it's a case study in what happens when religion and politics clash with science. as we've been reporting this week: the number of covid infections are surging in the united states as a result of the delta variant. but it's where that's happening that's most interesting. health professionals are calling it an epidemic of the unvaccinated. there was an average of 113 thousand cases per day in the us over the last week. but the sharp increase in hospitalisations and deaths is nearly all concentrated in strongly republican — and religious — southern states where vaccine take—up has been virtually half the national average. 0ur north america editor, jon sopel is in louisiana and has been travelling across the deep south to find out why. the life tabernacle church in louisiana. congregation — thousands. influence in the state — considerable. a message — don't get vaccinated. pastor spell estimates fewer than i% of his churchgoers have been. vaccinations keep them alive. they will not, that