When COVID-19 turned the world upside down in 2020, many U.S. churches followed government policies and switched to online services, while others met on a limited scale with social distancing and masks. A smaller group of churches opposed official mandates,…
Vaccine hesitancy is not a matter of doctrine, but for some it remains a matter of faith
One-fifth of the United States population remains unvaccinated against COVID-19, and one-third are not fully vaccinated. The gap between the vaccinated and unvaccinated remains for much the same reason that has been true from the beginning: Those least likely to…
Tucker Carlson undermined COVID vaccines 99% of the time his show discussed them
The old adage that “sticks and stones may break your bones but words can never hurt you” has been proved false yet again in an analysis by the media watchdog group Media Matters. Watching Fox News — and Tucker Carlson…
Why I see COVID-19 vaccines as a sign of God’s grace
I used to tell the Hardin-Simmons University students in my freshman biology class that scientific knowledge is a gift from God, but we have to do the hard work of discovering it and learning how to use it. For example,…
A pediatrician’s advice to parents worried about the COVID vaccine and their children
Even parents who are willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19 themselves may be hesitant to have their eligible children vaccinated, according to new data from Public Religion Research Institute and Interfaith Youth Core. That finding doesn’t surprise Rhonda Walton, a…
Repeating Exodus through vaccine denial
At the beginning of Donald Trump’s presidency, I wrote a post warning that he was a threat to the United States and the rest of the world. We are about to see matters turn from bad to worse. Thanks to…
Faith leaders are key to reaching herd immunity in U.S., researchers say
Reaching herd immunity against the coronavirus cannot happen without more intervention from the faith community, according to leaders of two national organizations tracking current trends. “We do not get to herd immunity without dealing with faith identity. Religious identity is…
Here’s the link between COVID vaccine denial and opposition to sensible gun control
If you want to understand why we can’t get even the simplest of gun safety laws passed in this country, look to the stats on COVID-19 vaccinations. New polling out this week — released between the horrific shootings in Atlanta…