RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS SERIES: PART 3
See below the video for full written instructions to Part 3
RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS SERIES: PART 3 – THE PROCESS IS PERSONAL
(Written by Harry Mihet at https://lc.org/)
To make a proper and strong request for a religious exemption to the COVID vaccine, you MUST follow the procedure established by YOUR employer or school. There is NOT a universal “form” or “exemption paper” or request at #LibertyCounsel or anyone else can give you or make for you.
We can provide information, samples and ideas to assist you, but you will need to determine what procedure your employer or school has, and comply with it.
Because religious beliefs are PERSONAL (see PART 2), the process for requesting an exemption must also be PERSONAL.
Whatever you do, *** DO NOT SIMPLY COPY AND PASTE*** anything that I will share here, or that you get from liberty Counsel, from a colleague, or from the internet. If you turn in exactly the same (or just about the same) request that another person did, or that can be found on a google search, your request WILL be denied as INSINCERE (see PART 2).
Instead, use the information you learn here, and the samples that Liberty Counsel has, ONLY AS A GUIDE, to help you put YOUR OWN REQUEST IN YOUR OWN WORDS. This is probably one of the most important pieces of advice that I can give you. If you don’t follow this advice, you probably are wasting your time.
******* Here are the FIVE STEPS you can take in the PERSONAL religious exemption process:
STEP 1: Do you ACTUALLY need an exemption?
- If your employer or school is only “thinking about” or “talking about” mandating the vaccine, there is no need to request a “pre-emptive exemption” before you are actually required to vaccinate.
- If you employer or school is already providing an automatic alternative to vaccination (such as weekly testing), then you do not need an exemption. The religious exemption would only exempt you from the vaccine, NOT from the alternative, so don’t bother with an exemption. Take the alternative, for now, even if it is annoying. For testing, employers should be paying for it, or it should be covered by insurance, so there should not be an out of pocket cost to you.
STEP 2: Get the procedure or form that your employer or school is using for religious exemptions.
- Often, this will be distributed with the vaccine mandate. Or, it may be on the employer’s or school’s website. Search for it.
- If you cannot find your employer’s or school’s form or procedure on your own, call the HR department or the school and ask them for it. This is NOT your actual religious exemption request. This is your request for the PROCEDURE or FORM that you are expected to use to make your religious exemption request.
- Hopefully, the efforts above will lead to you having a form to fill out, or a name of a person to email, to present your religious exemption request.
- If your employer or school tells you that “we don’t have religious exemptions”, or “there is no form or procedure for that” or something along those lines, they may be violating the law (see PART 1). Get this from them in writing.
- If they don’t put it in writing, send them a letter or email, to confirm that they told you. (For example: “Dear ____, I am confirming that on ____, I requested the company’s form or procedure for requesting a religious exemption to the COVID vaccine requirement, and you indicated that no such form or procedure exists, and no exemptions are available. If I. misunderstood you in any way, please let me know immediately.”)
Then contact Liberty Counsel.
STEP 3: Once you have your school’s or employer’s form or procedure for requesting a religious exemption, study it carefully and make sure that you comply with it FULLY, COMPLETELY and TIMELY. Do NOT ignore parts of it. Do NOT miss the deadline. This may give your employer a legal way to deny your exemption request.
- The most important part of this form or process will be your PERSONAL statement where you tell your school or employer IN YOUR OWN WORDS why your sincere religious convictions prohibit you from taking abortion-derived vaccines.
STEP 4: Turn in your form and all necessary documentation to your employer or school.
- RETAIN COPIES of everything you submit, as well as proof that you submitted it (and when you submitted it).
- If two weeks pass and you don’t hear anything, politely ask for the status of your request.
STEP 5: If your request is APPROVED, rejoice and praise the Lord!
If your request is DENIED, contact Liberty Counsel and send us: (a) your employer’s or school’s vaccination mandate; (b) your request for a religious exemption; (c) the denial you received; and (d) any other relevant documents. We will review your case individually and determine if further legal action is possible or appropriate.