“Where is your faith?”, ”Why put your trust in a vaccine to save the world and not God?”, ”Only God can save the world from COVID-19, not any vaccine or medicine”, “My family is covered with the blood of Jesus, we are not taking any vaccine”,”COVID-19 vaccine is a 666 tool, an end time instrument to turn people to anti-Christ”, “the Covid-19 vaccine has 666 written all over it”, “The COVID-19 vaccine will turn you to a vampire needing blood for survival”… These and many more are the controversial statements that have trailed the developed medical prevention of the deadly and dreaded Coronavirus which broke in 2019 and has changed the face of the world even till today (April 2021), and it leaves one with questions like, “Is God really against the vaccine? Is it so bad?”, and many more.Maybe a journey back to when the virus began its international spread will help in setting things straight. As the coronavirus pandemic tightened its grip on the world, various narratives were concocted from different angles, one of which is that the rollout of 5G technology at the time is to blame. A clergy clearly stated this! Meanwhile, conspiracy theories about mobile phone technology have been circulating since the 1990s, and have long historical roots – it is not a new thing – but eventually, people dance to the tunes, even the strong critics. Following on from fears about power lines and microwaves in the 1970s, opponents of 2G technology in the 1990s suggested that radiation from mobile phones could cause cancer. Now it is 5G with many other theories including the idea that it was responsible for the unexplained deaths of birds and trees. It’s been a whole year now, the 5G has not fully circulated globally and yet, the world is finding a solution to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Back to the original question as to if God is against scientific developments, a quick peek into the Holy Books show somethings somehow contrary and controversial. “…And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing”, the Bible says in Ezekiel 47:12. “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations”, another part of the Bible Revelation 22:1-2 reads.
Readings about Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) revealed that the prophet prescribed the use of foods rich in nutrients which can counter the effects of substances that have been proved to be harmful. He had recommended certain foods such as dates, olives, fig, pomegranate, black seeds, grapes, and many others for alleviating several ailments. The Prophet (pbuh) reportedly once said, “If my community had only known what there is in Fenugreek (a herb), they would have paid its weight in gold”. Not only did he say and recommend but he was said to soak 20 black seeds wrapped in a linen cloth in water overnight and place drops of this solution into his nostrils to relieve congestion and head colds (Al-Akili, Medicine of the Prophet). In Ibn Majah’s Sunan ibn Majah, Muhammad (pbuh) was said to have used henna for external injuries. “Salma Umm Rafi’, the freed slave woman of the Prophet, said: “The Prophet did not suffer any injury or thorn- prick but he would apply henna to it”, Ibn Majah Vol. 4, Book 31, Hadith 3502 reads.
Why then would clergies tell their members not to believe in scientific developments whereas, they have the best doctors in the world that attends to them? Over time, some banned watching of televisions, yet delivered sermons with projectors, some declare blood transfusion as evil and it leaves one to wonder if the creation of Eve by God was not a divine transfusion of the highest order. In as much as yes, doctors and health workers can only treat but God works in all things to bring healing, their developments have over time been proven effective. How about atheists who do not believe in God? God gave his people the wisdom, knowledge, creativity and know-how to develop things, just the same way He ordered Adam in the Bible to name the creatures – He could have simply called forth the names by himself.
If truly vaccines and scientific developments are not meant to be, especially the COVID-19 vaccines, then clergies should just show the realest means that works so fast by the inspiration of their faith. This is not to belittle or say there is no0 power in the name of the Almighty but an indicator that the Almighty has rather bestowed talents and knowledge when he said go and multiply, replenish and subdue the earth – to bring forth many more solutions. You can’t turn away a solution proven to be effective and not provide another. Mary, the mother of Jesus went to a hospital when it was about time to deliver the Saviour. God could have caused her to birth as mysteriously as the conceived but if there was too much of divinity, God would have been mocked and a lot of believers would be tied in fake beliefs more than they are currently. Faith (believing in God) without works (efforts of knowledge) is dead, so the Holy Bible says. This is not to say clergies do not see visions or everything in the world works physically and scientifically, it is simply a call that not all things need divinity – sometimes the divine knowledge for solutions is there, just to make it manifest.While the standpoints of these religious leaders is quite understandable, especially about the end time, a part of the Bible to clear their doubts and say the fear they are not spilling out is Matthew 24 vs 6 which says, “You hear of wars and rumours of wars, see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come”. Further read into Revelations shows that these times are getting closer but not here yet. Religious leaders should rather focus on showing their congregation the path of God and building a relationship with the divine being and allow the Holy Spirit minister to their hearts. If they wouldn’t take the vaccine, it should be their decision and of course, revelation by God, not their clergies tying and judging their faiths by their decisions, just the same way salvation is personal and the testimonies of the clergy does not automatically transform to those of the congregation. The same God who told Moses to hit the rock to provide water told him to later speak to the rock.
Most importantly, if believers would rise to take up mantles in the places of science and technology, developing solutions to the problems of the worlds through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, maybe, just maybe the evil and devilish developments will not be the global solution.Photos Credit: Getty
Maybe a journey back to when the virus began its international spread will help in setting things straight. As the coronavirus pandemic tightened its grip on the world, various narratives were concocted from different angles, one of which is that the rollout of 5G technology at the time is to blame. A clergy clearly stated this! Meanwhile, conspiracy theories about mobile phone technology have been circulating since the 1990s, and have long historical roots – it is not a new thing – but eventually, people dance to the tunes, even the strong critics. Following on from fears about power lines and microwaves in the 1970s, opponents of 2G technology in the 1990s suggested that radiation from mobile phones could cause cancer. Now it is 5G with many other theories including the idea that it was responsible for the unexplained deaths of birds and trees. It’s been a whole year now, the 5G has not fully circulated globally and yet, the world is finding a solution to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the standpoints of these religious leaders is quite understandable, especially about the end time, a part of the Bible to clear their doubts and say the fear they are not spilling out is Matthew 24 vs 6 which says, “You hear of wars and rumours of wars, see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come”. Further read into Revelations shows that these times are getting closer but not here yet. Religious leaders should rather focus on showing their congregation the path of God and building a relationship with the divine being and allow the Holy Spirit minister to their hearts. If they wouldn’t take the vaccine, it should be their decision and of course, revelation by God, not their clergies tying and judging their faiths by their decisions, just the same way salvation is personal and the testimonies of the clergy does not automatically transform to those of the congregation. The same God who told Moses to hit the rock to provide water told him to later speak to the rock.
Photos Credit: Getty
