COVID 19 Virus and Loving Your Neighbor

The Case for Christian Vaccination

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Introduction

I recently had a conversation with a Christian who adamantly refused to receive the vaccine for COVID-19. He gave several reasons. I have been having many conversations with people and they have many reasons they refuse to be vaccinated. Here are some of the popular arguments people make to support their decision to refuse vaccination against COVID. Before we examine their reasons, we need to examine how fear motivates many people when it comes to vaccines.

Overcoming Fear of Vaccines

Many Christians fear vaccines. In fact, they fear all kinds of vaccines. When Christians live in fear, they disobey the Scriptures. Jesus said:

Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:28

Jesus commanded believers not to live in fear of anyone. This same principle of not living in fear applies in a wider context. John wrote:

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

1 John 4:18

In the context of 1 John 4, John explained that we may have confidence in the day of judgment. We have no fear of judgment, because perfect love casts out fear. The one who fears is not perfected in love. John then tied that love for God to loving our brothers in Christ. Therefore, Christians must overcome their fear of vaccines. Christians should understand the evidence from science and then seek to love their neighbors by taking a COVID vaccine.

Science Shows that COVID Vaccines Saves Lives

Many Christians distrust science because many scientists push macro evolution, meaning humans evolved from apes. Scientific truth must be distinguished from scientists with their theories. Scientific theories are not truth, but opinions. Opinions and truth should not be confused. God allows scientists to discover the truth. Medical truths help us live longer lives to serve God. Before you dismiss the scientific truths regarding COVID vaccines, you should understand what scientists say about the effectiveness of COVID vaccines. Many Christians have no training in science and do not trust scientists. Yet, everyone, including Christians, should understand the truth about COVID vaccines. Too many Christians rely upon myths and stories about COVID that do not represent the truth.  We learn scientific truths by studying people taking the vaccines and learning how they do with the vaccines. Do they get COVID? Do they die from taking the vaccines? Did God provided a vaccine against COVID and yet many Christians do not recognize God’s gracious work of providing a vaccine in record time?

We may learn more about science by reviewing peer-reviewed journals. For example, the New England Journal of Medicine, in an article dated December 10, 2020 found the BioNTech/Pfizer COVID vaccine effective: “A two-dose regimen of BNT162b2 conferred 95% protection against COVID-19 in persons 16 years of age or older. Safety over a median of 2 months was similar to that of other viral vaccines. ¹Polack FP, Thomas SJ, Kitchin N, Absalon J, Gurtman A, Lockhart S, Perez JL, Pérez Marc G, Moreira ED, Zerbini C, Bailey R, Swanson KA, Roychoudhury S, Koury K, Li P, Kalina WV, Cooper D, Frenck RW Jr, Hammitt LL, Türeci Ö, Nell H, Schaefer A, Ünal S, Tresnan DB, Mather S, Dormitzer PR, Şahin U, Jansen KU, Gruber WC; C4591001 Clinical Trial Group. Safety and Efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine. N Engl J Med. 2020 Dec 31;383(27):2603-2615. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2034577. Epub 2020 Dec 10. PMID: 33301246; PMCID: PMC7745181. See also the Lancet, a British Medical Journal, article: Impact and effectiveness of mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 cases, hospitalisations, and deaths following a nationwide vaccination campaign in Israel: an observational study using national surveillance data. ²Haas EJ, Angulo FJ, McLaughlin JM, Anis E, Singer SR, Khan F, Brooks N, Smaja M, Mircus G, Pan K, Southern J, Swerdlow DL, Jodar L, Levy Y, Alroy-Preis S. Impact and effectiveness of mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 cases, hospitalisations, and deaths following a nationwide vaccination campaign in Israel: an observational study using national surveillance data. Lancet. 2021 May 15;397(10287):1819-1829. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00947-8. Epub 2021 May 5. PMID: 33964222; PMCID: PMC8099315. The authors concluded that

“Two doses of BNT162b2 are highly effective across all age groups (≥16 years, including older adults aged ≥85 years) in preventing symptomatic and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19-related hospitalisations, severe disease, and death, including those caused by the B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variant. There were marked and sustained declines in SARS-CoV-2 incidence corresponding to increasing vaccine coverage. These findings suggest that COVID-19 vaccination can help to control the pandemic.” [emphasis added].

