Churches Offer Phony Religious Exemption to Vaccinations


It's all over the U. S. A local church is offering a copy of a religious exemption to anyone who wants one. It's happening in Des Moines. It's the same story in California. Sure, there are many members of the clergy condemning this practice. But this news, like the photographs of evangelicals swarming around Trump, continues to portray Christianity as just another political party.

Christianity has successfully portrayed itself over time as a force for good. The founding fathers, most of which were either not religious or only nominally so, said on many occasions Christianity is good for a country because it helps make good citizens. Are citizens spreading a deadly disease good citizens? Not to me. 

Neither is Christianity a force for good when it encourages and assists behavior which endangers others. Of course, there are plenty of atheists who are not vaccinated nor practice the other precautions. To their credit they are not handing out religious exemptions at a church offices.

Do any of you readers think the divisions between Christian nationalists, who so far as I can tell include most anti vaxers, and the rest of the country will lessen. I see the distance becoming greater. I'm not sure I understand why but it just seems to be the direction of things.

In a way it might be related to the same cultural forces that are causing young people to leave the church. Inside Christianity there used to be only a few options. The computer has helped to create endless options. How many "groups" are there on Face Book? Now groups can form that have both the same religious and political views. The flag, cross and prayers all attacked the Capitol last January.

What we are seeing Biden do is something we will see more of. He is taking his slim majority in Congress and trying to make big moves. When conservatives were in, like the last few years, we saw large swings to the right. It's sort of hang on for the ride.

 One can only hope the court system, including the Supreme Court can hang on to a tiny bit of nonpartisan principles. 

It's clear a large part of Christianity has lost such principles. 

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