The Bible tells us that we are responsible for where our children go in life (Proverbs 22:6). The Christian argument for religious exemptions follows two tracks typically: first, that the vaccine shots at some point in their production used aborted fetal cell lines. This is why, when appealing to religious liberty as the basis for an exemption, Christians should proceed carefully. Once downloaded, review all of the information and requirements for the exemption type you have selected. Jeffrey Denny. More, Matthew Arbo has a Ph.D. in ethics from the University of Edinburgh, currently serves as a research fellow in Christian Ethics at the ERLC, and has taught at Southeastern, Midwestern, and Southern Seminary in Christian Ethics and Public Theology. I stand corrected. The injection stays at the site, doesnt move around the body, doesnt get stored in the liver, doesnt build up in the body. The Amish or Jehovahs Witness are examples. Paul says that the Corinthian church as a whole is Gods temple, and those who cause division among them are threatening to destroy it. Several members of Congress condemned the lawmaker's racist words, describing them as "disgusting" and "dangerous.". A sign of common grace? 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. Im only arguing Christians shouldnt demand religious exemptions if they choose not to be vaccinated. And this may come just as Christians are about to need exemptions most. I am one of the. Especially in the United States, the belligerent response on the part of many Christians to the public health efforts of the past two years looks rather different from this vision of wisdom. Its about the bigger picture that has been talked about all through COVID. One little-noticed Supreme Court ruling upended decades of precedent. Statement of Religious Exemption. The biggest thing we can do to those in our church is to help them understand how to discern truth. They may feel the policy unnecessarily overreaching or discriminatory, or perhaps presumptuous and hasty. Second, the sample letter mistakenly interprets the temple motif to refer to physical pollution to ones body, when Paul is in fact interjecting a rhetorical question (an accusation, really) about sins that may destroy their community (the temple), among which Christresides. The answer, it would seem, is that there is a long-standing precedent for exempting religious communities from government mandates, so people have reached for religious exemption as a ready-made solution for their fears. 5:18, 20). Not to mention it is a bit ironic that people are insisting on the vaccine for others for fear of someone else making themsick. But often these are the same people eating Big Macs and chugging soda. 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. So, you and your family are going to risk unnecessary hospitalization and death because Juan Pablo crossed the border without getting a vaccine? In the context of vaccinations, this certainly includes seeking counsel, acknowledging the mounting evidence to the safety of vaccines, and contemplating the risks in refusing them, not only to oneself but also to ones neighbor. Copyright 2023 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved. At present, there is little to no evidence that they do. This kind of bible interpretation can justify anything, and itsdangerous. In Washington the process to receive a religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine is determined by the individual human resources department of the agency, school district or health care facility. Options for the sacrilegious. If anything, the primary message from religions in America is that you have a moral obligation to take the vaccine through the idea of love of neighbor. . So the Jews (o) call the body of a righteous man the habitation of the Holy Spirit. 3, Paul is speaking of the Corinthians as a whole as thetemple. Jesus and Paul were actually muchharsher. What employers may not do is discriminate on the basis of religion. I just think we need to be careful not to be too critical of those who choose not to bevaccinated. 16. This class of drugs impact dopamine and seratonin. 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. Even with all your knowledge about medicine, you are conveniently glossing over the fact that while the types of vaccines being used for Covid may have had 20 years of testing, the Covid vaccine definitely has not. 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. Such a claim might be motivated by the belief that their constitutionally protected rights are being infringed upon and that their religious sentiments are sufficient grounds for refusal. Those cited here are largely specious; arguments in search of proof-texts. The Supreme Courts ruling in the Tandon case could, at least in theory, open the door to religious exemptions from a whole host of regulations from gun laws, which make exemptions for security guards, to traffic laws, which make exemptions for emergency vehicles, the report notes. Ironic that in a post about truth being available, this line shows up. Each of these, it seems, would violate the purity of their bodily temple, making it unsuitable as a vessel for the Holy Spirit. I also think that many people would be surprised at the how rapid the placebo affect is getting better. But while this objection is coherent and religious, its usually deployed too selectively to qualify as sincerely held. The vaccine effort has been plagued by falsehoods of all kinds. I would never sign off on someones religiousconvictions. 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 . Philippians 4:7 - And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Its biblicalanthropology. That means they mix and prepare a drug at the pharmacy. The Senate Judiciary Committee will meet Tuesday to discuss a joint resolution to finally affirm the amendment. The issue of food sacrificed to an idol does not actually affect one's interactive relationship with the Lord. Such statements have no place in the edifying speech that God requires ofus. Paul has something similar in view in his second letter to the Corinthians: let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and of spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of God (2 Corinthians 7:1). For example, some believe the vaccine has dangerous side-effects; others think it contains microchips; and some have suggested that it can alter your DNA or cause infertility. American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) is proud to be a founding member of the national volunteer COVID-19 Community Corps, which encourages people to get a COVID-19 vaccination as soon as it is available to them. "I have a religious exemption." "Great. 