By: Hindu Council of Australia.
Temples should not be required to police their congregation for vaccination certificates. That is a job for the Police. Religious services should not be selective on whom they can serve. Police should not stand outside places of worship to check vaccination certificates as much as it does not do that outside GP clinics or grocery stores or other essential service providers. Places of worship provide mental, spiritual and physical comfort to all and should be treated as an essential service.
Government should not place restrictions on who can enter a place of worship. Separation between Church and State should be strictly maintained. A precedent set today can bring future interference of state into religious institutions.
Religion comforts all and especially those who are marginalized. These marginalized individuals are likely to have a much lower rate of vaccination. During a crises like Covid, people turn to God and temples for comfort and solace. Religious institutions do a much better job in looking after them than any government can ever hope to do. Steve Jobs during his college days used to get only one hearty meal a week at a Hare Krishna temple.
Hindu community has the highest vaccination rate and fully understands the devastation Covid has caused.
People should get vaccinated as soon as they can. Let’s get to 95% vaccination rate so that Covid can be defeated for good.
