Poll: ‘Coronavirus Shows God Wants Changed Humanity’
By Stefan J. Bos, Special Correspondent Worthy News
(Worthy News) – The coronavirus pandemic made almost two-thirds of American believers of all faiths feel that God wants humanity to change how it lives, according to a new survey.
The findings of the poll by the University of Chicago Divinity School and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research come while the virus rattles the globe.
While causing economic hardship for millions and killing more than 80,000 Americans, people search for deeper meaning in the devastating corona is an outbreak, researchers discovered.
Even some who don’t affiliate with organized religion, such as Lance Dejesus of Dallastown in Pennsylvania state, saw a possible more significant message in the virus. “It could be a sign, like ‘hey, get your act together’ – I don’t know,” said Dejesus, 52.
He told The Associated Press news agency that he believes in God but doesn’t consider himself religious. “It just seems like everything was going in an OK direction, and all of a sudden, you get this coronavirus thing that happens, pops out of nowhere.”
The poll found that 31 percent 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 percent, compared with 28 percent of Catholics and mainline Protestants.
The question was asked of all Americans who said they believe in God, without specifying a specific faith.
The survey did not have a sample size large enough to report on the opinions of religious faiths with smaller numbers of U.S. adherents, including Muslims and Jews.
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 said they feel that strongly, compared with 37 percent of Latino and 27 percent of white Americans.
The COVID-19 virus has disproportionately targeted black Americans, exposing societal inequality that has left minorities more vulnerable, according to researchers. The virus has prompted little change in Americans’ overall faith in the in God, with 2 percent reportedly saying they believe in God today, but did not before. Fewer than 1 percent say they do not believe in God today but did before.
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