In a Crisis, Our Odd Priorities Show a Lack of Faith, by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture, March 18, 2020

Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years. He has edited several Catholic magazines and written eight books. Founder of Catholic World News, he is the news director and lead analyst at CatholicCulture.org. See full bio.

When a crisis strikes, we reveal what is important to us—as individuals and as a society. Awash in the flood of information and misinformation about the current epidemic, we are all developing opinions, which may or may not prove to be accurate. What we actually do—the actions we take, far more than the statements we make—show where our hearts lie.

With that in mind, let me offer a few reflections on the crisis.

We like to talk. Everyone seems to have an opinion on the causes of the epidemic and the best ways to respond—and a willingness to debate these issues online. Very few people have any expertise in epidemiology, but we can still pick our own favorite “experts” and promote their analyses. And the legitimate experts do differ in their opinions. We are dealing not only with hard statistics (the number of infections, deaths, and recoveries) but also—in fact primarily—with projections of how trends will develop. Any projection is built on assumptions, and those assumptions can be questioned. So the debate continues.  ….

Read more here:  https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/in-crisis-our-odd-priorities-show-lack-faith/