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Original poster

How are religions explaining the pandemic?

147 replies

Pantheon · 14/02/2021 12:22

Just curious as someone who isn't religious. Are religions giving explanations about why this is happening?

OP posts:
mostlydrinkstea · 14/02/2021 12:31

From my part of the Church of England the focus is on how our faith gets us through this. We have resources in the form of the psalms which are brilliant for lament and we have the experience of the people in the OT who found themselves where they didn't want to be (in exile) and how the responded.

ItsIgginningtolooklikelockdown · 14/02/2021 12:33

It's a virus. What answer are you expecting, it's a punishment or something?

Prokupatuscrakedatus · 14/02/2021 12:37

RC: There is a virus. A new one. People catch it. We need to find a cure and stop our infrastructure systems from breakign down.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Philosophy & religion
Lessstressedhemum · 14/02/2021 12:42

Church of Scotland, the same as the three PP.

It's a virus, we need to find treatments, everyone get vaccinated and obey regulations. Faith helps us through.

LunaHeather · 14/02/2021 12:46

@ItsIgginningtolooklikelockdown

It's a virus. What answer are you expecting, it's a punishment or something?
Well I wonder

Also there are groups who would be glad of the end of the world

Or sinners repent etc. I don't necessarily see religion as just the obvious main ones though.

Namechangegame123 · 14/02/2021 12:47

Baptist here, basically the same as above. An appreciation that we believe death isn't the end, an emphasis on loving, helping and praying for others.

babba2014 · 14/02/2021 12:54

In Islam even if there is a pandemic it isn't the be all and end all. It is a mercy for a believer as you attain high ranks if affected so even the worst thing in this world does not go to vain.
But it was never about this world. The next world is ever lasting where there is no illness etc in Paradise. This life is just a test. We know this from a young age.

OverTheRainbow88 · 14/02/2021 12:56

Some of my Jehovah family think this was prophesied

AllTheWayFromLondonDAMN · 14/02/2021 12:57

My aunt, uncle and cousins are Jehovahs Witnesses. They think it’s the end of days and have been preparing for it since last March.

oneglassandpuzzled · 14/02/2021 13:05

My RC mother just thinks it’s a virus and acts of kindness and charity matter even more than ever.

LunaHeather · 14/02/2021 13:05

Glad someone said JW as that's the one I was wondering about

I am occasionally in touch with a JW former colleague but she prefers not to talk about religion.

I was wondering if anyone had wanted the end of the world and was disappointed that this isn't it (which I understand but I would like a short sharp end of world myself).

OverTheRainbow88 · 14/02/2021 13:11

@LunaHeather

Yes my family have expected the end of the world a few times, and have been disappointed it hasn’t happened.

LunaHeather · 14/02/2021 13:14

[quote OverTheRainbow88]@LunaHeather

Yes my family have expected the end of the world a few times, and have been disappointed it hasn’t happened.[/quote]
It's interesting that they are disappointed

I have read accounts of groups declaring "we are saved" when the end of the world doesn't happen.

I completely understand the disappointment but it would seem a slow and dull way to go IMHO.

SquirtleSquad · 14/02/2021 13:16

Ragnarök

OverTheRainbow88 · 14/02/2021 13:17

@LunaHeather

I wonder if the we are saved is to save face... as they’ve predicted something, had a huge build up to it and then it hasn’t happened.

Susie477 · 14/02/2021 13:18

By spouting empty vacuous platitudes, of course. It’s what they do.

LastTrainEast · 14/02/2021 13:23

Well given that all things come from god you might expect some bishop to ask him why this one.

And so much for the power of prayer eh? Apparently it can move mountains, but you have to assume more than a billion believers praying now for the virus to stop and it didn't work. Finally that one is debunked then.

Hey! perhaps we can arrest the pope and the archbishops on conspiracy charges for their part. It would be ok. They could easily defend themselves by saying "oh no seriously it's not real. It's what we sell to avoid working for a living"

Toddlerteaplease · 14/02/2021 13:24

@oneglassandpuzzled

My RC mother just thinks it’s a virus and acts of kindness and charity matter even more than ever.
Pretty much what most Catholic's I know think.
Toddlerteaplease · 14/02/2021 13:25

@LastTrainEast do you have any idea how hard bishops and Archbishops actually work?!!

KeflavikAirport · 14/02/2021 13:39

So no one asking why a supposedly omnipotent God is either letting this happen or has unleashed it on purpose?

OverTheRainbow88 · 14/02/2021 13:42

I believe that’s there’s a loving, powerful God who’s given humans free will, and that he does answer our prayers, but the answer isn’t always going to be to sort out our problems for us/ the answer isn’t always what we want or expect.

LunaHeather · 14/02/2021 13:43

Last "Apparently it can move mountains, but you have to assume more than a billion believers praying now for the virus to stop and it didn't work"

Ah, but what about people praying for it not to stop...even gain pace and strength?

Original poster
Pantheon · 14/02/2021 13:44

Thanks everyone. I wasn't expecting any particular answer. Just curious. Really interesting to find out.

OP posts:
KeflavikAirport · 14/02/2021 13:44

How convenient.

MeanMrMustardSeed · 14/02/2021 13:45

@LastTrainEast

Well given that all things come from god you might expect some bishop to ask him why this one.

And so much for the power of prayer eh? Apparently it can move mountains, but you have to assume more than a billion believers praying now for the virus to stop and it didn't work. Finally that one is debunked then.

Hey! perhaps we can arrest the pope and the archbishops on conspiracy charges for their part. It would be ok. They could easily defend themselves by saying "oh no seriously it's not real. It's what we sell to avoid working for a living"

Not sure what religion you’re referring to, but in Christianity we certainly don’t believe that all things come from God.