Written by Don Byrd
In the Hollman Report column in the latest issue of Report From the Capital, Baptist Joint Committee General Counsel Holly Hollman dives into the debate over measles vaccinations from a religious liberty perspective. The public health concerns of children, she emphasizes, need not be compromised by religious exercise.
From her column:
In the meantime, the measles outbreak provides a straightforward context for the continuing debate about how best to protect the free exercise of religion without harming others. The quintessential compelling governmental interest is protecting health, welfare and safety. In cases involving the health of children, the government’s interest is one of the highest order, not easily susceptible to challenge.
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[R]eligious liberty — even as protected by RFRA’s high standard — does not require granting religious exemptions to immunization laws or similar interests that are required for public health and safety.
Read the whole thing.
