Over 1,000 of the UK’s Christian leaders have signed an open letter to Boris Johnson warning against the introduction of vaccine passports, which would “risk creating a two-tier society, a medical apartheid in which an underclass of people who decline vaccination are excluded from significant areas of public life”. Its signatories also state that there are “no circumstances” in which they would close their church doors to those who do not have a vaccine passport. The letter has been sent to the Prime Minister, along with all MPs and devolved assembly members, and has been published in today’s Scottish Daily Express. It reads as follows:
Dear Prime Minister,
As Christian leaders across a range of denominations, we continue to pray at this time for your Government “and all in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:2).
However, we write to you concerning an area of the most serious concern, namely the potential introduction into our society of so-called “vaccine passports” which have also been referred to as “Covid-status certificates” and “freedom passes”. We are wholly opposed to this suggestion and wish to make three points about the potential consideration of any scheme of this type.
Firstly, to make vaccination the basis of whether someone is allowed entry to a venue, or participation in an activity, makes no logical sense in terms of protecting others. If the vaccines are highly effective in preventing significant disease, as seems to be the evidence from trial results to date, then those who have been vaccinated have already received protection; there is no benefit to them of other people being vaccinated. Further, since vaccines do not prevent infection per se even a vaccinated person could in theory carry and potentially pass on the virus, so to decide someone’s “safe non-spreader” status on the basis of proof of their immunity to disease is spurious.
Secondly, the introduction of vaccine passports would constitute an unethical form of coercion and violation of the principle of informed consent. People may have various reasons for being unable or unwilling to receive vaccines currently available including, for some Christians, serious issues of conscience related to the ethics of vaccine manufacture or testing. We risk creating a two-tier society, a medical apartheid in which an underclass of people who decline vaccination are excluded from significant areas of public life. There is also a legitimate fear that this scheme would be the thin end of the wedge leading to a permanent state of affairs in which Covid vaccine status could be expanded to encompass other forms of medical treatment and perhaps even other criteria beyond that. This scheme has the potential to bring about the end of liberal democracy as we know it and to create a surveillance state in which the government uses technology to control certain aspects of citizens’ lives. As such, this constitutes one of the most dangerous policy proposals ever to be made in the history of British politics.
Finally, as Christian leaders we wish to state that we envisage no circumstances in which we could close our doors to those who do not have a vaccine passport, negative test certificate, or any other “proof of health”. For the Church of Jesus Christ to shut out those deemed by the state to be social undesirables would be anathema to us and a denial of the truth of the Gospel. The message we preach is given by God for all people and consists in nothing other than the free gift of grace offered in Christ Jesus, with the universal call to repentance and faith in him. To deny people entry to hear this life-giving message and to receive this life-giving ministry would be a fundamental betrayal of Christ and the Gospel. Sincere Christian churches and organisations could not do this, and as Christian leaders we would be compelled to resist any such Act of Parliament vigorously.
We draw your attention to the recent Judicial Review overturning the Scottish Government’s ban on public worship, which demonstrates that such disproportionate prevention of the right to worship is a clear infringement under Article 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights. We cannot see how any attempt to prevent people from gathering for worship on the basis of either testing or non-vaccination would not similarly be ruled to be a breach. We agree with those members of Parliament who have already voiced opposition to this proposal: that it would be divisive, discriminatory and destructive to introduce any such mandatory health certification into British society. We call on the Government to assert strongly and clearly that it will not contemplate this illiberal and dangerous plan, not now and not ever.
Find the full list of signatories – which continues to grow – here.
Stop Press: This open letter has now been signed by over 1,200 of the UK’s Christian leaders.
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Finally. For far too long the churches have completely abstained from their role in calling out this nonsense.
Many of the signatories have spoken out throughout. We’re just too ‘small’, or the MSM have ignored us in favour of the Welbies of this world. I wrote and published, in print and online, a seriously critical article of these events LAST APRIL.
But hardly encouraging when they have so far, with few exceptions, cooperated fully with each dictat. I can still forsee some willingly inspecting domestic vaccine passports to see who is allowed to attend a service and particularly vetting those who aren’t normally members of the congregation for christenings, weddings and funerals.
I refer you to my comments above.
But it could cut both ways; just refuse to have any contact with the vaccinated people.
Put a bench outside your house, (chained to the wall): “Only for unvaccinated people”.
Did Welby sign it?
Ha.Ha. Ever so ha.
Face-knickered Dustbin Jellybaby?
No – I had a CTRL F search: not even Carey, whom I thought might be there.
I have just copied the list to a word document and I could find a few Bishops, but the word occurred in a number of place names and some of those who call themselves Bishops were actually Bishops of independent churches – good for them.
I found two Rt. Reverends.
Of Welby and Cottrell there was no sign.
It is NOT good enough for them to say that they did not know about it – 1100 (would that it were 7,000) other clergymen and church workers did.
They have numerous people in their dioceses who scour, or ought to scour the news and these people should have passed on this intelligence. Either they did not do so or the notice was ignored.
Not bishops.
Not popes.
Not leaders of any church.
Just Irreverend, a couple of ordinary CofE clergy who have not betrayed God.
Bless them and all who stand with them.
Social distancing is a form of ‘apartheid’ literally, the word means ‘separateness’.
Absolutely…
Meanwhile the Goveling is off to Israel to investigate how draconian technofascist health apartheid works?
https://twitter.com/PoliticsForAlI/status/1382244623775641602
The guidance on worship only states that we “should” socially distance in church, not that we “must”. Some of us do not therefore insist on this unpleasantness.
About time too
‘Onward Chistian Soldiers’
needs to come back into fashion.
Who are those folks who refuse medical interventions even to the point of the death of their children, Church Of The Latter Day Saints, Mormons ?
Can’t imagine they are too keen on being inseminated with deceased fetal monkey spunk.
Jehovah’s Witnesses?
important news
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap1A7ihzZsM
It is easier to fool the people than to convince them that they have been fooled – I guess this is what is going on when my husband today is STILL explaining away another potential lockdown
yes sadly all signs seem to point to another lockdown on way
It’s not the Church mission to call out ‘this nonsense’ their mission is to proclaim the good news so men and women are saved by God’s grace. The Church is standing its ground on articles of faith at a time of its own choosing, a fearful thing – it can only terrify Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson.
Check out https://mchurley.com/an-enemy-hath-done-this/
Many world leaders have been people who have had faith…Cameron, Obama to name a couple. The fact that Boris isn’t is actually very telling in the policies that his government bring out. Ones that show just how disconnected they are with people; but more than that, that they have very little sense of compassion for the average person as well.
Cameron and Obama have faith in themselves, not in a Sovereign God who alone saves.
It is fantastic that churches are speaking out. For too long churches have been silenced by people who believe that religion and politics should not mix. Religion is still very much a part of society, and will never be rendered irrelevant. Well done and keep calling our politicians out. God is our salvation, he is our guide, God will see us through these times of trouble. God is always by our side.
When faith leaders or even ordinary believers can explain why a loving god would allow something like Covid to happen then they should perhaps be listened to, but not before.
Don’t say god works in mysterious ways, or it’s a test of faith or any of the usual excuses. Obviously god has to allow people to die at some point to prevent massive overpopulation, but a heart attack would do the trick, not a slow painful death from Covid.
Humans ae responsible for this virus surely?
I seldom have time for religious leaders of any faith, but I fully back this letter to BoJo the clown. This would indeed be the “thin end of the wedge”, an opening for power-crazed politicians and officials to continually push the boundaries ( and goalposts!) which will gnaw away any freedoms we thought we had. Nein danke, Herr Johnson!