I also know there are others who claim for religious reasons that they should not have to get vaccinated, and even try to get religious exemptions to avoid it. I am a Christian, but fail to see the connection. Could someone please explain it to me?
Again, I am not being critical or judgemental, just wanting to understand the rationale. I mean I get why those who don't want any medicinal treatments of any kind would object. But if you are not one of those (opposed to any medical treatment), how is a covid vaccine different from the religous perspective than other vaccines or treatments?
I can give several answers here, though not all of them are mine. I've had quite a few discussions about this with people of differing Christian faiths and understandings. I've asked if it's OK that I share them here and they're fine with that. I may have to edit this a few times as instructed by them...
I know a family of Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) that don't accept anything foreign being injected or given through IV into their bloodstream. They believe God created us with everything we need to fight illnesses, and if they don't survive some illness have faith that it was God's will or plan for them.
I know another christian family that believes in keeping the commandments, including not eating biblically unclean foods like pork, shellfish, rodents, carnivores, etc. They don't believe God or His son intended for aborted fetal cells to be used in meds or medical development, whether they are cloned or original cells. They believe in informed consent and want to know exactly what is in any medicine they consume or are administered. They won't take anything that doesn't come from natural, clean food sources, including those that contain aluminum, mercury, and ingredients that are known carcinogens/harmful to humans. There were and are no inserts for these shots.
I know a couple of different seventh day sabbath keepers (Christians), one of which is a vegetarian, the other not. With the first it's pretty obvious why they wouldn't get shots with animal lr human tissues in them or used to make them. The non-vegetraian is a more faith based person and doesn't use typical healthcare options except where broken bones or torn ligaments and such are being treated. They expressed to me that they wouldn't take chemo if they were diagnosed with cancer, and won't take any more shots other than antibiotics or certain meds they knew were clean.
I know several Jewish people also. One is very against anything that involves waiving the right to informed consent. If you can't tell him exactly what's in it, it's not going in his arm or mouth. They don't do experimental drugs either. Most of the Jewish people I know didn't seem to question the shots.
Most of the Christians I know received the shots because they were mandated to see their families, travel, and keep their jobs. Some questioned them and some didn't want to take them, but gave in for the reasons mentioned. Others advertised and advocated for them, threatening their non-compliant family members with being ostracized if they didn't take it. (Which a small number after the fact conceded wasn't very Christian of them.)
Most have had covid since they started receiving shots, some multiple times. 1 has gotten it at least 3 times (maybe 4) since starting the protocol, and still doesn't have their taste back (since the first, post shot illness except sporadically).
The people I know that have been healthiest during this whole thing are those who didn't get any or stopped the process fairly early along the way.