Judge Reed O'Conner recently ruled that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic provides the government with "no license to abrogate the freedom" that any American has. The January 3 ruling barred the Department of Defense (DOD) from punishing a group of Navy SEALs and other special forces members who refused COVID-19 vaccines on religious grounds.
The judge said the "loss of religious liberties outweighs any forthcoming harm to the Navy" and that even the direst circumstances cannot "justify the loss of constitutional rights."
First Liberty Institute (FLI) General Counsel Mike Berry hailed the ruling as a victory, but noted that Navy service members continue to face "intimidating tactics" in the guise of military discipline actions for refusing the vaccine.
In several Fox Business Live interviews, Berry said these Navy service members are fighting for their careers, their futures and their families.
"What the Navy is doing to them is outrageous. They're punishing them – forcing them to choose between their faith and serving their country. They're going after their families. Their dependents [spouses and children who are not subject to DOD authority] have been told that they can't travel even for unofficial reasons," Berry said.
"The Navy is considering recouping the training money spent for turning them into Navy SEALS, which can cost up $2 million per Navy SEAL to train them. The Navy is going to go after them for that? The list goes on and on."
COVID-19 religious exemption requests are increasing
The World Economic Forum reported a rise in the number of applications for religious exemptions as COVID-19 vaccine mandates spread to check the omicron variant and contain the pandemic.
The board of the New York State Department of Health unanimously voted to strip health care workers of their rights to just say no to dangerous drug injections on the basis of religious belief. This has left more than 450,000 medical workers across the state vulnerable to forced vaccination if they wish to keep their jobs. (Related. New York abolishes religious exemption for COVID vaccine mandate.)
Vanessa Murphy, the Health Department's attorney, said no facilities in the state will be permitted to offer religious exemptions moving forward. "We're not constitutionally required to provide a religious exemption. We've built provisions to require covered entities upon request to report information to us."
Journalist, conservative author and former New York Times writer Alex Berenson reported that there is a significant chance of a major shortage of nurses due to the implementation of vaccine mandates. He said that health workers are "quitting their jobs rather than take experimental coronavirus vaccines." The existing shortage of skilled health workers may be a "point of leverage" for those opposed to taking the experimental drug.
NPR, an independent, nonprofit media organization, reported two nations in the European Union have mandated the COVID-19 vaccines or face financial consequences.
Greece announced that everyone over 60 must be vaccinated by mid-January 2022 or face monthly fines of 100 euros (roughly $114). The Austrian government said it would require its entire adult population to be vaccinated by February 1st and those who hold out would face up to 3,600 euros (just over $4,000) in fine.
Financial Times reported that South Africa is considering its own version.
As businesses across the U.S. started imposing strict COVID-19 vaccine and testing requirements, some employers have claimed their human resources departments are being put on the frontlines because of a political issue that has already proven fertile ground for lawsuits.
Constitutional attorney John Whitehead said: "One thing is clear: While the courts may defer to the government’s brand of Nanny State authoritarianism, we still have rights. The government may try to abrogate those rights, it may refuse to recognize them, it may even attempt to nullify them, but it cannot erase them."
Watch the video below about resistance to vaccine enforcement.
This video is from the Liberteon channel on Brighteon.com.
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