Update to Original Post
The following was written and scheduled to appear on Sojournal today. Since being written, section 7A of the recent order which allowed for exemptions in a fairly broad way has been revoked. Another day, another law change around here. This government has lost legitimacy.
GUEST POST – Scott Kennedy
I’ve been trying to get an exemption from the current vaccine mandates in order to be able to continue doing the job I love. Exemptions according to the recent law can be given by suitably qualified health practitioners for ‘physical or other needs‘. Unfortunately, many GPs and health practitioners are running scared as governing bodies threaten and attempt to coerce them into refusing to grant exemptions despite the fact that the law clearly allows them to do so. Then we had Chris Hipkins making up law on the fly saying that exemptions that have been granted do not count and that there will be one central exemption process and everyone will need to follow it. Again this is not what the current law requires. Handily for the government, this centralised system comes into effect for health and education workers on the same day they are required to have had their first vaccination. How convenient. I am pushing ahead trying to gain an exemption under the current law anyway. I’ve come up against a few roadblocks thus far, but will continue to seek one. My latest attempt is to write a letter explaining my religious convictions and present this to a health practitioner. Seems a bit strange considering I am more qualified than most health practitioners I know on matters theology, but there you go!
Exemption Letter
To whom it may concern,
I am seeking a religious exemption from the Pfizer covid-19 vaccine that is mandated for teachers at this time. As a Christian a follower of Christ, His Word is my highest authority, and I must act according to my faith and my conscience in all matters. Allow me to briefly outline my reasons for refusing the covid-19 vaccine.
Firstly, as a Bible-believing Christian, it is my firm conviction that I am responsible before God for what I put into my body. My body is a temple for the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19) and it belongs to God. My body has been fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:4) in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). I am a steward of that body and ultimately responsible to God for how I use it. God will judge me for the way I steward the gifts, talents, possessions and body he has given me. Therefore I must be able to make choices in these matters.
Secondly, as a Christian, I absolutely refute as unbiblical the notion that the state has a lawful right to mandate a vaccine at the threat of loss of livelihood. It is patently unjust and abhorrent. God has given the state as one governing authority among others (the family and the church), and the state as God’s servant (Romans 13:4) must act in accordance with his rules for them. They have been given a particular area of ministry before God, which according to Romans 13 is the sword of justice. Justice is defined by God’s law and not arbitrary man-made laws. In seeking to mandate this vaccine, our state has well and truly stepped outside their God-given jurisdiction into the area of my own personal self-government. Biblically, this is lawlessness, and as such is sin. It is therefore my duty as a Christian to oppose this vigorously. My body belongs to God, it has been bought with a price, and I will not render it to the state, but to God alone (Matthew 22:21).
Thirdly, it has been demonstrated that the Pfizer vaccine has been tested with cell lines that come from an aborted (murdered) baby. I do understand that testing is not the same thing as manufacture; however, there certainly are some ethical complications for me as a Christian here. It is obvious from Scripture that abortion is abhorrent and a violation of God’s law. Benefitting in some way from a murder, albeit in the distant past, does seem to me to be a questionable activity. I am still thinking through the ramifications of this and whether my conscience would allow me to be vaccinated in this case even if it was voluntary. This is my right and duty as an image bearer who must give an account to my Creator (Romans 14:12).
Finally, as more and more data is collected, it seems to me that the current vaccines are far from impressive. In my age range, the rate of Covid infection per 100,000 in a recent UK Health Security Agency report is cited as being over 2.2 times higher in vaccinated persons than unvaccinated. What this actually means is hard to say. Perhaps it is evidence of waning efficacy and potentially suppression of immune response. I don’t know, but given that there is no long-term data on this new type of vaccine, caution would seem to be the path of wisdom, and people should be able to make their own choice as to what risk they are willing to bear.
No doubt many are aware of the thalidomide scandal from the mid 20th century. In the 1950s, thalidomide was deemed safe for human use and prescribed for a variety of reasons including colds, flu, nausea and morning sickness in pregnant women. Nevertheless, despite being thought safe, it caused deformities and abnormalities in fetal development when taken by pregnant women between day 20 and 37 after conception. It’s estimated that over 10,000 babies were affected by the drug worldwide and around half died within months of being born while the rest suffered for their entire lives with the defects caused by the ‘safe and effective’ drug. Caution with new medicines, especially those produced in a hurry which have not even finished trials is wise and it is immoral of a government to force them upon a population. I know of a number of cases of people who were healthy who developed severe reactions to the vaccine and have been incapacitated, some seemingly for the long term. Given my overall health and age, it would seem to me that my risk from Covid is minimal if I do happen to get it, and on the whole the path of wisdom would be to avoid the vaccine.
These are my reasons for refusing the covid-19 Pfizer vaccine that has been mandated for teachers. Given these reasons, I am requesting an exemption which is currently available under clause 7A of the recent order (see below).
To testify to my religious convictions my pastor [name redacted] and an elder [name redacted] from my church witness to the truth of my religious convictions and my attendance at their fellowship.