{"id":56048,"date":"2021-04-12T12:11:36","date_gmt":"2021-04-12T16:11:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/?p=56048"},"modified":"2021-04-12T12:11:36","modified_gmt":"2021-04-12T16:11:36","slug":"covid-vaccines-facts-conscientious-objection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2021\/04\/covid-vaccines-facts-conscientious-objection.html","title":{"rendered":"COVID Vaccines, Facts, &#038; Conscientious Objection"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><head><meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><\/head><body><p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56051\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/572\/2021\/04\/FauciAnthony.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"504\" height=\"360\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">This is taken from my comments <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dave.armstrong.798\/posts\/4281693925198893?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXtToBMR6tVwcS-m64im6o8Ife6v6kA1CpWtpi0gAhxewSQ_NvtOvhaw0rnZyXM1bp-rGYaTfR1sLDCf1Hezr-RYBrsTAATrjRUa8lXfyHbvcsZ6XbUOqZGeb8CgY07tzWLSDFMPfozZ5bCJz-73g8zEg3e7F6ZyovCoKB2EE5DhA&amp;__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">on my Facebook page<\/a>. Much more discussion (including vigorous opposing views) can be read there.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">*****<\/p>\n<p>No one has said \u2014 from the beginning \u2014 that vaccines were <em>required<\/em>. If they aren\u2019t, they aren\u2019t. Social distancing and quarantine where necessary also prevent the spread until this nightmare is finally over.<\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<div class=\"kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">My reasons for not receiving it stem from my holistic health philosophy and also objection to use of baby parts in almost all vaccines (all but one, as I understand) \u2014 even though the Church has permitted it as a very remote connection to evil.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">It\u2019s said that 70% of the population will be vaccinated. I have no objection whatsoever to anyone else doing so. I\u2019m not opposed to them. I\u2019m not saying they are evil. Vaccination will do great good, as it did with, for example, polio (the most famous success). This is my personal choice: much like conscientious objection to the military. Between people already getting the virus, vaccines, and herd immunity, I think the end will eventually come.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">***<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<div class=\"kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">How is it that the Spanish flu (February 1918 to April 1920) ever came to an end without a vaccine? Death estimates are usually between 20 and 50 million. How could it ever <em>end<\/em>? There were not only no vaccines then but no effective antiviral drugs, either. The <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Spanish_flu\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Wikipedia article<\/a> about it stated:<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<blockquote>\n<div dir=\"auto\">[A] 2007 analysis of medical journals from the period of the pandemic found that the viral infection was no more aggressive than previous influenza strains. [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Spanish_flu#cite_note-9\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">9<\/a>][<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Spanish_flu#cite_note-10\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">10<\/a>] Instead, malnourishment, overcrowded medical camps and hospitals, and poor hygiene, all exacerbated by the recent war, promoted bacterial superinfection. This superinfection killed most of the victims, typically after a somewhat prolonged death bed.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">It also observed: \u201cBy the summer of 1919, the flu pandemic came to an end, as those that were infected either died or developed immunity.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">How could that <em>be<\/em> without a vaccine? Well, it seems to me (though I am a non-expert on these things) that herd immunity was the key, or at least one of the key factors.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<div class=\"kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">Even His Eminence Lord Anthony Fauci, is on public record, stating the following:<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<blockquote>\n<div dir=\"auto\">You don\u2019t want to mandate and try and force anyone to take a vaccine. We\u2019ve never done that. You can mandate for certain groups of people like health workers, but for the general population you can\u2019t. [added in context, from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.today.com\/health\/will-covid-19-vaccine-be-mandatory-t190838\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">another similar article<\/a>: We don\u2019t want to be mandating from the federal government to the general population.] It would be unenforceable and not appropriate.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/news\/2020-08-covid-vaccine-wont-mandatory-fauci.html\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">\u201cCOVID-19 vaccine won\u2019t be mandatory in US, says Fauci\u201d<\/a>, <em>MedicalXPress<\/em>, 8-19-20)<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">As noted in a <em>WebMD<\/em> article (a standard medical site), Lord Fauci was even more definite:<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<blockquote>\n<div dir=\"auto\">I don\u2019t think you\u2019ll ever see a mandating of vaccine, particularly for the general public. . . . [I\u2019d be] pretty surprised if you mandated it for any element of the general public. . . . [people] have the right to refuse a vaccine. If someone refuses the vaccine in the general public, then there\u2019s nothing you can do about that. You cannot force someone to take a vaccine. