religious exemption for vaccinations letter

But, if someone abstains from eating animal products because it is part of their religion and the workplace fails to accommodate this, it is. To highlight the distinction she provides this example: If someone chooses to be vegan because they believe it is good for their health and their workplace refuses to provide vegan options at a lunch event, it is not discrimination. The challenge for the courtsĭr Barker said there's been a handful of cases where Australian courts have been asked to determine whether a person really did something on the basis of their religion, which is protected under anti-discrimination legislation. It's this approach that led the government to scrap religious exemptions to immunisation completely in 2015, declaring the policy no longer necessary.īut COVID-19 has brought with it fresh debate around religious and conscientious objection to vaccination, particularly as states move towards a system of different rules for the unvaccinated.ĭr Barker said just because a religion doesn't formally ban or mandate something doesn't mean all adherents will comply: 'Each individual does often have an individual interpretation of their requirements.'īut this is an area where Australian courts have 'really struggled' to make a legal distinction, she said. 'We're conscious that we don't want to make another fearful because of our stance, and if there's no fear in our thought to go ahead and be vaccinated then that's a more loving step to take.' 'I certainly know those who have chosen to be vaccinated have done so because they feel it's the more loving thing to do to allay the fears of those around them,' she said. In making the decision, she pointed to another core tenet of their beliefs: 'Do to another what you want done to yourself.'Ĭhristian Scientist Edwina Aubin says many members of the church are happy to be vaccinated if it will help allay the fears of the people around them. Ms Aubin explains that while the majority of the church's members feel they don't require traditional medicine, instead relying on prayer and the support of practitioners in the church, there's nothing stopping them from seeking it out - whether it's a legal requirement or not.īut even so, she said the question of whether to get the COVID-19 jab 'probably has challenged many Christian Scientists'. 'We're not 'anti-vax' as such, and neither are we 'pro-vax' … if it's what's required, then that's what we'll do.' 'As far as our practice of trusting our problems to God prayerfully, that hasn't really altered,' said Edwina Aubin, a Christian Scientist practitioner from Brisbane. ( Supplied: Edwina Aubin)īut when it comes to COVID-19, the Christian Scientists are taking a different approach. Christian Scientists believe in healing through prayer and often avoid traditional medicine. The Christian Science church in Brisbane. They were the only religion to receive such an exemption - which required parents and carers to provide a letter from a church leader - sparking unfounded fears the decision would cause a flood of new converts eager to bypass the laws. In 1998, the church was granted an exemption to the Federal Government's new 'no jab, no pay' laws that meant children had to be vaccinated to receive childcare and family benefits. That is the Christian Scientists, a small sect of Christianity who believes in prayerful healing to manage their health.Īccording to the 2016 Census, just 974 Australians reported they were Christian Scientist, out of 12 million people identifying as Christian more broadly. Looking back through Australia's recent history, there's only been one religion that has successfully lobbied for a vaccine exemption. 'Do I think we need to have a conversation about exemptions? Possibly,' Dr Barker said, 'I don't think that conversation will go very far. I think politicians will very quickly say health, in this case, trumps freedom of religion.'Ĭatch up on the latest COVID-19 news here Australia's history of religious exemptions It's this grey area that Dr Renae Barker, an expert in law and religion at the University of Western Australia, said will make it difficult for the legal system to rule on whether policies that bar unvaccinated people from participating in certain activities - as already in place in Victoria, NSW and some industries - warrant a religious exemption provision.Īnd the question is already playing out internationally, particularly in the United States, where thousands of people have already sought exemptions from vaccine mandates on religious grounds.

A protestor waves a wooden cross at police during a 'anti-lockdown' rally in Melbourne this year.

Religious exemption for vaccinations letter