Well, writing this letter wasn’t in my preparation for being a pastor. This is my first one. I’m posting it to help encourage the discussion around these things. I know that some disagree with doing these at all, seeing that the Charter rights of a Canadian have more standing. But, we aren’t necessarily in the environment that logical thinking prevails. So, here’s a letter that I wrote recently, that was attached to the paperwork of a person that’s attended Calvary for many years. They submitted it to their employer, and we haven’t heard anything back yet. I’ve removed some of the references to attempt to preserve the identity of the person.
October 1, 2021
To Whom it May Concern,
“John Doe” is a regularly participating person in good standing with our church. He has stated very clearly, and unequivocally his convictions pertaining to the vaccines available in Canada for Covid-19. I can also verify that we have had several discussions about the vaccines, health, his responsibilities to God, his family and society. In addition, it’s important to note that he has demonstrated consistently the kind of qualities that we expect from a mature member of society, namely high moral character in his personal and professional life. No one is perfect, but he has the reputation of someone that deeply desires to know the truth and live in a right and proper manner before God, his family and his community.
His convictions are in line with an orthodox and centuries-tested understanding of the New Testament. The Apostle Paul reminded us that Jesus offered his body to us, and it’s reasonable to offer our bodies to him. (Romans 12:1,2) Because of that truth, Paul also wrote in his first letter to the Christians in Corinth that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit and it is important that we treat our bodies with dignity and care, recognizing that the invisible God is made visible through us (1 Corinthians 3:16,17). Jesus has dominion over our bodies.
Beyond this, God-fearing people everywhere recognize that God is righteous in his judgment of those that benefit from the shedding of innocent blood. No one will escape that judgment. If a person did, the universe would break. To participate in any way with the proceeds of human fetal tissue from abortion is abhorrent.
Lastly, as Christians, we take very seriously the admonitions by both our Lord Jesus Christ and Paul when it comes to caring for our families and society (1 Timothy 5:8, Matthew 19:16-22).
In my estimation, it takes great moral courage for a man to be willing to risk career, camaraderie among colleagues, and the disdain of society because of conscience. I’m grateful that our forefathers recognized in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms how Canada should make reasonable accommodations for conscience. Our society has enshrined into the fabric of our laws and culture that it is sinful to go against conscience (Romans 14:23). Our forefathers also gladly engaged in the values of the Nuremberg Code, after witnessing the horrors of medical procedures without conscientious objections. They further enshrined these values in the Ontario Human Rights Code. These rights and freedoms have been tested several times in Canada over the years in trials, tribunals and the Supreme Court (2004’s Syndicat Northcrest v. Amselem and 2006’s Multani v. Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys), and to this date have been upheld. Our forefathers made allowance for dissenters to be accommodated in society. May God, and you and I, keep our land, glorious and free, and bequeath these same values to our children and grandchildren.
Sincerely yours,
Pastor Andy Falleur
Go for a coffee... 
Timothy Ehmann
October 12, 2021 at 10:55 pm
This was well written. I like the argument presented. I liked the first paragraph highlighting the discussions held.
andyfalleur
October 12, 2021 at 11:25 pm
Thank you Tim!
alangilman
October 13, 2021 at 9:20 am
Andy,
I just noticed this now. Thanks for doing this and sending it out.
Am I seeing correctly that there is no mention of the actual reason the person is not getting vaccinated? If so, is that intentional due to this being a private matter?
Alan
On Tue, Oct 12, 2021 at 10:16 AM Go for a coffee… wrote:
> andyfalleur posted: ” Well, writing this letter wasn’t in my preparation > for being a pastor. This is my first one. I’m posting it to help encourage > the discussion around these things. I know that some disagree with doing > these at all, seeing that the Charter rights of a Canad” >
andyfalleur
October 13, 2021 at 1:12 pm
Hey Alan, thanks for commenting. My letter was to support his letter. In his letter he detailed his reasons. My letter, from what I understood of the typical way these things work, was simply to buttress his character, reasoning, and how it harmonizes with our beliefs as Christians. Of course, his reasoning also harmonizes with the reasoning of our forefathers.
Your Brother
October 16, 2021 at 11:53 am
The following is what I wrote, which Andy’s letter accompanied. I respect everyone’s opinion on this in the church, and trust God is leading all who sincerely desire to know the truth – even if they have come to different conclusions. Let us not divide nor quarrel over this. Please do not copy my letter verbatim. Use your own words, should you ever have need of composing one yourself. In a fair and just society, and with our charter being respected – this letter should be more than enough. Unfortunately we don’t seem to be living in such an environment any longer. I have yet to hear back about this, but feel at peace that I did what I could to communicate. It’s in God’ s hands now.
