So, this meme has been making the rounds around conservative/anti-vaxx social media and hey, you can even buy this t-shirt from the web!!!!
The “logic” of this meme is, at face value, hard to fathom. Owing to the state of technology and medical science during Christ’s life span (4 BC to 30 AD), the list of things that he did not do or did not have is quite extensive.
Jesus did not take antibiotics; Jesus did not wash his hands with soap and water after attending to his personal matters; Jesus did not wear 50-50 cotton blend printed T-shirts; Jesus did not hang out in rooms illuminated by electrical lighting; Jesus did not use a smart phone. Hell fire, Jesus did not eat at Chik-Fil-A or shop at Hobby Lobby or sleep on a My fucking Pillow.
If all these other modern goods are accepted and used by Christians, why are vaccines (and specifically the covid-19 vax) singled out in this way?
Of course, the answer is the pernicious blending of political ideology and the collective identity of American white evangelicals/fundamentalists. For this sect, the pandemic has been framed as yet another culture war divide between the evil liberal elite and the self-proclaimed “elect” who have God on their side. And of course, in this blend of political belief and religious identity , the latter is really just a pretense to rationalize the former. There is no grand moral principle underlying this opposition to the vax (as there might be for Christian scientists or the Amish for example); rather, for Christian conservatives, their opposition hinges solely on Republicans initial take on the pandemic: a Democratic scheme to undermine Trump (and all the variations on that theme that have followed suit).
As the GOP/christian conservatives have continued to double down on this culture war framing (as infection rates and the death toll rise), more and more inane (insane?) religious justifications are going to be brought into the mix. The complaint by anti-vaxxers that they are being persecuted for their beliefs also fits this culture framing, whereby “belief” is privileged over science and evidence.
Of course, this faction could use this same justification for any medical innovation—Jesus did not take blood pressure medicine; or use insulin or get chemo; or take Viagra—but they are using it quite selectively because it serves a specific political agenda.
As we know, Christian evangelicals support quite a few odious policies and they are fairly clear in their designs to impose their fundamentalist views on others and replace democracy with theocracy. The Trump administration was the closest they have ever come to reaching those goals (and the Supreme Court seems primed to support this agenda for the long haul).
So, we should not be the least bit surprised that this fundamentalist sect is willing to risk death (even if they deny that reality) by opposing Covid-19 vaccines, masking, and social distancing mandates. They see this opposition as a means to help Trump regain office and lead them to their version of the “promised land.”
I have seen estimates that between 25 to 30% of what Americans identify as Christian evangelicals (which is around 12 to 15% of the total US population). So, in reality, we have a small, but very vocal minority who are exerting an undue influence on the public discourse (ala the Tea Party and its opposition to the ACA, as assisted by conservative media).
Rather than lampooning this opposition, or labeling them as ignorant, or even trying to appeal to them through reason, facts, and understanding, we need to recognize that we are in another culture war situation (akin to the gay marriage or abortion or immigration polemics) and their opposition needs to be challenged for what it is --a willingness to sacrifice lives on the alter of Trumpism.