Can anyone explain why Christians feel the vaccine is wrong?

Sorry, posted too soon. DH and I are long term committed Christians and all the folk we know have been vaccinated. We have no problems and trust the scientists and medics.

We know folk who have refused vaccinations mostly because they follow American churches and also support Trump-despite being British. They are intelligent people who think they are right. We’ve had a couple of very uncomfortable discussions but now agree to disagree and we just don’t mention the elephant on the sofa. I would add that one of the ladies-in late sixties-is now not at all well at home, on her own, with covid.

Everyone seems to be working on the basis that every member of any religious organisation slavishly obeys every edict that comes down from those who lead the organisation and while there will be members who do do that, the majority of members will ignore their religious organisations rules on one thing or the other at some time or another for reasons of conscious or just convenience.

If the Pope had told catholics not to have the vaccine, I suspect that the majority of catholics would have ignored the edict and had the vaccine, in the same way the majority of catholics do not follow the churches teaching on birth control.

I followed the link you gave OnwardsandUpwards you are right it is total gobbledegook. Devoid of any links to reputable scientific research, only links to sites with evidence as unsubstantiated as their own.

I’m with you on this one Monica what’s the story on children getting their Mmr vaccines saving many children dying from childhood diseases

Skye17

Sorry, cross-posted.

The RC church has not come out against Covid vaccines.

‘... the Vatican also made statements on the COVID-19 vaccines. On December 21st, 2020, the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith released a “Note on the Morality of Using Some Anti-COVID-19 Vaccines.” In this document they reiterate the concepts from the prior documents, stating that it is licit to use COVID-19 vaccines that are associated with aborted fetal tissue if no reasonable alternatives exist’.

The CDF did also say that ‘Both pharmaceutical companies and governmental health agencies are therefore encouraged to produce, approve, distribute and offer ethically acceptable vaccines that do not create problems of conscience for either health care providers or the people to be vaccinated.’
mycatholicdoctor.com/our-services/vaccines/

After I was targetted by some Anti Vax people (who did not like it when I called them anti vax) they said the Pope was against it and gave me authentic looking documentation to "prove" it, but I have since done my own research and found that the Pope has permitted it.

The whole thing is a mess because of people not having it and getting upset with people who have. But all this started with Trump, not covid. Like someone else said, this is all the same people, with a different agenda.

heard elsewhere!

freedomfromthepast

The biggest reason I have heard from the few people I know who refuse the vaccine here in the US is that it is because it is still an experimental vaccine that has not gone through peer studies. They also believe that the mRNA technology is somehow changing their DNA.

I will admit when it first came out, I was hesitant as well. But I figure that the millions of vaccinated people around the world is a fairly good study, plus, I want to be able to travel!

There is a very vocal group of people who are anti-Covid vaccine. Those people typically are conservatives and Christians. They also seem to follow a fringe group (Q) that believes the Royal family hunts children for fun. Sigh. But they aren't the only ones who are refusing. Just the ones we hear about the most.

So my opinion is that the main reason they wont is because they are convinced that it may not be safe and there may be long term issues years from now. How they came to that conclusion varies though and there are people from all walks of life who refuse it. Not just a certain group.

Also interesting to note, a large portion of anti-vaxxers in the US are liberals. In my experience, my super liberal friends have always been the ones to delay or deny regular childhood vaccines. We have had quite the increase in measles outbreaks here the last 10 years or so.

So I guess my answer is, each person has their own reason for not getting the shot. There are conservatives and liberals, democrats and republicans, a-political and atheists who are refusing the vaccine. It has nothing to do with the bible or it's teachings.

To me, this is a very helpful and interesting comment. What you say fits in with what I have elsewhere

nanna8

Oh dear, I think our prime minister is a member of Hillsong. Maybe that is why the vaccine rollout is so slow?

Hillsong Church isn’t actually against vaccines. Please see my post at 22:48.

Sorry, cross-posted.

The RC church has not come out against Covid vaccines.

‘... the Vatican also made statements on the COVID-19 vaccines. On December 21st, 2020, the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith released a “Note on the Morality of Using Some Anti-COVID-19 Vaccines.” In this document they reiterate the concepts from the prior documents, stating that it is licit to use COVID-19 vaccines that are associated with aborted fetal tissue if no reasonable alternatives exist’.

The CDF did also say that ‘Both pharmaceutical companies and governmental health agencies are therefore encouraged to produce, approve, distribute and offer ethically acceptable vaccines that do not create problems of conscience for either health care providers or the people to be vaccinated.’
mycatholicdoctor.com/our-services/vaccines/

The biggest reason I have heard from the few people I know who refuse the vaccine here in the US is that it is because it is still an experimental vaccine that has not gone through peer studies. They also believe that the mRNA technology is somehow changing their DNA.

I will admit when it first came out, I was hesitant as well. But I figure that the millions of vaccinated people around the world is a fairly good study, plus, I want to be able to travel!

There is a very vocal group of people who are anti-Covid vaccine. Those people typically are conservatives and Christians. They also seem to follow a fringe group (Q) that believes the Royal family hunts children for fun. Sigh. But they aren't the only ones who are refusing. Just the ones we hear about the most.

So my opinion is that the main reason they wont is because they are convinced that it may not be safe and there may be long term issues years from now. How they came to that conclusion varies though and there are people from all walks of life who refuse it. Not just a certain group.

