Should a Christian support Mandatory Covid Vaccination?

https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/commentary/20211104/cb-peter-morgan-church-and-vaccination

My response:

Most of the leaders of mainstream religion have come out in favor of mandating vaccination. Religious people often struggle to differentiate between what their God wants them to do and what 'man' (authorities, family, friends, associates) want them to do. Bishop Dr. Peter Morgan is my former JC Head Boy and a biblical scholar so I hesitate to contradict him but what he has written here is so egregious that I must answer.

For centuries, religion has been used by elites to control the rest of us and to maintain the status quo. That is why Jesus was so against the religious authorities like Peter Morgan who writes, 'The Scriptures are clear that everyone “be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God” (Roman 13:1-5). You either believe the Word of God, or otherwise treat it with the same mistrust as you do other earthly sources. If our governmental rulers are ‘democratically’ elected or legally appointed, (my emphasis) and especially if they affirm God as the Lord of the nation, we are duty-bound to obey their decisions.'

I beg to disagree. This issue came up at the Nuremburg trial of the Nazis after World War II. Those on trial claimed that 'they were just following orders'. Hitler, who was originally 'democratically elected' at first was the legal leader of Germany at the time. That excuse did not fly at Nuremburg and those who committed war crimes at the behest of the state were found guilty. Yet, by what Peter has written above, we should have given them a free pass? Jus askin....

History has been replete with examples of 'democratically elected' leaders who were tyrants. Some of these so-called 'democratically elected' leaders supported slavery, the persecution of certain groups and even the execution of various groups! 'Democracy' can be a flawed system in its implementation sometimes. Jamaica is a classic example of a failed state that calls itself a 'democracy'. The current Jamaican government was elected by a small minority of us who bother to vote. The vast majority of us do not support the current political establishment. Just because a government calls itself 'democratic' does not mean that it is. Democracy does not mean a dictatorship by the majority who vote although that is what is happening in Jamaica. 'Democracy' cannot mean we must obey an elected tyrant like Holness and justify taking away the rights of people because an elected authority says to do so. Sometimes it is necessary for a government to infringe on people's rights but that should only be done in extreme circumstances. Even though Peter writes 'In this way, we protect ourselves from becoming carriers of any virus which may be a threat to your neighbour. This is the most effective way of showing love to others. This enables others to feel comfortable with our presence.' Again, this is NOT TRUE. The current Covid vaccines do not prevent transmitting the virus to others. That is why the authorities tell the vaccinated that they should continue to avoid crowds, wash hands frequently, wear masks (which I don't agree with but that discussion for another time) and practice social distancing. Anyone feeling 'comfortable' in the presence of the vaccinated is living under an illusion as they are no safer around a vaccinated person than an unvaccinated person. If/when future Covid vaccines prevent transmission and become safer, then we might consider making them mandatory.

Peter is obviously what I call a 'Biblical Literalist'. That is, he likes to interpret the bible literally picking and choosing things here and there to justify his world view. That is a dangerous thing to do as we could condone stoning people like the Islamic fundamentalists. Religious people sometimes like to pick things out of their Biblical context and apply them to our situation in the world today. When the events in the bible were occurring, most of the geographical world was unknown to the actors and the knowledge of science was limited. The biblical examples cited by Peter were appropriate for the circumstances of the time bearing in mind the customs and knowledge the people had at the time. The overwhelming tone of Jesus was that we are to do everything in love. However, not the love of ourselves that Peter just wrote about. Jesus actually talks about loving others, not ourselves so much. Jesus did not love his human body, he gave it up for the rest of us because he loved us so much. THAT is the central theme of the Bible. Yet, we are denying people the right to travel, work, to go to public venues and so on because they have not accepted the vaccines yet - even if they have natural immunity from previous Covid infection! Is that loving? No! It is wicked, cruel and not necessary and to use the bible to justify that behavior is blasphemous. The vaccines give some temporary protection against serious illness or death but it does not prevent transmission. The unvaccinated are no more of a threat to you or me than the vaccinated. In fact, we the vaccinated may be more of a public health threat than the unvaccinated because we the vaccinated, because of our ramped up immune system, we are more likely to be asymptomatic. We the vaccinated, may be unwillingly and unknowingly transmitting the virus as we go our merry way infecting others.

Out of Nuremburg came the principle that there are certain things we all have a right to refuse to do - even if ordered to do so by the state. The Covid vaccines are a medical procedure who some feel should not be mandated at this time. The people who hold this view, and I am one of them, have various reasons. My reasons include that when I was coerced into being vaccinated in Canada (three times!), I became sick for weeks. My other reason is that the MRNA technology, while not so new, it is new to most of us. Does Peter know that a few suffer from needle phobia and that the long-term clinical trials for the Covid vaccines are expected to end in 2023? At least wait until then to mandate because then we will truly know the long-term effects. Because of the Covid emergency, the vaccines have been authorized for emergency use, which is fine but it should only be offered to those who willingly want to take it knowing the risks - not mandated. A vaccine that causes some to have adverse reactions and some to die is not quite ready. It nuh ready!

Here in Canada, legal and constitutional challenges have arisen because thousands of people are being forced out of their jobs for not being vaccinated. The dismissed include thousands of front-line workers such as police, firemen, doctors and nurses - people who did yeoman service helping those affected by Covid prior to vaccines being available. This is how we pay them back? That is not love. Already, the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec, seeing the light and because of protests and the potential damage to government services, have reversed themselves and thrown out their plans to make vaccination compulsory in their provinces. I do not know how the Canadian or Jamaican courts will decide but if they rule against mandates, many companies and governments will face huge bills for compensation. Tek sleep mark death.....

I applaud Jamaican heroes like Joseph Patterson of the United Independents Congress (UIC)who have stood up and said 'No' to the coercion around the Covid vaccines and got arrested. I applaud another Jamaican hero - Lloyd D'Aguilar, Leader of the People's Anti-Corruption Movement (PACM) who has been dismissed from his job as a radio talk show host and pepper sprayed by the police just for being against mandatory vaccination. This is what Christianity should be about - standing up for others welfare.

I am disappointed that religious leaders like Peter continue to jump on the mandating Covid vaccines bandwagon. This pandemic will not end due to vaccination alone, but due to a combination of vaccine-acquired and infection-acquired immunity, despite the unwillingness of politicians, scientists, religious leaders like Peter and public health officials to admit it. In the interim, we should make the vaccines easily available to those who want it and protect and support the elderly and those with comorbidities as they are at most risk from Covid. This protection and support has been sorely lacking but that would be the loving (and Christian) thing to do.

Raymond D. Grant