As a college professor, workshop presenter, and writer, I’ve addressed topics in medical ethics for many years—including the topic of vaccination. In “Science 330: Ethics in Science” at Bethany Lutheran College and “Theology 5202: Bioethics” at Martin Luther College, I teach about the ethical principle of “informed consent.” This means that an adult should have the freedom first to become informed and second to decide whether to consent to any medical procedure for oneself. Or, in the case of parents, this means that dads and moms should have the freedom to become informed and then make decisions on behalf of their minor children. “Informed consent” is central to medical ethics, being recognized worldwide through such statements as the Helsinki Declaration. Sometimes this idea of informed consent also goes by the name “medical freedom.”
Of course, any freedom must be exercised within ethical limits; for example, suicide is wrong because it hurts, indeed murders, oneself and abortion is wrong because it hurts, indeed murders, a vulnerable person entrusted to one’s care. No amount of “consent” justifies a person in committing suicide or murdering his or her unborn child. In less obvious cases—such as whether or not to be vaccinated, given that vaccines have potential benefits as well as potential risks—it is generally best to leave the decision to the realm of medical freedom: adults decide for themselves and parents decide for their minor children. Informed consent includes both information and consent, and we may expect that consulting a healthcare provider would be part of the “information” stage, while we also should respect a patient’s right to seek a second opinion, too.
Let’s look at both sides of this debate by summarizing what people say in support of their conclusion, whether that conclusion favors or opposes vaccination.
Seven Reasons Why People Support Vaccination
In general, people choose to vaccinate themselves and/or advocate that others get vaccinated for one or more of the following reasons:
Medical Advice: Their doctor tells them to do so (and in the wake of COVID-19, just about everyone else is promoting the “get vaccinated” message, too).
Vaccine Efficacy: They think vaccines have a good track record for preventing diseases, since they’ve seen charts of the downward trend in infection rates that correlate with previous mass vaccination campaigns. Often they have in mind effectiveness not only for individuals but for the population as a whole—herd immunity.
Disease Severity: They are afraid of getting sick or dying or spreading diseases to others if they fail to get vaccinated, since they have heard about instances in which life-long complications or death results from infection.
Vaccine Injuries: They have little to no concern for potential side-effects of vaccines, since they’ve been reassured by people or institutions that they trust that vaccines are safe, or at least that the benefits outweigh any harms.
Natural Immunity: They have little to no trust in natural immunity against this particular disease, and they think that vaccine-conferred immunity is far superior.
Abortion-Dependent Vaccines: They either are unaware that human fetal tissue has been instrumental in the production of most vaccines, or else they don’t care—and if they don’t care, it is either because they are pro-abortion anyway or else because they think that since those abortions happened in the past, there’s nothing wrong with benefiting from those abortions in the present.
Mandates: They feel they have no other choice, since the law requires vaccination for their children to be enrolled in school, or since their employer requires vaccination for them to continue working, etc.
Seven Reasons Why People Choose Not to Vaccinate
In general, people choose not to vaccinate themselves or their children for one or more of the following reasons:
Medical Advice: Their doctor shares one or more of the following concerns about vaccines in general (items 2 through 7), or their doctor usually recommends vaccines to other patients, but for this particular patient the doctor recognizes a condition for which vaccines would be medically contraindicated. In other words, their doctor takes a patient-centered approach, rather than a population-centered approach.
Vaccine Efficacy: They question whether vaccines are effective in presenting infection or contagion, having read, for example, that many of the historical success stories have to do with diseases that already were on the decline due to natural herd immunity, and the vaccine merely finished off the downward trend; they also note that people who have been vaccinated still seem nervous about their own vulnerability until all their neighbors also get vaccinated, suggesting that even the vaccinated population does not fully trust in vaccine efficacy.
Disease Severity: They are only minimally concerned about contracting or spreading the disease in question, since they consider the chance of infection to be low or the effects of the illness to be relatively minor or short lived.
Vaccine Injuries: They have deep concerns about adverse side-effects, usually because of the prior experiences of their own families or their friends’ families, or else because they have followed the case files of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
Natural Immunity: They trust in natural immunity, or in more natural approaches to boosting immunity (including herd immunity), such as nutrition or homeoprophylaxis.
Abortion-Dependent Vaccines: They are aware that most vaccines depend upon the murder of innocent and vulnerable human babies (by abortion in some cases, but in other cases by vivisection of prematurely delivered babies—live abortions by Cesarean section), and they find it morally reprehensible to participate as beneficiaries of those abortions by receiving a vaccine produced in that manner.
Mandates: Even if mandated by the government or their employer, they will assert their right to medical freedom, such as by taking the matter to court on the basis of a First Amendment conscientious objection or Fourteenth Amendment right to bodily autonomy.
A Third Option?
Just because the preceding discussion divided everyone into two camps, for or against vaccination, does not mean there can’t be a third option—or even a fourth.
Into Your Hands, LLC offers blank greeting cards, many of which are “all occasion,” for purchase through Ad Crucem. The Christian sentiments below are available for customers to copy or paraphrase when sending an otherwise blank card. We pray that all your greetings may encourage others in the love of Christ!
