Religious worship is “an antibody against despair” during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Rabbi Shmuley Boteach on Newsmax TV.
“I am absolutely adamant that religion is most essential now,” Boteach told co-hosts Rachel Rollar and Joel Pinion on Friday’s ”American Agenda.” “I don’t only want to turn on the TV and hear how, ‘We’re all gonna die. We’re all gonna get infected.’ It’s not scientific to even bring this type of pessimism. There are endless scientific studies that show how essential prayer is to our psychological well-being.
“My God, there were even studies that show that when someone is being prayed for and they don’t even have knowledge they’re being prayed for, there is probably a positive outcome. It’s amazing.”
Boteach and the Rev. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, joined ”American Agenda” to discuss religion after a federal court denied a San Diego church the right to hold an indoor Christmas service amid the state’s COVID-19-related restrictions.
Boteach, who made a failed bid for Congress in 2012 when he lost to Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., added, “prayer is a vaccine to hopelessness and worship is an antibody against despair.”
Pavone credited President Donald Trump for fighting against secular forces.
“There’s a terrible ignorance about our history and I’m very grateful for President Trump taking such a strong stand against the effort to minimize religion, cancel religion, cancel Christmas and also revise our history,” Pavone said.
“If people understand the history of the United States of America, they understand it was founded on religious freedom. And that’s why the president has taken specific efforts to make sure our children understand that history very, very well.”
