AS the coronavirus pandemic continues to cause deaths and disrupt billions of lives globally, people may turn to religious groups, family, friends, co-workers or other social networks for support. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in the summer of 2020 reveals that more Americans than people in other economically developed countries say the outbreak has bolstered their religious faith and the faith of their compatriots.
Nearly three-in-ten Americans (28%) report stronger personal faith because of the pandemic, and the same share think the religious faith of Americans overall has strengthened, according to the survey of 14 economically developed countries.
Far smaller shares in other parts of the world say religious faith has been affected by the coronavirus. For example, just 10% of British adults report that their own faith is stronger as a result of the pandemic, and 14% think the faith of Britons overall has increased due to COVID-19. In Japan, 5% of people say religion now plays a stronger role in both their own lives and the lives of their fellow citizens.
Majorities or pluralities in all the countries surveyed do not feel that religious faith has been strengthened by the pandemic, including 68% of U.S. adults who say their own faith has not changed much and 47% who say the faith of their compatriots is about the same.
Some previous studies have found an uptick in religious observance after people experience a calamity. And a Pew Research Center report published in October 2020 showed that roughly a third (35%) of Americans say the pandemic carries one or more lessons from God.
When it comes to questions about the strength of religious belief, the wide variation in responses across countries may reflect differences in the way people in different countries view the role of religion in their private and public lives.
European countries experienced rapid secularization starting in the 19th century, and today, comparatively few people in Italy (25%), the Netherlands (17%) or Sweden (9%) say that religion is very important in their lives.1 East Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea have low rates of religious affiliation and observance – at least by Western-centric measures.
How do you survive this time of new lockdowns and their restrictions, and daily news that only has one topic: Corona, Corona, Corona? One of the most important parts in my life is the belief in supernatural power which governs the universe. Maybe, because I was born and raised in a parish house in Germany.
It doesn’t matter which religion we belong to or believe in: the recognition of God as an object of worship, the form of worship should be our primary need. Sad to say, more and more people get another opinion nowadays. Criticizing people, who are praying more especially now, hurts me.
During my stay in several Western countries before this pandemic, I experienced icy and conceited comments such as religiousness isn’t popular any more. Religiousness makes people unwilling and morose because of exaggeration and sometimes even hypocrisy.
How come? We want to see the religiousness of our fellow creatures. We want to understand their ideology.
But we are also poking our nose into other people’s business too much. Let’s look behind the scenes and let’s find out what religious behavior promotes: humility in actual life. Maybe. It’s hard for us to do without affecting others.
We even forget the real meaning of religiousness. St. John Crysostom subscribed to the topic “Pagans and Christians” very well: “There would be no pagans if we were good Christians. But the pagans see us manifesting the same desires, pursuing the same objects – power and honor – as themselves, how can they admire Christianity?”
They see our lives open to reproach and our souls worldly. We admire wealth equally with them and even more. How, then, can they believe? From miracles? But these are no longer wrought. From our conversion? It has become corrupt. From charity? Not a trace of it is anywhere seen. (Quotation “Winnowing Fan”, Vol. XX, June 2003, S of G Foundation, Makati).
Well, during this really not easy time, I am proud of having people in my surroundings who taught me how to be on the right track – unconcerned and unnoticed. Natural and uninhibited, they showed me how to put real religiousness into action besides praying and going regularly to church. I call such people religious. I mean it as praise because they don’t like to blow their trumpets while acting as Christians in our daily life.
Having such people around us makes it easier to stay strong and to overcome loneliness and missing all the good things we are no longer allowed to do. Social gatherings, travelling, personal business meetings, visiting cultural events and to get the whole sacrament personally from the hand of a priest or pastor.
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