On American Evangelicals Dying for Jesus

My father grew up as part of a Friends (Quaker) Meeting. I did not. I was not particularly aware of the long and rich background of my Quaker heritage in my early years. It did pop up now and then, however, in subtle ways. One of those hints was a small change to the lyrics of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” If that song was requested when my father was leading music at church, he would instruct the congregation that rather than singing, “As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free” they should sing “… let us live to make men free.” Live for freedom, not die for freedom. I like it. Can we find a way to make that happen?

Giving one’s life for the cause of freedom sounds and is often portrayed as quite noble, but there is one glaring downside to it: You have to die to do it. And then you are free, I suppose, but you are also dead and have left your loved ones with just a memory of who you were and unfulfilled dreams of who you could have been. Are they more free because of your sacrifice? Was your death the only way they could be free? Are they then held captive by grief?

What would you die for? If you came to a fork in the road and knew one path led to a long, fulfilling life and the other to certain death before your time, leaving all you love and cherish behind, what would prompt you to choose the path to death?

Many people throughout history have died because of their religious beliefs. Sometimes they are a victim of general violence toward people like them. Other times they are singled out as of particular concern and given a choice: recant or die.  Those who choose death are called martyrs.

There are no Christian martyrs where I live.  No one in authority ever demands we give up our faith or die. And yet, I’m watching Christians literally die for their faith, not at the hands of human enemies, but as victims of a virus that disproportionately kills the unvaccinated, many of whom have refused to be vaccinated for religious reasons.

Here in this land with centuries of religious freedom, I have wondered how many people are committed enough to their faith to choose death rather than compromise when put to the test. Now we’re finding out. Living in a county competing for the lowest vaccination rate in Indiana -- currently at 29% according to the New York Times -- while the Delta variant of COVID-19 has its way with the nation, it’s inevitable that I hear of friends and acquaintances falling victim to COVID. At least one in seven people around me have contracted the virus and many have died. This is also a place of a strong religious identity and I can often guess at a person’s vaccination status based on their church connection. It saddens me to think of the extra pain and suffering the anti-vaxxers and their families are enduring. Is their willingness to die a slow, dreadful death rather than accept vaccination a mark of their stalwart faith? Is this what they signed up for when they chose the path more likely to lead to death in the name of Jesus? Was taxing the medical system, exhausting health care workers, and incurring huge medical debts a known possibility they accepted as part of their spiritual commitment? Did they choose to possibly infect vulnerable friends and family and/or deal with long-term health issues as a demonstration of their faith?

I have friends who are part of the Christian Science Church, a group that has historically relied on faith and mindfulness rather than medical treatment to maintain health. I figured if anyone could claim a religious exemption from being vaccinated they would be the ones. I was surprised to learn that the  Christian Science church is not supporting religious exemptions. Indeed, as noted here, their founder, Mary Baker Eddy, at the end of the 19th century instructed her followers to submit to mandatory vaccinations in the name of public health and use their faith and mindfulness to combat any ill effects of those injections. That was a new thought for me. Rather than depending on faith to escape the disease, why not apply that same faith to deal with any concerns about the vaccine?

I’m not here to critique the sincerely held religious convictions of other people. I’m just wondering if those choosing death over vaccines -- possible death for both themselves and any vulnerable friends or family members who may be infected as a result of their decision and influence -- are doing it as a conscious decision to follow Jesus' teachings regardless of the cost. (I'm not clear which of Jesus' teachings they are holding to so valiantly, but that's another discussion.) It's the first time in my life I have been aware of people I know expressing a willingness to die for their faith in the near future and am amazed by how simple the choice seems to be for them. A few years ago, they were quoting Bible verses about submitting to the governing authorities. Now they portray the governing authorities as evil personified and are willing to fight to the death -- literally -- for their "religious freedom."

Personally, I am fully committed to following the teachings of Jesus, but I don't see where those teachings call me to defy a deadly virus when God has given us the resources to minimize its impact on society. I choose life -- for myself and those around me -- not death.

Like I said, this isn't a critique of the sincerely held beliefs of others. I am just surprised by how many are willing to give up their lives and place more burden on our health systems and their families in the name of... not so much following the footsteps of Jesus Christ, but some deep commitment to "religious freedom" that they are willing to die for. As I watch the adverse health results and deaths add up, I am aware that theirs is a dying breed -- literally. May God be with them and those they infect.