During the COVID vaccine mandates, many sought religious exemptions. Yet, no matter how sincere their beliefs, employers largely refused such requests—something seen worldwide.
The Removal of True Religious Liberty.
In an earlier article, "Two Liberties Under Attack," the author argued that the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights restricted liberty of conscience and religious liberty. Whilst a core foundational UN document, it is not the only UN instrument of concern.
In 1966, the UN adopted the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Most member states—including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia—have ratified it, making it legally binding. Article 18.3 states, "Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others."1
This allowed ratifying nations to restrict religious expression during COVID to achieve "vaccines for all," aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goal 3.2
The Role of Institutional Beliefs and Statements
Around the 1980s, sincerity of belief was increasingly judged by alignment with the official teachings of recognized institutional religions or denominations, rather than individual conscience. It was no longer sufficient to just call yourself religious or a Christian.
This was evident in the 1987 cases Sherr v. Northport-East Northport Union Free School District and Levy v. the same district. Both families sought religious exemptions from school vaccination requirements. Sherr's claim was denied because they could not show their beliefs aligned with an institutionalized religion. The Levy family, however, were granted an exemption as members of the Christian Scientist faith, which explicitly discouraged vaccination.3
In 2009, a Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) woman sought to immigrate to the U.S. without required vaccinations. Her request was upheld on religious grounds in January 2010. A Department of Homeland Security document recording the case states,
"The evidence on the record establishes that the applicant is an active member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, and that a main tenet of her religion is a belief that the body is the temple of God and that healthful living should be promoted and certain foods and substances should be avoided. The record further establishes that the applicant is actively involved through her church in promoting a healthy lifestyle, she follows a strictly vegan diet, and has stated that she is morally opposed to being injected with vaccines and other foreign substances, even though the SDA church does not have an official stand prohibiting vaccinations. She states that this belief is based on her study of the bible, including passages specifically prohibiting certain foods because they are unclean and more general passages related to treating the body as the temple of God as advocated by her church."4
Her exemption was upheld due to clear evidence of her active involvement in the Seventh-day Adventist Church and commitment to its health teachings, which could be construed as encouraging the avoidance of vaccines.
In 2010, the UN's World Health Organization (WHO), commenced the Decade of Vaccines upon the recommendation of the Gates Foundation and Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI, founded and funded by the Gates Foundation).
In 2013, Merck Vaccines funded research claiming there was no clear religious basis for opposing vaccines. It argued that because major sacred texts do not explicitly condemn vaccines, there was no grounds for religious exemption.5
In August 2014, the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities was established in
collaboration with the UN to explore ways to increase vaccine uptake among religious communities. Leaders from the SDA denomination were involved in this initiative.6
In January 2015, the WHO report on vaccine hesitancy recommended mandates and the "engagement of religious or other influential leaders to promote vaccination in the community."7
On 6 April 2015, the SDA General Conference President met with the UN Secretary-General.8 By 15 April 2015, an Immunization statement was posted under "what we believe" on Adventist.org While invoking individual conscience, it removed religious grounds for exemption. It said,
"We are not the conscience of the individual church member, and we recognize individual choices. These choices are exercised by the individual. Refusal of immunization is not and should not be seen as a teaching nor a doctrine of the Seventh-day Adventist Church."9
On 14 April 2015, Christian Scientists were reported to be the only group in Australia eligible for a religious exemption due to a registered objection to vaccination.10 However, by 19 April 2015, the government minister responsible for vaccination, Scott Morrison,
"Announced that the only religious group currently able to claim religious exemptions for vaccinations, Christian Scientists, will no longer be able to do so. Morrison said the exemption, in place since 1998, "is no longer current or necessary and will therefore be removed".
