I believe that taking the vaccine would be an expression of my lack of faith in my God given immune system (018) (019). Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, (for his mercies are great,), and not into the hands of men. While declaring the splendors of creation, God asked rhetorically, Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?(Job 38:4). Throughout the ages, God's Word has been a source of hope in troubled times. One particular moment that is worth noting during a subsequent smallpox outbreak is the death of Jonathan Edwards. The Bible also has something to say about a government mandating vaccines for everyone. Tandon v. Newsom didn't center on a traditionally hot-button issue like abortion or LGBTQ rights; it focused on COVID-19. One letter writer cites the use of aborted fetal cells in medical research as a violation of their faith. When large numbers of Irish and German immigrants arrived on American shores in the middle decades of the 19th century, evangelicals drew on longstanding anti-Catholic prejudices. The church has determined 'Covid' to be a fake plague no more dangerous than the flu and that the measures being used for the first time in history to 'combat it' are Satanically-inspired and contravene New Testament scripture - by design. Meanwhile, we all await the ultimate kingdom of God, where there is no sickness or dyingand we all get along. Romans 15:13. Likewise, Psalm 91 poetically points to the reality that we should trust in the fact that God does protect peopleeven in the midst of COVID-19. YouVersion, responsible for one of the most popular Bible Apps, reported an 80 percent increase in search during the pandemic, totaling 600 million worldwide. Pox Americana: The Great Smallpox Epidemic of 1775-82 (New York: Hill and Wang, 2001). Do not seek your own good, but the good of the other person.. You can opt out at any time. I stay close to God through prayer and reflection. But our citizenship is in heaven. Life is precious and the sanctity of life is at the core of all divine purpose, the missive states. Instead of taking a position, he offered balanced counsel and argued for the individual to make a decision based upon faith, whether it be to receive inoculation or not, and for all to entrust themselves into the Lords providential care.7 We are called to live life as God intended. One letter by a priest cites the part of the Catechism of the Catholic Church that says: God willed that man should be in the hand of his own counsel., The letter then notes the employee seeking the exemption is exercising her faculty of reason while considering Church teachings founded upon Biblical revelation.. That law mandates employers give their employees reasonable accommodation for their faiths. In July of 2020, the Marcionite Christian Church foresaw the likelihood of dangerous mandatory RNA vaccinations being administered under an emergency order and issued a Subitis Medicinae Edicto - a ban on RNA and . Compiled by The BibleStudyTools Staff While equating You shall not murder to get inoculated, he resorted to using shame and attacking the reputation of those who opposed inoculation. California, which abolished nonmedical exemptions for childhood vaccination in 2015, has led the way on covid vaccine mandates. Our royal home lies in this future world. The court didnt question the validity of the vaccine mandate, but found the way the DOE judged the requests to be legally lacking. To keep my mortal breath. Youve probably heard people say were all in the same boat to describe how COVID-19 has transformed our lives. Controversy continued in New England, and also back in London. He was rebellious at times. Coopers letter makes the case for allowing inoculation as a legitimate means to avoid suffering and preserve life. Instead of a false dilemma between faith and medical care, the emerging consensus was that one could receive the inoculation in faith, and that inoculation was a lawful and legitimate use of means to remove oneself from the harm of the smallpox. Our inflexible stands and outrage over whether to vaccinate or not break hearts, and pits people against each other and government health agencies. When I studied the beautifully written book of Job, I heard Gods answer to Jobs misery over losses in health, property, and family. For some, this will mean choosing to getting vaccinated, and for others, it will mean declining the vaccine altogether. The religious objections of some may be as simple as holding the conviction that the human body is created by God, that ones health is a matter of stewardship, and Scripture places that responsibility on the individual and not the state. This makes policing religious exemptions to vaccination hard - and rightly so. Mather convinced one doctor by the name of Zabdiel Boylston to begin inoculations. Inoculation Controversy: Cotton Mather, Jonathan Edwards, and John Newton It should be noted that liberty of conscience was recognized as being granted by God, and that it did not proceed from the state. Whereas, Almighty God hath created the mind free; that all attempts to influence it bytemporal punishment, or burthens, or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits ofhypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of ourreligion, who, being Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it bycoercions on either, as was in his Almighty power to do . This epidemic would take 844 lives before it came to an end. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him "unclean."'" Those who mandate vaccines give little room for liberty of conscience. