I totally agree with this. There are undoubtedly people of faith with relevant moral and, or, theological concerns that could merit religious exemption. They make this argument for a variety of reasons. As Christians, we have a vested interest in ensuring that it is not. One way to be introspective here is to consider whether you were already against the vaccine before you learned about the abortionnexus. If they are legal, they have been processed at the border, given a court date and potentially released into the US. As I have prayed about what I should do, the Holy Spirit has moved on my heart and conscience that I must not accept the COVID shot. "I'm very troubled by religious exemptions," Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis. Im reminded of an old public service ad campaign long ago that emphasized stop, drop, and roll if you find yourself on fire. Bishop Paprocki also notes that Catholics in other states still need to check on their specific rules for vaccine exemptions. PER.C6 came from an elective (immoral) abortion at 18weeks. Few, if any, plausibly assert that receiving the vaccine would violate the employees sincerely held religious beliefs. Those cited here are largely specious; arguments in search of proof-texts. At present, the unvaccinated are 29 times more likely to be hospitalized. Furthermore, refusing vaccination could lead to others experiencing bodily harm as the unvaccinated are at increased risk of transmitting the virus to others. Matthew 22:36-40ESV / 673 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful To justify divorce in unwarranted circumstances, sexual immorality, sexual confusion, gender identity, and the like. The church has been involved in COVID controversies before, criticized for holding indoor services against public health orders last year and ignoring masking rules. When I was 19-weeks pregnant, during an ultrasound, they identified a mass in his left lung, Kirschner said. But, it is true for too many Christians. Treating religious exemptions like a wildcard to be played whenever we dont like the rules cheapens the concept and encourages backlash. Vaccines violate our ability to follow the teachings of the Bible. Instead, data suggests that refusing vaccination risks severe illness and possibly death. Some may, for example, express concerns about infertility, or the lack of longitudinal studies, or that their employer has simply violated their rights. Johnson & Johnson did use a replicated fetal cell line in the production of its vaccine, and Pfizer and Moderna used them to test the effectiveness of their vaccines. So when sin through creation creates a virus, man has been given the ability not to just sit back in faith and wait for God, God gave him the wisdom, physical capabilities and the ability to create to subdue thevirus. They may not statistically do much, we may not understand what they do, and they may not have had safety testing. That word has content. As Jesus explains, "it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth." He goes on to explain that "out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. We dont know chemically how they impact a human, but we can see behavorially that they have an impact. Whatever reasons a person may have for refusing vaccination, it is important to resist the temptation to endow those reasons with religious significance merely as a strategy for securing exemption from an employer mandate. I also think that many people would be surprised at the how rapid the placebo affect is getting better. Im only arguing Christians shouldnt demand religious exemptions if they choose not to be vaccinated. Until we understand better the origins of this virus, every way it may have been modified, and what it can do, Im not convinced that even those studying it full-time have a complete handle on it. Many Christians are considering the ethics and wisdom of these situations for the first time, fielding advice and anecdotes from a variety of sources. In the active duty Army, 2,910 permanent religious exemptions have been requested, with 266. That definitely figures into my risk calculation, as does the fact that most vaccines have proven themselves safe overtime. If you loathe COVID vaccine mandatesas many dothen engage in public advocacy, use politics, and vote with your feet. Therefore, Psalm 91 says if we make and say (Mark 11:23,24) that the Lord is our refuge and fortress then no pestilence or plague or evil shall come near our dwelling. That was no attack on you. Why imperil the vitality of religious exemptions when theyre about to be needed most? She quoted a passage from the New Testament: Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit.[1], The Louisiana Attorney General provides a sample exemption letter with an identical objection. We know they have a therapeutic affect. Likewise, putting out a fire on ones body is obviously helpful to ones temple. Injecting something into your body that you dont fully understand is a different case. OPINION | JOHN BRUMMETT: Test of faith in exemption. Indeed, courts are already rebuffing COVID-related religious-exemption requests, creating a harmful precedent that will be used against Christians in future cases. Christian notions of purity are not about food laws and physical cleanliness, but about the heart. Theres a difference between an employee who says, Im unable to work Sundays because its my day of worship, and another who says, I object to working Sundays because I have a religious belief that what I do with my weekends is a matter of personal choice.. Maybe you do have objective religious groundswhat are they? Nonetheless, the question I would like to consider is whether a vaccine could, in theory, go against Pauls exhortation in this passage. Its logical end is to eschew all medical aid in toto. Im happy to see how things play out first (and yes, time figures into my risk calculation aswell). If the Holy Spirit cannot dwell in a body that has been contaminated by chemicals or debilitated by injury (let alone in a body injected with a safe and effective vaccine), then countless people who have fallen victim to natural or manmade disasters would be bereft of the presence of God. God didnt just order us to subdue the earth. Perhaps this goes too far. Presuming for yourself that you are doing the same thing when speaking about things that Scripture does not speak at all about is an entirely differentmatter. It is a God-given responsibility and requirement for me to protect the physical integrity of my Body against unclean food and injections.