"Having resolved this outstanding matter, the government will not be receiving nor authorising any further vaccination exemption applications from religious organisations," he said."11
It is unclear what 'resolved' the Christian Scientists' objection. In 2020, that church released a statement that supported vaccination where required by law and "in the best interest of all" Echoing the same sentiment seen in the SDA statement, it said,
"On the other hand, our practice isn't a dogmatic thing. Church members are free to make their own choices on all life-decisions, in obedience to the law, including whether or not to vaccinate. These aren't decisions imposed by their church."12
Christian Scientists and Seventh-day Adventists once used their teachings to secure religious exemptions to mandated health interventions; but with the global push for vaccination by the WHO and GAVI, their leadership shifted positions, leaving members unable to claim such exemptions.
The UN link
This shift was not arbitrary. The Seventh-day Adventist Church, like many denominations, is an NGO of the UN through ECOSOC¹³ and is expected to align with UN purposes.14 The Christian Scientist church has long engaged with the Parliament of World Religions, an NGO "accredited to the United Nations Department of Global Communications (UNDGC)"15 and linked with other UN bodies.
What this Means for the Future
The erosion of liberty of conscience and religion during the COVID pandemic tested and proved the principles of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that members states could limit the religion and beliefs of individuals to that which is "proscribed by law."
Revelation. 13:15–17 speaks of a final crisis where worship of a false god is enforced by law. What emerged during the pandemic was a broad willingness among leaders of institutional religions to yield liberty of conscience and religious liberty to state laws aligned with the United Nations.
J. De Bruyn
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1UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, accessed March 23, 2026 https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-covenant-civil-and-political-rights.
2UN, Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, accessed March 23, 2026, https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/health/.
3Justia U.S. Law Sherr v. NORTHPORT-EAST NORTHPORT U. FREE SCH. D., 672 F. Supp. 81 (E.D.N.Y. 1987) accessed arch 24, 2026, https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/672/81/2090837/
4Elijahsloudcry YouTube channel, The Test Run and the Current Crises
5Grabenstein, J. D., What the World's religions teach, applied to vaccines and immune globulins, Vaccine, Volume 31, Issue 16, 12 April 2013, Pages 2011-2023, accessed March 24, 2026, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264410X13001898
6Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities, Local Faith Communities and Immunization for Community and Health Systems Strengthening, scoping review, compiled by Jill Olivier, version August 2014, https://jliflc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/LOCAL-FAITH-COMMUNITIES-AND-IMMUNIZATION-FOR-COMMUNITY-AND-HEALTH-SYSTEMS.pdf
7World Health Organization, "Summary of WHO SAGE Conclusions and Recommendations on Vaccine Hesitancy," January 2015, 2, accessed December 28, 2025, https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/immunization/demand/summary-of-sage-vaccinehesitancy-en.pdf
8"Adventist Church President Holds First Meeting With UN Chief," Adventist Review, April 7, 2015, https://adventistreview.org/news/adventist-church-president-holds-first-meeting-with-un-chief.
9General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, "Immunization," Official Statements, April 15, 2015, accessed December 25, 2025, https://gc.adventist.org/official-statements/immunization.
10Shalailah Medhora, Christian Scientists granted immunity from no jab, no pay policy, The Guardian, April 14, 2015, accessed March 23, 2026, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/apr/14/christian-scientists-granted-immunity-from-no-jab-no-pay-policy
11Shalailah Medhora, Vaccination crackdown: Australia announces end to religious exemptions, The Guardian, April 19, 2015, accessed March 23, 2026,
12 Christian Science, A Christian Science perspective on vaccination and public health, 2002, accessed March 24, 2026
13United Nations, "e-SANGO Civil Society Search: 'Adventist'," accessed December 5, 2025, https://esango.un.org/civilsociety/simpleSearch.do?method=search&searchTypeRedef=simpleSearch&searchType=simpleSearch&organizationNamee=Adventist.
14United Nations Economic and Social Council, Consultative Relationship between the United Nations and Non-Governmental Organizations (Resolution 1996/31), July 25, 1996, accessed December 5, 2025, https://www.un.org/esa/coordination/ngo/Resolution_1996_31
15Parliament of World Religious, Our Vision and Mission, accessed March 24, 2026, https://parliamentofreligions.org/our-work/mission/
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