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body (Philippians 3:20-21). In the incredible wonder, beauty, and complexity of creation, there is chaos. Megachurch pastors, televangelists, conservative media commentators and social media influencers have far more power over ordinary evangelical Christians than those local pastors who encourage their congregations to consider that God works through science. The former should seem to require the strongest faith of the two. While this fear of Catholics was mostly rhetorical in nature, there were a few moments of violence. Nay, I shall praise him for you both. All told, some 12,000 municipal workers and an untold number of nonprofit employees have submitted religious or medical exemption letters, according to city records as of Nov. 11, the latest date available. Number one, the currently sanctioned vaccines for Covid-19 interfere with the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) [19] in an essential way which impacts the body-soul unity. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Is It Ok for Christians to Follow Zodiac Signs? Another letter, by a Manhattan-based Baptist pastor, says the church ministry does not support the mandate and erroneously stated that the vaccines ingredients creates possibility of long-term adverse effects such as COVID-19.. [3] Elizabeth A. Fenn. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Multiple studies throughout the world have shown the vaccine greatly reduces the likelihood of contracting COVID as well as the risks of hospitalization from serious ailments and death. In matters that are unspecified by Gods Word, the Christian is to consider the teachings of Scripture, and remember that all things must proceed from faith and be done for the glory of God. What Is the Meaning of Psalm 91 and Why Is it Popular? Who Are the Four Horsemen in Revelation? Meanwhile, a Nov. 28 ruling by a federal appellate court will allow 15 Department of Education employees whose religious exemption requests were denied to reapply. Various religious doctrines direct people to take care of their bodies. The use of aborted human life at early stage of existence for scientific research violates my faith, beliefs, and biblical values.. I honor my body in these ways. Government and medical entities recommend vaccinations to slow its course. Getting the vaccine is something to pray about, to discern Gods will for your life and our collective life on this planet. Christians and the general public are divided on the need for vaccines to prevent illness, particularly regarding the vaccine for COVID-19. This was passed by the General Assembly on January 16, 1786, and served as a forerunner to the First Amendments protection of religious liberty. In the NYPD, 6,170 officers filed exemption applications, 1,850 in the FDNY, 550 at the Human Resources Administration and Department of Social Services, and 380 at the Department of Environmental Protection, according to city records. or make a one-time gift. Fear is the one emotion God doesn't want to overtake us; because when we . 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 Spirit's dwelling. God Takes Your Hand to Comfort Your Fears and Help You Edwards daughter Esther, who was also inoculated, died shortly after her father. How strange is it, that when we think we can do thegreater, we should be so awkward and unskillful when we aim at theless! If conscience does not permit you to receive the vaccine, seek to learn your options about a religious exemption. This is a good case . Staffers do not need to belong to a specific religious group but must prove they have sincerely held religious beliefs that go against the vaccine mandate. 8 Of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcasses ye shall not touch; they are unclean unto you. Meanwhile, the Omicron variant looms. The controversy surrounding the Covid-19 vaccine has been monumental, with conspiracy theories abounding. Instead of receiving inoculation, Massey argued that one should trust the Lord. Newtons application of the doctrine of liberty of conscience is gracious and charitable, and it is far from where we are today. Most have their human resources department decide, while others have put in place panels to review the requests. Salem Media Group. Edmund Massey, A sermon against the dangerous and sinful practice of inoculation (London: Angel in Cornhill, 1722). Many Catholics currently find themselves faced with a COVID vaccine mandate of one sort or another. In matters that are unspecified by God's Word, the Christian is to consider the teachings of Scripture, and remember that all things must proceed from faith and be done for the glory of God. We are living in a time of uncertainty. No major religion has come out in opposition to the COVID-19 vaccines. I care for the work of Gods hands(Isaiah 64:8) as a steward to my small part of creation. Amid this flux of ideas, what hasnt changed is the Bibles advice regarding the care of our bodies. With this covenant, He is focusing on their life and status in the land. Substantial Rehabilitations Could Help Explain Why. By Amy Sokolow. This would result with the inoculated patient being sickened, though usually with a less severe case of the smallpox. However, if ones application of Scripture, wisdom, and conscience leads one to decline a particular medical treatment, this is an application of the doctrine of liberty of conscience. According to religious studies scholars from the College of Liberal Arts, this group's justification for not getting vaccinated lies in . (Psalm 55:22) Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. Joe provided Sony with multiple handwritten pages of scripture and bible verses Sony did not have time to read all the bible verses and told Joe he needed to "get over it" Joe became very upset, demanded that he be exempt from the requirement to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and went to a customer's house to sell televisions every morning before breakfast, and pray it over until the cure is effected. We hope these verses encourage you and provide comfort, regardless of where youre at today. 