Page 47 - Spring2020

or toxic ingredients in vaccines are viewed as questions, concerns or doubts about the ethics Imposing
secondary to the goal of minimizing the risk of of vaccine use. compulsory
certain diseases. Individuals who espouse the The Brotherhood Medical Advocate of the
other point of view—the one articulated by Mr. Mennonite Church Conference of Washington vaccination
Weaver—believe that drinking raw milk from County, Maryland, and Franklin County, Penn- could
healthy cows and eating nutrient-dense foods sylvania, issued a helpful booklet in 2012 en- precipitate
(including plenty of good animal fats) promotes titled “Vaccine Issues” to provide guidance and
health and strengthens natural immunity. As a to provoke further discussion around the topic changes in
result, there is less need for vaccines, which are of ethical and non-ethical vaccines and their the traditional
not only accompanied by moral dilemmas and use. This sensitively-written document covered culture of
toxic ingredients but also may even alter the a wide range of issues—including vaccine pro-
integrity of the human immune system. duction methods, the use of fetal tissue in the Mennonite
preparation of some vaccines, abortion and its communities.
THE VACCINE RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION connection to vaccine production, the ethics of
On May 15, 1972, in Wisconsin v. Yoder, vaccines for venereal disease, moral issues and
the U.S. Supreme Court ruled seven to zero that Bible scripture, ethical vaccine products avail-
Wisconsin’s compulsory school attendance law able for some diseases (but not for others), pros
was unconstitutional when applied to the Amish and cons of health considerations and more. It
because it violated their rights under the First would be hard to read this document and not
Amendment, which guarantees the free exercise come away with the conclusion that Mennonite
of religion. This ruling is extremely important objections to compulsory vaccination of school
5
to Plain (Amish and Mennonite) communities. children are real and deeply connected with their
Thus, these communities regard New religious understanding and moral conviction.
York’s repeal of the religious exemption to vac- The last paragraph of “Vaccine Issues” also con-
cinations with real alarm, and it is an issue that tained a prescient warning. Encouraging church
raises strong concerns in Mr. Weaver’s Men- members not to accept free vaccinations from
nonite community. These communities realize the state or state-funded clinics, it concluded:
that the revocation of the religious exemption is “We want to accept personal responsibility for
just the beginning of a process that could lead to our own. We also want to avoid being entangled
the state imposing other regulations on Amish with the state should morally questionable vac-
and Mennonite schools. cines be required.” 6
Let us imagine for a moment a situation That situation has now come to pass.
where the religious exemption has not been
eliminated. Why would some Mennonite com- WHAT’S AT STAKE
munities want to have a religious exemption For each of these three issues—education,
to vaccinations for their children? What is the health and the religious exemption—we can see
connection between vaccines and Mennonite how imposing compulsory vaccination could
religious belief? Although all Mennonites are precipitate changes in the traditional culture of
Christian, their lifestyles and choices can be Mennonite communities. Some of the changes
quite diverse. would undoubtedly be subtle, but others per-
At one end of the spectrum are very con- haps would not be so subtle. Modification of
servative groups who may appear similar to the educational process, for example, might
Old Order Amish, using horse and buggy for affect how children learn to relate to authority
transportation, wearing distinctive clothing or could impose state regulations that infringe
and rejecting most modern technology. At on school autonomy. Would there also be an im-
the other end are Mennonites whose cloth- pact on how community members view health,
ing, transportation and use of technology are shifting from a perspective of compassion and
virtually indistinguishable from mainstream common sense to blind adherence to corporate
Protestant churchgoers. Even so, it is probably medical science? Legal challenges could bring
safe to say that most Mennonites harbor some their own set of impacts, including the imposi-

SPRING 2020 Wise Traditions 47