Does the flu kill 36,000 people each year?
 "I read an interesting article this morning from (naturalnews.com). It said: "Read just about any news report on swine flu deaths, and you'll come across a line that claims '36,000 people die each year from flu-related causes.' It sounds authoritative. It's even a nice, round number. But where is this number coming from? And is it based on any actual science?
"This statistic is being paraded around by almost everybody, as if to say that swine flu isn't so bad because regular flu kills so many people each year anyway. The truth is that the only standard by which the CDC and WHO are quoting deaths from swine flu is if they are confirmed deaths from a particular viral strain. To them, if a death has not been confirmed in their labs, it does not count as a death from that flu.
"Got that? Only 'confirmed' deaths count. And they must be confirmed in a laboratory using a rigorous method of comparing samples taken from the deceased with a known database of viral patterns.
"As it turns out, virtually none of the 36,000 people said to die from regular flu each year have been confirmed in any lab whatsoever. Thus, according to the guidelines of the CDC and WHO, they don't count. Based on their own rules, it is technically accurate to say that regular flu kills virtually no one. It's not true, of course, because people do die from the 'regular flu' each year, but it is technically accurate according to the CDC and WHO rules for scientific evidence. Again, that's because nearly all of these 'regular flu' deaths aren't confirmed by a CDC or WHO-recognized lab. Thus, they have no scientific standing.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE DOUBLE STANDARD
"I find it interesting that when talking about swine flu, the criteria for inclusion in statistics is positive identification in a rigorous laboratory. But when talking about regular flu, the criteria for inclusion is --technically speaking -- anybody's wild guess. The 36,000 number, it turns out, was pulled out of thin air. It has no scientific validity whatsoever, even according to the CDC's own standards.
"I tracked down the origins of this number on CDC.gov, by the way. Turns out it was an estimate derived by the CDC in 2003. It's an estimate, mind you, not a 'confirmed' number of deaths. And that estimate has stayed exactly the same through 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. Not a budge. Before the number was 36,000, it was 20,000 for many years. That tells you right off the bat this isn't some confirmed laboratory number -- it's a guesstimate!
"I'm not disagreeing with the number. It's probably a fairly accurate guess (the CDC folks are a smart bunch). But it doesn't meet the criteria by which these infectious disease organizations report influenza deaths.
"As the CDC even says on their own website, 'This estimate came from a 2003 study published in the Journal of the American Medication Association (JAMA), which looked at the 1990-91 through the 1998-99 flu seasons. Statistical modeling was used to estimate how many flu-related deaths occurred among people whose underlying cause of death on their death certificate was listed as a respiratory or circulatory disease. During these years, the number of estimated deaths ranged from 17,000 to 52,000.'
"In other words, they took a look at how many people died from respiratory or circulatory disease, and from that they extrapolated 'flu-related deaths.' This is all accomplished through 'statistical modeling,' which is the equivalent of statisticians waving magic wands to create new numbers where none exist. Based on the sample size, it can be quite accurate (plus or minus a few percentage points), or it can be way off base depending on the accuracy of the statistical sample. "Notably, if the same methodology were used to calculate swine flu deaths, it might currently show 300 or more deaths (and such methodologies would be widely criticized, of course, for being 'just wild guesses,' which they are). As the CDC admits itself, 'CDC does not know exactly how many people die from flu each year.' And... 'It has been recognized for many years that influenza is infrequently listed on death certificates and testing for influenza infections usually not done, particularly among the elderly who are at greatest risk of influenza complications and death. Some deaths - particularly in the elderly - are associated with secondary complications of influenza (including bacterial pneumonias).' ( cdc.gov). In other words: Influenza isn't listed on death certificates and influenza testing isn't even done on most patients! Thus, it is not possible for these 36,000 influenza deaths to be confirmed at all.
SWINE FLU MAY ESCAPE DETECTION TOO
"What else is interesting in all this is when the CDC explains that viral strains aren't even detectable in patients after the first few days of infection: 'Influenza virus infection may not be identified in many instances because influenza virus is only detectable for a short period of time and many people don't seek medical care until after the first few days of acute illness.' (The CDC).
