In 6:19-20, however, it is clear that the individual bodies of believers is in view. The biggest thing we can do to those in our church is to help them understand how to discern truth. And it reflects differently on a population than reality does. Philippians 4:7 - And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Its a shortsighted strategy that will end up fueling government overreach, not curtailing it. The idea that she apparently didnt consult her faith community about the veracity of her religious objection is completely off base. The protests in Venezuela show a broad movement of people who are reaching the end of their tether amid inequality. The second argument. Agree that if we want to preach body is a temple, the text is 1 Cor. KUOW's Deborah Wang attended one of their . 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. So, you and your family are going to risk unnecessary hospitalization and death because Juan Pablo crossed the border without getting a vaccine? What is said in 1 Corinthians 3:16 of the saints in general, is here said of their bodies in particular. He holds degrees from The Masters University, Talbot School of Theology, and the University of Virginia. On a Friday evening in April, the Supreme Court quietly issued a short decision that opened the floodgates for religious entities to claim an exemption from just about any law. "The flu would most likely require hospitalization and COVID. If you have elderly friends or family. 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. Various religious doctrines direct people to take care of their bodies. 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. live, learn and work. 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. Once downloaded, review all of the information and requirements for the exemption type you have selected. If you have to resort to hermeneutical gymnastics to prove God doesnt want you to get vaccinated, youve already lost, and other believers should be the first to confront you aboutit. Lost in the weeds was a legal bomb. As Christians, we have a vested interest in ensuring that it is not. Many are not, and every ridiculous fight over an spurious religious objection does more harm to religious liberty than many measures fromsecularists. Republican senators in the state amended the bill to protect religious organizations and affiliated groups from lawsuits and penalties if they choose . Proponents cite the Apostle Pauls well-known remarks at 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19. To be clear, stating you dont want to get the vaccine because your body is the temple of God is ludicrous. Those cited here are largely specious; arguments in search of proof-texts. Why do people keep missing this? This objection has no interpretivemerit. How about thisone, One more and Ill quit beating this todeath. 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. 2 Timothy 1:7 has nothing to do with rejecting all medical aid, nor does Psalm 91. But, it is true for too many Christians. To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good itis! 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. While not KCRA News reports that after Sunday services last week, there were long lines of people waiting to pick up exemption letters from Destiny Christian Church in Rocklin, led . Christian notions of purity are not about food laws and physical cleanliness, but about the heart. Instead, she did independent study and looked up sources online. She then quotes 2 Corinthians 7 out of context and assumes a vaccine will contaminate her. 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. This is a violation of the ThirdCommandment. 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. 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. What has the global church said? In 1990, the Supreme Court issued a decision called Employment Division v. Smith that essentially concluded that religious entities have to follow laws that apply generally to the rest of the population, even if those laws happen to burden their religious beliefs. I Work for a Pastor with Low Emotional Intelligence, Split or Stay? You should then print the exemption form to complete the required information and to sign the form. These deficient exemption requests tend to fall into three categories of objections: personal autonomy, my body is a temple, or abortion complicity. This should give Christians pause. Not every directive during a public health crisis represents a curtailment of religious liberty. 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 difference is that you dont have people screaming that blood pressure medication has computer chips, aborted fetal cells, changes your DNA, safety was skipped.. Im reminded of an old public service ad campaign long ago that emphasized stop, drop, and roll if you find yourself on fire. 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. 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. Accordingly I believe, pursuant to my Christian faith, that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. So chemically we know that it impacts these levels in a lab. She just cant pull the God told me card or defend her position by twisting Scripture. If claims like the latter were adequate for religious exemptions, people could excuse themselves from nearly any rulesomething no one thinks is sustainable. Should Christian Parents Send Their Children to Public Schools? That means they mix and prepare a drug at the pharmacy. But, he must also treat it with respect and care forit. 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. It is scarcely believable that unclean foods under the Old Covenant are a parallel to a COVID vaccine. Paul warns the Corinthians not to deceive themselves, but to have true wisdom (1 Corinthians3:18). It's a much more complicated and complex phase and debate over religious exemptions. That word has content. The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics helps Christians show unbelievers the truth, goodness, and beauty of the gospel as the only hope that fulfills our deepest longings. While 1 Cor 3 is the church corporately, 1 Cor 6 is quite clear the individuals body. Here are nine things you should know about revival and the history of revivals in America. It would have been far easier to obtain the cells from a miscarriage. Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. His views dont necessarily represent those of his employers. So the noise is quiet and the only noise they hear is their doctor, or maybe no noise atall. The conscience and religious belief belongs to the individual, not another person and not a body (church or otherwise). He also works in State government. Ashli Arbo has been practicing law since 2007 and is a graduate of Union University and Liberty University School of Law. I just dont get these arguments. 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. We know they have a therapeutic affect. I know there are legitimate concerns, but there is plenty of information to address those concerns, if people understood how to navigatethat. I would never sign off on someones religiousconvictions. But none of these reasons are overtly related with the individuals religious beliefs. Rajesh, would you prefer I describe them as foolish () and needing to act like men ()? That makes absolutely nosense. Some may, for example, express concerns about infertility, or the lack of longitudinal studies, or that their employer has simply violated their rights. 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. It read, inpart: Accordingly I believe, pursuant to my Christian faith, that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. The argument seems to be that being injected with one of the available COVID vaccineswhich are characterized as manifestly unsafe or, at best, risky experimental potionswould defile the Holy Spirits dwelling. One manual circulated by Rita Palma, an anti-vax activist, advises people to include key words such as sacred, holy and blessed.. They, by nature and theology, belong to the individual. You dont get to invent your own beliefs and pass them off as Christian. There is a scriptural case to be made for not taking this vaccine. I think this disinformation that is just exploding is a precursor to what is coming for the church. And when people say things like this, dont be surprised when people dont believeyou. Your information is being handled in accordance with the, How conspiracy theories undermine the common good. Jeffrey Denny. 