November 10, 2005

Religious Courts?

I am not sure how a religious court is even constitutional. Seems I should be able to worship the Moon or Baby Monkeys or Organic Bok Choy, and if not vaxing is part of that faith, then no one should have to right to question that.

...And as far as the mainstream goes, I am pretty sure Jesus doesn't want parents to put things that they believe are poisonous into their children.

From A-CHAMP:
Religious Courts for Vaccine Exemptions Have No Place in New York Schools

New Yorkers your help is needed NOW to help protect a recently won right for religious exemptions from vaccine requirements. On September 29, with very little fanfare, the New York Board of Regents, which creates many of the rules and regulations that govern all schools in the state, changed state rules so that a religious exemption will be automatically granted upon the presentation by a parent or guardian of a letter stating religious objections to vaccinations. In effect, the rule change abolished an odious and un-American system of religious courts local school districts convened to force parents to justify their religious beliefs before issuing an exmption.

Like most states, New York has a law that allows religious exemptions form vaccine requirements, but in many school districts these exemptions were almost impossible to get.

Prior to this ruling many school districts would force parents to answer extremely long and probing questionnaires, and undergo intense questioning about their religious beliefs and medical histories, then forced parents to defend their faiths to local school district religious courts who sat in judgment of the sincerity and validity of the religious beliefs of American citizens. These school districts almost always ended up refusing exemptions.

In some schools letters from the Vatican were demanded from Roman Catholics to obtain exemptions from the vaccines made with aborted fetal tissue (rubella, varicella, hepatitis a.) Other school districts have reported parents to child protective services just for asking for an exemption.

We are talking about religious tcourts in the United States of America in 2005, not 16th century Spain or the Soviet Union. And in New York, the state that most prides itself for bring a bastion of civil liberties.

The vaccine industry isn’t taking this one lying down they have geared up to try and force the New York Regents to rescind the rule change they just approved. A hearing is scheduled for December 8 where an attempt will be made to rescind the new rules and bring back the religious courts.

We need to work together to stop this. Call the regents of the State of New York and let them know that you support the decision they made in September and tell them that there is no place for religious courts in New York schools or anywhere in the United States, the schools in a democracy have no place judging the validity of the religious beliefs of a free people.

Please call the NYS Commissioner of Health and Education and tell them that you do not want to see religious courts return to New York and the schools need to butt out of citizens religious and medical practices.

And call and write to all the New York State Regents, they have ultimate authority to make the decision. All these people are paid with our tax dollars. They work for us.

But do it NOW.


Antonia Novello, MD
New York State Department of Health
Corning Tower
Empire State Plaza,
Albany, NY 12237
518-474-2011

Richard P Mills
Commissioner of Education
(518) 474-4854
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, New York 12234
Regents Terms* and Area Represented

Sanford, Adelaide L.; Vice Chancellor; At Large
New York State Education Department, 55 Hanson Place, Brooklyn, NY 11217-1580
Phone: (718) 722-2796

Cohen, Saul B.; At Large
82 Taymil Road, New Rochelle, NY 10804
Phone: (914) 633-7889

Tisch, Merryl H.; At Large
9 East 79th Street, N.Y., N.Y. 10021
Phone: (212) 879-9414

Gardner, Arnold B.; At Large
726 Exchange Street, Suite 800, Buffalo, N.Y. 14210
Phone: (716) 845-6000

Bennett, Robert M.; Chancellor; Judicial District VIII -- Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming
201 Millwood Lane, Tonawanda, NY 14150
Phone: (716) 694-6783

Dawson, James C.; Judicial District IV -- Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren and Washington
2 Birchwood Drive, Peru, NY 12972
Phone: (518) 643-9289

Bottar, Anthony S.; Judicial District V -- Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, Onondaga, and Oswego
120 Madison Street, Suite 1600, MONY Tower II, Syracuse, NY 13202
Phone: (315) 422-3466

Chapey, Geraldine; Judicial District XI -- Queens
107-10 Shore Front Parkway, Apt. 9C, Belle Harbor, NY 11694
Phone: (718) 634-8471

Phillips 3rd, Harry; Judicial District IX -- Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester
71 Hawthorne Way, Hartsdale, NY 10530
Phone: (914) 948-2228 Email: hphillips@wingedkeel.com

Bowman, Jr., Joseph E.; Judicial District III -- Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster

ED 124, School of Education, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222
Phone: (518) 442-4987

Cortes-Vazquez, Lorraine A.; Judicial District XII - Bronx
Cablevision System, Inc., 1111 Stewart Avenue, Bethpage, NY 11714
Phone (516) 803-2133

Tallon, James R. Jr.; Judicial District VI - Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Madison, Otsego, Schuyler, Tioga, Tompkins
United Hospital Fund, Empire State Building, 350 Fifth Avenue, 23rd Floor, New York, N.Y. 10118-0110
Phone (212) 494-0777

Cofield, Milton L.; Judicial District VII - Cayuga, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Yates
98 Hickory Ridge Road, Rochester, N.Y. 14625
Phone (585) 248-8494

Brademas, John; Judicial District I - New York
25 West 4th Street, Room 524, New York, N.Y. 10012
Phone (212) 998-2407

Bellamy, Carol; Judicial District II - Kings, Richmond
223 Wyckoff Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11217
Phone (917) 640-8394

Tilles, Roger B.; Judicial District X - Nassau, Suffolk
100 Crossways Park West, Suite 107, Woodbury, N.Y. 11797
Phone (516) 364-2533

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