Yet there are many people claiming religious exceptions to COVID-19 vaccination mandates: Two weeks after Biden announced an employer vaccine mandate, The New York Times reported that the. A recent PPRI poll found that 80% of U.S. Catholics support vaccination, with only 7% as "vaccine refusers." In . If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 5 . R Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? Jesus went around healing lepers and touched them without fear of getting leprosy, he said. Nothing new to your ears, right? W Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him "unclean."'" TopicalBible A devout evangelical Christian friend of mine recently texted to explain why he was not getting the COVID-19 vaccine. "Forty-five states. Please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.. Love does no harm to a neighbor. Our spiritual health is closely connected to our physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. In a Kaiser Family Foundation poll published last month, 28% of White adults who identify as Evangelical Christians said they definitely will not get a vaccine, 6% said they will only get. OpenBible.info Christian New Testament (1) Passages cited to support immunization S-7 . This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. 12:4). There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. Into your hand they are delivered. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. The government policing people's religion raises a number of thorny issues. Knowing how to apply them all depends on lifes situations. Scientific modeling projections say we may contain the spread of COVID more effectively if everyone is vaccinated. Ignorance may try to support skepticism by appealing to science; but instead of upholding skepticism, true science contributes fresh evidences of the wisdom and power of God. Grabenstein JD. However, the Scriptures teaches that there are natural remedies to various illnesses. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace by the power of the Holy Spirit." 8. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Romans 14:23 The Lexham English Bible (LEB) 23 But the one who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not do so from faith, and everything that is not from faith is sin. O There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. The Conversation has a variety of fascinating free newsletters. We deeply appreciate each day God gives us after a severe illness. The mark of the beast is about the distortion of Gods character of love by accepting the non-biblical teachings of Sunday sacredness and the immortality of the soul, including eternal torture in hell. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 4.First to have public health officials telling those receiving the vaccination to expect an adverse reaction. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Last updated September 1, 2021. As people read the Bible many for the first time they inevitably began to interpret it as well. 3.First time Moderna has brought any product to market. But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.. Prayerfully consider the following principles: 1. They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. So if you get sick, it's because you don't have faith in God and that you're not living a holy life, so God isn't able to protect you." In addition to spreading anti-vaccine ideology in America, this belief in the supreme authority of God has also affected vaccine efforts abroad. John Fea, Professor of American History, Messiah College, Central figure of Christianity (6 or 4 BC AD 30 or 33), Philippe Lissac/Godong/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, built followers around innovative readings of the Scriptures, destroyed two of the citys Catholic churches, Thailand's 'most beautiful transgender woman' and husband wear $580K in attire at extravagant wedding, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; 'We are coming,' sheriff says, U.S. court won't require FAA to make airplane seat size, spacing rules, Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh's new mugshot revealed after double life sentence, Rebel Wilson says she was banned from Disneyland for 30 days for taking a bathroom selfie, Chicago Weather Alert: Rain and snow on Friday, Zanesville man involved in shooting killed by return fire, Florida Gov. First observation: in Romans 3:8, some of Paul's adversaries accused him of "do [ing] evil that good may come." Paul responded to this, that it was a slanderous charge. Ellen White wisely advises: God's miracles do not always bear the outward semblance of miracles. A Reflection for the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Times. Having done all that we possibly can, we are to keep asking in faith for health and strength. God gives us no encouragement that He will do for us what we can do for ourselves.. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. There is no sickness or disease that He cannot heal. And he answered them, Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? She then quotes 2 Corinthians 7 out of context and assumes a vaccine will "contaminate" her. And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute vengeance for the covenant. A segment of the states society protested vigorously. 30 Verses to Reflect on in the Book of Hebrews. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Betty Dunn hopes her articles help you hold hands with God, a theme in her self-published memoirMedusa. For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Hindu Texts S-2 Table 1B. 10:31 NIV). For the Lord is restoring the majesty of Jacob as the majesty of Israel, for plunderers have plundered them and ruined their branches. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. Until the time is completed for which he separates himself to the Lord, he shall be holy. Jesus, in this statement, taught his followers that a pure heart does not condemn other peoples choices about whatever is ingested (including medicine) into their bodies. In the 16th century, Martin Luther and other Protestant reformers translated the Bible from an already existing Greek text into the languages of common people. These preachers built followers around innovative readings of the Scriptures. Such misinformation is connected to confusion about the mRNA basis of vaccinations against the coronavirus and SARS. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. Churches in California and North Carolina are among those now offering congregants documentation for "religious exemptions" to the COVID-19 vaccine, a practice that is legally dubious and likely ineffective, according to labor lawyers.. