Abstract
Abstract The aim of the research was to analyze information about Covid-19 as it relates to religion in a fundamentalist Catholic periodical and to point out places in the articles that are not supported by scientific facts. We also examined whether the Covid-19 information found contained some coping strategies to deal with the pandemic situation. The object of the study was the Czech monthly Regina in the year 2020. Thematic analysis was used as a method. Two main themes were found – Trivialization and Combat between Good and Evil. At first, the disease was underestimated, from the September issue it was presented as a sign of the end times. The theme of Trivialization was divided into two subthemes: Exaggerated restrictions and Covid-19 is not the only problem of mankind. This theme was assigned to coping strategy Denial. The theme of Combat between Good and Evil was divided into three subthemes: Sign of the End Times, Evil’s quest to establish a new world order, and Vaccination breaks the relationship with God. This theme was assigned to a coping strategy Marking Religious Boundaries. The texts possessed much unfounded information stimulating fear and anxiety instead of active coping strategies to promote the reader’s hope of improving the epidemiological situation.
Highlights
The aim of the research was to analyze information about Covid-19 as it relates to religion in a fundamentalist Catholic periodical and to point out places in the articles that are not supported by scientific facts
The disease was underestimated, from the September issue it was presented as a sign of the end times
In the last census of 2011, 10% of the population in the Czech Republic identified themselves as members of the Catholic Church, 34% said “no religion,” 7% said “believers – not applicable to any church,” and about 1% identified with other Christian churches or religious groups
Summary
The aim of the research was to analyze information about Covid-19 as it relates to religion in a fundamentalist Catholic periodical and to point out places in the articles that are not supported by scientific facts. A more detailed analysis shows that “people who do not believe in the existence of God and at the same time strongly reject the existence of other supernatural phenomena, are in an absolute minority in Czech society – they represent only 6 percent of the sample of ISSP 2008, while the existence of at least one supernatural phenomenon was admitted by more than 80 percent of those surveyed.” The number of real atheists in the Czech Republic is comparable to the average in other countries of Western Europe. 7 Czech theologian Halík states that “even one who declares himself to be an ‘unbeliever’ is far from being necessarily deaf or mute towards the call from the depths of life Maybe he is not just asking the question of where the induced voice comes from, or maybe he is answering that question differently than, say, a devout Christian.” In conclusion, “Czech religiosity is characterized by high levels of privatization and individualization as well as strong distrust in traditional religious institutions especially in the mainstream Christian churches.”. We will devote more time to Christian fundamentalism
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