Vaccine opposers
Posted: Thu Nov 07, 2002 1:52 am
> one of a small group of established churches that the Texan powers-that-were
There's no way this sort of policy would hold up in court. Back in the
bad old days of the Vietnam War some draft boards would only give
conscientious objector status to members of "legitimate" pacifist
churches such as the Quakers. The Supreme Court overturned this, saying
any sincere religious or philosophical opinion was a valid basis for the
conscientious objector status. The same principle applies to vaccine
opposers, whether the Texas health officials think so or not. The only
legitimate question is the sincerity of your belief, not your formal
church membership.
Of course, you'd have to get a lawyer and go to court, but if anyone
tells you you have to belong to a specific church, they're flat out wrong.
--
Bernie Simon http://www.toad.net/~bsimon/
There's no way this sort of policy would hold up in court. Back in the
bad old days of the Vietnam War some draft boards would only give
conscientious objector status to members of "legitimate" pacifist
churches such as the Quakers. The Supreme Court overturned this, saying
any sincere religious or philosophical opinion was a valid basis for the
conscientious objector status. The same principle applies to vaccine
opposers, whether the Texas health officials think so or not. The only
legitimate question is the sincerity of your belief, not your formal
church membership.
Of course, you'd have to get a lawyer and go to court, but if anyone
tells you you have to belong to a specific church, they're flat out wrong.
--
Bernie Simon http://www.toad.net/~bsimon/