Sheep Saved by Bible thumpers
https://old.reddit.com/r/NoNewNormal/comments/p1ypae/im_a_university_student_who_experienced_a_legal/Edit: removed name of college for my own safety
Brief background: I go to [redacted], which was technically allowing exemptions, but not “accepting” any. I sent over seven different attempts this summer, and all were rejected with no reason given. A group of students was able to get in contact with Liberty Counsel, an Evangelical legal non-profit. I sent the attorney all of my correspondence with [redacted], and the letter of mine that they used to include me in their a case against [redacted] was as follows (the other letters have worked for my friends at other universities, but for those facing strict mandates, Liberty Counsel easily worked with this letter) :
My personal religious beliefs prohibit the injection of foreign substances into my body. The Bible teaches that we shall keep the blood pure, and keep the seed from being mixed. When genetic materials from bacteria, viruses, yeast, animals, birds, and other humans are injected during vaccination, the blood is contaminated, and genetic changes occur. God warned against this. To do so would violate the teachings of the Bible. My objection to this vaccination is based on my deeply held religious beliefs.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccinations, while not using morally compromised cell lines in the design, development, or production of the vaccine, utilized a confirmatory test employing the morally compromised HEK293 cell line in order to test the efficacy of both vaccines. The HEK-293 cell line is derived from human embryonic kidney cells harvested from an aborted fetus. Thus, both vaccines are connected to the initial evil of abortion by utilizing fetal tissue in the testing process, and to take either vaccine would support the belief that abortion is acceptable, a belief that strongly contradicts my deeply held religious convictions.
The AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccination are even more morally compromised. The HEK-293 cell line was used in the design, development, and production stages of the AstraZeneca vaccine, as well as for confirmatory testing. The PER.C6 cell line, which was developed using retinal cells from an 18-week-old aborted fetus, was used in the design, development, and production stages of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, as well as for confirmatory testing.
My personal religious beliefs hold abortion to be against the will of God. “Thou shalt not kill”, Scripture tells us in Exodus 20:13.
I would like to point out at this time that the official Vatican position on COVID-19 vaccines can be found in its entirety here, and states: 5. At the same time, practical reason makes evident that vaccination is not, as a rule, a moral obligation and that, therefore, it must be voluntary. In any case, from the ethical point of view, the morality of vaccination depends not only on the duty to protect one's own health, but also on the duty to pursue the common good. In the absence of other means to stop or even prevent the epidemic, the common good may recommend vaccination, especially to protect the weakest and most exposed. Those who, however, for reasons of conscience, refuse vaccines produced with cell lines from aborted fetuses, must do their utmost to avoid, by other prophylactic means and appropriate behavior, becoming vehicles for the transmission of the infectious agent. In particular, they must avoid any risk to the health of those who cannot be vaccinated for medical or other reasons, and who are the most vulnerable.
I Corinthians 6:19 tells us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Vaccines contain neurotoxins, hazardous substances, attenuated viruses, animal parts, foreign DNA, albumin from human blood, carcinogens, and chemical wastes that are proven harmful to the body. Injection of these substances violates the word of God, and subsequently my religious beliefs.
I would also like to point out that I have not received any vaccination since coming of age and assuming full control over my own medical decisions.
For the reasons outlined above, I will continue to exercise my right to exemption from vaccination according to my religious beliefs.