FEDERAL HOSTILITY TO RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS
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FEDERAL HOSTILITY TO RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS
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The Biden administration’s questionnaire for evaluating requests for religious exemptions to vaccine mandates asks such detailed questions about faith and medical history that employees may find them intrusive and hostile.
“How long have you held the religious belief underlying your objection?” is one question on the questionnaire, which originates from a “template” provided by the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force. The task force was created on day one of the Biden administration “to give the heads of federal agencies ongoing guidance” about “operating during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The template is being used by the Departments of Homeland Security, Commerce, and Agriculture, the General Services Administration, and likely other agencies. The Department of Justice is using 6 of 7 questions from the template.
Another question asks if and when exemption-seekers have received any vaccines as an adult and “If you do not have a religious objection to the use of all vaccines, please explain why your objection is limited to particular vaccines.” . . .
If adopted by federal agencies and copied by private businesses seeking to follow the federal government’s lead, the questionnaire for exemption-seekers may result in significant litigation by religious employees, Andrea R. Lucas, a Republican commissioner at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, told The Federalist. The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against an employee because of the person’s religion.
Millions of Americans are subject to vaccine mandates. Federal employees are required to receive a Covid-19 vaccination, with religious and medical exceptions only as required by law, by November 22 (or November 8, since employees are not considered fully vaccinated until two weeks after a single-shot vaccine or until receiving the second dose of a two-part vaccine). Federal contractors have until December 8. Thus, many agencies would have already required religious exemption requests to have been submitted.
The questionnaire could also align with the forthcoming Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines for companies with 100 or more employees to require Covid vaccination of their workforces.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-MO, has called on the government to rescind the questionnaire, saying it “evinces a skepticism and indeed a hostility to applicants who harbor sincerely held religious objections to the Covid-19 vaccine. I fear this will chill applications by civil servants to apply for religious exemptions.”
Form Questions Your Sincerity
“To be eligible for a possible exception, you must first establish that your refusal to be vaccinated is based upon a sincere belief that is religious in nature,” the questionnaire states.
Some people object to getting the Covid vaccines due to the use of abortion-derived cell lines in their testing and development. The questionnaire ask employees to describe the nature of their objection to the Covid-19 vaccination requirement and to explain if and how complying with the requirement would substantially burden the employee’s religious exercise.
“If there are any other medicines or products that you do not use because of the religious belief underlying your objection, please identify them,” reads another question.
Condescension Toward the Religious
“The form is dripping with suspicion and condescension in an attempt to discredit well-known religious beliefs concerning the use of aborted fetal cell lines in drugs,” according to Roger Severino, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and former director of the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The government has “no business second-guessing the religious beliefs of its employees,” Severino said in an interview with The Federalist. The Supreme Court has made clear that religious beliefs can be idiosyncratic, but as long as they are sincere, they must be taken at face value, he added.
The questionnaire “smacks of a religious test,” which may be unlawful, according to Severino. A better approach would be to offer exemption requestors a form asking about the nature of their objection to the vaccine only to see how it could be accommodated, then having them sign under penalty of perjury, he said.
Legal Problems with the Questionnaire
If federal agencies and private companies adopt the task force’s template, it could lead to potential violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and of the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to Sharon Fast Gustafson, former Republican general counsel at the EEOC.
The question “Would complying with the COVID-19 vaccination requirement substantially burden your religious exercise? If so, please explain how” is too narrow, Gustafson said in an interview. Title VII does not just protect religious “exercise” but also “religious beliefs, practices, or observances.”
Some of the questions could also lead to violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act by subjecting federal employees to invasive medical questions, which could result in the employee disclosing information about a disability or other medical condition. The questionnaire could give rise to federal employees bringing religious discrimination, harassment, or retaliation claims, in addition to failure to accommodate claims, according to Gustafson.
Against EEOC Guidance
The questions (three through six) about the length of holding religious beliefs, receiving other vaccines, and religious objection to other vaccines and medicines, may also go against EEOC guidance, Gustafson believes. That guidance says, in part:
Does an employer have to accept an employee’s assertion of a religious objection to a COVID-19 vaccination at face value? May the employer ask for additional information? (10/25/21)
Generally, under Title VII, an employer should assume that a request for religious accommodation is based on sincerely held religious beliefs. However, if an employer has an objective basis for questioning either the religious nature or the sincerity of a particular belief, the employer would be justified in making a limited factual inquiry and seeking additional supporting information.