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. You should then print the exemption form to complete the required information and to sign the form. James describes such wisdom as first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy (James 3:17). In reality, what those seeking exemptions are arguing is that they believe the vaccine will harm them, and therefore they shouldnt be forced to take it. To be clear, stating you dont want to get the vaccine because your body is the temple of God is ludicrous. "Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. Arbo has represented individuals and entities in a wide variety of corporate and nonprofit matters, as well as teaching at a number of religious universities. The failure of the government to grant religious objectors an exemption from nearly any law or policy now amounts to religion-based discrimination, no matter the importance of the public interest being protected by the law even the publics interest in staying healthy during a global pandemic, concludes the report, titled, We The People (of Faith): The Supremacy of Religious Rights in the Shadow of a Pandemic. Under this broad conception of religious liberty, policymakers could be constitutionally required to exempt religious adherents from regulations enacted to protect labor and workers rights, public health, civil rights, and other critical policy goals., The report outlines chilling examples that could result from this broad new religious power. Writing religious exemption letters would be the truly pastoral approach. Commentators cited Murdoch's deposition as evidence that the network couldn't be trusted to report the facts. What has your faith community said? The case made its way to the Supreme Court, where the justices sided with the Bible study group 5 to 4, writing that government regulations are not neutral and generally applicable, and therefore trigger strict scrutiny under the Free Exercise Clause, whenever they treat any comparable secular activity more favorably than religious exercise.. The Third Commandment tells us we must not misuse Gods name (Ex 20:7; Deut 5:11). I totally agree with this. Another popular search during the pandemic was Jeremiah 29:11, which says, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm . Dr. William Tseng from Kaiser Permanente in San Diego said there are legitimate medical reasons for skipping the vaccine. It isnt enough to hold to some form of, I dont like it, so it violates my conscience, so I dont have to do it. Thats never been how responsible Christians have interacted with society. How worried should we be about COVID conspiracies? Your physicians cannot be giving out religious exemptions, Tseng said he reminds people. As an attorney, I spend much of my time helping religious organizations understand and maximize constitutional protections and religious exemptions. From my perspective, what I call the abortion complicity objection is perhaps the strongest case. 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. I think the frustration that is out there, and maybe it isnt directed at this individual, is the lies that are posted out there and the ignorance that people have in trying to discern truth. That was no attack on you. If it doesnt come from Tucker Carlson or Hannity than it is biased media and we cant listen to it. This objection has no interpretivemerit. But, it is true for too many Christians. My Body Is a Temple I've seen 1 Corinthians 6:19 quoted in countless vaccine exemption requests. AR-15-style weapons have been used in some of the deadliest shootings in modern U.S. history. The Bible calls the human body "a temple of the Holy Spirit." The New Testament makes multiple references likening the human body to a temple. The Christian right filed a barrage of cases. of that Friend On whom for heaven my hopes depend! Theyre either not religious or not sincerely held. These are what defile a person." (Matthew 15:11, 19-20) Jesuss body was made impure by his crucifixion in fact, thats a considerable part of the point. Proponents cite the Apostle Pauls well-known remarks at 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19. People with religious exemptions are not just looking for excuses, people get these exemptions because . My issue istwo-fold: First, calling it cowardice. 2 Retrieved from http://ladoj.ag.state.la.us/Article/10941. If I were to go against the moving of the Holy Spirit, I would be sinning and jeopardizing my relationship with God and violating my conscience.[4]. Thats one reason why I go out of my way to keep the amount of any kind of medicine I take to an absolutely minimum. Fair enoughwell get there. A faith community might help someone discover them or learn to think about them, but the individual is the one who matters. -Joseph Grigg (1720-1768). The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me. 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). Im educated, and I read a lot (much away from the internet), but I understand that not having worked in your field means I dont understand medicines the way those that have worked with them do. He posts form letters for U.S. workers seeking religious exemptions that have been downloaded from his website around 40,000 times, according to a screen shot of web traffic he shared with Reuters. Some may, for example, express concerns about infertility, or the lack of longitudinal studies, or that their employer has simply violated their rights. Some of those battles are important and worth fighting. 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. 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. These requirements dictate that all employees, whatever their personal reservations might be, must be vaccinated by a specified date or else face repercussions ranging from required masking, testing, and isolation to different assignments to formal termination. This argument is a non-starter. Like Bert, Im not ever going to be the first on my block to run out and get something. In August, she submitted an exemption request she wrote herself, bolstered by her own Bible study and language from sources online. There are also those who are highly educated who refuse to get vaccinated. Here are nine things you should know about revival and the history of revivals in America. Christians dont receive exemptions just because they cite Bible verses for moral values everyone embraces, like a commitment to avoid harming ones body. Im reminded of an old public service ad campaign long ago that emphasized stop, drop, and roll if you find yourself on fire. The conscience and religious belief belongs to the individual, not another person and not a body (church or otherwise). J&J is a different story, because it does use a cell line which originated from an elective abortion - and it even uses them in production of the vaccine. 