#181
Religion versus Science, Religion with Science
As climate talks develop during the second week of COP26 in Glasgow, more news about religious engagement in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic continues to emerge. Reports from the United States, South Africa, Israel, and beyond highlight how collaboration among faith leaders and health care professionals is possible and essential, while narratives that frame an opposition between science and religion can have concrete negative consequences.
Some
Apostolic churches in Southern Africa are refusing to support the vaccination campaign. Church members and leaders have stressed that they feel protected by their prayers and do not need the vaccine. Their stance is part of a wider misinformation and vaccine hesitancy issue in the region, contributing to Zimbabwe’s COVID-19 vaccination rate being stuck at 15% of the population. At the same time, other Apostolic churches in the country have engaged in promoting vaccination among their congregants. Similarly, in Cape Town,
Central Methodist Mission’s Reverend Storey is convinced that “we should be thanking God for the vaccine and everyone that has made it possible. Vaccines are used by God to bring life.” His church is putting up banners to combat religious anti-vaccine narratives, with slogans like “The Blood of Jesus will not save you from COVID-19.”
Reverend Storey’s view resonates with Deborah Haarsma’s plea to faith leaders to share this message with their community members: “Don’t trust science instead of God; trust science as a gift from God.” Her suggestion features in an opinion piece by Tish Harrison Warren for the
New York Times. In it, Harrison Warren describes how “the
science vs. faith discourse isn’t an abstract ideological debate but a false dichotomy that has disastrous real-world consequences.” Having traced the historical roots and more recent contributions to an increased perception of this false dichotomy, which has arguably reached a peak during the COVID-19 pandemic, she suggests, echoing Haarsma’s words, that religious leaders and scientists should recognize their own limits, acknowledge each other’s value, and find common ground.
Bringing together health care professionals and religious leaders is key. A webinar taking place on November 11 entitled “
Faith Leadership During Covid19 in Jerusalem: Responsibilities of Faith Leaders in Supporting National Efforts Fighting Pandemics and the Tools at Their Disposal,” organized by the Jerusalem Impact Vaccination Initiative, will discuss historical, theological, and practical aspects of faith engagement with pandemics from an interfaith perspective, with participants from Jewish, Muslim, Bahá’í, and Christian traditions. Officially recognizing the importance of religious engagement, a
United States Department of State press release highlighted the positive roles faith actors have played and are playing around the world in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, it focused on their engagement in addressing vaccine hesitancy, providing spaces for testing and vaccination and advocating against hate speech and in favor of freedom of religion or belief.
Exemption from vaccine mandates on religious grounds in the United States continues to spark debate. In a recent ruling,
the Supreme Court rejected a request made by health care workers in Maine to block the state’s refusal to grant them religious exemption from vaccination. While some have criticized the Court’s decision for failing to protect the workers’ freedom of religion or belief, others have pointed out that the ruling is in line with a 2019 law of the state of Maine that removed exemptions from vaccination on religious grounds for workers in the health care sector. Also in the United States,
Religion News Services provided a detailed account of
how religious groups (mainly churches) are using the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the emergency loan program created by the CARES Act. Based on the available information, while the majority (more than 8,800 out of a total of 13,408 religious groups) have applied for loan forgiveness, around 150 of them are either paying back their loans, or even have not used them at all. In general, access to the PPP meant that most religious groups could avoid major financial trouble linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. As Pastor Robertson of the Philadelphia Baptist Church said, “We wanted to make sure that we were able to continue to pay our staff and not have to endure catastrophic financial implications.”
