Yesterday I woke to the news that anti-vaccination protesters caused a one-hour closure at one of the largest COVID-19 vaccination sites, Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. On social media, the protesters described their demonstration as the “Scamdemic Protest.” While a variety of motivations for the protest were expressed by the demonstrators, some clearly were motivated by their religious views. One protester held a sign that said “Save Your Soul TURN BACK NOW.” This is just one example of the anti-science sentiment I’ve seen expressed by some people of faith during this pandemic. In each case I’ve seen, the general message has been the same—that faith will protect you from COVID-19, that a “believer” should choose faith over facts.
It is a false, dichotomous choice that has real life-and-death consequences. And the religious ideas behind it stand out as among the most unbiblical and unloving in a long history of perceived conflicts at the intersection of faith and science.
To be fair and accurate, there are many people of faith who take the pandemic science seriously. They wear masks and keep social distance because they take seriously Jesus’ command to love our neighbor. They get their vaccinations for the same reason. Even so, there clearly is much work to be done in helping people have a better, more positive understanding of the relationship between science and faith.
I confess the path seems steeper and the obstacles more formidable than when I began this work over fifteen years ago, before the misinformation age began. But, as I was reminded recently by Amanda Gorman in her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” we are not broken, but simply unfinished.
And so our work continues. The relationship between science and faith is one of many in need of repair and reconciliation these days and the fomenting of conflict where they intersect negatively impacts all of us. This week I’ll be sharing small things you can do to be a force for good in this issue. For today I simply ask that you be in prayer for all of it.
