by Pastor Michael Salemink
Lutherans For Life’s board of directors from time to time issues position statements. Previous issues addressed include capital punishment, embryo adoption, in vitro fertilization, stem cell research, population control, and, of course, abortion and euthanasia. You can access these documents here: lutheransforlife.org/life-issues/position-statements.
The directors adopted another official position statement for the organization at their most recent meeting. This one concerns the use of tissue from aborted babies in the development of some vaccines. It does not discourage vaccinations. It does not advocate against receiving a vaccine for the novel coronavirus. It does not find vaccinating or mandating vaccines sinful. It does not insist that Christians must claim religious exemptions to mandatory vaccinations. It does not determine whether vaccines or their excipients (non-medicinal ingredients) cause injury or illness. It does not conclude that vaccines contain remnants of deceased children.
It does oppose experimentation on the bodies of aborted babies. It does disagree with performing elective abortions, even with the purpose of procuring research materials. It does contest utilizing cell lines derived from elective abortions in either the recent or the distant past. It does infer that vaccines and their commercialization may be incentivizing elective abortion. It does raise awareness about vaccine origins. It does share information about ethical alternative vaccine formulations. It does support allowing religious or conscientious objections to required immunizations. It does leave the decision about vaccinating to each individual Christian conscience (1 Corinthians 8). And it does celebrate and respect every human life as a precious treasure created, redeemed, and called by God Himself, even before birth.
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Vaccines and Aborted Fetal Tissue
WHEREAS, Many vaccines are produced using cell lines derived from the bodies of aborted children; and
WHEREAS, Each of these cell lines requires refinement involving not just one but multiple abortions; and
WHEREAS, Some of these abortions did not take place for any medical reason and some happened for the express objective of obtaining tissue for such experimentation; and
WHEREAS, Researchers and manufacturers continue to procure the bodies of aborted children for developing additional cell lines and vaccine formulations; and
WHEREAS, The purchase and use of such vaccines incentivizes the further production of vaccines using cell lines derived from the bodies of aborted children, and some believe it indirectly participates in the previous violence against unborn lives; and
WHEREAS, Desirable ends, no matter how good in themselves, can never justify an evil means (Romans 3:8); and
WHEREAS, Many jurisdictions have revoked religious and philosophical exemptions when mandating vaccines to certain populations, such as children or healthcare workers; and
WHEREAS, Many medical professionals do not volunteer this information to their patients at the time of immunization; and
WHEREAS, Almighty God our Heavenly Father has created every human life in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) from the moment of fertilization (Psalm 139:13); and
WHEREAS, Our Lord Jesus Christ has redeemed every human life by becoming incarnate as an embryo in His mother’s womb (John 1:14; Luke 1:43-44; Hebrews 2:15) and by becoming incapacitated by crucifixion in humankind’s place; and
WHEREAS, His Holy Spirit calls every human life to His kingdom and family (1 Timothy 2:4) so that His fellowship may dwell in their bodies as holy temples (1 Corinthians 6:19); and
WHEREAS, He has given the human community the responsibility and privilege to receive every human life as a special blessing and treat each one as a precious treasure no matter what age, appearance, or ability (Matthew 25:40); therefore be it
RESOLVED, That Lutherans For Life affirms the immorality of all complicity with elective abortion; and be it further
RESOLVED, That Lutherans For Life opposes both the producing of vaccines from aborted fetal tissue and the procuring of aborted fetal tissue for any similar experimentation; and be it further
RESOLVED, That Lutherans For Life encourages honest and accurate discussion of vaccine ingredients, especially among parents and medical professionals; and be it further
RESOLVED, That Lutherans For Life opposes compulsory vaccination without a religious or conscience exemption with vaccines developed using aborted fetal tissue and supports the parental right to decline vaccines for these reasons, and supports the development of ethical versions of vaccines that do not come from the bodies of aborted children; and be it finally
RESOLVED, that Lutherans For Life reach out with Christ’s forgiveness for the sin of abortion to create vaccines.