During the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, researchers quickly tried to identify the source patient. Another researcher misread some scribbled notes reading ‘patient O’ (as in the letter O) as patient zero, a French-Canadian flight attendant Gaëtan Dugas.
Two years ago (nearly 25 years later) the patient zero hypothesis has been put to rest and Dugas ‘cleared’ as patient zero, but the term lives on, misleading those who do not understand how disease processes work—or pathophysiology (Dugas died believing he had killed 1000s) Researchers don’t like the term because it is misleading how disease processes develop.
Dr. Ian Lipkin, a professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University in New York, said, “It is not uncommon for infectious agents to percolate in the environment for years or even decades without detection“, and finding the absolute beginning is a pipe-dream.
Enter Religion—
Finding the origins of Christianity has been another curious journey—a nefarious beginning and doctrines now contrary to the original words. Assumptions have to be made, stories altered, investigations unfold, yet no decisive winner in the debate of origins. Why? A deceptive premise, perhaps?
But, the claim was made and that is enough for trusting mind of the common man.
The accusation and defamation of Mr Dugas was also inspired by religious belief. I wonder if that was through special revelation, or general revelation? Having a direct link to god is certainly proof enough that ecclesiastical statements are made from pure bias.
What year was Jesus born again? Zero? Surely we would know the date of birth of the most important character that changed the calendrical reckoning…
“Using these methods, most scholars assume a date of birth between 6 and 4 BC, and that Jesus’ preaching began around AD 27–29 and lasted one to three years. They calculate the death of Jesus as having taken place between AD 30 and 36″—Oh really? And this, the most important event in the history of the world.
TheCommonAtheist 