Covid: A Religion for the Faithless Buried in Doubt and Confusion.

 

Not that many people have heard of August Compte, but in between being in and out of mental institutions he wrote extensively on the mechanisms of society. He would later be recognized as the father of sociology. He was not religious, but he felt society needed a religion, something that transcended the individual in purpose. His idea? Create a secular substitute to unite the masses and give them meaning. His suggestion gained little traction, but now, in the first quarter of the 21st Century, perhaps a little virus is setting the stage for a new, secular, religion that worships a form of science, but nevertheless has the appearance of a religion. 

Let's call our religion "follow the science." It is a vague title, but to its followers it is life itself.

* In this new religion, the threat is akin to Satanic, or perhaps demonic, possession.  Yet in this case the virus is what can "possess" you at any time. Get too close to someone, don't take precautions, and it will enter you. 

* The vaccine is the sign of submission, a form of baptism, to become part of the body of a new, improved humanity. It is there for you when you cannot stay away from people who could bring you down.

* Those who are not vaccinated are the heathen, pure, yes, but in a sense they are akin to naked savages who have not yet had the opportunity to be converted, and who must be reached at all cost to save their biological "souls."

*  Those who refuse the holy sacrament of the vaccine are thus infidels; those who openly defy the opportunity to become part of the enlightened masses who have submitted to the symbol of obedience, and humbled themselves to the good of the collective. 

*  Of course, with any religion, you can still be led astray.  This is why you must continue your sign of obedience and get boosters whenever you are commanded to do so. We are all in this together, right?

*  And if anything goes wrong, it is sinful to acknowledge the problems as it can affect the devotion of the masses, and give strength to the infidels to question the holy ordinance.  You may not be able to explain why those who do what you believe is right still fall victim, but stay quiet, stay safe, maintain your devotion. Stay safe, save lives, stay quiet.

*  The new priests of this religion are those medical authorities given a platform by corporate media and social media giants.  The doctors and scientists who question "the science" are at best heretics, or at worse demonic entities who want to take your new-found salvation away. Any questioning of the narrative becomes a conspiracy theory, fake science and thus dismissed by the faithful.

*  Every new religion needs icons, symbols of subservience or devotion. Here is where the holy mask comes in.  You don't need a secret handshake, a cross, or headscarf to identify fellow-adherents, you can look out over the store and see the fellow believers with their mouths covered, for your safety and salvation. They wear a mask to save, not themselves, but you. Are you a believer?

In the past two decades there has been a growth of the kind of nihilism that Compte spoke of. Due to our focus on social media, fewer and fewer people find time to contemplate the meaning of life, the beauty of creation or ponder the purpose the Creator has for them.  Add to this a feeling of anxiety from worrying about climate issues, automation replacing their jobs, lack of deep connections to family, and you have a fertile soil for this new religion.  Joe Biden has referred to God as "The Thing" and this fits that mold - the "follow the science" with its "we are in this together" mantra doesn't need a personal God, one that created the world and universe, it just needs a concept people can project their fears upon. And since you never know when the virus is present, it is both an omnipotent threat, but also an opportunity, for your act of devotion to wage war on against the never-to-end threat. 

So overall "follow the science" is more a religion than actual public health statement or policy.  You need no churches or mosques to gather and ponder God as the great architect of life, you need only your covid pass, mask and schedule as to when you need to resubmit and prove your devotion. Compte would be impressed. 

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