Religion + Coronavirus = The Perfect Storm: A Holy Recipe for Disaster

Combine fear with blind faith, a “don’t question” mentality, a mistrust of science, along with a few other factors (to be explored here), and you get the perfect storm for pandemonium and lives at risk. An alarming, and maddening occurrence resulting from this world-wide coronavirus pandemic is the ensuing world-wide insanity, propagated by none other than religion—by both its leaders and its followers. For this article, we will focus on christianity, although the insanity certainly is not exempt from other religions.  

If you’ve spent even a small amount of time on social media and/or watching the news recently, you have almost certainly noticed an insane sequence of events. This phenomena to which I am referring is the insanity within the religious community—specifically, as to how it is handling the coronavirus pandemic, especially as it relates to their own. Headlines are rife with insanity and reckless, dangerous claims.   

Pastors declaring people will be safe if they come to church. The virus has “no dominion” in a church. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will be healed. And people flock like sheep to church. And the result? All who were sick were healed? No one got sick from going to church? Certainly not god’s elect, right? After all, they claim he promises to cover them with protection. Well, unfortunately, and of course, no—not at all. People went to church despite warnings, got sick, spread the disease, and got worse, not better. Even their leaders—pastors, and their wives, contracted coronavirus. All the while believing that their god would protect them, that they were safe, that the virus would not harm them, that there would be a “supernatural” shield around them. Of course, this failed miserably. And yet, they continue to cling to those promises. Why is that? What leads to this insanity? 

What we are witnessing is the manifestation of their belief system—the belief, that, among other things, they are set apart, are better than, and that they have an inside tract with the almighty, who will ensure their safety. They think that somehow their god and their faith will protect them. Just what is it that goes into this thinking, that leads to the onslaught of insanity we are seeing with churches and believers? It is actually more complex than it may at first appear on the surface to be. Let’s take a closer look at what is behind the making of this madness.   

There are several things which must occur in order for an otherwise sane person to look something as dangerous as the coronavirus in the eye and think that no harm will come to them, in spite of the obvious danger. Indeed, there is a “recipe” of sorts, if you will, that must be adhered to in order for the insanity we are currently witnessing to exist, and even worse (and more dangerous), to thrive. The underlying “foundation” for this “recipe” is the belief in a god who will protect them, who is all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowing, and most importantly—in control. After the belief in a deity, this “recipe's” first ingredient is a threat—something that elicits fear, although that fear likely will never be acknowledged. This fear gives way to declaring—publicly and loudly, that their god will protect them—a necessity in order to distance themselves from their fear. Among their religious circles, fear is seen as a weakness, as a sin, as doubting god. And scripture makes it clear that doubting god is a very bad thing.   

The fear, in this case, begins with the announcement of the coronavirus. While at first little heed is paid to the ever-increasing danger, the threat grows. More and more cases, more and more deaths, until it can no longer be ignored. By now, some, if not many, of the religious faithful are secretly beginning to worry. This virus won’t go away, and seems to be getting worse, not better, in spite of the countless prayers, rebukes, and promises offered up by themselves, along with those of their peers and religious leaders. At first, the threat was minimized, even made light of—kept at bay by a sad mixture of humor and denial. As the threat grows, it becomes increasingly difficult to continue with the status quo, and it becomes necessary to formulate a new way of dealing with the situation. This involves transitioning from denial of the event itself to denial that the virus will harm them; after all, they are god’s elect, and as such, will surely procure his anointing and protection, and will certainly be safe during these otherwise frightening times. As the virus progresses and they begin to see some of their own affected, the religious faithful’s response to the virus changes yet again. Now it becomes necessary to play the blame game, desperately trying to hold on to their twisted, archaic beliefs, even with the emergence of reality—a reality that defies those beliefs, their faith, and the notion of protection from on high.   

