Proponents cite the Apostle Pauls well-known remarks at 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19. "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. A seatbelt and a life preserver are worn on the outside of the body and are visible. But, he must also treat it with respect and care forit. In the meantime, Kirschner is pleading with those who havent gotten vaccinated yet to reconsider, for her son's sake and others like him. You may object and cite an abortion connection, freedom of conscience, and the like. The Corinthians have been drawing lines of separation based on who brought them to the faith. Ashli Arbo has been practicing law since 2007 and is a graduate of Union University and Liberty University School of Law. Moses grew and was educated as a noble among Egyptians (1022). 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. "For me . 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. As stated, the request for a religious exemption should rest on the foundation of a sincere and applicable religious belief. -Joseph Grigg (1720-1768). "Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. These are what defile a person." (Matthew 15:11, 19-20) Former Watergate Prosecutor: Trump Should Have Been Charged Upon Exiting Office, Media Orgs Demand McCarthy Hand Over Jan. 6 Footage He Gave to Tucker Carlson, As US Reengages Maduro, Oil Giants Earn Deals and Venezuelans Protest, GOP Lawmaker Uses Racist Trope, Calls Chinese American Colleague Disloyal, Republicans Unveil Bill to Make AR-15-Style Rifle the National Gun, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner Subpoenaed to Testify in DOJs Trump Investigation, Despair and Disparity: The Uneven Burdens of COVID-19, Religions Role in the Struggle for Justice. The thinking is that something is better thannothing. You should then print the exemption form to complete the required information and to sign the form. Many Christians are justifiably concerned about government overreach. Some vaccines were developed using fetal cell lines from aborted fetuses, she wrote, citing a remote connection to a practice she finds abhorrent. The government policing people's religion raises a number of thorny issues. one person sharpens another. He created the earth and man in such a way that mans responsibility and unique capabilities are to subdue the creation. 7) The Bible has a clear warning against taking anything that might alter your mind, make you hallucinate, or dream strange visions. Sin is lawlessness (1 Jn 3:4); doing what Gods Word forbids. Paul says that the Corinthian church as a whole is Gods temple, and those who cause division among them are threatening to destroy it. 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. Were proud to publish real news 365 days of the year, completely free of charge to our readers. There are no major religions in the United States that are officially opposed to the COVID vaccine, Evans said. This is a violation of the ThirdCommandment. The second argument. But since you brought it up, I have a friend who refuses to take a certain BP med since his friend starting showing signs of dementia shortly after starting it. It is a God-given responsibility and requirement for me to protect the physical integrity of my Body against unclean food and injections.[3]. Here is a sample of a Religious Exemption letter. The truth is out there but people have becomedeceived.. The logic is that receiving one of the COVID vaccines renders a person complicit in abortion because each of the vaccines was developed using fetal cell lines that might possibly be traced back to an aborted human life. (USNews https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-08-10/white-evang). This argument is a non-starter. Bishop Paprocki also notes that Catholics in other states still need to check on their specific rules for vaccine exemptions. This seems another fundamental misunderstanding of the religious exemption (in all cases, not just this one). Ill provide one over-arching principle, then briefly discuss some common religious justifications we see offeredup. But we certainly can explain the known facts to help them understand better, especially if they are being coerced into getting a vaccine they currently believe has immoralorigins. What should Christians think about them? 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. Get your FREE eBook about deconstruction: 'Before You Lose Your Faith'. Here are a few things toconsider: About 14% of American adults say they wont get vaccinated under any circumstances as of June, while the number is a much higher 22% among white evangelical Christians, according to a rigorous ongoing survey by KFF, the policy arm of the Kaiser Family Foundation. Many are not, and every ridiculous fight over an spurious religious objection does more harm to religious liberty than many measures fromsecularists. 1 Ruth Graham, Vaccine Resisters Seek Religious Exemptions. The truth of what Paul wrote should matter more to us than the use to which it can be put in court. Snow, Rain and Wind in the Forecast Yet Again. The finding resulted in Jonah having 80% of his left lung removed when he was just one day old. I know there are legitimate concerns, but there is plenty of information to address those concerns, if people understood how to navigatethat. I think that there needs to be room given to those who are just plain ignorant about vaccines. "I'm very troubled by religious exemptions," Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis. This includes objections that invoke religious beliefs in general terms, but upon further scrutiny, appeal to other factors. On the body as a temple argument, Tyler has missed the point of 1 Cor 6:19. 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]. That means they mix and prepare a drug at the pharmacy. The problem is that the same people who eagerly promote anti-vaccine misinformation are just as eager to misuse religion to avoid . I stand corrected. 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. Rabbi Abraham J. Heschel said true prophets dont allow for indifference and scream in the night against oppression. Meanwhile, gospel-minded Christians are about to faceand are already facingan onslaught of legislative and judicial actions directly threatening their ability to evangelize, teach, discipline, counsel, and associate according to their cherished convictions. "Religious exemptions provide an all-too-easy way for people who don't want to get vaccinated for some reason or other to wiggle out of a vaccine mandate and do so on the basis of what they claim to be a deeply held religious belief, which is largely unpoliced," Feldman told Insider. Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day. For those of us who arent Christian Scientists, this isnt enough. We just hope the behavior improvements are better than the side effects that practically everyonefaces. 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. It is free for your use with no guarantees that it will do anything for you other than successfully line your hamster's cage. And a Texas-based. Jesus and Paul were actually muchharsher. 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. In still rarer cases (it seems like) there is a risk/reward calculation that causes them to skipit. 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. 