As I wrote in the other thread, religious exemptions are available all across the country if one can prove her claim--as is the case with all the other vaccine mandates.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/2021 02:27AM by Lot's Wife.

A lot of nurses have pointed out that vaccinations have always been required of them -- both at nursing school entry and before they begin clinicals. Perhaps the profession has a religious exemption for those vaccinations as well, although no one has stated that.

Many church leaders are rational and responsible when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic, encouraging members to follow public health advice. For example, leaders in the Mennonite Church of Canada recently stated that rationale for exemptions must be indicated in their scriptures (and it isn’t). They also cite the paramount biblical teaching to love one’s neighbour as being embodied by getting vaccinated to help prevent spread of disease.

I like my religion to make sense. :)

Article:

On October 1, 2021: “Mennonite Church Canada’s executive ministers released a statement responding to inquiries from constituents regarding exemption from COVID-19 vaccines.”

https://canadianmennonite.org/noexemptions

“The message, signed by Doug Klassen (Mennonite Church Canada), Garry Janzen (MC B.C.), Tim Wiebe-Neufeld (MC Alberta), Ryan Siemens (MC Saskatchewan), Michael Pahl (MC Manitoba) and Leah Reesor-Keller (MC Eastern Canada), states the following:

“For a religious exemption to be granted, rationale for exemption must be clearly indicated within our sacred texts or confessional statements.

“We wish to clarify that there is nothing in the Bible, in our historic confessions of faith, in our theology or in our ecclesiology that justifies granting a religious exemption from vaccinations against COVID-19.

“We have heard concerns from some members of our constituency regarding the vaccines. However, we do not believe these concerns justify an exemption from COVID-19 vaccinations on religious grounds from within a Mennonite faith tradition.

“From the earliest biblical writings, in the words of Jesus Christ and in ecclesial writings since Jesus’ ascension, the command to love God and love our neighbour is paramount. Vaccinations allow us to live out this command. Not only do they reduce the severity of symptoms for those who become infected with COVID-19, but they reduce the risk of spreading the virus to those around us. We also note that individuals should make personal health care decisions based on advice given by their doctors.”



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/2021 12:59PM by Nightingale.

The legal incorporation of the First Amendment so it applies to the states cuts multiple ways.

No law prohibiting the free exercise of religion. Maybe the backdoor to setting reasonable limits on this is better legal clarification of what constitutes religion and what does not.

Is personal belief alone sufficient to be religion?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Gedanken_sind_frei
While thoughts are free, there are bounds when thoughts become action/inaction?

Inaction that endangers others--I don't like legislating that path either.

I would draw the line where we as humans lose control. We don't consciously control our exposure to virus/bacteria as we pass through regular life, or even when unconsciously exposed, what can infect us. We don't consciously control what we shed/exhale to others.

While there are steps people proactively take to improve control, such as in hospitals, that's not what we all do or want to do regularly.

So that is where my thinking lies in where the boundary is between religion and law.

dogbloggernli Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Maybe the backdoor to setting reasonable limits on
> this is better legal clarification of what
> constitutes religion and what does not.

> Is personal belief alone sufficient to be
> religion?

Good questions. I came across a blog today that discusses this. The short answer is No, personal belief is not necessarily a recognized religious exemption.

From the blog:

"One’s religious beliefs must be based on an established religious practice that prevents one from receiving the vaccination in question. In this regard, religious exemptions cannot be a personal belief – it must be grounded in established religious practices. This was confirmed by British Columbia’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner when the B.C. government announced their new B.C. Vaccine Card. The B.C. Commissioner made clear that a personal desire not to get vaccinated is not protected by the British Columbia Human Rights Code."

https://www.ccpartners.ca/blog/details/the-employers-edge/2021/09/23/so-you-think-you-re-exempt-discussing-ontario-s-medical-and-religious-exemptions-from-covid-19-vaccination?utm_source=Mondaq&utm_medium=syndication&utm_campaign=LinkedIn-integration


> I would draw the line where we as humans lose
> control. We don't consciously control our exposure
> to virus/bacteria as we pass through regular life,
> or even when unconsciously exposed, what can
> infect us. We don't consciously control what we
> shed/exhale to others.

I think we have a chance to control at least some of this. Currently, many of us (hopefully most) *do* consciously control our exposure to COVID-19/variants by observing preventive measures such as wearing masks, avoiding crowds, washing our hands regularly and, the big one, getting vaccinated. This can indeed help us when we are "unconsciously exposed".

Too, I think we most certainly *do* control what we "shed/exhale to others" by implementing the same measures as above: vaccination, masking, distancing, personal hygiene (clean hands, disinfection as appropriate, etc).

Over 4,000 employees of the state of WA applied for religious exemptions, despite the fact there is no religion that has come out against vaccinations. Even the Christian Scientists who go to jail for not seek ring life saving medical treatment for their kids, supports vaccinations.
In the case of my Covidiot co-workers who applied for religious exemptions, all 3 of them were granted, but all three were also fired because no accommodations could be found for them that would allow them to not interact with the public.
Now the work they were performing, falls on the shoulders of those of us who accept science and the experts.
Society is undergoing a fundamental shift.
This will be interesting.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/thousands-of-washington-state-workers-seek-exemptions-from-covid-19-vaccine-mandate/

https://youtu.be/zGBXA1tBiLw

Franz List, Totentanz
Valentina Lisitsa, Piano

I feel sorry for the medical staff who will fight to save the lives of these idiots.

There's no "freedom," religious or otherwise, that gives you the right to infect and kill others.

That's like saying the Taliban or DAESH have "religious" freedom to be suicide bombers because their "faith" compels them to kill infidels.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/2021 01:55PM by anybody.

I guess we are all Bolsheviks now. Draconian demonization is the point, not vaccination. What that means is that the revolution will succeed. See you in the gulag.

bradley Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Draconian demonization is the point, not vaccination.

Really? I confess to some surprise because it isn't people who refuse vaccination that are getting beaten up in restaurants and coffee shops; it isn't anti-vaccination advocates who are being threatened in school board meetings.

It's time for the victimizers to stop pretending to be victims.

Who appointed that judge ?

Bill Clinton. 1999.

California does not have religious exemptions. They were dropped in 2015 if I read correctly, when the measles outbreaks were happening in CA.

Personally, I agree with the CA law. There should be no religious exemptions, only medical exemptions. People just gum up the works by inventing a sham "religious objection".

https://fsi.stanford.edu/news/narrowing-vaccination-exemption-laws-lessons-california-and-beyond

I was in the classroom for more than 20 years. One of the duties of a classroom teacher is to monitor and update students' cumulative records each year, including their vaccination records. So teachers have eyes on this every year. During my career, I can only remember one parent claiming the religious exemption to vaccinations. Let's say there were no more than three total. So that would be less than one percent of parents claiming the exemption. Most parents (wisely) get their children vaccinated.

The funny thing is that I knew that parent fairly well. And I knew that she was not a church-goer.

Church ATtenDANCE will increase. Just watch!

The dance will be at ten
Be there or be square

Even Mormons might have a hard time with religious exemptions as their leaders have encouraged the vaccine, with Nelson being shown getting his shot.