Thomas Berg, a self-described “strong supporter of religious exemptions” and a religious liberty advocate who teaches law at the University of St. Pope Francis went so far as to say that receiving the vaccine was 'the moral choice because it is about your life but also the lives of others.' They may even have to show a track record of opposition to receive an exemption. Matthew Hatcher / SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesĮxperts say that the threshold for religious exemptions could come down to proving whether the person attempting to obtain one has “sincerely held beliefs” against getting vaccinated on religious grounds. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital in Pontiac, Mich., on July 24. The challenge for governments and institutions is balancing American civil liberties with a worsening public health crisis. “It's certainly something we’ll see getting worked out in the courts.” “There are some First Amendment implications here and there’s a patchwork of laws that could potentially be implicated by these mandates,” said James Sonne, a law professor at Stanford Law School and founding director of its Religious Liberty Clinic. But experts anticipate that religious liberty challenges will pick up as more mandates are put in place - especially when there is no national standard.

Only some federal agencies and states have made vaccinations mandatory for workers, and more private companies are doing or considering the same.

Religious exemption vaccine letter