A second, detailed primer on drafting Religious Accommodation requests, including a complete sample letter from me, and answers to the new, improved government-standard ones that are popping up now.
Jeff: I am deeply moved by your response. I am inspired by your love for God and the depth of your convictions. Your rich, powerful writing glows with them. You continue to demonstrate an intelligence, commitment and passion which make you a precious gift from God to me. Thank you for your inspiration as a role model and for your enormous contribution to freedom in what is becoming a darker world. I feel satisfaction for the financial support I have pledged to your effort. There aren’t many things that provide such great ROI. :)
Those questions that are being used in an attempt to derail people’s religious objections are foul and intrusive! As if they had the right approve or disapprove a person’s personal convictions. What more will these people stoop to?
Peggy Hall's examination of Kaiser's galling letter is enlightening and edifying. She's right: the information these employers are requesting is harassment, plain and simple.
I'm half through it. Peggy's review of Kaiser's crap confirms my take that the advice of "copy-pasting will be used against you; put it in your own words" may lead many into traps. What's wrong or insincere about copy-pasting what you believe, provided you openly, boldly & proudly state that it's what you did, attribute the source, and state that it fully agrees with your faith? Parts of THE BIBLE for example; or Jeff Childers, Liberty Counsel & other sincere leaders in defense of sincere religious rights. I don't see the need to urge folks to *pretend*, to make it *look like* they're not plagiarizing someone's original homework, as if we're in high school being graded on originality, syntax, spelling, style etc.
It creates a vulnerability for the enemy to claim that it LOOKS like we're cheating or insincere. What law says you can't copy-paste what you agree with, or it's "insincere" if you do - even though it's well written, saves time & you sincerely agree with it?
Bible school encourages kids to memorize parts of the Bible. Catholics memorize certain catechisms etc. And their faith leaders don't see them as insincere by for that. Question the assumption. Should we be ashamed to copy-paste or repeat the Lords Prayer verbatim without putting it in our own words, when Jesus himself encouraged that?
People already face repercussions from this approach. There's still time to turn it around. Proverbs 28:1. Trying to make it look like we wrote something original isn't the wicked fleeing, but it creates a false appearance the enemy uses against us.
Folks who tried to put things in their own words are now accused of trying to put things in their own words to make it look like they wrote it. The similarities are predictably obvious to a devious, relentless vax nazi. Our side better figure out how to deal with it. My thought is, resubmit, boldly, proudly, openly copying significant tracts, with attribution, that we sincerely agree with, that represent our sincere faith. "Own words" can preface the copy-paste sections, explain that they are consistent with our sincere faith and that it's our right as religious conscientious objectors to copy-paste what we sincerely agree with.
What an amazing coincidence! You've come along with this guidance at just the right time. What about including a FEW (some examples below) Bible verses into the response? Or does this just muddy the waters?? Sincere apologies for the length of this - and in all likelihood several typos. Snark on!
Knowledge, Wisdom and Discernment come from God
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
Proverbs 2:6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding
Proverbs 3:13 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
and the one who gets understanding
Ephesians 5:15-17 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is
Proverbs 4:7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.
Proverbs 14:16 One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil,
but a fool is reckless and careless
Proverbs 15:21 Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,
but a man of understanding walks straight ahead
Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
Proverbs 18:15 An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,
and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
Proverbs 27:12 The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
but the simple go on and suffer for it.
Psalms 119:56 Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
for I believe in your commandments
As it pertains to the body:
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
1 Corinthians 9:27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
2 Corinthians 7:1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Psalms 139:13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
We should be ready to have Romans 13 and 1 Peter ii thrown in our faces: "These verses say you must OBEY authority."
Possible general position: "I believe your/their interpretation is out of context." If they ask why, you can say you're not here to debate your faith, and/or you will prepare a written explanation.
Catholic resource: The Viganò Tapes, #6, by Archbishop Viganò
Jonathan Mayhew 1750 sermon against unlimited submission to power. Long-forgotten gold. Long, but worth the read. Needs to be rediscovered by conservative Christians.
Also, you are not obligated to debate your faith. And it is illegal for your employer to ask you to do it. DO NOT allow them to cross the line. If they do, SUE THEM.
