It would be easy to jump straight into things like The Spanish Inquisition or The Crusades to show the millions of people killed directly by religious hands. But, especially now, we need to talk about the less direct ways religion has dealt a deathblow to its faithful followers. During a time when we have access to vast amounts of quality medical information, religious customs and traditions endanger their followers during pandemics.
Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.
― Seneca
Some quick history
Even during the oldest recorded plague, the Justinian Plague, we see the negative influences of religion. In the book, “Epidemics and Pandemics,” it discusses how religious ideals of the time misinformed its followers. The faithful of the 6th century learned to believe the plague originated as a punishment by God, that the disease wasn’t of natural origins, that demons needed to be excised from the sick. All of these assertions led to increased confusion about the reality of what was happening.
25 million people reportedly died during this plague that continued in different regions for two centuries. Shops were closed, fields remained unharvested, and bodies piled up. When mass grave sites couldn’t hold the growing number of bodies, cities would send boats full of corpses out to sea to get dumped into the ocean. People would wear name tags when they went out in public for identification if they didn’t return home.
Jump to more recent times
It would be easy to write the Justinian Plague’s shortcomings off as a lack of knowledge, but what about today? As we have progressed medically, shouldn’t the influences of religious misinformation have dissipated? Even in well-educated countries, the answer is “No.”
In 2015, The Pan African Medical Journal published an article concerning the spread of Ebola and how it linked to religious practices. The World Health Organization (WHO) claimed nearly 60% of the Ebola cases in Guinea owed their origin to religious burial practices.
Even more recent times
Today, we are in the midst of a global pandemic, and there are religious leaders around the world touting fake remedies, religious protections, and furthering the spread of COVID-19. A Buddhist monk in Myanmar claimed a remedy of eating one lime and three palm seeds. Texas preachers are claiming to heal infected followers through their televisions. We see religion misinform their followers, propagating the spread of the disease.
In Florida, a pastor got arrested on March 30th for continuing to hold services after a state-mandated ban was enacted. Similar incidents have occurred in states like New Jersey, Illinois, and Louisiana. It goes to show that even in an age where we understand the science behind disease prevention, religious leaders continue to ignore scientific precautions. This increases the potential spread of the disease amongst its followers and anyone they encounter.
In France, an explosion of infection occurred after a five-day religious festival. Over 2,500 cases of COVID-19 link back to the event, igniting the spread in France as well as Germany and Africa.
As of now, the current total number of deaths worldwide is over 102,000. With Easter looming, major Jewish holidays being observed, and many more religious events transpiring before the pandemic come to an end, we must see change.
Religious leaders can make a difference
Around the world, religion shapes the lives of its followers, and that spirituality plays a unique roll in their culture. With their following, religious leaders have the opportunity to play a positive influential role for many. By encouraging their followers to act compassionately, to give to others in need, to adhere to safety recommendations, religious leaders can prevent atrocities like those experienced in our past.
What we need now is for the religions of the world to learn from the failures of their past. They should use their influence to help decrease the spread of this disease while encouraging kindness amongst their followers. People who turn to religious practice should be encouraged by their leaders to practice safely, instead of propagating this disease and potentially killing unnecessarily.
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Previously Published on Medium. Find More of Ric’s work at Go Find Your Happy!
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Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash