How can I get a religious exemption from the COVID vaccination mandate?

[Sparagmos]

It is my understanding that religious exemption is not limited to any official denominational doctrines and that personal interpretation is just as valid as official church doctrines.

That’s correct.

 

[Sparagmos]

Employers are the ones limiting your religion not the government. United Airlines rejected all those who used religion as their way to avoid vaccination.

And some employers are accepting all applications for religious exemption.

 

[Sparagmos]

If I may....
This is not accurate. Biden’s order includes exceptions for workers seeking religious or medical exemptions from vaccination. Just need to find where it is written and present to your employer. Like I said it is the employer.

You can apply for religious exemption but they can reject it. Sadly, most religious exemptions being requested are dishonest and employers know that and are, in many cases, being very strict.

 

[BNR32FAN]

All employers are different and some are being strict on religious exemptions while others are lenient. You don’t need to refer to your church or get a letter from a religious leader, you just need to write out what your deeply held belief on vaccines is and back that up as best you can. For instance, if your reason for not taking the vaccine is fetal cell lines, you should attest that you also avoid the many other meds tested on fetal cell lines. You should also attest that you have avoided other vaccines for yourself and your children, and provide proof if you have it. A lot of employers are having people fill out detailed questionnaires that attempt to verify that you have held the belief for a long time and that you consistently apply it. I’ve heard it’s a really bad idea to mix in anything that sounds conspiracy theory-ish. Finally, I’ve heard you should use your own words and not a letter you pulled off the internet, etc. They will know you did that and it will make you look less sincere.

Keep in mind that at most jobs, dishonesty is cause for dismissal. You want to make sure that what you are telling coworkers lines up with your letter. Don’t take Advil at work if you say you don’t use medicine with fetal cell line research. Don’t brag about getting a religious exemption like you beat the system.

Thanks, this was just brought to my attention this morning by my supervisor and I’m having very strong feelings against it. I don’t know if it’s just me or if it’s the Holy Spirit urging me not to do it. I’ll definitely have to do much praying and ask the Lord to reveal whether this is His will or my own skepticism.

 

[BNR32FAN]

All employers are different and some are being strict on religious exemptions while others are lenient. You don’t need to refer to your church or get a letter from a religious leader, you just need to write out what your deeply held belief on vaccines is and back that up as best you can. For instance, if your reason for not taking the vaccine is fetal cell lines, you should attest that you also avoid the many other meds tested on fetal cell lines. You should also attest that you have avoided other vaccines for yourself and your children, and provide proof if you have it. A lot of employers are having people fill out detailed questionnaires that attempt to verify that you have held the belief for a long time and that you consistently apply it. I’ve heard it’s a really bad idea to mix in anything that sounds conspiracy theory-ish. Finally, I’ve heard you should use your own words and not a letter you pulled off the internet, etc. They will know you did that and it will make you look less sincere.

Keep in mind that at most jobs, dishonesty is cause for dismissal. You want to make sure that what you are telling coworkers lines up with your letter. Don’t take Advil at work if you say you don’t use medicine with fetal cell line research. Don’t brag about getting a religious exemption like you beat the system.

I think a lot of companies will be less likely to accept religious exemptions because they don’t want to deal with the hassle of making sure certain employees are tested every week. It’s just easier for them to say no and require everyone to be vaccinated so they don’t have to worry about that responsibility or loss of productivity due to people not complying properly.

 

[ripple the car]

Thanks, this was just brought to my attention this morning by my supervisor and I’m having very strong feelings against it. I don’t know if it’s just me or if it’s the Holy Spirit urging me not to do it. I’ll definitely have to do much praying and ask the Lord to reveal whether this is His will or my own skepticism.

Follow your conscience on this. Do much praying. I will keep you in my prayers, too. This is a very serious issue facing many people.

This may help you;

https://www.columbus.gov/hr/COVID-19-Religious-Exemption-Form/

Try using a similar form, or this one, or submit a letter to your employer. That may help.

 

[SkyWriting]

My company is telling me that because of Biden’s executive order requiring all companies with more than 100 employees to be vaccinated that I will have to get vaccinated or I will be terminated.

It looks like that is correct. Keep in mind that riding in a car is the most lethal thing you will do in a day. So be sure to walk to work from now on.

 

[BNR32FAN]

It looks like that is correct. Keep in mind that riding in a car is the most lethal thing you will do in a day. So be sure to walk to work from now on.

Thats an interesting perspective coming from someone claiming to be a libertarian.

 

[dogs4thewin]

More employers now are getting much stricter about those. Whereas in the past your word was usually enough now most employers are looking into those claims more to ensure people are not using religion as a loophole to get out of the vaccine mandate.

 

[SkyWriting]

That's an interesting perspective coming from someone claiming to be a libertarian.

Libertarians love to walk a lot. That's true for every one of us without fail.

 

[Bobber]

Thanks, this was just brought to my attention this morning by my supervisor and I’m having very strong feelings against it. I don’t know if it’s just me or if it’s the Holy Spirit urging me not to do it. I’ll definitely have to do much praying and ask the Lord to reveal whether this is His will or my own skepticism.

This is your personal choice of course....my take on it as a Christian is I wouldn't do it. I think something that needs considered here is what if you do get it and it's accepted. OK you've kept your job BUT at what expense? Everyone hates you or is afraid of you and don't want to be around you so what happens to your Christian influence on the floor? Can you really be the light of the world anymore in that place where people don't respect you?

I'm not saying I'm right and I do take the position let everyone be convinced in their own heart what they feel God is saying to them. My point is if one does go the exemption way I can appreciate the stress they might be under but I certainly wouldn't assume it's just going to be a smooth sailing thing where people will value your presence as they maybe once did. Just something to think about.

 

[Hazelelponi]

Everyone hates you or is afraid of you and don't want to be around you so what happens to your Christian influence on the floor? Can you really be the light of the world anymore in that place where people don't respect you?

John 15:18, 2 Timothy 3:12, 1 John 3:13

Being the light of Christ isn't about making sure the world loves you... it's making sure your actions are approved by God - the only one that matters.

I for one won't give the world something that I didn't give to my Lord, and that is blind obedience... Something this world is now demanding where concerns this vaccine that doesn't vaccinate. That's the funny thing about this, the world wants our blind obedience yet God doesn't ask it of us.. we got all the time we needed to evaluate God and decide whether we could trust Him and His Word.

The world is not an alter I can bow down before... God doesn't allow it. He said I must love Him more than even my own life... And since I gave my life to Him after finding Him trustworthy, that's not optional for me.

Who I never gave my life to was any human government or organization. And I for one never will..they are not that trustworthy.

 

[Hazelelponi]

I think a lot of companies will be less likely to accept religious exemptions because they don’t want to deal with the hassle of making sure certain employees are tested every week. It’s just easier for them to say no and require everyone to be vaccinated so they don’t have to worry about that responsibility or loss of productivity due to people not complying properly.

I think it's more of a financial concern for businesses... COVID testing costs money, the vaccines do not. Insurances don't pay for screening tests - only for tests where there are symptoms or exposure.

Tests average 150 dollars each, that's 7,800
per year, per exempt employee... in some companies that adds up fast, and makes issuing exemptions difficult financially.

At some point in the future businesses may be offered insurance policy plans that includes for COVID screening testing of employees, but that's not happening yet to my knowledge.

So for now, just figure if your issued an exemption, your making almost 4 dollars an hour more than vaccinated employees.

 

[Bobber]

John 15:18, 2 Timothy 3:12, 1 John 3:13
Being the light of Christ isn't about making sure the world loves you... it's making sure your actions are approved by God - the only one that matters.

Yes our actions being approved by God is paramount. On that we can all agree. I'd suggest to you however there can be times one can yeild to something on the surface that might seem unjust and that is to achieve a greater goal. (example)

In Matthew 17:26 Jesus told Peter that really NO he should not have to pay the temple tax but let's look at what else he said,

And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?”
Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.” Matt 17:26

In saying lest we offend them what should that mean to us? It must mean Jesus at times weighed what actually was going to be more beneficial to the Kingdom of God.....and not actually hold to what exactly his constitutional rights were in being in a country on the earth. He was concerned, YES concerned about offending them that is over this issue. What would have happened if he said he wasn't going to pay the tax and insisted he shouldn't have too? It would have hindered the MORE IMPORTANT thing of advancing his Kingdom through his ministry. The religious order all around Galilee (for this took place in Capernaum) would have opposed him and probably even have hindered him from even entering into other towns around Galilei. Jesus knew to resist the paying of the tax would be counter productive to the GREATER THINGS he wanted to achieve. He therefore let go of one right....to achieve a more important thing.

Being the light of Christ isn't about making sure the world loves you...

And there are times one shouldn't give a care about offending people. BUT, BUT there are times one should be. Paul the Apostle and Timothy were more concerned about how to win unbelieving Jews therefore Timothy was circumcised going along with the principle of "To the Jews I became a Jew in order to win the Jews." If you were to say to make sure the world loves them I guess you could but it wasn't really that at all....it has to do with INFLUENCE retained and NOT lost to achieve a GREATER GOAL. Kingdom of God advancements should maybe be considered to trump, and transcend what one feels to be their earthly constitutional rights of being in a country.

