Here is what I did. I looked up what I could find from various denominations regarding the religious ethics or morals of Covid vaccines and what I found was very disappointing. Other than the Catholics, not one single denomination seems to be willing to take any kind of moral stand one way or the other. Even groups like Christian Scientists who are traditional opponents to medical interventions.
For example, the Christian Scientist statement is complete mush that takes no stand whatsoever:
https://www.christianscience.com/press- ... lic-health
Concern for public health and safety is something that all responsible people share—including Christian Scientists. Grateful as we are to live in communities where honest differences can be respected, Christian Scientists are also mindful of the obligations all citizens have to respect the rights of others in their communities.
For more than a century, our denomination has counseled respect for public health authorities and conscientious obedience to the laws of the land, including those requiring vaccination. Christian Scientists report suspected communicable disease, obey quarantines, and strive to cooperate with measures considered necessary by public health officials. We see this as a matter of basic Golden Rule ethics and New Testament love.
As for the issue of exemptions for vaccination in the law, Christian Scientists’ perspective on this issue may be unique. In the past, many public officials have been broadly supportive of exemptions when these have not been considered a danger to the wider community. In more recent years, public health concerns relating to vaccinations have risen as exemptions from them have been claimed by larger numbers. Christian Scientists recognize the seriousness of these concerns.
Most of our church members normally rely on prayer for healing. It’s a deeply considered spiritual practice and way of life that has meant a lot to us over the years. So we’ve appreciated vaccination exemptions and sought to use them conscientiously and responsibly, when they have been granted.
On the other hand, our practice isn’t a dogmatic thing. Church members are free to make their own choices on all life-decisions, in obedience to the law, including whether or not to vaccinate their children. These aren’t decisions imposed by their church.
The public controversy over vaccination has produced strong opinions—and strong divisions—on the competing concerns of public health and toleration of diversity. Whatever the right answer may be for any community, Christian Scientists hope that their long experience as a religious minority working in cooperation with society’s majority might point to the possibility of resolutions based on mutual respect and understanding in the best interest of all.
And most of all, we hope that our collective care and effort can promote public health and healing to all affected by disease and contagion around the world.
Southern Baptists are officially silent on the topic. But I did find this regarding southern evangelical preachers in general:
https://apnews.com/article/health-relig ... 7a20161e4e
“I would say that the vast majority are paralyzed or silent because of how polarized it has been,” said Chang, who has pastored churches and is on the faculty at Duke Divinity School.
A survey by the National Association of Evangelicals found that 95% of evangelical leaders planned to get inoculated, but that number hasn’t translated into widespread advocacy from the pulpit, he said.
The Catholics who are traditionally the most rigid denomination when it comes to abortion are the only denomination that provides clear guidance:
https://www.cacatholic.org/CCC-vaccine- ... eptability
As the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines against COVID-19 become available, it is critically important that Catholics and others have an accurate understanding of how these vaccines may be viewed from the perspective of Catholic moral teaching and tradition. The Vatican’s doctrinal office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), has determined that it is “morally acceptable” for Catholics to take these vaccines against the COVID-19 Virus. Their determination is deeply rooted in the Catholic moral tradition. A brief review of their discernment in reaching this determination will assist people as they consider use of these vaccine and other vaccines.
Vaccine development and production over the last several decades has often relied upon some cell lines that regrettably were originally developed from cells obtained from two fetuses that were aborted in the ‘70s and ‘80s. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are not dependent on these cell lines. They were developed using different technology relying on ribonucleic acid (RNA) from the virus itself. Even though the vaccines may have been tested using compromised cell lines, this does not establish a connection between the vaccine recipient and the abortion. Consequently, use of these vaccines is ethically sound.
Other vaccines in development (including AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson) have been developed from compromised cell lines. The specific moral questions are whether a recipient of these COVID-19 vaccines developed from such cell lines is morally complicit in the original abortions, and whether use of the vaccine will lead others to have abortions. According to Catholic moral teaching and tradition, it is morally unacceptable for an individual or institution to contribute to and influence an immoral act committed by another in a way that shows they approve or intend the immoral act. It is also wrong for them to contribute components that are essential to the immoral act, even if they do not intend the act of the other, and to lead others by example to engage in an immoral act.
Since it is impossible to influence an act that occurred in the past, a recipient of the COVID-19 vaccines developed from cell lines in question cannot influence or contribute to anything regarding the original abortions. Again, the mere fact that a vaccine may have been tested using these cell lines does not establish a connection between the vaccine recipient and the abortion. Furthermore, simply knowing the origin of the cell lines does not mean that one intends abortion. Thus, a recipient of the vaccine does not approve of or intend the original abortions, or materially contribute to them. Clearly, all that the recipient intends is the good preventing disease and saving lives. This includes protecting countless pregnant women from contracting COVID-19, who will be able to carry their unborn babies safely to term.
The act of receiving the COVID-19 vaccines developed from the cell lines in question does not lead others to procure abortion. The action of the recipient is not the reason why someone has an abortion, nor is it an endorsement of abortion. Furthermore, vaccine researchers and others who develop cell lines from abortion-derived cells or use such cell lines in research do not lead persons to procure abortions. Researchers who develop or use these types of cell lines do so because they either see no connection of their work to abortion and/or because of the success of the cell line for research to develop effective and safe vaccines.
On December 21, 2020, the Vatican’s doctrinal office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), issued a statement noting it is “morally acceptable” for Catholics to take vaccines against COVID-19. Among other things, the CDF stated:
"All vaccinations recognized as clinically safe and effective can be used in good conscience with the certain knowledge that the use of such vaccines does not constitute formal cooperation with the abortion from which the cells used in production of the vaccines derive” … “the morality of vaccination depends not only on the duty to protect one's own health, but also on the duty to pursue the common good."
"In the absence of other means to stop or even prevent the epidemic, the common good may recommend vaccination, especially to protect the weakest and most exposed."
Thus, the California Catholic Conference strongly encourages Catholics to receive a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine for the sake of oneself, our loved ones, and the common good.
If some of the faithful choose not to take the vaccine for reasons of conscience, the Vatican says those persons "must do their utmost to avoid … becoming vehicles for the transmission of the infectious agent.
More typically most mainline protestant churches avoid taking a stand entirely. This is from the Lutherans:
https://files.lcms.org/wl/?id=Qxw4b6OFY ... 12CMbWuLrI
Should I take the COVID-19 vaccine? This is a question only you can answer. Some may choose not to take the vaccine because of concerns over its relation to abortion or fear of possible health complications. Others may take it in spite of such reservations out of concern for their
own health or that of their neighbor. Since neither Scripture nor the Synod has explicitly addressed this issue, it remains a matter of Christian freedom where you must choose according to your individual conscience.
People here and elsewhere are seeking actual moral guidance as they face increasing vaccine mandates with religious exemptions in some cases and not in others. It seems to me to be a abdication of their responsibility as faith leaders to hand-wave the issue away and just say "it remains a matter of Christian freedom where you much choose according to your individual conscience" Most of these denominations have their top theologians and faith leaders at the top of their organizations. If they can't reach any conclusions, how are the rest of us to do so?
How many other issues of faith and morality do these denominations hand-wave away as issues matters of freedom of choice and individual conscience? Do they do that for other issues like abortion, marriage, LGBT rights, etc. etc.?
The sign of good leadership is being able to make the hard decisions not the easy ones. Anyone can make the easy decisions for themselves.