“My body is a temple”: Vaccine hesitancy, religious exemptions, and the integrity of Christian witness
This is a fairly competent bit of theology below but it seeks to apply a broad context to 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. That may be convenient but it ignores the specific context of the passage. The passage is primarily about fornication (illicit sex). Paul regards fornication as unnatural and hence defiling the body.
But it is precisely unnatural things that some Christians object to: Vaccinations, blood transfusions, smoking, consumption of coffee and alcohol etc. A "pure" body would not have those things within it is the conclusion
One can argue about what is unnatural but if illicit sex is unnatural, a fairly broad definition is obviously intended by Paul.
So I think the avoidant stances of some Christians are well justified by the "temple" reference
As governments and businesses implement COVID-19 vaccine mandates, increasing numbers of people are seeking exemption on religious grounds. As such, mainstream social and political discourse has begun to stray into theological territory, with uninspiring results. One common refrain among those seeking exemption from vaccination is the assertion, “My body is a temple”. Given the near ubiquity of this phrase in the sphere of health and wellness, most people are likely to have forgotten that it comes from the apostle Paul.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul writes, “do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians6:19-20) Here, Paul is repeating a refrain from earlier in this same letter: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (3:16)
It has become common for Christians to claim that being forced to take the COVID-19 vaccine is a violation of their religious convictions because their body is a temple, and they are commanded to keep it pure. They make this argument for a variety of reasons. For example, some believe the vaccine has dangerous side-effects; others think it contains microchips; and some have suggested that it can alter your DNA or cause infertility. Each of these, it seems, would violate the purity of their bodily temple, making it unsuitable as a vessel for the Holy Spirit.
It is worth stating unambiguously that there is no evidence that any of these things are true of the available COVID vaccines, beyond some extremely rare and typically mild side-effects. Nonetheless, the question I would like to consider is whether a vaccine could, in theory, go against Paul’s exhortation in this passage.
“A temple of the Holy Spirit”
Let’s begin with Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians itself. Most commentators agree that the purpose of the letter is to urge unity among the Christians in Corinth. In the third chapter, Paul addresses the elephant in the room. The Corinthians have been drawing lines of separation based on who brought them to the faith. Some have been saying “I belong to Apollos” (which is to say, “I’m a member of Apollos’s faction”), while others say “I belong to Paul”. And yet, Paul sees no reason for this to cause strife: “We are God’s servants, working together; you are … God’s building.” Paul and Apollos cooperate in building on the foundation that Christ himself laid. And this leads him to ask: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person” (3:16-17).
Paul says that the Corinthian church as a whole is God’s temple, and those who cause division among them are threatening to destroy it. Paul’s warning is not about the pollution of their individual physical bodies, nor any threat from outside. He is warning them about the effect of their own divisive actions on the community. Paul follows this with fitting words for our time: “So let no one boast about human leaders” (3:21).
Three chapters later, Paul returns to the image of the temple, this time with individual Christians in view. Now he is discussing specific sinful habits that are causing division among the Corinthians. In particular, he commands them not to engage the services of prostitutes, and in general to “shun fornication” (6:18). And why should they do this? Because their body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (6:19). Far from suggesting that the Holy Spirit cannot dwell in a body that is physically contaminated by illness, microchips, medicines, or other substances, Paul is urging them to keep themselves free from sin.
Paul is repeating a central theme of the New Testament, which is that the purity laws found in the Torah no longer hold for those who are in Christ, because he has fulfilled them (Matthew 5:17). Christian notions of purity are not about food laws and physical cleanliness, but about the heart. As Jesus explains, “it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth.” He goes on to explain that “out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.” (Matthew 15:11, 19-20)
Paul has something similar in view in his second letter to the Corinthians: “let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and of spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). He explains that the sins of sexual immorality and idolatry defile the body and the spirit, and he urges them to free themselves of it (see also 1 Thessalonians 5:19-24).
Grounds for exemption?