 

[Bobber]

I for one won't give the world something that I didn't give to my Lord, and that is blind obedience...

And we can both maybe agree IT'S NOT FAIR what the world is pressuring people to do. As I said in my last post being motivated all the time on what feels to be their Constititoinal right in a country maybe shouldn't always be our primarily consideration. What actions advance the Kingdom of God....and what actions hinder it perhaps should be the priority.

That's the funny thing about this, the world wants our blind obedience yet God doesn't ask it of us.. we got all the time we needed to evaluate God and decide whether we could trust Him and His Word.

Correct but the world is the world and God is God. You won't get an argument from me saying the world is always fair BUT regardless what does God want believers to do.

The world is not an alter I can bow down before... God doesn't allow it.

I agree but what context are we talking about? Giving your worship to another OR merely yielding as Paul and Timothy and even Jesus did to advance a more important thing. I've shown you the examples.

He said I must love Him more than even my own life...

Yes and I agree. But if he told you to pay the temple tax when in legal terms you shouldn't have had to would you have done it? I'll believe the best of you and believe you would.

Who I never gave my life to was any human government or organization.

Correct. You've given your life to the Lord. But could he tell you to yield to something so as not to lose influence at a time he doesn't want your influence gone? Jesus might agree with you 100%. It's not fair that you should have to do something. But in the bigger picture of things what advances the Kingdom ABOVE?

 

[BNR32FAN]

OK you've kept your job BUT at what expense? Everyone hates you or is afraid of you and don't want to be around you so what happens to your Christian influence on the floor? Can you really be the light of the world anymore in that place where people don't respect you?

That’s not the case at all because the majority of people at my work are not vaccinated and are against the mandate. I think they realize that unvaccinated people are only a threat to unvaccinated people.

 

[BNR32FAN]

I'm not saying I'm right and I do take the position let everyone be convinced in their own heart what they feel God is saying to them. My point is if one does go the exemption way I can appreciate the stress they might be under but I certainly wouldn't assume it's just going to be a smooth sailing thing where people will value your presence as they maybe once did. Just something to think about.

I appreciate your kind words friend and after praying I came to the conclusion that I’m not going to go thru with the exception but then in our safety meeting they announced that my company is not going to force their employees to get vaccinated. So I’m not sure how they’re going to do that but for now I’m just going to wait and see what happens.

 

[LeafByNiggle]

That’s not the case at all because the majority of people at my work are not vaccinated and are against the mandate. I think they realize that unvaccinated people are only a threat to unvaccinated people.

This is not exactly true. Unvaccinated people are a risk to society at large, and by extension, to everyone to some degree. Taking up ICU space is a risk to people who need emergency non-covid health care. For comparison, consider measles, which is largely suppressed by vaccines, although there are still occasional outbreaks in communities with low measles vaccine compliance.

 

[BNR32FAN]

This is not exactly true. Unvaccinated people are a risk to society at large, and by extension, to everyone to some degree. Taking up ICU space is a risk to people who need emergency non-covid health care. For comparison, consider measles, which is largely suppressed by vaccines, although there are still occasional outbreaks in communities with low measles vaccine compliance.

The same could be said for any hospitalization due to careless or negligence or just bad judgement. Work injuries resulting from failing to comply with safety regulations, contact sports injuries, motorcycle injuries, most auto accidents, smoking, drug use, fighting, unhealthy diet, I mean I could sit here all day listing the infinite number of hospitalizations that could’ve been prevented. These are just as much of the problem as COVID patients. Nearly 2/3 of COVID hospitalizations are due to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure not from healthy people who’ve simply contracted the COVID virus. The majority of COVID patients are suffering from compiled complications due to other illnesses.

 

[dogs4thewin]

The same could be said for any hospitalization due to careless or negligence or just bad judgement. Work injuries resulting from failing to comply with safety regulations, contact sports injuries, motorcycle injuries, most auto accidents, smoking, drug use, fighting, unhealthy diet, I mean I could sit here all day listing the infinite number of hospitalizations that could’ve been prevented. These are just as much of the problem as COVID patients. Nearly 2/3 of COVID hospitalizations are due to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure not from healthy people who’ve simply contracted the COVID virus. The majority of COVID patients are suffering from compiled complications due to other illnesses.

Here is the difference ( in terms of other hospitalizations most people are seeing that are not co-vid related and that is that while yes many could have been prevented with better life choices (long or short term) but those people do not come in all at once. Though they are now because they were scared to come in while co-vid was a huge problem so now that part is catching up, but not withstanding co-vid most of the time people who come into hospitals due to poor choices are not coming in and overrunning the hospitals all at once.