EEOC guidance on religious discrimination also says that “employers who unreasonably request unnecessary or excessive corroborating evidence risk being held liable for denying a reasonable accommodation request, and having their actions challenged as retaliatory or as part of a pattern of harassment.”
The government’s decision to ask about whether employees’ religious beliefs, practices, or observances have been consistent may suggest that federal agencies are gearing up to reject accommodation requests by any employees who reveal such inconsistencies. But EEOC guidance notes that “an employee’s newly adopted or inconsistently observed religious practice may nevertheless be sincerely held.”
Notably, the EEOC is not part of the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force that created the template. For EEOC employees requesting exceptions to the vaccine mandate, the EEOC itself uses a different religious accommodation form than the task force’s template.
The EEOC’s equivalent questionnaire, currently in use at the commission, simply asks the employee to “describe the nature of your sincerely held religious beliefs or religious practice or observance” that conflicts with an EEOC requirement. It also asks, “What is the accommodation or modification that you are requesting?” and “List any alternative accommodations that also would eliminate the conflict between the EEOC requirement, policy, or practice and your sincerely held religious beliefs.”
Too Late for Some
Since federal employees who filled out the template by their agency’s deadline already have been subjected to these questions, those employees may already have discrimination, harassment, or retaliation claims against the government — even if the government changes the form or ultimately grants these employees their requests for accommodations.
Some federal employees who were deterred by the inappropriate questions on the template may have missed their agency’s submission deadline, harming their ability to get an accommodation and possibly causing termination. Others may have violated their conscience and gotten the Covid vaccination instead of risking being terminated.
The exemption request must be signed to declare it is true and correct. “Any intentional misrepresentation to the Federal Government may result in legal consequences, including termination or removal from Federal Service,” it warns.
The Covid task force that produced the form adds in its guidance that if granted a religious exemption to the vaccination requirement, the employee would instead be required to comply with alternative health and safety protocols. However, the agency may determine that only a vaccine is adequate for safety and deny the religious exemption.
What are your thoughts on this article? Let us know your prayers in the comments below!
(Excerpt from The Federalist. Article written by Eleanor Bartow. Photo : Getty Images)
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My daughter had to complete this questionnaire for her college’s religious exemption and used the following responses to answer the illegal questions:
Can you please help me understand how this question is relevant to my testimony that I have a sincerely held religious belief to the COVID19 vaccination?
Please refer to the question number one above, which explains my sincerely held religious belief that conflicts with the COVID19 vaccination. This exemption request is only for that vaccination, so to preserve HIPPA in this situation I am only willing to discuss my medical decisions regarding this emergency shot.
She did in fact receive her exemption and this is in liberal Washington state so there is definitely hope.
Heavenly Father, I pray that the religious Exemptions will stand against the evil forces and Federal hostility threatening these mandates and exemptions. I thank You for the answered prayer for Religious Exemptons to be allowed and that people are pushing back on the mandates. In Jesus name, amen.
I am not undergoing this at this time, although I am a nurse with an active medical license but not working in medical field at this time as in a place of doing other things (a choice – for many reasons, not the least of which is my state is requiring all to be vaccinated unless employer approves an exemption and otherwise will lose license (as a nurse within a year as need to put in practice hours to maintain license). In my heart and mind, with all I know, I am choosing other directions (outside of “needing a license” ) to “do good” (work, help with skills have etc.) – as a person in medical field (nursing and other) for close to 3 decades, nearing 50yo, and knowing of much good (emergency/obstetric, etc.) in medicine but also much corruption especially RE of course the vaccine (not of God, from what researched in-depth, would never take any form of these so-called “vaccines”.
I have spent past decades realizing the incredible “natural medicine” (through nutrition -healthy food choices and exercise, sleep etc. etc.) that is sorely lacking in medicine (i.e. my husband was told he needed to start on meds for pre-diabetes – but instead, over a decade and half ago, took alternative approaches that were without medication but just got serious RE what eat, etc. and, well, is to me, as a nurse, even “the epitome of health” and from what I know due to this has a biological age close to the average man in 20s or 30s rather than a man in 60s (and, this is not to say any food substance is harmful, but for me overall just to be aware of basic concepts -such things as “too much”.. as Bible says “too much honey, meat.. etc..; basic concepts really also to just eat more whole natural food God created but, for me, a “little honey”.. sugar, etc.. all food really.. can be eaten just with limits… just to clarify.).
