Note: this is the first part of a series on the implications of Christian stewardship relating to vaccinations (among other things). Vaccinations, along with many other aspects of health, are a complex topic that I only scratch the surface of here. The same also goes for Covid-19. This series is not intended to be a comprehensive look at either subject. A government mandate concerning permanent changes to the body, however, raises a potential moral issue for Christians. It is this issue that I have attempted to explore here in what is an edited version of my original request to be excused from my employer’s mandatory vaccination policy.
Background to My Objection
Apart from divine revealing, human beings’ understanding of ultimate reality is, at best, a limited, temporal search, far from assured with any certainty. Science cannot guide reliably alone. A good individual will understand this limitation when reviewing any claim of ultimate reality, whether they agree with the claim or no, and evaluate it with the understanding that science alone cannot determine whether it is a reasonable presupposition of the ultimate reality that we all are living.
I am a devout and observing Christian and have been for about the last 8 years. As a Christian, I accept Jesus Christ as ultimate authority over both my body and spirit in my life as well as Lord and Savior, and the Holy Bible as the inerrant words and thoughts of God. Whether you do or not, is up to you.
I am not perfect in following out my faith at every moment. However, my desire is to remain a faithful follower of Jesus Christ as much as possible, even in what may seem to be a small thing, such as to get a vaccine shot. I believe pursuing vaccination in my case would be incompatible with my responsibility before God for the stewardship of my body. I am answerable to God for this stewardship and believe that I will experience his judgment if I use it unwisely. Ultimately, it is this religious belief, sincerely held, that will not permit me to take the vaccine.
Christianity clearly teaches that the body is the rightful property of God and that we are merely caretakers, that is, stewards, taking care of a magnificent gift that He has entrusted to us. We have a responsibility to nurture and care for our bodies – to do what is best for them in every circumstance. The implications of this belief are fundamental to the Christian understanding of the body and apply to everything bodily related: from the food you eat, to the amount of sleep you get, to sexual relations, to the medicine you take, to what you think on. The implications cover all times and all phases of life from conception to natural death. Unfortunately, due to the extensive health concerns with the three currently available vaccines, I have concluded that taking any of them would potentially be health adverse and that the potential benefits of vaccination would not outweigh the potential adverse effects. In performance of my duty before God to nurture and care for the body that he has given me, I cannot receive vaccination while in good conscience of my responsibilities. For this reason, I regretfully cannot comply with the vaccine mandate.
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But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive…. Therefore God dealt well with the midwives…and it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
Exodus 1:17-21
*Image by Ali Raza. Released under CC Licence.