If this is true, then isn't it also true that most swine flu patients can NEVER be confirmed in a lab?I find this quite curious, because according to what the CDC is saying here, it is impossible to ever get an accurate 'confirmed' count of swine flu patients because the influenza virus isn't detectable after a 'short period of time.' Thus, by limiting swine flu death reports to only those patients who have been confirmed in a laboratory, the CDC is essentially eliminating the very possibility that many swine flu patients will ever be tested and identified as carrying the strain.
"Put another way, the criteria for identifying and reporting swine flu deaths is, itself, limiting the number of swine flu deaths that will ever be counted. Essentially, the system is rigged to under-report swine flu deaths by eliminating anyone who wasn't tested in time to identify the strain.
This, I believe, is why the swine flu death count remains magically low even as doctors on the ground in Mexico City are reporting much larger numbers of real-world swine flu deaths.
"The other important thing to realize here is that the 36,000 figure is not talking about just one strain of influenza: It's a cumulative figure from ALL the other strains of influenza combined!
"'Regular flu,' you see, isn't just one flu. It's a collection of potentially hundreds of different flu strains. So assigning the 36,000 deaths a year figure to 'regular flu' is misleading because it makes it sound like a single strain of influenza.
"The truth is that nobody really knows how many deaths each year occur from the different strains of flu circulating in the wild. Some top-notch CDC officials can probably take a pretty good guess at it, but it's still just that: A guess. The real numbers are, frankly, unknown.
"It's also unknown how many people die from the viral load vs. how many die from secondary infections (such as bacterial pneumonia) that often follow viral infections. Technically, a lot of those 36,000 people (or so) might have been killed by various strains of common bacteria, not by the viruses.
Yesterday morning, Mexico was reporting 159 deaths from swine flu. According to the WHO, that number is not only 7. How does 159 magically become 7? By including the word 'confirmed' in front of it.
"Fine. Let's all go with the 'confirmed' modifier. All infectious disease deaths must now be confirmed in a CDC or WHO laboratory in order to count. So that means the 36,000 number needs to be revised down to however many have been 'confirmed' in that group. And how many is that? Only the CDC knows. I'm guessing it's a two-digit number.
So much for the myth of "36,000 flu-related deaths a year." If you believe that number, I'm sure there's a job waiting for you at the U.S. Treasury Dept., too, where numbers are materialized out of thin air on a daily basis in order to finance the national debt."
by Mike Adams,
the Health Ranger,
NaturalNews.com |
Remember, I am not a doctor and cannot prescribe. But I can share what I do for myself or what my children do for themselves.
Consult your physician before using any of these remedies and watch him laugh, or better yet, the Master Physician "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases." Ps.103:3 | |
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SATAN'S FIRST LIE
In the very beginning of earth's history, Satan, while in the form of a serpent, told the first lie to Eve. He told her that if she disobeyed the command of God not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, she would "not surely die," even though God had expressly warned her that "in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (See Genesis 3:4; 2:17). Satan treacherously assured her (another monstrous lie) that upon eating the fruit "your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Gen. 3:5).
Friends, are we still believing the devil today? The Bible is quite clear that only God "hath immortality." (I Tim. 6:16). In fact, the Bible, on the other hand, contains a number of Scriptures that prove that mortal man receives not his immortality until the second coming of Christ -- at the time of the resurrection. (I Cor. 15:51-55; John 5:28, 29). Now please note these unequivocal and authoritative pronouncements on the condition of man in death from Ecclesiastes 9:5 and 10: "For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything....Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest."