Likewise, the scientific data indicate that the vaccines do not cause greater deaths and serious allergic reactions occur less than one percent of the time. ³Remmel A. COVID vaccines and safety: what the research says. Nature. 2021 Feb;590(7847):538-540. doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-00290-x. PMID: 33597779. Therefore, only people who ignore science believe that the COVID vaccines kill more people than they save.

Numerous other double-blind, peer-reviewed studies point toward people taking the vaccine decrease the chance of catching the virus by ninety-five percent. If you do not catch the virus, then it seems likely you will not spread the virus. If you catch the virus, but have no symptoms, you may still spread the virus. If you take the vaccine, then the viral load within you drops, making it much less likely you will be spreading the virus to your neighbors. ⁴See the numerous studies about reducing viral load; for examples, Polack, F. P. et al. Safety and efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. N. Engl. J. Med. 383, 2603–2615 (2020); Chodcik, G. et al. The effectiveness of the first dose of BNT162b2 vaccine in reducing SARS-CoV-2 infection 13–24 days after immunization: real-world evidence. Preprint at  MedRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.01.27.21250612 (2021); Gallagher, M. E. et al. Indirect benefits are a crucial consideration when evaluating SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates. Nat. Med. 27, 4–5 (2021); Rubin, E. J. & Longo, D. L. SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: an ounce (actually, much less) of prevention. N. Engl. J. Med. 383, 2677–2678 (2020); Pollard, A. J. & Bijker, E. M. A guide to vaccinology: from basic principles to new developments. Nat. Rev. Immunol. 21, 129 (2021); Connors, M., Graham, B. S., Lane, H. C. & Fauci, A. S. SARS-CoV-2 vaccines: much accomplished, much to learn. Ann. Intern. Med. https://doi.org/10.7326/M21-0111 (2021); Lipsitch, M. & Dean, N. E. Understanding COVID-19 vaccine efficacy. Science 370, 763–765 (2020)

The bottom line is that if you take the vaccine, you are much less likely to be seriously sick from the virus. You will also significantly decrease your chances of spreading COVID to someone else. In the alternative, you can ignore the truth from science, live in your fears, disobey God, and please yourself at all costs.

Popular Arguments against Vaccination for COVID

Christians make arguments from the Scriptures and from science trying to justify their decision to refuse taking a COVID vaccine. We can examine below some of arguments from the Scriptures and science. 

Section One: Popular Scripture Arguments

Most people do not act according to reason. They listen to their own emotions and people they trust to make decisions. While reason alone never provides perfect guidance, God does call us to be thoughtful, reasonable people who follow the Scriptures in making decisions. Therefore, we can turn to the Scriptures to gain guidance on whether to take the COVID vaccine or not. We can also examine the Scriptures to evaluate the popular reasons some Christians give for refusing the COVID vaccine.

Popular Argument One: “I Trust God Not To Catch the Virus”

Answer: Do Not Put God to the Test

Many people today claim divine protection against COVID-19. They trust God that they will not catch COVID. While this reason for not taking the vaccine may sound good on the surface, it amounts to testing God. The devil tried to get Jesus to put God to the test, but Jesus declined to take that sinful bait. Today, many people claiming to be believers have swallowed that sinful bait hook, line and sinker. The devil quoted the Bible to Jesus about God protecting Him from harm. So, the devil told Jesus to jump from high up, because the Bible said that God would not allow His feet to strike a stone.

Jesus replied: “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test”

Matthew 4:7

When people say they trust God not to get COVID, then they are actually putting God to the test in a sinful way. Jesus said that we should not put God to the test, even when the devil quoted a Bible verse to Jesus. When anyone tells you that they trust God not to get the virus, they have no verse in the Bible promising them that they will not get COVID. In fact, many believers have died from COVID, and each time someone else infected them with the virus. So, God has not made a blanket promise that believers do not need to get the vaccine because He will protect all believers from the virus. If God has not made that blanket promise, then you must be claiming God made you a special promise. As a general matter, we should put our spiritual trust in the Scriptures, not in our own thinking, wants and desires. People often confuse what they want with what God promised. In summary, be careful to avoid putting God to the test by saying you trust Him not to get COVID.

