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All in all, it’s not anyone’s place to play religious scholar with anyone else’s belief system or to demand hard proof either. Personally, I haven’t found a sec

All in all, it’s not anyone’s place to play religious scholar with anyone else’s belief system or to demand hard proof either. Personally, I haven’t found a sect that really matches with my reading and understanding of scripture. So how do you validate that? As for the second, no one said the “mark” has to be a literal mark. Many sects of many religions view large parts of scripture as allegorical or good general teachings for a coherent (if not imperfect, particularly based on modern secular norms) society. No to be overly accusatory, but this all reminds me a bit of a young, agnostic me. The “well what about turning the other cheek” type of gotcha comment that ignores scripture that provides deeper context or contextual “contradiction.” We live in a large and diverse world, and religion is ultimately a human system. We’re just never going to be able to nail it down to an instruction set as we may desire to do.

MisterBastahrd 5y ago
That's actually easy. All you have to do is ask if they're being consistent. If they've taken all the vaccinations to this point but suddenly have an issue with this particular vaccine, then it's not a religious thing. Personally, I don't feel like it should matter whether a belief is fundamentally religious or not. The thing that matters is that a person believes it. That said, if they aren't being consistent, then there's no reason to take them seriously.
- baphometfan 5y ago
  Sure, if you catch them in an lie it’s clear something is amiss. If one argued against Fetal Cell development and asked off for an abortion (or used some other product) then you get to mail them to the proverbial cross. Now, how much time must elapse before a religious change is true and sincere? A hard question to determine. For many, all it takes is a rock bottom moment in their life.
- jjeaff 5y ago
  Either that or you make the legal argument that your freedom of religion ends at the tip of my nose. Seeing as the larger the group of unvaccinated get, the more danger we are all in, I don't think that would be a difficult argument to make.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
ASalazarMX 5y ago
There's no need to validate anyone's beliefs, only their actions. You can't claim that your personal beliefs exempt you from taxes and get away with it, for example. Your beliefs are your own inner world, but the outer world still exists and you're accountable to it. Actually, you can claim that your beliefs exempt you from taxes and get away with it, but the privilege is negotiated in the real world with real influences.
- baphometfan 5y ago
  I believe your tax example reveals your ignorance of the Amish and their place in American society. My friend, I mean no disrespect but you remind me of a younger me. I was a teenage agnostic, but the politics were too convenient... I’m sure you want folks to take a medical treatment you believe will help them and others but we live in a diverse society that makes affordances for religious belief as a core pillar of our society. Whether or not you want that to be so is not germane to the issue of how one, here and now, is presented with an exemption from an otherwise mandatory government edict.
  - MisterBastahrd 5y ago
    Maybe I'm misinterpreting you, but the only taxes the Amish don't pay are services they have been specifically exempt from paying (FICA, because their religion has a specific obligation to take care of their elderly) and taxes that come through state usage fees like driver's licenses. They pay federal and state income taxes, property taxes, and any other tax that comes along with those.
  - ASalazarMX 5y ago
    > we live in a diverse society that makes affordances for religious belief as a core pillar of our society. I think you've stated the problem quite well: it's not a question of freedom, it's a religious and political issue. BTW, you shouldn't risk getting COVID. if I remind you of your younger self, you must be in the vulnerable age bracket because I'm 50.

MisterBastahrd 5y ago

That's actually easy. All you have to do is ask if they're being consistent. If they've taken all the vaccinations to this point but suddenly have an issue with this particular vaccine, then it's not a religious thing. Personally, I don't feel like it should matter whether a belief is fundamentally religious or not. The thing that matters is that a person believes it. That said, if they aren't being consistent, then there's no reason to take them seriously.

baphometfan 5y ago
Sure, if you catch them in an lie it’s clear something is amiss. If one argued against Fetal Cell development and asked off for an abortion (or used some other product) then you get to mail them to the proverbial cross. Now, how much time must elapse before a religious change is true and sincere? A hard question to determine. For many, all it takes is a rock bottom moment in their life.
jjeaff 5y ago
Either that or you make the legal argument that your freedom of religion ends at the tip of my nose. Seeing as the larger the group of unvaccinated get, the more danger we are all in, I don't think that would be a difficult argument to make.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

ASalazarMX 5y ago

There's no need to validate anyone's beliefs, only their actions. You can't claim that your personal beliefs exempt you from taxes and get away with it, for example. Your beliefs are your own inner world, but the outer world still exists and you're accountable to it. Actually, you can claim that your beliefs exempt you from taxes and get away with it, but the privilege is negotiated in the real world with real influences.

baphometfan 5y ago
I believe your tax example reveals your ignorance of the Amish and their place in American society. My friend, I mean no disrespect but you remind me of a younger me. I was a teenage agnostic, but the politics were too convenient... I’m sure you want folks to take a medical treatment you believe will help them and others but we live in a diverse society that makes affordances for religious belief as a core pillar of our society. Whether or not you want that to be so is not germane to the issue of how one, here and now, is presented with an exemption from an otherwise mandatory government edict.
- MisterBastahrd 5y ago
  Maybe I'm misinterpreting you, but the only taxes the Amish don't pay are services they have been specifically exempt from paying (FICA, because their religion has a specific obligation to take care of their elderly) and taxes that come through state usage fees like driver's licenses. They pay federal and state income taxes, property taxes, and any other tax that comes along with those.
- ASalazarMX 5y ago
  > we live in a diverse society that makes affordances for religious belief as a core pillar of our society. I think you've stated the problem quite well: it's not a question of freedom, it's a religious and political issue. BTW, you shouldn't risk getting COVID. if I remind you of your younger self, you must be in the vulnerable age bracket because I'm 50.