In Tampa hearing, military officers voice religious objections to vaccines

[Zorro]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Spazito (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Tampa Bay Times

A Navy commander and Marine lieutenant colonel testified Thursday about the reasons for resisting a military vaccine mandate.

TAMPA — A Navy commander and a Marine lieutenant colonel who have resisted a military-wide vaccine mandate took the witness stand Thursday in a Tampa federal courtroom, describing their religious reasons for refusing to be inoculated against COVID-19.

The pair testified anonymously, with a judge’s consent, to protect their identities. Both described themselves as practicing Christians who believed that receiving vaccines would introduce impurities into their bodies. Each also expressed concern about fetal cell lines, which are used in the research and development of various vaccines and many common medicines.

The military denied each of them a religious exemption to the vaccine requirement. Both could face discharge if they don’t comply.

“I cannot knowingly put something in my body that I believe is a toxin,” said the Navy commander, who leads some 320 sailors aboard a guided-missile destroyer based in northern Virginia.

“For me, it would be a sin,” said the lieutenant colonel, who serves as a diversity and inclusion officer with the Marine Forces Special Operations Command. “Because it would defile my body. Because my body is a temple of Jesus Christ.”

Read more: https://www.tampabay.com/news/military/2022/02/10/in-tampa-hearing-military-officers-voice-religious-objections-to-vaccines/

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"...my body is a temple of Jesus Christ..." sez the Marine Special Operations Command lieutenant colonel...

Sounds like the MASH Frank Burns character...

[Irish_Dem]

1. Lt. Col needs to find another line of work.

Not compatible with the concept of military service and duty.

[Zorro]

5. Actually he's a she...

And she's a nutjob.

[Irish_Dem]

6. Thanks.

Will change my post.

[Firestorm49]

2. Oh brother!

[Historic NY]

3. I guess they forgot about all those shots they already got.

No religious exemption has been issued by any main stream Christian Church

[TimeToGo]

7. Truth

[Claire Oh Nette]

16. Snap

Check their records. No protest to any other vaccine? STFU.
And they can stop taking tylenol and a whole bunch of other OTC meds, too.

No church. They have no case.

[keithbvadu2]

33. OTC

Link to tweet

[Phoenix61]

46. Thanks for posting. Screen shotted and saved. nt

[PatSeg]

43. That's what I was thinking

Did they not receive all the other required vaccinations?

[Ray Bruns]

48. Exactly. Did you object to the 20 other vaccines you given? No.

Then out you go with a BCD.

[Hoyt]

4. First reaction is we don't need these officers. But think it's going to get ugly.

[Deuxcents]

8. Get a jab or be a preacher

Follow the science n obey orders or see ya. Minus your retirement for disobeying orders.

[Hekate]

9. Nice career track you have there, officers. Be a shame if anything happened to it.

I wonder if their “religion” prevented them from getting the other couple of dozen vaccinations that Uncle Sam mandates from Day One, or if this is all just the Gospel of Trump.

[kimbutgar]

10. Bye bye kiss your military career goodbye!

[NavyDem]

11. How do these service members have standing to sue?

I wonder this, because this falls under medical readiness, the members should not have standing to bring a case against the government unless there is medical malpractice.

Why are they testifying anonymously? Testify with your whole chest! Cowards.

[COL Mustard]

12. So these officers.....

Don’t take aspirin, or Tylenol, or Advil, or Peptones Bismol, or Maalox, they’ve never used Preparation H, or any other medications that were developed using stem cells. Right? Because otherwise they’re just fucking hypocrites.

[RockRaven]

19. Or eat shellfish, or cheeseburgers, or drink alcohol, or coffee, etc depending on the particular

religion they are claiming...

[appleannie1]

13. How could they be that high up in the military and never had to take a vaccine?

My daughter, now the COVID nurse, started out in the Navy Reserves. She had the job of vaccinating all the Navy and Marine personnel deploying for Desert Storm from that unit. There were multiple shots that everyone had to receive. Why would this vaccine be any different?

[Skittles]

22. they've become part of the CULT

they need to be KICKED OUT

[qazplm135]

30. they did

this is the first time the "spirit" moved them.

[appleannie1]

31. Worshipping trump would be classed as a whole new religion.

[Ray Bruns]

49. They were given vaccines. Probably about 20 of them.

And if they did that, they have no standing in saying no to this vaccine. The only thing they are going to get is a courts martial and a BCD.

[Shellback Squid]

14. what did Jesus say about vaccines?

[C_U_L8R]

15. That's not religion, it's psychosis.

[Skittles]

24. is there a difference?

just asking

[shrike3]

32. Yes. Ghandi, Desmond Tutu and MLK, to name a few.

That said, I TOTALLY understand where you're coming from.

[Skittles]

35. yup

"believing things that aren't real"..........

