Necrotizing fasciitis. Mysterious flesh-eating disease.
Which of the two are you more familiar with?
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This Tuesday morning, I was greeted by several posts regarding a disease along with a hashtag of "PrayForPangasinan". It turned out that these posts began shortly after the airing of a story about a mysterious disease in the province of Pangasinan which allegedly coincides with the prophecies of Vincent Selvakumar and Jesus Ministries founder Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj. On the 24th National Prayer Gathering held at Cuneta Astrodome on April 2013, Prophet Selvaraj claimed that a fatal disease will begin in Pangasinan which will soon spread in the entire country then all over the world.
“The Lord says there is a place called PANGASINAN. The Lord says it is in the northernmost part in your land. From there a grievous disease will spread all over the world. That will consume the flesh of men; all their upper (outer) skin will begin to decay. It will pierce through the bones. The fear of this disease will spread all over the world. The Lord said that this (disease) will begin from the Philippines."
I, as a writer, have the duty to enlighten my readers the knowledge acquired from my perusal of the prophecy. Permit me to lay down my arguments point by point:
1. The Disease and Its Identity. Little did people know that the labeled "mysterious disease" in Pangasinan is in fact a known disease in the field of medicine. Necrotizing fasciitis, as we all know as the flesh-eating disease or flesh-eating bacteria syndrome, is a rare, easily spreading infection of the deeper layers of skin and subcutaneous tissues. Currently, there are many names that have been used loosely to mean the same disease as necrotizing fasciitis: flesh-eating bacterial infection or flesh-eating disease; suppurative fasciitis; dermal, Meleney, hospital, or Fournier's gangrene; and necrotizing cellulitis.
2. The Origin. The prophecy implies that the onset of the disease is in Pangasinan, Philippines, whereas truth claims that it was first discovered in France, way back in 1783. Historically, several people first described the disease in the 1870s, and it was Dr. B. Wilson who first coined the term necrotizing fasciitis in 1952. It is likely that the disease had been occurring for many centuries before it was first described in the 1800s, clearly opposing to the claims of the prophets.
3. The Cause. Contrary to the current information, the disease is not a mystery; it is caused by a bacteria called Group A Streptococcus, the same bacteria that causes strep throat.
4. The Doomed. Another fallacy in the prophecy is the people at risk -- everyone is at risk of this disease, not just the sinful and unrepentant; however, higher risks are estimated for the immunocompromised, diabetic, alcoholic and drug dependent.
5. The Place. The reason why Pangasinan was mentioned and chosen of all places it simple because it is an easy choice of having this bacteria as there are a lot of fish ponds in this area.
5. Diseases and Disasters are not made or from God. “If you don’t repent and pray, God has planned much destruction all over the Philippines which are very disastrous. The cup of God’s wrath over the Philippines is very very disastrous. There will be much disaster all over the land. The Lord will give you over to flood and waters. The Lord will torture your land with typhoons and hurricanes. The Lord will plague the land with diseases. The Lord will punish your land with famine and scattering,” Sadhu said. From this statement, it simply implies that the Lord made plans of giving mankind destruction, disaster, and disease. However, if one would rely on the bible, Luke 9:54-56, our Lord vividly said that the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them from the penalty of eternal death in response to his disciples John and James who suggested of commanding fire to come down from heaven and consume the people. God can't do that to us and God will never ever do that. God will never create a catastrophe to the people around the world, but He will allow it. Catastrophe happens because of we, people in this world are sinful. I'm not saying that He can't send us diseases and calamities because He can, but God won't because He is a loving god; all diseases and calamities are a result of man's actions.
There will be no loss if we act in accordance to the prophecy -- repent and pray. Nevertheless, we do not need a prophecy to repent and believe in God; we do not need to experience Yolanda or flesh eating bacteria to have faith in God. If you do not believe in God, he is not your enemy. God loves everybody no matter what they have done, who they are, or what they believe in.
I do agree that we should all pray, repent, and unify though.. with utmost sincerity and initiative.
{1 John 4:1}
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see
whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into
the world.