Monday Ministerial Musings
By Rev. Mark William Ennis
2021 Blog Number 39
September 27, 2021
Religious Exemption
I have heard on the news that many people are requesting a “religious exemption” from getting vaccines. To me it seems that vaccines are more of a public health issue than a religious one. Recently a colleague from another denomination told me that a member of one church was unable to get an exemption from his priest and came to him requesting one. Of course, he declined. It makes me wonder if there are other exemptions we should seek, beside those from inoculations. Here is a list of other things that people might want to be exempt from.
- How about churches get religious exemptions for Board of Health retail food licenses? Each year, churches with kitchens who serve food must be licensed by the Board of Health. Maybe we should get exemptions from them also and simply risk serving food in unhealthy environments. I bet that if we pray well over the food, God will never allow anyone to be ill even if our kitchens are contaminated!
- The state regularly inspects church boilers to make sure that they are safe. The state does not feel that unsafe boilers should be running in public buildings. Shouldn’t we just trust God. God would never allow a church boiler to explode, would he? Let’s petition to get a religious exemption for boiler inspections as well.
- Maybe I should seek a religious exemption for child car seats as well. Why should I have to put my grandsons into a child car seat? Certainly, since I am a minister, God would never allow my grandsons to be hurt in a car accident. Come to think of it, why should Christians be required to use seat belts? How can anyone assume that God’s guardian angels won’t protect us even if we do risky behavior.
I hope you appreciate the satire in this blog. The fact is that Jesus told his disciples to “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s. He also taught against “putting God to the test.”
Saint Paul instructs that the government is put in place by God to bring order to and protection for citizens. Maybe the better witness to the world for Christians to make is not to seek religious exemptions but instead to cooperate with governmental regulations and guidelines. To not do so would be to defy the instructions of Jesus and Saint Paul. How good a witness to the world if we ourselves defy what our Lord instructs?
Religious exemptions? I speak against them.
#ClintonAvenueReformedChurch #ReformedChurchInAmerica
#PastorMarkAuthordotcom
#BergenfieldNJ
#Vaccines #ReligiousExemptions
To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order a copy of his book:https://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/
Pastor Mark Author 