I remember the first time I ever read these Scriptures. I immediately wondered why I had always believed that a dead person could speak to me if he so chose. Was this another error of the Roman Church that had been sold to me by the priests? After all, according to the Bible, are not s�ances meetings in which the devil tries to send his deadly messages to unwary people through a human medium who is supposed to be able to communicate with the so-called spirits of the dead? The greatest of all s�ances in the Bible occurred when Saul went to the Witch of Endor, described in the Scriptures as "a woman that hath a familiar spirit" -- that is, a woman who received messages from an evil angel who claimed to be the "spirit" of a particular dead person usually known to the seeker -- and asked her to bring up Samuel from the dead since "the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets?" (I Sam. 28:6, 7). Since when does a man of God go to the devil for advice when the Lord explicitly said: "Regard not them that have familiar spirits,...to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God"? (Lev. 19:31; see also Isa. 8:19, 20). The Bible plainly states: "The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence;" for when a man dies, "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." (Ps. 115:17; 146:4).
So why do most people, both Christians and non-Christians, believe the doctrine of the immortality of the soul? I believe the problem exists because of a misinterpretation of Scripture. In Genesis 2:7, the Bible says: "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." The Hebrew word for "soul" used in this text is nephesh. Besides being translated 428 times as "soul" in the Old Testament, nephesh is also translated as the following: life--119 times; person--29 times; and creature--19 times. "There is nothing in the words translated 'soul' or in their usage in the Bible that even remotely implies a conscious entity that survives the body after death, or that attributes immortality to it. Nephesh is not part of the person; it is the person!" (Bible Dictionary by Siegfried H. Horn, Ph.D., p. 1061).
I believe the confusion stems from a misinterpretation of verses like the following: "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Many people use this verse in an attempt to prove that the "soul" or "spirit" is, therefore, immortal and goes to God at the point of death. But, if you look at Job 27:3, you will find a Scripture that will help you understand that the "spirit" is simply the breath of life by which man lives, and which is only lent him of God, and at death goes back to the Great Author of life -- "All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils." The Hebrew word used here for spirit is ruach, which is defined in Gesenius' Lexicon as follows: (a) spirit or breath; (b) breath of the nostrils; (c) breath of air. When the spirit, or breath of the nostrils, goes back to God, the body, made originally from the dust of the earth, now begins its process of going back to the earth as it was and ceases to function as normally, and the nonbreathing individual no longer exists as a living, conscious, thinking being, but will rest in the grave until he is called forth by the voice of Christ "at the last day." (John 6:39). "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life ; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (John 5:28, 29). The righteous dead will rise at the second coming of Christ and together with the living saints will meet the Lord in the air (see I Thess. 4:15-18), but the wicked dead will not rise until one thousand years after the resurrection of the righteous. "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished." (Rev. 20:5). How can someone "live again" except he has first experienced having died?
By now, friends, you may be asking yourself the question: "How can the Virgin Mary be alive when the Bible so clearly tells us there is no consciousness in death?" To further establish the point, let us look at a few more Scriptures that prove that man is mortal. In the Book of Job, we read: "Man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost [breatheth out; Strong's Concordance], and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more [the heavens roll back at Christ's second coming (Rev. 6:14)], they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep." (Job 14:10-12). And if that weren't clear enough, Job continues: "If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee." (Job 14:14, 15). Obviously, Job believed that he would sleep in the grave until Jesus called him out on Resurrection Morning. (See also Job 17:13-16). After all, it was Jesus who spoke of death as a sleep when referring to Lazarus's state. He never once implied that Lazarus had gone to heaven, but, on the contrary, said, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go that I may awake him out of sleep." (John 11:11). Then in John 11:23, Jesus tells Martha, "Thy brother shall rise again," and Martha responds, "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus, in calling Lazarus from the tomb, said, "Lazarus, come forth (John 11:43)," not "Lazarus, come up!" or "Lazarus, come down!" I believe that Jesus' use of the word sleep is a very appropriate synonym when used in place of the word death (the first death), because the word implies a temporary state -- a state from which every soul "shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt [the second death (see Rev. 20:12-14)]." (Daniel 12:2).
