Can You Refuse Based on Religious Exemption?
Bear with me, folks. I’m going to give you the short answer, because that’s likely what you came here for…but then we’re going to have to dig deep. I need to you to really be aware of what you’re doing if you’re considering playing this card. This is about so much more than this one shot.
Whether you choose to get the Vaccine or not, I will leave up to you. Please do your research FULLY and not based on social media, talk with your medical providers, and make the best decision for your family and circumstances.
First of all, some of you may be wondering why can you even THINK about claiming a religious exemption to the Covid-19 Vaccine…maybe you already know, maybe you don’t…vaccine makers can use fetal cell lines fetal cell lines – cells grown in a laboratory based on aborted fetal cells collected generations ago – during the research and development phases, and during production & manufacturing. I won’t try to regurgitate the details, but I would recommend THIS ARTICLE from Nebraska Medicine, as it breaks things down quite simply in terms of the Covid-19 Vaccine in relation to Fetal Cell lines derived from abortions.
Absolutely you can play the religion card. But you need to make darn sure you mean it and aren’t just trying to make a point. If you’re trying to make a social or political statement, do that. Make THAT stand. That’s an entirely different topic that, frankly, I’m not even going to touch. If you REALLY don’t want the vaccine for religious reasons, make sure you mean it…
Let’s talk about WHY you need to mean it: personally, legally, and morally.
Don’t Minimalize Religion and Faith.
When non-Christians use Christianity to defend an action or inaction, it minimized the impact of the Gospel and our beliefs.
When an practicing Christian who may or may not feel God leading them to do or not do something uses their faith as an argument, and their life is not a testimony of that argument, it minimizes the impact of the Gospel and our beliefs.
If you use a Pro-Life argument to refuse to do something, and you are not actually pro-life (what does your social media tell us about that?), you minimize the impact of the gospel, our beliefs, and the work of pro-life advocates.
If it truly violates your moral and religious conscious to be vaccinated, please speak with your pastor, elder, or spiritual mentor. Pray over this decision. Have a private conversation with your employer, by appointment, and be prepared to support your decision with scripture and medical facts. Do your research, and back up your beliefs.
Need I go on?
Look outside of your self and make this a simple open and shut argument just for today.
You’re Employer Does Not Necessarily Have to Take You at Your Word.
They can simply take you at your word and carry on.
They DO have to comply with OSHA and any other laws, mandates, etc.
They DO have to consider the rest of their employees, customers, visitors, etc.
They can ask for more details.
Read more here, but yes…you CAN lose your job…
It’s important to bear in mind that if your employer mandates COVID-19 vaccinations, your religious objection, no matter how sincerely held, is no guarantee that you can keep your job. The employer is obligated to try to find a way to keep you at work unvaccinated, but whether that’s possible depends on what you do.
Jon Healey, LA Times
The Moral Argument
You only need read this section if you can’t honestly and sincerely claim a religious exemption. and yet still intend to use this argument to make things easier for yourself. And, really, if you got past my personal argument, the moral argument likely won’t make much difference.
If you don’t actually believe in the claim you’re making, don’t use it. If you want to have any kind of reputation that people will trust later, make sure that you are honest with your self, your coworkers, and your employers.
Please, read the parable of the shrewd manager in Luke 16:1-15
The Parable of the Shrewd Manager
Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’
“The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg—I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
“So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
“ ‘Nine hundred gallons or about 3,000 liters of olive oil,’ he replied.
“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’
“Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’
“ ‘A thousand bushels or about 30 tons of wheat,’ he replied.
“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.
Luke 16-1-16
Ok. I got through it. Hope it wasn’t too harsh.😅😅 Love you all. Basically, don’t be a jerk. If you believe it, use it and be prepared to stand up for yourself. If you don’t, well, don’t. Ok? Got it?
See ya next week – we’re gonna talk about that Texas Bill because this wasn’t quite heavy enough, right? 😫😫. If you want to see how I feel about that, be sure to subscribe to #FaithFriday Posts
Much Love to you and yours!
Cindi
Self proclaimed Godmother of the Messy Bun Mafia.
Sources for this post:
https://www.bible.com/bible/111/LUK.16.NIV
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-09-23/religious-exemption-covid-vaccine-explained