It is worth considering the implications of Paul’s words if they did mean what those seeking exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine take them to mean. If the Holy Spirit cannot dwell in a body that has been contaminated by chemicals or debilitated by injury (let alone in a body injected with a safe and effective vaccine), then countless people who have fallen victim to natural or manmade disasters would be bereft of the presence of God. Similarly, if physical cleanliness was in view, then surely the COVID-19 virus itself would do at least as much to contaminate one’s body. After all, natural illness is one of the main causes of impurity in Leviticus.
Furthermore, it is central to the Christian faith that we may well be called to sacrifice our bodies for the sake of others (see John 15:13; Philippians 2:3-4; 1 John 3:16). We witness this most acutely on the cross. Jesus’s body was made impure by his crucifixion — in fact, that’s a considerable part of the point. It is worth repeating that there is no reason to think that receiving a COVID-19 vaccine involves bodily sacrifice. Regardless, the theological principles here do not support those seeking exemptions. There is no Christian belief that the body must be kept free from physical contamination in order to be a fitting vessel of the Holy Spirit.
In reality, what those seeking exemptions are arguing is that they believe the vaccine will harm them, and therefore they shouldn’t be forced to take it. There is nothing distinctly religious about the fear of bodily harm involved in vaccine hesitancy. In general, non-religious people fear bodily harm just as much. This should lead us to question why religious exemption is being sought here. The answer, it would seem, is that there is a long-standing precedent for exempting religious communities from government mandates, so people have reached for religious exemption as a ready-made solution for their fears.
This should give Christians pause. Freedom of religion plays an important role in our society, but it is always in danger of being abused and misused. As Christians, we have a vested interest in ensuring that it is not. If our non-Christian neighbours come to see us as people who think the rules don’t apply to us, or as people for whom the well-being of the wider community is irrelevant, their tolerance for our beliefs is likely to wane. At the same time, if our theological beliefs are sacred, then we should be unwilling to let people twist them for political or legal purposes. The truth of what Paul wrote should matter more to us than the use to which it can be put in court. A vaccine cannot go against Paul’s exhortation, because it is not what goes into us that defiles us, but the sin that emerges from our hearts.
Paul warns the Corinthians not to deceive themselves, but to have true wisdom (1 Corinthians3:18). James describes such wisdom as “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy” (James 3:17). Especially in the United States, the belligerent response on the part of many Christians to the public health efforts of the past two years looks rather different from this vision of wisdom. If we take Paul’s words seriously, our main concern shouldn’t be the physical purity of our own bodies, but the purity of our witness to the world around us. After all, the Christian witness has always been grounded, first and foremost, not in individual political liberty, but in self-sacrifice for the well-being of others.
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/vaccines-religious-exemptions-and-christian-witness/13580026
*************************************************Brutal numbers for Biden if midterms were held today
When you botch everything from the moment you’re sworn in as President of the United States, you can expect that eventually Americans will take notice. Joe Biden hasn’t done a single thing right since stealing his way into the White House.
Every Biden policy has been a train wreck. Some insist his administration’s decisions have all been on purpose. There is an ulterior motive to everything the liberal-controlled Washington, D.C. machine is doing. Regardless of the motives, the American public is not happy.
Joe Biden’s abysmal performance is reflective of recent approval polls. His numbers have been tanking since the moment he put his lying right hand on the Bible. It hasn’t stopped his penchant for making poor decisions or flat out lying to the American people.
Approval numbers for Biden, and liberal Democrats in general, are brutal. One poll asked registered voters which party they would vote for if the midterm elections were held today. Over half insisted they would cast a vote for the Republicans on their ticket.
Barely 40 percent said they would vote for a Democrat. This is the largest margin for the GOP in such a poll in history. There are strong indications the numbers will grow increasingly worse for Democrats.
The off-year election on November 2, 2021, showed how disappointed Americans are with Joe Biden. In statistically blue states, Democrats were either swept out of power, or narrowly won races in which they were heavily favored.
In New Jersey, a 25-year truck driver unseated the sitting NJ Senate President. Radical liberal ballot initiatives were struck down all across the country. Americans spoke with their votes, and they spoke loudly.