Popular Argument Two: Show Me a Verse Saying I Should Be Vaccinated

Answer: Put the Interest of Others First

Some people say: “Show me a verse saying I should be vaccinated.” When people make this argument, they overlook the command to love your neighbor as yourself. Several verses indicate we should love our neighbors and do what is best for them. When we take the vaccine, then we protect our neighbors from COVID. Jesus said we should love our neighbors.

And he answered, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”

Luke 10:27

Likewise, Paul wrote that we should follow the example of Jesus and put the interests of other people first, before our own interests. 

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Philippians 2:3-4

When you assemble with other Christians for fellowship, worship, and teaching, you put other people at risk of catching COVID if you are not vaccinated. You may not have any symptoms of COVID and still spread COVID to other people. Unvaccinated Christians pose a risk to everyone and harms their testimony for Christ. If you love your neighbors, get vaccinated for their sake. Putting your own interests and fears first means you do not love your neighbors.

Popular Argument Three: The Mark of the Beast

Answer: Check The Prophecy

Some people argue that taking the COVID vaccine is like accepting the mark of the beast. People who make such an argument need to understand the mark of the beast. When the beast comes to power during the Tribulation, he requires everyone to take the mark of the beast to buy or sell. Notice this mark only occurs during the Tribulation, after the beast has taken power.

And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.

Revelation 13:16-17

Unless you believe you are now living in the Tribulation, and the Clouds Resurrection has already removed all believers from the earth, then you are taking those verses out of context. Poor exegesis can never be an excuse for not taking the COVID vaccine.

Section  Two: Popular Government Arguments

Many people claiming faith in Christ for salvation do not take the Covid vaccine simply because they distrust the government. They claim that the government tries to force them to take the vaccine and they see the government as evil. They fear that if they follow the government’s urging to receive the COVID vaccine, then they will lose other personal freedoms, such as their right to bear arms, to assemble for religious reasons, and other basic freedoms.

When people make such an argument, they overlook their duty to obey the government. The Scriptures provide: 

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For their is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.

Romans 13:1

Unless you can prove from Scripture that the government prohibits your service to God, then you must obey the government. In this case, the government has not forced anyone to take the vaccine. Therefore, the government is not restricting your service to God in any way. 

When someone argues they fear government intrusion into their lives by urging them to take the vaccine, saints must be able to show that the government is presently restricting their service to God. Otherwise, saints should not resist the authority of the government. 

Politics plays a great role in resistance to COVID vaccination. Many Democrats want the vaccine, while many Republicans reject vaccination. When people accept the rhetoric of politicians to make life or death decisions, we know that politicians are controlling people. God said we must obey the government, not politicians. Never forget the difference that some politicians are in the government, but the government is not a politician. The laws of the land we must obey, not the politicians. Never confuse the men themselves with the government. So, if you choose to obey Republican politicians telling you what to do, then rest assured that your are following politicians and not God. Likewise, if you are obeying Democrat politicians, you are likewise following politicians and not God. People should never obey politicians, but always obey the government. We are a country based upon laws, not men and not politicians. You have become an idolater if you obey politicians and not the government. Repent and turn from your evil ways.

Recent statistics show that the vast majority of people in the hospitals with COVID were not fully vaccinated. The BIG VACCINATION LIE that vaccines are unsafe is unraveling because vaccines save lives and keep people out of the hospital. If you refuse the vaccine, then you may not go to the hospital with COVID, but you may send your friends, fathers, grandmothers, and others to the hospital to suffer tremendously or even die. Your vaccination refusal may cost other people at your place or worship their lives. You are literally harming or killing your neighbors and the evidence is indisputable at this point. God said love your neighbors and do what is best for them.