But first, let’s go back to the beginning stages of the recipe—just after the fear has begun. And that is the ingrained belief that to fear is sin, that to fear is to doubt god’s love, plan, strength, control, etc. After all, the bible says over and over not to fear; so much so, that it is rooted in many believers’ hearts that to fear is a sin—the antithesis of faith, if you will. Fear “denies” faith, fear says one is placing more power upon the thing being feared than upon god himself; therefore, fearing is indicative of a lack of trust in god. Fear as an ingredient of this recipe may seem unrealistic, given that fear is seen as sin, it is indeed this fear married with the belief that to fear is sin which gives rise to the madness that is currently occurring en masse. It is that fear (in this case, the coronavirus), coupled with the notion that fear is sin, that enables—in fact, demands what we are seeing. Revelation 21.8 says, in part, “But the fearful, and unbelieving…shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone… According to Church of the Great God’s website, the “fearful and unbelieving” in this verse is explained. “As bad as murderers, the sexually immoral, and sorcerers are, note that God puts first, at the head of the line, the cowardly and unbelieving. The Bible in Basic English renders these first few words as, "But those who are full of fear and without faith.” In this explanation, fearing and doubting are one and the same, and are considered to be worse than murdering. And Romans 14.23b declares “…for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” Thus, the stage is set for our recipe for that perfect storm. This leads to the declarations we see in countless headlines. They are hiding their fear behind their ridiculous claims, and at times, are intentionally projecting the very opposite of what they are feeling inside (fear). They do so, lest their fear be revealed to their peers, thereby subjecting them to scrutiny and judgement—so much so, that their very salvation may be held in question. 

So now, the presence of fear, coupled with the belief that fear is sin, gives way to the shit-show about to emerge. And to make matters worse, believers are indoctrinated with a “don’t question” mentality, yet another ingredient of that recipe. Don’t fear. Don’t question. Blind faith.

This blind, unquestioning faith is required for what we see transpiring. And indeed, this blind faith is lauded and applauded within the walls of their worship places, and taught and propagated within the pages of their holy book. Hebrews 11.1: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 Corinthians 5.7: For we walk by faith, not by sight. Forget evidence—ignore facts. This is an important part of the recipe, as it allows for the insane claims being made by their leaders to be believed, in spite of the ridiculous nature of said claims. Hebrews 11.1 is the believer’s favorite scripture regarding faith. It heralds a firm belief in that which cannot be proven. To take it (in this case that the virus will not affect the believer, that they have divine protection) at the word of their peers and especially their leaders. Believe, because we say so; believe because we say the bible says so. This leads to irresponsibly believing whatever they are told—whatever their leaders say the bible says, no matter what, and against all evidence to the contrary—evidence and facts be damned. This blind belief garners the approval, acceptance, and celebration of their peers and leaders, and is even considered a mark of spiritual growth and maturity. The more steadfast the belief, the stronger the believer’s faith. This mentality leads to an even crazier mentality, as sometimes witnessed on church signs, two of which state, “Reason is the greatest enemy that faith has.” And “Faith is believing in something when common sense tells you not to.” Both are proudly (and dare I say, ignorantly) displayed in front of their churches.    

At first, their leaders are rebuking the virus in the name of the one who has given his life to save them…from their “sins” as well as disease (By his stripes you are healed. Isaiah 53.5b) Jesse Duplantis, to his congregation on March 17, 2020. “We’re looking at the virus. The virus is nothing! (emphasis mine) Guillermo Maldonado on March 15, mocking the “hype” about the virus. Churchgoer: “I can’t go to church today.” Why? “Because I think the pastor’s going to have the virus.” (all the while, making faces and mocking the seriousness of the disease). He then continues with this gem. “If we die, we die for Christ. If we live, we live for Christ. So, what do you lose?”, to which his congregation erupts in cheers.  Paul Daugherty, March 1. “The goal, the tactic of the enemy (Satan), (He then stops momentarily and puts a mask on his face, before continuing), is to stop us from  worshipping, and I came today to declare (stops again, this time to dramatically remove the mask, insinuating that masks are not necessary), victory over the virus. It is here that he waves the mask over his head in a victory salute. Jennifer LeClaire, “We don’t run away and isolate ourselves, and quarantine ourselves, and sit in our house because we’re afraid. We run to the church, and we take authority over this demonic entity that’s invading our city, in the name of Jesus, and we push it back. Because one can’t put a thousand to flight, and two can’t put 10,000 to flight, and we get all of us here and praying together, and ain’t none of us gonna get attacked by this dumb thing.”