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/vaccines\/covid-19-vaccine\/news\/20200820\/covid-19-vaccine-likely-wont-be-mandatory\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">\u201cCOVID-19 Vaccine Likely Won\u2019t Be Mandatory\u201d<\/a>, Carolyn Crist, 8-20-20)<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<div class=\"kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">Here are some more opinions from Dr. Fauci. How many would have to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity?:<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<blockquote>\n<div dir=\"auto\">In a wide-ranging interview Tuesday on Morning Edition, NPR\u2019s Rachel Martin asked Fauci how many Americans need to receive the vaccine to have an impact on the number of COVID-19 infections.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u201cI would say 50% would have to get vaccinated before you start to see an impact,\u201d Fauci said. \u201cBut I would say 75 to 85% would have to get vaccinated if you want to have that blanket of herd immunity.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<blockquote>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Herd immunity occurs when enough people become immune to the disease that the spread of the virus from person to person becomes unlikely. Fauci pointed to polio and measles as examples of herd immunity. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/coronavirus-live-updates\/2020\/12\/15\/946714505\/fauci-predicts-u-s-could-see-signs-of-herd-immunity-by-late-march-or-early-april\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">\u201cFauci Predicts U.S. Could See Signs Of Herd Immunity By Late March Or Early April\u201d<\/a>, Brakkton Booker, <em>NPR<\/em>, 12-15-20)<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">So I am simply in the 15-25% who won\u2019t be vaccinated. I choose not to for the reasons I gave; many others choose to receive it. Herd immunity and the end of the pandemic can still take place, with these different personal choices.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">I\u2019ve followed the regulations. I wear masks in public, non-family settings (even though I think more is claimed for them than is warranted by science). I distance. I have seen very few friends or family. I work at home as it is, and have (excepting a few extra part-time jobs) these past nineteen years. We avoided going to Mass for several weeks when our parish (including my priest) had a run of the virus. I didn\u2019t go to church yesterday because I felt under the weather; precisely to avoid even giving this thing (probably my strong immune system fighting off a cold or flu) to anyone else. No one in my family has gotten the virus, and so we\u2019re not spreading it to anyone else.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">Recently, a friend of my son\u2019s came down with it. So he and his sister and my wife all immediately got tested, and all came back negative. I\u2019m not causing anyone to die or even get infected. I don\u2019t condemn anyone for getting the vaccine. More power to them. That\u2019s their choice. I say it is a good thing overall. I\u2019ve never ever even slightly hinted otherwise. Likewise, I have <em>my<\/em> choice, and I expect not to be <em>condemned<\/em> for it either. Live and let live. I have given my reasons here and they are perfectly legitimate.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">Herd immunity will be achieved without 100% vaccination. I <em>believe<\/em>\u00a0this was the case with even polio (though I haven\u2019t been able to verify the percentage vaccinated): the most spectacular success with vaccinations.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">Dr. Fauci was even wrong (as he has often been) about the results of vaccination, by percentage. Right now, about 20% of the US population is fully vaccinated. Yet deaths decreased by 13% last week, as I documented <a href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2021\/04\/closed-states-do-not-lower-covid-19-cases-deaths.html\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\">in my recent article<\/a>. Remember, Fauci said we needed 50% vaccination before we \u201cSTART to see an impact.\u201d<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">My article also showed how there is virtually no correlation between \u201cclosed states\u201d and a decrease in the virus. My own Michigan, in fact, has the highest rates in the country, for now at least two weeks, yet it has one of the most closed policies. Texas, with a completely open policy now, has one case per 1611 people. Florida has been open for six months. It has one case per 577 people: less than three closed states: Michigan: one per 213 people, New Jersey: one per 311 people, and Pennsylvania: one case per 436 people.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">The atmosphere in the US today is more and more pressure to be vaccinated, under pain of (what <em>else<\/em> is new in Liberal World?) being accused of not caring about the lives of other human beings. Yet even Dr. Fauci says that 75-85% vaccination will bring about herd immunity and has said several times that it can\u2019t be forced.