Matthew 23 and Mandates

Anti-Bully Day is coming. I saw a bullying meme the other day comparing vaccine mandates to seatbelt mandates with the implication being that just as no one is opposed to seatbelt legislation, no one should be opposed to vaccine legislation. My mind immediately recalled the time last century when BC updated its motorcycle legislation.

The courts decided that BC’s helmet legislation discriminated against a particular religious/cultural group; so, they struck it down. The government of the day then decided to implement new helmet legislation for motorcycle riders. This is from the ‘new’ legislation:

MOTORCYCLE SAFETY HELMET

EXEMPTION REGULATION

Exemption

1 The following persons are exempt from the requirements of section 194 (3) of the Motor Vehicle Act:

(a)a person who

(i) practises the Sikh religion, and

(ii)has unshorn hair and habitually wears a turban composed of 5 or more square metres of cloth.

I do remember the debates at the time. I remember being told that the hospitals will be full of people with head injuries. I remember being told that helmets are for everyone’s safety and so no one should be exempt. I remember people saying that Sikhs should have to pay their own hospital costs. I remember that it was pointed out that not all Sikhs even wear turbans. Why then would we make an accommodation to people with deeply held convictions, so deeply held that they are willing to stand up for each other?

The reason we accommodate those deeply held beliefs (even if it goes against our beliefs; even if we passionately disagree) is because we are a compassionate society. There was much fear and hatred spread to and about the Sikh community then – even those who didn’t wear turbans and/or didn’t ride motorcycles. There is much hate and fear spread to and about people who have equally deeply held convictions about forced injections today. It is not okay.

People are bullying those who are unable to be vaccinated; people are bullying those who are unable to be vaccinated in good conscience; people are even removing others' livelihoods and telling them that they don’t deserve to be able to earn a living or even contribute to society. We have people eating at our soup kitchen now because they have lost their job because they have been unable to be vaccinated.

When BC decided to show compassion to the Sikh community almost a quarter of a century ago now, society didn’t collapse. If we show compassion to the unvaccinated today, society won’t collapse. On the contrary, as we move beyond hate and self-righteousness, our society will grow in love and acceptance.

Today, this is my encouragement: let us stop bullying one another and reach out in love instead.

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