'It's a very, very difficult line to walk': Theology professor urges more places of worship to talk about COVID-19 vaccinations
With New Brunswick's fourth wave of COVID-19 putting a focus on places of worship, a professor of theology is disappointed more churches haven't led proactive discussions about vaccines and vaccinations.
David Deane, a professor at the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax, says segments of the community who don't trust the state or authority, are less likely to be vaccinated. Deane says this can include members of the religious community, but certainly not all.
"Churchgoers, on the whole, are more likely to be vaccinated than non-churchgoers," says Deane. "More middle-class Christians are vaccinated than the population at large, so the church is the place where these two diverse communities come into contact."
While some congregations have questioned and discouraged vaccines behind closed doors, Deane says it's a topic that should be addressed openly in the church.
"It really should be a place, I think, for building trust and maybe overcoming these obstacles that people have to being vaccinated," he says. "I don't think churches, by and large, are doing that. I don't really see many churches around that have hosted these types of conversations."
One exception would be a church in Quispamsis, N.B., which hosted a public podcast on the topic of vaccines and vaccinations this week. Kings Church Pastor Brent Ingersoll was joined by two physicians (who are members of the congregation) on the podcast.
"We're a large church and we've got folks that are still wrestling through whether or not they want to get vaccinated and they don't know what information to trust," says Ingersoll. "We're not trying to villainize anyone. It's not pro-vax or anti-vax, although both the physicians and myself on the podcast are all vaccinated."
Dean says the Kings Church should be commended for taking a step most other places of worship haven't.
"I think it's a brave thing to do, I think it's a positive thing to do," he says. "These conversations need to be happening within communities, between people who trust each other, between people who love each another.
Deane says public health officials can only do so much, adding religious leaders may be the only people to connect with some vaccine skeptics.
"It's a very, very difficult line to walk. But I think churches need to take the lead on that because we as a society are failing miserably to bring the people who are out in the cold, in from the cold."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Spain abolishes national bullfighting award in cultural shift
Spain scrapped an annual bullfighting award on Friday, prompting a rebuke from conservatives over a backlash against a centuries-old tradition they see as an art form but which has run into growing concern for animal welfare.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.