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">The more extreme vaccination advocates can\u2019t have it both ways. It\u2019s either required for everyone (legally and\/or medically) or it\u2019s not. If it\u2019s not, then those of us who choose not to receive it ought not be accused of callousness towards human life. I\u2019ve done nothing whatsoever to help spread this virus or harm any other human being. I\u2019m not like a host of liberal \/ leftist Democrat politicians who force their states or cities to take all these measures, while often ignoring it themselves. I\u2019ve actually consistently <em>followed<\/em> all the regulations, even when I disagreed with them. And I have \u2014 from the beginning early last year \u2014 consistently opposed hysteria and fanaticism on this issue from both the left <em>and<\/em> the right.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<div class=\"kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">We can also look at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beckershospitalreview.com\/public-health\/states-ranked-by-percentage-of-population-vaccinated-march-15.html\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">percentage vaccinated in states<\/a> and how well the same states are doing with regard to the virus. in Texas (open), 1 in 1611 statistically will obtain the virus at all (and that\u2019s not even getting into how the vast majority of those cases are minor). It\u2019s vaccination rate right now is 18.7% [ranked 45th out of 50 states]. The three states with the highest rates of infection (all closed and blue states: Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania), as of four days ago had vaccination rates of 21.8%, 25.2%, and 21.7% all higher than Texas. Yet one is 7.6 times more likely to catch the virus in Michigan, compared to Texas, 5.2 times more likely in New Jersey, 3.7 times more likely in Pennsylvania, and 2.2 times more likely in New York state.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<div class=\"kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">I\u2019m healthy by practicing a holistic philosophy. I\u2019ve never been to the hospital since I was about 6, to get my tonsils removed (and even that was probably unnecessary: we now know, I think). The Church says Catholics can take it, but I say that I will not personally take any medicine that either includes parts of slaughtered babies or which used those parts in experiments in order to be produced. The thing itself is \u201cNazi medical practice.\u201d So it\u2019s a matter of both morality and conscience, and of personal philosophy of good health.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<div class=\"kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">I deny that I am endangering people\u2019s lives in any sense. If I don\u2019t <strong><em>have<\/em><\/strong> the virus (due to sensible precautions taken), or don\u2019t <strong><em>get<\/em> <\/strong>it, I am not harming anyone. If, on the other hand, I <strong><em>do<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0get it, then I immediately quarantine, take medications, and become immune to it after I get it. Either way, I have not caused harm to anyone else.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">If we want to find deliberate harm, we go to someone like Gov. Cuomo in New York, who <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/03\/13\/cuomo-rightly-faces-calls-to-resign-but-for-the-wrong-crime\/\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">literally caused some 15,000 deaths<\/a> in nursing homes due to brain-dead policies. Those are <strong><em>deaths<\/em><\/strong>. We all know that in the overwhelming number of cases of COVID, the person recovers. So even if, theoretically, I did cause someone else to get it, unless they are elderly and with pre-existing conditions, it is almost a vanishingly small chance that they are in danger of death. Those are the statistics, not hysteria and irrational emotionalism that we see all around us these days.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">I haven\u2019t been around at all, any elderly person, let alone one with a serious condition, since this thing began. My wife hadn\u2019t seen her 90-year-old mother for over a year until recently. I didn\u2019t (and couldn\u2019t) even visit my sister in the hospital when she was dying. I had to write her a farewell letter. I could barely attend her funeral.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">Meanwhile, political gatherings (of both the right and left), Antifa and BLM riots, awards shows, etc. have involved many thousands of people not distancing, not wearing any masks (or only a few doing so). We hear not a word about that, but Dave Armstrong and his family are supposedly causing people to die. It\u2019s a lie. And I won\u2019t take that from anyone. It\u2019s simply not the case that I or anyone in my family (almost none of whom have been vaccinated) have caused known harm (related to COVID) to any other human being.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">What is truly disturbing is the notion that we can (or as many folks think: should) be forced to receive treatments that we don\u2019t want. That\u2019s the same mentality that actually led to (and logically leads to) forced sterilizations of black men, to euthanasia, to the Nazi Holocaust, and the one-child policy and forced abortion in China. This is why even Lord Fauci opposes forced vaccination. But in the present mass hysteria many overlook that.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<div class=\"kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">I live a very healthy life. I have eaten health food (finances permitting!) since 1983 (and my wife is even stricter than I am), take all kinds of vitamins and other natural supplements, get exercise (though I could do a lot more), get lots of sun, have a very good immune system (I rarely even get colds or the flu) and have never been to the hospital except for tonsil removal. I\u2019ve never had a serious illness. I\u2019ve never been drunk; I\u2019ve never taken drugs, I\u2019ve never smoked. I have never received a flu shot. I prevent it by living and eating in a healthy way. I get the flu maybe once every five years; a cold about every three years. Surely those are <em>also<\/em> factors in preventing the spread of a virus: to not <em>get<\/em> it in the first place, and to not get it largely because of healthy life choices.