Masks Are As Much A Religious Symbol As A Health Precaution (If these makeshift masks are nothing more than terror management for germaphobes, what's the point?)

The Federalist ^ | December 2, 2020 | Joe Allen

[Perseverando]

The mask is a religious symbol as much as a health precaution. Like saffron robes or a suffocating burka, it marks a true believer — or at least those willing to submit — and protects the wearer from divine wrath. To defy heaven’s mandate is to imperil yourself, your family, your community, and your social credit score. If you’re dumb enough to die with a naked face, the media will mock you as a science-denier for all eternity.

When you consider the terrifying warnings pumped into our heads since springtime, often from trusted figures, can anyone be blamed for clinging to their masks and the new civil religion? Still, it’s ironic that the current wave of mask enthusiasm came the same week that a major scientific study called the policy’s effectiveness into question. Last Wednesday, the Annals of Internal Medicine published the long-awaited results of the first large-scale randomized clinical trial to determine whether these goofy muzzles actually work.

The landmark experiment, led by Henning and Johan Skov Bundgaard, was conducted on a sizeable population of Danes. A group of 3,030 mask-wearers was compared to a naked-face control group of 2,994, and of the total, 4,862 made it to the finish line.

After a month of sharing air with germy strangers, both groups were given coronavirus blood antigen tests. Additionally, anyone who fell ill during the trial was given a PCR test via nasal swab. The results will disappoint those who say those who don’t wear masks are would-be murderers: “Infection with SARS-CoV-2 occurred in 42 participants recommended masks (1.8 %) and 53 control participants (2.1%).”

Despite all we’ve been led to believe, the masks did next to nothing to protect the wearers. Other evidence indicates that even when nearly everybody wears a mask, COVID infection rates rise and fall

[Perseverando]

Masks, more and more, identify the wearer as a devout believer in the power and authority of government and its appointed high priests, and not the eternal and omnipotent God of the universe.

Choose wisely, my FRiends. God, the government, America, our enemies and the world are watching.

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:15

[JerryBlackwell]

If you don’t feel safe stay home or wear a mask and leave the rest of us be

[DEPcom]

So I guess people who wear mass are going to hell.

[Steve_Seattle]

I've been saying much the same for several months, i.e., the masks are less a safety measure than a kind of religious talisman, a way of virtue-signaling, and an expression of allegiance to left-wing ideas of social control.

I especially think this when I see Biden and his team ostentatiously wearing masks in every situation. They are saying, "Look at us! We are good people who - unlike Trump and his followers - believe in following "the science!"

[circlecity]

I pay attention and it’s pretty easy to stay 10-12 feet away from others in public places if you make an effort. Do that and wash your hands and it seems it would be much more effective than wearing a mask.

[caww]

Masks, more and more, identify the wearer as a devout believer in the power and authority of government and its appointed high priests, and not the eternal and omnipotent God of the universe.

[RandallFlagg]

I’ve been honestly thinking about 3d printing a Mandalorian helmet with a fan and filter system providing positive filtered pressure inside, complete with microphone/speaker hardware.

[blueunicorn6]

There must be bodies everywhere.

[Steve_Seattle]

I think it's almost impossible to stay six feet away from people in stores. If you try to do that, you'll probably attract the attention of store security, because you'll be acting weird, dodging people, jumping out of the way, and making big circles around people. And while you are doing that, someone will come around the corner and walk right next to you. The six-foot rule is bunk, because the space another person occupied three seconds ago is now where you are, and you are all breathing the same air.

The "experts" also say that there is only a serious threat of contracting the virus if you and another person share the same confined space for 15 minutes or more.

I wear a mask in stores because it's required, not because I think it does much good.

[cuban leaf]

This is why I told my church I will not be attending as long as they mandate masks. It’s getting lonely out here on Galt’s Knob.

[cuban leaf]

Naw. Wearing a mask just shows a lack of faith.

[Dr. Sivana]

I have been calling them “Secular Sacramentals” for nine months now.

[DannyTN]

Must have missed the 11th commandment, “Thou shall not wear masks”

Pretty sure the good Lord loves you whether you wear masks or not.

Either way you gotta have a friend in Jesus. His blood covers all sins. Mask wearing is no exception.

[DEPcom]

“Either way you gotta have a friend in Jesus. His blood covers all sins. Mask wearing is no exception.”

Thumbs Up.. A lot of people forgot.

[circlecity]

It’s not hard for me to distance. I know exactly what I want to get and I know exactly where it’s at. I pay attention to my surroundings and I’m almost constantly moving. Generally the closest I get to someone is when I’m paying the cashier and I try to use the self checkout lane whenever possible.

[MayflowerMadam]

Rule of thumb is that Christians don’t wear masks; heathen wear masks.

[Perseverando]

So I guess people who wear mass are going to hell.

HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! That's hilarious!

Of course not. They will be going to mask heaven.

[Perseverando]

Rule of thumb is that Christians don’t wear masks; heathen wear masks.

Yeah, I think that's a general rule of thumb for Conservatives and DimocRats, too. Those concerned about underlying conditions, weakened immune systems, etc. are the exception.

[lightman]

Some of the latest “guidance” replaces the “six foot rule” with a formula of distance and duration: “Closer than six feet for more than fifteen minutes”.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Some of the latest “guidance” replaces the “six foot rule” with a formula of distance and duration: “Closer than six feet for more than fifteen minutes”."

Thanks for the example. That's the sort of thing I was talking about - some of the "experts" are backing away from the six-foot rule, even as others (like the Washington State corona virus task force) still treat it as gospel.