The Vatican’s leading doctrinal organ issued a statement last December that asserted that receiving the vaccine was still morally acceptable to fight the spread of COVID-19 in the absence of a more ethical alternative. Pfizer and Moderna only used the cell lines to test their vaccine’s effectiveness. Cell lines derived from two Dutch abortions in the 1970s and the 1980s played a role in researching and creating the vaccines for Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. For example, some Catholic bishops in the United States raised concerns about fetal cell lines in vaccines. However, that doesn’t mean there won’t be grounds for challenges from members of larger denominations. At the same time, they said that it isn’t a dogmatic thing and that members are free to make their own choices on all-life decisions, in obedience to the law, including whether or not to vaccinate. The Christian Science Movement, which typically uses prayer instead of medical treatment, noted that it appreciated vaccination exemptions and wanted to use them carefully and responsibly when necessary. Jehovah’s Witnesses, who oppose blood transfusions on biblical grounds, see vaccination as a personal choice. One advantage of vaccine mandates is that no religious group forbids vaccination outright, even two Christian denominations well known for refusing medical practices on religious grounds. After releasing this statement, the vaccination rates in Utah increased. They went on to say that humanity can win the war against COVID-19 if everyone follows the recommendations of medical experts and government officials. Leaders shared that scientists have proven the vaccine to be safe and effective. In August, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement urging followers to get vaccinated. There are also signs that faith leaders can play an essential role in fostering vaccine acceptance. The lowest acceptance rates were among Hispanic Protestants and white evangelicals, among whom over half of adherents describe themselves as favorable toward the vaccine. Almost two-thirds of Latter-day Saints and Black Protestants favored vaccination in the same survey. A July survey from the Public Research Institute found that close to 80-85 percent of Catholic and Jewish Americans said they accepted the vaccine, while 75 percent of religiously unaffiliated Americans took the same position. There is evidence that vaccine hesitancy differs among religious groups. So what would Jesus do about vaccine mandates? Jesus would encourage everyone to get vaccinated for the greater good of the community. Still, it’s also likely that some of these religious exemption claims will go to court, where a judge will have to balance the interests of the faithful against the public health needs and determine who among the hesitant have genuine religious objections and who is faking. Those holding out may eventually comply with mandates so they can get back to their everyday lives. As the public and the government lose patience with the vaccine-hesitant groups and increase pressure on them to get vaccinated, the questions around religious exemptions continue to grow. Thousands of people have lost loved ones, and this is a moment of profound tragedy and grief. Americans haven’t perished in numbers like these since the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918 or the Civil War. More than 700,000 Americans have died from the COVID-19 pandemic in the last 18 months, and the numbers continue to grow, even with the widely available vaccine.
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