It is important that we make good choices about vaccination. I've had some very interesting interactions with some Christians about vaccines over the last month. It has been so interesting to see how people from different cultures view vaccines and their decision to get the jab. I catch up with Christian people from Thai, Chinese, Swedish, American and Australian backgrounds so I see a cross-section of responses.
Most Christians from an Asian backgrounds that I have come across have generally been very happy and grateful to receive any dose of the vaccine. They trust that it's a good thing because the medical experts endorse it, and the government is urging people to receive it. Coming from cultures that respect leaders and experts it is easy to see why they are happy to receive a vaccine. On the other end of the spectrum, we have some American Christian friends who are actively advocating on social media that it is part of a world-wide government conspiracy to take control. They claim that more people are dying from the vaccine than from the virus. This is a country where the virus has killed over 672,000 people! (1) It's amazing how different these views are. I wonder if culture has something to do with their responses.
Australians overall seem quite compliant and willing to take the vaccine in spite of our reputation of defying authority. The media and the government have been very open about the rates of vaccination, deaths and ongoing virus transmission. Generally, people feel that our Federal and State Governments have been doing a decent job in keeping people safe. There has been some conflict between our Federal and State governments about the strategy towards getting back to normal life, but overall Australia has done quite well compared to many other countries. We have a low death toll and rates of transmission. None of our medical experts and political leaders question the need for masks, restrictions, and vaccines. The conflicts have mainly been about the timing and how aggressively these measures should be implemented.
I have been observing all this from a Christian perspective and would like to point out the main cultural factors that seem to influence churches the most.
Theology
Christians who come from very conservative churches seem to be more resistant to vaccines than the general population. This has to do with emphasis and how literally some churches interpret the book of Revelation in the Bible which warns about a beast coming from the earth and forcing everyone to wear a mark to buy or sell (Rev. 13:16). When our governments talk about vaccine passports in order to travel on a plane or enter into a store or a church then this brings up a reaction that this mark of the beast is being implemented right now. As a result, some church leaders can use this fear to turn people away from becoming vaccinated. All those who choose to be vaccinated are "marked" and walk into a trap designed by the Anti-Christ (2) The rapid development and approval of the vaccines to fight the virus confirms to many Christians that this is all part of a plot to "mark" everyone in the world. This thinking has been around for many years.
When credit cards were first introduced in Australia in the 1970s, the first brand to be launched in Australia was called "Bankcard" with a logo of the letter "b" in three different colours on it. Since the letter "b" looks like the number "6" and it came in three colours, many Christians took that as being the mark of the beast- 666. It seems that every new major development brings up the same old fears and conspiracies, but in a new form.
Politics.
In America we have seen a strong reaction to the imposition of vaccines and masks as a assault in individual freedoms and the right to do what we choose to do. The opposite is true in some Asian countries. Thailand has seen people staging daily large-scale protests (3) against the government for not doing enough to fight virus transmission. They are demanding more vaccines and want the government to be more pro-active. This is in spite of only 12,000 deaths this year which is quite a small number compared to some other countries. It is interesting that in these two countries people are protesting for the opposite reasons. In Melbourne, Australia some people have taken to protesting out of frustration at the duration and strictness of lockdowns. Melbourne has become the most locked-down city in the world with very strict control over peoples' movements and now some people are starting to push back. This does not seem to be driven by any clear ideology or principle. This leads to the next important factor.
Misinformation
I have been shocked to see some of my Christian friends being influenced by vaccine misinformation that is being fuelled by social media. There are people out there who benefit in sowing confusion and distrust about COVID vaccines. Some of them do it to make money from selling alternative remedies and others do it to obtain political power. They will feed into the fear and uncertainty that some people feel about receiving the vaccine and actively promote lies in order to convince people not to get vaccinated. Much of this misinformation seems to have traction in the USA where people are already distrustful of the government and pharmaceutical companies. When this is combined with end-times theology and individual rights mentioned above, Christians and churches can be drawn into a toxic brew of anti-vaccine sentiment that can be very hard to stand against.
The Christian Response
Christians have important decisions to make, and those decisions need to be in line with principles that are given to us in the bible.
- Life is God given and precious – we should act in a way that protects the health and welfare of others. (4)
- We should make informed decisions in these information-loaded times so that we don’t cause unintentional harm. Evaluate what you read on social media with some scepticism and check the facts from a trustworthy source before you share it with others
- We live in community; our actions affect others. Will our “freedom” to choose adversely affect others? Will it mean that others are at risk? (5)
- We should live generously, considering the needs of the poor/disadvantaged as well as ourselves. This is a time when the church can actively show love and generosity to others in need.
- Our attitude, words and actions should reflect Jesus’ love to those around us
For Christians, it is important to be aware of the cultural factors that influence people's views around vaccination. There are people around us who are going to have strong views either for or against vaccines. Understanding the cultural forces that influence people can help us to evaluate the information available to us and then respond appropriately.
References:
1. Center for Disease Control and Prevention "COVID-19 Mortality Overview" for Week ending 18th September, 2021 https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/mortality-overview.htm
2.Scott Gleeson Asha C. Gilbert "Some say COVID-19 vaccine is the 'mark of the beast.' Is there a connection to the Bible?" USA Today, 26th September, 2021 https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/09/26/covid-vaccine-mark-beast-what-book-revelation-says/8255268002/
3. Muktita Suhartono and Thai Protesters Are Back, and Angrier, as Government Fumbles on Covid" New York Times, 5th September 2021 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/05/world/asia/thailand-protesters-covid.html
4. Matthew Jacoby "Are you entitled to your Opinion?" 18th September in Eternity Magazine https://www.eternitynews.com.au/opinion/are-you-entitled-to-your-opinion/
5. Patrick Parkinson "COVID Vaccine and the Common Good" 8th September, 2021 in Eternity Magazine. https://www.eternitynews.com.au/opinion/covid-vaccination-and-the-common-good/
