Those who claim no religion, Blacks and Hispanics, and working class whites are all behind the curve in getting vaccinated. Those with Masters and above, especially doctorates, and others in the educational elite seem to be the most hesitant of all to take the vaccine. Age seems the much more reliable picture of acceptance with those over 65 nearly universally vaccinated while the young adults demur.
As a pastor I have dealt with people who find that their continued employment is contingent upon them being vaccinated. I suspect that this issue will grow rather than decline. Few churches have taken a public position either way. Individual jurisdictions are, especially among Roman Catholics where some bishops are insisting there is no cover for those who refuse. The LA diocese flatly refused to provide any support for those who do not want the vaccine but the bishops of Colorado have a template letter acknowledging personal choice and those with conscientious objections. Of course, some will use the issue of fetal tissue to justify concerns completely unrelated to that point but I know of people whose deeply felt convictions are at cross hairs with the vaccines. I know of religious leaders who insist that no concerns are valid reasons for not being vaccinated and those who share the same concerns of those hesitant to be vaccinated.
The media are not helping -- especially with the temptation of media to color the people who resist as foolish or ignorant. There is an information overload when it comes to this subject and I fear that because it is nearly all we hear, we hear it no more. On top of that we are facing the very real prospect of additional dosages being required. The debate has gotten out of hand -- illustrated by the VP insisting as a candidate she would never get that Trump vaccine and to now the administration ready to sanction those who don't. This should not be about politics. While I do not wish to impugn the motives of anyone I do call upon all sides to lower the volume. There is a passage that comes to mind, Come let us reason together. (Is 1:18) Of course, theologically it does NOT have anything to do with this issue but that should not stop us from heeding the call.
In the end, we may find that as dividing as COVID was as a virus, the vaccine will continue to divide us and, it appears, the whole thing is not going away quietly or quickly. Judging from the tone of social media with respect to the vaccine, it also seems a foregone conclusion that the current fighting over COVID and the vaccines will continue to be at least as rancorous as it ever was. Not a good thing for an already divided, suspicious, angry, and bitter nation and people.
6 comments:
"... the usual suspects, Trumpers, anti-establishment types, conspiracy theorists, and religious extremists,..."
Referring to "Trumpers" and lumping them in with "anti-establishment types, conspiracy theorists, and religious extremists" sort of identifies the coordinates of your political location. As someone recently noted, that not a good thing for an already divided, suspicious, angry, and bitter nation and people.
"I know of religious leaders who insist that no concerns are valid reasons for not being vaccinated and those who share the same concerns of those hesitant to be vaccinated."
And then there are those religious leaders who regard whether an individual gets vaccinated or not as "a personal decision and choice, for which they do not have the place to urge or discourage."
This implies such religious leaders would oppose a government or business-enforced diktat requiring vaccination, and thus in states or cities where these diktats are starting to occur, such religious leaders would become part of the "already divided, suspicious, angry, and bitter nation and people."
Did you know Phil Valentine?
For all his enthusiasm in posting, Mr. Strickert does not believe in nuance or subtly. He knows very well the characterization of the usual suspects is exactly how the media would name them. Apparently there is a subtly at work here too dense for some to see.
Religious leaders have no business joining in the mandate debate except to suggest that there are reasons the religious could cite for the vaccine and for not receiving the vaccine and that both are legitimate with respect to individual conscience under the cross.
Contrary to your attempted clairvoyance, I do believe in nuance and subtly, but not that it be constantly or inappropriately practiced. My comment addressed your lumping "Trumpers" with negatively-labelled groups. Just because the enemedia jump off the cliff, doesn't mean you should follow.
Despite a claim to the contrary, a religious leader joins the mandate debate when asserting that individual conscience under the cross exists in making the decision on whether to be vaccinated or not.
We live in a town with a large university and have observed that people with advanced degrees are more likely to have received a vaccine. Interestingly, a neighboring county that has a large number of Trumpers and conspiracy theorists, who get their "information" from social media has a far higher rate of Covid right now and their hospitals are overflowing with people who for their own, often crazy reasons, have declined to be vaccinated. This new strain of virus is spreading quickly among children and the stories of small kids being hooked up to oxygen are heartbreaking.
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