Cruz: Parents With 'Religious Convictions' Should Get A Pass On Vaccines

[workinclasszero]

Cruz: Parents With 'Religious Convictions' Should Get A Pass On Vaccines

ByCaitlin MacNealPublishedFebruary 3, 2015, 2:19 PM EST 1925 views

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Tuesday said he believes children should be vaccinated, but he said he supports exemptions for people with certain religious beliefs.

Cruz said that there is "widespread agreement" that children should be vaccinated, but he added that states should be in charge of deciding whether vaccines are mandatory, according to Politico. He also said that states should consider exceptions for those with "good faith, religious convictions."


http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/cruz-christie-vaccines-media

So if parents with "good faith..religious convictions" decide not to vaccinate their kids and yours catch something from them and die...oh well.

[KamaAina]

1. Religious convictions?

Felonies or misdemeanors?

[workinclasszero]

2. I see what you did there

[Cali_Democrat]

5. LOL. nt

[hifiguy]

10. "You stand convicted of assholeism!

Your proper punishment will now take place." - Divine in Pink Flamingos.

[KamaAina]

11. Mom went to high school with Divine

in Towson, Md.

[hifiguy]

12. No shit??

That's pretty cool.

[winstars]

13. I see what you did there. nt

[hifiguy]

14. Unintentionally, actually.

Still worthy though.

[winstars]

15. Yes it is

[madinmaryland]

17. Dammit, Kama, that was the first thing I thought when I was this thread!!

I've just been distracted by Tweety for nearly the last hour.

[KamaAina]

24. Chris Matthews?

The talking head or the Seahawk?

[madinmaryland]

26. Lighten the fuck up, Jed York.

I'm glad you now respect the team from Seattle to pronounce their name correctly. Now if I could only get you and joeyboy4 get you to say "The Dallas Cowboys are America's Team" and "The Ohio State University are National Champions"!!!!

[KamaAina]

33. The Ohio State University are the national champions.

I don't really have a problem with the Buckeyes. I do have a couple of friends who teach at The School Up North, but neither gives a flying fig about football. One is German, and the other used to teach at OSU!

And, who is it who keeps calling El out for blanking OSU out when he posts the rankings?

[AZ Progressive]

3. Idiocy has consequences

And often to innocent people.

[NightWatcher]

4. So he's Pro-Choice on this?

But Anti-Choice when it comes down to what a woman and her doctor wish to do?

[Cali_Democrat]

6. ...

[madinmaryland]

18. OH FUCK!! Please put a "Graphic Photo" alert up before posting that.

I need some eye bleach now.

[w8liftinglady]

21. LOL...I wish someone would put pox-marks on this

[herding cats]

7. Like the megachurch in Texas that had the outbreak of measles in 2013?

Measles Outbreak Linked To Texas Megachurch Whose Pastor Has Spread Myths About Vaccines

The current measles outbreak in Texas — which has sickened at least 21 people in the northern part of the state — has been linked to a megachurch that encourages faith healing. The Eagle Mountain International Church has a relatively high population of unvaccinated congregants, which allowed the highly-contagious virus to spread rapidly among them.

Texas’ state epidemiologist reported this week that he has traced the origins of the outbreak, which first emerged about two weeks ago. After a man became sick with measles while traveling to Indonesia, he passed the infection to the other attendees at the megachurch — which repeatedly attracts over a thousand people each Sunday — when he returned home. Measles spread to the congregation, the staff, and a daycare center on church property.

Even though the Texas county where the church is located has an overall vaccination rate of about 98 percent, state officials note that Eagle Mountain International Church includes a “pocket” of people who aren’t vaccinated. The children who contracted measles there are homeschooled, so their parents haven’t been required by state law to get them their measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. That’s likely because senior pastor Terri Pearsons has expressed unfounded skepticism about vaccines in the past, repeating the widely debunked conspiracy theory that they can lead to autism.

Pearsons is the oldest daughter of conservative televangelist Kenneth Copeland, who has also endorsed anti-vaccine myths. Eagle Mountain International Church is a division of Kenneth Copeland Ministries, which maintains a position on “faith healing” that encourages people to make up their own minds about vaccines rather than putting too much stock in the scientific community. “Kenneth Copeland Ministries’ position regarding dealing with any medical condition involving yourself or someone in your family is to first seek the wisdom of God, His Word, and appropriate medical attention from a professional that you know and trust,” a statement from the executive offices of the organization explains. “Apply wisdom and discernment in carrying out their recommendations for treatment. This would include: vaccinations, immunizations, surgeries, prescriptions, or any other medical procedures.”

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/08/27/2532651/measles-outbreak-texas-megachurch/

A few here, a few there, and before you know it people in your state will start paying attention when it impacts them. All it takes is one influential person's baby to get sick and end up in the hospital, or worse, and Cruz will be denying he ever said this.

[BlueStater]

8. Good lord.

Are they deliberately trying to out-crazy each other?

[hifiguy]

9. So I guess the Quakers and Buddhists, among others,

deserve a pass when they withhold the portion of their taxes that go to the military? How 'bout that one Teddy-boy?

[gopiscrap]

29. Yes, but that doesn't harm the health of others

such as refusing to get vaccinated

[Cal Carpenter]

16. Is there something in the bible about vaccines?

I'm only half-kidding. Anyone know what the argument from the religious folks is on this?

[hifiguy]

22. "Vaccines are not part of god's plan!"

To which the irrefutable answer is "If they're not part of god's plan why did god inspire someone to develop them for the purpose of preventing needless suffering."

Expect a deeply stupid, stunned look in response to that.

[Panich52]

31. W/ oss exception of Christian Scientists, what relig objection could there be?

But even they've been prosecuted fn letting kids die when med help available. Bet The Annointed One couldn't come up w/ viable relig counter yo public health & safety.

[KatyMan]

19. well I read something in the Bible

and I have a good faith religious conviction that it's ok for me to have slaves. Is that covered? Like having Bible Insurance: If you can justify it through a book written by Bronze Age goat herders, it's ok in the USA!

[exboyfil]

32. Well actually you can find entire books

and sermon collections justifying the owning of slaves based upon the Bible. They make interesting reading. Of course they date to the mid-19th century.

[Yorktown]

20. What happens when viruses do not have religious convictions?

[MFrohike]

23. They have one already

It's called emigration. Ask your parents about it, Teddy.

[NuclearDem]

25. Fuck off Cruz, you worthless piece of shit.

[onecaliberal]

27. Ted Cruz should shut his pie hole.

Someone should tell him his fake ass brand of religion doesn't mean shit to those of us who think critically. All the practicing Christians I know have vaccinated their children but then again they're trying to help society not reintroduce a potential deadly disease to innocent children or take away their food or healthcare.

[stage left]

28. What is it with these idiots??

[zappaman]

30. Fuck that.

[HappyMe]

34. No, dumbass Cruz

they shouldn't get a pass. NOBODY should get a pass, except those with a medical reason and then they should have to provide a doctor's report in order to get it. Not a Mercola type yahoo doctor either.

[Xyzse]

35. I am all for being a bit nicer towards a conversation with people who are scared of vaccines but...

NO...
I have no sympathy for this idiot, and he's just saying this as a misguided attempt to court votes.

Ridiculous.