We are all familiar with Christian campus groups like Chi Alpha and Cru who continue to advocate for Christian teachings on campus. They are quite popular on campus, with their ever-present signs and efforts to continue Christian fellowship being objectively commendable, regardless of where you fall on the religious spectrum. However, one particular group on campus has recently been sharing malignant misinformation regarding COVID-19, and that, my friends, cannot be tolerated.

On Aug. 9, NC State’s Ratio Christi, a Christian apologetic organization, sent out a mass email to their student followers, discussing the director’s experiences with COVID-19 and their beliefs on the current political landscape surrounding the pandemic. The email was lusciously decorated with misinformation and called for the readers to contact their representatives and fight against the guidelines recommended by professionals. The email goes as far as to discuss the director’s analysis of Ephesians 5:11-13, calling for readers to expose these heinous evils.

So, following the advice of the quoted Ephesians verse, I’m going to shed some light on some of the misinformation served by Ratio Christi:

• First, there’s the claim that hydroxychloroquine is effective in the treatment against COVID-19. It is not, and multiple studies have already proven that.

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• While the COVID-19 death rate is going down, that doesn’t necessarily mean our current situation is improving. New cases are still rising in North Carolina, already implying that we’re seeing more cases among younger crowds because of schools reopening in Orange, Wake, Durham and Mecklenburg counties. And hey, would you look at that, we’re back on campus, and to no one’s surprise, surrounding campuses are finding out the same thing. 

• Contrary to the email’s claim, lockdowns work, and we have nations such as Germany to prove it. Masks also work, whether we like them or not. To be honest, if Ratio Christi actually cared about avoiding another lockdown, they should’ve included the simple analysis that mass-scale mask requirements solve that exact issue.

• Hospitals are probably not lying about COVID-19 for a quick buck, and if they were, we should honestly be advocating for a health care system that is not exploiting patients for profit instead. 

• At least half of Americans trust Dr. Fauci, including the well-renowned Association of American Medical Colleges. I’d rather bet my money on the AAMC than some fringe conspiracy sites.

• There is evidence that kids generally get milder symptoms when contracting COVID-19, but I’m gonna go out on a limb and say I’m pretty sure we don’t want any parents and teachers contracting the virus, especially if those parents and teachers happen to be older folks. I am 100% certain they would not have a fun time.

• The COVID-19 vaccine, contrary to popular belief, does not need to be 100% effective in order to be successful in mitigating deaths, and no vaccine is. Might I remind you guys that the yearly flu vaccine is 40-60% effective and the measles vaccine is 95% effective. Might I also add that the whole purpose of a vaccine is to reach herd immunity without needless deaths. That’s quite literally what the email advocates for.

• Let’s also process the fact that most of their sources come from far-right conspiracy blog ZeroHedge. I just really don’t think that a pseudonym with a “Fight Club” profile picture mansplaining COVID-19 is a credible source.

We’re living in an era where we have to arduously fight against misinformation and propaganda, and it should go without saying that all institutions should be held accountable. As commendable as a Christian group on campus might be, there is no reason why we as a student body should excuse such behavior. We just had UNC-Chapel Hill go back online because of limp management from their reckless institution. Do we really want to replicate that?

If Ratio Christi’s goal is to elevate Christian discourse and point of views, it shoots itself in the foot by spewing braindead misinformation. Not only are they actively undermining their goals as an organization, they are making all Christian organizations on campus seem equally as inept by association. The popularity of Christianity is rapidly falling in America, and any genuine attempts at regaining followers is rapidly shut down if your rhetoric includes worms-for-brain analysis. 

Many students on campus get a positive experience from attending Christian organizations on campus, and I’ve been lucky enough to attend some meetings in the past and stand by that statement. So many of my fellow students are passionate about their faith and having conversations about their beliefs, and it would be a shame to see these students and organizations further discredited because of the ineptitude of a singular organization. To keep it short, I’m disappointed.

Moving forward, however, does not have to be so muddy and cumbersome. Ratio Christi members should hold their leadership accountable for the spread of misinformation, and leaders should at minimum attempt to correct information mistakes in the next newsletter they release. That is accountability at its simplest form. It’s not that hard to ask for it.