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<div class=\"kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">The Church takes no position on the wrongness of holistic health or alternative medicine, that I am aware of. That\u2019s one of my rationales. About 50% of physicians and professors of medicine today are quite open to these approaches. And the number is growing all the time. The Church has stated that use of aborted babies in vaccines and in experimentation for same, is intrinsically evil. It allows Catholics to take the vaccines because of remoteness of \u201ccooperation\u201d with that evil (a well-known criterion of moral theology). That\u2019s one thing, and I have no problem with it. That\u2019s the nuanced, well thought-out wisdom that the Church always exhibits. Everyone buys lots of stuff from China: which has slave labor camps, forced abortion, a one-child policy, and little religious freedom, or freedom of speech. Etc.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">But the converse doesn\u2019t hold. The Church <em>doesn\u2019t<\/em> say (as far as I am aware) that one is guilty of doing anything wrong for <em>not<\/em> wishing to even <em>remotely<\/em> cooperate in the evil of Nazi-like use of aborted baby parts. That\u2019s the choice that any Catholic can make, and there is no basis of condemnation. Nor am I bound to every political or scientific statement that the pope makes. Those are not areas where he is protected with the gift of infallibility (and he himself expressly noted this, in fact, in <em>Laudato si<\/em>, which I praised to the skies, while respectfully disagreeing with him on nuclear energy and climate change).<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">He may say it is great (as an overall proposition) to take the vaccine, which I have no problem with. It will accomplish much good in lowering the incidence of the virus. I agree. I don\u2019t <em>think<\/em> he has said, on the other hand, that everyone<strong><em> mus<\/em><\/strong>t (as a moral obligation) take it. Even if he <em>has<\/em> (which I would like to see documented, if so), it would certainly not come under the category of infallible protection, which means that good Catholics can honestly disagree with him (as I would), without being accused of being \u201cdissenters\u201d: let alone supposedly callous and reckless with regard to the lives of others.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<blockquote>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Seasonal flu kills 291,000 to 646,000 people worldwide each year, according to a new estimate that\u2019s higher than the previous one of 250,000 to 500,000 deaths a year.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">The new figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other groups were published Dec. 13 in <em>The Lancet<\/em> medical journal.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<blockquote>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">The updated numbers, which do not include deaths during flu pandemics, are based on more recent data from a larger and more diverse group of countries than the previous estimate, the CDC said. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicinenet.com\/script\/main\/art.asp\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><em>MedicineNet<\/em><\/a>)<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">Now, granted, that\u2019s a lot less than the estimated 2.93 million worldwide deaths from COVID (which presumably includes three months form this year too), but it is still a<em> significant<\/em> number. A rough prorated amount would be 2.34 million. So the comparison of the flu deaths to COVID would be from 12% to 28%. And that is with massive flu shots being given. Note also that the figures <em>excluded<\/em>\u00a0flu pandemics, so with those deaths included, it would be higher.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<blockquote>\n<div dir=\"auto\">During the 2018-2019 flu season, 49.2% of people ages six months and older got a flu vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (<a href=\"https:\/\/usafacts.org\/articles\/how-many-americans-get-flu-shots-vaccine-cdc\/\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><em>USA Facts<\/em><\/a>)<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<div class=\"kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">Whatever goes against the determined Liberal Party Line is ignored or massively downplayed.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<blockquote>\n<div dir=\"auto\">As of Feb. 4, according to the model\u2019s calculations, more than 71 million people in the U.S. \u2013 21.5 percent of Americans \u2013 had contracted COVID-19. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.news-medical.net\/news\/20210208\/New-machine-learning-algorithm-estimates-number-of-COVID-19-cases-in-the-US.aspx\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><em>News Medical.net<\/em><\/a>)<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">About 21.5% have also been fully vaccinated in the US, for a total presumed \u201cimmune\u201d total (assuming little overlap) of 43%: not quite up to herd immunity requirements but well on the way.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<div class=\"kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">If either the government or the people <em>really<\/em> cared about public health, cigarettes, for starters, would certainly be banned. It\u2019s not just smokers who are harmed, but also those around them (we now know).