Pew: Key findings about COVID-19 restrictions that affected religious groups around the world in 2020

[Don Johnson]

The passage in question, however, is dealing with a physical act that produces a spiritual harm. I don’t see how vaccines fit that category. That is my point.

It seems to me that what Larry is arguing is that we can’t invalidate someone’s claim to a religious exemption just because we don’t see how they’re interpretation fits. The fact that they see it is all that really matters, and it’s not unusual to appeal to that text when discussing things put into our bodies.

[pvawter]

Don Johnson wrote:

The passage in question, however, is dealing with a physical act that produces a spiritual harm. I don’t see how vaccines fit that category. That is my point.

It seems to me that what Larry is arguing is that we can’t invalidate someone’s claim to a religious exemption just because we don’t see how they’re interpretation fits. The fact that they see it is all that really matters, and it’s not unusual to appeal to that text when discussing things put into our bodies.

Perhaps you are right, but from a pastoral sense I think we want people to act on proper interpretations. They might get away with stubbornly claiming this in a court, I don’t know. I think we should teach them to think about Scripture better than that.