The biggest reason for this dramatic shift is because of Joe Biden. His overall approval has sunk below 40 percent in some polls. His disapproval rating is one of the worst in history. Nearly every national poll has Joe Biden’s disapproval numbers well over 50 percent.
If it’s “all about the economy, stupid”, Joe Biden is in even worse shape than any President in decades. Over 70 percent of Americans feel the economy is in bad shape because of Biden’s boneheaded policies.
It is a clear case of “buyer’s remorse”. Americans are witnessing the fruits of a very bad decision. The 2020 election was rigged. Media coverage was rigged, and votes were stolen. Because of a mainstream media driven hatred for President Trump, Biden was able to steal the election.
The degree of disappointment in America is extremely strong among independents. Moderate Americans, who were coerced by lies insisting Joe Biden would be a moderate president, are kicking themselves for being duped by the fake news.
They are mostly responsible for Biden’s horrific approval ratings. Conservatives knew what we were getting. Moderate independents were fooled into thinking the Biden/Harris ticket would be a welcome change. They were wrong. We are all paying for this ignorant decision.
While individual Americans must be held responsible for their voting behavior, the blame for our nation’s problems falls at the feet of the mainstream media. Their bitter hatred of President Trump has driven the United States to the edge of the cliff.
Americans were tricked into voting for a dunderheaded old fool. They are witnessing the error of their ways. However, the polls indicate voters are mad about what’s going on. They realize they have elected a corrupt career politician who lies virtually every time he opens his mouth.
Furthermore, his second-in-command is a weak and ineffective cackling hyena. Americans are even angrier over Kamala Harris’ abominable performance. She is an abject failure, just like her boss. Too bad the midterm elections aren’t being held today. Liberals would lose, and lose big.
Unfortunately, America must survive another whole year of Joe Biden and Democrat control of Capitol Hill. The first year has been a fiasco. We can only hope that a handful of moderate liberals in Congress will show some common sense; keeping us afloat until a massive red wave sweeps the GOP back into control in 2022. Let’s hold our breath.
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College of the Ozarks: Defending religious liberty in higher education
Today, ADF attorneys are arguing a crucial case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (one step below the U.S. Supreme Court).
The court will decide whether a Christian college can be forced to violate its faith by allowing men and women to share dorm rooms, showers, and private spaces. Join us in prayer today for our attorneys and for those who will hear and decide the case.
The Biden administration, through the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), issued a new directive this year that intends to remove any distinctions between the two sexes. The directive was clearly designed to target religious schools, organizations, and churches simply because of their beliefs about marriage and biological sex. A small, Missouri-based Christian college, College of the Ozarks, decided to stand up for biblical values and challenged the administration’s directive.
Christian students and families choose faith-based higher education opportunities specifically to deepen their religious values and to live in community with others who share those principles.
But if College of the Ozarks (or any faith-based college or university) maintains single-sex dorms and locker rooms, they could face six-figure fines, unlimited damages, intrusive investigations, government lawsuits, and even criminal penalties.
Bottom line: this policy (if upheld by the courts) could force Christian colleges to choose between violating their faith or closing their school
info@adflegal.org
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Conservative-Majority Court Chosen to Decide on Biden’s Private Employer Vaccine Mandate
An appeals court dominated by Republican-nominated judges was chosen at random Tuesday to deal with the flurry of lawsuits against the Biden administration’s private business COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit was the winner of a lottery that was triggered by multiple appeals courts receiving challenges to the mandate, which was promulgated at the behest of President Joe Biden and would affect every business with 100 or more workers if it’s allowed to take effect.
Thirty-four petitions for review, or suits, were filed against the mandate. At least one petition was filed in every single court of appeals in the nation.
Federal law says that challenges to a rule in multiple appeals courts shall lead to a lottery, from which one court is picked. That court then handles the cases, which are consolidated.
The Sixth Circuit oversees Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. Active and senior status judges include six nominees of former President Donald Trump, eight nominees of former President George W. Bush, three nominees of former President George H. W. Bush, three nominees of former President Ronald Reagan, five nominees of former President Bill Clinton, and two nominees of former President Barack Obama. That means 20 of the 27 judges were nominated by Republican presidents.