Some of the best religious exemption tips out there are published by employment law firms that represent employers--the OTHER side! It's like a strawman of what you can and cannot do. Fisher Phillips is one such firm; they have been publishing a lot of helpful stuff meant to help employers--but that will actually help YOU, the employee, a lot more!
Another helpful tip from Fisher Phillips: "Once it is established that an employee has a religious belief that is protected by Title VII, courts have routinely found that it is impermissible for an employer to question the validity of that religious belief." In short, no--they cannot debate you!!
Thanks. That agrees with my intuition. What right does some vax nazi have to judge my faith and sincerity in the first place? Some commie atheist or biased member of another faith gets to decide if I'm sincere? This is why I don't buy the advice "don't copy paste, it will be used against you." My intuition would be to challenge the assumption that employers should be allowed to treat this as a takehome essay exam graded on originality. Here's what I wrote to LC about that (I donate to them but it's so far ignored; I hope he saw it):
Dear Mr. Staver,
I heard your excellent conference call with US Freedom Flyers. Very helpful, but I have a couple observations.
You said the only thing employers have to go on is not whether they agree or disagree with one's belief, but whether or not one's faith is sincere. The person deciding whether to 'grant' an exemption may be a petty tyrant, a corporate or government bureaucrat, far from sincere himself. Or he may have his own dogma and think my interpretation of the Bible is "incorrect". Worse, he could be a lying leftist atheist who believes his ends justify tyrannical, dishonest means. What legal or moral right do such people have to deny the sincerity of our faith? They cannot read our hearts and minds.
You recommend that people 'applying' for exemption not copy and paste pro forma statements. But not all conscientious objectors are confident writers, and they may be under heavy time pressure. So, as to copy-paste, why not? If openly attributed, it doesn't indicate insincerity. On the contrary. Sincere people can feel that it saves time while expressing what they believe better than they can express it themselves.
There should be nothing wrong with saying, "I found this statement on LibertyCounsel.org. I did not write it, but I agree with it, and it expresses my sincere faith." As you point out, one might choose to illustrate faith by quoting verses from the Bible. Copy-pasting the words of prophets, kings and their counsel, sections of the Nicene Creed, and so forth, should not cast doubt on one's faith. Nor should copying and pasting the words of today’s faith and liberty leaders. People should not be denied conscientious objector status over writing style or inability to make it seem that they originally wrote something they didn't.
I think telling people not to copy and paste will stop or excessively delay some from acting, out of fear of petty tyrants claiming they're insincere, or they cheated or plagiarized, as if it's a grade-school take-home essay assignment. But it's neither cheating nor plagiarizing nor insincere, provided one proudly attributes the author or source. It could save tens of millions of hours in delay and time spent by millions of people desperately seeking to assert conscientious objector status. Also, boldly quoting Liberty Counsel signals that they take their rights seriously enough to seek competent legal defense.
Many thanks..."
The whole time I was writing this I was thinking of Proverbs, 23 I think: "The wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a lion." No one's wicked here except the vax nazis, but all this trying to make it seem totally original could make it feel sneaky, and open up that accusation by employers. Turn it around and question the assumption. I get the feeling some folks have PTSD from getting, or seeing others get, rapped on the hand too many times by nuns for copying homework. Yet no one gets smacked for memorizing or copy-pasting The Lord's Prayer or The Hail Mary, verbatim, instead of making it look like you wrote it!
If you're concerned about the authority argument, I strongly suggest you listen to the sermon by the wonderful MacArthur regarding the government's limited realm of authority. :-)
I would love to see a topic on the next steps, denied Religious Exemptions and how to legally proceed. As I am in this phase. I sent a request asking the reasons for my denial and for an appeals process. The written response back was that the reasons would not be made public and there is no appeals process. They are trying to use the terminology of “separation “ instead of firing. I will not sign anything. But what are our next steps? Seems like if you work in healthcare, airline, federal, have a union or military, these people are getting help. Private employers seem to be steamrolling over us. What do we do?
What state are you in? Take a look at the civil rights statutes as they relate to religion. Nudge them in that direction. And of course, Title 7. schneile's right.....mention your intent to file a formal complaint with the EEOC.
