Would Jesus Wear A Mask? (What A Question, JESUS WOULD NEVER HIDE HIS FACE!WOULD NEVER HIDE HIS FACE1

Townhall.com ^ | September 20, 2021 | Scott Morefield

[Kaslin]

For a Christian, whether or not to do, abstain from, or believe something typically revolves around one basic question: What would Jesus do? Loving God and our neighbor, treating others as we would want to be treated, helping the poor, the widowed, and the sick - these are all key principles taught by the Son of God as laid out in the four Gospels that begin the New Testament, and typically forms the foundation of Christian thought and belief no matter how politically liberal or conservative an adherent is.

A more liberal Christian might focus on those more positive aspects of Christianity and shun others of what proponents of their faith have historically believed, while more conservative Christians find ways to include in their beliefs what they consider the whole of Scripture, both the positive and the negative (like unpalatable passages from the Old Testament, eternal conscious punishment, etc.).

This is all understandable and expected, especially given human nature. We all tend to interpret the Bible based on our own presuppositions and belief systems. Sure, most everyone believes their particular interpretation is the ONE AND ONLY CORRECT WAY but, thankfully, Americans have the right to believe and practice any faith we choose, and Christians can interpret the Bible in any way we see fit. That said, a wise person of any denomination or faith would do well to watch out for faith leaders, especially famous ones, who twist and distort passages from the Bible, and especially the words or actions of Christ, to suit their own political ends.

On the political right, an example of this might be a ‘faith-healing’ pastor who ignores the pandemic because he is ‘absolutely certain’ that God will protect his flock from death or serious outcome. Sadly, there have been several examples like this, including Cornerstone megachurch pastor John Hagee, who while recovering from coronavirus famously said, “we have a vaccine; the name is Jesus Christ, the son of the living God.” It’s one thing to explain the science and data behind why we can’t lock down forever, masks don’t work and leaky vaccines can’t end the pandemic on their own, but it’s quite another to convince people to take needless risks they otherwise wouldn’t take based on a false, unbiblical premise.

Thankfully, examples like that are fairly rare, but for obvious reasons they predictably get wide play by the media. Far more prevalent - and even encouraged by the media and powers-that-be - are Christian arguments from the left that focus on vaccines and mask use as something that ‘Jesus would have done.’ Most notably of late, Saddleback Church pastor and author Rick Warren:

“The Bible says ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,” Warren said in March in a video that recently gained widespread attention on social media. “The most practical way right now you can love your neighbor as yourself, wear a mask. Okay? And to not wear one basically says, ‘I don’t care about you,’ or ‘I don’t even care about your fears.’”

So, according to Warren and others with that mindset, one must “wear a mask” in order to properly love our neighbor. Nevermind that there is a preponderance of perfectly valid scientific and data-based evidence that masking DOES NOT WORK to stop the spread of Covid-19 or any other highly contagious respiratory virus, you should just wear one anyway so your ‘neighbor’ knows you care about them. Nevermind that universal masking creates a false sense of security that everyone is ‘safe’ from contracting or spreading Covid and that this false sense of security quite likely made a lot of people unnecessarily sick over the past year and a half, the feelz dictates we mask up because our ‘neighbor’ might be a media-induced hypochondriac deceived into thinking that masks work and the risk of Covid is much higher than it actually is.

Obviously, you can see where this is going. It’s what happens when someone with influence over others interprets and applies a Biblical passage or concept unilaterally to a highly charged modern political issue while ignoring all nuance and dismissing other ways of interpretation. Sadly, such tactics have always been part of the toolboxes of religious demagogues hellbent on imposing ‘their way or the highway’ on their followers.

In truth, Jesus commanded us to love the Lord first with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, then to love our neighbors as ourselves. How then are we to love the Lord with our minds if we dismiss data and evidence on a topic that goes against our presuppositions or a prevailing narrative? How are we to ‘love’ our neighbors while at the same time bearing false witness to them? Is our duty to make them “feel better” or to tell them the truth? What would Jesus have done? In an age where masking has become a talisman, even an idol of sorts to people desperate to find something, anything that ‘controls’ something that is ultimately proving to be uncontrollable, would the Son of God have given people comfort by lying to them or by telling them the truth?

No, I don’t believe Jesus Christ would have put on a mask any more than I think he would have pretended a blood sacrifice to a graven image would have brought rain during a time of drought. And when at all possible, you shouldn’t either.

[70times7]

No I wrote a hell of a lot more than that.

Ok, here is what I responded to in its entirety:

Jesus wouldn’t do a useless thing to demonstrate fealty to evil people. The same people who call Ivermectin horse paste. Who call various other therapies unproven so that they can get an emergency exemption and funnel billions of dollars to drug co’s who then kick some back. Jesus would know with whom He was dealing. He would call them liars.

All of your sentences after the single sentence I responded to were to support your contention that those bringing mask mandates are evil. If you read my response, the point I was trying to forward is that we don't get to refuse to do what Christ said (obedience to authority) just because those who are in authority are evil.

