Talk of a COVID-19 vaccine surfaced even when the first shutdowns began in early spring of 2020. Some were deathly scared of the virus and knew they would obtain vaccination early as possible. Others out of mistrust and apprehension swore they would never get it. As of now, in May of 2021 many still have not been vaccinated. Those of course, include determined holdouts but also people on the fence.
In talking to people on the fence I find there are a variety of concerns. Some anticipate government restrictions and the implementation of vaccine passports and ponder whether they should get the vaccine before those sorts of things go into effect. Others hear rhetoric from people saying that getting vaccinated equates to loving one’s neighbor. I have never heard that rhetoric in the past in respect to other vaccines such as the flu which the CDC estimates that up to 61,000 die from each year.
In terms of loving, one’s neighbor, this assumes that an unvaccinated person in public causes people to contract the virus. Going back to the flu, I have never heard this rhetoric used against people who chose not to get the flu vaccine. If we are going to speak in terms of loving one’s neighbor, I would sooner cite the importance of washing one’s hands before preparing food for guests or refraining from shaking someone’s hand that they just used to wipe their nose with.
Going back to the loving one another correlation to getting vaccinated, I wander if this is even a loving statement at all which sadly comes from clergy members. The presumption is that an unvaccinated person in public places causes people to extract COVID-19 when there is no empirical proof. How can we legitimately place guilt on someone without determining fault? That does not seem very loving, after all, our country was built up on the premise that we are innocent until proven guilty. In our country’s history there have been few instances in which the government has regulated the way people have managed their health.
Not only that, but I also find it deeply concerning that members of the clergy are waying in on this matter publicly in the way some have as mentioned. The only thing that should be said from the pulpit is that this is a matter of conscience considering that scripture does not specify the means for us to mind our health nor conclude the way in which we do so affects our neighbor.
Paul extensively discusses the need for us to respect the practices of others in Romans 14. In verse 13, he said not to put a stumbling block in the way of another brother. In 1 Corinthians 8:13 He drives home this point further and shows the dire consequences of disrespecting a person’s conscience ~ Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. With that said, we can presume that two people decide differently about getting vaccinated but in their own hearts are honoring God and in turn glorifying Him. Many people though, are finding themselves in situations often social in nature where they are pressured to get vaccinated. The important thing to remember is that we should not feel that we need to compromise our conscious for it says in Romans 14:23 ~ But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
Despite freedom of conscience, to honor God we must make every effort to tie our conscious to the Bible. As Martin Luther put it in the 1521 Diet of Worms, “my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.”
Finally, we must remain vigilant and pray about this matter. There’s pressure amongst family members, neighbors, schools, various community groups, and businesses to pressure people into obtaining the vaccine. Most concerning is the potential for the Federal, State, and Local governments to weigh in on our consciences as some have already done. Our Founding Fathers established a system that promoted individual sovereignty with a government that had a limited and defined role which coincided which the Biblical model for civil government. Considering how the COVID-19 situation has been handled and the potential for abuse regarding the vaccine, one might wonder if our government officials have disregarded their intended servant role.
In His Image 