Section  Three: Popular Science Arguments

Many Christians claim science argues against taking the vaccine. They often rely upon the opinions and beliefs of people they have heard from the media telling them to avoid vaccination.  Some Christians also do not understand that the new mRNA vaccines are very different from previous vaccines which do not use mRNA. Many old arguments against vaccines do not apply to mRNA vaccines. We can review a few of those “science” arguments.

Popular Argument Four: COVID Vaccines Kill People

Answer: Science Shows COVID Vaccines Save far More Lives than Vaccines Take

Recently a friend of mine argued that the COVID vaccine kills people. He then stated that Marvin Hagler, the famous boxer, died because he took the COVID vaccine. Of course, not a shred of evidence suggests such a thing. In fact, Kay Hagler, the widow of Marvin Hagler, put such rumors to rest by stating he died of natural causes. ⁵Fauzia, M. Fact check: Boxing champ Marvin Hagler’s death not caused by COVID-19 vaccine. USA TODAY. March 16, 2021.

People believe conspiracy theories and ignore scientific evidence. Science has shown that COVID vaccines save lives. ⁶For a nice summary, see Ledford H. Six months of COVID vaccines: what 1.7 billion doses have taught scientists. Nature. 2021 Jun;594(7862):164-167. doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-01505-x. PMID: 34089016. In fact, serious reactions to COVID vaccines occur about 372 times out of every million administered doses. ⁷Remmel A. COVID vaccines and safety: what the research says. Nature. 2021 Feb;590(7847):538-540. doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-00290-x. PMID: 33597779. One study showed that 21 cases of anaphylaxis were reported after administration of 1,893,360 first doses of the vaccine. ⁸CDC COVID-19 Response Team; Food and Drug Administration. Allergic Reactions Including Anaphylaxis After Receipt of the First Dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine – United States, December 14-23, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021 Jan 15;70(2):46-51. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7002e1. PMID: 33444297; PMCID: PMC7808711. Therefore, ignorance of facts cannot be a substitute for truth.

Popular Argument Five: People Still Get COVID after Vaccination

Answer: The Vaccines Are Over Ninety Percent Effective

Studies show that the vaccine was about 95% effective in preventing serious COVID. ⁹ Polack FP, Thomas SJ, Kitchin N, Absalon J, Gurtman A, Lockhart S, Perez JL, Pérez Marc G, Moreira ED, Zerbini C, Bailey R, Swanson KA, Roychoudhury S, Koury K, Li P, Kalina WV, Cooper D, Frenck RW Jr, Hammitt LL, Türeci Ö, Nell H, Schaefer A, Ünal S, Tresnan DB, Mather S, Dormitzer PR, Şahin U, Jansen KU, Gruber WC; C4591001 Clinical Trial Group. Safety and Efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine. N Engl J Med. 2020 Dec 31;383(27):2603-2615. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2034577. Epub 2020 Dec 10. PMID: 33301246; PMCID: PMC7745181. Breakthrough cases of COVID after vaccination are fairly rare. Even so, with new variants of the virus, more breakthroughs may occur. ¹⁰See the discussion in Hacisuleyman E, Hale C, Saito Y, Blachere NE, Bergh M, Conlon EG, Schaefer-Babajew DJ, DaSilva J, Muecksch F, Gaebler C, Lifton R, Nussenzweig MC, Hatziioannou T, Bieniasz PD, Darnell RB. Vaccine Breakthrough Infections with SARS-CoV-2 Variants. N Engl J Med. 2021 Apr 21:NEJMoa2105000. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2105000. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33882219; PMCID: PMC8117968. The bottom line remains that the COVID vaccines help most people to avoid serious COVID illness. Therefore, when people say that the people still get COVID after the vaccine, they overlook that the vast majority of people taking the vaccine will not get seriously ill from COVID. Furthermore, once vaccinated, you will be far less likely to transmit COVID to your neighbor.

The “science” arguments alleged to oppose vaccination rest upon misunderstandings and a lack of knowledge. Willful ignorance arises when people ignore the truth and embrace lies. Some Christians tend to disregard scientific facts in favor of cultivating their own fears. They must act as stewards of their own bodies and learn the truth and then live by that truth. Do not misunderstand. 

