From a theological perspective, the Coronavirus is providing an extremely interesting case study in how religion and scripture interact with our modern science and worldview. This dichotomy can primarily be found in the ongoing debate on whether Coronavirus is indeed the apocalypse as foretold by scripture or prophecy, or if it is just a random world event with no relation to supernatural powers.
Many smaller religions are interpreting the Coronavirus through unique lenses that align with their particular beliefs. Happy Science for instance, which is a religious group that has been called Tokyo’s answer to Scientology, claims that the virus was created as a bioweapon by the Chinese government in Wuhan and that it was utilized by a UFO to punish communists for their “godless” ways. Their leader, Ryuho Okawa, claims to channel the spirit of the great Barack Obama and preaches that the faithful can save themselves by listening to his lectures. Happy Science also offers “spiritual vaccines” in the form of a ritual prayer that is said to prevent or cure the virus.
Christianity, the most prevalent religion in the United States, is accordingly divided. The signs, according to doomsday prophets, are numerous: besides the plague, there are hundreds of billions of locusts swarming East Africa, wildfires tearing across Australia, and violent storms tornadoes are slated to ravage across the southern United States. Many have pointed to scripture, indicating that these foretold events are portents of the second coming of Jesus and the rapture. In the Book of Revelations, there are seven seals whose opening will bring on the apocalypse; the first four are the four horsemen, being War, Plague, Famine and Death. Doomsday prophets have identified these horsemen in the current crisis in the world, and are thus accordingly convinced of the apocalypse. However, more learned Christian scholars are not as convinced, primarily basing their argument that the virus does not discriminate between believers and non-believers; if the end times were indeed abound, as foretold by scripture, the believers would be spared from the wrath of God. Indeed, God has not spared the religious in this crisis. Some preachers and pastors have kept their churches open during this time, increasing viral transmission amongst attendants and leading to numerous infections and deaths.
The current crisis, and this dilemma, brings to light an important question for Christians, one known as theodicy: the vindication of God. This question asks “Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence comes evil?,” as put by Greek philosopher Epicurus. How can we reconcile the biblical notion of an omnipotent God with the ubiquitous suffering we see here on Earth. If he cannot protect his followers from this deadly plague which is sweeping across the planet, or if he is willingly choosing to let them die, then who is this God that they look up to? Certainly not the idol that he was once thought to be…
By James and Max
References:
Kestenbaum, S. (2020, April 16). Inside the Fringe Japanese Religion That Claims It Can Cure Covid-19. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/article/happy-science-japan-coronavirus-cure.html
Kettley, S. (2020, April 20). Coronavirus: Fears Fourth Seal of Apocalypse broken as Bible warning of pestilence unfolds. Retrieved April 24, 2020, from https://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/1244611/Coronavirus-fourth-seal-apocalypse-Bible-Book-of-Revelation-pestilence-coronavirus-news
Dias, E. (2020, April 6). The Apocalypse as an ‘Unveiling’: What Religion Teaches Us About the End Times. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/02/us/coronavirus-apocalypse-religion.html
