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Is God telling us how to live?

Ed Townsend - Columnist
Posted 5/22/20

There are many different opinions circulating today as to the cause of the Coronavirus.

What we write today is the opinion of almost two-thirds of American believers who feel that God is telling …

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Is God telling us how to live?

Posted

There are many different opinions circulating today as to the cause of the Coronavirus.

What we write today is the opinion of almost two-thirds of American believers who feel that God is telling humanity to change how it lives.

While the virus rattles the globe, causing economic hardship for millions and killing more than 80,000 Americans, the findings of the poll by the University of Chicago Divinity School and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research indicate that people may also be searching for deeper meaning in the devastating outbreak.

Even some who don't affiliate with organized religion saw a possible bigger message in the virus…it could be a sign, like hey, get your act together.

Some are noting they believe in God but don't consider themselves religious…just seems everything was going in an OK direction and all of a sudden you get this Coronavirus thing that happens, and it all popped out of nowhere.

The poll found that 31% of Americans who believe in God feel strongly that the virus is a sign of God telling humanity to change, with the same number feeling that somewhat. Evangelical Protestants are more likely than others to believe that strongly, at 43%, compared with 28% of Catholics and mainline Protestants. In addition, black Americans were more likely than those of other racial backgrounds to say they feel the virus is a sign God wants humanity to change, regardless of education, income or gender. Forty-seven percent say they feel that strongly, compared with 37% of Latino and 27% of white Americans.

But the virus has prompted negligible change in Americans' overall belief in God, with 2% saying they believe in God today, but did not before. Fewer than 1% say they do not believe in God today but did before.

Most houses of worship stopped in-person services to help protect public health as the virus began spreading, but that didn't stop religious Americans from turning to online and drive-in gatherings to express their faiths. Americans with a religious affiliation are regularly engaging in private prayer during the pandemic, with 57% saying they do so at least weekly since March.

Overall, 82% of Americans say they believe in God, and 26% of Americans say their sense of faith or spirituality has grown stronger as a result of the outbreak.

Ed Townsend provides year around "Beyond The News"coverage in this column with over 60-years of photojournalism analysis and insight. The column can also be read on his Web blog at http://bght.blogspot.com

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