The most common verses came from 1. In addition, the following articles may offer more encouragement for all to remember as we face the trials of COVID-19 together: Discover Bible verses about Coronavirus related topics in this collection of scripture quotes. 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. The three nurses unsuccessfully argued the mandate did not give enough latitude to people who argue their religious beliefs should exempt them. Scriptures can help us to make sense of the confusion we see around us with people in fear of the Coronavirus. It was ascribed to by both Christians and Deists, and was foundational to Thomas Jeffersons authorship of theVirginia Statute of Religious Freedom. Some others they cite include Salem Radio host and author Eric Metaxas, the Liberty Counsel and Tennessee megachurch leader Greg Locke, to name a few. [Over 110,000 readers rely on The Conversations newsletter to understand the world. These preachers built followers around innovative readings of the Scriptures. They dont have the capacity to go back and forth, she said. 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. 10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that swarm in the waters, and of all the living creatures that are in the . However, it is not easy to understand Gods Word. I have worked on my health with the great help of a medical community. The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Sign up and get the latest stories from THE CITY delivered to your inbox each morning, COVID Vaccine Religious Exemption Letters Show Battle of Faith vs. Science. As workplaces have begun to require COVID-19 vaccinations for employees, some Catholic institutions insist that conscience exemptions are necessary. My faith became stronger due to praying and searching for an answer to this popular question. Other popular passages include Psalm 30:2: Lord, I called to you for help, and you healed me.; 1 Corinthians 6:19: Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit?; and Leviticus 17:11: For the life of a creature is in the blood.. One particular fringe theory arose out of evangelical apocalypticism: that the Covid-19 vaccine is the "mark of the beast"a sign of the end times and a symbol of alignment with the Antichrist. Ill go and come, It feels as if this vaccine was developed overnight, but in fact scientists have been studying and working with messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, the basis for the COVID-19 vaccine, for decades. Over 94% of the close to 400,000 city workers were vaccinated as of early November. It is Christlike to stick to your own prayer-guided convictions. One of the few ways to avoid the tyrannical Covid measures being imposed on the public is through the use of religious exemptions. We see through this verse that Gods love for us is unconditional. This goes against our religious belief and religious teaching, the letter states without elaborating. Again, the idea that most people die "with" COVID-19 rather than "of" COVID-19 is a conspiracy theory that arose last summer. Yet another letter writer wraps medical misinformation in a cloak of religious belief.. Im very troubled by religious exemptions, Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis. 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. Government agencies have a lot of leeway when it comes to enforcing a vaccine mandate, under case law. In total, 1,422 of the requests had been approved and 1,710 had been denied as of Nov. 28, said Mitch Schwartz, a City Hall spokesperson. 6. Leviticus 11:10-11. 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. How can we use this teaching to determine what does the Bible say about vaccines? Last month, a federal appeals panel upheld New York States vaccine mandate for health care workers. During this period, the United States also grew more democratic. Ill inoculate you with this; and a pox to you.3 You are not your own; you were bought at a price. You can join the F.A.M. According to YouVersion, 2 Chronicles 7:14 moved up to the number three spot. Many Catholics currently find themselves faced with a COVID vaccine mandate of one sort or another. 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 . 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. We find purpose in activities that benefit others. The Bible also has something to say about a government mandating vaccines for everyone. Conscience concerns. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. 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. 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. Regardless of these differences, decisions should be grounded in faith, and with trust in the Lord for whatever the outcome may be. No matter where you find yourself today, we hope one of these verses reaches you in your exact situation and season. Some of us are living in extreme fear, and others are unburdened by the threat of health issues. The unnamed staffer is fulfilling her obligation to religious obligation to morality, the letter contends. . Hast thou not givn thy word, This verse has been a mantra for me since I was diagnosed with a severe health problem in middle age, pre-COVID. It is about people who have faith in God. 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. Barrier on What Does the Bible Say About Coronavirus: Is it a Sign of the End Times? Today this American approach to reading and the interpreting the Bible is front and center in the arguments made by evangelical Christians seeking religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccination mandates. Everything is lawful, but not everything builds others up. He caricatured those who were fierce Enemies to Inoculation as Children of the Wicked one. Instead of being associated with such persons, he argued for his audience to join with such worthy persons as himself and the other pastors who supported inoculation, which included Solomon Stoddard of Northampton. (Psalm 55:22) Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. Pharisees protested when Jesus healed on the sabbath. 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. We have more compassion and willingness to listen to other sick people. We can easily select and interpret Bible verses that agree with our individual mindsets regarding vaccines. Our inflexible stands and outrage over whether to vaccinate or not break hearts, and pits people against each other and government health agencies. 