Pope Francis has been pictured defying Italian government advice as he walks through the empty streets of Rome offering prayers to people affected by coronavirus and for an end to the crisis. (Credit: Metro)
As we fight a worldwide epidemic and recognize we as humans “are all in this together” I wanted to take this propitious moment to consider what a potentially massive huge change in religious viewpoints this Coronavirus crisis may have engendered!
For so much of history humanity has suffered under the yoke of religious beliefs which systematically continue to drive dire discord worldwide.
It is naive for me or anyone to expect such centers of temporal power as the Vatican or Mecca to cede sway over their absurd beliefs but (and this is the heart of my discourse) anyone who realizes the absurdity of religious fantasy does not have to write an op ed like this or rant against it in the public square! Or suffer great personal danger in so acting.
So how does their power get undermined? Well it already is very much so lessened in the minds of a huge number of humans worldwide.
I suspect a substantial similar number of people around the world are simply anxious to ignore in their daily lives any deference to insidiously influential beliefs! Proper human conduct is not owned by the Christian 10 commandments, but by the observance of such parts of that list as “thou shall not kill” and not by thou shall put only one god before you!!!
As our solar observations reveal endless other likely worlds out there the adherence to any fixed orthodoxy becomes more and more absurd.
So why will religion get ultimately back benched!
My opinion: because of the current worldwide efforts to contain and treat Coronavirus.
What a profound message never before posed as it is now with “all hands on deck” around the world.
Yes, the 1918 Spanish flu infected 300 million people—one quarter of the then world’s population— and killed 50 to 100 million, but its viral origins were not then discovered. No doubt grieving those immense human losses was used by religions worldwide to honor the dead. No problem except no cure either.
Now humans, not some high priest, are heroes and better yet concreate solvers of this humanistic medical crisis.
Never again will this electronically connected world population be unexposed to this revelation!!
Religious fantasy can no longer be offered as a route to human survival. We humans are in charge and responsible.
What a profound moment which may not be immediately recognized but in a short time (in cosmic terms) organized power-seeking religions will lose face if not place!
There must be some better educational use St Patrick’s Cathedral and all those other lush palaces of religious righteousness which in time no doubt will be found.
Thus those long time no no’s such as access to contraception or safe abortion or the right to die on one’s own schedule will be more and more ignored and made accessible by and to the growing numbers of humanistic people who see the light on why freedom from thoughtless religious orthodoxy is vital.
So, whether Pope or others get it, the die is cast and the example of worldwide response to COVID-19 could well in retrospect be seen as the main instigator of relieving humans from religious bondage.
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