Yup. I mentioned both this and the fed law in my request letter: "I would appreciate if you would kindly honor my sincerely held religious convictions as outlined in this letter and grant this reasonable religious accommodation request—in compliance with both Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992—to continue with my employment."
By mentioning both the federal statute and your state statute, it sends a subtle message that you've done your homework and are prepared to fight for your rights under the law.
This is an outstanding read. I have already submitted my religious exemption request and am now awaiting The Verdict, but I was pleased to see that I had taken a similar approach in mine, which I had an attorney review prior to submission. I fully intend to file a religious discrimination suit against my employer should they deny my accommodation request.
Should you also add into the statement what accommodations you are seeking? My job is full time telework, and I am only seeking the opportunity to continue to work as I have been, from home. There is absolutely no way that they can show that keeping me at home working with zero contact with the public or coworkers is an undue burden.
I did, for the same exact reason. I've been working remotely since BEFORE the pandemic. Therefore, there is no possible way that my continuation of the status quo could ever be regarded by my employer as an "undue hardship" to their operations. I'm sure your accommodation will be accepted. I fully expect that mine will be, too. My faith in the Lord is strong, and I know he will lead me where I need to be--maybe even into a lawsuit with a large enough settlement that I can retire!
If your employer is a federal contractor - back before they turned evil and were trying to persuade people to get vaccinated they sent an email that said you get paid two days off or however long it takes to recover from vaccine side effects. In my state an advertisement trying to convince people to get vaccinated had a young person saying the protection offers was worth the few days being sick from the shot. You may be avoiding an "undue hardship" to their operations. Isn't up to the employer whether they accept the exemption requests? For small employers that know you, I would hope it would be automatic but there may be some pressure on federal contractors not to accept the requests, which again is discrimination.
I based my letter on this solid one from the Michigan GOP 13th district. Good stuff. Make sure you correct the typos and personalize, personalize, personalize.
I generally don’t take vaccines, but I did have childhood vaccines and took the flu vaccine once or twice in my early 20’s. I don’t think I’ve had any vaccines since I was saved, but to be honest, it was the Covid research that I described in my letter (see Question No. 1) that alerted me to the use of aborted baby tissue in development of many vaccines. I won’t be taking any vaccines in that category, nor will my children.
Nor will I accept ANY medical treatment of ANY kind if I have a firm conviction after prayer and reflection that I should not do so.
Sorry, I was on mobile and didn't realize you were replying to my comment with the MIGOP letter. My suggestion is that's why you use multiple resources when preparing your own letter. For mine, I said something like this: "I am strongly convicted to not allow any of the COVID-19 vaccines into my body—as it is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit of God. For the same reasons, I never receive a seasonal flu vaccine. And this year, I have become aware of specific ingredients in certain vaccines that have caused me serious distress—including animal-derived products, often contained in vaccines. Now that I know this, I am even more firm in my objections, and after much prayerful consideration, I know now more than ever that I would not receive any vaccines moving forward."
It's hardly your fault if you were administered vaxxes as a child, and you are allowed to change your position as an adult at any time.
good advice, thank you. The Questions are probably coming from the Safer Federal Worker Task Force, which posted some "sample" questions on October 4th. Lazy agencies will just copy and paste.
Thanks Jeff. This is very helpful and timely. I will review this and the linked articles many times before drafting my exemption.
I posted this question in the other article - how would you suggest someone go about doing the exemption on moral grounds, rather than religious? I was raised Christian but have not been practicing for many years now and will not succeed if I go that route. I liked what you wrote about the "Title VII’s protections also extend nonreligious beliefs if they are related to morality, ultimate ideas about life, purpose, and death. ".
I might say that this whole COVID thing is bringing you to faith! For me, I call it The Great COVID Awakening. Don't be ashamed of that; praise God that this whole horrible mess has been used to open the spiritual eyes of millions of people! :-)
"These articles convinced me that the drugs were safe and effective at reducing the chances of serious illness and death."
I'd be lying if I wrote that in my own words. How about alternate draft wording like:
"These articles have not convinced me that the vaccines are safe and effective relative to the risk of covid, but that is not the reason for my conscientious objection."
You cite the Pope, good. Why not also cite a Protestant vax pusher like Franklin Graham?
