New study shows vaccine refusal's staggering cost in human life

[lindysalsagal]

16. Vax refusal is a powerful signal of loyalty to the religious group

Because religion can't control a virus, it has to reject it outright, preferring fake boogiemen that the religion can supposedly "protect" it's member from: i.e. Satan, demons, atheists, etc. The signal must be expensive to display, therefore securing the member's special standing amongst other members. Vax refusal is a powerful one, because the rest of society knows it is a personal sacrifice. It also is easier to risk because the actual incidence of live virus carriers is low. So, the vax refuser gets a huge payoff for a meager risk.

If the major religious leaders would relinquish this payoff, themselves, they could convince the followers to get vaxxed, because the sacrifice of refusal would lose it's emotional power. Indeed, if they admitted that they cannot control a virus, outright, they'd reverse the notion entirely, and getting vaxxed would become the powerful loyalty signal to protect the group.

I see this entirely the fault of world religious leaders. They want to claim their "pro-life" status, and yet, nearly a million of "god's children" have needlessly died.