In August, she submitted an exemption request she wrote herself, bolstered by her own Bible study and language from sources online. So the Jews (o) call the body of a righteous man the habitation of the Holy Spirit. Its in thebible! First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we 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. Supposedly thats actually a known side effect but who knows. The church has been involved in COVID controversies before, criticized for holding indoor services against public health orders last year and ignoring masking rules. 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 conscience and religious belief belongs to the individual, not another person and not a body (church or otherwise). The problem is that the same people who eagerly promote anti-vaccine misinformation are just as eager to misuse religion to avoid . Several members of Congress condemned the lawmaker's racist words, describing them as "disgusting" and "dangerous.". Similarly, if physical cleanliness was in view, then surely the COVID-19 virus itself would do at least as much to contaminate ones body. After all, the Christian witness has always been grounded, first and foremost, not in individual political liberty, but in self-sacrifice for the well-being of others. Thats not an attack on the poster (who I think has made some very helpful posts [while missing a few important points] ). Amy Littlefield is a freelance investigative reporter focused on the intersection of religion and health care. Washington, DC 20002 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). Given the near ubiquity of this phrase in the sphere of health and wellness, most people are likely to have forgotten that it comes from the apostle Paul. 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. 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. You talked briefly about drugs that affect our mental state, and unless I was forced to take one of those, I would avoid ever taking one. Perhaps you have a more sophisticated form of this objection. 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. 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. If it doesnt come from Tucker Carlson or Hannity than it is biased media and we cant listen to it. This isnt just a matter of my blindly accepting every form of medical intervention except for the Covid vaccine. The Bible says, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin" (James 4:17 KJV). The Senate Judiciary Committee will meet Tuesday to discuss a joint resolution to finally affirm the amendment. Acts 1:8 reminds us that we are to be witnesses for other people. Rather, the drivers for evangelical resistance are nonreligious and are rooted in deep-seated suspicion of government and vulnerability tomisinformation. The idea that she apparently didnt consult her faith community about the veracity of her religious objection is completely off base. It explains in great detail why they are opposed to the vaccine. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. . Nashville, Tennessee 37203 Copyright 2023 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved. Sioux Falls, S.D., Aug 11, 2021 / 17:00 pm. Christian notions of purity are not about food laws and physical cleanliness, but about the heart. We know they have a therapeutic affect. Currently in the United States, it is legally permissible for employers to require COVID-19 vaccinations so long as there are medical and religious accommodations available in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Sin isnt concrete anymore, itssubjective. a. 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. "There's also a general kind of theological belief in the sovereignty of God, that He is the one who knows best. I know there are legitimate concerns, but there is plenty of information to address those concerns, if people understood how to navigatethat. Believe in divine immunity," Maldonado said in a bilingual sermon that was translated live and streamed on Facebook. 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.. How about thisone, One more and Ill quit beating this todeath. I think the comment here is innocent and innocuous. Religious Exemption. I would gather that most Christians have no clue about these and/or what they are taking. The biggest thing we can do to those in our church is to help them understand how to discern truth. But ask yourself, Is [insert religious justification] really why I dont want the vaccine, or is [insert religious justification] a convenient pass for me to avoid something I just dont want to do? If the answer is yes, then youre in danger of violating the ThirdCommandment. one person sharpens another. 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. 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 Here is a sample of a Religious Exemption letter. Vaccines to me are unclean. 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. None of these drugs have had any safety studies done, nor are they approved by the FDA. The difference is that you dont have people screaming that blood pressure medication has computer chips, aborted fetal cells, changes your DNA, safety was skipped.. It is scarcely believable that unclean foods under the Old Covenant are a parallel to a COVID vaccine. It is a challenge that a lot of pharma companies are having to deal with. Whenever he gets a cold, even just a minor cold, it just lingers in his chest, and he has a really hard time.. There is nothing distinctly religious about the fear of bodily harm involved in vaccine hesitancy. Maybe so. My issue istwo-fold: First, calling it cowardice. The ABCs Religion and Ethics portal is home to religious reporting & analysis, ethical discussion & philosophical discovery, and inspiring stories of faith and belief. 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. "The flu would most likely require hospitalization and COVID. Student Religious Exemption Request; Student Remote Learning Exemption Request; Click Download to obtain a copy of the desired form. Some of us definitely are making a calculation as to risk/reward. What employers may not do is discriminate on the basis of religion. The temple of God objection is not a matter of conscience, its cowardice. Setting aside the exegetical issues with this objection, it simply isnt enough to merit a religious exemption under our existing legal framework. "You can have a church of one," said Lauren Kulpa, an attorney with Perkins Coie LLP. It is a God-given responsibility and requirement for me to protect the physical integrity of my Body against unclean food andinjections.[3]. Now he is discussing specific sinful habits that are causing division among the Corinthians. But a vaccine that does not reside in the body, has a significant statistical advantage, has had 20 years of testing, the biochemical functions are well understood and can be studied in real living people, are extremely safe, are manufactured in controlled environments regulated by laws and has been distributed to almost 50% of the worlds population is considered quackscience. Is mandatory COVID-19 vaccination ethical? The goal is not to vaccinate illegal immigrants, it is to remove them from the country. Aaron, I am generally pro-vax but I dont think these comparisons work. The entire family is now vaccinated against the coronavirus, but they worry that Jonah wont be fully protected until everyone around him gets vaccinated as well. Many Christians are justifiably concerned about government overreach. The author provides no justification about why the vaccine violates his conscience. She and her family continue to wear masks, isolate and plan to get a booster shot when available. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the "As His people, we are subject to His will and. This objection has no interpretivemerit. But, this woman isnt you. Photo by Jay Yoo, John Evans is a professor of sociology and religious studies at UCSD. 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? Now we come to religious exemptions for vaccines. This shift toward religious exceptionalism is, in significant ways, a departure from precedent. Mine are nodifferent. But none of these reasons are overtly related with the individuals religious beliefs. People are unfortunately suspicious of newthings. In Tandon, a Bible study group in California said it should be exempt from a rule barring in-home gatherings of more than three households. While Im sympathetic to this view, it doesnt provide the basis for a religious exemption. On the body as a temple argument, Tyler has missed the point of 1 Cor 6:19. 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. The temple of God objection is not a matter of conscience, itscowardice. There is a scriptural case to be made for not taking this vaccine. The reasons? I want to do something, so I use God as a blank check, and I get my free pass. Your physicians cannot be giving out religious exemptions, Tseng said he reminds people. So, do not. Help train Christians to boldly share the good news of Jesus Christ in a way that clearly communicates to this secular age. If we take Pauls words seriously, our main concern shouldnt be the physical purity of our own bodies, but the purity of our witness to the world around us. Could there be a point that vaccines are a gift of God? by John Brummett | September 15, 2021 at 3:17 a.m. There are undoubtedly people of faith with relevant moral and, or, theological concerns that could merit religious exemption. He just asserts it as a deeply held belief. That isnt good enough. If claims like the latter were adequate for religious exemptions, people could excuse themselves from nearly any rulesomething no one thinks is sustainable. AR-15-style weapons have been used in some of the deadliest shootings in modern U.S. history. 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. Exegetical issues with this objection the Senate Judiciary Committee will meet Tuesday discuss! 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