And then something “strange” (strange only to them—not to anyone watching, who has even the slightest bit of common sense) begins to happen. The coronavirus does not “heed” their rebukes, prayers, scoffing, and faith. Numbers of both affected by and deaths from the virus rise, and continue to do so, at an alarming rate. So now they must “backtrack”, changing their tune along the way. No longer will it “have no dominion here”, and instead of their god preventing the virus from spreading, he switches gears (or rather, his followers’ line of “reasoning” does). He is now using the virus for retribution—against his enemies, and, oddly enough, against the believers’ enemies, as well. And herein lies the next ingredient for the “recipe”—the belief that they are a special people, chosen and favored by their deity. This mentality is first found in the Old Testament, wherein god makes the declaration that the Israelites (modern day Jewish people) are his “chosen” people. Deuteronomy 7.6: “For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.” Then, in the New Testament, the author of Acts declares that the salvation which was originally for god’s chosen people is now available for everyone (Gentiles). Acts 28.28: Therefore, let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent (previously thought by the Jews to be just for them) to the Gentiles (modern day christians).  

On a side note, it is interesting to observe that god’s “enemies” are the very people groups that the believers dislike, and in some cases, fear or feel threatened by. (For a list of who some of those people are, one need only notice who it is who gets the brunt of the blame for the virus, once their initial prayers to keep the virus at bay are proven to be impotent.)

Next, a deep mistrust of science and modern medicine is required. This, hand-in-hand, with a “persecution” (us vs them, with us or against us) complex, go a long way in helping foster the “We know better” and “Trust internally only” mentalities, which pave the way for their leaders to spout such nonsense, the likes some of which has been mentioned here. Science and religion are often at odds; in fact, science is widely considered to be the antithesis of faith. This mistrust of science leads to the validity of not just non-scientific, but downright ridiculous, and worse, dangerous rhetoric and claims. Thus, the “Come to church; the virus has no dominion over you here”, and more equally insane, dangerous rhetoric flows freely from the mouths of god’s “anointed” to the ears of those who have been primed to receive, believe, and worse—act upon such nonsense.      

The problem here is the believer’s strict adherence to scripture. Many approach the bible as if it is indeed a divinely inspired combination science, medical, and history book. It alone serves to give them all the necessary knowledge about life—all else is fodder, and cannot be referenced or trusted. Believers are admonished in 1 Corinthians 2.5 to not let their faith “rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” And where do the believers think their knowledge comes from? Certainly not science or modern medicine. Instead, they are instructed in James 1.5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” Again, just to be clear…god, not science or modern medicine. Thus, any warnings or instruction given that have arisen from science and modern medicine regarding the virus are not only not heeded, but are scoffed at.    

The biggest problem with science, in the believers' eyes is that pesky “theory” of evolution, which is in direct contradiction with their bible and their beliefs. Science “invented” evolution; indeed, many believers credit christianity’s arch nemesis, Satan, with using Charles Darwin to come up with evolution. Therefore, science cannot be trusted, and indeed must be mistrusted and seen as a source of lies, ultimately coming from their greatest enemy, Satan himself. From this lens, science and modern medicine are seen as something to be avoided—something whose agenda is to derail god’s truth, which is found in the bible (and only in the bible). This sets the stage for the faithful to disregard anything that comes from science and/or modern medicine.

