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. Pointing to verses from the Bible's Book of Revelation, Maldonado suggested that the coronavirus vaccine would help lay the groundwork for the coming of the Antichrist. Displaying all articles. (it seems like) there is a risk/reward calculation that causes them to skipit. The second argument. According to this letter, if the Spirit has moved you then you have a free passpresumably about anything. What is the conscience issue with the vaccine? Please know that I am asserting my right to a religious accommodation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination against a sincerely held religious belief, practice or observance. Jackie Gale has never had a single vaccination because she believes that the Bible . Look anywhere, and youll find professing Christians using God as justification for their unholy ways. 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. What Does the LGBT-Discrimination Decision Mean for Religious Employers? She just cant pull the God told me card or defend her position by twisting Scripture. 2 Samuel 6:11 New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (NASB95) 11 Thus the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household. In 1 Corinthians, Paul writes, do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? "The most notable example was during the Vietnam and Korean [wars], people claiming religious exemptions from the draft.. Why do people keep missing this? If food is sacrificed to demons, then thats a pretty good reason to avoid eating it (1 Cor 8). I even only take tylenol/advil/aspirin extremely rarely, let alone other medications, and Im not on any regular medication. which is in you, which ye have of God; meaning the Holy Spirit which was in them, as in his temple; which dwelt in their hearts, and influenced their bodies, lives, and conversations; and which they received of God as a wonderful instance of his grace and love to them; that he should be bestowed upon them, to regenerate, renew, and sanctify them, to implant every grace, to make them a fit habitation for God, and meet for the inheritance of the saints inlight: and ye are not your own: their own masters, at their own dispose, to live to their own lusts, or the lusts of men; men have not power over their bodies to abuse them at pleasure by fornication, or such like uncleanness, neither single nor married persons; see 1 Corinthians 7:4 and of all men, not the saints, who are neither their own nor other mens, nor Satans, but Gods; not only by creation, but by choice and covenant; and Christs by gift, by purchase, and powerful grace, and in a conjugal relation to him; wherefore fornication ill becomesthem. If it seems far-fetched to think a religious entity would claim an exemption from a law that has nothing to do with religious beliefs, remember that religious corporations and institutions have, in recent years, won broad new powers to do everything from underfund their employee pension plans, to refuse to recognize adjunct faculty unions. I know that isnt popular, even in the church, but its nonethelesstrue. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:6-7. 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. The issue of food sacrificed to an idol does not actually affect one's interactive relationship with the Lord. As Christians with religious objections to vaccines, we share the goals of promoting good health for children and families, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Im only arguing Christians shouldnt demand religious exemptions if they choose not to be vaccinated. Accepting the COVID vaccination into my body violates my closely held religious beliefs. Nor the Bill of Rights. Even so, too much inconsistent behavior justifies questioning whether a persons stated beliefs are sincerely held. Courts have consistently rejected religious exemption requests premised on moral values common to all religions (not to mention nonreligious worldviews). Evans said he expects legal battles over religious exemptions. People misuse God's name for all sorts of sins. 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. But What Counts as Religious? New York Times, 11 September 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/11/us/covid-vaccine-religion-exemption.html?smid=url-share. While the case received little attention outside of the legal world, it marked the culmination of more than 30 years of legal strategy by Christian conservatives who have sought ever-broader leeway to flout the law. Ill provide one over-arching principle, then briefly discuss some common religious justifications we see offeredup. We were . The finding resulted in Jonah having 80% of his left lung removed when he was just one day old. As iron sharpens iron, Therefore, we can claim and live in all the promises of the Bible which he, by the power of the Holy Spirit, inspired men to write (II Timothy 3:16,17). Please make sure all fields are filled out. But we must stop government intrusion now, some will say. He holds degrees from The Masters University, Talbot School of Theology, and the University of Virginia. We would like to bring to the readers attention our perspective and experience on these important issues as they navigate these difficult questions. We Must Scream It Down. At the end of the 20 century you had this Lancet article published by Andrew . As just a preliminary step to justify this argument one would have to establish a basis for the division of clean and unclean foods, and I wish you luck as you survey the literature on that topic! In some instances, plaintiffs have cited specific Bible verses to support their opposition to the vaccine, such as I Corinthians 6:19, Psalm 139:13 and Isaiah 49:1. I want to do something, so I use God as a blank check, and I get my free pass. In . We dont know chemically how they impact a human, but we can see behavorially that they have an impact. A lot of things happened. Even the pope says that is a more extreme condition than what is actually necessary, Evans told NBC 7. While 1 Cor 3 is the church corporately, 1 Cor 6 is quite clear the individuals body. The biggest class of drugs that are an exemplar of this is the CNS class (or Central Nervous System). Essentially we are hoping they have an impact and the side effects are not too bad, because in general CNS drugs dont have great side effects. The vaccine effort has been plagued by falsehoods of all kinds. I would gather that most Christians have no clue about these and/or what they are taking. I think it is 44% of white evangelicals have stated that they will