The great teacher, the apostle Paul, clearly understood that he, too, would sleep in the grave until the second coming of Christ: "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure [death] is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His [Christ's] appearing." (II Tim. 4:6-8). Paul knew, as did Martha, that not until the resurrection of the last day, at the second coming of Christ, would he receive the reward of eternal life and be changed from mortality to immortality. Remember, it was Paul who told us in the Sacred Word that mortal man will not put on immortality until the last trumpet blast that calls forth the righteous dead at the coming of Jesus: "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep [for some will be living when Christ comes], but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible [the Virgin Mary also], and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality [Please notice when this happens-not at death, but at the second coming of Christ]." (I Cor. 15:51-53). Earlier in the chapter, Paul stated: "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man [Adam] came death, by man [Christ] came also the resurrection of the dead . For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming." (I Cor. 15:20-23).
To solidify this position, let us now look at the request of the thief on the cross, who was crucified next to Jesus as recorded in Luke, Chapter 23. The repentant thief, believing Jesus was indeed the Son of God, "said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom." To this request Jesus responded, "Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou [thou shalt] be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:42, 43). Those who believe in the doctrine of the immortality of the soul often refer to these Scriptures to prove that the spirit of the dead goes immediately to Heaven at the time of death. But let us take a closer look at Luke 23. First, we need to understand that the comma placed before the word "today" was supplied by the translators. If you place it after the word "today," it would then read, "Verily I say unto thee today, thou shalt be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43). Second, Jesus did not ascend into Heaven as He died, for in John 20:17, He told Mary in the early morning of His memorable resurrection: "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father." It should also be noted that this statement was made two days after His death on the cross. Thus, the repentant thief was given, that day [Good Friday -- the day of the crucifixion], the assurance of eternal life and a place in Paradise, but he, as with the rest of the righteous dead, would not receive his reward until Jesus comes the second time. (See Rev. 22:12).
This chapter is taken from my book Is the Virgin Mary Dead or Alive? If you do not have a copy and would like one, simply email me at danny@modernmanna.org and I will send you one free. Be sure to give your full address. |
Christian Youth Health Conference
Speaker Line-up
Here is the exciting line-up of speakers for CYHC for June 12-14, 2009. This free event promises to be a blessing for our youth. You can view and print brochures, posters, and postcards at CYHC for advertising in church bulletins and store fronts. Thank you for helping us advertise by forwarding this newsletter to friends and family.
 Dr. Hans Diehl is the Director of the Lifestyle Medicine Institute at Loma Linda and founder of the renowned CHIP program. His doctorate in Health Science and Masters in Public Health Nutrition are from Loma Linda University. He directed the research and education programs at the Nathan Pritikin Longevity Center in California and was a post-doctoral research fellow in cardiovascular epidemiology supported by the National Institutes of Health. He was also a post-doctoral scholar at UCLA. As a best-selling author, a researcher, clinician, dynamic speaker and top-ranking motivator, Dr. Diehl has lectured to corporations and governments and has presented seminars on four continents and is the author of the best selling book, Health Power. Dynamic and top-ranked motivational speaker.
 Charlotte Gerson, now 87, is daughter of Dr. Max Gerson and co-founder of the famous Gerson Institute. Charlotte has gained much of her experience from working with those who the medical profession labeled "incurable." This world-famous speaker trains and provides consultation to physicians since 1977. For the past 30 years, she has lectured widely all over the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe and Australia. She will travel to Lodi, once again, but this time to train the youth on how to live a long, healthy life--one that is free from disease.
 Danny Vierra is the director of Modern Manna and BellaVita Lifestyle Center. He is a renowned health evangelist who held Health & Healing Crusades in Lodi for ten years. Danny is well known for his past radio show, Healthline, and his thousands of television appearances on healthful living. He is the well-known for his new 14-part health series called Adventures in Health which aired on 3ABN. He specializes in training people on the use of natural remedies and how to do medical missionary work. Danny is a highly motivational speaker.
 Donnie Moore will be performing strength demonstrations. The founder of Radical Reality. Donnie speaks nationally to over 200,000 young people every year. He personally had a battle with steroids that almost cost him his life. Today his message addresses drug use and some of the deeper causes of abuse. "Many times we perform to be accepted." Donnie motivates, he inspires, and his message goes beyond the playing field, to real life issues and matters of the heart. He gives a message of destiny, challenge, and hope.