And as the virus spreads, in spite of their best efforts to corral and curtail it, insanity once again ensues—this time in an attempt to place blame for the virus spreading, in spite of their initial pleas to their god to keep it away. Ralph Drollinger, President Trump's Cabinet Minister, declared that coronavirus is a result of God’s wrath, brought on by LGBTQ people and environmentalism, among other factors. Former presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said about the virus, during an interview on CBN, “You know we’ve strayed so far from God into sexual immoralities such as the homosexual lifestyle, masturbation and porn, is it any wonder God is mad? The coronavirus is God’s way of bringing us back to the light. If we give up these sins, God will take the virus away.” Conservative christian pastor Jonathan Shuttlesworth: “If you’re putting out pamphlets and telling everybody to use Purell before they come into the sanctuary and don’t greet anyone, you should just turn in your ministry credentials and burn your church down—turn it into a casino or something,” he said. “You’re a loser. Bunch of pansies. No balls. Got neutered somewhere along the line and don’t even realize it.” He goes on to say, “America will be minimally affected by the Coronavirus because of Trump’s support for Israel.” Perry Stone, “It’s (coronavirus) almost like a spirit of Amalek (a nation in the Old Testament) that is trying to attack our older people.” Stone continues, “Let me tell you why the enemy wants to get rid of our older people. They are the ones who are established in the Bible. They are the ones who know enough about the Word not to take the Mark of the Beast.” Mary Colbert, on the Jim Bakker show, said “The coronavirus outbreak occurred because Chinese people were eating biblically ‘unclean foods’ like bats and snakes.” (There’s an opportunity here to make a comment about bat-shit crazy, but I digress—or do I?) And last, but not least—and my favorite. Pat Robertson of the 700 Club had this nugget of wisdom regarding the coronavirus to depart to his faithful followers. “Some of these young uns are doing all kinds of unnatural things with their sex organs. When people do that, they transfer all kinds of chemicals from ladies’ private parts and that’s where I think the virus came from. We never had this kind of thing when I was coming up. But no one was committing oral sex back then.” There’s so much I want to say, but I’ll practice the difficult virtue of self-control in this case, and let his statement speak for itself.     

Believers began by claiming “victory” over the virus, confident that it would not prevail. When that did not happen, and it instead swept rampantly through this country, they then declared that they were still safe, as their deity would protect them, and was now using the virus to punish those deemed “wicked” in their eyes. This served its purpose for a season—and a short one, at that. Contrary to beliefs and declarations, the virus then began to afflict their own, and even took the lives of some believers. According to Patheos.com, a church in South Korea in Gyeonggi Province sprayed salt water inside the mouths of followers out of a false belief it would help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But by using the same spray bottle without disinfecting the nozzle, it resulted in 46 church-goers infected. Among those infected were the pastor and his wife. The first person to die in Oklahoma was a Don Martin, a pastor of a pentecostal church. Pastor Landon Spradlin claimed that the coronavirus was “mass hysteria” from the media. He was among the first fatality victims of the virus in Virginia. It would be bad enough if the virus were contained to only the followers who contract and spread it amongst themselves; however, and the worst part—they are spreading it in their community and to those they come into contact with, outside of their flock of faithful followers. This is indeed the “maddening” piece of the insanity that has transpired as a result of the religious turning their collective noses up at the authority that tried to protect them in the first place.

Suddenly, no one was safe, and that initial fear began to well up within them, as they realized how inaccurate their claims were. Once the virus hit home, even more scrambling became necessary. No longer were they safe in their places of worship. No longer was this just their god’s punishment for their enemies—no longer were they themselves safe. Enter the third level of justification and explanation, a necessity in order to maintain the illusion that their god was in control and that they were still, somehow, and in spite of their own getting sick and even dying, safe. Now, indeed, the virus is affecting their own; however, there must be a reason, one whose fault lies with the stricken. As long as they manage to distance themselves from the ones within their flock getting sick, they will continue to naively and foolhardily advance the notion that they will be spared. And it doesn’t take long for them to come up with “reasons” as to why their god is striking their own. And thinking he is doing so is not a stretch, as their holy book depicts a deity who seems to delight in enacting vengeance—be it upon his enemies or his own people. When this deity gets angry (which happens frequently), no one is spared or safe. In many instances, babies—both born and unborn, along with flocks of animals, are wiped out by their god.  