Since you state this letter is for the purpose of creating evidence I believe that including the line which says "[t]hese articles convinced me that the drugs were safe and effective at reducing the chances of serious illness and death," is wrong and could ultimately be used against the person writing such. It is the conviction of many that these injections are clearly NOT safe. Why is the use of force by depriving an individual of livelihood insufficient legal grounds?
My feeling on this is regardless of the fetal cell use or not, the MRNA vaccine is in fact software that programs the cell to perform a function it was not designed to do. God has his own programming language in rna and dna. Everything God created was done with His word. This gene therapy changes the Word of God and is blasphemous. It goes against God’s creation from the Beginning!
Jeff: I am deeply moved by your response. I am inspired by your love for God and the depth of your convictions. Your rich, powerful writing glows with them. You continue to demonstrate an intelligence, commitment and passion which make you a precious gift from God to me. Thank you for your inspiration as a role model and for your enormous contribution to freedom in what is becoming a darker world. I feel satisfaction for the financial support I have pledged to your effort. There aren’t many things that provide such great ROI. :)
Those questions that are being used in an attempt to derail people’s religious objections are foul and intrusive! As if they had the right approve or disapprove a person’s personal convictions. What more will these people stoop to?
Thank you…. Just thank you.
Agree. Feeling blessed to stumble upon Jeff’s work. Thank you!!!
I came across this educational webinar which specifically addresses Title 7 and your religious rights. Really good stuff here.
https://www.thehealthyamerican.org/
Peggy Hall's examination of Kaiser's galling letter is enlightening and edifying. She's right: the information these employers are requesting is harassment, plain and simple.
She's really got a handle on this. Take the time to examine the site. There's a ton of great info there.
I've watched several of her videos since March 2020, but this one is exceptional. Thank you for posting it.
I'm half through it. Peggy's review of Kaiser's crap confirms my take that the advice of "copy-pasting will be used against you; put it in your own words" may lead many into traps. What's wrong or insincere about copy-pasting what you believe, provided you openly, boldly & proudly state that it's what you did, attribute the source, and state that it fully agrees with your faith? Parts of THE BIBLE for example; or Jeff Childers, Liberty Counsel & other sincere leaders in defense of sincere religious rights. I don't see the need to urge folks to *pretend*, to make it *look like* they're not plagiarizing someone's original homework, as if we're in high school being graded on originality, syntax, spelling, style etc.
It creates a vulnerability for the enemy to claim that it LOOKS like we're cheating or insincere. What law says you can't copy-paste what you agree with, or it's "insincere" if you do - even though it's well written, saves time & you sincerely agree with it?
Bible school encourages kids to memorize parts of the Bible. Catholics memorize certain catechisms etc. And their faith leaders don't see them as insincere by for that. Question the assumption. Should we be ashamed to copy-paste or repeat the Lords Prayer verbatim without putting it in our own words, when Jesus himself encouraged that?
People already face repercussions from this approach. There's still time to turn it around. Proverbs 28:1. Trying to make it look like we wrote something original isn't the wicked fleeing, but it creates a false appearance the enemy uses against us.
Folks who tried to put things in their own words are now accused of trying to put things in their own words to make it look like they wrote it. The similarities are predictably obvious to a devious, relentless vax nazi. Our side better figure out how to deal with it. My thought is, resubmit, boldly, proudly, openly copying significant tracts, with attribution, that we sincerely agree with, that represent our sincere faith. "Own words" can preface the copy-paste sections, explain that they are consistent with our sincere faith and that it's our right as religious conscientious objectors to copy-paste what we sincerely agree with.
What an amazing coincidence! You've come along with this guidance at just the right time. What about including a FEW (some examples below) Bible verses into the response? Or does this just muddy the waters?? Sincere apologies for the length of this - and in all likelihood several typos. Snark on!
Knowledge, Wisdom and Discernment come from God
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
Proverbs 2:6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding
Proverbs 3:13 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
and the one who gets understanding
Ephesians 5:15-17 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is
Proverbs 4:7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.
Proverbs 14:16 One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil,
but a fool is reckless and careless
Proverbs 15:21 Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,
but a man of understanding walks straight ahead
Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
Proverbs 18:15 An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,
and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
Proverbs 27:12 The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
but the simple go on and suffer for it.