I said all that to say I wholeheartedly, as a person whose not only extensively worked in medicine for close to 3 decades but also studied and practiced extensively just more “natural medicine” (“natural” meaning all besides “pharmaceuticals and the like”.. not that I am against all “pharmaceuticals and the like”, not at all.. but for me I have learned need to be so informed and judicious about what do choose and sure have ALL RISKS AND BENEFITS AND ALL OPTIONS TO TREAT THE CONDITION ARE PRESENTED.. especially when comes to chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, etc.). But mostly this all is to preface that, if it ever came to my needing to present a form for an exemption for employment, this (or some form of..) is simply what I would say as a Christian: My strongly held Christian faith does not allow me to partake in this – to put this substance into my body for the following reasons (below):
It would absolutely violate my conscience to put something into my body that from all I have come to know has the potential to not only interact with my God-given DNA in a way no other medical treatments labeled as vaccines prior to this do, but also has many known possible consequences to affect greatly my God-given natural immunity through directly affecting such things as my God-given toll receptors in my body and as well thousands of reported very highly-likely-linked-to -vaccine side effects to include many deaths of otherwise healthy people in days of receiving the vaccine, along with so many other.. to many to list.. known negative effects associated with this vaccine when researched thoroughly as I have gleaned this information from many sources such as all the experts practicing in their fields for decades – doctors/researcher/scientists – who have presented the scientific medical data thus far on these vaccines.
This would violate my conscience to put this into my body as my faith is solely based on the Word of God (the Bible), and the Bible tells us the Holy Spirit will “teach us all things” as we read this Word. So in making any decision in life, all else (other knowledge obtain about anything) needs to be filtered through the Word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to teach me what to do in any aspect of life. The Bible says, “if it is sin for you it is sin”, so if in my God-given spirit I come to know at any point in my spirit that something is a “sin”, to go against what the Holy Spirit teaches me to do would be to sin against God (or to “violate my conscience: – as some may term this).
The Bible also says that my body “is the temple of the Holy Spirit”, and that I am to not harm this temple. So if I were to put anything into my body that I have come to know as harmful, for me this would be sin (i.e. violating my conscience), and, again, from all I have come to know this substance (“covid vaccine”) could potentially highly harm my temple in very adverse ways, and, just as I abstain from any other substances in these potentially-highly-harmful-to-my-temple categories, such as smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, or taking illicit drugs such as marijuana or cocaine, etc., so I have great conviction (violates my conscience) that it would be a sin to put this (“covid vaccine”) into my body. This is for reasons that I have studied and known these substances have the great potential for causing harm to my body, so I absolutely firmly believe I need to abstain from allowing anyone to put these substances (“covid vaccines”) into my body.
With all I have come to know of these “covid vaccines”, these have at the very least equal potential as the above-mentioned harmful substances (i.e. cigarettes, alcohol, etc.) for great harm but, to me, an even greater potential (for harm) as it has the very high likelihood will interact with my God-given DNA, so has the great potential to harm my body even on the most finite, molecular (I believe God-created and given-) DNA level. This also has given me great, great caution, to point of would be very much sinning (i.e. “violating my conscience”) in greatest way as anything with even this “potential” – in how this vaccine is known to interact with DNA, to manipulate and tell my God-given DNA how to function with potential to even change my very God-given DNA — to me, this absolutely in my spirit (the Holy Spirit teaching me) is a huge caution that this is not of God. This is due to many reasons, but, without going into “all the details” – too many to mention here – further, I will at least say this: So much of scripture speak of God being my maker – who “knit me together and formed me in the womb” – and at the core of who we are is one’s DNA so this has potential to affect “the blueprint” – DNA – of the Lord that he gives us and which is the most unique-to-me “blueprint” that God used to knit me together and make me “uniquely me”. So to alter this would be to alter what God made, and this gives me the strongest conviction that this would be a sin (i.e. would “violate my conscience”) to partake in this “covid vaccine” that in any way has this potential.
Also, as a medical professional for close to 30 years, I am also fully aware of what true informed consent – as it was known in the medical system for decades -should be. In that (truly informed informed), every person should have the RIGHT TO CHOOSE what goes into one’s body. That is, one is to be FULLY INFORMED (of ALL RISKS/BENEFITS/TREATMENT OPTIONS) and then to be then able to EITHER ACCEPT OR REJECT the proposed medical treatment once have had all questions answered to one’s satisfaction… .in a manner where all explained to the satisfaction of “the patient” in easy-to-understand medical terms, the right to seek as many “second opinions” of one’s choosing from experts (practicing doctors, etc.) in field and/or as much information from any source choose and take as much time as needed to do this, before making such a decision to whether or not to accept or rejection a particular medical treatment. The lack of the medical professional presenting the treatment to the patient to give this – true informed consent – is also another INCREDIBLE CAUTION in my spirit that this is not of God, as all I know in God’s Word of God’s nature/character is that he is not forceful but ALWAYS about allowing one the choice in what substance determine good for life (to put into one’s body to sustain life). Also, the Word of God is all about truth – so not withholding any good information/allowing one to fully know all – not withholding the good and true information about a substance etc. from someone who is trying to make a truly informed decision.