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. 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. The unnamed staffer is fulfilling her obligation to religious obligation to morality, the letter contends. The New Covenant promise found in the Old Testament, made through Jesus, isnt about a nation. In the early 19th-century United States, biblical interpretation became more free-wheeling and individualistic. Does the Pandemic Still Affect Church Attendance? Two major problems with granting religious exemptions to vaccine mandates are that they are very hard to police, and that they are routinely gamed. The verse says, Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. This is a passage that many people who are battling fear, anxiety and depression turn to. The Prophet wrote about our human temple of God with the words of Psalm 139:14: "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." According to The New York Times, millions of white evangelical adults in the United States don't intend to be vaccinated against COVID-19.This poses many challenges to battling the virus, including the prevention of herd immunity. Perhaps you keep up with news about the COVID pandemic, shifting daily. During Jesus ministry on earth, someone in the crowd asked him for advice on eating meat offered to pagan idols. As questions of conscience continued with this debate, John Newton wrote a letter of pastoral counsel addressing the ethics of whether or not one should receive inoculation. The most common verses came from 1. We know this from our friends and loved ones personal experiences with modern medicine in addition to published research reports. What Is the Significance of Not the Letter but of the Spirit? 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. Jesus, in this statement, taught his followers that a pure heart does not condemn other peoples choices about whatever is ingested (including medicine) into their bodies. Though ones interpretation of Scripture and medical data might shape ones decision on whether or not to receive inoculation, the decision must still be made in light of ones conscience. After studying Job, I read the book of the weeping prophet Jeremiah, who stated, Heal me and I shall be healed(Jeremiah 17:4). 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 . YouVersion founder Bobby Gruenewald said, Through every hardship, people continue to seek God and turn to the Bible for strength, peace and hope. These top searched Bible verses during the pandemic offer hope in some of the toughest circumstances, and we can be thankful for that. Due to medical studies, there have been enormous advances in healing; however, many medical procedures and medicines come with a high-risk factor. The Department of Health also participates in cases involving medical accommodation requests. Those staffers whose names were redacted are also covered by the vaccine mandate. Nonprofits are handling the exemption requests in varying ways. If I did venture, and the outcome should not be favorable, I would blame myself for having attempted to take the management out of the Lords hands into my own, which I never did yet in other matters, without finding I am no more able than I am worthy to choose for myself. Eric Kruszewski . A Christian student at the University of Alabama-Birmingham has challenged the university's mandatory vaccine policy after being blocked from registering for classes this semester despite having been allowed to register past semesters with no vaccinations. By the time Protestants started forming settlements in North America, there were distinctly Anglican, Presbyterian, Anabaptist, Lutheran and Quaker reading of the Bible. Scriptures can help us to make sense of the confusion we see around us with people in fear of the Coronavirus. If there was ever a great opportunity for cherry-pickingusing Gods Word in a way that supports your ideas or lifethis is it. employee regarding their sincerely[-]held religious beliefs or practices. Im very troubled by religious exemptions, Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis. Almost all the responses from SDPD staff reviewed by KPBS included references to specific Bible verses to justify not taking the COVID-19 vaccine. People have to prove that the mandate somehow targets their religion in order to be exempt from the requirement. . If you lost your jobLook at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Impact Report, Many people believe it means that if we, as Christians in this country, start to pray, things will get better, leading to peace and prosperity. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. [4] William Cooper. I've seen 1 Corinthians 6:19 quoted in countless vaccine exemption requests. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. One of the reasons many people find comfort in this passage is that it offers God's promises. So Jesus is our coronavirus vaccine and mask. Please reach out if you need to talk to someone today. 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