_______________________
To Whom It May Concern,
I, {NAME}, have since {Date}, been part of the Christian faith. My current church group is {Group} – which I’ve been part of since {Year}. {So-and-so} is the pastor there (Please see his own letter attached). Our group is affiliated with {the larger group}.
I am applying for religious exemption, in accordance to what the Canadian Charter (Section 2a “freedom of conscience and religion”) has afforded all citizens of Canada. The current Covid-19 vaccines go against a number of points of our faith including:
1) Freedom to serve God with our “bodies” as a “temple” of God’s “Holy Spirit” as per
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 in the bible. We believe in the reality that, we as Christians, have given our lives to Jesus Christ – and that our “bodies” are defined in scripture as “the temple” of God’s “Holy Spirit”. Thus we are to serve and worship our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ “as a living sacrifice”, as is our “reasonable worship” (Romans 12:1-2) – freely following God’s leading. All Christians need to be free to follow the leading of God, individually, with respect to what is to be done with our bodies – whether vaccinated or not. Our conscience demands that we do so to please God, and to worship Him with our bodies. I do not believe I am able to do this with the current mRNA technology contained within – which previously has not been released to the public. It’s long term safety has yet to be fully proven. See point 2.
2) Stewardship: As per point 1; Knowingly endangering my health – and possibly my life – goes against my spiritual responsibility & “stewardship” to protect and provide for my dependent wife and children – through my presence and livelihood (1 Timothy 5:8; Matthew 19:16-22). Numerous cases of vaccinated individuals becoming very sick, crippled and even dying have been reported, in a short period of time.
3) The profits of abortion: Moreover there is also the issue that the publicly available vaccines manufacturers have noted these were developed using human cell strains from decades old foetal tissue obtained from aborted fetuses. Both myself and my group conscientiously object to abortion, which we believe is the murder of the unborn (Mark 10:19; Jer. 1:5; Ex. 20:13; Psalm 127:3; 139:13-16).
4) Conscience: Finally, the bible also teaches that we must not “sin” – including partaking in something you have sincere “doubts” about as per Romans 14:23: “But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”
On these points, I request religious exemption from this vaccine. I have, and continue to work from home. I am willing to – if called on site – to be tested beforehand, and follow the required masking and physical distancing protocols. It is my desire to continue working with {THIS COMPANY}.
Sincerely,
{NAME}
{DATE}
andyfalleur
October 16, 2021 at 11:59 pm
Thanks for posting this. I had a few people ask what your letter had.
Your Brother
October 18, 2021 at 4:32 pm
I know not everyone in this city or country may have that option in their place of work or education. I’m grateful mine does. To date I haven’t heard back yet. Since my group works remotely – and I myself don’t interface in person with customers – that my case will be handled once the more immediate cases are addressed.
If by any chance someone from my company comes across this blog posting I wanted to express my appreciation for their consideration of my request. I feel blessed to be part of a company that has both expressed and demonstrated good care for both its employees and customers. I am praying for us all to pull through together with the greatest of good success!
Generally speaking I don’t know how much choice any company has in complying with these mandates. When it comes to business there are various things to maintain and preserve – its employees and customer/contracts. In some cases a company may lose business. I sympathize with all employers and employees who are dealing with how best to handle this pandemic. It can’t be easy.
Josh
October 18, 2021 at 6:23 am
I’m so encouraged by this Pastor Andy, our family has been struggling through these issues in the context of the ministry we’re part of. I would love to correspond with you more on this outside of a public forum, I think we may share some things in common.
andyfalleur
October 18, 2021 at 7:04 am
Josh, my email is still andy@calvaryottawa.ca
Love Thy Neighbour
October 18, 2021 at 5:15 pm
Great discussion! Another side to this argument I’ve heard is the whole “obey the king” (government) and “love thy neighbours”. I think in Canada the charter is written in such a way that obedience to the government gives one a choice to do what they feel is right as individuals. So someone who has prayerfully come to the conclusion not to take it, are NOT in disobedience, since they are well within their LAWFUL RIGHTS. If anyone is in disobedience here, it would be the GOVERNMENT who is going against it’s OWN laws.
As for loving one’s neighbour. Everyone has a choice to take the vaccine, and those most at risk can also do so. If the vaccine is all they say it is (safe, effective, etc) then they have little to worry about. Even if they are to worry, they certainly have no grounds to point the finger of blame at those who abstained. Why? Because vaccine does not stop someone up to date on their shots (including all variants) from catching nor spreading it. This is simply a fact. Thus this argument of being unloving to ones neighbour is manipulative and misguided.
As for who is right about this vaccine as to it’s safety and effectiveness? No one knows, nor can know for at least a couple of YEARS. Normally a vaccine takes 5 to 10 years to be released. Moreover what happens in a LAB setting is not the same as an actual REAL WORLD test. The test of TIME is the only reliable test here. We’ve only just begun. Already there are alarming reports – many of which are not be communicated to the public.
