Sean McShee and Manny Tejeda-Moreno were contributors to this article.
TWH – When a crisis like a pandemic strikes, cultures and individuals rely on their values to adapt. They do so on both a cultural and personal level. Many, but not all people, draw their values from religions.
It is worth noting that most major religious groups have no prohibitions to vaccination and none have unilaterally asked their members to abstain from vaccination. Still, The Washington Post reported that the drive for religious exemptions to COVID vaccine mandates has begun.
Some groups, most notably conservative Christians, have argued for religious exemptions to vaccine mandates. For example, the National Faith Advisory Board (NFAB) has asked for religious exemptions in a letter to the U.S. Armed Forces. Signatories to that letter include Ralph Reed and Michelle Bachman, as well as Kenneth and Gloria Copeland of Copeland Ministries. Paula White-Cain, who oversaw the Faith office in the Trump administration, heads the NFAB and according to The National Catholic Reporter, former President Trump spoke on that conference call.
The religious argument against a life-saving vaccine is complicated and may not be intuitively obvious. One moral argument rests on their moral opposition to abortion. Some vaccines were developed from aborted fetal cells harvested decades ago. However, no vaccines contain aborted fetal tissue.
Some individuals of certain faiths object to the use of substances like porcine gelatin that is used as stabilizers in some vaccines. However, faiths with dietary restrictions such as Islam and Judaism, have generally concluded that the greater harm is in not taking vaccines.
For clarity, there are no animal products in the Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.
Other denominations and faiths decline the use of vaccines because they believe vaccines interfere with divine providence.
Still, leaders like Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church have appealed for people to get vaccinated saying vaccines are humanity’s friends and vaccination “an act of love.”
The Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said in March, “This is very very helpful, very good,” as he received his first dose publicly. His Holiness encouraged individuals to get vaccinated.
Numerous other religious leaders have encouraged vaccination as well. Roland Begay — an Indigenous traditional healer in the Navajo Nation — was vaccinated and said, “I wanted to show that I trusted the scientists who made the vaccine, and the trial study results showed the safety of the vaccine.”
He noted that Traditional Navajos use prayer objects, like an arrowhead, as part of a protection ceremony before being vaccinated.
“Navajo cultural knowledge is a tool for promoting acceptance of COVID vaccines to keep the people safe and to sustain the Navajo people,” Begay added.
The Pagan Response
The Wild Hunt recently contacted several Pagan organizations about their responses to COVID-19 vaccinations.
Covenant of the Goddess
National Public Information Officer of Covenant of the Goddess (COG), Janine Nelson, said that on the national level, “COG does not have an official position on Covid vaccinations or other vaccinations. Our members follow their own conscience.”
She said that most members report that they have been vaccinated. Nelson said, “COG has received a few requests from others in the Wiccan Community for vaccination exemptions, but we do not provide those exemptions.”
Nelson reiterated the Wiccan Rede: “Harm none, do as you will.”
The Troth
Lauren Crow, Communications Officer and High Rede Member of The Troth, spoke about the Troth’s response.
She said, “The Troth has strongly supported public health recommendations, including vaccinations, to prevent the spread of all diseases, including COVID 19. We have seen firsthand the devastation that this disease has brought to our world and encourage everyone to do their part to bring an end to this pandemic.”
Crow stressed that the Troth has “encouraged our members to follow the recommendations of their local public health officials. All official Troth events have been within these guidelines.”
The “roof beam thew” remains the one exception. Crow explained the heathen roof-beam thew. She said, “that in each person’s hall (under their roof beams) their own personal practice remains supreme, therefore we accept not all members will agree with vaccination.”
Crow explained how Heathen ethics informed the Troth’s response to the pandemic. She said, “Heathen ethics often focus on making good ‘wyrd,’ or the fate that comes from the choices one makes. However, this cannot be done in isolation, because our wyrd and the wyrd of other individuals are twined together in an incomprehensibly vast weave, and each of us can only see a fragment of the pattern. Absolute independence, living for oneself and only for oneself, is neither right nor wrong: it’s impossible. Making choices that protect others is one way we can build good wyrd for ourselves and our community.”
The Troth has set up a Facebook group to support those in the Pagan and Heathen Communities with Long Covid, or long-haulers as they are often called, who experience sometimes debilitating symptoms for weeks and even months after they no longer test positive for the virus.
Aquarian Tabernacle Church
Lady Belladonna LaVeau, the Archpriestess of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church (ATC) spoke about ATC’s pandemic response to the pandemic.
She said “We respect each person’s personal beliefs, and we support natural medicine. However, I am a Navy Hospital Corpsman Veteran trained in emergency pandemic procedures. I also have COPD. So I take the pandemic very seriously.”
LaVeau said that the Great Mother, Demeter, had warned ATC “ that something was coming that would cause many deaths.” That warning included threats to the food supply. Demeter urged ATC to prepare. In 2018, LaVeau and Archpriest Dusty Dionne traveled among Pagan communities to share that warning. They didn’t expect a pandemic, “but we were ready.“
The ATC has encouraged its members to get vaccinated. ATC also took measures to protect its members. They offered online events, and encouraged isolating, social distancing, and masking. LaVeau said most members have been vaccinated.
LaVeau said, “Theologically, The Great Mother, Demeter, told us, through channeled messages, that the world had lost the rituals that She had taught us in the ancient city of Eleusis, that we were lacking compassion and respect for others. … She told us we were going to face a collective challenge that would realign our priorities. … She asked us to ensure that we live through this challenge because She will need us (Pagans) to help Her restore the balance after this is over. “
“Getting vaccinated is the only ethical choice,” LaVeau continued. She argued that the choice to reject getting vaccinated is a choice to risk killing others. She went on to say, “Not getting vaccinated because you don’t want people to tell you what to do with your body is a moot argument. The Government has already ruled on safety over personal choice, in all of our lives, many times. From seat belts to OSHA regulations.”
LaVeau urged everyone to get vaccinated. She said, “mRNA vaccines have been in research for over 5 decades and have been actively tested for 20 years. This is not about the safety of a vaccine anymore. Getting vaccinated is the safest choice for everyone ….”
LaVeau closed by saying, “Our world is in jeopardy because of our way of life. We must change our thinking from ‘me’ to ‘we’ and getting vaccinated is for everyone else as much as yourself. Protecting others is not our usual way of thinking, but it should be. We need to keep Pagans alive and then we need to get Pagans involved .… It is time for us to work together and get involved in politics and our communities. Get earth-centered values out there, and let’s replace our disposable lifestyle with a sustainable ethical way of living.”
We contacted many other organizations but they either declined to comment or had not responded by press time.
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