<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<blockquote>\n<div dir=\"auto\">An estimated 154,050 Americans are expected to die from lung cancer in 2018, accounting for approximately 25 percent of all cancer deaths. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lung.org\/lung-health-diseases\/lung-disease-lookup\/lung-cancer\/resource-library\/lung-cancer-fact-sheet\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">\u201cLung Cancer Fact Sheet\u201d<\/a>, American Lung Association)<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer. It causes about 90 percent of lung cancer cases. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lung.org\/lung-health-diseases\/lung-disease-lookup\/lung-cancer\/learn-about-lung-cancer\/what-causes-lung-cancer\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">\u201cLung Cancer Causes &amp; Risk Factors\u201d<\/a>,\u00a0American Lung Association)<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">So that is approximately 138,645 lives a year that could arguably have been prevented if cigarettes were illegal. Yet for some reason we don\u2019t hear a massive uproar from bleeding-heart liberals (who care <strong><em>so<\/em><\/strong> much about other people: much more than us wicked, heartless conservatives) to ban cigarettes, even though a little more than 350,000 Americans died from COVID in 2020; thus death from lung cancer directly attributable to smoking accounts for about 40% as many deaths as COVID. And all from cigarettes: simple causation, according to the American Lung Association. We don\u2019t even need for a vaccine; just <em>stop smoking<\/em> or never <em>start<\/em>.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Where is the outcry to ban ciggies, at at least voluntarily stop? Simple as pie: don\u2019t smoke; make cigarettes illegal: save over 135,000 lives a year as a result: that many less funerals and grieving loved ones.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">***<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Related Reading<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2020\/04\/coronavirus-chris-ferrara-vs-science-historical-precedent.html\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\">Coronavirus: Chris Ferrara vs. Science &amp; Historical Precedent (Social Distancing Was Used in the 1918 Flu Pandemic and Has Been Shown Again and Again to be Highly Effective)<\/a>\u00a0[4-7-20]<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2020\/08\/face-masks-is-scientific-evidence-unanimous.html\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\">Face Masks: Is Scientific Evidence Unanimous?<\/a>\u00a0[7-10-20]<\/div>\n<div>*<\/div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2021\/02\/mandatory-covid-vaccines-facebook-fascist-censorship.html\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\">Mandatory COVID Vaccines &amp; Facebook Fascist Censorship<\/a>\u00a0[2-9-21]<\/div>\n<div>*<\/div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2021\/04\/closed-states-do-not-lower-covid-19-cases-deaths.html\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\">Closed States Do\u00a0<em>Not\u00a0<\/em>Lower COVID-19 Cases &amp; Deaths . . .\u00a0And Open States Are Doing Just Fine: the\u00a0<em>Opposite<\/em>\u00a0of the Confident Dire Predictions<\/a>\u00a0[4-9-21]<\/div>\n<div>*<\/div>\n<div>***<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Photo credit:\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><a class=\"external text decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/people\/47422005@N04\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">DonkeyHotey<\/a>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">(4-6-20).\u00a0Anthony Fauci, aka His Eminence, Lord Anthony Fauci, is an American physician and immunologist who has served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984.\u00a0This caricature of Anthony Fauci was adapted from a photo in the public domain from The White House\u2019s Flickr photostream.<\/span> [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/donkeyhotey\/49740500458\/\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Flickr<\/a> \/\u00a0<a class=\"extiw decorated-link\" title=\"w:en:Creative Commons\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/en:Creative_Commons\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Creative Commons<\/a>\u00a0<a class=\"external text decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/deed.en\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Attribution 2.0 Generic<\/a>\u00a0license]<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">***<\/div>\n<p><em>Summary<\/em>:\u00a0I go through various facts, statistics, &amp; scientific findings regarding COVID vaccines &amp; herd immunity, &amp; explain why I personally won\u2019t be receiving a vaccine, &amp; won\u2019t be \u201cshamed\u201d into it by virtue signalling, \u201cmore-compassionate-than-thou\u201d types.