To the editor:

Followers of Jesus Christ mustn’t fear dangers on earth. If we die, we go to Heaven. If God wants us to continue living, then we will survive sickness or the effects of harmful things. Vaccines for COVID-19 have proven to be political, more beneficial than harmful, and people should be allowed to choose whether to take them.

Because COVID has become so political, people don’t know whom to trust. Admiral Brett Giroir, a member of Trump’s Coronavirus Task Force, states that trust is a factor in whether people take the vaccine. People hated Trump so much that even Vice President Harris said during her debate with Pence, that she would be reluctant to take a vaccine developed by the Trump Administration unless someone like Dr. Fauci told her to take it. At his most recent Save America Rally, Trump encouraged people to take the vaccine. I trust Admiral Giroir. He says that the way to end this pandemic is for everyone, who safely can, to take the vaccine. According to Giroir, the vaccine is highly effective in prevention of hospitalization and death. I felt more comfortable with my decision to take the vaccine when I heard him say, “If you are not vaccinated and have not already had COVID, you are going to get the Delta Variant; it’s that transmissible.”

While vaccinations are a wise choice, they must not be mandated. Every day medical people take care of people who make unwise choices. We smoke, abuse drugs, drive while texting, drink too much, and eat too much. More than 1 in 10 American citizens have diabetes. The statistics are appalling, but the elimination of our freedom to choose puts us on the road to becoming a state of tyranny where someone else makes our choices for us. Nobody wants that. For some people, vaccinations will prevent hospitalization and death from COVID-19. For others, the vaccination might be harmful. Individuals must decide what is best for themselves.

Christians must seek God’s will regarding these matters. After prayer, whatever inclination God gives His followers, we must obey, and then leave the results to Him. People who have no faith in God will not understand this instruction, but for those who know and trust God, it matters not what the outcome of our choice is. God cares only that we obey. Those whose God is the LORD will live forever in Heaven free from disease and fear.

Gigi Rysdahl

New Ulm