The recent debates over the vaccine mandates and whether the government can or cannot force businesses to deny services based on a “vaccine passport” has reached new heights.
Yesterday, I read that San Francisco health department has shut down an In N Out restaurant for not checking whether its customers were vaccinated. The city found out via an anonymous 311 tip off. This has gotten to the point that Christian satire site Babylon Bee has weighed in with multiple articles.
In N Out protested, saying this is overreach and not the best way to deal with the current pandemic and economic recovery. I don’t want to get too political, but despite Biden’s call for unity, he has done a lot to antagonize the very people and corporations whose cooperation he needs.
I have to wonder who is the real target. The unvaccinated? Some might be refusing due to a false narrative and conspiracy theories. More than one naive person has said that getting the vaccine is getting the mark of the beast in Revelation. (No. It is not.)
There are plenty of people who are allergic to the vaccines or ingredients in the vaccines. Or, they have other underlying health conditions that would be made worse. It doesn’t matter which manufacturer. If they got the vaccine, the worst case scenario could happen: hospitalization or even death. Why should these people who are otherwise healthy be penalized? Yet it is not clear that the mandates, federal or state or local, make it clear that there IS a medical exemption. Other mandates require regular COVID-19 testing in lieu of getting the vaccine, but again, it is not very clearly stated. That created lots of confusion.
And what about religious exemptions? This one is trickier. The US Supreme Court’s decisions have generally put the burden on the government to prove that their measures are reasonable, not the individual. There are plenty of exceptions and limiting facts and one blog post is not enough to cover all the nuances. There are plenty of law firms who practice in religious liberty cases who have plenty of pamphlets that explain this better to represent individuals in various industries – education, public service, and more. I defer to their legal advice, but at the end of day, whether it is the abortion under Obamacare, or Biden’s mandates, NO, it is not just a medical procedure. (Interesting how the last two Democratic presidents have face prominent religious liberty challenges.)
I am so glad that Christianity has no entrance requirements. The Bible is very clear: there is nothing that we need to do for Jesus to accept us. God doesn’t care whether you got a vaccine or anti-vax. He certainly does not examine what we have done. In fact, the Bible is clear: our righteousness are filthy rags. In fact, if it were not for Jesus looking for us, we would have gone the other way. We would have stayed in the mire.
I am not here to tell you what to do about the vaccine – whether to get one if you still have not gotten one but able to or to stay unvaccinated. Far from it; it is your decision and your conscience. I will not judge you one way or another. It is not my job to convince you one way or another.
Instead, my role on this platform is to point you to Jesus Christ and His offer of salvation. Jesus died for your sins and rose again from the dead. Christmas is around the corner and He is the true source of life and comfort. Jesus has said he will not leave us or forsake us; he will not turn away anyone who truly comes to Him. He will not refuse anyone who genuinely wants to repent.
If you are a Christian and are frustrated with the government, you are not alone. However, rather than stay mad, why not turn your gaze upward? Colossians 3:1-2 commands us to set our hearts and minds on heaven. Hebrews says our citizenship is in heaven. Paul commands us to pray for government that they would let us live quiet lives. I am going to rest in these truths.
Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving!
amicusveritae 
One thought on “No Vax, No Service, No Job??”