Birthday
I am grateful that the Lord created you and has sustained your life. May He continue to bless you and preserve you in the year ahead! I am blessed to call you [insert relationship here]!
Get Well
May the Great Physician, according to His good and gracious will, preserve you—both body and soul—for His glory. I pray that your suffering may be redeemed, and you will feel better soon!
Sympathy
My heart goes out to you during this time of grief. May God, who took on flesh and all its woes to live, die, and rise again, hold you tenderly in the palm of His hand as you mourn. With the saints united, we look forward to the resurrection of the body and the life of the world to come, thanks be to Christ!
Confirmation
Today, we celebrate God’s faithfulness in your life, having preserved you in your baptismal vows to your vows today! We pray that He ever strengthen and preserve your faith, through His means of grace! God bless you!
Graduation
God is good, and His faithfulness endures forever! We pray that He will continue to work a good work in you, through your many and various vocations in life, serving as a blessings to others in the world! Congratulations!
Wedding
Today, we witness not only the vows of two individuals, now bound together for life, but more so, an astounding picture of Christ’s love for the Church! We pray for your faithfulness to one another through both the joys and sorrows of life, and that God’s own unfailing love for sinners be constantly displayed in your union! God bless!
Birth
With the birth of your little one, God has show his marvelous handiwork! We pray for your child, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, that God will be glorified in his/her life! We also pray for your family during this time of excitement and change!
Baptism
Welcome to the family of God, little one! Through these waters of baptism, God has mercifully made you His own. We pray that you always cling to the promise He makes today: that you are His child, full, free, and eternally!
… there is never a dull moment! You can change the world for Christ! No two days are the same!—Sheri
… God created and crafted each and every one of these precious children and we want all the little blessings He wants to give
us! How humbling that God has given me my beloved husband and my precious children.—Lissa
… there is never a dull moment. My kids don’t have to ever worry about finding someone to play with. My kids learn to stand up for themselves and be heard. They learn to be individuals and compete for what they want, or back down if needed. My kids learn to pick their battles. My kids learn that they cannot have everything they want. My kids learn to obey because Mommy and Daddy don’t have the time to say it twice. They will never be lonely and there will always be someone to lend a hand or to lead the way. We are almost guaranteed to have a house full of grandchildren visiting someday!—Shannon
… there is so much love and excitement and opportunity to show Christ’s love within the family and without. Big families stand out in today’s society just by being big! Use the opportunity to be a blessing to others.—Karina
… it’s so exciting to see the older children helping and loving the younger ones. Every time we have a baby, the whole dynamic changes and each person has something different to offer.—Ann
… they provide a safe, loving atmosphere for kids. They teach Mom and Dad to put others first. There’s always someone to talk to or play with. They support each other in their walk with the Lord.—Kate
… children are a heritage from the Lord, a gift! They provide a means to bring our homes joy and are the means, at times, that the Lord uses to grow us and change us for His purposes.—Janet
… any size family is wonderful if they are serving the Lord God with all their hearts. The size of the family doesn’t matter. It’s being content with what God will give you and making Him Lord of your life in all areas.—Amy
… there’s never a dull moment!—Dana
… I have to keep dealing with my selfishness. I have to keep allowing God to strengthen me. I don’t ever get to think I can do this well without His daily help. It is great for my kids because they learn patience, sharing, and working together as a family. They also have built-in life-long friends.—Christy
… they are God’s gift. I will always have some family around, and if I get old and decrepit, I’m more likely to have family to help me.—Sharon
… God builds them, and all that He creates is very good.—Karol
… there are more hugs and love!—Tina
… you always have someone to talk to.—Harriet
… God gave each child to us in His perfect timing! There are few things that I am sure of, but this is one.—Diana
… the children always have someone to play with. It is never boring.—Mery
… you are surrounded by people who love each other. The kids always have someone to play with and they learn to get along with others in a good environment. In a big family, you have more people you can count on.—Betty
… when you’re a widow, you won’t be alone.—Reba
… there’s never a dull moment; everyone has lots of playmates; the energy and creative juices run high; there’s ample opportunity for everyone to learn relationship and teamwork skills; and one day we’ll be able to have our own musical band and informal sports team just with our own family!—Sarah
… they give each other strength when it is needed, laughs when times are sad, and hugs every day. Each child is a unique individual, something like his or her siblings, but offering something to the world and to the family that no one else can give.
… each child is a gift from God! These wonderful little beings are our reminder of all those He loves and calls His own. I love my children because of who they’ve helped me become. I am not the same person that I was in my 20s!
… they are a picture of God’s handiwork. Through them, we learn endless possibilities for relationships, support, creativity, self-reliance, self-sacrifice, service, and strength. A large family is a complex social network that is deep, fulfilling, and interconnected. We are provided for and we provide. When one falls, another picks us up. We learn that we can do without many things people think they must have: a room of one’s own, dawdling in the bathroom, new clothes, and the latest gadgets. We learn to share what we have and not to focus on ourselves.
