The Tussle Between Science, Religion And The Law In The Combat Against COVID_19 Pandemic
By OJOMA.
The world as we all know is gradually turning into a shadow of itself, due to the recent outbreak of the Coronavirus Pandemic know or called as COVID_19. As a result of this , science, religion and the law has taken into consideration the different ways, methods or measures to help reduce the spread of the pandemic. But are the general public ready to accept all these terms and conditions?
In as much as these three groups are working towards achieving a particular goal that is, to help reduce the spread of the pandemic, they still have their differences and one may decide to ponder over their differences.
Looking at the religion aspect, taking the Christian and Muslim religion as a case study, Christians go to their place of worship ( The church) to render service to God. This act involves the coming together of different humans, gathering at a particular place. The same goes also for the Muslims who also gather together in their place of worship ( The Mosque) to render service to Allah.
Christians Against the Pandemic
According to science, the COVID_19 pandemic gets to spread fast when people refuse to maintain social distance, washing of hands regularly and wearing off facemask. According to the World Health Organization, the risks of contracting COVID_19 are higher in crowded and inadequately ventilated spaces where infected people spend long periods of time together in close proximity.
These environments are where the virus appears to spread through respiratory droplets or aerosols.
Hence, the need for banning all forms of social and religious gathering. However, this didn’t go down well with some religious body as they saw it as an attack in their religious principles and rights to worship. These guidelines placed a demand on the religious body as people were restricted from entering the church and the mosque without them washing their hands or wearing of their facemask. Due to this, it got to a point where church’s and Mosque were closed down, using the law enforcement agency to execute this act.
Science Against the Pandemic
The law on the other hand, made sure that the publics adhere strictly to the rules and regulations laid down by science, in order to help curtail the spread of the COVID_19 pandemic. The tussle here has to do with the fact that the religious body came up with a the notion that it’s only our faith in God with a clean and contrite heart that can actually save us from this pandemic and not just the guidelines to prevent the spread.
One of the major discrepancy between is rooted in the origin of the pandemic. While religion considers the virus as one of the signs of the end time and punishment from God as predicted in the holy books, science says it’s a new strain of coronavirus, the SARS COV_2, which has been existing before now.
The Law Against the Pandemic
Virologist compare COVID_19 to the Spanish flu which broke out in the year 1918 and lasted till 1920. It is also noted that the Spanish flu possesses the same method of spread as COVID_19. On the other hand, in the holy Bible, it was predicted in the book of Luke 21:11 that the end of the world or the second coming of Jesus will be preceded by widespread pestilence and plague. Most Christians, faithfully, view the virus as one of those pestilence that mark the end time.
The Muslims on their own part, consider the emergence of the pandemic as one of the punishments from Almighty God as mentioned from Suratul Ar-Rum 30:41. It is said that God may cause mankind to face the consequences of the widespread of corruption in the world and return to mankind to the path of righteousness.
Muslims Against the Pandemic
Coronavirus in it’s own way of triggering fears of the Christians Apocalypse and Allah’s foretold punishment has infected more than 56 million people worldwide, according to Wikipedia with recorded death of over 2. 94 million as of the 12th of April 2021
This actually strikes a chord and can’t help but wonder if truly, we will consider the fact that the world as a whole needs to improve on her faith in God and not just the use of facemasks or washing and sanitizing of hands alone
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