Poll: Masks and Face Shields

[RZehr]

My minister came into the hardware store, I wasn’t masking, he was. He caught me.

[Soloist]

My minister came into the hardware store, I wasn’t masking, he was. He caught me.

Well I hope that was a good lecture.

[ragpicker]

I’m in a local diner in Ohio. Maybe 10% are coming in with a mask.

What’s the compliance rate once they’re eating?

100%. “While in the act of eating” is carved out as an exception. So no mask while eating is compliant.

[Josh]

I’m in a local diner in Ohio. Maybe 10% are coming in with a mask.

What’s the compliance rate once they’re eating?

100%. “While in the act of eating” is carved out as an exception. So no mask while eating is compliant.

Some of us nurse a cup or 10 of coffee basically all day.

[RZehr]

My minister came into the hardware store, I wasn’t masking, he was. He caught me.

Well I hope that was a good lecture.

He just suddenly appeared in my aisle, grinned and said “I CAUGHT YOU” and hustled past.

[RZehr]

I flew this week for the first time since the virus. Sitting in the back, I kept sneaking my mask below my nose. The stewardess sitting behind me finally said something about telling me three times to keep it up.
Eventually she had mercy on me, and whispered that if I had an open drink on my tray, I could keep the mask off. So I nursed that water for a long time.

[Fidelio]

I flew this week for the first time since the virus. Sitting in the back, I kept sneaking my mask below my nose. The stewardess sitting behind me finally said something about telling me three times to keep it up.
Eventually she had mercy on me, and whispered that if I had an open drink on my tray, I could keep the mask off. So I nursed that water for a long time.

It would make sense that if the idea is your mask protects the other guy then why do you have to inhale through the mask? The one time I had to wear a mask was when I went to the dentist. I had to wear it in the waiting room. I kept lifting it to inhale, then dropping it to exhale.

How about I carry a cloth sack, and if they want me to mask, I'll just exhale into the bag?

[Ernie]

https://www.the-daily-record.com/story/ ... 629369002/

How would you answer these questions?

Would you wear a mask if it was less hot and uncomfortable?

Would you wear a mask if your friends wore a mask?

Would you wear a mask if your church and business leaders wore one?

Would you wear a mask if you knew that you were currently sick or that you had tested positive for the virus?

Would you wear a mask if public health experts showed evidence that this was one of the best ways to prevent the spread of the virus?

Would you wear a mask if you had not tested positive but wished to protect others, just in case you were a carrier but without symptoms?

Would you wear a mask when you encountered those who were most likely to die if they caught COVID-19 — those with breathing or lung disorders, those with compromised immune systems, those with diabetes, or the elderly?

Would you wear a mask if doing so might save even one life?

Would you wear a mask if a legitimate authority, such as our governor, signed into law the mandatory mask wearing in public by all citizens?

Would you wear a mask if the Bible told you to be subject unto those in authority — “the governing authorities,” Romans 13:1?

[Josh]

Would you wear a mask if it was less hot and uncomfortable?

No; I voluntarily started wearing a home-made mask in March that was quite hot and uncomfortable, before the CDC or WHO even recommended doing so, and when it was not possible to buy disposable or store-bought reusable masks.

Would you wear a mask if your friends wore a mask?

Some of my friends choose to wear masks. Whether I wear a mask is not contingent on what my friends are doing.

Would you wear a mask if your church and business leaders wore one?

I started wearing a mask before our church had a policy of wearing one out of obedience to government orders. Now that the government orders us to wear masks in our church building, I do so in our church building out of obedience to my local congregation's leaders.

Would you wear a mask if you knew that you were currently sick or that you had tested positive for the virus?

When I was ill and awaiting a test result, I did not rely on masks, but instead quarantined myself until my doctor told me it was safe to be in public again, based upon the best information he had from public health authorities. A mask is not to be relied upon to avoid spreading disease; staying home is the safest way.

Would you wear a mask if public health experts showed evidence that this was one of the best ways to prevent the spread of the virus?

Yes, if we had strong evidence that masks work, I would use them. A reasonable standard for masks is that just as much evidence needs to be shown as some public health experts are demanding be shown for using HCQ to treat or prevent coronavirus. I think an equivalent standard for both HCQ and masks is reasonable.

Would you wear a mask if you had not tested positive but wished to protect others, just in case you were a carrier but without symptoms?

Yes, provided the evidence above could be shown. If the evidence cannot be shown, then there is no reason for a healthy person to wear a mask.

Would you wear a mask when you encountered those who were most likely to die if they caught COVID-19 — those with breathing or lung disorders, those with compromised immune systems, those with diabetes, or the elderly?

Yes, provided the evidence above could be shown. If the evidence cannot be shown, then there is no reason for a healthy person to wear a mask around sick people, or at least no more

Would you wear a mask if doing so might save even one life?

Making this argument is equivalent to "would you not wear a mask if not wearing masks could save even one life?" There are risks and costs associated to wearing masks, just like there are with not wearing them.

Would you wear a mask if a legitimate authority, such as our governor, signed into law the mandatory mask wearing in public by all citizens?

Yes, I don't believe in being in open rebellion to the government. However, a legitimate authority for making a law about mandatory mask wearing would be the state legislature, not the governor. Mandating a new national dress code is a very significant act, and not one that can be practiced by executive fiat.

Would you wear a mask if the Bible told you to be subject unto those in authority — “the governing authorities,” Romans 13:1?

[/quote]

Yes; the governing authorities, however, continue to be the legislature, the executive branch, and the judiciary. The executive branch alone does not have the power to mandate a national dress code.

[Josh]

One of my complaints with articles like the above is that they fail to acknowledge there could be any problems with widespread mask wearing, and they seem to take a position that permanently wearing face masks is somehow more virtuous than not. There is not enough evidence right now to mandate that the human race permanently wear face masks from now on, and there is plenty of evidence of harm that comes to social interactions (particularly young children) from never seeing people's faces, particularly stranger's faces.

The Bible doesn't teach us that it is virtuous to wear face masks, nor does it teach us that we can determine who is a good and a bad person by whether or not they are wearing a face mask. A system of morality based upon mask-wearing is a bankrupt system indeed, and it should be rejected outright for what it is.