[RockRaven]

17. I'm going to call bullshit because they've already taken other vaccines or they wouldn't have

lasted in the military this far. Ask the Q shaman, who was discharged after a very short stint many years ago over a vaccine refusal.

[Scalded Nun]

18. If they cannot follow legal orders they need to go. You cannot trust them to follow any orders.

[Skittles]

20. their fucking delusions should NOT affect public health

KICK THEM OUT

[SunSeeker]

21. Idiots. They deserve dishonorable discharge. nt

[TomSlick]

23. This religious exception bit has gone too far.

Someone can find a "sincere" religious objection to any requirement or prohibition. For example, my sense of soul competence, free will, and trust in God's providence is profoundly offended by highway speed limits.

[keithbvadu2]

50. Nearer, My God, to Thee - sooner, too.

[Baked Potato]

25. Way to lead by example... not. Nt

[relayerbob]

26. But the other x hundred vaccines you needed were ok

As well as pumping lead into other people as a profession. Interesting value system.

[Phoenix61]

47. Spaghetti logic at its finest. nt

[BlueIdaho]

27. Cue the violins...

Then frog march them out of the military.

[jmowreader]

28. I wonder when the Marine LTC's body became a temple of Jesus Christ

Was it before or after the lieutenant colonel received the 34 other immunizations the Marines require? Many of which use the same fetal cell line in their production that the COVID shots used.

As for the Navy commander...the fumes inside a Navy ship put far more toxins into your body than two measly shots ever could. I didn't tell this individual to join the Navy.

Why, oh why, did we allow Congress to close down Naval Facility Adak, Alaska? We need somewhere to send people like this.

[Pas-de-Calais]

29. Read yesterday a nurse of 30 years

20 at hospital currently working. Posted her 15 page religious exemption hoping to keep her job.
That was in early December.

She was let go.

Caught covid

Died last week

Religious exemptions don’t mean Squat

[keithbvadu2]

34. Vaxxed with the Blood of Jesus?

[AverageOldGuy]

36. Discharge. Now.

Their complaints about vaccinations violating their Christian beliefs is bullshit.

They could not be on active duty if they had not received vaccinations. With their rank, they have been on active duty for at least 15 years, likely more. In that time, they no doubt have had overseas assignments. You don't go on overseas assignments without vaccinations -- both you and your family must be vaccinated.

I retired from the Army in 1995 with 30 years of service. Can't tell you how many times I, wife, both kids lined up, rolled up our sleeves, and were jabbed in both arms several times -- vaccinations for plague, polio, yellow fever, gamma globulin . . . . .

Discharge these two assholes before they are eligible to draw retired pay. Let Jesus take care of them

[oldsoftie]

41. Yep! I got my share too. Even more depending on where you were going!

[SomewhereInTheMiddle]

45. Even as an Army Civilian ...

... I got a bunch of shots before they sent me to various faraway places. Somewhat fewer than I might have had because of the other vaccines was I required to get by state and county health regulations when I traveled as a regular civilian academic.

I got my first job related mandatory vaccine when I was twelve and got a part-time job at my junior high. If you worked for the school district you had to have your shots, period.

None of this is new.

And if people have honest reservations that prevent them from meeting the lawful job requirements, they need to get a different job rather than demanding they are exempt from the requirements.

Sometimes standing on your principals has a cost.

I just think anti-covid vaccine is a stupid principal upon which to make a stand.

[sarge43]

37. I have to wonder if these looney tunes harassed their subordinates,

especially the younglings (lower grade enlisted), with their 'religious' dogma.

I suspect they did; otherwise they wouldn't blow up a going for 20 career. They're fanatics and need the gate hitting them in the ass for that reason alone.

[weissmam]

38. Bull S-it

That is the only owrd that applies to these to loosers

[ashredux]

39. I call BULLSHIT.....

If they’re already in the army, they have already had many vaccines. This argument is just damn silly. Kick them out

[oldsoftie]

40. "Sir, please show me in the Bible where it mentions vaccines or anything related"

And if he wants to talk about "body is a temple" then lets pull out what he eats & drinks
Not to mention all the vaccines he's ALREADY TAKEN

[apnu]

42. Christians should not be in the military, both the Old and New Testaments are very clear on that.

How can they be Christians if they are trained and willing to kill, or facilitate killing, when asked?

[Traildogbob]

44. My thoughts exactly

Did not Jesus and the magic book take issue with killing? Especially women
And children just to keep oil running? My religion denounces taxes on anything.

[keithbvadu2]

51. Libertarian website lew rockwell is not too keen on christians joining the military.

https://democraticunderground.com/100215928974

"The goal of any responsible American parent these days is to keep the daughter off of the stripper pole and the son out of uniform"
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Libertarian website lew rockwell is not too keen on christians joining the military.

i'm not too keen on them.

https://tinyurl.com/y39s22cc

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2004/10/laurence-m-vance/should-a-christian-join-the-military/

[Spazito]

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