7 And the swine, because he parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, but - cheweth not the cud, he is unclean unto you. Did God Send the Coronavirus as a Biblical Plague from Revelation? The Lord has blessed Ben and his wife Ricki with three children whom they are homeschooling. God answered Job with a lengthy speech on His creation. What Is the Significance of Not the Letter but of the Spirit? In all its splendor, Solomons temple in Jerusalem housed the Spirit of God. I honor my body in these ways. Mather also faced violence as a bomb was thrown through the window of his house on November 13, 1721, with the attached note: Cotton Mather, you dog, dam[n] you! Vaccines violate our ability to follow the teachings of the Bible. Eric Kruszewski . cxxi. Religious freedom is a core value in the United States. or make a one-time gift. However, the Bible does give us great direction on being good stewards. Nor fear to die, That law mandates employers give their employees reasonable accommodation for their faiths. Democratic Gov. California, which abolished nonmedical exemptions for childhood vaccination in 2015, has led the way on covid vaccine mandates. (Pro 3:4-6)' 'Seek ye first the Kingdom of G-d and His righteousness. Reading and praying on the verses below may expand your understanding of Gods intentions regarding our bodily health and the role of vaccines. While equating You shall not murder to get inoculated, he resorted to using shame and attacking the reputation of those who opposed inoculation. Yes! 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. While this fear of Catholics was mostly rhetorical in nature, there were a few moments of violence. However, few company leaders have . Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. To make a credible argument against the vaccine mandate, an employee would have to prove they do not take those drugs and many others, the legal experts said. THE CITY obtained several religious exemption requests filed by nonprofit employees contracted by the city. 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.. It is also worth noting that there are important differences between todays COVID vaccines, and the historic practice of inoculation through which one would be infected with a live virus. There is still much to creation we cant control in the present time. With that in mind, let us look three centuries backward to review how the church responded to the smallpox inoculation controversy of 1721. First, quick development of the COVID-19 vaccine does not mean it is unsafe. Although everyone has had different experiences navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, we are always happy to provide emotional or spiritual support when needed. Government and medical entities recommend vaccinations to slow its course. 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. [6.] As Psalm 119:11 reminds us, "I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.". The same year that Cotton Mather began inoculations in Boston, his father Increase Mather published a pamphlet entitledSeveral Reasons Proving that Inoculating or Transplanting the Small Pox is a Lawful Practice, and that it has been Blessed by GOD for the Saving of Many a Life.2In this work the elder Mather sought to discredit the death of an inoculation patient, and argued that inoculation was a way of keeping the sixth commandment. According to Dr. Roger Barrier on Crosswalk.com, "Jesus often described the End Times as being birth pangs. Just as labor pains grow stronger and closer together, God will allow escalation in trials of all kinds to bring men to Christ. The Bible Gateway site also noticed an increase in verses related to government authority go up at least 50 times the average during the Election. The Bible does not instruct us as to whether or not one should receive a vaccine, but it is clear when it comes to the doctrine of the liberty of conscience. In reading multiple sermons and letters from this period, opposing sides of the inoculation debate would manipulate Scripture to advocate for their position, sometimes with both sides using the sixth commandment to argue their case. Fear became the top search in the first few months of the pandemic, justice was popular in the spring and healing continued to trend throughout the year. Matthew 18:1-4, and Matthew 19:13-15 are just a few verses that illustrate the aforementioned children as blessings from God that are valued and loved by him, Impact Report, Philippe Lissac/Godong/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, built followers around innovative readings of the Scriptures, destroyed two of the citys Catholic churches, Committee Member - MNF Research Advisory Committee, PhD Scholarship - Uncle Isaac Brown Indigenous Scholarship, Associate Lecturer, Creative Writing and Literature. Information on statistics, affected populations, government interventions, health system exhaustion, and concerned citizen protests have become part of our media landscape and conversations for the past two years. Jesus replied, addressing this topic of putting questionable agents into our bodies: "Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, 'Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. Options for the sacrilegious. No major religion has come out in opposition to the COVID-19 vaccines. The Apologetic Value of the Christian Story, will refuse AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, while choosing Pfizer or Moderna, or rejecting them altogether. The views of the Bible proclaimed from the pulpits of formally educated clergy in established denominations gave way to a more free-wheeling and populist understanding of the scriptures that was often dissociated from such authoritative communities. Edmund Massey, A sermon against the dangerous and sinful practice of inoculation (London: Angel in Cornhill, 1722). 359 N. 4th Street, San Jose, California 95112 | 1-800-SAL-ARMY | Privacy Policy | The Salvation Army Western Territory. Among those who were inoculated, the mortality rate dropped to 2 percent.1Though inoculation protected most of those who received it, this success came at the price of human life, as a few of those who were sickened through inoculation died. Isaiah 41:10 says, So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. In fact, Biden's heavy-handed action threatens to increase vaccine hesitancy rather than persuade the unvaccinated to comply with the order. The court didnt question the validity of the vaccine mandate, but found the way the DOE judged the requests to be legally lacking. 