Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. 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. What employers may not do is discriminate on the basis of religion. Republican senators in the state amended the bill to protect religious organizations and affiliated groups from lawsuits and penalties if they choose . This includes objections that invoke religious beliefs in general terms, but upon further scrutiny, appeal to other factors. Believe in the blood of Jesus. Sin is anything that violates the will of God, as set forth in the Bible, and as impressed upon the heart of the believer by the Holy Spirit. I know there are legitimate concerns, but there is plenty of information to address those concerns, if people understood how to navigatethat.. As part of my prayers, I have asked God for direction regarding the current COVID shot requirement. There are undoubtedly people of faith with relevant moral and, or, theological concerns that could merit religious exemption. But the long-term consequences for religious liberty are what Im most worried about: that so many of these exemption requests seem mislabeled or disingenuous will invite courtsand the publicto place a tourniquet on religious exemptions generally (i.e., beyond the pandemic context). Subject: Religious Exemption To Whom It May Concern: I, Yesenia Fuentes, as the parent of David Santos and Daniel Fuentes am exercising my right under the . 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. And we think that not only violates the equal protection clause, but its just fundamentallywrong.. I have never seen an interpreter who has argued that 1 Cor. I came up in the Church of Christ in the '60s, so I know about religious exemptions. Follow me to be seated." Problem solved. You may object and cite an abortion connection, freedom of conscience, and the like. This is clear from the references to the body in terms of a stomach and food, fornication and prostitution, and sins outside the body vs. sins against his own body. The context there is the individualsbody. One little-noticed Supreme Court ruling upended decades of precedent. For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians6:19-20) Here, Paul is repeating a refrain from earlier in this same letter: Do you not know that you are Gods temple and that Gods Spirit dwells in you? (3:16). If you loathe COVID vaccine mandatesas many dothen engage in public advocacy, use politics, and vote with your feet. DAN HIMBRECHTS/AAP October 5, 2021 . One Christian named Curtis Chang, who is a former pastor, wrote what Yosemite Sam would consider to be fightinwords: Christians who request religious exemptions rarely even try to offer substantive biblical and theological reasoning. From my perspective, what I call the abortion complicity objection is perhaps the strongest case. 6:19-20 is talking about the Corinthians collectively as the temple. We take pharmaceuticals (over the counter or prescription) all the time without pulling the temple of God card, and we have no idea what is in them that makes them work. KUOW's Deborah Wang attended one of their . Matthew 18:1-4, and Matthew 19:13-15 are just a few verses that illustrate the aforementioned children as blessings from God that are valued and loved by him, It has become common for Christians to claim that being forced to take the COVID-19 vaccine is a violation of their religious convictions because their body is a temple, and they are commanded to keep it pure. And this may come just as Christians are about to need exemptions most. So, he is not referring to you as an individual at all. Bishop Paprocki also notes that Catholics in other states still need to check on their specific rules for vaccine exemptions. people cite religious reasons for their reluctance to receive the shot. People with religious exemptions are not just looking for excuses, people get these exemptions because . It was just an illustration of a bigger problem: People say things that arent true to cast an issue in a differentlight. These deficient exemption requests tend to fall into three categories of objections: personal autonomy, my body is a temple, or abortion complicity. You are right that in 1 Cor. We were . Its a shortsighted strategy that will end up fueling government overreach, not curtailing it. If so, then other Christians can rightfully disagree and dismiss her reasoning as fallacious. God didnt just order us to subdue the earth. Displaying all articles. -Joseph Grigg (1720-1768). And when people say things like this, dont be surprised when people dont believeyou. Yet asserting flimsy demands for religious vaccine exemptions will have the opposite effect. 3 Health Freedom Idaho, Sample Letter for Religious Vaccine Exemption, https://healthfreedomidaho.org/sample-letter-for-religious-vaccine-exemption/. Nor the Bill of Rights. With that said, many people might be surprised at the number of drugs that are in the marketplace that we have no clarity around what makes them work. Or loading their plates up in the church luncheon. Amos 1:13, Matthew 18:1-4, and Matthew 19:13-15 are just a few verses that illustrate the aforementioned children as blessings from God that are valued and loved by him, their Creator, in . Meeting together in person and singing together are commanded in the Bible, say church leaders. 2 Retrieved from http://ladoj.ag.state.la.us/Article/10941. Philosophical exemptions: Also called personal-belief exemptions Religious exemptions: Based on the tenets of an organized religion that prohibits vaccinating its members Before You Decide to Homeschool Your Gifted Child Religious Exemptions Flagging vaccination rates over the summer of 2021 combined with a sudden surge of the COVID-19 delta variant in recent weeks have prompted many businesses and organizations, and even some state and federal government entities, to implement vaccination requirements for employees. Injecting something intramuscularly is significant safer than ingesting a medicine. They may even have to show a track record of opposition to receive an exemption, which isn't easy. This is a novel interpretation. That makes absolutely nosense. As iron sharpens iron, 15. Again, this does violence to the text. This vaccine has only been in existence a short time, and even if you think theres almost no chance it could have long term effects, you have no proof of that, and neither does anyone else. Articles on religious exemptions. That means they mix and prepare a drug at the pharmacy. 