My good friend and fellow conservative, Shannon Joy, and I are co-contributors in today’s article where we are documenting the spiritual, physical, and psychological impact of mask mandates as a long-term policy in schools, churches, and institutions based on her recently released, Whitepaper On Masking Policy For Secular & Religious Institutions.
In addition, Shannon provides information about the legalities of pursuing “mask optional” policies in the future, along with a short review of the “science” behind mask policies. Some of the information below is based on Shannon’s experiences as a New Yorker, but it applies to all of us regardless of where we live because the impact of mask mandates is universal.
Particularly poignant for those of you who believe that opposing coronavirus tyranny is “anti-life” and evidence of a “spiritual problem” — I’m looking at you, David French — is how mask mandates are negatively impacting the spiritual condition of the church.
Spiritual Impact
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV)
The masking of a person’s face is dehumanizing and impedes the development of healthy natural relationships. It also hampers the spiritual growth and our relationship with God.
In this excerpt from David S. Schrock’s sermon, A Theology of the Face: How Endless Mask-Wearing Hides the Image of God and Hinders the Church, we see how the soul’s humanity is expressed in the face:
This is the point at issue today. When human faces are covered by masks, we are veiling something that is necessary to embrace a knowledge of God. In fact, as we will see below, the gospel itself is the unveiling of God in the face of Christ. This means that seeing faces is not optional for knowing God; it is essential.
Because when an entire population of image bearers covers their faces, the sea of covered faces says something about God and the world he has made. Covering the face is not like covering the elbow or the ears, it is the place where personality is most exquisitely communicated. And we should not assume that the endless covering of faces will have no effect on the way that people relate to God and one another.
Despite widespread misinformation pertaining to Romans 13, Christians are NOT compelled to submit to unjust laws that threaten and/or impose on God’s jurisdiction over his people. In a recent message by Canadian minister James Coates — he was imprisoned for violating lockdown rules — he preached on the Biblical necessity for believers and faith leaders to challenge and refuse to comply with unjust laws. (emphasis mine)
Physical Impact
It is absolutely irrefutable that prolonged masking can have very serious health impacts – especially on young people. Here is just a sampling of studies showing clear NEGATIVE health impact of mask mandates:
- Prolonged use of N95 and surgical masks by healthcare professionals during COVID-19 has caused adverse effects such as headaches, rash, acne, skin breakdown, and impaired cognition in the majority of those surveyed.
- Face masks make breathing more difficult. Moreover, a fraction of carbon dioxide previously exhaled is inhaled at each respiratory cycle. Those two phenomena increase breathing frequency and deepness, and hence they increase the amount of inhaled and exhaled air. This may worsen the burden of covid-19 if infected people wearing masks spread more contaminated air. This may also worsen the clinical condition of infected people if the enhanced breathing pushes the viral load down into their lungs.
- World Health Organization Guidance lists the potential risks to healthy persons wearing masks, including:
Psychological Impact
The CDC recently released COVID mask guidelines for children that are so extreme they are, for all practical purposes, federally sanctioned child abuse. BMJ.com posted a Rapid Response sharing this same concern as it considers the negative impact of mask mandates at the immunological and psychological level of mandating facemasks for children and adolescents and maintains that they outweigh the possible gains.
The Science On Mask Efficacy — There Is None
There isn’t a single, peer reviewed, randomized control trial in existence proving cloth or surgical masks prevent the transmission of airborne viruses or coronaviruses. However, 32 studies were cited in this comprehensive review of mask policy and effectiveness written by Denis G. Rancourt, PhD that conclude cloth or surgical masks are not effective in preventing the spread of airborne viruses.
“The unprecedented measures of universal lockdowns, tight institutional lockdowns of care homes, universal masking of the general population, obsession with surfaces and hands, and the accelerated vaccine deployment are contrary to known science, and contrary to recent leading studies.”
In addition, the National Institute of Health published one of the most comprehensive reviews of 19 randomized control trials and found that:
- Respirators worn by healthcare workers, if worn continually during a shift, were effective but not if worn intermittently
- Medical masks were not effective, and cloth masks were even less effective
- When used by sick patients, randomized controlled trials suggested protection of well contacts
Amazingly, NIH concluded that “The study suggests that community mask use by well people could be beneficial, particularly for COVID-19, where transmission may be pre-symptomatic.” This obvious contradiction to the facts revealed in their own study speaks directly to the level of deception involved in the perpetration of the GREAT LIE that masks are necessary.
The Law On Mandatory Mask Use — There Is None
Speaking from her experience as a New York citizen, Shannon explains how mask mandate laws in the Empire State don’t exist even though many believe they do.
For example, Dr. Mike Mendoza testified on March 10, 2021 in front of the Monroe County Legislature and stated in no uncertain terms that he and his department have absolutely no authority to compel schools on reopening protocol or COVID safety policies. He also stated that he has never even seen any re-opening plans.
Mendoza directs schools to look to the NYS Health Department Guidance . . . which is NOT law. They only provide guidance, meaning that schools and businesses have wide latitude to create their own policies. This is evidenced by the fact that multiple day care centers, businesses and churches have been operating without mask mandates or social distancing requirements since March of 2020.
Most institutions mistakenly believe that Governor Cuomo’s “mask mandate” actually mandates masking. However, the executive order itself provides wide latitude and plenty of loopholes specifically for people unable to “medically tolerate” wearing a mask.
“Any individual who is over age two and able to medically tolerate a face-covering shall be required to cover their nose and mouth with a mask or cloth face-covering when in a public place and unable to maintain, or when not maintaining, social distance.” (emphasis mine)
In practice, since there are so many different recommendations from so many different institutions like WHO, CDC, NYS Health Department and Monroe County Health Department, every institution has EXTREME latitude to craft their own policies with guidance from legal council.
State Laws On Forced Masking Are Illegal
Even if you live in a state where so-called mask mandate laws have been passed, they are blatantly unconstitutional and inhumane because the federal government prohibits forced mask usage via its own laws and statutes. This was explained recently by legal scholar and commentator Daniel Horowitz.
‘Federal law governing the conditions of authorization of unapproved emergency medical products (21 U.S.C. §360bbb–3(e)(1)(A)(ii)(III)) requires the secretary of HHS to “ensure that individuals to whom the product is administered are informed,” among other things, “of the option to accept or refuse administration of the product.” (emphasis mine)
Forced masking is also being challenged as a violation of both the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state explicitly that certain health conditions, including “trouble breathing,” asthma, allergies, COPD, and anxiety, are conditions that would exempt individuals from mask mandates.
In Conclusion
- Mask mandates present significant problems for the spiritual, physical and psychological development of children and must be ended.
- Masking has not been proven to protect individuals from transmission of airborne viruses including coronaviruses.
- There is no legal basis for pursuing or enforcing mask mandates which is why Wegmans, Target, CVS, Rite Aid, day care centers and multiple area churches are able to maintain “mask optional” policies.
- There are potential legal liabilities for those who continue to pursue mask mandates, as they are in violation of OSHA, ADA, HIPPA and other federal laws; not to mention the gross constitutional violations.
You can request a copy of Shannon’s white paper documenting the impact of mask mandates via email at theshannonjoyshow@gmail.com.
Shannon Joy is the host of The Shannon Joy Show heard daily on WHAM 1180. You can learn more about her work and subscribe to her podcasts at TheShannonJoy.com.
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David Leach is the owner of the Strident Conservative. He holds people of every political stripe accountable for their failure to uphold conservative values, and he promotes those values instead of political parties.
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