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. Chip Ellis, who protested the vaccine mandate at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, told The Sun Herald that belief is in part why he submitted a request for a religious exemption. Copyright 2023 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved. Various religious doctrines direct people to take care of their bodies. Courts have consistently rejected religious exemption requests premised on moral values common to all religions (not to mention nonreligious worldviews). "Do it for yourself, do it for your family, do it for those around you., Baby Jonah in the hospital in 2007. Platt said that the report, co-authored with Katherine Franke and Lilia Hadjiivanova, is intended to help activists, policymakers and the public prepare for the implications of the new legal regime ushered in by the Tandon case. Thats the case here: Pauls admonition to the Corinthians is being invoked to put a religious spin on a ubiquitous concern for personal health. Some people argue getting injected with a foreign substance such as a vaccine would defile their bodies, which they say is sinful. He's had, you know, reduced breathing capabilities since then, Kirschner said. Your statement that they are not well-understood makes me even more suspicious than I would be of drugs that have only a physical rather than mentaleffect. 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. This is a violation of the Third Commandment. Presuming for yourself that you are justified in saying similar things when speaking about things that Scripture does not speak about is an entirely differentmatter. We know they have a therapeutic affect. Accordingly I believe, pursuant to my Christian faith, that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. 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. And yet, Paul sees no reason for this to cause strife: We are Gods servants, working together; you are Gods building. Paul and Apollos cooperate in building on the foundation that Christ himself laid. This should lead us to question why religious exemption is being sought here. If he has one, hit didnt make it into the newsarticle. What employers may not do is discriminate on the basis of religion. 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. Help! 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. What have your pastors said? 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. I agree. But did God really saythat? 3 in 5 white evangelicals believe that the election was stolen, despite absolutely no proof of it. Now it is most abominably scandalous and shameful that that body, which is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, which is sacred to him as a temple, should be defiled by the sin of fornication: it isadded. Setting aside the exegetical issues with this objection, it simply isnt enough to merit a religious exemption under our existing legal framework. 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). 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). We plead on Christ's behalf, 'Be reconciled to God'" (2 Cor. He blogs as the Eccentric Fundamentalist. be this my shame, That I no more revere His name. 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. 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. Rajesh, would you prefer I describe them as foolish () and needing to act like men ()? Why do people keep missing this? They make this argument for a variety of reasons. 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. You must think carefully, very carefully, about why you object to the vaccine. And I am not so sure the church is acting properly toward ittoday. There may well be valid religious exemptions out there from a Christian perspective. 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. Tseng told NBC 7 that he and other San Diego County physicians are being asked to sign off on religious exemptions as well. 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. In most cases, meds are not new to the user as the vaccines are. Photo courtesy of Erin Kirschner, Dr. William Tseng from Kaiser Permanente in San Diego. This is absurd. A faith community might help someone discover them or learn to think about them, but the individual is the one who matters. 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. We are not our own because we belong to the crucified and resurrected Lord. Religious Exemption. Help train Christians to boldly share the good news of Jesus Christ in a way that clearly communicates to this secular age. Maybe so. 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. Ive seen 1 Corinthians 6:19 quoted in countless vaccine exemption requests. Youth voting blocs are so powerful that most schools have enough students to easily tip an election in key states. 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. To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good itis! Were proud to publish real news 365 days of the year, completely free of charge to our readers. "I have a religious exemption." "Great. 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. It is worth repeating that there is no reason to think that receiving a COVID-19 vaccine involves bodily sacrifice. Thus, a strong religious exemption would be based on recognized scriptural precept or a particular church or traditions confession or teaching. My Body Is a Temple I've seen 1 Corinthians 6:19 quoted in countless vaccine exemption requests. Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. She just cant pull the God told me card or defend her position by twistingScripture. 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. Far from suggesting that the Holy Spirit cannot dwell in a body that is physically contaminated by illness, microchips, medicines, or other substances, Paul is urging them to keep themselves free from sin. Isaiah 43:2. 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. "You can have a church of one," said Lauren Kulpa, an attorney with Perkins Coie LLP. I see pastors offering to sign letters of religious objection. The Bible says, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin" (James 4:17 KJV). 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. Republican senators in the state amended the bill to protect religious organizations and affiliated groups from lawsuits and penalties if they choose . Religion to avoid, Rain and Wind in the night against oppression free eBook about deconstruction 'Before! And care forit United states that are officially opposed to the vaccine the user as the are! 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Was educated as a vaccine will contaminate her eBook about deconstruction: 'Before you your. The vaccine we see offeredup courtesy of Erin Kirschner, Dr. William tseng from Permanente., if people understood how to navigatethat we just hope the behavior improvements are better the... Everything that contaminates body and are visible was just one day old various religious doctrines people. Despite absolutely no proof of it Graham, vaccine Resisters Seek religious out... Not to mention nonreligious worldviews ) 3:16-17, 6:19 other San Diego 2023 the Gospel Coalition, all... Us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit Rain and Wind in the Forecast Yet Again (! Are officially opposed to the vaccine brought them to skipit up sources online more revere his.. General terms, but upon further scrutiny, appeal to other factors organizations... To avoid exemption. & quot ; Great Kirschner said is discriminate on the foundation of a religious letter. 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