… they are able to provide the support for other family members. More members in a family keeps the family from getting bored and keeps them on a God-fearing course. Chores are shared and life is never lonely.
… for the children: they develop relationships with each other and life-long friendships that are special and different from all others; they learn to respect others by dealing with their siblings on a daily basis; they will have several other siblings to help them with the care and decision-making when their parents age.
… for the parents: The pleasure it brings is priceless! To give children new life experiences, to watch their personalities develop, to teach them about their Savior, to watch their faith grow and see it in action, to have so many loved ones to share life’s experiences with, both good and bad. Truly gifts from God! To know that as you age there will be many loving hands to help you and many loving hearts to love you and pray for you.
… there are more people around to love and be involved in each other’s lives.
… as they grow, they become your friends as well as your children. They also learn to care for others and not just themselves. Sharing is also something that children from a large family do more automatically.
… they give you such joy and pleasure as you see them raising their own families. The love and attention from grandchildren is so rewarding!
… when they are small, they are fun (mostly) to care for. It’s exciting to watch them learn, to teach them, to know their friends. As adults, they are wonderful companions.
… eternity, baby! I’m taking them along, God-willing.—Betsy
As the Supreme Court docket for Texas v. Pennsylvania et al. reveals, Democrats (no less than Republicans) have good reason to thank Texas for suing Pennsylvania and even to endorse Texas in its cause.
This may come as a surprise, especially to readers who have relied on mainstream media reports such as the following:
Reading the documents filed with the Court yields a different story, a story which Democrats and Republicans ought equally appreciate. The complaint filed by Texas boils down to three points:
Factual Finding (i.e., the problem): “Put simply, there is substantial reason to doubt the voting results in the Defendant States.” (p. 7)
Declaratory Relief (i.e., part of the solution): “Declare that Defendant States Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin administered the 2020 presidential election in violation of the Electors Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.” (p. 39)
Injunctive Relief (i.e. the rest of the solution): “If any of Defendant States have already appointed presidential electors to the Electoral College using the 2020 election results, direct such States’ legislatures, pursuant to 3 U.S.C. § 2 and U.S. CONST. art. II, § 1, cl. 2, to appoint a new set of presidential electors in a manner that does not violate the Electors Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment, or to appoint no presidential electors at all.” (p. 40)
The constitutional administration of a fair election should be of equal interest to all parties. Indeed, it is the equal right of all.
What Texas Actually Argues
Read the complaint: Texas has not demanded that the Supreme Court name Trump rather than Biden the winner, but rather that the Supreme Court ensure that the electoral votes from the four defendant states either result from a fair and constitutionally administered procedure, or else that no electoral votes be counted at all.
If the 62 electoral votes from those states are vacated, the result (all other things being equal) would remain a Biden victory, 344-332. (For Trump to win, those votes would have to go to him rather than be vacated; or else if those votes are vacated, he would need to gain votes currently expected for Biden in Arizona and Nevada—or some other permutation involving the right mix of each of the six contested states.)
But more important than “who wins?” is whether all Americans can unite for the preservation of common rules of the game—i.e., the Constitution. Therefore, Democrats no less than Republicans should support a fair hearing by the U.S. Supreme Court of Texas v. Pennsylvania.
Below please find an outline summary plus a link to full-text filings concerning the Trump campaign’s legal challenges to the vote tallies in several states.
Trump v. Boockvar et al. (PA Election Officials), complaint filed in U.S. District Court, November 9, 2020
COUNT I: Fourteenth Amendments U.S. Const. Art. I § 4, cl. 1; Art. II, § 1, cl. 2; Amend. XIV, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 Denial of Due Process On The Right to Vote Invalid Enactment of Regulations Affecting Observation and Monitoring of the Election
COUNT II: Fourteenth Amendment U.S. Const. Amend. XIV, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 Denial of Equal Protection Invalid Enactment of Regulations Affecting Observation and Monitoring of the Election
COUNT III: U.S. Const. Art. I, §4, cl. 1 & Art. II, § 1, cl. 2 Violation of the Electors & Elections Clauses
COUNT IV: Fourteenth Amendment U.S. Const. Amend. XIV, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 Denial of Equal Protection Disparate Treatment of Absentee/Mail-In Voters Among Different Counties
COUNT V: U.S. Const. Art. I, §4, & Art. II, § 1 Violation of the Electors & Elections Clauses
COUNT VI: Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection Clause U.S. Const. Amend. XIV, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 Denial of Due Process Disparate Treatment of Absentee/Mail-In Voters Among Different Counties
COUNT VII: U.S. Const. Art. I, §4, & Art. II, § 1 Violation of the Electors & Elections Clauses
Trump v. Benson et al. (MI Election Officials), complaint filed in U.S. District Court, November 11, 2020
COUNT I: Secretary of State Benson and Wayne County violated the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution and the corollary clause of Michigan’s Constitution.
COUNT II: Secretary of State Bensonand Wayne County violated the rights of these Michigan voters under the federal Elections and Electors Clauses.
COUNT III: Secretary of State Benson and Wayne County violated Michigan’s Election Code.