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. Small differences over how to interpret the Bible often resulted in the creation of new sects such as the Latter Day Saints, the Restorationists (Disciples of Christ and Churches of Christ), Adventists and various evangelical offshoots of more longstanding denominations such as Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists and Quakers. If I could devise a means to avoid the trouble, I know not how great a loser I may be in point of grace and comfort. The site, Bible Gateway, shared similar search trends. If I am to have the small-pox, I believe he is the best judge of the season and manner in which I shall be visited, so as may be most for his glory and my own good; and therefore I choose to wait his appointment, and not to rush upon even the possibility of danger without a call. So Jesus is our coronavirus vaccine and mask. [4] William Cooper. As these questions come to the forefront, it is important that we consider how the church has applied Scripture to navigate similar issues in the past. 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 The COVID-19 vaccine has been scientifically proved to save lives, but for a select group of people in the religious realm, a more important matter is at stake - eternal salvation.. As the delta variant of the coronavirus spreads, many Americans resist COVID-19 vaccines, some citing the uncertainty of long-term side effects, others lacking trust in the medical field. We can find strength in every situation through the power of prayer and trust in God. Some houses are buzzing with kids home from school with no activities to attend, while other homes are unbearably quiet and lonely. Pandemic-related scripture about God removing sickness received 90 times more queries than average when the lockdowns started. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Rather, I am arguing for the liberty of conscience. Pox Americana: The Great Smallpox Epidemic of 1775-82 (New York: Hill and Wang, 2001). Legal experts note that many common, over-the-counter drugs, from Tylenol to Tums, have similarly used decades-old fetal cell lines. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Others, in application of the doctrine of the sanctity of life,will refuse AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, while choosing Pfizer or Moderna, or rejecting them altogether. (Matt 6:33)' 'As a believer, it was my duty to study as a workman and show myself approved. Several reasons proving that inoculating or transplanting the small pox, is a lawful practice, and that it has been blessed by God for the saving of many a life (Boston: S. Kneeland, 1721). Very clearly the Torah says choose life.. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Other federal defense agencies have rarely granted religious exemptions for other vaccines. New York State has removed its religious exemption option for health care workers, and . If they reject the filing, city workers can appeal that decision to a panel composed of members from the Law Department, Department of Citywide Administrative Services, and New York City Commission on Human Rights. These numbers are a snapshot in time they are constantly moving as agencies process the requests, Schwartz said. The final passage worth noting as a top search is Romans 8:28, which says, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. God assures us that He is working for good in our lives. Nonprofits are handling the exemption requests in varying ways. As a smallpox epidemic arrived in Boston in the 1720s, whether or not to receive inoculation became the controversy of the hour. Reprints. Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. Luke 21:11 - And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. Proud member Nay, I shall praise him for you both. Immediately after Jesus sacrifice on the cross, the curtain in Solomons temple in Jerusalem tore in two, signifying that we were no longer separated from Gods holiness by our sins. This verse is one of the greatest examples of Gods love for us. John Price / Unsplash. Protestants believed that the former approach was more compatible with the spirit of American liberty. The New Covenant promise found in the Old Testament, made through Jesus, isnt about a nation. The doctrine of the liberty of conscience was prominent and instrumental in shaping religious liberty in the United States. 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 If conscience does not permit you to receive the vaccine, seek to learn your options about a religious exemption. What Does the Bible Say About Coronavirus: Is it a Sign of the End Times? The former should seem to require the strongest faith of the two. This fear has driven some Christians to request religious exemptions I certainly dont have the answers to solving these huge problems. Dwight provides a narrative of Edwards careful consideration of inoculation and his seeking of counsel before receiving the treatment that caused his death.5Edwards and multiple family members received the inoculation believing that it was a wise course of action, while entrusting themselves to the Lord. For some, this will mean choosing to getting vaccinated, and for others, it will mean declining the vaccine altogether. A weekly brief of our new teaching resources. As a historian of the Bible in American life, I can attest that such shallow reading in service of political and cultural agendas has long been a fixture of evangelical Christianity. (Could this be a metaphor for doctor-prescribed drugs today?). "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace by the power of the Holy Spirit." Two similar cases by New York workers trying to overturn the government mandate are pending. Betty Dunn hopes her articles help you hold hands with God, a theme in her self-published memoirMedusa. I am not a professed advocate for inoculation; but if a person who fears the Lord should tell me, I think I can do it in faith, looking upon it as a salutary expedient, which God in his providence has discovered, and which therefore appears my duty to have recourse to, so that my mind does not hesitate with respect to the lawfulness, nor am I anxious about the event; being satisfied, that whether I live or die, I am in that path in which I can cheerfully expect his blessing; I do not know that I could offer a word by way of dissuasion. Tandon v. Newsom didn't center on a traditionally hot-button issue like abortion or LGBTQ rights; it focused on COVID-19.