This next ingredient for the recipe may come as somewhat of a surprise, and that piece is the before-mentioned and oft-shunned fear. But this time, it’s a fear of the very god they claim will protect them. The bible is rife with examples of him taking out his wrath upon his own people, thereby justifying their fear of their deity. It doesn’t take long for this “stellar” characteristic of god to manifest. Just six chapters into the bible, god is angry with his creation and regrets having created mankind. Since he is all-powerful and (supposedly loving), he comes up with a stellar plan, which will wipe out nearly the entirety of his creation, save eight people and two each of the animals. The reason for this genocide at the hands of the almighty…wickedness, according to god. Genesis 6.5-7: “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, ‘I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.’” There are many additional accounts of god wiping out his people, but for the sake of brevity, I will allow this case of genocide to suffice. It is worth noting, when speaking to the fear of god in the believer, that god found one family—merely eight people from amongst the entire population, to be worthy of being saved—who would be spared disaster. Everyone else had failed the morality test, and therefore, was going to be wiped out. God didn’t even spare babies—born and unborn, nor were the majority of the animals spared. If one believes this nonsense, it doesn’t take a Master’s in Psychology to see why today’s believers fear their god. Both innocent children and animals perished at his hands due to his wrath. And thus, the tone for god’s character is set early in their bible, and continues in believers’ hearts and minds today.      

As we have seen, believers have scrambled to wed reality with their beliefs. As their beliefs fail to come to fruition, their beliefs or “explanation” of events changes—it must, in order for their faith to remain intact. At no point will they admit that their beliefs about their deity are inaccurate at best, or wrong, at worst. Instead, they find it necessary to change the “play book”, finding ever-increasing ways to justify their god not doing what they initially stated he would do; in this case, protect them from the coronavirus. And this time, that scrambling requires a 180-degree turn; wherein they now blame their peers, which of course, is necessary, seeing that it is their peers, that they once insisted were safe from the virus, who are now contracting the virus and even dying. In one such attempt to justify the sick and suffering of their own, a believer compares the coronavirus to the plagues in Egypt, stating that god is using the virus to take away everything they “worship”, other than god. She goes on to say that perhaps we don’t need a vaccine; rather, we need to take this time to have a “personal revival” with Jesus. A Facebook friend of mine posted a picture of a page of the bible from 2 Chronicles 7.13-15, which says, “Whenever I hold back the rain or send locusts to eat up the crops or send an epidemic on my people, if they pray to me and repent and turn away from the evil they have been doing, then I will hear them in heaven, forgive their sins, and make their land prosperous again.” These verses are circled, with a dire warning included, which says, “Pay attention children.”

And so, the cycle of justification and blame and explanation comes full circle…from declaring safety and divine protection, to blaming god’s enemies, to blaming their own. With each progression of the virus comes an equal progression of the explanations and blame game. Meanwhile, more and more people are contracting the virus. More and more people are dying. And it is the religious faithful’s denying truth, and instead, defying orders and advice to remain at home and to practice social distancing, that in part, is the reason those numbers are increasing at an alarming rate. And each ingredient of that recipe—the belief that god is in control and will protect them, an initial, unspoken fear coupled with the belief that to fear is sin, a blind faith, a combination of the “We are special” and “We are being persecuted” mentalities, a strong anti-science/modern medicine sentiment, and a fear of their own deity, are all stirred together, blended just right, and baked to perfection, and the result? The shit-show continues, only gaining strength, taking lives and endangering many more along the way. All in the name of their god. Amen and amen.