“It’s not good news for Biden,” Lawrence Gostin, director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, wrote on Twitter.
A Sixth Circuit panel will decide whether to keep in place a stay of the mandate that was ordered on Nov. 6 by three Republican-nominated judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
The judges said the mandate raised “grave statutory and constitutional issues.”
In a longer opinion reaffirming the stay, the panel said the mandate imposes a financial burden on businesses, “exposes them to severe financial risk if they refuse or fail to comply, and threatens to decimate their workforces (and business prospects) by forcing unwilling employees to take their shots, take their tests, or hit the road.”
Three judges in the newly chosen circuit will be randomly picked to hear the case. Their decision can be appealed to the full court.
The Supreme Court is expected to ultimately rule on whether the mandate is legal.
Plaintiffs argue the mandate is outside the authority of the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which issued it earlier this month. They say the Biden administration failed to explain why such a mandate is needed now, when the COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020 and vaccines have been available since late last year.
“This mandate represents the greatest overreach by the federal government in a generation. It is illegal and unconstitutional and we are committed to ensuring it never sees the light of day,” Patrick Hughes, president and co-founder of the Liberty Justice Center, and one of the lawyers fighting the mandate, said in a recent statement.
Biden administration officials have defended the vaccination requirement, arguing OSHA can impose measures to keep workers safe.
“If OSHA can tell people to wear a hard hat on the job, to be careful around chemicals, it can put in place these simple measures to keep our workers safe,” Ron Klain, the White House chief of staff, said on NBC over the weekend.
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Australia: Religious discrimination bill overhauled
Schools would receive legal protection to hire staff on the basis of faith under a bill expected to go to federal parliament as early as next week.
However, Education Minister Alan Tudge says the religious discrimination bill will not allow a school to reject a teacher based on their sexuality or other trait.
The draft bill will be presented to a joint coalition partyroom meeting in Canberra on Tuesday and could be introduced to parliament as early as Wednesday.
It is understood a contentious part of the bill - known as the "Folau clause" - has been scrapped from an earlier version.
The section would have protected organisations from indirect discrimination claims if they acted against employees for misconduct for expressing their religion.
There had been a push from conservative groups for the bill to allow individuals and organisations the freedom to make statements of belief, such as Israel Folau's controversial social media posts saying homosexuals would go to hell.
Folau, who was sacked by Rugby Australia in 2019 over the posts, later received an apology from the body and a confidential settlement.
Also believed to be axed is a section in the bill allowing healthcare providers to "conscientiously object" to providing a service on religious grounds.
Mr Tudge told Sky News on Wednesday the bill would uphold the right of a religious school to employ teachers of their own faith. "This is a critical principle at stake here ... you can't be a Catholic school if you can't employ Catholic teachers, you can't be a Muslim school without employing Muslim teachers."
Asked if it also meant a Catholic school could reject a gay teacher, Mr Tudge said: "That wouldn't be lawful under our bill."
But Equality Australia chief executive Anna Brown labelled his comments "breathtakingly misleading". "Nothing in this religious discrimination bill acts to fulfil the federal government's previous commitment to protect LGBT students," she said.
"In fact, the Morrison government's bill licences more discrimination against all our communities, by overriding existing protections for women, people with disability, LGBTIQ+ people and even people of faith."
Mr Tudge said while there had not been a significant problem to be resolved by the bill, the laws would enable schools to "provide a good education consistent with the values which they articulate".
The bill was an election promise by the Liberal-National coalition but has sat in the too-hard basket since then as conservatives and moderates disagree on how far it should go.
Labor is awaiting the detail before determining its position.
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My other blogs. Main ones below:
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://snorphty.blogspot.com/ (TONGUE-TIED)
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Kristina Pimenova, once said to be the most beautiful girl in the world. Note blue eyes and blonde hair
Bliss: What every woman wants: to feel safe and secure in the arms of her man. Robert Irwin and Rorie Buckey. See 
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