Christians & Vaccine Mandates
To Whom It May Concern:
On November 4th, 2021, OSHA mandated that all employers of 100 or more employees implement a COVID-19 vaccination or testing requirement. Since that order, I have been asked many times whether a Christian should comply with that mandate. I want to take this opportunity to try to answer that question as clearly as possible.
It should be noted that I speak as the Pastor of Solid Rock Missionary Baptist Church, a called and ordained Preacher of the Gospel, and a theologian. I do not speak as a legal scholar. My concern as Pastor is not the legality of the mandate, but the implications for any Christian affected by the mandate.
Our Articles of Faith are clear on a Christian’s duty to obey those set in authority over them, specifically the Government of the United States. The 21st Article of the Doctrinal Statement of the American Baptist Association* and the 20th Article of the Doctrinal Statement of Solid Rock Missionary Baptist Church** states:
We believe in freedom of worship without interference from the government and affirm our belief in civil obedience, unless the laws and regulations of civil government run contrary to the Holy Scriptures (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-15).
It is the duty of every Christian to recognize that the Government is ordained by God and should be obeyed as an act of obedience to God. The only time disobedience is called for is when the orders of the Government contradict the commands of the Bible. In that case, to obey the Government rather than scripture would be considered a sin against God.
That raises the question, “Is it a sin to comply with a federal vaccine mandate?” If it isn’t, then a Christian should comply. If it is, then a Christian should not comply, no matter the consequences. In my mind, there are two main issues that must be considered when determining whether or not complying is a sin: the use of aborted fetal stem cells in the development of the vaccines and the precedent set by the mandate.
First, the issue of aborted fetal stem cells is a heavy one for Christians. The abortion of a human baby is murder. To participate in or to encourage the murder of anyone is to share in the sin and guilty. For a Christian to knowingly use a product that requires the death of a child to be produced is for that Christian to share in the sin of murder. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires aborted fetal stem cells lines to be produced and should not be used by anyone, especially a Christian. ***
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines do not require the use of aborted fetal stem cells in their production. However, aborted fetal stem cells were used in their development. That means that the death of a child was required in order to test the vaccine, but the death of a child is not required to produce the doses that a patient would receive. This makes the use of these vaccines less clear. It is up to the individual to determine whether this violates their conscience (Romans 14:5-9). If a Christian believes that to use a product that used aborted fetal stem cells at any point in its development causes them to share in the sin, then it is a sin for them to use the product. If a Christian believes it is not a sin, then they are free to use it. They must make a determination between themselves, the Holy Spirit, and Scripture and abide by their decision. It will be counted as sin or not by God based on their belief.
Second, is the issue of the precedent set by the mandate. Revelation 13 is clear that when the Anti-Christ comes, he will rule the world. At some point, everyone will be required to demonstrate their loyalty to him by taking a mark on their forehead or hand. They will not be allowed to buy or sell without this mark. This will be one of the many persecutions against Christians during the period known as the Tribulation. While we do not believe that this mandate is the “Mark of the Beast”, vaccine mandates function in much the same way. The current federal mandate is forcing people to get a medical treatment against their will in order to keep a job. Other local and state mandates are requiring people to get the vaccine in order to shop in certain stores or enter certain areas. Internationally, these mandates go ever further. For example, Austria has announced that any unvaccinated person in the country will be forcibly vaccinated after February 1st, 2022. The similarities between the mandates and the Mark of the Beast lead me to believe that the mandates are setting a precedent for the eventual denial of services and persecution unless one takes the Mark of the Beast. There will be a clear path from one to the other. Therefore, to participate in or support a mandate such as this is to clear a path for the persecution of those who will not support the Anti-Christ. A Christian cannot support anything that will lead to the persecution of other Christians without risking sharing in the guilt of that persecution.
After considering those issues, I believe that, while a Christian may take the vaccine without the guilt of sin, to participate in or support a mandate would cause a Christian to share in the guilt of the sin of others.
Ben Hightower
Pastor, Solid Rock Baptist Church
*ABA | BELIEFS (abaptist.org)
**About Us - Solid Rock Baptist Church, Bentonville, AR (solidrockbentonville.com)
***VERIFY: Yes, Johnson & Johnson used aborted fetal cell lines in its creation of the COVID-19 vaccine | khou.com
On November 4th, 2021, OSHA mandated that all employers of 100 or more employees implement a COVID-19 vaccination or testing requirement. Since that order, I have been asked many times whether a Christian should comply with that mandate. I want to take this opportunity to try to answer that question as clearly as possible.
