CHRISTIANS, CREATIONISM AND COVID-19 VACCINATION

Today, I discovered a Christian information source supporting COVID-19 vaccination which actually surprised me.  What I came across was a long and detailed article supporting vaccination, and refuting Christian arguments against vaccination, by a well-known, and longstanding Young Earth Creationist, Dr.Jonathan Sarfati, published on the website of one of the world’s leading Young Earth Creationism advocacy organizations, Creation Ministries International.  Dr. Sarfati covers a lot of territory in the article, originally published in 2018, and updated to include information on the COVID vaccine.  It's a good read for any Christian, regardless of your current position on vaccines.  Creation Ministries International is the parent organization of Answers in Genesis, run by Ken Ham, based in northern Kentucky.

Why is this surprising to me?  Because of the general mindset of those espousing the Young Earth Creation position.  I won’t take the time to elaborate here, as the argument Young Earth Creationists have against biological evolution is broad and deep.  I’ll mention that I have an extensive background and familiarity with the creationism vs. evolution debate, due to a rigorous college course on the topic I used to teach, as well as personal interactions with the likes of Phillip Johnson, Duane Gish, and Denis Lamoureux.  In brief, I’m very familiar with the Young Earth Creationist Movement, and even visited Answers in Genesis Ark Encounter attraction a few years back, just out of curiosity, and to introduce my children to ways other Christians think about the Bible.

Young Earth Creationism, Evangelicalism, and Christian Nationalism are connected

Generally, those espousing Young Earth Creationism are among the most conservative Christians, in their approach to the Bible (they take it literally – word-for-word), and are among the most skeptical of science (although they assert support for “true” science, which means anything which supports their view of the Bible).  A major sub-population of conservative Christians are evangelical Christians, and a major sub-population of evangelical Christians are those espousing Christian Nationalism (even if they are not familiar with this terminology).  Here is a recent article on Christian Nationalism published in Relevant Magazine, and here is a recent podcast published on the Christianity Today site.  Here is a site with a petition asking Christians to sign on, and oppose Christian Nationalism.  Recently published sociological research demonstrates a connection between Christian Nationalism and anti-vaccine attitudes.

Anecdotally, I find this trend to be true, as I’ve closely monitored evangelical Christian responses (via YouTube video posts, social media posts, and online chat threads) to COVID-19, and the 2020 presidential election.  There is a clear connection between some of those who espouse Christian Nationalism, and those who oppose the COVID-19 vaccine.  Another connection I observe is a tendency for some Christians, and especially independent charismatic Christians to both espouse Christian Nationalism and oppose the COVID-19 vaccine, with some declaring the COVID-19 vaccine as the mark of the beast, or at minimum, a precursor to the mark of the beast.  

Credit:  Sergio Flores/Getty

The mark of the beast is described in the Bible (Book of Revelation, chapter 13:11-17).  The topic of the mark of the beast is quite complex, and there’s plenty of good and terrible resources out there for the curious reader to explore.  For the purposed of this blog post, I’ll indicate that there are a number of rebuttals to this marginal viewpoint concerning the Covid-19 vaccine and the mark of the beast.  Here is one explanation why the COVID-19 vaccine is not the mark of the beast.

YOUNG EARTH CREATIONIST LEADERS SUPPORT COVID-19 VACCINATION

The main point of this post is the surprising and good news that those leading the Young Earth Creationist movement clearly and unequivocally support not only COVID-19 vaccination, but vaccination in general.  This would seem to leave anti-vax Christians with something worth reflecting on.  The most Biblically conservative Christian leaders support vaccination, rejecting the common Christian arguments opposing vaccination.  Furthermore, those Christians who are highly educated and seek harmony between science and religion present the same argument in favor of vaccination that the Young Earth Creationists do.  Here’s an article on the Biologos site, addressing the question, should Christians get vaccinated? 

OPPOSITION TO VACCINATION IS BASED ON FEELINGS AND FEAR

I wasn’t full vaccinated myself, as my mother had concerns about completing my vaccines when I was young.  I am fully vaccinated now.  The arguments against vaccination are largely based on personal feelings and fear, rather than on facts and truth.  If you’re reading this and you oppose COVID-19 vaccinations, please know that the facts and the truth are not on your side, as much as you think or hope they are.  Lots of people make all sorts of personal decisions based on feelings and fear.  It’s incredibly common.  Consider the 2020 presidential election, for example.  My question to the Christian opposed to the COVID-19 vaccine is, does it honor God and advance the worldwide Christian mission to base an important decision on feelings and fear, when we’re called to follow the truth?

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