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. Together they lead us to God by teaching us something of the wise and beneficent laws through which He works.. And he said to them, What have I done now in comparison with you? But he answered them, You see all these, do you not? They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. After studying Job, I read the book of the weeping prophet Jeremiah, who stated, Heal me and I shall be healed(Jeremiah 17:4). For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. It is a gross misuse of Scripture to claim that taking a vaccination against COVID-19 is receiving the book of Revelations mark of the beast, and that it will change your DNA. During the 1,500-year period that the Bible was written, it did not mention anything about vaccinations because synthetic medicine has not yet been discovered yet. (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.). When large numbers of Irish and German immigrants arrived on American shores in the middle decades of the 19th century, evangelicals drew on longstanding anti-Catholic prejudices. If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body (Philippians 3:20-21). . But only the Lord of heaven can be guaranteed to preserve and restore health when He so chooses. However, it is not easy to understand Gods Word. In a poll of its members, the . There is no good medical reason to vaccinate children against COVID. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. In that regard, being vaccinated is an unselfish act aiding the well-being and protection of others. I still repeat this verse from time to time. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Bodies in good health and physical condition are a glory to the Creator. When a trumpet is blown, hear! But there is another subset of the denomination that describes . In a case that could have implications for the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, an employee has filed a complaint against the UVA Health System for refusing to exempt him from getting a flu shot . 2. I Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. Vaccine-induced immunity is acquired through the introduction of a killed or weakened form of the disease organism through vaccination. More specifically, he entrusted his disciples to . And he made for the house windows with recessed frames. Naaman had to go and wash in the River Jordan seven times to be healed of his leprosy (2 Kgs 5:1014). 3 It is interesting to note that this was true of Ephesus (just like the letter to the Ephesians). Prayers for healing and vitality do not annul the use of different remedies, surgeries, medicines, or vaccinations. The word vaccination does not occur in the Bible, as is the case with many other important health terms like vitamins, transfusion, high blood pressure, kidney transplant, injection, pills, and so on. the vaccine's protection could take the vaccine while others who, for whatever reason, might wish to forego the . The same sound rule must be applied to vaccinations: what is not prohibited is acceptable when it is in harmony with Gods revealed health principles. For he is God's servant for your good. God promised to heal him, yet the very prophet who brought the good news directed that the bandage of figs be applied to his wound. Prayers and support pour out as search and rescue operations are underway. And he said, Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. Moses grew and was educated as a noble among Egyptians (1022). Here are 10 Bible Verses about Fear and Anxiety to help combat feelings of helplessness and worry amid the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down. As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? And Jesus answered them, See that no one leads you astray. 1. And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. 1.First to use PEG (polyethylene glycol) in an injection. They brought them before the tabernacle. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Job has a whole new perspective on misfortune in his life. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 3. My dear brothers and sisters in Christ: Debates about mask mandates and required vaccinations are much in the news in light of Governor Pritzker's Executive Order seeking to slow the spread of COVID. On the contrary, based on the biblical material, we strongly recommend the practice to people who have no specific serious health preconditions. 3. Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. On the day when Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle and had anointed and consecrated it with all its furnishings and had anointed and consecrated the altar with all its utensils, the chiefs of Israel, heads of their fathers' houses, who were the chiefs of the tribes, who were over those who were listed, approached and brought their offerings before the Lord, six wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two of the chiefs, and for each one an ox. The herbs and even the medicines we take are all instruments from God to make us feel better. You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. Lets take for example the sickness of King Hezekiah. There are many Bible verses that convey that if we're saved, we are in Christ and he is in us. COVID-19 vaccines "have nothing to do with" the term "mark of the beast," according to pastors and experts. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. These activities point to vaccination when there is a need for it and it is available. This verse has been a mantra for me since I was diagnosed with a severe health problem in middle age, pre-COVID. One interpretation of this verse could be that vaccinations serve the common good. It can be verbal. What Does the Bible Say about Vaccinations? P To avoid being sick is a biblical mandate (John 10:10; 1 Cor 6:20; 3 John 2). Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. Ordinarily, this is lengthy process, which can take ten to fifteen . When I studied the beautifully written book of Job, I heard Gods answer to Jobs misery over losses in health, property, and family. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Note: Always check the context of a verse; Click the "Read Full Chapter" button next to each verse to read more. In a nationwide Associated Press survey, 40% of white born-again or evangelical Christians said they weren't likely to get vaccinated, compared with the 25% of all Americans. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord, he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. Reading and praying on the verses below may expand your understanding of God's intentions regarding our bodily health and the role of vaccines. Isaiah 54:17 says no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper. 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. Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. T And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. Z. When I ask those evangelicals who oppose vaccines how they come to their conclusions, they all seem to cite the same sources: Fox News, or a host of fringe media personalities whom they watch on cable television or Facebook. The mark of the beast is a false religious system that opposes God, His people, and His law. Chapter XV - Happiness, verse 204. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied. Check out her blog atBetty by Elizabeth Dunning and her website,www.elizabethdunning-wix.com. