When faith goes crazy it harms the vulnerable

When some Christians see a meme like the one featured here (without the words “STOP IT!” over the top) they may be tempted to put their faith in miracles rather than science.  The science will tell you everyone stands to be infected with this virus.  Our faith won’t prevent us being infected.

It is always the most vulnerable in our community who will believe abusive teaching, and this meme is an example of a teaching that will see some Christians place their faith in being protected when they aren’t.

You may look at a meme like this (without the words “STOP IT!” over the top) and think, “Who would possibly believe such a thing in the case of a highly contagious virus?”  Well, people do.

Play the tape forward.  In one month’s time, or six months’ time, when people who are posting this meme bump into people who initially said “yes!” but then later contracted the virus, what will they say then?  Has God failed them?  Did they not have enough faith?  Didn’t they pray well enough?  Did they not paint their doorframes with the blood of a lamb?

We live in a day where science is our friend, a day when we can indeed say, God is the God of science — that God owns the sciences; that God created them — so why don’t we place our faith in the established truths of science?

The fact of the matter is this is not the Exodus story.  The virus will come near your home, and now is the time to prepare for that by being responsible citizens.  It doesn’t even mean you’ll get seriously ill, but it is highly contagious.

Believing the science doesn’t stop us praying for miracles and believing in them when they occur.  It doesn’t stop us from interceding for others and for a quick end to the coronavirus situation.

But believing the science and doing practical things to prevent disease is both the wisdom and the will of God for us.

People might say, “Well, what about Psalm 91 and other scriptures that say how the Lord saves us from these things?”  I have no simple answer for that other than to say that when you get a virus through the means of transmission that, in the light of all reality, is the truth.

Jesus’ blood covers our sins, not the virus!

If someone believes that they’re covered by the blood of Jesus against the virus, it just gives them more of an excuse to be blazé about their hygiene, and that’s good for nobody.

And heaven forbid, should elderly people trust that they won’t get the virus and let their guard down, such irresponsible teaching may be the cause of deaths.