<\/p>\n<p><em>Tags<\/em>:\u00a0apocalypticism,\u00a0Big Brother,\u00a0black death,\u00a0closed states,\u00a0contagious disease,\u00a0coronavirus,\u00a0COVID-19,\u00a0disease,\u00a0disease control,\u00a0doom-and-gloom,\u00a0epidemic,\u00a0flattening curve,\u00a0Florida &amp; COVID,\u00a0flu,\u00a0leftism &amp; coronavirus,\u00a0liberal tyranny,\u00a0mass hysteria,\u00a0mass panic,\u00a0Michigan &amp; COVID,\u00a0New York &amp; COVID,\u00a0open states,\u00a0pandemic,\u00a0quarantine,\u00a0right-wing conspiratorialism &amp; COVID,\u00a0Texas &amp; COVID,\u00a0virus,\u00a0virus trends, COVID vaccines, vaccination, coronavirus vaccination<\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is taken from my comments on my Facebook page. Much more discussion (including vigorous opposing views) can be read there. ***** No one has said \u2014 from the beginning \u2014 that vaccines were required. If they aren\u2019t, they aren\u2019t. Social distancing and quarantine where necessary also prevent the spread until this nightmare is finally [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2331,"featured_media":56051,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[289],"tags":[13022,10581,13421,10572,13424,10479,10452,13460,13013,10569,10488,10470,2560,10455,10476,13472,10578,13418,13478,13028,13469,10461,10464,13427,10458,10467,13475,13430,13463,13466,10473,10566],"class_list":["post-56048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-ethical-moral-issues","tag-anthony-fauci","tag-apocalypticism","tag-big-brother","tag-black-death","tag-closed-states","tag-contagious-disease","tag-coronavirus","tag-coronavirus-vaccination","tag-covid-vaccines","tag-covid-19","tag-disease","tag-disease-control","tag-doom-and-gloom","tag-epidemic","tag-flu","tag-herd-immunity","tag-leftism-coronavirus","tag-liberal-tyranny","tag-lung-cancer-smoking","tag-mandatory-vaccination","tag-mandatory-vaccines","tag-mass-hysteria","tag-mass-panic","tag-open-states","tag-pandemic","tag-quarantine","tag-spanish-flu","tag-texas-covid","tag-vaccination","tag-vaccine-mandate","tag-virus","tag-virus-trends"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>COVID Vaccines, Facts, &amp; Conscientious Objection COVID Vaccines, Facts, &amp; Conscientious Objection<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This is taken from my comments on my Facebook page. Much more discussion (including vigorous opposing views) can be read there. ***** No one has said -- I go through various facts, statistics, &amp; scientific findings regarding COVID vaccines &amp; herd immunity, &amp; explain why I personally won&#039;t be receiving a vaccine, &amp; won&#039;t be &quot;shamed&quot; into it.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2021\/04\/covid-vaccines-facts-conscientious-objection.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"COVID Vaccines, Facts, &amp; Conscientious Objection COVID Vaccines, Facts, &amp; Conscientious Objection\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This is taken from my comments on my Facebook page. Much more discussion (including vigorous opposing views) can be read there. ***** No one has said -- I go through various facts, statistics, &amp; scientific findings regarding COVID vaccines &amp; herd immunity, &amp; explain why I personally won&#039;t be receiving a vaccine, &amp; won&#039;t be &quot;shamed&quot; into it.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2021\/04\/covid-vaccines-facts-conscientious-objection.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dave.armstrong.798\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-04-12T16:11:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/572\/2021\/04\/FauciAnthony.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"504\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"360\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dave Armstrong\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dave Armstrong\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"16 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2021\/04\/covid-vaccines-facts-conscientious-objection.html\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2021\/04\/covid-vaccines-facts-conscientious-objection.html\",\"name\":\"COVID Vaccines, Facts, & Conscientious Objection COVID Vaccines, Facts, & Conscientious Objection\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-04-12T16:11:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-04-12T16:11:36+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/#\/schema\/person\/471eaa20e441eca4bb1ea50393cf632e\"},\"description\":\"This is taken from my comments on my Facebook page. Much more discussion (including vigorous opposing views) can be read there. ***** No one has said -- I go through various facts, statistics, & scientific findings regarding COVID vaccines & herd immunity, & explain why I personally won't be receiving a vaccine, & won't be \\\"shamed\\\" into it.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2021\/04\/covid-vaccines-facts-conscientious-objection.html#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2021\/04\/covid-vaccines-facts-conscientious-objection.html\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2021\/04\/covid-vaccines-facts-conscientious-objection.html#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"COVID Vaccines, Facts, &#038; Conscientious Objection\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/\",\"name\":\"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism\",\"description\":\"Catholic biblical apologetics\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/#\/schema\/person\/471eaa20e441eca4bb1ea50393cf632e\",\"name\":\"Dave Armstrong\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/820e6db89734ae7a9e5dac8d498f5ac7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/820e6db89734ae7a9e5dac8d498f5ac7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Dave Armstrong\"},\"description\":\"Dave Armstrong is a Catholic author and apologist, who has been actively proclaiming and defending Christianity since 1981, and Catholicism in particular since 1991 (full-time since December 2001). Formerly a campus missionary, as a Protestant, Dave was received into the Catholic Church in February 1991, by the late, well-known catechist and theologian, Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave\u2019s articles have appeared in many influential Catholic periodicals, including \\\"This Rock\\\" (now called \\\"Catholic Answers Magazine\\\"), \\\"Envoy Magazine\\\" (Patrick Madrid), \\\"The Catholic Answer,\\\" \\\"The Coming Home Journal,\\\" \\\"Gilbert Magazine\\\" (American Chesterton Society), and \\\"The Latin Mass.