Many Christians also distrust the government to tell them the truth. For decades, many Americans trusted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),  the National Institutes of Health, and the World Health Organization. With the arrival of COVID, Americans learned that CDC, NIH and WHO all tailor their messages for ulterior motives. By doing so, many Americans now distrust the CDC, NIH and WHO.

Why Americans Now Distrust the CDC, NIH and WHO

Writers at the Washington Post ¹¹https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/09/21/cdc-COVID-aerosols-airborne-guidelines/. The authors in September 2020 showed that CDC had changed its COVID guidance three times since May 2020. had very harsh words for the CDC and concluded:

When the next history of the CDC is written, 2020 will emerge as perhaps the darkest chapter in its 74 years, rivaled only by its involvement in the infamous Tuskegee experiment, in which federal doctors withheld medicine from poor Black men with syphilis, then tracked their descent into blindness, insanity and death. 

According to many scientists, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization have seriously misled the American people about COVID. While many Americans distrust some media outlets for their political bias and outright lies, they have often relied upon the CDC, NIH and WHO for accurate scientific information and guidance. According to some scientists, the CDC, NIH, and WHO seriously undermined the public trust in them to provide accurate information regarding the COVID pandemic. A series of mistakes has led to a “bankruptcy of trust.” ¹²The article about mistrust of government guidance on COVID can be found at  https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-united-states-3a6fbf0e8ff3e63917f707aa935b492c. Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman, used the phrase “era of information bankruptcy,” to describe the lack of trust in government guidance on COVID.  Catherine Lynne Trolsi, Ph.D.,  University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, chronicled the early problems with CDC guidance and why Americans lost faith in the CDC. See https://www.nextgov.com/ideas/2020/09/im-public-health-researcher-and-im-dismayed-cdcs-missteps-are-causing-people-lose-trust-great-institution/168142/ 

Mistake One: Push Back against Airborne Transmission

WHO, CDC, and NIH all pushed back against research showing that airborne transmissions played a significant role in the spread of COVID. ¹³The CDC remained uncertain about how COVID spread. See Jernigan DB; CDC COVID-19 Response Team. Update: Public Health Response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak – United States, February 24, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020 Feb 28;69(8):216-219. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6908e1. PMID: 32106216; PMCID: PMC7367075. See also https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/how-COVID-spreads.html and Patel A, Jernigan DB; 2019-nCoV CDC Response Team. Initial Public Health Response and Interim Clinical Guidance for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak – United States, December 31, 2019-February 4, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020 Feb 7;69(5):140-146. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6905e1. Erratum in: MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020 Feb 14;69(6):173. PMID: 32027631; PMCID: PMC7004396. See also the surface transmission issues discussed in https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/05/22/861193550/advice-on-surface-spread-of-COVID-19-has-not-changed-cdc-says. On July 8, 2020,  Nature, a scientific journal, sounded the alarm bells about airborne transmissions this way: “Mounting evidence suggests coronavirus is airborne — but health advice has not caught up.”  In that article, we read: 

For months, the WHO had steadfastly pushed back against the idea that there is a significant threat of the coronavirus being transmitted by aerosols that can accumulate in poorly ventilated venues and be carried on air currents. The agency maintains that the virus is spread mainly by contaminated surfaces and by droplets bigger than aerosols that are generated by coughing, sneezing and talking. These are thought to travel relatively short distances and drop quickly from the air.

This type of guidance has hampered efforts that could prevent airborne transmission, such as measures that improve ventilation of indoor spaces and limits on indoor gatherings, say the researchers in the commentary: “We are concerned that the lack of recognition of the risk of airborne transmission of COVID-19 and the lack of clear recommendations on the control measures against the airborne virus will have significant consequences: people may think that they are fully protected by adhering to the current recommendations, but in fact, additional airborne interventions are needed for further reduction of infection risk.”¹⁴Lewis D. Mounting evidence suggests coronavirus is airborne – but health advice has not caught up. Nature. 2020 Jul;583(7817):510-513. doi: 10.1038/d41586-020-02058-1. PMID: 32647382.

