Items

• 
  2021-09

  Meme about covid-19 as a religion

  I encountered this meme on twitter in 2021. Someone had shared it not understanding what it meant, to make fun of whom they assumed was an American Conservative who made it, and when I first saw it- it provided me with a lightbulb moment. I had not been able to understand through the pandemic why followers of God based religions were not able to take the pandemic seriously. Outside of conservative politics there was an aspect missing from the conversation about the pushback against pandemic safety measures. This meme showed me that many believers in God were unable to take the pandemic 'seriously' because to be afraid of covid-19 would be to view and interact with it like they do God. If you fear God, if your relationship to God is fear based, you cannot fear Covid-19 unless you wish to treat it in a manner similar to God. I think this simple meme is important in contextualizing the history of the pandemic, how those of God based faiths could not cope with the pandemic in a similar manner as others. The pandemic has changed me in a lot of ways, I had just turned 22 when the pandemic first started and now in December of 2022 I will turn 25 years old. Transitioning from early to mid 20's is always a challenge but the pandemic has created strange times as I transition more into adulthood. This meme has begun an interest and more mature perspective on the role religion plays not only in politics but the psychology behind people of God based faiths. This meme alone has assisted me in developing compassion for people I thought were just stupid when the pandemic started. There is no one rational response to immense fear, only personal widely varied responses; every person has a deeply individualized psychology built off of neural networks formed only by their unique experiences daily.
• 
  2020-03

  Suffering from Anxiety

  As most young adults my age, I suffer from severe anxiety. Dealing with anxiety daily, can be very challenging at times, especially during a pandemic. I have been fighting a battle with anxiety most of my life. At this point, I am really used to the extra thoughts in my head. I have learned to help manage it, but not completely get rid of it. I believe that anxiety has made me who I am, in a way, because I do not remember a time where I was not struggling. In 2020, a pandemic instantly flooded the world. This completely impacted my entire life. I was not able to experience my last year in high school, I was not able to be around the one person that helped me with my anxiety, etc. I was forced to wear a mask that I could barely breathe in. I lost touch with most of my friends that I developed over my lifetime. This instant wave of depression suddenly hit me. I was so nervous on what would happen next, and how long will this last. People were dying from this pandemic. I constantly worried about if the sickness would hurt one of my family members or someone important to me. Over the time of being in quarantine, I thought to myself ways on how I could relax and not worry so much about the pandemic. I told myself every day, “Everything happens for a reason”. This is what I truly believe and for some reason it really does calm me down. I am Catholic. I am a very deep believer in God. To me, trusting in the Lord is the best anxiety reliever around. Covid-19 is still around today. Without Covid-19, I would not be where I am today. Although this pandemic has an abundance of negative impacts on my life, it also had some positive ones, too. I would not have attended Duquesne University, met so many amazing people, and made a plethora of memories that I would not trade in for. I believe talking about my anxiety, especially during the pandemic, is very critical because I am not the only one who is suffering, too. Everyone is nervous about what is going to happen next. To me, this is HUGE on helping me with my anxiety. I can finally think to myself that I am not alone. I believe that people who suffer from anxiety, especially from the pandemic started in 2020, can have a place to go if they are nervous. When I was struggling, I felt alone, and I was the only person who felt this way. My story will allow people to realize that they are not alone. Everyone is dealing with this stress and anxiety that I suffered from. My story tells people that I have worries and doubts, too. The pandemic not only had negative impacts, but they also had positive impacts. Focusing on the positives, will distract you from the anxiety and worrying. My story should help prove that. My story should allow people to see and find new ways to cope with the stress. I hope my story leaves a positive impact on people who did or are struggling. Everyone is in this together, and nobody will be alone in this major impact on the world.
• 
  05/06/2021

  Linda White Oral History, 2021/05/04

  This interview conducted with Linda White talks about how her job in the financial sector changed and the many challenges presented from working from home. The interview also talks about the challenges of being a mom and having multiple kids returning home under one roof and how the family adapted. The interview also gives an interesting perspective into the life of a mother who has a child working in the health care field at this time. Finally, the interview also talks about other new experiences and hobbies developed and how staying positive was important. This interview ended by talking about the vaccine and looking to the future.
• 
  2021-10-04

  Religion and Times of Hardship

  I am writing my own personal experience of how religion affected my lifestyle during COVID-19 pandemic
• 
  2020-06-24

