Science and Faith promoting Hope to overcome the new coronavirus pandemic

Brother Paiva in 2003

Twenty years after its first edition, but now in an online format, the LGW’s Spirit and Science World Forum brought together religious and scientific leaders for an important debate about Religion and Science coming together in the fight against COVID-19. The event was part of the 31st anniversary celebrations of the Temple of Good Will, in Brasília, and was broadcast on YouTube to the whole world on October 19 and 20, 2020, in Portuguese, English, Spanish, and Brazilian Sign Language.

The new coronavirus pandemic has brought the world’s population together in their own homes despite being physically apart. The need to survive has also mobilized religious traditions and the scientific community—especially health workers and researchers—to join their efforts.

The current generation has never witnessed so much activity in Medicine, from the heroic health professionals working in emergency rooms to researchers, who work day and night in their laboratories in the race to find a cure and a vaccine for this disease.

At the same time, religious people from all traditions and faiths are looking into the very depths of their beliefs for any comfort they might bring to the general public. Now, prayers are also dedicated to the ongoing efforts of distributing the vaccines around the world, in this great collective work to value life, and our Faith tells us we must not ignore health and safety protocols that are in place.

Current topic

As of the close of this edition, according to information from the Brazilian press, the virus had already infected nearly 177 million people worldwide, and there have been 3,8 million deaths. On the other hand, due to efforts of governments, researchers, laboratories, and society, more than 2,4 billion vaccines have been applied worldwide, which account for 748 million people fully vaccinated.

In this scenario, the Legion of Good Will (LGW) is raising once again the banner of union between the areas of knowledge, by inviting representatives from several fields of human activity to another edition of its Spirit and Science World Forum, which celebrated 20 years with its timely theme: “Science and Faith promoting Hope to overcome the new coronavirus pandemic.”

Created by the President of the LGW, José de Paiva Netto, in 2000, the Forum is a permanent space for debate and for practices that benefit society, a space that is free from hatred, sectarianism, and prejudice. With regard to this pioneering initiative, he said: 

“When launching the proposal for the opening of a democratic and ecumenical forum at the ParlaMundi of the LGW, my purpose was to create a space for solidary and fruitful debates, and consequently encourage dialogue on crucial topics for the understanding of our existence on this tiny planet, as well as of our stage in the hierarchy of the Cosmos. To that end, the aim was to reach a conciliation between human and spiritual understanding in the different areas of knowledge.

“It is with great joy that I see such idealism thrive, thus generating fruits of wisdom and examples of harmony so crucial in current times.

“That explains why for decades I have stated: Science (brain, mind), enlightened by Love (Religion, fraternal heart) elevates human beings to conquer Truth.”

World reference

Among leaders in the areas of Religion and Science who have already participated in the event, we highlight Edgar Mitchell (1930-2016), an American astronaut and the sixth man to walk on the Moon; Alexandr Lazutkin, a Russian cosmonaut and a crew member of the Mir-23 space mission; Shaman Edwin “Kuichy” Zevallos; James Hurtak, an American linguist and social scientist; American neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Newberg; Uma Krishnamurthy, an Indian psychiatrist; Amit Goswami, an Indian scientist with a PhD in Quantum Physics; and Pierre Weil (1924-2008), a transpersonal psychologist and founder of UNIPAZ. Among the Brazilians, José Hermógenes Filho (1921-2015), a yoga instructor and pioneer in the field of holistic therapies in Brazil; Ronaldo Mourão (1935-2014), an astronomer; Ademar Eugênio de Mello (1947-2005), a mathematician and a specialist in Quantum Physics; Dr. Marlene Nobre (1937-2015), a physician and founder of the Medical-Spiritist Association; and Dr. Carlos Eduardo Tosta, an immunologist and emeritus professor at the University of Brasília.

The talks in 2020 took place on October 19 and 20, but virtually. The JESUS IS ARRIVING! magazine brings forth the central points of the first day’s talks, which were broadcast live on YouTube. In the next edition, we will bring you the highlights of the second day. Enjoy your reading!