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. If faced with such a mandate, some Christians will likely consider objecting to vaccination requirements on religious grounds. Im happy to see how things play out first (and yes, time figures into my risk calculation aswell). But these cell lines were isolated from two fetuses from the Netherlands in 1973 and 1985 and then replicated over decades, and are commonly used to create and test other medications as well. (Proverbs 27:17). Why do people keep missing this? Indeed, some bishops have opted for a heavy-handed, coercive approach, even prohibiting their priests from aiding local Catholics who seek a religious exemption. Whenever he gets a cold, even just a minor cold, it just lingers in his chest, and he has a really hard time.. With these goals in mind, in . A religious exemption played a critical role. What matters for such a request is whether a worker's belief is religious, not whether it deviates from their church's doctrine or makes logical sense to their employer, attorneys said. As an ordained pastor of (Name of Church), I am writing to affirm (name of individual) sincerely held religious objection to any voluntary or mandatory Covid-19 . 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. Lost in the weeds was a legal bomb. Follow me to be seated." Problem solved. A religious owner of a massive corporation could refuse to hire women to positions of authority over men because a workplace anti-discrimination law has an exemption for small businesses. White Supremacist Christianity Drives Trumps Loyal Mob. Most commentators agree that the purpose of the letter is to urge unity among the Christians in Corinth. This verse told, more than 3,000 years ago, to stay away from vaccine practices. 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. Some people have a deeply held belief that Arbys makes good roast beef sandwiches. When the Bible is placed in the hands of the people, void of any kind of authoritative religious community to guide them in their proper understanding of the text, the people can make it say. We just hope the behavior improvements are better than the side effects that practically everyonefaces. To be clear: Im not arguing Christians should be vaccinated, or that Christians should necessarily acquiesce to employer vaccine mandates. People look for us to be models of . Larry, youve mentioned this in several threads, and I have responded to this in several threads. The personal convictions carried by people who attend Awaken church are very real,. There would have been no reason for them to specifically try to obtain the cells from an elective abortion. The concern for physical well-beingwhile certainly validis a concern shared by everyone, religious or not. When employees state abortion complicity objections to the COVID vaccines but have no qualms about using Tylenol, Claritin, or their favorite anti-aging skin cream, their employers are justified in withholding exemptions. A New Mexico state senator will "help you articulate a religious exemption" by pointing to the decades-old use of aborted fetal cells in the development of some vaccines. I mean, a cold for him is a big deal," Kirschner said. As Christians with religious objections to vaccines, we share the goals of promoting good health for children and families, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. We Must Scream It Down. The abortion exemption, in my mind used to be the strongest, but what you are finding isthat: The other exemptions, I agree, are very weak at thispoint. It is also important to remember that illegitimate appeals to religious liberty are perhaps the greatest threat to legal protections of religious liberty. We are not our own because we belong to the crucified and resurrected Lord. He is warning them about the effect of their own divisive actions on the community. Im only arguing Christians shouldnt demand religious exemptions if they choose not to be vaccinated. "Our religion is predicated on the protection and preservation of health. With this article, I will try to write a template for a Religious Exemption Letter, hoping it could be useful. This letter manages to encapsulate peak narcissism with its interpretivemethod: It is against my faith and my conscience to commit sin. Its logical end is to eschew all medical aid in toto. God hasnt mandated seatbelts, either. He just asserts it as a deeply held belief. That isnt good enough. What has the global church said? This shift toward religious exceptionalism is, in significant ways, a departure from precedent. OPINION | JOHN BRUMMETT: Test of faith in exemption. Washington, DC 20002 But, he must also treat it with respect and care forit. But if you care deeply about religious liberty, please think twice before demanding a religious exemption. Plenty of biblical precedent for making those remarks. The abortion connection has the most merit, but I again caution believers to avoid misusing Gods name and violating the ThirdCommandment. I know that people are concerned about what they put into the body. Requests for religious exemptions from workplace policies were . The first reason cites a Bible verse that says the human body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. The letter states, We are commanded to take good care of it, not to defile it, and certainly not introduce something into it. It goes on to say that taking this vaccine actually makes modifications to the body. This, in essence, would be trying to improve or alter what God made perfectly which is clearly a sinful practice., The most common argument against being vaccinated against the coronavirus is that aborted fetal cell lines were used in the production process. 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. First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we Test of faith in exemption exemptions if they choose not to mention it is for! The individual is the one who matters I call the body coherent and exemptions... 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Hannity than it is also important to remember that illegitimate appeals to religious liberty kind of Bible can! Making themsick would have been used in some of those who choose not to mention it a.