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I think you're being downvoted for two things: 1. Conflating things like circumcision and home schooling with vaccination. While there may be an argument for c

I think you're being downvoted for two things: 1. Conflating things like circumcision and home schooling with vaccination. While there may be an argument for circumcision and against home schooling, it is a far cry from the arguments that support vaccination and the direct effect that vaccination has on the global - not just local - community. 2. The suggestion that religious freedoms extend beyond a single person. It's really not that complex of an issue: do what you want as long as it doesn't have a direct negative impact on those around you. If that involves cheering for Jesus, praying five times a day, not eating meat on Friday or not working on the Sabbath, go for it. But the moment religious elements start to negatively impact others, including elements like restrictions of free speech, slavery and FGM, we see it as immoral and extending beyond religious freedom. In this case, by not vaccinating your child, you are potentially (and very likely to be) putting your child and others through harm, making it less of a religious issue and much more of an issue of blatant negligence.

pzxc 12y ago
Thanks for trying to explain, but I don't think you're right. I think the downvotes are a reflexive action for a lot of people. (I'm guilty of this, too. - Maybe we all should take a few more seconds before downvoting something we disagree with if it's meaningfully contributing to the discussion) Specifically, (1) I am comparing them, but I am not conflating them. I never said they were all the same thing, I just said they were all viewed as protected religious actions by some people. And (2), as I mentioned in my other reply, nonvaccination does not have a direct negative impact on those around you. It does have an indirect negative impact, but so does secondhand smoke, wood smoke from a wood fireplace, smog from living in an urban area, or just the risk from driving a car. You can't really declare nonvaccination to be indisputable evil without comparing the probabilities to actions and circumstances that may be just as harmful but which we allow.
- bronson 12y ago
  > You can't really declare nonvaccination to be indisputable evil without comparing the probabilities to actions and circumstances that may be just as harmful but which we allow. Sure I can. That's just another version of the "we shouldn't go into space before we solve world hunger" argument. Even though smog is a larger and more pernicious problem, we should still try to solve the smaller problems that come behind it. (and, of course, I don't think anybody is saying nonvaccination is indisputable evil. I assume that's hyperbole)
nsnick 12y ago
In Denmark and Sweden, circumcision is banned because it is considered genital mutilation.

pzxc 12y ago

Thanks for trying to explain, but I don't think you're right. I think the downvotes are a reflexive action for a lot of people. (I'm guilty of this, too. - Maybe we all should take a few more seconds before downvoting something we disagree with if it's meaningfully contributing to the discussion) Specifically, (1) I am comparing them, but I am not conflating them. I never said they were all the same thing, I just said they were all viewed as protected religious actions by some people. And (2), as I mentioned in my other reply, nonvaccination does not have a direct negative impact on those around you. It does have an indirect negative impact, but so does secondhand smoke, wood smoke from a wood fireplace, smog from living in an urban area, or just the risk from driving a car. You can't really declare nonvaccination to be indisputable evil without comparing the probabilities to actions and circumstances that may be just as harmful but which we allow.

bronson 12y ago
> You can't really declare nonvaccination to be indisputable evil without comparing the probabilities to actions and circumstances that may be just as harmful but which we allow. Sure I can. That's just another version of the "we shouldn't go into space before we solve world hunger" argument. Even though smog is a larger and more pernicious problem, we should still try to solve the smaller problems that come behind it. (and, of course, I don't think anybody is saying nonvaccination is indisputable evil. I assume that's hyperbole)

nsnick 12y ago

In Denmark and Sweden, circumcision is banned because it is considered genital mutilation.