Religion in the time of Crisis by Saleena Livera

Currently, there is a pandemic going on. And it has impacted religion in many ways. Many places of worship and services across the world have been shut down. But has the coronavirus also impacted religion in a positive way?

Religion is nearly as old as humankind and has been known to cause and thrive off crises. From the 11th century until the 15th century, the Catholic church launched crusades to claim back the ‘Holy Land’. And in many other difficult times, religion was the only hope of the people. But can this be the same during the coronavirus pandemic, where more people than ever are atheists and religious gatherings are banned?

The answer is yes, because of modern technology and the message of love and giving in many religions. In America, 19% of people have said their faith has strengthened. While this may not seem like much, only 3% of Americans have said they’ve lost faith. This means that the coronavirus has had more of a positive than negative impact on religion.

And religion has also had a positive impact during the coronavirus as many religious organisations had donated essential products to those who need them. The National Cathedral of the United States donated over 5000 N95 masks to hospitals with shortages. And over 200 churches have called to the Greek government for the asylum of the tens of thousands of refugees, who are living in terrible conditions on Greek Islands.

However, not all approaches toward religion have been positive. In China, a policy of state atheism is still upheld in these difficult times. In the Shandong provinces, all forms of virtual services have been banned, upsetting many devoted citizens, which may cause rebellion against this and may lead to actual religious gatherings, which may lead to the spread of the disease.

So what does this tell us about God? As many philosophers and historians notice, religion has always had a surge during times of crisis. Does this mean that God sends crises to boost faith? That when faith is low, disaster will always come? Disaster in times of unfaithfulness is biblical after all, like the flood in which only faithful Noah and his family survived. And with all the unfaithful dead, the future would be filled with only God-fearing folk. Or is the surge in religion because of human nature? Is it because in times of difficulty, humans panic? Because our ability to problem solve is weakened by our mental state. So instead of finding an answer ourselves, we look to a higher power. Perhaps we will never know why. But it is certain that religion is always more powerful in times of disaster.