Religious Exemption | Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.

Religious Exemption
Copyright © October 1, 2021 by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.
All Rights Reserved.

All Scripture Verses are from the New International Version (NIV) of the Holy Bible unless otherwise indicated.

Introduction
Throughout the entire course of human history, beginning with Adam and Eve, people have had to make a decision on whether or not they would obey or disobey God.

Sincerely religious people who believe in the God of their faith are frequently tested to determine if their trust is in their God or if their trust is in something else.

A person of faith has to make a decision on how they will respond when confronted with a law that they consider to be a challenge to their faith.

In the United States of America the laws have been changing for many years. For example, in the year 2021 a person in the USA now has the option to make their own decisions in all the following areas:

Divorce: A person may obtain a divorce for any reason they desire. Or a person may decide to obtain a divorce based on the teachings of their faith. The reason for the divorce does not have to be clearly stated in the divorce papers. In many situations, it is a matter of conscience or of faith. For example, Joseph was going to discretely break his engagement with Mary but an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and the angel told him that he should still marry Mary because the child that was conceived inside her was from God. (Matthew 1:18-25)
Abortion: A female may have an abortion for any reason she desires. Or a female may decide to not have an abortion if she believes an abortion is not the will of God. (Psalm 139:13, Jeremiah 1:5)
Sexual Behavior: A person may choose to have sex with a person of their own gender. Or a person may decide to restrict their sexual activities as defined by their faith. (1 Corinthians 6:9)
Healthcare: A person may voluntarily use or not use any legal medication that is available. (2 Kings 20:7) Or a person may decide to rely solely on God and prayer for healing. (Deuteronomy 7:15) Or a person may use a combination of medicine and prayer when they need healing. (James 5:14-15)

In the United States of America the government has traditionally allowed its citizens to practice the faith of their choice. Please consider the following two examples from the late 1700s:

Declaration of Independence - July 4, 1776: "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."
Bill of Rights, Amendment I - December 15, 1791 - Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, Freedom to Peaceably Assemble. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

This article will examine a few scriptures from the Holy Bible that deal with the topic of healthcare.

Discussion
The Holy Bible does provides some guidance about faith in relation to plagues, diseases, and healing.

If a Plague or Disease is from the Lord then its purpose is to Turn Us Back to the Lord:

Deuteronomy 28:58-59
58 If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name -- the LORD your God -- 59 the LORD will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses.

Deuteronomy 28:15
15 However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

Deuteronomy 28:20-22
20 The LORD will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him. 21 The LORD will plague you with diseases until he has destroyed you from the land you are entering to possess. 22 The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish.

God will Cure or Remove a Plague or a Disease at His Appointed Time:

Numbers 16:46-50
46 Then Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer and put incense in it, along with fire from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has started." 47 So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. 48 He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped. 49 But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah. 50 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, for the plague had stopped.

2 Samuel 24:15-16
15 So the LORD sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. 16 When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, "Enough! Withdraw your hand." The angel of the LORD was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

The Lord Can and Will Protect His Children from Plagues and Diseases:

Deuteronomy 7:15
15 The LORD will keep you free from every disease.

Medicinal Cures May or May Not Work:

2 Kings 20:7
7 Then Isaiah said, "Prepare a poultice of figs." They did so and applied it to the boil, and he recovered.

Jeremiah 46:11
11 "Go up to Gilead and get balm, O Virgin Daughter of Egypt. But you multiply remedies in vain; there is no healing for you."

God Responds to Faith and Prayer:

2 Chronicles 6:28-31
28 "When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when enemies besiege them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, 29 and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel -- each one aware of his afflictions and pains, and spreading out his hands toward this temple -- 30 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive, and deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of men), 31 so that they will fear you and walk in your ways all the time they live in the land you gave our fathers."

2 Chronicles 7:13-14
13 "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

James 5:14-15
14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.

The Human Body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Should We Obey God or Men?

Acts 4:19
19 But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God.

Conclusion
It is normal for a person's faith to increase as the person gradually matures in their faith.

As a person gradually learns more about the Holy Bible and about God's Will for his or her life, the person may realize that some of their past choices were wrong and they may make decisions in the future that are more consistent with God's Will for their life. This is normal. God encourages us to continually examine our behavior and to take positive action to more closely bring our behavior into alignment with His Will.

A person of faith could use any combination of the above scriptures to help define and defend the future course of his or her life.

If you decide to file a religious exemption then you need to make it personal as it applies to you. I would suggest that you avoid mentioning "stem cells" because many organizations are currently rejecting requests that include this reason. In other words, do not mix scientific issues with faith issues.

Please do not ask your Church to write a letter to support your request. Many years ago the government put a "gag order" on all religious organizations and if a religious organization takes a stand on any political issue then they will lose their right to be treated as a religious organization.

You may or may not be individually questioned or cross-examined about your request. If you are questioned then the person who questions you may try to intimidate you, or humiliate you, or challenge the depth of your knowledge about your faith, or get you to change the grounds of your request. Please remember that religion is a personal issue and religion is not based on scientific proof or empirical evidence. Religious beliefs are a matter of faith and of the heart, and religious beliefs cannot be proven. People acquire religious convictions at different ages and it does not matter if you have been religious for 40 years, or 5 years, or 2 weeks. It does not matter if you understand everything about the doctrines of your faith. The important issue is that you are currently religiously motivated. It also does not matter what you have done in the past. The important issue is that you are currently trying to be receptive to God's Will in your life. You are not responsible for the beliefs of other people. You are only responsible for your own beliefs and for your own behavior. Please try to remain calm and do not lose your composure even if the person who is questioning you intentional says things to provoke you, or if the person says things to flatter you to get you to relax. Do not allow the conversation to get sidetracked into a discussion about law, or about religion in general, or specific religions, or denominations within a religion, or specific churches within a denomination. If you are asked what church you attend then simply respond that you are a Christian, or a Jew, or whatever, and do not allow the conversation to get sidetracked into a discussion about religious faiths or specific churches. Please do not say anything derogatory about anyone, or any religion, or any organization, or any government. If you are asked your opinion about something then you should politely say that you do not wish to discuss that issue. Be consistently polite and well-mannered. In summary, a reasonable defense is that you personally believe that the issue you identified in your original request is not the right choice for you based on your personal faith in God, and in God's Will for your life. But you do not mind if other people have a different opinion on the issue, and you do not mind if other people believe that the issue is the right choice for them.

It might be helpful if you keep one of the following scriptures in the back of your mind if you are being questioned:

Isaiah 26:3 - King James Version

Isaiah 41:10 - King James Version

If you decide to file a religious exemption then the chance that your request will be approved or denied will probably not be based on how well you present your case in writing. The decision will probably be made on whether or not your organization wishes to honor your religious beliefs or whether your organization prefers to be on good terms with the government. An organization will probably either approve or deny all the religious exemption requests they receive in order to appear consistent and to avoid being charged with discrimination. However, you should still file a well-written religious exemption so that you will have documented evidence of the reason why you were discriminated against.

The governments of the world are now openly and publicly revealing what they truly believe, and in whom they believe, by their actions. Therefore may I humbly suggest that you be prepared for your request to be denied and that you be prepared to be terminated, or to be given a leave of absence without pay. Please remember that God said that His children would face persecution but that He would reward us if we stood firm in our beliefs. Jesus also said that we should let our light shine and that we should not be ashamed of our faith.

Jesus loves me, this I know.
For the Bible tells me so.

May God Bless,
Grandpappy.

Grandpappy's e-mail address is: RobertWayneAtkins@hotmail.com