[Pflienews] PharmFacts E-News Update: Military Stands Down on Religious Exemption for Aborted Baby derived Vax

Wed May 14 12:36:02 MDT 2008

*PharmFacts E-News Update -- 14 May 2008 AD #2
*

http://www.cogforlife.org/militaryexemptionallowed.htm

*Military Backs Down: Grants Religious Exemption To Aborted Fetal Vaccine *

For Immediate Release: May 12, 2008
Contact: Children of God for Life info at cogforlife.org 
<mailto:info at cogforlife.org>
615 898-1070

(Washington, DC)  In a surprise move by military officials, Officer 
Joseph J. Healy received official notification on May 9th that they 
would reverse their previous decision denying him a religious exemption 
from the Hepatitis-A vaccine.  Healy, a Lieutenant Commander in the 
Coast Guard and a devout Catholic had filed the exemption due to the use 
of aborted fetal cell lines in the vaccine.  Children of God for Life 
had been assisting Mr. Healy and the attorneys at Alliance Defense Fund 
for over year in preparation of his right to abstain under Catholic 
teaching on moral conscience.

"I am not against all vaccines; they are in large part very good and 
they help protect society from certain preventable diseases", said Cdr. 
Healy.  "In my specific case, I had to weigh my obligation to raise a 
conscientious objection to the evil way in which the vaccine was derived 
versus my personal risk and societal risk of Hepatitis A."

In his research, he discovered that an immunized person can still be a 
carrier of Hepatitis-A if he/she comes in contact with infected fecal 
matter.  Proper hygiene and simple hand washing is actually the best way 
to prevent the spread of the disease.  Healy further noted that, 
"Eighty-five percent of those exposed to the virus display slight to no 
symptoms and all develop a permanent immunity to the virus once exposed. 
 Less than 3% of all exposures lead to severe symptoms or death."  Since 
the disease did not pose any sort of significant risk to himself or 
others around him, Healy weighed his decision heavily on his Catholic 
faith and pro-life convictions.  He simply could not in good conscience 
use a vaccine that was in any way connected to abortion.

Using the Catholic guidelines on the use of aborted fetal vaccines 
<http://www.cogforlife.org/vaticanresponse.pdf> Healy filed his 
religious exemption according to standard military procedures but was 
subsequently denied.  Attorney Matt Bowen with Alliance Defense Fund 
promptly agreed to take his case and filed a lawsuit in Federal Court. 
/Healy v. United States Coast Guard/  
www.telladf.org/UserDocs/HealyComplaint.pdf 
<http://www.telladf.org/UserDocs/HealyComplaint.pdf>.

In essence, Coast Guard officials stated that since Catholic teaching 
did not forbid immunizations, Cdr. Healy was not entitled to a religious 
exemption.  However, unlike most other Christian faiths, the Catholic 
Church teaching on the duty to follow one's properly formed moral 
conscience is clearly defined as a tenet of the faith.  In addition, the 
document by the Pontifical Academy for Life issued in June 2005 clearly 
allows and encourages abstention under proper conditions.

Debi Vinnedge, Executive Director of Children of God for Life has worked 
for years assisting parents and others in the military who are 
unlawfully denied religious exemptions.  "Until Joe Healy came to us 
seeking help, no one had ever attempted to bring a lawsuit against the 
military over this specific issue", she said.  "Joe's courage in 
pursuing his religious rights makes him a hero in my eyes because he 
would not back down from his deeply held religious convictions, even 
when faced with the threat of military discipline."

Vinnedge noted that the law governing military religious exemptions is 
unconstitutional as written under Equal Protection.  The law as stated 
gives preference to only those religions that oppose immunizations as a 
tenet of their faith.  "If the matter had gone to trial, Healy most 
likely would have prevailed and the law would have been changed", she 
stated. "I do hope that others in Commander Healy's position are 
encouraged by his example to stand up for their rights and end this 
injustice once and for all!"

For further information, contact Alliance Defense Fund:  (480) 444-0020 
ADF press release 
<file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Owner/My%20Documents/My%20Webs/militaryvaxvictory.htm> or 
http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/news/story.aspx?cid=4509

See our on Commander Healy's case. www.cogforlife.org/militaryvaxlawsuit.htm

<http://www.cogforlife.org/militaryvaxlawsuit.htm>

------------------------------------------------------------------------

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