Jesus spoke to a conservative religious woman, a Samaritan, and told her “A time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4: 23). He warned that change was coming on them.

As the world struggles with the COVID pandemic, many religious groups resist health restrictions and regulations. Conservative groups that live with rituals and traditions find it hard to adapt; people who have lived their own way for centuries are not interested in changing now.

This is not only true for Christian groups, the major center of infections in Israel is one Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.

READ: Israel’s ultra-Orthodox communities ‘ignoring’ COVID-19 rules

In Canada, Hutterite colonies have high rates of infection. These people practice their conservative religion in communes, and they love their lifestyle. I often meet Hutterites, Russian Old Believers, and Mennonites through my work, and I find them friendly and likeable, but they don’t like to change their ways.

READ: Canadian Hutterite colonies struggle with coronavirus outbreaks