  Rediscovering a Family Passion

  In the pandemic, Kimry reached back to her roots and decided to create a garden. When asked by friends on Facebook what did she put into the ground to make it so fertile? She replied "I put love into my ground, I put hope into my ground, I put patience into my ground and I put heart and soul into my ground. In life you can try and put this into people and yield no love back, no real friendship, and no real kindness. But, I tell you, Mother Earth will show you, that you deserve all that you put into her and more. God's time can be so quiet, calming, and so peaceful."
• 
  2021-04-24

  The Devastating Pandemic

  I have been witness to some really traumatic life events. This has made me experience the pain and agony of individuals and their families during this pandemic. This has also made me grateful for keeping me and my family safe.
• 
  2021-04-23

  Covid as a first responder

  How the pandemic effected me personally at home and at work
• 
  2020-05-11

  Faith in a time of crisis

  Many people wonder about the benefits religion may or may not have during times of crisis. Is religion a crutch; or, is religion a legitimate way for people re-orient their lives and perspectives during times of crisis? This article from the American Psychology Association answers these questions. Depending on the person and their perspective of their religion, religion can be either positive or negative, perhaps even both at different times. As a result, the answer to the question is not a simple yes or no. However, even for the agnostic or the atheist, as the article describes, there are many religious and spiritual rituals one can engage with (e.g. yoga, meditation, etc.).
• 
  02/21/2021

  Eva Ruth Oral History, 2021/02/17

  This is a mini oral history of Eva Ruth by Monica Ruth, about the silver lining of the pandemic experience.
• 
  -2021-02-13

  Covid-19 Experience

  poem The world was fine, Because we were all able to physically intertwined. We were able to roam the streets freely, Walk the park carelessly, Praise in church effortlessly, And enter our homes easily. For the past year, Livelihood has been invaded by a monster called covid-19. The WHO has declared a world pandemic. New protocols in place in order to win drastically. We are told to stay indoors, Wash our hands frequently and wear a mask when outdoors. No more social gathering, visiting friends or family. Life has become a solitary If we disobey, The monster virus will lend our life journey. Thousands have been killed and millions affected. It attacks the human lungs, That makes breathing feel like misery. Compared to the flu, It makes one sneeze and cough, With unbearable body pain. We just got to keep praying that God keeps and protects us during this time. Despite the introduction of a weapon vaccine to take control. The frustration, anxiety and fear kicks in daily. Still wondering when will life return to normalcy.
• 2021-01-31

  Suffering and Loss

  I work as an investigations contractor assigned to assist my county health department with interviewing positive covid-19 patients. I recently spoke with an 85-year-old C19 patient who was hospitalized and awaiting surgery for a brain bleed at the time of our conversation. She explained that she had fallen in her backyard trying to retrieve her feral cat's bed from a rainstorm, tripped, and laid in the rain for almost two hours before anyone found her. Both she and her late husband contracted covid-19 around Christmas, and he died soon thereafter. The hospital where he received his final treatments allowed her to visit him just before he passed, which is an unusual and gracious blessing at this time. The medical interview that normally takes 30 minutes required almost two hours and tears from both of us. When we finished, I wished her well, offered that I looked forward to speaking with her soon, and asked God to bless her. I called her hospital gift shop and ordered a carved wooden angel to be delivered to her room, as she’s a woman of faith. I had the card signed from me and the Health Dept, so I suppose I’ll find out this week if anyone complained about it. More than anything else, I’m hoping her file shows a successful discharge and recovery by now. She told me she looked forward to trading in the cafeteria food for her son's gourmet cooking, and I pray she's already done that.
• 
  0020-10-22

  Saved By A Crippling Providence

  My wife stopped walking on February 18th, 2020. On February 17, 2020, We had dinner at a friend's house in Paramus NJ. All was well. We had a great time of fellowship and drove the 1.3 hrs to drive home. The next morning when my wife got up to go to work, she had difficulty walking. It was MUCH more than difficulty, she could NOT walk at all. She screamed out in pain as she tried her best to 'still go into work'. To no avail, when I heard her cry in pain, I whisked her to the hospital. She was diagnosed with Spinal Stenosis. This was the first of two major hospital visits. Her MD MADE her stay home. February 27th....things started shutting down and by March we all know the history of what happened and is still upon us in this NOW PANDEMIC. Whether it was Providence of God or Life, My wife and I were homebound and 'quarantining' before the rules went into effect. It is now October and we are still in the 'woods' with this pandemic but my wife is doing better. This image I took in May of this year 2020. She was just starting to get back to walking. 3 months of pain and misery to be saved from the Plague of this Century. Saved by a Crippling Providence!
• 2020-03-15