\\\" He also writes a featured column for every issue of \\\"The Michigan Catholic\\\": published by the archdiocese of Detroit, and was editor for most of the apologetics tracts published by the St. Paul Street Evangelization apostolate. Dave\u2019s apologetics and writing apostolate was the subject of a feature article in the May 2002 issue of \\\"Envoy Magazine.\\\" He served as the staff moderator at the Internet discussion forum for The Coming Home Network, from 2007-2010. Dave has been interviewed on many nationally syndicated Catholic radio shows, including \\\"Catholic Answers Live\\\" (twice), \\\"Faith and Family Live\\\" (Steve Wood), \\\"Kresta in the Afternoon,\\\" \\\"Son Rise Morning Show,\\\" \\\"Catholic Connection\\\" (Teresa Tomeo), and \\\"The Catholics Next Door.\\\" His large and popular website, \\\"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism,\\\" was online from March 1997 to March 2007, and received the 1998 Catholic Website of the Year award from \\\"Envoy Magazine.\\\" His blog of the same name (now transferred to Patheos), begun in February 2004, contains more than 1,500 papers, at least 500 debates or dialogues, and over 50 distinct \\\"index\\\" web pages. Unsolicited correspondence has indicated many hundreds of conversions (or returns) to the Catholic faith as a result, by God's grace, of these writings. Dave's conversion story was published in the bestselling book \\\"Surprised by Truth\\\" (edited by Patrick Madrid; San Diego: Basilica Press, 1994). Sophia Institute Press has published six of his books: \\\"A Biblical Defense of Catholicism\\\" (Foreword by Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J., 1996 \/ 2003), \\\"The Catholic Verses\\\" (2004), \\\"The One-Minute Apologist\\\" (2007), \\\"Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths\\\" (2009), \\\"The Quotable Newman\\\" (editor: 2012), and \\\"Proving the Catholic Faith is Biblical\\\" (2015). He is co-author (with Dr. Paul Thigpen) of the inserts for \\\"The New Catholic Answer Bible\\\" (Our Sunday Visitor: 2005), and editor for \\\"The Wisdom of Mr. Chesterton: The Very Best Quotes, Quips, and Cracks from the Pen of G. K. Chesterton\\\" (Saint Benedict Press \/ TAN Books: 2009). \\\"100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura\\\" was published by Catholic Answers in May 2012. His \\\"Quotable Wesley\\\" compilation was published by (Protestant \/ Wesleyan publisher) Beacon Hill Press in April 2014. Several of his 49 books are bestsellers in their field. Dave maintains a popular personal Facebook page, a Facebook author page, and has a Twitter account as well. He offers almost all of his books in e-book form on his own Biblical Catholicism site (http:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/), at a permanent deep discount: only $2.99 for ePub, mobi, and AZW, and $1.99 for PDF. His writing has been enthusiastically endorsed or recommended by many leading Catholic apologists, authors, and priests, including Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Marcus Grodi, Patrick Madrid, Steve Ray, Tim Staples, Devin Rose, Mike Aquilina, Al Kresta, Karl Keating, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Brandon Vogt, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, and Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. They have three sons and a daughter, and reside in southeast Michigan (metro Detroit).\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dave.armstrong.798\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@LuxVeritatisApologetics\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/author\/davearmstrong\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"COVID Vaccines, Facts, & Conscientious Objection COVID Vaccines, Facts, & Conscientious Objection","description":"This is taken from my comments on my Facebook page. Much more discussion (including vigorous opposing views) can be read there. ***** No one has said -- I go through various facts, statistics, & scientific findings regarding COVID vaccines & herd immunity, & explain why I personally won't be receiving a vaccine, & won't be \"shamed\" into it.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2021\/04\/covid-vaccines-facts-conscientious-objection.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"COVID Vaccines, Facts, & Conscientious Objection COVID Vaccines, Facts, & Conscientious Objection","og_description":"This is taken from my comments on my Facebook page. Much more discussion (including vigorous opposing views) can be read there. ***** No one has said -- I go through various facts, statistics, & scientific findings regarding COVID vaccines & herd immunity, & explain why I personally won't be receiving a vaccine, & won't be \"shamed\" into it.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2021\/04\/covid-vaccines-facts-conscientious-objection.html","og_site_name":"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dave.armstrong.798","article_published_time":"2021-04-12T16:11:36+00:00","og_image":[{"width":504,"height":360,"url":"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/572\/2021\/04\/FauciAnthony.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Dave Armstrong","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Dave Armstrong","Est. reading time":"16 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2021\/04\/covid-vaccines-facts-conscientious-objection.html","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2021\/04\/covid-vaccines-facts-conscientious-objection.html","name":"COVID Vaccines, Facts, & Conscientious Objection COVID Vaccines, Facts, & Conscientious Objection","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/#website"},"datePublished":"2021-04-12T16:11:36+00:00","dateModified":"2021-04-12T16:11:36+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/#\/schema\/person\/471eaa20e441eca4bb1ea50393cf632e"},"description":"This is taken from my comments on my Facebook page. Much more discussion (including vigorous opposing views) can be read there. ***** No one has said -- I go through various facts, statistics, & scientific findings regarding COVID vaccines & herd immunity, & explain why I personally won't be receiving a vaccine, & won't be \"shamed\" into it.