Religion Is The Answer

In a time of destruction, death, and sadness, what have people turned to for support?  How do people feel comfort in times of crises?  These questions were on my mind as I read about the surviving individuals during the black plague. 

During the 1300's, the Bubonic Plague spread through Europe and Asia killing millions. In cities, the Plague was triggered by the infestation of rodents that thrived by feeding on the immense amounts of garbage.  According to Giovanni Boccaccio, a witness at the time, the symptoms of the plague were usually swelling "either in the groin or under the armpits" to around the size of apples.  Then, people would start to see spots on their bodies.  At this point, they knew they were facing sure death.  After a short period of time, cities became littered with countless numbers of corpses lying in the streets.

I would assume that the survivors looked around for a rationale for what had happened.  They needed an explanation for the destruction of their world.  They also needed hope and faith and something to look to for support.

They turned to religion. During the Bubonic Plague, many people looked to a god and their religions for reasons as to why people were dying and what could save them. In a piece written by Giovanni Boccaccio, the author explains how he believes that the black plague was brought upon people because they didn't live by the righteous standards of their religion. Praying to a god gave people hope that they could survive. The people both blamed their problems on their lack of religious observance while they also looked to a deity for help.

To address my question from earlier, I believe that even today, religion is the only thing that can give people comfort and answers.  Since the scientific revolution, many people have turned to rational reasons for answers.  We now know that the spread of the Black Death was not because a god was punishing humans, but rather because humans were living in unsanitary conditions. However, this answer brings me no comfort.  If I were living during the time period of the Bubonic Plague, this answer would have given me no comfort.  Sure, it is a reason for what was going on, but it doesn't give any hope that the situation will improve.

Therefore, I believe that looking to a god or a religion is the only way for people to find answers that both comfort them and bring them hope.  Whether religious reasoning is rational or not, people need comfort in times of crisis, and religion supplies just that.