NY parents grilled in 'religious sincerity test'

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NY parents grilled in ‘religious sincerity test’

A family in New York is fighting for the rights of parents to opt their children out of vaccines.

Ron and Rita Palma of Bayport, New York, have been fighting for the right to opt their children out of the vaccines that public schools require children have before attending school. Parents are allowed to opt out of the medical requirement if they cite objections on religious grounds. The Palmas did so, citing their Catholic faith as a reason, but they were met with resistance from the Bayport-Blue Point Union Free School District. Rita Palma explains.

“I handed in my letter, handed in my application, and they called me in and insisted that I come in for a face-to-face interview,” she shares. “Now I know other people in the community who have gone through this, so I talked to some lawyers. I knew that they [school officials] were within their legal boundaries, and I really didn’t think that it was going to be all that much of a problem. You know, my feelings were true, my beliefs fit squarely with the law – so I complied.”

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I know we’re not supposed to argue about the morality of vaccines here… 😉 so my answer is in regard to using religion as a waiver from following a law.

I don’t believe the Catholic Church has made any formal statement dictating how we handle vaccines, therefore I don’t understand how they would allow that waiver at all? I can understand asking for a waiver for “moral reasons”, but not “religious”, since the religion hasn’t dictated it.

Please correct me if I’m wrong (very well could be), and I apologize if this falls into that “do not discuss” area… I hope not. 😊 I tried to stick to the “legalese” of the issue rather than the morality.
 
The point of the article is someone else is testing their sincerity. Don;t you find this offensive?
 
buffalo said:
The point of the article is someone else is testing their sincerity. Don;t you find this offensive?
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Yes and no.
Yes, I find it offensive that someone would make a decision based on their *opinion *of my faithfulness.
No, because I don’t understand a system that’s based so much on opinions in the first place. If a religion *dictates *that something is not allowed then it’s cut and dry. I think the entire system is wrought with holes, so I can’t take offense at something that is so screwy to begin with.
 
buffalo said:
The point of the article is someone else is testing their sincerity. Don;t you find this offensive?
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Yes…but they should be told no. If you wish to send your children to public school, then you need to follow certain medical protocols. Suppose these kids become carriers to some diseases that could have been prevented? Other than the HPV vaccine which I declined for my daughter because the main way to contract it is through sex, the other vaccines make sense.

Abstaining from vaccines is someone’s right I would imagine, but if it’s required to sending one’s kids to a public school, then there are times when you have to follow protocol. I am not against or for vaccines in general, either way. Just saying, that if she can use religion for this, then another person can use religion to escape another protocol, and so on.

I don’t believe they should be ‘grilled,’ they should be denied to have their kids enter the school, if they refuse certain vaccinations. Just my thoughts.
 
whatevergirl said:
Yes…but they should be told no. If you wish to send your children to public school, then you need to follow certain medical protocols. Suppose these kids become carriers to some diseases that could have been prevented? Other than the HPV vaccine which I declined for my daughter because the main way to contract it is through sex, the other vaccines make sense.

Abstaining from vaccines is someone’s right I would imagine, but if it’s required to sending one’s kids to a public school, then there are times when you have to follow protocol. I am not against or for vaccines in general, either way. Just saying, that if she can use religion for this, then another person can use religion to escape another protocol, and so on.

I don’t believe they should be ‘grilled,’ they should be denied to have their kids enter the school, if they refuse certain vaccinations. Just my thoughts.
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Does this mean that we cannot object to the HPV vaccine?
 
There can be many reasons a parent would choose not to vaccinate but I don’t think any of them would be related to Catholicism. So I don’t see what a the sincerity of a parent’s faith has any relevance in the matter. There have been local resurgences of rubella and mumps in my area because of a particular cultural/religious group’s refusal to vaccinate, although I’m not sure on what grounds they make their decision.
 
Back in the old days, men who wanted to avoid being drafted by citing a religious objection were grilled as to the sincerity of their beliefs. Was that also wrong?
 
Lil_M said:
There can be many reasons a parent would choose not to vaccinate but I don’t think any of them would be related to Catholicism. So I don’t see what a the sincerity of a parent’s faith has any relevance in the matter. There have been local resurgences of rubella and mumps in my area because of a particular cultural/religious group’s refusal to vaccinate, although I’m not sure on what grounds they make their decision.
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Sure there is. Gardasil is promoted for teens so that when they fail to be abstinate they are covered.

Many Catholics object not wanting the state to force something on them and their children.
 
Lil_M said:
There can be many reasons a parent would choose not to vaccinate but I don’t think any of them would be related to Catholicism. So I don’t see what a the sincerity of a parent’s faith has any relevance in the matter. There have been local resurgences of rubella and mumps in my area because of a particular cultural/religious group’s refusal to vaccinate, although I’m not sure on what grounds they make their decision.
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How about the fact that the vaccines are made from aborted babies? That’s a pretty Catholic reason right there.
 
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