not get thevaccine. So if they illegally entered the country and they are illegaly within the country, than how is Biden going to force the illegal immigrants to get vaccinated. A religious nonprofit could claim it doesnt have to pay its workers a minimum wage, because the states minimum-wage law has an exemption for contract work. Thats the case here: Pauls admonition to the Corinthians is being invoked to put a religious spin on a ubiquitous concern for personal health. With these goals in mind, in . The Amish or Jehovahs Witness are examples. Photo by Jay Yoo, Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. I believe in and follow God and the principles laid out in His Word and I have a deeply held belief that vaccines violate them. Religious Exemptions and the COVID Vaccine, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/11/us/covid-vaccine-religion-exemption.html?smid=url-share, http://ladoj.ag.state.la.us/Article/10941, https://healthfreedomidaho.org/sample-letter-for-religious-vaccine-exemption/, https://lc.org/Site%20Images/Resources/Memo-SampleCOVID-ReligiousExemptionRequests-07262021.pdf, A violation of the equal protection clause, https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-08-10/white-evang, https://www.wsj.com/articles/white-evangelicals-resist-covid-19-vaccine, Some vaccines are no longer connected to aborted fetalcells, The cells used today are in some cases 15,000 generations away from the aborted cellsthemselves, Practically every major anti-abortion groups have not raised concerns with the current vaccines and all provide recommendations to take thevaccine, I religiously object to stop, drop, and roll because falling on the ground harms my body and my body is a temple of the HolySpirit, I religiously object to wearing a seatbelt because the belt chafes my skin and my body is a temple of the HolySpirit. The Third Commandment tells us we must not misuse Gods name (Ex 20:7; Deut 5:11). Christianity is not a subjective religion with scripture that shape-shifts according to taste, like an Etch-a-Sketch. Couple that with the massive disinformation peddled at their reading level and I can understand why manyrefuse. It is scarcely believable that unclean foods under the Old Covenant are a parallel to a COVID vaccine. We are not our own because we belong to the crucified and resurrected Lord. Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, Novavax - HEK293 cells are not used in production of the vaccine. 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). Understand this: A belief that something is a matter of conscience or personal choiceeven if that belief is religiously informedisnt itself a sufficient basis for a religious exemption. Evans said the threshold for religious exemptions comes down to proving whether the person attempting to obtain one has sincerely held beliefs against getting vaccinated on religious grounds. Pentagon Prepares for Island Combat in the Pacific as US-China Tensions Rise, Bidens Chip War With China Is an Imperial Struggle for High-Tech Supremacy, Republicans Are Working on Making 70 the New Social Security Retirement Age, Rupert Murdoch Admits Fox Hosts Were Endorsing False Election Fraud Claims, I Am Fired Up: Sanders, Warren Join Rally for Student Debt Cancellation, Voter Suppression Laws Are Targeting Youth But They Are Fighting Back, Pences Handling of COVID Is Straight Out of the Christian Right Playbook, A Christian Nationalist Group Is Quietly Shaping Bills for State Legislatures, DeSantis Plans to Skip CPAC, While Trump Remains Featured Speaker. Help! I care deeply about religious liberty. Furthermore, it is central to the Christian faith that we may well be called to sacrifice our bodies for the sake of others (see John 15:13; Philippians 2:3-4; 1 John 3:16). Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of federally protected classes, including religion, and provides that applicable employers must provide a religious accommodation to an employee who holds a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance against a workplace requirement. I have never seen an interpreter who has argued that 1 Cor. Those statements were made by people (Jesus, Paul) who spoke and/or wrote under infallible and inerrant direction and filling of the Spirit. Why pregnancy care centers must answer the telehealth trend of abortion providers, Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine, the decline of global democracy, and the Ahmaud Arbery federal murder trial, The SBC sexual abuse assessment moves forward, a likely Russian invasion, and the pandemic slowing, War in Ukraine, Ministry Check website, and more Executive Committee news. There may well be valid religious exemptions out there from a Christian perspective. The Holy Spirit, in regeneration and sanctification, when he begins the good work of grace on a man, takes possession of his whole person, soul and body, and dwells therein as in his temple. Theyre either not religious or not sincerely held. Perhaps this goes too far. But a lot of the religious exemption claims I hear about don't have any real support in the Bible, or any other religious work. There is no form necessary for employee religious exemption requests; you may select this option as you complete the vaccine verification process, and a request for a supporting narrative will be sent to you from the . Tandon v. Newsom didn't center on a traditionally hot-button issue like abortion or LGBTQ rights; it focused on COVID-19. We are not our own because we belong to the crucified and resurrected Lord. As governments and businesses implement COVID-19 vaccine mandates, increasing numbers of people are seeking exemption on religious grounds. In other words, the justices had elevated religion above just about every other right, including free speech and racial equality, according to a report out today by Columbia Law Schools Law, Rights and Religion Project. Ashamed of Jesus! Jesus and Paul were actually muchharsher. The real problem is that when Christians present contrived demands for religious exemptions, they risk jeopardizing the whole undertaking. There are legitimate religious exemptions. And why should they do this? Kirschner and others have concerns that people may try to misuse religious exemptions to avoid employer and government vaccine mandates, exposing loved ones to the virus. They may even have to show a track record of opposition to receive an exemption, which isn't easy. 3, Paul is speaking of the Corinthians as a whole as thetemple. Now, to the religious justificationsthemselves. 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