  Weathering the Storm

  This pandemic has been something out of the ordinary for everyone across the world. Unless of course you have already lived through a different pandemic like this one. This pandemic has resulted in many negative effects. Being locked inside everyday, businesses closing, people dying, and everything having to turn completely remote. Everything is just different now. People have to social distance, wear a mask etc. The negatives people can take from this time can be astronomical. It is time to look at this as a positive. At least for me, yes there have been many negatives through this pandemic but I have also used this as an opportunity to better myself physically, mentally, and spiritually. I have worked out and focused more on school in many ways. I have not been perfect but during this pandemic, I have thought about what I wanted to do and what I want to achieve in my life. I want to put my faith in God and my family first. I also wanted to put my health first in every aspect. Everything else to me would come next with my hard work ethic and my drive to be successful. I am in a good place right now during this pandemic and I know there are many people out there that are not. I want to be able to help people out and be there for the people that I care about. I feel like I have done that for the most part during this time. It is time to focus on what matters most and that is taking care of myself and the people I love and care about the most while honoring God along the way. This REL 101 class helped me adopt a new perspective to how other people see this subject and how it can play a factor in their lives. Personally, my faith is the most important thing I have and I will cherish that forever. Without my faith in my God, I am nothing and nothing I have been blessed with could be possible.
• 
  2020-07

  Finding Myself Through Walking

  During this pandemic, I begin to fall into depression and anxiety which I never faced before. I didn’t want to go to the hospital to see my provider to be put on pills for depression and anxiety because I was nervous due to the virus. I slowly begin to pray asking God to help me overcome this battle. I started to do different types of self-care, but nothing would help. I decided to go walking one morning and I knew right away this would help me. Every morning, I get out of bed to go walk the minimum of 3 miles, the maximum would be 6 miles. I enjoyed watching the sun rise and seen the difference it made while being up. I also enjoyed the different weather changes from being summer to beginning to get cold. It has helped me see another day, by making great healthy choices in my food intake. I enjoy the nature and the environment I am walking in. I love hearing the birds chirp, the quietness at times, the cars go by. When I listen to music and sing it helps me release my depression. As I begin to walk, I begin to pray to God and giving him thanks for another day, another day to see his creation and continuously praying. It's important to me because my health reflects my life. This not only helped me with my better living path in staying healthy but involving my son to my walk. Taking him along with me during the walks. I enjoy his presence as well as implementing games, so he doesn’t get bored during our walk. The thing that also helped me out is a great friend who also runs every morning. She gives me encouragement to have a better healthier lifestyle. In order to have life, we need to take care of our inner self. It has helped me physically, mentally and spiritually.
• 
  2020-08-10

  Three questions for religions and Individuals of the World in 2020

  Within my contribution to the Covid-19 Archives project, I wanted to reflect on how my beliefs have changed over the year of 2020. In best coming up with where my thinking has been, I developed a few xelect questions which could be asked, or answered by anyone in contemporary settings and are highly relevant to any life, spiritual or secular. I will reflect on insights I have internalized from both secular and religious texts. It is my underline perception that all religions strive towards a union with a divine principle, In this way they are all equal. As famously spoken by Swami Vivekananda “We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true.” So long as a heart has a desire for God; In whichever form the seeker finds. The desire of man is grand, and will not stop on this side of infinity. Therefore, so long as the desire of an individual is to expand one's own awareness to ever greater extents, one will always be prepared for a wider more complex existence. How does your faith address the issue of ‘evil’, ‘suffering’, or ‘sin’ within the world? This question is a common contention of every faith, particularly with wide evidence of natural disasters and illnesses, culminating in widespread suffering within the human and animal world. As many ideas have been put forward through faiths and philosophies, many such explanations leave much to be desired. For instance; theories such as character building or developmental and growth theories. Ideas that God is ‘testing us’, or preparing us for something in the future. Such answers are unsatisfactory in that a God deemed as all loving would not Inflict suffering. Similarly freewill is given, or a deviation from moral principle. Yet the same question arises. What suffering is experienced because of ‘freewill’. To give a lit match to a child is dangerous because they do not know the burn of the fire. In a similar fashion, ideas which argue the fault of man do not give justice to the hardships of life in any given society. It is my belief, similar to what might be seen in non-dual Vedanta, that issues of suffering facing the world are a result of ignorance. That an individual, as a single focal point of reference is never isolated, yet rather synonymous with the whole of conscious awareness. What does your belief have to say of the relationship between the individual and the world? I am a centre of Thy golden light And I its vast and vague circumference, Thou art my soul great, luminous and white And Thine my mind and will and glowing sense. Thy spirit’s infinite breath I feel in me; My life is a throb of Thy eternity. - Sri Aurobindo Personally, this is one of my favorite short poem reflections by Aurobindo. It is my understanding that I am not alien to this world, yet rather emerge into it. As a tree produces a ripe fruit, the planet has produced the human brain as the most ‘conscious fruit’. I appreciate the idea that we are to be shepherds of the earth and do right by the planet, as it is no different than us, and will be the ingredients of future generations. What do your teachings define as a moral and ethical life? I believe in the concept of doing unto others as we would have done to yourself, or the idea of doing right by one's neighbor just the same as one's enemy. It is because I know that who I define as an enemy defines myself. Rather, the Idea for me is to dissolve conceptions of enemies or friends alike. That all may have the opportunity to be admired with fresh eyes as pure and worthy of love and respect. Once the obsession of noticing the wrongs of others has been observed, we may slowly begin perceiving our own wrongdoings. Thank you for all and any who took the time to read over this! I hope you too felt compelled to consider such questions. This year has left all with tremendous insight.
• 
  2020-08-10