[3]. 6:19-20 is talking about the Corinthians collectively as the temple. It's unclear as of yet whether the two will attempt to oppose the subpoena orders. During the pandemic, religious entities, often supported by influential right-wing firms like the Alliance Defending Freedom, Thomas More Society and Liberty Counsel, filed a barrage of religious objections to rules aimed at protecting people from COVID, culminating in more than 100 decisions, according to a preliminary tally by the Law, Rights, and Religion Project at Columbia Law School. The author wishes to make sin Play-Dough; its anything the Holy Spirit impresses upon him to be wrong. I think many people would be surprised that pharmacies still do compounding when directed by a doctor. If a man cheats on his wife, can he cite 2 Timothy 1:12 (I am not ashamed ) and declare he has nothing to apologize for? I was recently prescribed a statin after a recent exam, for high (though not ridiculous) LDL, and Im still trying to decide whether I want to start that medication or not. It is free for your use with no guarantees that it will do anything for you other than successfully line your hamster's cage. As Michael Bird would say, sweet mother ofMelchisedec!. Nashville, Tennessee 37203 , The percentage of white evangelicals who say they have been vaccinated or plan to get the shot as soon as possible was 56% in June, up from 45% in March (WSJ https://www.wsj.com/articles/white-evangelicals-resist-covid-19-vaccine). While not At present, there is little to no evidence that they do. On a more serious note, what deeply concerns me these days isnt the loss of religious liberty in the COVID measures, but the loss of religious liberty that will result from abuse of that liberty. If that is their only source of news and everything else is tainted, than it becomes quick to understand why there is so muchmisinformation. The Church of Christ, Scientist, is the most well-known religious opponent of mandatory vaccination laws, and through its lobbying efforts, has helped to pass religious vaccine exemption laws in most states. Maybe that isnt you. She just cant pull the God told me card or defend her position by twisting Scripture. As iron sharpens iron, On the body as a temple argument, Tyler has missed the point of 1 Cor 6:19. Writing religious exemption letters would be the truly pastoral approach. Paul is repeating a central theme of the New Testament, which is that the purity laws found in the Torah no longer hold for those who are in Christ, because he has fulfilled them (Matthew 5:17). The concern for physical well-beingwhile certainly validis a concern shared by everyone, religious or not. Im not claiming religious or conspiracy reasons, and Im not considering them as part of mycalculation. Fair enoughwell get there. The Court had, in effect, ruled that if a government made any exception to a rule like allowing people to grocery shop in a pandemic it had to make an exception for religious activities. Religious liberty is precious and should be protected. A relevant ethical question, drawn from scriptural teaching of the value of our bodies and treating them rightly, is whether vaccines harm the body. If our non-Christian neighbours come to see us as people who think the rules dont apply to us, or as people for whom the well-being of the wider community is irrelevant, their tolerance for our beliefs is likely to wane. Look anywhere, and youll find professing Christians using God as justification for their unholy ways. "There's also a general kind of theological belief in the sovereignty of God, that He is the one who knows best. More, 901 Commerce Street, Suite 550 In some cases its deception but, in many cases, its a lack of education. The temple of God objection is not a matter of conscience, its cowardice. What were doing (using we loosely here) is increasing our rapidly secularizing societys aversion to Christianity even as we win court battles here and there. If it doesnt come from Tucker Carlson or Hannity than it is biased media and we cant listen to it. With this article, I will try to write a template for a Religious Exemption Letter, hoping it could be useful. Little matter, since such aid is not necessary in requesting a religious exemption. As it turns out, a large number of everyday productsincluding over-the-counter medicines, prescription drugs, and cosmeticsall have a similar attenuated relationship to these cell lines. Fairenough. If they are illegal, they evaded Customs and Border Agents, entered the country through an illegal passageway (tunnel, desert, swam.). Could there be a point that vaccines are a gift of God? Your information is being handled in accordance with the, How conspiracy theories undermine the common good. Vaccine-resistant workers are sharing tips online for requesting exemptions to the requirements on religious grounds; others are submitting letters from far-flung religious authorities who have advertised their willingness to help. People came out with huge numbers, great stories of impending disaster, and the like, much of which turned out to be distorted and exaggerated and some of which was known at the time to be exaggerated anddistorted. The problem is that the same people who eagerly promote anti-vaccine misinformation are just as eager to misuse religion to avoid . Psalms 23:4 - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Theres more at stake here than whether any particular religious exemption request is approved or denied (no doubt many employers are rubber-stamping these simply to avoid labor shortages). Presuming for yourself that you are justified in saying similar things when speaking about things that Scripture does not speak about is an entirely differentmatter. It's a much more complicated and complex phase and debate over religious exemptions. He explained he wasnt getting the flu shot because he read about it and they put like three kinds of junks in your arm. Should that person be scorned because he couldnt fully understand the science? He is a supervisor in Theology and Religious Studies in the Cambridge Divinity Faculty, and he teaches courses for Ridley Hall and the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion. You dont get to invent your own beliefs and pass them off as Christian. I had to do a lot of reading to understand mRNA and I still think I barely understand it. 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