"I certainly know those who have chosen to be vaccinated have done so because they feel it's the more loving thing to do to allay the fears of those around them," she said. In making the decision, she pointed to another core tenet of their beliefs: "Do to another what you want done to yourself."Ĭhristian Scientist Edwina Aubin says many members of the church are happy to be vaccinated if it will help allay the fears of the people around them. Ms Aubin explains that while the majority of the church's members feel they don't require traditional medicine, instead relying on prayer and the support of practitioners in the church, there's nothing stopping them from seeking it out - whether it's a legal requirement or not.īut even so, she said the question of whether to get the COVID-19 jab "probably has challenged many Christian Scientists".
"We're not 'anti-vax' as such, and neither are we 'pro-vax' … if it's what's required, then that's what we'll do." "As far as our practice of trusting our problems to God prayerfully, that hasn't really altered," said Edwina Aubin, a Christian Scientist practitioner from Brisbane. ( Supplied: Edwina Aubin)īut when it comes to COVID-19, the Christian Scientists are taking a different approach. Christian Scientists believe in healing through prayer and often avoid traditional medicine. The Christian Science church in Brisbane. They were the only religion to receive such an exemption - which required parents and carers to provide a letter from a church leader - sparking unfounded fears the decision would cause a flood of new converts eager to bypass the laws. In 1998, the church was granted an exemption to the Federal Government's new "no jab, no pay" laws that meant children had to be vaccinated to receive childcare and family benefits.
That is the Christian Scientists, a small sect of Christianity who believes in prayerful healing to manage their health.Īccording to the 2016 Census, just 974 Australians reported they were Christian Scientist, out of 12 million people identifying as Christian more broadly. Looking back through Australia's recent history, there's only been one religion that has successfully lobbied for a vaccine exemption. "Do I think we need to have a conversation about exemptions? Possibly," Dr Barker said, "I don't think that conversation will go very far. I think politicians will very quickly say health, in this case, trumps freedom of religion." LIVE UPDATES: Read our blog for the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic Australia's history of religious exemptions It's this grey area that Dr Renae Barker, an expert in law and religion at the University of Western Australia, said will make it difficult for the legal system to rule on whether policies that bar unvaccinated people from participating in certain activities - as already in place in Victoria, NSW and some industries - warrant a religious exemption provision.Īnd the question is already playing out internationally, particularly in the United States, where thousands of people have already sought exemptions from vaccine mandates on religious grounds. A protestor waves a wooden cross at police during a "anti-lockdown" rally in Melbourne this year.
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