Psalms 119:56 Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
for I believe in your commandments
As it pertains to the body:
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
1 Corinthians 9:27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
2 Corinthians 7:1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Psalms 139:13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I am OK with Scripture cites but don't overdo it. I want you to avoid theological arguments with HR.
Yeah, gotcha. I wouldn't allow it anyway. As mentioned somewhere in this thread, this is not about a theological debate, period.
I used several of these in mine, particularly Corinthians. Thank you, Paul the Apostle!
We should be ready to have Romans 13 and 1 Peter ii thrown in our faces: "These verses say you must OBEY authority."
Possible general position: "I believe your/their interpretation is out of context." If they ask why, you can say you're not here to debate your faith, and/or you will prepare a written explanation.
Catholic resource: The Viganò Tapes, #6, by Archbishop Viganò
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp63mj5nNSc&t=300s
Protestant resources:
Jonathan Mayhew 1750 sermon against unlimited submission to power. Long-forgotten gold. Long, but worth the read. Needs to be rediscovered by conservative Christians.
https://thefederalistpapers.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Pulpit-of-the-American-Revolution-.pdf
Apologia Church sermon: Defiance to Tyranny is Obedience to God
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_4Z_rPgetk
Also, you are not obligated to debate your faith. And it is illegal for your employer to ask you to do it. DO NOT allow them to cross the line. If they do, SUE THEM.
Some of the best religious exemption tips out there are published by employment law firms that represent employers--the OTHER side! It's like a strawman of what you can and cannot do. Fisher Phillips is one such firm; they have been publishing a lot of helpful stuff meant to help employers--but that will actually help YOU, the employee, a lot more!
https://www.fisherphillips.com/news-insights/3-step-guide-covid19-vaccine-religious-objections.html
Another helpful tip from Fisher Phillips: "Once it is established that an employee has a religious belief that is protected by Title VII, courts have routinely found that it is impermissible for an employer to question the validity of that religious belief." In short, no--they cannot debate you!!
https://www.fisherphillips.com/news-insights/employer-seeking-religious-exemption-vaccine-mandate.html
Thanks. That agrees with my intuition. What right does some vax nazi have to judge my faith and sincerity in the first place? Some commie atheist or biased member of another faith gets to decide if I'm sincere? This is why I don't buy the advice "don't copy paste, it will be used against you." My intuition would be to challenge the assumption that employers should be allowed to treat this as a takehome essay exam graded on originality. Here's what I wrote to LC about that (I donate to them but it's so far ignored; I hope he saw it):
Dear Mr. Staver,
I heard your excellent conference call with US Freedom Flyers. Very helpful, but I have a couple observations.
You said the only thing employers have to go on is not whether they agree or disagree with one's belief, but whether or not one's faith is sincere. The person deciding whether to 'grant' an exemption may be a petty tyrant, a corporate or government bureaucrat, far from sincere himself. Or he may have his own dogma and think my interpretation of the Bible is "incorrect". Worse, he could be a lying leftist atheist who believes his ends justify tyrannical, dishonest means. What legal or moral right do such people have to deny the sincerity of our faith? They cannot read our hearts and minds.
You recommend that people 'applying' for exemption not copy and paste pro forma statements. But not all conscientious objectors are confident writers, and they may be under heavy time pressure. So, as to copy-paste, why not? If openly attributed, it doesn't indicate insincerity. On the contrary. Sincere people can feel that it saves time while expressing what they believe better than they can express it themselves.
There should be nothing wrong with saying, "I found this statement on LibertyCounsel.org. I did not write it, but I agree with it, and it expresses my sincere faith." As you point out, one might choose to illustrate faith by quoting verses from the Bible. Copy-pasting the words of prophets, kings and their counsel, sections of the Nicene Creed, and so forth, should not cast doubt on one's faith. Nor should copying and pasting the words of today’s faith and liberty leaders. People should not be denied conscientious objector status over writing style or inability to make it seem that they originally wrote something they didn't.
