My Thoughts on Connecticut HB6423
HB6423 reads like most proposed legislation. It is confusing, ambiguous, wordy, and filled with potentially dangerous governmental intrusion. I started to read the Bill and saw different kinds of texts; plain text, bracketed text, and underlined text. It wasn’t until I reached the very end of the full text that I saw the following:
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]
That rubric is clear as mud. What good is this at the end of the bill? Why not put it at the beginning so the reader can know and understand the proposed changes from the getgo? A rhetorical question, I know.
Be that as it may, here is a typical section enclosed in brackets that they are proposing to delete:
(starting in line 11) Before being permitted to enter seventh grade, a child shall receive a second immunization against measles. Any such child who…
(starting line 24) [(3) presents a statement from the parents or guardian of such child that such immunization would be contrary to the religious beliefs of such child or the parents or guardian of such child, which statement shall be acknowledged, in accordance with the provisions of sections 1-32, 1-34 and 1-35, by (A) a judge of a court of record or a family support magistrate, (B) a clerk or deputy clerk of a court having a seal, (C) a town clerk, (D) a notary public, (E) a justice of the peace, (F) an attorney admitted to the bar of this state, or (G) notwithstanding any provision of chapter 6, a school nurse;]
(my note… remember the brakets [ ] indicate a proposed deletion)
Lines starting at 54, 157, 189, 221, 308, 319, 463, and 490 all have the same or similar wording as what I quoted above, starting at line 24. Each of these lines articulates the Religious Exemption clauses slated for deletion.
Of further concern and should be highlighted is the text starting on line 150
(a) Each institution of higher education shall require each full-time or matriculating student born after December 31, 1956, to provide proof of adequate immunization against measles, rubella, [and on and after August 1, 2010, to provide proof of adequate immunization against] mumps and varicella as recommended by the national Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices before permitting such student to enroll in such institution.
Finally, near the end of the Bill, we see the proposed changes:
(starting line 507) (h) Any child who is enrolled in sixth grade or below on or before the effective date of this section who presented a statement, prior to the effective date of this section, from the parents or guardians of such child that such immunization is contrary to the religious beliefs of such child or the parents or guardian of such child, and such statement was acknowledged, in accordance with the provisions of sections 1-32, 1-34 513 and 1-35, by (1) a judge of a court of record or a family support magistrate, (2) a clerk or deputy clerk of a court having a seal, (3) a town clerk, (4) a notary public, (5) a justice of the peace, or (6) an attorney admitted to the bar of this state shall comply with the immunizations requirements set forth in the regulations adopted pursuant to subsection Raised Bill No. 6423 LCO No. 3269 17 of 21 (f) of this section by September 1, 2022. (bold emphasis mine)
This Bill is a vast overstepping of Religious Rights in the State of Connecticut! It is also encroaching Parental Rights.
The Biblical issue of religious exemption and parental rights is a matter of God-given jurisdiction. There are three main jurisdictions of authority in the Bible given by God. The first is government. They have the power of the sword. Romans 13 is the primary passage on the jurisdiction of the government, i.e. the civil magistrate. The government has one God-given task, and that is to punish evil-doers, evil being defined not in humanistic terms, but according to the moral law of God exemplified in the Ten Commandments. The only time the government’s jurisdiction has precedent over ecclesiastical or parental authority (which I’ll comment on later) is if and when parents do “evil” to their children, again “evil” being defined as a transgression of God’s law. (1 John 3:4)
The second jurisdiction is that of the Church. The government has no right to establish religion or rule over the Church. That is the principle our country was founded upon and which the First Amendment recognizes. Elders/Pastors/Bishops rule in the Church, not the civil magistrate or parents. The Church has the “keys to the kingdom.”
The final main jurisdiction that God gave is the Family. The Family is given the responsibility of raising, disciplining, protecting, teaching, and providing for the well fair of their own children. Traditionally this as been articulated as the “rod.”
Once you understand these jurisdictions, you can see that forced vaccinations is NOT a God-given authority or jurisdiction of government. This is why HB6423 is unbiblical.
I agree with the sentiments expressed by others. It is unjust and unconstitutional for the government to legislate the suppression of a person’s religious conviction and parental rights over their children. This is just one more step toward tyranny. I urge residents of Connecticut to rise up and fight this ungodly, unBiblical, and unjust Bill. Show up tomorrow, April 27, at the Connecticut Capital at 9 am and let your voice be heard.
