Applying for a Religious Exemption for COVID-19 Mandated Vaccination

Millions of Americans work for private companies mandating all employees receive the COVID-19 vaccination before December 8, 2021.  These corporations must allow exemptions from the vaccine based on sincerely held religious objections.  The forms for seeking a religious exemption, however, can be minefields.  The wrong claim and even the wrong wording to support such a claim may lead to a denial.

The good news is that most corporations will try hard to approve claims for religious exemptions.  This is because 1) the corporation really does not want to be laying off massive numbers of employees, and 2) they certainly do not want to face multiple lawsuits challenging their vaccine policy.  We have found that your chance of approval goes up dramatically if the forms are completed in a certain fashion.  The following is a brief review of how people with sincere religious convictions can vastly improve their chances of receiving their requests for a religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine.

Four ways to be considered

First, there are four categories of a request that will get you in the bucket for approval.

1. Revelation 13:16–18 (Mark of the Beast)
2. My body is a temple
3. Fetal cell objection to abortion
4. No medical intervention

Each one, however, requires further sophistication in how you state your objection in writing.

Likewise, there are a few statements that you should avoid because they don’t advance your claim and may distract from the legitimate bases for your religious exemption request.

1. Asserting your Constitutional or other statutory rights.
2. Asserting that the vaccine is not safe or not fully approved.
3. Asserting your personal conscience dictates your actions.
4. Asserting privacy interest.

There is one other overarching rule of thumb: never cut and paste a document you have found on the internet.  A serious review of your claim will only occur if your statements are in your own words, not from a template.

Revelation 13:16–18 (Mark of the Beast)

This claim is advantageous because no one can question whether this belief is a sincerely held religious conviction because the COVID vaccine is unique in this regard.  You still must assert the claim correctly, however.  For example, you must properly link the claim to your objection to the vaccine.  Also, feel free to quote scripture supporting your mark of the beast objection, but you must be careful to link any scriptural passages to your objection to the vaccine.

My Body is a Temple

The scriptural context is recommended, but you must link the scripture specifically to the COVID vaccine.

The explanation must explain what is about the COVID vaccine that would constitute a defiling of your body.  Also, be sure to explain the consequences of disobeying God’s commandment to keep his temple pure (i.e., damaging your relationship with God, preventing your entrance into heaven, etc.)  Finally, it is highly recommended that you provide examples of how you have applied this conviction in the past (refusing flu vaccines, avoiding over-the-counter medications).  Consistency will consider this as demonstrating sincerity in your asserted objection.

Fetal Cell Objection

A few suggestions concerning this claim.  First, do not assert that fetal stem cells are in the vaccine or that the vaccine will alter your DNA.  Neither of these two statements is true and can be grounds for denying your claim.  Second, be sure to state your religious abhorrence to abortion and link that belief to your objection to the COVID vaccine.  Third, quote scripture but be sure to connect those scriptural passages to your objection.  A mere string of citations does not improve your request.

No Medical Intervention

This objection is based on the belief that God will heal you, and accepting any medical treatment would lack faith in God.  This is a narrow objection and requires that you show that you have objected to all medical interventions in the past.

Clearly, the consequences of being denied a religious exemption are horrendous.  You may lose your job.  To maximize your chances of being approved for a religious exemption from the COVID vaccine, we highly recommend that you consult an attorney before completing any paperwork provided by your employer.  At the Strategic Legal Group, we are experienced in helping clients secure an approved religious exemption from the COVID vaccine.  Please feel free to contact us directly.