I think telling people not to copy and paste will stop or excessively delay some from acting, out of fear of petty tyrants claiming they're insincere, or they cheated or plagiarized, as if it's a grade-school take-home essay assignment. But it's neither cheating nor plagiarizing nor insincere, provided one proudly attributes the author or source. It could save tens of millions of hours in delay and time spent by millions of people desperately seeking to assert conscientious objector status. Also, boldly quoting Liberty Counsel signals that they take their rights seriously enough to seek competent legal defense.
Many thanks..."
The whole time I was writing this I was thinking of Proverbs, 23 I think: "The wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a lion." No one's wicked here except the vax nazis, but all this trying to make it seem totally original could make it feel sneaky, and open up that accusation by employers. Turn it around and question the assumption. I get the feeling some folks have PTSD from getting, or seeing others get, rapped on the hand too many times by nuns for copying homework. Yet no one gets smacked for memorizing or copy-pasting The Lord's Prayer or The Hail Mary, verbatim, instead of making it look like you wrote it!
Very clever!
If you're concerned about the authority argument, I strongly suggest you listen to the sermon by the wonderful MacArthur regarding the government's limited realm of authority. :-)
What sermon? What MacArthur? Link?
Re: [Key Things to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines | CDC.gov]
(https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/keythingstoknow.html?s_cid=10496:cdc%20vaccine:sem.ga:p:RG:GM:gen:PTN:FY21)
Everything after .html is tracking code.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/keythingstoknow.html
goes to the same page without telling 'them' who told you to go there.
100%. I ALWAYS remove tracking code from anything I share, anywhere!
I would love to see a topic on the next steps, denied Religious Exemptions and how to legally proceed. As I am in this phase. I sent a request asking the reasons for my denial and for an appeals process. The written response back was that the reasons would not be made public and there is no appeals process. They are trying to use the terminology of “separation “ instead of firing. I will not sign anything. But what are our next steps? Seems like if you work in healthcare, airline, federal, have a union or military, these people are getting help. Private employers seem to be steamrolling over us. What do we do?
Yes, I am thinking about writing this post.
I got you: File an EEOC complaint.
https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/religious-accommodation-in-the-workplace-the-devil-is-in-the-detail/
What state are you in? Take a look at the civil rights statutes as they relate to religion. Nudge them in that direction. And of course, Title 7. schneile's right.....mention your intent to file a formal complaint with the EEOC.
This will be helpful if you live in Florida. I would assume that each state has something similar.
Civil Rights Title XLIV
https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2021/Chapter760/All
Yup. I mentioned both this and the fed law in my request letter: "I would appreciate if you would kindly honor my sincerely held religious convictions as outlined in this letter and grant this reasonable religious accommodation request—in compliance with both Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992—to continue with my employment."
By mentioning both the federal statute and your state statute, it sends a subtle message that you've done your homework and are prepared to fight for your rights under the law.
This is an outstanding read. I have already submitted my religious exemption request and am now awaiting The Verdict, but I was pleased to see that I had taken a similar approach in mine, which I had an attorney review prior to submission. I fully intend to file a religious discrimination suit against my employer should they deny my accommodation request.
Should you also add into the statement what accommodations you are seeking? My job is full time telework, and I am only seeking the opportunity to continue to work as I have been, from home. There is absolutely no way that they can show that keeping me at home working with zero contact with the public or coworkers is an undue burden.
Yes, this is a good idea.
I did, for the same exact reason. I've been working remotely since BEFORE the pandemic. Therefore, there is no possible way that my continuation of the status quo could ever be regarded by my employer as an "undue hardship" to their operations. I'm sure your accommodation will be accepted. I fully expect that mine will be, too. My faith in the Lord is strong, and I know he will lead me where I need to be--maybe even into a lawsuit with a large enough settlement that I can retire!
If your employer is a federal contractor - back before they turned evil and were trying to persuade people to get vaccinated they sent an email that said you get paid two days off or however long it takes to recover from vaccine side effects. In my state an advertisement trying to convince people to get vaccinated had a young person saying the protection offers was worth the few days being sick from the shot. You may be avoiding an "undue hardship" to their operations. Isn't up to the employer whether they accept the exemption requests? For small employers that know you, I would hope it would be automatic but there may be some pressure on federal contractors not to accept the requests, which again is discrimination.
That’s the spirit!