For all these reasons above, I could never accept any form of this “covid vaccine” into my body, and, as well, it is worth noting as is important in my decision to know if God would want me to take as well, that natural immunity is God’s gift – from all I have studied and come to know – to me, and, when enhanced with natural substances such as the natural food God created and in all good things the Lord has given us, our bodies have the incredible innate – through thousands upon thousands of intricate details in how God created our bodies – to “fight off” any “invader” and be healthy. When I read my Bible, I am convicted (in my conscience) that it would be a sin to not believe what the Word of God says that I am “fearfully and wonderfully made”.. and that I am “made in God’s image”. The Bible says references in 2 Chronicles 16:12 that a certain king had in his severe disease not sought help from God but only from physicians. This, and many other places in the Bible speak to my spirit clearly, that God is to be the “ultimate One” we go to for all, including when have any “severe disease”.
So, if I were to instead put as supreme my “faith in medicine” but not even these (and more in Bible) simple verses, that “I am fearfully and wonderfully made”, and I am “made in God’s image”, that would be sinning (violating my conscience). This is because I would have to go against what in my spirit God speak to me through these verses that truly God has made me in such a way that was incredibly thoughtful (In my spirit – the word “fear” meaning that God in all his infinite, all-powerful, wisdom as our Creator knew anything and all that would ever be needed for all time on earth for our bodies.. how to fight off anything.. with what he has created in His likeness.. so we are not to “alter this”.. this “God-given likeness”, which DNA is this “blueprint of” this.. but instead to know God “wonderfully created us” so we have all we need “In Him”.. when put Him above all, seeking His will for everything do and then surrender to him, his ways.. not man’s. His way clearly speaks to me that we each person absolutely not only the God-given ability for but I believe an obligation to utilize their God-given mind and spirit to consider all things regarding a particular substance to put into God’s temple and then determine for him- or herself what substance should or should not go into this God-given temple (body with each person’s “unique blueprint” formed by God’s hand in a mother’s womb) and to only put things into one’s body which that individual determines further promotes life for him or her.
Why first of all are this shots referred as vaccines? Maybe I’m wrong but vaccines are referred as FDA approved. Not approved not vaccines This shots are still being tested on humans Us the people tuhat are accepting them. How can they be mandated if no safety approval Second the either way Our choice Last but not least Fetal (murdered babies) accepting this in me Mocking my Creator Please anyone correct me if I’m wrong Let’s keep praying for FATHER GOD to give us light Revelation AMEN
Many in my plant are waiting until the last moment, then will be walking from good, technical jobs. The company will be very hard hit. The religious exemption form sounds identical to the form we were presented with. Initially intending to at least “try” by submitting the form, once we read the questions and they way questions were written, we were fairly certain they would exclude (not exempt) anyone that tried to submit the form. My manager said that ideally there are not a lot of practicing religions in our area that are truly against vaccines. He is correct. In the past, who hasn’t made sure their kids were vaccinated before school started? My daughter got the shot while in college because she felt she was “supposed to” because I had taught her that she needed her vaccinations kept up. (Wish I hadn’t taught her so well!) Those at my work will be placed on unpaid vacation on the due date until we comply. Here’s hoping the mandates fall through in time so we can keep our jobs, or we can find other jobs in the city that will not require the vaccine. Some of my young coworkers were transferred to this company, bought a house, etc., and now will be without that high-paying position. I pray for them!
Holy FATHER, in the name of JESUS I bind the lying spirit concerning this vaccine and release Your spirit of knowledge and understanding and revelation concerning the truth.
Regarding the question “If you do not have a religious objection to the use of all vaccines, please explain why your objection is limited to particular vaccines.” . . .
I have worked in the field of medical microbiology for over 40 years and I believe the knowledge of vaccines as gift form GOD BUT NOT mRNA vaccines. Here are the words I sent my daughter as she had to fill out a religious exemption form for an airline company. You have permission to use all or any part.
