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religioustolerance.org/conflict.htm Controversial religious topics

CrossCurrents covers the world of spirituality and religion with the best of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and other traditions both online and in realtime. crosscurrents.org

Beliefnet is a multi-faith e-community where people can connect with all things related to religion. beliefnet.com

Chicken Pox Vaccine (VARIVAX) is now required in New York and other states, and is recommended by the manufacturer (Merck) for children 12 months and older. VARIVAX was developed with the use of aborted fetuses. This may pose religious and/or ethical considerations for some people. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varicella_vaccine 

American Life League
Childhood vaccines  
The Moral Implications of Fetal Tissue Vaccines
Vaccines and Catholic doctrine

Kristine M. Severyn, R.Ph., Ph.D. Profits, Not Science, Motivate Vaccine Mandates

Children Of God For Life is a "Pro-Life Outreach Source." Essentially aimed at Catholics, their website at cogforlife.org contains much that would be of interest to those for whom abortion and fetal cell vaccines are a concern. Among other things, they list which vaccines are "derived from abortion."

Also of interest is the April 26, 2005 letter from Mons. Ignacio Barreiro, the Executive Director of VITA UMANA INTERNAZIONALE / UFFICIO DI ROMA (Human Life International / Office of Rome) in which he writes -

"It has just come to my attention that a child has been expelled from a Catholic educational institution for reasons of non-conformity to a diocesan policy of denying State-allowed religious exemptions. The vaccines in question are propagated on aborted fetal cell lines. This is a violation of the Catholic Church’s centuries-old teaching on the supremacy of the Moral Conscience and the right of parents to preside over the total wellbeing of their children."

The letter further states that the issue is "under consideration by various offices of the Vatican" and until the matter is decided "the parental right of conscience is to be considered the binding authority..."
Full text: cogforlife.org/barreiro.htm 

New Yorkers for Vaccination Information and Choice
A comprehensive site. In general, NY's religious exemption (see nyvic.org/law/wexler) must be applied in total. In other words, you must be opposed to all vaccination due to "sincerely held religious beliefs," and not to specific vaccines. However, this particular vaccine and the factor of fetal tissue used in it's development seems to present particular issues which are not easily addressed.

Also, this can be found on the Centers for Disease Control site: 
cdc.gov/epo/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00042990.htm 
The varicella virus vaccine licensed in the United States is composed of the Oka strain of live, attenuated VZV. The Oka strain was isolated in Japan (75) in the early 1970s from vesicular fluid in a healthy child who had natural varicella and was attenuated through sequential propagation in cultures of human embryonic lung cells, embryonic guinea-pig cells, and human diploid cells (WI-38). The virus in the Oka/Merck vaccine has undergone further passage through human diploid-cell cultures (MRC-5) for a total of 31 passages. 

I believe the phrase "sequential propagation in cultures of human embryonic lung cells" is the key phrase. 

Religious Teachings on Health Selections from the Bible

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