09/29/2021
There is something disturbing and frankly hypocritical in regards to the frequent reactions to vaccine mandates and the religious exemptions that are offered. They too often are cravenly embraced by people with no honor or decency. One of my rabbinic colleagues asked our professional community for advice on his current dilemma. His daughter is opposed to vaccines, having nothing to do with any religious reasons. She wants her father to write her a religious exemption based on the Jewish principle of pikuach nefesh, the idea that we do anything to save a life. He struggled with the decision since it is at the very least a very difficult case to make. To a person, every rabbi who offered an opinion recognized the parental anguish this rabbi was feeling and then made clear that there can be no such religious exemption based on Jewish principles, in fact, quite the opposite. He made the right decision not to grant his daughter the letter to support her claim. Then I saw a nurse interviewed on tv who claimed a religious exemption to the vaccine. The interviewer asked her about her faith and she identified as a Catholic. The reporter then pointed out that Pope Francis has urged people to get vaccinated and calls getting a vaccine "an act of love." The nurse, when confronted with the Pope's very clear support of vaccines called him a hypocrite! I'm obviously no Catholic, but I find it offensive to the extreme to call the pope a hypocrite. What profound disrespect and hubris. I understand that Catholics can disagree with the pope on many things, popes very rarely claim infallibility (speaking ex cathedra), but the church understands him to be righteous and godly. How far have some gone in their mindless opposition to vaccines that bring healing to people, to a community to society. that a supposed member of the church will call the pope hypocritical? A little humility is called for, time to step back from ugly words and thoughts. How about some more acts of love?