I would like to make a sincere request for a religious exemption from the required CovID Vaccine Mandate. There are many reasons I can give as to why I should not get and do not want this vaccine but I will limit it to: it strongly goes against my religious beliefs and convictions.
In fact I will limit the basis of my request to the first and primary command from GOD in the Bible to “have no other gods before HIM, not to worship or serve them”. (Exodus 20:1-6). Jesus said it was the great and foremost commandment and put it this way, “love the Lord your GOD with all your heart, soul and mind” (Matthew 22:35-38)
I am not opposed to vaccines in fact I have a history of taking vaccines. I believe in science and technology, but as a committed disciple of Jesus, its use must be controlled by an absolute resolve not to disrupt or go beyond the boundaries which our Creator GOD has established. The Word of GOD (Bible) reveals that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
I have done some investigation into what the experts say on these matters and have asked GOD to lead me in wisdom and understanding so I can make a right decision. PBS News Hour (a respected news source) posted an article on Health by Isabella Issacs-Thomas on April 2, 2021 which imparts and summarizes information for the engaged reader. The article in entitled “The powerful technology behind the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/the-powerful-technology-behind-the-pfizer-and-moderna-vaccines
This article makes it clear that pharmaceutical companies have attempted to alter GOD’s design in immunity. I quote from this article to make my point. These new vaccines use messenger RNA (mRNA) which requires them to use technology “to overcome two primary barriers”: “the fragile nature of the mRNA molecule itself” and “the strong inflammatory response it induced, which severely sickened” the test subject. The strong inflammatory response is “because in both animals and humans, cells feature a number of different receptors that can recognize mRNA as a foreign substance that must be destroyed”, quoting the article.
The concept behind the CoviD vaccine to give us immunity has drastically changed from the original concept. The original concept was to inject a dead or damaged virus or bacteria, one which would not make you ill, into the body and allow your immune system to naturally process the foreign invader and build immunity. CovID vaccines using mRNA, inject into the body a type of genetic code which commands cells to make a CovID protein, the “spike protein” which has known disease producing properties, so your body will recognize it and develop immunity against it. Human wisdom is now directing the immune system. To accomplish this the vaccine has to use new technology which fools the body’s immune system into thinking the CovID vaccine mRNA is normal because your immune system naturally reacts to and tries to destroy all foreign RNA & DNA. The vaccine is forcing the body to make a foreign disease causing protein in hopes that immunity will result. Truly this new concept behind the CovID vaccine elevates the wisdom of man over the wisdom of GOD.
For a devote believer in a creator GOD, the PBS article acknowledges that the vaccine makers have chosen an approach that works against the natural barriers of immunity which Creator GOD has put into place. Our natural immunity attacks foreign RNA as an invader. The mRNA in the CovID vaccine would be considered to be a foreign invader only our bodies have been fooled into thinking otherwise.
As a follower of Jesus I believe man was created by a loving Creator who is infinitely good and supremely GOD. I believe I am fearfully and wonderfully made and GOD is involved in that process. This means my immune system was created by GOD and functions in a definite way. I honor GOD and worship HIm when by choice I choose to live within the boundaries HE has set in place. I now realize that to choose the CovID vaccine (not necessarily other vaccines) I would be choosing to go against HIS natural order in creation and be honoring the wisdom of man over the infinite knowledge, understanding and wisdom of GOD. That I will not do.
For this primary reason, I cannot violate my conscience and dishonor my God by complying with the vaccine mandate. Therefore, I am respectfully requesting a religious accommodation, under Title VII and any similar state law(s) that will excuse me from having to receive a COVID-19 vaccine; and further request that no adverse employment action be taken against me on account of my religious beliefs.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
The American people are NOT going to accept this trash.
We have been a free nation for a very, very long time.
We pray in Jesus name this evil agenda be thwarted and destroyed.
In Jesus mighty name we command jezebel to go back to where she came from.
We declare and decree this manipulation be destroyed. We break the power of this witch craft in our government in Jesus name.
The breath of God is dissolving the power of the enemy.
We wait to see the redemption of God to heal and restore what has been stolen from us.
We call those involved in this witch craft to repent and bow to the name of Jesus,
The federal government and Biden can mind their own business.
I have not gotten any of their vaccines and I’m not going to change my mind.
The letter I signed and sent to the White house about being against the jab got me a reply.
They said they plan on going door to door asking if you have been vaccinated.
I hope they can read my NO TRESPASSING SIGN.
I ask those who pray to ask JESUS to keep a hedge around us Christenns.
Biden and his cronies do not run my household.
GOD BLESS.