A judge extended a temporary ruling that barred the military from enforcing punishments against a Navy sailor and a Marine who have refused the coronavirus vaccine and sued the Department of Defense over the mandate.
The Navy commander and Marine lieutenant colonel testified during a court hearing in Tampa, Florida, on Thursday, and they described their religious convictions as the driving force behind their desire to avoid the vaccine. The duo, who testified anonymously with the judge’s permission, said they were practicing Christians who expressed concern about the use of fetal cell lines, though they’re used in a variety of other vaccines and medicines, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
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Both applied for a religious exemption, though their requests were denied, and they face being discharged if they don’t comply or win their legal battle.
“I cannot knowingly put something in my body that I believe is a toxin,” said the Navy commander, while the Marine Forces Special Operations Command said, “For me, it would be a sin … because it would defile my body.”
Last week, District Judge Steven Merryday issued a temporary order barring the military from disciplining either service member, and he extended the order on Thursday until Feb. 18.
The lawsuit is being brought by the Liberty Counsel, a religious organization, and they noted that the service members were scheduled to be disciplined on Feb. 2 and Feb. 3, before the judge’s initial ruling.
“Yesterday’s hearing is a positive step toward finally putting an end to this abuse of the law and of our military personnel,” Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said. “It is shameful how the military is treating these honorable service members. This abuse must stop. These heroes sacrifice everything to defend our freedom, and we are honored to defend them.”
While each service branch has a similar vaccination rate well above 90%, there has been a spotlight on the lack of approved religious exemptions.
The Army and Navy have not approved a single religious exemption request after receiving 3,498 and 4,061 requests, respectively. The Marines have approved three of 3,538 requests, while the Air Force has approved nine of 5,700 requests. The 12 approved religious exemptions come from a total of 16,875, representing roughly .07%. All of the data come from the most recent updates from each service branch.
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Last month, a judge ruled in favor of roughly three dozen Navy SEALs who sued the Department of Defense alleging that their religious exemption requests were not legitimately considered before getting rejected. The lawyers for the SEALs later filed another complaint alleging the Navy had retaliated against them.
To date, 566 Marines, 142 Air Force members, and 96 sailors have been discharged for refusing the vaccine, while the Army plans to start discharging these soldiers “immediately.”