It should be noted that I speak as the Pastor of Solid Rock Missionary Baptist Church, a called and ordained Preacher of the Gospel, and a theologian. I do not speak as a legal scholar. My concern as Pastor is not the legality of the mandate, but the implications for any Christian affected by the mandate.
Our Articles of Faith are clear on a Christian’s duty to obey those set in authority over them, specifically the Government of the United States. The 21st Article of the Doctrinal Statement of the American Baptist Association* and the 20th Article of the Doctrinal Statement of Solid Rock Missionary Baptist Church** states:
We believe in freedom of worship without interference from the government and affirm our belief in civil obedience, unless the laws and regulations of civil government run contrary to the Holy Scriptures (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-15).
It is the duty of every Christian to recognize that the Government is ordained by God and should be obeyed as an act of obedience to God. The only time disobedience is called for is when the orders of the Government contradict the commands of the Bible. In that case, to obey the Government rather than scripture would be considered a sin against God.
That raises the question, “Is it a sin to comply with a federal vaccine mandate?” If it isn’t, then a Christian should comply. If it is, then a Christian should not comply, no matter the consequences. In my mind, there are two main issues that must be considered when determining whether or not complying is a sin: the use of aborted fetal stem cells in the development of the vaccines and the precedent set by the mandate.
First, the issue of aborted fetal stem cells is a heavy one for Christians. The abortion of a human baby is murder. To participate in or to encourage the murder of anyone is to share in the sin and guilty. For a Christian to knowingly use a product that requires the death of a child to be produced is for that Christian to share in the sin of murder. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires aborted fetal stem cells lines to be produced and should not be used by anyone, especially a Christian. ***
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines do not require the use of aborted fetal stem cells in their production. However, aborted fetal stem cells were used in their development. That means that the death of a child was required in order to test the vaccine, but the death of a child is not required to produce the doses that a patient would receive. This makes the use of these vaccines less clear. It is up to the individual to determine whether this violates their conscience (Romans 14:5-9). If a Christian believes that to use a product that used aborted fetal stem cells at any point in its development causes them to share in the sin, then it is a sin for them to use the product. If a Christian believes it is not a sin, then they are free to use it. They must make a determination between themselves, the Holy Spirit, and Scripture and abide by their decision. It will be counted as sin or not by God based on their belief.
Second, is the issue of the precedent set by the mandate. Revelation 13 is clear that when the Anti-Christ comes, he will rule the world. At some point, everyone will be required to demonstrate their loyalty to him by taking a mark on their forehead or hand. They will not be allowed to buy or sell without this mark. This will be one of the many persecutions against Christians during the period known as the Tribulation. While we do not believe that this mandate is the “Mark of the Beast”, vaccine mandates function in much the same way. The current federal mandate is forcing people to get a medical treatment against their will in order to keep a job. Other local and state mandates are requiring people to get the vaccine in order to shop in certain stores or enter certain areas. Internationally, these mandates go ever further. For example, Austria has announced that any unvaccinated person in the country will be forcibly vaccinated after February 1st, 2022. The similarities between the mandates and the Mark of the Beast lead me to believe that the mandates are setting a precedent for the eventual denial of services and persecution unless one takes the Mark of the Beast. There will be a clear path from one to the other. Therefore, to participate in or support a mandate such as this is to clear a path for the persecution of those who will not support the Anti-Christ. A Christian cannot support anything that will lead to the persecution of other Christians without risking sharing in the guilt of that persecution.
After considering those issues, I believe that, while a Christian may take the vaccine without the guilt of sin, to participate in or support a mandate would cause a Christian to share in the guilt of the sin of others.
Ben Hightower
Pastor, Solid Rock Baptist Church
*ABA | BELIEFS (abaptist.org)
**About Us - Solid Rock Baptist Church, Bentonville, AR (solidrockbentonville.com)
***VERIFY: Yes, Johnson & Johnson used aborted fetal cell lines in its creation of the COVID-19 vaccine | khou.com
| mandate_position.pdf |