of deliberation and frustration and lack of progress at the Constitutional Convention, General Washington stopped the proceedings –  to lead and advise that they should have been praying. 

Even in the midst of one of the greatest meetings in the history of the world and of America, our greatest statesmen had to be reminded and be led to pray.

We must not fight without praying! At certain times, we must fast and pray and sing! In the past we sang of freedom and the Source of freedom. 

My country, ‘ tis of thee, 

Sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing; 

Land where my fathers died, 

Land of the pilgrims’ pride, 

From every mountainside let freedom ring!

Our fathers’ God, to thee, 

Author of liberty, to thee we sing; 

Long may our land be bright 

With freedom’s holy light; 

Protect us by thy might, 

great God, our King.

In the words of the Apostle Paul: to Him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think – according to the power that works in us – to Him be glory – in the church – by Jesus Christ – throughout all the ages.

Rhett Bergeron MD

Atlanta, GA