As thousands of servicemen apply for religious exemption from the COVID vaccine, many requests are being denied and those who have been denied are often compelled to just take the vaccine or leave their jobs. More than 10,700 servicemembers in the Air Force and Space Force or 2% of the forces sought religious exemptions from the COVID vaccine because they claimed it violated their beliefs. But they are being met with harsh pushback from officials.
According to the Air Force Times, only a fraction of those who have filed a religious exemption and have been turned down have filed an appeal. As of December 22, there had been 2,130 religious exemption requests that were turned down by officials. They claimed it would affect the servicemembers' ability to carry out its military missions. About 8,636 requests were still waiting to be approved or denied.
But more and more servicemembers are seeing their requests being denied, compelling them to either get the COVID vaccine or lose their jobs. According to The Federalist, the Air Force has recently discharged some of its first active duty service members who declined the COVID vaccine. Up to 27 service members were discharged, the first among many others who are still waiting to hear if their requests would be granted. So far, no request has been granted.
In September, one female Air Force Academy graduate requested a religious exemption to the COVID vaccine mandate. The Catholic servicemember said she objected to the COVID vaccine mandate because the jab was developed or tested using cell lines derived from a procured abortion. The reviewing chaplain did not approve her religious exemption request and did so "on theological grounds."
This meant that the chaplain did not share the same theological views as the servicewoman, a situation that is the same for many others. However, Christians and Catholics believe that "abortion is wrong" and that "benefitting from abortion is wrong." In addition, "To receive one of these vaccines is to benefit from an abortion."
Some military officials are also using the argument that other drugs use aborted fetal cell lines in their testing and development process, questioning other service members if they take such drugs and justifying that if they did take such drugs, they did not in fact have a "sincerely held belief" against abortion.
Back in September, Fox News reported that the U.S. Coast Guard issued guidance on how to interrogate service members with regards to their requests for a religious exemption to the COVID vaccine mandate, with some criticizing it as a "modern-day inquisition."
Leaked documents showed that chaplains were ordered by the U.S. Coast Guard to ask how those service members who are seeking religious exemptions actually attend religious services and how consistently they "keep the tenets of their faith." Because of these attacks on religious freedom, a number of GOP leaders are mobilizing to protect Christians.
In December, the Military Times reported that up to 47 Republican lawmakers have supported a lawsuit brought about by a group of Navy SEALs and sailors against the Department of Defense's COVID vaccine mandate. This week, a federal judge ruled in favor of the Navy SEALs, barring the Pentagon from punishing service members who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID.