  COVID-19, Religion, and Public Life Reflection? Catholicism Under COVID-19

  This year has been a difficult year for myself. I have had to endure many uncertainties in my personal life such as the loss of a very close friend due to suicide and the practice of my religion has been something that has helped me to cope with depression and despair but the practice of religion has been something difficult to do during this time that requires social distancing. I thought I could perhaps contribute my personal feelings and emotions as it relates to the practice of religion in the everyday world of a person during this moment in time.
• 
  2020-07-09

  New Car!

  Throughout the pandemic, I needed assistance. I had to rely on other people for the things that I needed. Through God's grace, savings, and unemployment assistance, I got my new car! I would've never imagines i qould get my car during a global pandemic, but i am so grateful!
• 
  2020-08-08

  Protest your faith.

  If you were to take a stroll down Main St. of Huntington Beach, you might be surprised by what you see. I work in downtown Huntington Beach. Protests around these three topics has been quite regular. With a vast mixture of people wearing and not wearing facial coverings as mandated by the state. On this particular day there was a "black lives matter" protest, which was accompanied and/or countered by Christian evangelists as well as a single individual protesting for the re-opening of California businesses. In overhearing a conversation amongst the Christian group, it seems they feel that Covid-19 has been brought on as a punishment to those who have not repented for their sins. Here God is used as an authority figure to insight fear and shame to outgroup members or non-Christians. The pandemic seems to have had an impact on the effect of community in religion in that members that choose to gather in person must view the pandemic in a light that cannot effect them.
• 
  2020-04-16

  A local editorial to the paper suggesting a solution to the pandemic

  An ex-local resident suggests that there may be another cause for the pandemic in an editorial to the Crawford County Independent and Kickapoo Scout.
• 
  2020-04

  “It is making my connection stronger to God..."

  “It is making my connection stronger to God because this is a time like I need him the most and I know that he can give me hope.” “No, but we're doing Zoom meetings every Wednesdays for youth group and we do Bible study and a little game.” “Yes, they're doing a drive-thru where people can go through and pick up food if they need it.”
• 
  2020-04-01

  "Um... to be honest with you uh coronavirus did affect my faith and beliefs..."

  "Um... to be honest with you uh coronavirus did affect my faith and beliefs to the god um with all the disaster things happening around the global many thought that this week prayed really is going to help us anymore so that it made me doubt that kinda thing so however I still believe still believe my religion I trust my trust my god."
• 
  2020-04-01

  “I would say that covid-19 has made me more..."

  “I would say that covid-19 has made me more... put more of my faith into God because when the world gets affected by pandemics such as this it can cause a lot of havoc on the world and if anything God is the one person you want to turn to in times like this.” “As far as like the community goes the only other two people I talk to about God is my parents and I know that my dad and stepmom have been attending services through like livestreams. Personally, I stopped going to church when I came out of high school. Should probably be going more often but it hasn't changed my religious views or any type of service that I've attended.”
• 
  2020-04-01

  “You know it's really strengthened my belief that there is a God..."