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. Im only arguing Christians shouldnt demand religious exemptions if they choose not to be vaccinated. Vaccine mandates have arrived, and so have questions about religious exemptions. It is worth considering the implications of Pauls words if they did mean what those seeking exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine take them to mean. He's had, you know, reduced breathing capabilities since then, Kirschner said. Perhaps this goes too far. Whenever he gets a cold, even just a minor cold, it just lingers in his chest, and he has a really hard time.. While a few employees might be entitled to religious exemptions from their employers vaccine policies, most of the real-life religious objections Ive seen fall short of the standard. This is a well-meaning but sad argument. There would have been no reason for them to specifically try to obtain the cells from an elective abortion. But my passion for religious liberty is exactly why Im concerned about the wave of requests for so-called religious exemptions from employer vaccine mandatesrequests that pastors around the country are being asked to write or approve. One could therefore see this litigation campaign as a form of COVID opportunism, using the pandemic as an opening to secure long-sought changes to religious liberty doctrine that will remain in effect even after the virus has subsided.. At the end of the 20 century you had this Lancet article published by Andrew . He explains that the sins of sexual immorality and idolatry defile the body and the spirit, and he urges them to free themselves of it (see also 1 Thessalonians 5:19-24). The Awaken Church lists this as the most notably significant reason why the acceptance of these vaccines would be considered sinful.. Copyright 2023 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved. I also think that many people would be surprised at the number of drugs in the marketplace that are barely statistically better than a placebo. We have just been trying to get through the pandemic as best as we can, said Erin Kirschner, a Carmel Valley resident and mother. You get it. The temple of God objection is not a matter of conscience, itscowardice. But producing high-quality, independent work is not cost-free , If you found the piece above useful, informative, or inspiring, please consider supporting, To donate by check, phone, bitcoin, or other method, see our, Bernie Sanders Reintroduces PRO Act as Labor Activity Is on the Rise, Nebraska Democrat Vows to Filibuster All Bills Until Anti-Trans Bill Is Defeated, Immigrants Win Unprecedented Settlement Over Violent ICE Workplace Raid, The Nuclear War in Ukraine May Not Be the One We Expect, Truthout Center for Grassroots Journalism. In . People misuse Gods name for all sorts of sins. one person sharpens another. 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. The personal convictions carried by people who attend Awaken church are very real,. People seeking an exemption on this basis are declaring themselves unwilling to harm their bodies, but this concern for physical well-beingwhile certainly validis a concern shared by everyone, religious or not. Philippians 4:7 - And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. It is scarcely believable that unclean foods under the Old Covenant are a parallel to a COVID vaccine. That dont make it so. It's a much more complicated and complex phase and debate over religious exemptions. Accepting the COVID vaccination into my body violates my closely held religious beliefs. Thats not an attack on the poster (who I think has made some very helpful posts [while missing a few important points] ). If you dont want the vaccine then put on your big boy pants and take the consequences instead of blaming God for not getting thevaccine. To stop meeting or singing would be to disobey God. 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. He also works in State government. 4 Liberty Counsel, Sample Religious Exemption Requests For COVID Shot Mandates, 26 July 2021, p. 3. https://lc.org/Site%20Images/Resources/Memo-SampleCOVID-ReligiousExemptionRequests-07262021.pdf. The decision could affect everything from traffic laws to racial discrimination. That content has meaning that can be known and understood in community with the brotherhood of faith in your local congregation, and in consultation with the Great Tradition of brothers and sisters who have gonebefore. This should lead us to question why religious exemption is being sought here. Even the pope says that is a more extreme condition than what is actually necessary, Evans told NBC 7. 29 times more likely to be hospitalized. Very clearly the Torah says choose life." City Moving Slowly A Christian student at the University of Alabama-Birmingham has challenged the university's mandatory vaccine policy after being blocked from registering for classes this semester despite having been allowed to register past semesters with no vaccinations. The church has been involved in COVID controversies before, criticized for holding indoor services against public health orders last year and ignoring masking rules. 6:19. In the active duty Army, 2,910 permanent religious exemptions have been requested, with 266. It might not be convincing to you or me and we can certainly have that discussion. And while each person is free to live according to their sincerely held beliefs, Christians, in particular, should consider the call of Christ when weighing our decisions. I didnt just run out and get it, and Im not going to let my doctor push me into it without a lot more thought andconsideration. I totally agree with this. 8 Liberty Counsel, Sample Exemption p.1. I am pro-drugs, and worked in the pharma industry for nearly 20 years. I think it is 44% of white evangelicals have stated that they will not get the vaccine. In its most robust form, such an exemption might rely on a provision within a churchs confessional statement explicitly forbidding vaccines or other medical interventions. The Bible says, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin" (James 4:17 KJV). . She and her family continue to wear masks, isolate and plan to get a booster shot when available. We are not our own because we belong to the crucified and resurrected Lord. As Christians with religious objections to vaccines, we share the goals of promoting good health for children and families, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. But anyway, imagine thisargument, The situation isnt precisely parallel, but the similarities are interesting. It is a God-given responsibility and requirement for me to protect the physical integrity of my Body against unclean food andinjections.[3]. "Do it for yourself, do it for your family, do it for those around you., Baby Jonah in the hospital in 2007. Commentators cited Murdoch's deposition as evidence that the network couldn't be trusted to report the facts. In some cases its deception but, in many cases, its a lack of education. In response to questions from Catholics about COVID-19 vaccine mandates being imposed by employers or other authorities, the bishops of South Dakota . According to research by Vanderbilt University, the Dutch Reformed, the Christian Scientists and a few lesser-known faith-healing groups are the only churches operating in the United States that have . Theyre either not religious or not sincerely held. Logically, a Christian does not have solid ground upon which to stand to claim the non-J&J vaccines are tied to an immoral abortion. 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