I based my letter on this solid one from the Michigan GOP 13th district. Good stuff. Make sure you correct the typos and personalize, personalize, personalize.
https://migop13.org/blog/2021/8/20/religious-exemption-form-letter-for-covid-jab
I only skimmed, but my impression is I'm not impressed. How would this address the fact that you have taken other medicines or vaccines in the past.
Jeff DID cover this, under Question 3:
I generally don’t take vaccines, but I did have childhood vaccines and took the flu vaccine once or twice in my early 20’s. I don’t think I’ve had any vaccines since I was saved, but to be honest, it was the Covid research that I described in my letter (see Question No. 1) that alerted me to the use of aborted baby tissue in development of many vaccines. I won’t be taking any vaccines in that category, nor will my children.
Nor will I accept ANY medical treatment of ANY kind if I have a firm conviction after prayer and reflection that I should not do so.
yes, I see that in Jeff's, but not in the link you shared.
Sorry, I was on mobile and didn't realize you were replying to my comment with the MIGOP letter. My suggestion is that's why you use multiple resources when preparing your own letter. For mine, I said something like this: "I am strongly convicted to not allow any of the COVID-19 vaccines into my body—as it is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit of God. For the same reasons, I never receive a seasonal flu vaccine. And this year, I have become aware of specific ingredients in certain vaccines that have caused me serious distress—including animal-derived products, often contained in vaccines. Now that I know this, I am even more firm in my objections, and after much prayerful consideration, I know now more than ever that I would not receive any vaccines moving forward."
It's hardly your fault if you were administered vaxxes as a child, and you are allowed to change your position as an adult at any time.
good advice, thank you. The Questions are probably coming from the Safer Federal Worker Task Force, which posted some "sample" questions on October 4th. Lazy agencies will just copy and paste.
Thank you for sharing this valuable information
Thank you Snark King! I’ll share with friends facing this Goliath. 💪🏻👏🏻
Thanks Jeff. This is very helpful and timely. I will review this and the linked articles many times before drafting my exemption.
I posted this question in the other article - how would you suggest someone go about doing the exemption on moral grounds, rather than religious? I was raised Christian but have not been practicing for many years now and will not succeed if I go that route. I liked what you wrote about the "Title VII’s protections also extend nonreligious beliefs if they are related to morality, ultimate ideas about life, purpose, and death. ".
You definitely have a moral argument. It needs to track the line you quoted. Just rephrase and build it along similar lines to my example.
I might say that this whole COVID thing is bringing you to faith! For me, I call it The Great COVID Awakening. Don't be ashamed of that; praise God that this whole horrible mess has been used to open the spiritual eyes of millions of people! :-)
Agree! I'm feeling a lot more religion these days; grateful for miracles that only God can provide!
If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you can cite the use of animals in development of all the vaccines as your moral objection.
If you are opposed to abortion, you should also be able to use the fetal cell line objection on moral grounds.
Excellent, as always. A couple things...
"These articles convinced me that the drugs were safe and effective at reducing the chances of serious illness and death."
I'd be lying if I wrote that in my own words. How about alternate draft wording like:
"These articles have not convinced me that the vaccines are safe and effective relative to the risk of covid, but that is not the reason for my conscientious objection."
You cite the Pope, good. Why not also cite a Protestant vax pusher like Franklin Graham?
I'm okay with your proposed edit. I cited the Pope because I figured the largest group of readers would be Catholics. Feel free to cite Graham :)
You mean Dope.
Since you state this letter is for the purpose of creating evidence I believe that including the line which says "[t]hese articles convinced me that the drugs were safe and effective at reducing the chances of serious illness and death," is wrong and could ultimately be used against the person writing such. It is the conviction of many that these injections are clearly NOT safe. Why is the use of force by depriving an individual of livelihood insufficient legal grounds?
See the comment above where poster suggested alternative wording. I want you to tell the truth, of course.
For this very reason, I highly recommend having a competent Civil Rights or Employment attorney review whatever you write, PRIOR TO submitting.
My feeling on this is regardless of the fetal cell use or not, the MRNA vaccine is in fact software that programs the cell to perform a function it was not designed to do. God has his own programming language in rna and dna. Everything God created was done with His word. This gene therapy changes the Word of God and is blasphemous. It goes against God’s creation from the Beginning!