The Brazilian scientist who is a reference among researchers worldwide

Dr. Ester Sabino is an immunologist and associate professor at the Department of Infectious Diseases of the  University of São Paulo (USP) Medical School. She is also the director of USP’s Institute of Tropical Medicine (IMT) and coordinator of the Brazil-UK Centre for Arbovirus Discovery, Diagnosis, Genomics and Epidemiology (CADDE). In February 2020, she coordinated the first team in the world to carry out genome sequencing of the new coronavirus in record time, a fundamental step towards beginning the search for the treatment and vaccine.

She opened her talk by recounting her several experiences in virus research for combating the respective diseases they cause, such as Zika, Ebola, yellow fever, among others. An important piece of information about the new coronavirus was that “more than 100 different isolates entered Brazil, but only three of them managed to spread and become the pandemic it is today.” She added: “There are seven types of coronavirus in the world. Four of them are common and can cause common colds, although in children they may cause a more serious condition. These, in general, are human coronaviruses. In the past 20 years, two new coronaviruses have entered the human population. These new agents generally come from animals, and are common in bats and rodents. In these animals, these viruses cause nothing, but they live by jumping from species to species until they reach the human species. We don’t really know the path that this coronavirus took in leaving bats and entering our species.”

Dr. Sabino heads up a multidisciplinary research group with 30 people from different parts of Brazil. With regard to the social impact of the pandemic, she left a message of encouragement: “Moments of crisis are sad, because people are dying. On the other hand, it’s also a time for reflection. It’s a time to show our capacity to be solidary, to think of others, and to build a better society. . . . So, we have to pause a little, take a deep breath, think about what we’re doing, and find better solutions for the environment and the world. If we do have to stop, let’s take the opportunity to think carefully and see the best way of continuing with our lives.”

Spirituality and Religiosity overcoming uncertainty

Dr. Mario Peres is a neurologist, a senior researcher at the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital, and a professor of graduate studies at the Institute of Psychiatry of the University of São Paulo Medical School and at the Albert Einstein Israelite Faculty of Health Sciences.

He began by mentioning the vast literature that exists on Spirituality, Religiosity, and Health, which means that these topics are being increasingly researched, and consequently very accurate information about the relationship between them is emerging. To exemplify such growth, Dr. Peres said that when searching for the word “spirituality” on the PubMed.gov (National Library of Medicine of the United States), we find 21,000 articles, with studies that point to the positive effects of Spirituality on the physical, mental, and social health of individuals.

During his talk, he presented important data from a line of research undertaken on the graduate courses at USP’s Institute of Psychiatry, which is part of its Health, Spirituality and Religiosity Program (PROSER). A group of approximately one thousand people in Brazil were surveyed about their spiritual and religious practices, beliefs, and experiences, and the influence that this had on their health. One of the results showed some very peculiar aspects of the Brazilian population, especially as to the hybrid religious affiliation of people who follow a primary religion, but who observe the values of another religion, a singularity that Dr. Peres associates as being a possible reflection of the Brazilian culture. It was also noticed that about 70 percent of the respondents place great importance on their Faith, and even use it as a point of support for overcoming their health problems. There was also a high occurrence of spiritual experiences, such as intuition, premonition dreams, and near-death experiences. Dr. Peres said: “In the health area, in Medicine, understanding the patient and his/her spiritual and religious needs and the implications that this has on the evolution of several health problems is relevant.” The research also found that in terms of spiritual practices 57 percent of the people said they pray on a daily basis, 39 percent are in the habit of reading, 32 percent read the Holy Bible every day, and 18 percent meditate on a daily basis. Also noteworthy is the number of people who attribute to their Religiosity the fact that they avoid both legal and illegal drugs. With regard to a belief in reincarnation, a curious fact was that 10 percent of the people who say they are atheists believe in it, as do 25 percent of the agnostics. On the fight against the new coronavirus, Dr. Peres concluded: “When we are challenged, we turn to our own resources. Religiosity and Spirituality can reduce uncertainties and restore calm to this whole situation that we’re experiencing on our planet.”