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. In matters that are unspecified by God's 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. Vaccination should then be applied according to our best knowledge and health conditions. The Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission compares such use to using organs from a person who was. And he said to her, Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.. While the Bible may not use the word "vaccine," it gives clear principles about medicine and handling disputes with other Christians. The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health. Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Pub. This is the great and first commandment. In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the Lord. And who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. Several examples come to mind from the biblical material. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. And he made side chambers all around. Vaccines are 100%, completely against our religion. 1. Vaccination has nothing to do with the mark of the beast or with false Babylonian teaching. Amid this flux of ideas, what hasnt changed is the Bibles advice regarding the care of our bodies. "There is no basis for a priest to issue a religious exemption to the vaccine . By: JiMoskala, for General Conference Health Ministries Department. Job could not understand why a good person like him was punished with so much misfortune. The author is NOT a scientist, nor does she claim . For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. "This mark of the beast is not a mark, a literal mark that we take in a gradual unfolding of God's plan until the end of the earth. Perhaps you keep up with news about the COVID pandemic, shifting daily. S As Michael Bird would say, "sweet mother of Melchisedec!" But, this woman isn't you. Assn., 1871), 2:377. 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. Multiple studies throughout the world have shown the vaccine greatly reduces the likelihood of contracting COVID as well as the risks of hospitalization from serious ailments and death.. One evangelical Christian staffer's religious exemption request cites the use of aborted fetal . Not as the world gives do I give to you. 5:10). Cite this page: Editor: Stephen Smith. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. Multiple positives overwhelmingly outweigh their minimal negatives and health risks. Humans also need to apply common sense to lifes problems. In the Bible there are no Mothers Against Drunk Driving groups, anti-smoking campaigns, instructions on gym classes or breathing fresh air, drinking 68 glasses of water every day, washing your hands before each meal, brushing your teeth, and so on. 7:15; 28:60; Ps. I stay close to God through prayer and reflection. Their evil . For thus the Lord said to me: I will quietly look from my dwelling like clear heat in sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. For before the harvest, when the blossom is over, and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he cuts off the shoots with pruning hooks, and the spreading branches he lops off and clears away. It was written by: John Fea, Messiah College. We are not to expect that God will work for us when we overlook basic principles of life and are negligent, biased, or lazy about implementing them. Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1905), 231, 232. Derek Rota, Nov 16, 2022 During the 1,500-year period that the Bible was written, it did not mention anything about vaccinations because synthetic medicine has not yet been discovered yet. They blame the misinterpretations of this Bible passage on social media and people . 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. As Jesus said in Luke 12:31, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you. Though it was true an emperor would be deified after he died, many Greeks living in various cities throughout the eastern parts of the empire jumped the gun; they would worship the Roman emperor while he was still alive. 4 The city of Pergamum, too, had long been a hotbed for imperial worship. 6. Medical science and faith work closely together and must be applied hand in hand. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on. And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. What Is the Significance of Not the Letter but of the Spirit? For example, some Christian Scientists may decline to receive the vaccine. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. We know this from our friends and loved ones personal experiences with modern medicine in addition to published research reports. 34:4, 16). Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. Lectures and studies in this line will prove of the highest value. Vaccination is about preventing a potentially deadly virus from spreading within us or through us to others. God commands that we protect life and care for the health of our neighbors (Lev. In the incredible wonder, beauty, and complexity of creation, there is chaos. Biblical teaching can help to counter mis- and dis-information on health issues, even though it is not a medical textbook on health. 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. He shall let the locks of hair of his head grow long. We might have lopped the illness off at its knees if every part of society locked down for two weeks at the beginning of 2020. It Is So Painful to Care: How Do I Conquer Apathy? A former high school English teacher and editor, she works on writing projects from her home in West Michigan, where she enjoys woods, water, pets, and family. Jesus could have healed a blind man by His word, but He used mud mixed with His saliva for this purpose, and had the man also go and wash his eyes in order to receive his sight (John 9:1, 6, 7). Some are stories, some are songs to bring you joy and hope, some are parables meant to convey his religious message, and some are instructions for our lives to be led with moral character. Considering that Ellen White chose to be vaccinated both for herself and for the benefit of the community, it seems we have been given a good course to follow ourselves. After receiving a frightening medical diagnosis several years ago, I searched my soul and the Bible to find an answer to my overriding question: Why did this happen to me? BabylonBee.com. You must, by federal law, allow people their legal right to a religious exemption to the vaccine. Why a 19th-century Russian anarchist is relevant to the mask and vaccinedebate. Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. The general rule is plain: what is in harmony with biblical health principles and does not contradict them is permissible. Therefore honor God with your bodies (1 Cor. 5. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. A Timeline of COVID-19 Developments in 2020, A. M. J. M. ANAGED . He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John. We can easily select and interpret Bible verses that agree with our individual mindsets regarding vaccines. Perhaps the journey through bad health is a gift for all of us. Prayful application of Gods provisions preserves our life and protects others from being harmed.