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). Claiming a religious exemption to the covid vaccine is not only asinine but it also weakens true religious exemption claims over legit issues forbelievers. 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. The problem is that the same people who eagerly promote anti-vaccine misinformation are just as eager to misuse religion to avoid . You get it. As Christians with religious objections to vaccines, we share the goals of promoting good health for children and families, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. 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. 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.. Help! Religious Exemptions. The religious exemption from vaccine mandates for . Saying that people and their positions are cowardly, moronic, etc is nothing but repeated use of ad hominem statements. The service members argue that both the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and the First Amendment require the federal government to allow exemptions for their sincerely held religious beliefs, especially since they are willing to take other precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in lieu of vaccination and the Navy is . In . U.S.A. grants Religious Exemptions to not to take Vaccines. Smith, it appears that there is no constitutional requirement for the government, including the public schools that it operates, to provide religious exemptions when mandating vaccines to receive . Your physicians cannot be giving out religious exemptions, Tseng said he reminds people. Religious Exemption. OPINION | JOHN BRUMMETT: Test of faith in exemption. Writing religious exemption letters would be the truly pastoral approach. 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. People with religious exemptions are not just looking for excuses, people get these exemptions because . Vaccines violate our ability to follow the teachings of the Bible. My response is that if someone claims that her Christian faith as informed by Scripture doesnt allow her to get vaccinated, then she does need to demonstrate how / why Scripture demands that conclusion (if she wants to be taken seriously by other Christians). As has been already mentioned, we ingest all sorts of unhealthy foods and beverages without blinking an eye. 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.. In this type of situation, they would claim the requirements violate their religious beliefs and seek formal religious exemptions. In particular, he commands them not to engage the services of prostitutes, and in general to shun fornication (6:18). -Joseph Grigg (1720-1768). Nor the Bill of Rights. 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. The finding resulted in Jonah having 80% of his left lung removed when he was just one day old. Many people are using Bible verses to justify their stance against vaccines. 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. I understand I dont have *every* fact at my disposal, but I try to make as good a calculation as I can and stick by it, until or unless I see evidence that makes me reevaluate it. by John Brummett | September 15, 2021 at 3:17 a.m. 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. 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 . Some vaccines were developed using fetal cell lines from aborted fetuses, she wrote, citing a remote connection to a practice she finds abhorrent. I know there are legitimate concerns, but there is plenty of information to address those concerns, if people understood how to navigatethat.. of that Friend On whom for heaven my hopes depend! 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. Several members of Congress condemned the lawmaker's racist words, describing them as "disgusting" and "dangerous.". A different interpretation of Scripture is not necessarily cowardice. "There's several different religious beliefs and doctrines associated with evangelicals, especially the belief in inerrancy of scripture, which is the belief that the bible is the literal word of God," Campbell explained. Indeed, courts are already rebuffing COVID-related religious-exemption requests, creating a harmful precedent that will be used against Christians in future cases. Religious liberty is precious and should be protected. Fair enoughwell get there. 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). Courts have consistently rejected religious exemption requests premised on moral values common to all religions (not to mention nonreligious worldviews). Yet asserting flimsy demands for religious vaccine exemptions will have the opposite effect. Maybe that isnt you. Plenty of biblical precedent for making those remarks. With this article, I will try to write a template for a Religious Exemption Letter, hoping it could be useful. One common refrain among those seeking exemption from vaccination is the assertion, My body is a temple. Supposedly thats actually a known side effect but who knows. The biggest class of drugs that are an exemplar of this is the CNS class (or Central Nervous System). "There's also a general kind of theological belief in the sovereignty of God, that He is the one who knows best. So if we are going to talk about being careful with sources and data, then lets begin by being careful with sources and data. Statement of Religious Exemption. What has your faith community said? 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. Perhaps most chillingly, at a time when Roe v. Wade and a host of other important rights are on the chopping block, the case shows how the Supreme Court can upend decades of precedent with relatively little outcry. 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. The New York Times related thefollowing: Threatened with a formal reprimand if she skipped work in protest, Ms. Holmes woke up in the middle of the night with a Bible verse from the book of 2 Timothy in her mind: For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.[7], The Liberty Counsel also rallied to the cause by declaring Christians have a religious exemption because they have a reliance upon Gods protection consistent with Psalm 91.[8]. The personal convictions carried by people who attend Awaken church are very real,. 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 . A group called One Washington is holding seminars around the state to instruct people on how to ask for a religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine. 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. We plead on Christ's behalf, 'Be reconciled to God'" (2 Cor. Sin is lawlessness (1 Jn 3:4); doing what Gods Word forbids. 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. They are concerned with what they put in their bodies, but they are taking 5 different medications, with very little understanding of what they do, just what the doctor has told them. As an ethicist and attorney practicing religious liberty law, we have engaged in dozens of conversations over the past few weeks regarding vaccination mandates, as well as religious exemptions. Seems kind of funny to me now like people are catching on fire all the time. Fairenough. What should Christians think about them? The Bible tells us that we are responsible for where our children go in life (Proverbs 22:6). The injection stays at the site, doesnt move around the body, doesnt get stored in the liver, doesnt build up in the body. 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 .
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