  “You know it's really strengthened my belief that there is a God not because of any large-scale event but mostly because of all the small things going on in my life.” “Well like you said before, I was sent home from my mission in Africa about six months ago or actually about six months earlier than I was supposed to and since being back all of our worship gatherings have been canceled so yeah it's definitely affected my participation in the religious community.” “Well there's been two worldwide fasts to stop the spread and I'm also pretty sure that there's been some donations made but I know those records aren't really that public.”
• 
  2020-05-12

  Mixed feelings

  Biography
• 
  2020-05-02

  Find a Cure

  A marquee sign along Hillside Avenue in east Wichita, Kansas, with simple instructions for how to weather the pandemic. Image taken on 05/02/2020.
• 
  2020-05-03

  REL zoom fellowship in 2020

  REL
• 
  2020-04-30

  & the sun stays shining

  I hiked up this mountain full of a burdened heart. I climbed up the mountain through all the treachery and made it to the top. I felt God’s power and holiness, and most importantly His goodness that gave me hope. The uncertainty, fear, restless, and helplessness seemed to lift and I saw the hope come shining through the heavy clouds.
• 

  Sick woman in Church

  A woman who is either sick or preventing by wearing a mask in sitting in church. We are made to need hope or look to a higher power/ God during times of hardship. To me, this photo represents a lot regarding what has been happening with Covid-19. This has been a hard and dark time for us. Religion and hope in God has brought me a lot of peace during this time.
• 
  2020-04-13

  sick in church

  Photo of a woman in a church with a mask on her face. This signifies the need of a higher power during these times of hardship. We are humans who are in need of someone/ something to give us hope. This picture clearly shows that this woman is sick or trying to prevent sickness and looking for hope in a God. Photo time is unidentified. This photo signifies our absolute need for a higher power, God, in a time like we are going through with Covid-19. #REL101
• 
  2020-03-26

  God Doesn’t Want Us to Sacrifice the Old

  This article was written by Rusell Moore, the president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. in this article is stated to learn during this pandemic not only the survival but to also focus on other than yourself. people are suffereing because the pandemic has not hit a certain wealth status but over all, rich poor, young or old families or inviduals. Moore suggested to take away from this pandemic how to love your neighbours as yourself. also she reminds us that every life is vulnerable at this time not only us.
• 
  2020-03-22

  Where Is God in a Pandemic?

  writer and priest James Martin grapples with the "problem of suffering" during the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. He poses the question of why does God allow such suffering and tribulation to plauge the world. He comes to the conclusion that it is impossible to know and that the faithful must be able to keep their faith even when they don't understand the actions of their God.
• 
  2020-04-23

  Faith Over Fear

  The coronavirus has taught me something important. It can be difficult to see God in a world that is fraught with confusion, despair, hopelessness, and uncertainty. When I first found out that the second half of my freshman year of college was taken from me, my world was rocked. My faith was rocked. Before COVID-19, I felt like my faith was on a firm foundation, and more importantly, I felt close to God. All of that changed as soon as I arrived home. That firm foundation was now one of uncertainty and disappointment. The closeness I felt like I had with God was now gone. In reality, I never felt farther from God in that moment. I was overwhelmed by disappointment and confusion after realizing that I wasn’t going to get the dream ending of my first year in college. I wasn’t going to see my closest friends for a while. All I could see and focus on was everything that I lost. As the days passed, I started to see glimmers of hope and joy. I started to work on being intentional about looking for God in my day-to-day. Now, I see God working in me with the unexplainable peace I now carry that everything will eventually work out. I see God in the encouragement and intentionality shown by my friends during a time where it’s easy to hide. I see God in the joy I feel as I write hand-written letters to my friends, even though they aren’t with me anymore. I see God in the laughs that my family shares as we enjoy the most heavenly chocolate chip cookies that I make for dessert. These examples may seem insignificant, but I have found rest in these moments because I have faith that God is working in and through them. The coronavirus taught me that it can be difficult to see God in our world right now. But God taught me that He is right in the middle of all the pain, uncertainty, and loneliness I am feeling. He has taught me to be gentle with myself. That it’s okay to feel sad. That it’s okay to feel lonely. That it’s okay to not be okay sometimes. And that it’s okay to not be productive all the time. But even in the midst of all of those feelings, He is right there with me, and I trust that He is going to redeem all of the pain I am experiencing and turn it into something beautiful. I may not be able to see it right now, but I have faith that I will see it, and I’ll be so thankful for it. As a result, my faith will come out stronger than it ever has been before.