Caesar was evil, yet taxes were still paid as Jesus said to do.

You also wrote:

When Caesar is not bound by logic reason or law he weakens his position. Show all the fealty you want to people who as well as demanding masks were shutting down church services and threatening pastors with arrest while they allowed tit houses to operate.

I don’t see where perception comes into it We aren’t ruled by entirely subjective perception. Jesus’s cared about the Truth. I don’t think He gave a damn for every unreasonable jackasses perception.

You seem to be justifiably angry about what is being done to us. I am too. But I don't think the violation of our God given rights as listed in our constitution (right to assemble, for example) releases us from obedience to scriptural principles. Please help me understand how I am misapplying scripture to the issue of wearing masks.

[70times7]

... And to add some clarity, perception is important, even if you don't care for it.

What Paul wrote, essentially, was that the perception of brothers and sisters who are young in their faith is important. Christians who understand the truth, that there is no sin in eating meat sacrificed to idols, should abstain specifically because of the perception of others.

That doesn't mean they should not be educated in the truth. It means that until they are, their perception should be considered in one's behavior.

Thank you

[lightman]

Is wearing a mask “rendering unto Caesar?”

Was offering a pinch of incense before Caesar and saying "Caesar is Lord" an appropriate rendering unto Caesar?

The witness of the Martyrs says, NO!

[lightman]

www.goarch.org/chapel/saints?contentid=211&PCode=1LM&D=M&date=09/20/2021

September 20
Reading

The holy Martyr Eustathius before his baptism was an illustrious Roman general named Placidas in the days of the Emperor Trajan. While hunting in the country one day, he was converted to the Faith of Christ through the apparition of an uncommonly majestic stag, between whose antlers he saw the Cross of Christ, and through which the Lord spoke to him with a human voice. Upon returning home, he learned that his wife Tatiana had also had a vision in which she was instructed to become a Christian. They sought out the Bishop of the Christians and were baptized, Placidas receiving the name Eustathius, and Tatiana the name Theopiste; their two sons were baptized Agapius and Theopistus. The family was then subjected to such trials as Job endured. Their servants died, all their goods were stolen, and on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem they were scattered abroad, each not even knowing if the others were still alive. By the providence of God, they were united again after many years, and returned to Rome in glory. Nevertheless, when they refused to sacrifice to the idols-a public sacrifice from which no Roman general could be absent-the Emperor Hadrian, who had succeeded Trajan, had them put into a large bronze device in the shape of a bull, which was heated with fire until they died. When their holy bodies were removed, they were found to be without harm. They suffered martyrdom about the year 126.

[olivia3boys]

It seems (from New Testament accounts) that Jesus was almost constantly outside, when not in the synagogue. Therefore no mask.

[Scrambler Bob]

2 Cor 13:12

Greet one another with an holy kiss.

[Scrambler Bob]

Did he hit his thumb with a hammer when helping Joseph?

Was he tempted to cuss?

[TalBlack]

“””...the point I was trying to forward is that we don’t get to refuse to do what Christ said (obedience to authority) just because those who are in authority are evil.”””

Authority (Caesar) must be just and fair and at the very least abide by its own rules, which the Romans and their courts did. Jesus said “ Render unto Caesar THAT which IS Caesars” He did NOT say ‘Render unto Caesar what ever pops into his head’. Frankly The Romans were more justified in their authority than the Biden administration is. The Romans fought on the battlefield for the right to rule. They ruled remarkably fairly and they did not sweep aside local religion or courts or ignore their own (over arching) law. They made sometimes amazing civic improvements and created markets in which the ruled over locals participated.

If you will be consistent in your respect for baseless authority then when the evil in America today demand, as they WILL, that you deny your Savior you will do so. They have already attacked the Authority of our Savior in demanding that we endorse deviant marriage and deviant sexual identity. This is the path to outlawing Him. It His authority that enrages them and is driving them. They WILL NOT allow you to respect it. They cant.

[Elsie]

When their holy bodies were removed, they were found to be without harm

Well; except for being a little bit dead.

[bert]

So, America should be run on the basis of speculation derived from no evidence

[lightman]

Called being “incorrupt”.....a very special type of dead

[70times7]

ALLOW ME TO STEP IN HERE FOR A MOMENT

... to point out something we should all already be painfully aware of. As we debate the incredibly important issue of "would Jesus wear a mask", to be followed by a lively discussion that will include angels, dancing and pin heads (yes, it was; thank you for noticing) we desperately need to recognize who got America here and who keeps it in this condition. Me, and I'm not alone.

2 Chronicles 7:13-14

13 If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, 14 and My people [a]who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

I think it best to just stop now with this thread.

Warm regards!

[70times7]

Tal,

I wrote a reply before my “final post”, above, but for some reason it was deleted instead of being posted.

For the sake of not adding redundancy to a redundancy it was probably for the best.

Be well brother.

[TalBlack]

Ha ha same thing happened to me twice on this thread. Got frustrating as heck. Doesn’t assist the train of thought.