I've posed this question before, but it's worth revisiting from time to time. Several times a week now we are hearing of people gathering for "worship" (aka self-promotion) with the firm conviction that expressing belief in a deity will protect them from harm such as that from COVID, only to learn later on that their hope was somewhat overrated. How many need to die before these people figure out that maybe, just maybe, they were a bit mistaken in their conclusion that faith could affect the progress of a disease state?

Christianity in the US has turned into wide-spread Christian Science. The "Science" in that movement refers solely to the notion that one's faith and hope can affect one's physiology. Will COVID be the final straw that convinces people to grow up and shut up and stop thinking they are just so very special that the universe would bend to their collective wills?

I'd guess no.
Somehow religions seem to pull off making everything into a faith-promoting experience.

The Bible is full of plagues. The people never seemed to buy a vowel about how useless their religion was against them.

dagny Wrote:
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> The Bible is full of plagues.

The 1918 Spanish Flu didn't kill religion. The Black Death didn't kill religion, and so on.

I can wish that it were so...but there are always enough gullible suckers willing to believe what's preached at them and ready to fork over all their cash so the PooBahs at the top can have their mansions and G5's.

Nein.

Dave the Atheist Wrote:
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> Nein.
===============================

Concur.

Anxiety, the need to follow and obey authority in hope of safety, the need for certainty offered in immutable belief
-- all these are evolutionarily wired. It's "natural." Being "natural" it's not going to ever vanish.
And there will always be clever ones who exploit.

But reasoning is learned.

On a macro level, no. The brainwashing of children will only continue and adults will continue to be gullible enough to buy into the horse-crap for generations to come.

Are they doing damage to their "brand"? A resounding yes. The religious nutbags who are trafficking in conspiracy theories and pseudoscience, and are putting others at risk, are doing real damage to their cause.

As an example: I have a relative who is an Evangelical Christian who, other than the religious beliefs, I deeply respect. While her beliefs have not dramatically changed in theological sense, she has repeatedly expressed shock and disgust at the behavior of her coreligionists during the pandemic. Though she wouldn't put it this way, in so many words; apparently batshit crazy beliefs, and the almighty dollar, trump that whole "love they neighbor" thing.

Maybe they'll stop each other.

No previous pandemic has made much of a long term dent.

The black death made a pretty good dent.

I'd say quite the opposite: crises, including healthcare ones, that cause deep anxiety usually result in more rather than less religiosity. Sometimes the impulse favors existing religions, which demand that believers work harder; but sometimes the impetus shifts to new religions or new ideologies.

Under pressure, humans usually become more irrational as they search for some explanation of why bad things happen to good (because everyone thinks she is good) people.

I agree with Lottie that the crisis will likely cause the most religious to double down. Those with weaker religious ties may joint the rise of the "nones."

I think that the evangelicals are like the Mormons in that people will be blamed for a lack of prayer if things go poorly, which will also be ascribed to "God's will."

I know that many people are fatalistic about Covid, and feel that the virus should just burn through the population, with the most vulnerable self-isolating. I even know of one retired physician who feels this way. There is also a rise in (what I regard as selfish) extreme individualism in which one's own "rights" far exceed communal needs.

Cults have grown pretty well by swooping in on the unlearned, unwise an foolish after pandemic and disaster.

Google pretty much proves stupidity is not hardly caused from a lack of information heh!

It is not often that I comment on threads such as these but taking the position that somehow those groups that "worship" with the "conviction that expressing belief in a diety will protect them from harm such as Covid..." are in any way representative of all Christian groups as appears is a false hope. By far the majority of Christian groups are exercising caution in this Covid world just as they should. The relativel few that fit the type defined in the opening post in no way signal some kind of end for religion, no matter how much it is hoped for

SMALL LANGUAGE WARNINGS

Kentish Wrote:
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> It is not often that I comment on threads such as
> these but taking the position that somehow those
> groups that "worship" with the "conviction that
> expressing belief in a diety will protect them
> from harm such as Covid..." are in any way
> representative of all Christian groups as appears
> is a false hope. By far the majority of Christian
> groups are exercising caution in this Covid world
> just as they should. The relativel few that fit
> the type defined in the opening post in no way
> signal some kind of end for religion, no matter
> how much it is hoped for

Covid may end up partially destroying this fucking media we've grown so used to. Once the gaslighting goofs get more and youth riled up against em nobody will be paying them only to get part of the stories or worse yet, complete obstruction and deception.

Look at the bright side. If we lose the "fucking media," we can all be as well informed as you!

Lot's Wife Wrote:
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> Look at the bright side. If we lose the "fucking
> media," we can all be as well informed as you!

Psheww, don't dare.. The one to three day wait is upon us

What is happening is probably more historic than we could be prepared for.

Irony. It was irony.

Lot's Wife Wrote:
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> Irony. It was irony.

Well in that case, it'll have to be called Joseph News Network from now on. JNN! Yeah that'll be perfect, everytime I seem to get out of line and go way too far overboard you can say, "Thanks JNN"
Boy am I gonna regret this..

Gosh, why do I maybe feel like Marion Barry?

Heh Heh.. (morejokingaround) famousforthe bitchsetmeup line

No! The need for delusion to support the illusion is too great

thedesertrat1 Wrote:
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> No! The need for delusion to support the illusion
> is too great

Maybe wait a little while, about at least two or four more days.

No, since there are plenty of churches that don't consider having online services to be a sin at all.

Nothing will stop cults and cult leaders, in general. In this conspiracy culture, no one has to PROVE anything. They can just lie about it. It's so much easier to lie, especially if a lie is something people want to believe.

If you are skeptical of the lies, conspiracists just tell you more lies, saying that EVERYONE--even the self-appointed "authorities" and "experts", believes the lie, and so should you.

This is true of both religion and politics.

People ask me what got me out of the cult. I answer, "Information. Real, corroborated, cross-checked, verified INFORMATION." (If you use the word "Truth", people get angry all over again.)

No, but after nearly a year of staying home from church there will probably be a rather large dent in membership activity that may not ever recover.

I agree.

There may also be a permanent dent in donations, especially with so many people thrown out of work. It might make people more cautious about money.

I am sure this is a serious consideration for a number of different churches now.

Musicians, staff, help, artists, food services, restaurants, employees, on the other hand... lots of destruction there, as well as a lot of community health and social services and opportunities lost.

Some people will NEVER venture out into public again, especially not to be hit up for money, time, connections, free-services, calls for yakking, help with chores, PAY PRAY OBEY. No Way!

I did get a seat at the restaurant last night, no delay no wait!

We both remarked, that rarely happens here.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/03/2021 08:21AM by josephssmmyth.