 Bobby Spencer is a youth pastor with a huge message. Bobby won the natural, steroid-free Mr. World Contest. Pastor Bobby attended the University of Alabama. He is a certified fitness professional and is a much sought after speaker/presenter to area schools. Bobby will teach the youth how to build and tone their bodies naturally without the use of steroids.  Arthur R. Branner II - In 1996 he completed Chaplain Officer Basic Course Training, graduating with honors as a 2nd Lieutenant U.S. Army Chaplain and was a Chaplain in the Army National Guard. In 2004 Arthur was called to Iraq and served a year in Baghdad. During his time at war his battalion executed over 4,000 missions and every soldier returned home safely without death or loss of limb. He attributes it to the power of prayer. Arthur considers himself a Family Life/Young adult pastor and specializes in family mediation and crisis counseling. He believes that the future of our society is to a large degree determined by the quality of our families. He is committed to preparing families for eternity. He also host a television ministry aired on the local Sacramento channels entitled "Last Day Message."
 Giana Vierra, recently received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Southern Adventist University, where she was nominated Psychology Major of the Year for 2009. Before Southern, she attended Mission College of Evangelism and the Witness for Life program and attended their Christian Leadership School in Norway. In 2005, Giana was a student missionary in El Salvador, where she lived and served at an orphanage for a year. While at Southern, she served as a student dean for two years. This last year Giana was part of the Renewal committee at Collegedale SDA Church, serving as a coordinator for the new student-led church service. In the fall, she will be attending Loma Linda University where she will be pursuing her Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.
 Laura McKinley, 23, is a vivacious young woman who has a passion for health education and evangelism. She has an AS degree in nursing and attended Mission College of Evangelism, as well as the Witness for LIfe program on the campuses of Uchee Pines and the European Bible school. Her experience as an ASI Bible worker and CHIP program volunteer, along with the certification to run the Coronary Health Improvement Project (CHIP), have brought her in contact with many people looking for the "more abundant life". Working as the Logistical Team Assistant with GYC (Generation of Youth for Christ) has been a highlight for her over the past 2 years. She is currently pursuing the Lord's leading in the area of midwifery. She recently completed her apprenticeship after spending a busy month delivering Amish babies in Ohio.  International singer and speaker Christian Berdahl is renowned for his rich, powerful voice and stirring, Biblical messages. For nearly a decade, Christian has been blessing audiences the world over with beautiful, God-honoring music that lifts hearts and minds, bringing them to the foot of the cross. Rescued from a life of abuse and hardship, Christian was miraculously lifted "out of the pit" by a merciful Savior and led into a ministry of praise. Christian is the founder of Shepherd's Call, a ministry dedicated to sharing the gospel through heavenly music and practical, Bible-based teaching. His moving testimony through word and song will strengthen your walk with God and inspire you to a deeper faith. Christian resides in Edgewood, New Mexico, with his wife Coby and their two sons, Tyler and Micah.
Please help Modern Manna sponsor this extremely important free event. Any donation for CYHC will be greatly appreciated. We are $4,000 short from reaching our goal. Please help us! Your Tax-deductible donations can also be made online at www.modernmanna.org or you can mail it to: Modern Manna, 519 S. Central Ave., Lodi, CA. 95240. Please help us in this sacrifice for the youth, but everyone is welcome.
I see a worldwide movement of young health disciples in the future who will give a loud cry to the world and help fit a people for the coming of Jesus. "The health reform is one branch of the great work which is to fit a people for the coming of the Lord. It is as closely connected with the third angel's message as the hand is with the body." Counsels on Health, p. 20.
The program will start at 1:30 PM on Friday, and check-in will be begin Friday morning. The location is Lodi Grape Festival, 413 E. Lockeford St., Lodi, California--the site of the Health and Healing Crusades for ten years. Now it is time for the next generation. To register click CYHC.
See you there,
Danny Vierra |
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