Covid Testing Religious Exemptions for Employees:
1. The letter MUST be in your own words. Do not copy anything from the internet, and do not copy anything that anyone else wrote.

2. Begin your letter politely by thanking the employer for the opportunity to work there. Let them know that you appreciate it.

3. Clearly state that your letter is 100% private and confidential. Ask that the letter and its contents be 100% protected by the employer. The only reason you are sharing your personal, sincere and genuine religious beliefs is because you are required to do so.

4. State the laws that give you the right to a religious exemption. Let them know that you know your rights.
   a.) Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. “Unlawful Employment Practices: It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his/her compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” 
   b.) The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission describes religious discrimination in their Compliance Manual Section on Religious Discrimination in Section 12(A)(1). Here is what it says, “Title VII defines “religion” to include “all aspects of religious observance and practice as well as belief,” not just practices that are mandated or prohibited by a tenet of the individual’s faith.  Religion includes not only traditional, organized religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism, but also religious beliefs that are new, uncommon, not part of a formal church or sect, only subscribed to by a small number of people, or that seem illogical or unreasonable to others. Further, a person’s religious beliefs “need not be confined in either source or content to traditional or parochial concepts of religion.” A belief is “religious” for Title VII purposes if it is “religious” in the person’s “own scheme of things,” i.e., it is a “sincere and meaningful” belief that “occupies a place in the life of its possessor parallel to that filled by . . . God.” The Supreme Court has made it clear that it is not a court’s role to determine the reasonableness of an individual’s religious beliefs, and that “religious beliefs need not be acceptable, logical, consistent, or comprehensible to others in order to merit First Amendment protection.” An employee’s belief, observance, or practice can be “religious” under Title VII even if the employee is affiliated with a religious group that does not espouse or recognize that individual’s belief, observance, or practice, or if few – or no – other people adhere to it.”

5. While it may be helpful, you do not need a letter from a religious leader. Some employers may request that employees submit a letter from an authorized representative of the church or religious leader. This is NOT required by law. Requiring a letter from a religious leader goes against sincere and genuine religious beliefs. Your religious beliefs are between you and God, not between you and a religious leader. It would not be a sincere and genuine religious belief if your faith was in a human being. Your faith is in God. Refer to Isaiah 2:22 and Acts 5:29 in the Bible. Many people attend church but do not have faith in everything the church or the pastor believe. This is about your relationship with God, not people. You may choose to submit a letter from your religious leader, but it is not required.

6.  Describe your religious background. Were you raised in the church? Did you complete the sacraments? What did you learn? Did you learn to pray? Talk about your relationship with God. Talk about how He helped you through hard times in life. Talk about how you learned to live your life in accordance with God's teachings.  If you are Catholic do NOT tell them that. In some cases, employers are using it against people by saying that the Pope gave Catholics permission to get vaccinated. If the employer uses this against you, you could take legal actions against them if they deny your exemption based on what the Pope says. But you want to get this approved, you don't want to have to take legal action. Your religion is between you and God, not the Pope. So, if you are Catholic, just say you are Christian. Don't mention the name of any church you attend. Don't say where you were baptized or confirmed. 

7. Here are the two fundamental Christian beliefs that make Covid testing unacceptable:
   a.)  God Protects a Healthy Body: The Bible tells us that we don't need medical intervention when we are NOT sick. If we use a medical Covid test when we are NOT sick we are telling God that we don't trust Him to protect our body. This destroys our relationship with God which will deny us entry into His kingdom. Bible versus Matthew 9:12, Mark 2:11, Luke 5:31, Mark 5:25-34. The Bible tells us to trust in God, not humans. Remember, these are YOUR beliefs. Describe what YOU believe!
   b.)  Society is tempting people to get a Covid test with things like being able to attend a ball game, or keep your job. This happened to Jesus when he was praying in the desert and satan approached him. Matthew 4:8-11 explains that the devil offered Jesus "all the kingdoms of the world" if Jesus would worship satan instead of God. But Jesus rejected satan and his gifts of falsehood, and he stayed true to God. The angels came to Jesus when he dismissed the devil. We must reject satan as Jesus did. We do not believe in Covid tests for healthy people and yet we are being bribed, coerced and threatened to accept them. We must reject them to stay true to God.

8. Ask the employer to please not discriminate against you because of your religious beliefs. Ask them not to persecute you because of your religious beliefs. Thank them for everything that the employer has done for you. 

9. Here are some other things to consider. Do NOT mention any science at all. Do NOT talk about your feelings at all, but instead talk about your relationship with God, prayer, and the Bible. Do NOT mention any medical information. This is about your beliefs, religion, and God and how it pertains to mandatory medical testing on a healthy body. Do give them any reason to deny your request. You simply cannot receive Covid testing because it would destroy your relationship with God. The letter MUST be written in your own words. Do not copy anything from the internet. Proofread the letter many times. Let someone else read it too. 

10. If your religious exemption is denied you will need to secure a lawyer and pursue legal action to overturn it.
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​Here are some additional resources that you should review:
Please read ALL of these!

Liberty Counsel - A good resource for many things about vaccines. This group also represents legal matters.
​Sample Letters - Sample letters for religious exemptions from vaccines.
Legal Memo - Legal information about religious exemptions and vaccines.
​Video - This video explains religious exemptions.
​Bible Verses - This page gives Bible verses related to vaccinations.
Students Against Mandates - This is another resource to help you with religious exemptions.
​Jim Mermigis - Jim is an attorney in New York who is helping people with religious exemptions.
​Healthy American - A great resources for many things related to religious exemptions.
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Do NOT accept any of the information here and do NOT follow these suggestions without first consulting a qualified legal professional. These are only ideas for you to consider.
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