The CDC did not adopt this guidance immediately. See CDC Guidance: How COVID-19 Spreads, Updated Sept. 18, 2020, which provided:

Mistake Two: Face Masks

Anthony Fauci, M.D., head of infectious diseases at the National Institutes of Health, stated in March 2020 that “there’s no reason to be walking around with a mask” in the United States. ¹⁹See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRa6t_e7dgI.  On April 3, 2020, the CDC updated its guidance and recommended face coverings. Why did Anthony Fauci change his mind so quickly? He revealed his motives in an interview with the New York Times, explaining that he was concerned telling the truth might cause hording masks and making the shortage of masks even greater. Many people spoke out against the misleading words of Anthony Fauci. ²⁰For example, Senator Tom Davis accused Anthony Fauci of undermining the public trust at https://www.postandcourier.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/letters-to-the-editor-dr-fauci-was-wrong-to-lie-about-face-mask-advice/article_3354b31e-4137-11eb-abed-1ba565c30d53.html.

Mistake Three: Herd Immunity

According to published reports, ²¹For example, Mike Allen wrote an article in Axios discussing a New York Times discussion about Anthony Fauci moving the goal posts on herd immunity. See https://www.axios.com/fauci-goalposts-herd-immunity-c83c7500-d8f9-4960-a334-06cc03d9a220.html Anthony Fauci repeatedly moved the goal posts for herd immunity, and he did so slowly and deliberately because he thought the country was finally ready to hear what he thought. According to Vinay Prasad, M.D., MPH, “Scientists play a dangerous game when they tailor factual statements to promote policy goals.” ²²See Op-Ed: Why Did Fauci Move the Herd Immunity Goal Posts?— Scientists play a dangerous game when they tailor factual statements to promote policy goals, Vinay Prasad, MD, MPH December 29, 2020, https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/vinay-prasad/90445.

Mistake Four: Testing For COVID

The CDC did not immediately recommend testing for all people in contact with people infected with COVID. Later, the CDC reversed itself regarding testing guidelines, specifically the testing of asymptomatic people. Public health experts were shocked that the CDC did not recommend testing of all people in contact with people infected with COVID. Scientists voiced concern over the asymptomatic spread of COVID. ²³Scientists were already concerned about asymptomatic spread by June 2020. See Oran DP, Topol EJ: Prevalence of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Annals of Internal Medicine June 3 2020. Accessed July 23, 2020. https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-3012. See also the story at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/18/health/coronavirus-testing-cdc.html.

Conclusion

While I hope Christians will review the Scriptures and the truth from science regarding COVID vaccination, I understand that many Christians act irrationally. They act sinfully and put their own interests above the interests of others. Truth and reason will not influence them to change their behavior. Some Christians, however, may seek the truth in the Scriptures and learn from science as well. All truth remains God’s truth. 

According to many Americans from many walks of life, the CDC, NIH and WHO have unwittingly filed for bankruptcy when it comes to telling the truth. By their own admission, the messages they tell us do not always reflect the truth. By God’s grace, people have exposed those organizations as merely human institutions, subject to the same flaws as every other human. Scientists do not have enough data at this point to prove the COVID vaccines are safe for the long term, but the short term benefits outweigh the long-term risks for most people. You must still consider the risk to your neighbor if you refuse the vaccine and then go into buildings to worship and fellowship, sing songs with each other, and sit next to each other for an hour or more. Scientists tell us that enclosed spaces will see higher transmission rates for the virus. Likewise, many unvaccinated believers will send many believers and unbelievers they work with to the hospitals and some of those people will die from COVID. If believers gain a reputation for being unvaccinated and killing people by their vaccine opposition, will that benefit the cause of Christ?  Of course not.

Scientists may not tell the truth, but the truth always speaks volumes about scientists, Christians and all other things. Jesus said “I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” (John 14:6). We must all seek Him and abide in His word, and so prove we are truly His disciples. May the Lord Jesus lead us into all truth and cause us to live in His love for one another. Take a COVID vaccine because you love your neighbor and put the interests of others before yourself.

HALLELUJAH !