Also interesting to note, a large portion of anti-vaxxers in the US are liberals. In my experience, my super liberal friends have always been the ones to delay or deny regular childhood vaccines. We have had quite the increase in measles outbreaks here the last 10 years or so.

So I guess my answer is, each person has their own reason for not getting the shot. There are conservatives and liberals, democrats and republicans, a-political and atheists who are refusing the vaccine. It has nothing to do with the bible or it's teachings.

Oh dear, I think our prime minister is a member of Hillsong. Maybe that is why the vaccine rollout is so slow?

OnwardandUpward

Yes that Hillsong one is a huge church, but I don't know much about it.

As far as I can see I think Monica hit the nail on the head for most people, but there may be something in the bible that is stopping some people. I challenged an American friend why she was condemning me for having the vaccine and she provided me with a link cogforlife.org/prove-it/?fbclid=IwAR1P0TdGbKcfrT3QBAvZ-f8LQQ0g9idm45IvS8gN_E6SHRUl2KR9qt4W5Qc

To be honest it read like gobbledygook to me, but I think that the standards of the FDA in America are not so good as our standards here in UK so maybe that's another reason why?

I wish I didn't have an autistic brain!

I know the Bible pretty well. There is nothing in there that I can think of, or have ever heard about, to stop people having vaccines.

The article you linked to is to do with cell lines, that originated (or may have originated) from aborted foetuses decades ago, being used in the manufacture or testing of vaccines. The original foetal cells have been reproduced and reproduced in labs since then to manufacture many more cells, which I think are sold to scientists to use. Some people don’t want anything to do with any product that has involved using these cell lines.

Although I don’t like abortion, I think that receiving a vaccine that may have involved, somewhere in the process of producing it, cells descended from a foetus killed in the 1970s doesn’t seem like much of an involvement with abortion to me. I think it’s less bad than refusing the vaccine and so putting myself at higher risk of severe illness or death, plus putting other people at higher risk of illness or death by being infected by me. The lesser of two evils, if you like. The other Christians I know think the same.

If someone is refusing the vaccine, I think there would generally be other reasons involved (rational or not), and this one would be brought in as justification.

www.nebraskamed.com/COVID/you-asked-we-answered-do-the-covid-19-vaccines-contain-aborted-fetal-cells

Here's an interesting article I found about fetal cells and Covid vaccines.

Yes, the picture is from protests this past weekend.

I know just one person at my church who won’t have the vaccination and for her it is because of using foetal cells. She is a retired Pastor’s wife and feels strongly about it. That is a Presbyterian church and most of the older ones have had their vaccinations. The younger ones haven’t been able to get it yet but I assume they will when they can. I don’t like the idea of foetal cells, either, but not being a scientist I don’t really understand the circumstances .

Is it? Thanks.
I do think its morally wrong to use fetal cells, even cloned ones but Im vaccinated and Im not really regretting it, Im grateful for it while a bit

I never knew how vaccines were made before and I do now see why many are upset. From what I can see the RC Church may be against it

OnwardandUpward

I've got quite a lot of American friends and yes it's all been Americans saying this.
It's pretty disturbing.
I asked them why they have this belief and they won't say. I wanted to know if there's something in the bible?
I've already had the vaccine so it's too late for me if I've done something terrible.

This photo is from Australia. I know plenty of Christians who have had the vaccine.

Yes that Hillsong one is a huge church, but I don't know much about it.

As far as I can see I think Monica hit the nail on the head for most people, but there may be something in the bible that is stopping some people. I challenged an American friend why she was condemning me for having the vaccine and she provided me with a link cogforlife.org/prove-it/?fbclid=IwAR1P0TdGbKcfrT3QBAvZ-f8LQQ0g9idm45IvS8gN_E6SHRUl2KR9qt4W5Qc

To be honest it read like gobbledygook to me, but I think that the standards of the FDA in America are not so good as our standards here in UK so maybe that's another reason why?

I wish I didn't have an autistic brain!

lemongrove

Is it Jehovahs Witness? They won’t have blood transfusions.

No, it's some odd online megachurch I think.

I do notice that the founder of the church in the OP article said, "Stephen’s thoughts on vaccines were his own. They do not represent the views and thoughts of Hillsong Church”. He also said, "Many of our pastors, staff, and congregation are fully vaccinated and more will be when vaccines become available to them in their countries”. Stephen Harmon’s view is not the official view of that church.
www.foxtv.com/news/hillsong-founder-says-covid-19-vaccine-is-a-personal-decision-after-church-member-dies

I’ve been a Christian for many years (in the UK). I and all the Christians I know are. double-jabbed, apart from one, and she didn’t say it was anti-Christian. She has had quite a few mental health problems and does think irrationally sometimes. (I hope she will change her mind as I am concerned about her catching the virus.)

I don’t understand this weird attitude of some American Christians. I think M0nica might be right - they first have anti-vaccine views and then try to justify them using the Bible, rather than starting with the Bible and getting their anti-vaccine views from there.

Nothing to do with ‘far right groups’ btw just extreme Christian groups who won’t sully their bodies with anything,
Blood, vaccines etc.

Is it Jehovahs Witness? They won’t have blood transfusions.

It's a type of cult.

Not part of any established Christian church.

Some Anglican Churches have had vaccination centres