People who have abstained and are hesitant have very good reason to do so. Officials, media and even scientists have demonstrated themselves to be corrupt. Not all, but enough to trust them blindly.
Amanda Tanner
October 21, 2021 at 9:52 pm
Good for you for standing up for our rights and freedoms! May the Lord bless you and your family in this next season of your lives!
andyfalleur
October 21, 2021 at 10:33 pm
Thank you Amanda!
Your Brother
November 22, 2021 at 9:16 pm
UPDATE REGARDING MY REQUEST FOR RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION:
I finally received a reply. Basically it’s been denied because a “singular belief” / “personal preference” is not recognised by “the Code” of Ontario Human Rights to be a “creed”. This is in the context of Ontario. Not sure how the Canadian Charter factors in. Creeds are only being accommodated. They’re looking into my specific circumstance regarding my need to occasionally get equipment from work to bring home. I’ve worked remotely (and the rest of my group) for well over a year now. It’s proven to have worked well, as far as productivity is concerned. So I think I should be able to continue what I’m doing, whilst having to find a way to work around the limitations of being able to occasional be on-site. In my case, I’ve suggested in my latest reply to them, if there couldn’t be some form of curb-side-pickup (or drop off) when the occasional need arises to receive or bring back equipment. This would not require myself to be physically inside the building. Curb side pickup is pretty common these days when it comes to shopping, so I’m optimistic something can be arranged. Your prayers would be appreciated.
If you wanted to see what I sent them originally, I commented in detail above earlier.
andyfalleur
November 23, 2021 at 8:24 am
What will be your next step? Will you let it go? Or, pursue one of the law firms representing people in these situations?
Your Brother
November 23, 2021 at 9:00 pm
There won’t be anything close to a return to work until mid-2022 where I’m at. Even then there are plans to have groups still working remotely.
So there’s time.
For now, I’m going to keep praying for direction.
A lot can change by mid-2022 and beyond: How safe this mRNA technology is; and how other legal battles and precedents develop in this province and country.
Hopefully this will all be better understood and handled in favor of health and justice. More flexible, etc.
Your Brother
November 29, 2021 at 10:40 am
My situation should be okay for now, since there are people at the office who can bring the rare needed item down to the front door. My supervisor suggested this. That works for me. Based on my work history during, and even before the pandemic – such a need has been quite rare. Since this whole thing began there hasn’t been a need for any additional equipment.
No plans for a lawyer at this time. That said, there is one online who mentioned this in general:
“An employer’s decision to require vaccinations may be considered legal if the government (provincial or federal) that oversees the workplace makes vaccination mandatory for that sector of employment. If you are a non-unionized employee, and there is no government legislation or mandate in place addressing your particular industry, your employer may not be able to fire you or place you on a leave of absence for refusing to get vaccinated without providing notice or pay in lieu of notice of the termination of your employment. That doesn’t necessarily stop them from letting you go. But you may be owed damages if that happens.
The problem here is a practical one. The reality is that even if what your employer is doing is not legal, you may lose your job or be placed on an unpaid leave if you don’t comply with it. You can’t physically stop your employer from doing that. That said, you may be owed severance and potentially other damages if you lose your job or are suspended for failing to receive the vaccine. This assumes there is not a government mandate making the vaccine mandatory in your industry and that you do not belong to a union.”
andyfalleur
November 29, 2021 at 4:51 pm
Thanks for the update!
Your Brother
March 7, 2022 at 2:28 pm
UPDATE
It looks like the mandates in Ottawa will be lifted by the end of the month. At my work they’re loosening up a little, and it will be interesting where things after the end of this month. I’m glad I was able to wait this out. I recently had to upgrade to a new machine at work which I was able to do remotely through drop-off and pickup at the front door. So that scenario was workable. It all seems to have worked out for now. I have mixed feelings about the company rejecting my religious exemption. On one hand I feel betrayed, but on the other hand I stopped fooling myself that any business ever puts it’s employees above it’s business. So I wasn’t surprised either. Everyone’s looking out for themselves.
andyfalleur
March 7, 2022 at 2:51 pm
Thanks for the update. Hopefully, all these mandates will be dropped shortly. You were fortunate in that you weren’t fired over it. Sadly, many were.
Your Brother
February 23, 2023 at 8:16 am
It’s incredible how these “vaccine” requirements are still in place at the office. Until what we all know to be true – and even trending on Twitter ( #mRNA , etc ) – reaches mainstream media, I don’t see this changing. Still okay otherwise, as I still can work from home, which I prefer to do. The prayer “give us this day our daily bread” is still being answered. One day at a time.
Your Brother
June 24, 2023 at 1:38 pm
They finally dropped the ridiculous mandates where I work.
andyfalleur
June 24, 2023 at 4:43 pm
Congratulations! And, about time…