[Zhang Fei]

Epidemics of the past had a way of reinforcing religious belief. Will synagogues and churches see their congregations expand once the crisis is over?

[SkyDancer]

There was also some religious fervor regarding Satan and cats where cats were destroyed by the thousands.

[DesertRhino]

LOL... now the corona cold hits, and we are waxing on about the Black Death. Amazing

[NorseViking]

I realize that this virus is serious but comparing it to medieval plague pandemic is... Not correct.

[hondact200]

Look at what happened in 1918 -1919 Flu Epidemic. This is a a more modern disease to look at. How did SARS effect the USA. How about the swine flu of 2009. The black plaque was caused by fleas that were infected with the bubonic plaque, the rats spread the disease. Thus in turn many died. Religious superstition caused for the blame to happen. Needless deaths occurred because of the black death religious superstitions. This covid-19 may change the global outlook for a global economy. China has screwed America with its lack of dealing with their problem earlier. Yet America needs to change its reliance on medical equipment, supplies and drugs coming from China. Please note, churches and synagogues will probably grow from this virus

[aquila48]

Finally, an uplifting article!

[ClearCase_guy]

As noted in the article, Bubonic plague spread along the Silk Road as the Mongols of Central Asia expanded toward Europe.

Today China swells in importance and builds enormous transportation networks toward Europe. And here we are.

But Bubonic Plague killed a third of Europe and (so far) COVID-19 has killed about 6500 worldwide, so I don’t seem them as comparable.

[seowulf]

Government is their god now.

So, yes. More people will worship government and look to it to supply all their needs.

[Nateman]

The left has been trying to sabotage President Trump from day one. From the Russian hoax to the fake impeachment nothing was off limits to the lefts efforts. This virus has been hyped to trash the economy so that Trump can lose, or more likely, make the loss plausible after they steal it.

[Billthedrill]

I'm inclined to think not, only because not enough people are actually dying to impel the living to reflect on their own mortality. This is not that, this is a media-fueled panic that is useful only insofar as it validates various actions that would otherwise be objectionable but that will at least ameliorate the impact and slow the contagion. What we also swallow in the meantime may well come back to haunt us.

I've been reading an interesting account of the real plague, Daniel DeFoe's Journal of the Plague Year, in which he details the various religious reactions of the people of London in the face of a disease flareup the like of which hadn't been seen for three centuries, from the fools and fakes who sold phony astrological cures to the courage of the clergy who stood to their posts through it all. A wonderful book, highly recommended, and it is fascinating to see the similarities in reactions of the civil authorities, then and now. For example, this on "bugging in":

I am speaking now of people made desperate by the apprehensions of their being shut up, and their breaking out by stratagem or force, either before or after they were shut up, whose misery was not lessened when they were out, but sadly increased. On the other hand, many that thus got away had retreats to go to and other houses, where they locked themselves up and kept hid till the plague was over; and many families, foreseeing the approach of the distemper, laid up stores of provisions sufficient for their whole families, and shut themselves up, and that so entirely that they were neither seen or heard of till the infection was quite ceased, and then came abroad sound and well. I might recollect several such as these, and give you the particulars of their management; for, doubtless, it was the most effectual secure step that could be taken for such whose circumstances would not admit them to remove, or who had not retreats abroad proper for the case; for, in being thus shut up, they were as if they had been a hundred miles off. Nor do I recall that any one of those families miscarried. Among these several Dutch merchants were particularly remarkable, who kept their houses like little garrisons besieged, suffering none to go in or out or come near them...

Lots to learn there. Best to you!

[Repeal The 17th]

So who finally realized it was spread by fleas on rats,
and not the wrath of GOD?

[Deaf Smith]

The plagues of mideaval times caused a shift of land ownership.

As the land owning monarchs died off, land went to dormant and feral. Surviving surfs that wandered in found estates and property with no title of ownership and took over the estates. They themselves became monarchs with maybe different or the same values of what land ownership ment and became.

[Dogbert41]

The world is experiencing a great falling away. It started in Western Europe, but now it's here. Maybe there will be a great revival down the road, but I think it's quite possible that we already experienced the big one the Bible told us about with the Jesus movement in the 60's that is dying out now.

When the Son of Man comes will He find faith on the earth? (Luke 18.8)

[Harpotoo]

And this man made contagion kills those that still believe in God and country interestingly enough.

[caper gal 1]

I recommend Barbara Tuchman’s great book on the effect of the plague on Europe titled “A Distant Mirror”. Informative read.

[foreverfree]

Good question about epidemics and increase in faith. We shall see.

[MrChips]

One of the odd things about the bubonic plague laws that it tended to kill younger people, not the elderly. It is thought that the elderly had built up immunity’s over the years and we’re better able to survive and the young.

[trebb]

Perhaps a topic more relevant for when the current mindless panic is over...then they had something truly fearful happening to a (by today's technological/medical standards) ignorant populace. The more apt psychological questions would be looking into what allows mass hysteria/panic to be induced into such a large segment of society... Logically, if they want all these lockdowns/quarantines, they should also close public highways until driving is much safer: Over 40,000 fatal car accidents per year in the U.S. Each day, more than 90 Americans die in car accidents. On average, 2 million drivers experience a permanent injury every year. “Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.” ― William Pitt the Younger Kind of ironic - we know that the Deep State and others use fear as a way to steer and control the people - we had the commie/nuke war threat until the Berlin Wall came down then it wasn’t viable anymore and up pops Globull Warming, which has many in fear that we’re gonna destroy the Earth even as we do less harm than past generations and none of the data actually supports anything but the earth’s climate and Mother Nature do not now, and never did have a “balance” and even if they did, we have no idea of how to maintain one or ‘fix’ things...all our efforts end up causing more harm....the coronavirus scare is no different - the panic-induced knee-jerking will cause more harm than the virus. Folks who would be up in arms if the government decided to tell them they could not move freely are now begging that same government to lock them, and everyone else, down....I’d wager if, after doing that, the story ‘evolved” they would also go meekly to barb-wire surrounded camps/tent cities because the “latest info” said that’s the only way to stop it. Even though we know that they use fear to guide and control us, so many can’t see it through the red haze of insane panic....they not only welcome the government controls, they beg for them... And the fear mongers will try to leverage it... Reminds me of a saying that many FReepers, who are now acting insane, used to showcase: “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” Ben Franklin