Should Christians resist vaccine mandates?

September 8, 2021 by Stephen Davey

Kimberly asks: “What is your opinion about the possibility of losing certain freedoms (traveling, dining out, keeping your job) if you choose not to get vaccinated?”

Kimberly,

Several years ago, I was invited to travel to India and speak to a group of pastors. As I planned my trip, I realized that I would need to get a series of vaccinations, because our nation’s health officials were worried that I might contract a disease in India and bring it back to the States. Anyone who has traveled internationally will have a similar story about the mandatory vaccinations prior to traveling.

I had a choice to make: I could get the shots and take the trip, or I could refuse the shots and not be allowed to travel.

Through this entire process, I never once considered that my government was intruding on my personal rights. In my view, they were doing everything they could to keep my fellow American safe. I gladly received all seven vaccinations (and I really don’t like needles!) and traveled to India.

This wasn’t the only time I was faced with a decision like this. Some of the schools that my children attended required that they be current with certain vaccinations. If we didn’t want to do that, we could choose to keep homeschooling or try to find another school. We never questioned the school’s right to enforce this policy, nor considered it a violation of our rights as citizens. Schools were simply trying to keep all their students safe—from mumps, measles, tuberculosis, etc. We honored their policies.

Just so you understand my perspective, I have been vaccinated against COVID-19. I was not coerced into it. I did it willingly out of my love for my family, my church, and my community. That said, I appreciate your right to decide for yourself.

But keep in mind, Kimberly, part of your decision-making with issues like these will bring consequences. Just as I would have been banned from traveling, or my kids from school, you might be banned from certain activities or employment for refusing to be vaccinated and/or wear a mask. Weighing the cost of our decisions needs to be part of the process we go through when making them.

You may remember on the news several years ago the story of a baker in Colorado, who took a case to the Supreme Court because he was being forced to bake a cake for a gay wedding. He was willing to face the consequences of his refusal to provide the wedding cake and ended up facing financial and legal consequences.

At that time, I recall Christians rising in support of his right to refuse a gay customer. Frankly, to be consistent, Christians need to extend that same right to all businesses.

Any Christian who supported the right of that baker to not bake that cake needs to be consistent in their recognition that any business has the right to make their own decisions about who they service, based on their own policies.

For years, restaurants have refused service to people not wearing shoes. That is now being applied to wearing masks. Does a restaurant owner have the right to require shoes? A shirt? A mask? Does an airline or a cruise company have that same right? I believe they do.

With all the decisions you make in life, especially when that decision goes against what a civil or business authority is demanding, you need to be willing to accept whatever consequences come from following your own personal convictions. And make sure that your convictions are based on clear scriptural principles instead of personal preferences.

I hope this answer will help you as you continue navigating this COVID-19 roller-coaster.

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Comments

Dennis Corkery says:

Your comments seem out of balance. I noticed you did not address the documented injuries and deaths inflicted by covid vaccines. VAERS reports up to 13,000 deaths to date. Do you think these people might deserve a little love? Also, you did not mention that covid vaccines were approved only on an emergency basis. No one knows the long term risk of these experimental treatments. You mention precedents for business to disciminate against customers. Your case is weak. No one should be threatened with being barred from partipating in society for declining a medical treatment. I can't take the comparison of a resturaunt requiring shoes, to society locking out a person, for refusing an untested vaccine that has killed more people than any other vaccine on medical history. Finally, you failed big on this. These vaccines do not protect those who have received them. Medical professionals are reporting an flood of breakthrough cases and the vaccinated can still spread the virus.

Travis says:

Stephen, I'm curious to your thoughts on the federal government forcing companies into mask mandates for employees. A bit of a different question, now that the President is attempting to take unilateral action.

Daryl Cunningham says:

Stephen - I’m disappointed in your response. Your are biblically, morally, and constitutionally wrong and have misapplied your examples. You are avoiding the confrontation that has been thrust upon us by the demonic forces in our world and in our current government.

Thomas says:

To add a question on top of the question above. When the time comes, in order to buy and sell, work your job, live your life in the end, do we take the mark of the beast because society says we must? If we follow your answer above, it would be a resounding "yes, since the government says we must, we must in order to live peaceable lives", but doesn't the word say that those who take the mark will be judged by Christ and sent to the fiery pit for forever and forever? And how do we not know that this is a step towards that, IF NOT that step? We can hope and pray it isn't, but it really sounds a lot like it. We are told by the media "all who don't take it will die or cannot buy and sell, work, live their life, those that get it can do all those things". As a Pastor, do you not feel compelled at all that this could lead people to believe that they must take the mark to live? How will you tell your congregation that they cannot take the mark, but they must take this? How will you tell them the difference between the two when they will be made out to be the same?

Dwight Osborne says:

Concerning a national vaccine mandate, I believe the government has the right and even an obligation to establish such a mandate. Not that it happens frequently, but Romans 13:1-7 says when the government is acting in the manner for which God established it, we are to obey the government. In the past, certain religious groups, who are actually in false religions, have been allowed exceptions via religious and conscientious objections. If someone had used this objection to Moses when God instructed the Israelites to wipe out the Canaanites I can just imagine God instructing Moses to "cut them off from the people." Certainly, those who refuse the mandate are subject to being cut off as they are 11 times more likely to die than the vaccinated.

James says:

Hi Steven, I love your ministry by the way but I disagree on you here. This is much different than any vaccine and it’s not just about I don’t like needles. Most of those vaccines you took were proven safe over decades of use. These covid vaccines are not. What if you knew the shot would kill you? Or you had a 50/50 chance of heart attack or stroke? Would you give the same answer? Would it not go against God’s command thou shalt not kill? Or the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? We are supposed to submit to authority unless it goes against God’s will right? Have you not heard time after time of someone you know dying or getting stroke etc from this vaccine? If not I’d be surprised. Please look up vaers cdc adverse reports there’s over 500,000 right now and this is a new vaccine. The new covid pill during trials also had many deaths. I’ve had many vaccines being prior military but this is different and I feel like we’re guinea pigs. You also say we have a choice but what if some have their way and everyone is forced to take it to do anything? Should everyone comply? Which will happen once the mark of the beast is here.

COVID666 says:

... require shoes? A shirt? A mask? Yellow badge? Sterilization? Syphilis experiment? make an image of the beast that was wounded? cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain? be marked on the right hand and forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name? What if a contagion was created and accidentally of purposely released? Compare and contrast any digital ID system with the one used by Dehomag in Nazi Germany or a yellow bad and Hollerith punch cards? Was Jesus vaccinated for tetanus? Was Jesus an organ donor? Could Jesus be cloned using the technology of today and would that be considered to be resurrection? Do oath takers of nation states have a license to murder? Should you pay taxes to fund biological and nanotechnology weapons?

Mark Egol says:

This is a good article regarding decisions and consequences. What it doesn’t address is the “sin” aspect of taking the COVID-19 vaccine. There is much information and even a multitude of testimonies from Doctors under oath stating that cells from aborted babies were used in the development of this vaccine. Consequently what this equates to is the sacrifice of babies for the good of the population. God does not approve of such sacrifice. Rom 3. There is a long history of child sacrifice for that same purpose throughout many cultures around the world. God was very clear in the Bible that such sacrifices were an abomination to Him, and His wrath was poured out on those who practiced such things. We would do well to recognize that same abomination and practice in taking this vaccine. God is certainly not glorified by His people supporting this abomination. We will reap the consequences.

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