The legacy of Schenberg and the uniqueness of knowledge

José Luiz Goldfarb has a PhD in the History of Science from the University of São Paulo (USP) and is a professor at Pontifical Catholic University (PUC-SP), where he is the editor of Educ (PUC-SP’s own publishing house). He is also the director of Jewish Culture and Worship at the “A Hebraica” Brazilian Association synagogue in São Paulo; a member of the board of the Associação Amigos do Museu Judaico [Association of Friends of the Jewish Museum] of São Paulo; the coordinator of cultural projects at the Museum of Image and Sound (MIS); and an honorary member of the Academy of Education of São Paulo.

He defined his talk as an “important moment to reflect on Science and Faith and on how we can have Hope in this very difficult situation [of the pandemic].” Throughout his talk, he referred to the legacy of Mário Schenberg (1914-1990)—a Brazilian physicist, mathematician, politician, and an art critic, who is considered Brazil’s greatest theoretical physicist—who greatly inspires Goldfarb’s work on not raising barriers between Science and Religion. Schenberg believed there was a continuum among Art, Religion, Philosophy, and Science, which he understood as different perspectives of the same human willingness to learn, to interact with the world, and to grow. He said that a painting or a sculpture enables us to see the world in a particular way, as do discoveries in Mathematics and Physics. “I was very influenced by Schenberg to believe that these divisions that are said to be consolidated in society—either you’re a scientist or you’re religious—don’t actually exist. So I carried on working in the scientific area, with the history of Physics, but I also started working at the Hebraica Club, where I look after a synagogue. . . . I believe he’d feel very much at ease in a world in which human beings—and particularly because of the pandemic’s implications—are breaking down walls and interacting with others from all over the world by way of live streaming, religious services, operas . . . Everything is suddenly available. He liked people to be always out in public squares, and I say that our public squares are now virtual squares, where people are sometimes even closer than before,” he said.

The speaker gave an example of how the online communication has been important even for maintaining a Jewish tradition: “[In Judaism,] mourning lasts seven days, during which time the mourners’ home is almost ‘invaded’ by members of the community, who go there to say their prayers and bring comfort in those difficult days when we have to reposition ourselves in the Universe without the loved ones who have left us. [During the pandemic,] we’re praying for the mourners using technology.”

In his final words, Goldfarb stressed the important lessons we can take from this situation and the attitude he believes to be the best in the face of what is happening: “Perhaps the question Jews are asking is not why the pandemic is happening, but what can we learn from it, how are we going to grow in this situation? We can’t sit back and cry all the time thinking it’s just a tragedy. Along with my family and other people I’m close to, the important thing is knowing what lesson I can take from it and how I can grow and come out of it stronger. . . . Science helps us. It will give us the vaccine, but in this very material world we need to look at people and see that they’re Spirits who are able to meet up, communicate [through technology] and—who knows—create a communion that we’ve been dreaming about for so many millenia.”

Jesus: “an up-to-date idea on the move”

Émerson Damásio, a Minister-Preacher of the Religion of God, of the Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, has a postgraduate degree in the Science of Religion, is a member of the National Committee on Respect for Religious Diversity and a host on Good Will TV and on the Super Good Will Radio Network.

His presentation was based on this definition by the President-Preacher of the Religion of the Third Millennium, José de Paiva Netto: “Jesus is above all a noble and very much up-to-date idea on the move that deserves to be studied and experienced by all anti-sectarian Souls, who are free of prejudice and taboos.” Regarding this quote, he said: “We present Christ as Ecumenical, whose lessons are not restricted even to Religions, because He came to every spiritual and human creature, regardless of whether he/she has a belief or not, because Jesus speaks of Love, Respect, Solidarity.”