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2021\/04\/covid-vaccines-facts-conscientious-objection.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2021\/04\/covid-vaccines-facts-conscientious-objection.html"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2021\/04\/covid-vaccines-facts-conscientious-objection.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"COVID Vaccines, Facts, &#038; Conscientious Objection"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/","name":"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism","description":"Catholic biblical apologetics","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/#\/schema\/person\/471eaa20e441eca4bb1ea50393cf632e","name":"Dave Armstrong","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/820e6db89734ae7a9e5dac8d498f5ac7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/820e6db89734ae7a9e5dac8d498f5ac7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Dave Armstrong"},"description":"Dave Armstrong is a Catholic author and apologist, who has been actively proclaiming and defending Christianity since 1981, and Catholicism in particular since 1991 (full-time since December 2001). Formerly a campus missionary, as a Protestant, Dave was received into the Catholic Church in February 1991, by the late, well-known catechist and theologian, Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave\u2019s articles have appeared in many influential Catholic periodicals, including \"This Rock\" (now called \"Catholic Answers Magazine\"), \"Envoy Magazine\" (Patrick Madrid), \"The Catholic Answer,\" \"The Coming Home Journal,\" \"Gilbert Magazine\" (American Chesterton Society), and \"The Latin Mass.\" He also writes a featured column for every issue of \"The Michigan Catholic\": published by the archdiocese of Detroit, and was editor for most of the apologetics tracts published by the St. Paul Street Evangelization apostolate. Dave\u2019s apologetics and writing apostolate was the subject of a feature article in the May 2002 issue of \"Envoy Magazine.\" He served as the staff moderator at the Internet discussion forum for The Coming Home Network, from 2007-2010. Dave has been interviewed on many nationally syndicated Catholic radio shows, including \"Catholic Answers Live\" (twice), \"Faith and Family Live\" (Steve Wood), \"Kresta in the Afternoon,\" \"Son Rise Morning Show,\" \"Catholic Connection\" (Teresa Tomeo), and \"The Catholics Next Door.\" His large and popular website, \"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism,\" was online from March 1997 to March 2007, and received the 1998 Catholic Website of the Year award from \"Envoy Magazine.\" His blog of the same name (now transferred to Patheos), begun in February 2004, contains more than 1,500 papers, at least 500 debates or dialogues, and over 50 distinct \"index\" web pages. Unsolicited correspondence has indicated many hundreds of conversions (or returns) to the Catholic faith as a result, by God's grace, of these writings. Dave's conversion story was published in the bestselling book \"Surprised by Truth\" (edited by Patrick Madrid; San Diego: Basilica Press, 1994). Sophia Institute Press has published six of his books: \"A Biblical Defense of Catholicism\" (Foreword by Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J., 1996 \/ 2003), \"The Catholic Verses\" (2004), \"The One-Minute Apologist\" (2007), \"Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths\" (2009), \"The Quotable Newman\" (editor: 2012), and \"Proving the Catholic Faith is Biblical\" (2015). He is co-author (with Dr. Paul Thigpen) of the inserts for \"The New Catholic Answer Bible\" (Our Sunday Visitor: 2005), and editor for \"The Wisdom of Mr. Chesterton: The Very Best Quotes, Quips, and Cracks from the Pen of G. K. Chesterton\" (Saint Benedict Press \/ TAN Books: 2009). \"100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura\" was published by Catholic Answers in May 2012. His \"Quotable Wesley\" compilation was published by (Protestant \/ Wesleyan publisher) Beacon Hill Press in April 2014. Several of his 49 books are bestsellers in their field. Dave maintains a popular personal Facebook page, a Facebook author page, and has a Twitter account as well. He offers almost all of his books in e-book form on his own Biblical Catholicism site (http:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/), at a permanent deep discount: only $2.99 for ePub, mobi, and AZW, and $1.99 for PDF. His writing has been enthusiastically endorsed or recommended by many leading Catholic apologists, authors, and priests, including Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Marcus Grodi, Patrick Madrid, Steve Ray, Tim Staples, Devin Rose, Mike Aquilina, Al Kresta, Karl Keating, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Brandon Vogt, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, and Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. They have three sons and a daughter, and reside in southeast Michigan (metro Detroit).","sameAs":["https:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dave.armstrong.798","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@LuxVeritatisApologetics"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/author\/davearmstrong"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2331"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56048"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56048\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}