So which is it: jab or job?
I get asked the question, ‘What should I do?’ quite often, and in various contexts. Over the past two years the context has mostly been about what folks should do in the light of onerous and coercive state dictates. The big dilemma of course comes down to a choice like this for so many folks: ‘I really am hesitant about the jabs, but I do need to feed my family.’
There are other versions of this out there:
‘I really am hesitant about the jabs, but I do want to be free to travel.’
‘I really am hesitant about the jabs, but I do want to be able to go to restaurants and concerts and the like.’
‘I really am hesitant about the jabs, but I do not want to rock the boat and upset family and friends.’
‘I really am hesitant about the jabs, but I am forced to get them to be able to access other important healthcare.’
All this is indeed problematic for millions of folks, and I have gone through it myself. I have even been excluded from attending the wider family Christmas. That hurt. And so many others are hurting even more. When some who have real concerns about the Rona vaccines are prevented from getting much-needed and urgent medical help, that is real bad news indeed.
But perhaps one of the more common concerns has to do with employment. So many are being given the horrible choice of either getting the jabs, regardless of their many legitimate concerns about them, or losing their jobs. That is a frightful dilemma to be in.
Perhaps most have capitulated and gotten the jabs. In one sense we might say this is fair enough. It is fundamentally important to provide for one’s family. The Apostle Paul even said this: “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).
However, many have said no to coercive statism and health fascism, and have chosen to lose their jobs and their livelihoods. That has been a very difficult decision, and many are really doing it tough as a result. We need to support these people in every way that we can.
It is not just prayer that they need, but very real and practical help. I speak in more detail about the need to put some action to our faith in this article: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2021/12/07/genuine-faith-in-hostile-times/
But let me here share how I responded to one gal who asked a question about job or jab. I have been aware that she is rather pro-jab, so I did wonder if it was a legit question or not. Be that as it may, it was worth replying to. Indeed, it generated a fair amount of discussion.
A bit of a thread developed under this social media post, and at one point it got a bit side-tracked, with a pic of an unvaxxed polio child put up by the gal. As another commentator said, when the discussion goes in other directions, it becomes rather futile to continue.
I agreed. It is always good to stick to the topic at hand, and not go off on diversions and rabbit holes. Anyway, I did reply to her question, since she did ask specifically, “What do you suggest I should do, Bill?” Here I am going to share my reply, but it is a slightly expanded version of that reply.
If nothing else, when I get asked this question again, I won’t have to type up a new response – I can just refer these folks to this article. So what follows then is my answer, in a somewhat longer form:
Thanks ****. You ask me what you should do. Well, at the end of the day that is your call for your own situation. But if your question was not just a rhetorical question, here are a few thoughts that I have about such situations:
-Each person may answer this question differently, based on their circumstances. We are all different, and no one answer will fit everyone perfectly. And that is not only true of individuals, but of churches and Christian businesses as well. They too are often having to decide how to proceed here: do they go along with heavy-handed mandates and orders in order to keep operating, or do they defy them, facing the risk of fines and/or closure?
-As I told a manager of one Christian business not too long ago when I was banned from entering, when something is fundamentally wrong and unjust, standing against it really becomes a matter of duty. When enough people band together to resist evil State mandates and coercion, only then can we see real change occur. But if we all just give in, then the tyranny will simply get worse.
-In my view, far too many folks – both Christian and non-Christian – are far too willing to just comply. They slavishly obey whatever Big Brother statists tell them to – regardless if it is following the science or not. Too many folks lack courage and a willingness to stand up for what is right. Too many are simply cowards. And Scripture takes a dim view of this – see for example Revelation 21:8.
-Those who are Christians should consider really trusting God – perhaps for the very first time in their life. Can he in fact be trusted to look after us, when our job is taken away from us? Is he really our provider as he says he is? Can he even miraculously look after his own? Or do we just trust the State to supply all our needs? Is it a case of, ‘The State is my shepherd, I shall not want’?
-It is comparing apples and oranges (and really just an unhelpful appeal to emotion) to show those polio pics. Almost all of us here are NOT antivax as we have said zillions of times now. Older properly tested vaxxes have their place. We are NOT against them. But we ARE quite concerned about new, rushed, and experimental vaxxes, and about Big Pharma making billions with never ending jabs and boosters.
-We are VERY concerned about seeing Germany in the 30s being repeated right before our very eyes. Have we learned nothing from history? Everyone should be greatly concerned about the health fascism and the two-tiered society being set up here. This is not something to take lightly, nor to pretend is no big deal.
You asked me, so I answered. Whether my reply is to your liking or not is another matter.
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