Proceeding with his analysis of the teachings of the Divine Master, he stressed their universalist dimension, which are based on the New Commandment of Jesus—the greatest of all the lessons left by the Heavenly Friend, as the Divine Religion explains—“Love one another as I have loved you. Only by this shall all of you be recognized as my disciples” (The Gospel according to John 13:34 and 35). Using Christian postulates, Brother Damásio provided great comfort for those facing the new coronavirus pandemic and drew parallels between the teachings of Jesus and the challenges faced today, such as sympathizing with the pain of others, which Evangelist Matthew highlights in the august personality of the Sublime Friend in His Gospel 9:36: “When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” The minister-preacher explains: “We’ve seen health workers spending weeks away from home and at the beginning of the pandemic had to even live in the hospitals, or in hotels, so as not to infect their loved ones . . . What is that but sympathy? Scientists who have been struggling for months to find the solution to this pandemic, what are they doing if not having sympathy?”

His words, based on the certainty of the continuity of life after the phenomenon of death, provided great spiritual comfort for the audience. In conclusion, he brought this passage from Paiva Netto’s bestseller Os mortos não morrem [The Dead Do Not Die]: “When one prays, the Soul breathes, enrichening one’s spiritual and human existence. Saying a prayer is essential to uncloud the horizon of the heart.”

Children of the stars and intertwined with the Universe

The renowned French physicist, writer, and PhD from Columbia University (USA), Dr. Patrick Drouot is one of the world’s leading authorities on comparative studies of Physics and Spirituality. He was also one of the pioneering speakers at the historic first edition of the LGW’s Spirit and Science World Forum, which took place in 2000. His relationship with the Good Will Organizations is also marked by his pilgrimages to the Temple of Peace in Brasília (Brazil), to where he took his students, former students, and friends. In his opening remarks, he expressed this friendship: “First of all, I’d like to thank Mr. Paiva Netto, President of the Legion of Good Will, whom I met 20 years ago.”

He then proceeded by mentioning the connection between Science and Faith: “Is there anything that precedes the birth of our physical body? Is there anything that survives the cessation of the physical functions of our body, which we call death, or does everything stop there? In fact, both the [religious] traditions of humanity and the advance of Quantum Physics postulate that there is something in us that cannot die. In the 18th century, just before the French Revolution, scientist Lavoisier [1743-1794] said: ‘Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed.’ So, we are born, we live, we disincarnate, and we return to the Light from which we all came and to which we will all return one day. And in the advance of Quantum Physics, there are links with the great spiritual traditions, the great religions of humanity, and with what all the sages, all the saints, and all the prophets taught over the millennia.”

Quantum entanglement: we are one 

In explaining this initial point, Patrick Drouot resorted to a research area in Quantum Mechanics, which postulates that, based on a so-called compulsory connection between electrons, fundamental relationships between beings are established: “By way of a phenomenon we call quantum entanglement, Science teaches that we are all interconnected. From the smallest firefly and the stray dog to the person looking at the rising sun, we’re all interconnected, from the atom to the stars. We’re all part of the same dimension, the same skeleton, the same cry of love. When we enter this deep dimension of our humanity, we can grow in Love, in Respect, in decency. . . . Years ago I met a Russian academic, Professor Kaznacheev, who was the director of the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, in Novosibirsk, in the Urals. He and his research group were sure that the Universe is a living thing. We call that Russian cosmism, the Russian cosmic view. Little by little, they discovered that when there were cosmic phenomena, like, for example, a rain of stars, passing comets, and variations in Jupiter’s cycles, then there were also phenomena that used to happen to human beings, at the level of cardiac variability and blood analysis. This means that we’re also in a smart Universe or, even better, in an elegant Universe. And what we, as human beings, can do is synchronize ourselves to fit into that cosmic dimension, because we’re children of the stars.”

In concluding, visibly moved he declared: “I wish the Legion of Good Will, this magnificent work, and Mr. Paiva Netto, the President of the LGW, a long life. Thank you for your attention. May your existences be always bright, happy, and full of discoveries and new opportunities. Thank you all!”