Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.

Face mask or no face mask?

18911131419

Replies

  • cgvet37
    cgvet37 Posts: 1,189 Member
    lokihen wrote: »
    cgvet37 wrote: »
    cgvet37 wrote: »
    Unless everyone properly wears a mask, there is no point.

    That's absurd. There are very few problems that require 100% perfect compliance to avoid eliminating all value of any compliance. Nuclear deterrence is arguably one. Reducing disease transmission is not.

    You do realize that those cheap paper masks do nothing to protect you? They are to protect you if someone coughs or sneezes. So, it takes one person who is sick and not wearing a mask. If you really want to be protected, you better wear a hazmat suite. Do you wear goggles? If not, the virus can enter through your eyes. So, the mask makes people "feel" safe.

    This stuff about the virus entering through your eyes sounds like pure speculation. Can we get exposed to diseases via our eyeballs? I'm sure we can. But viral load is a thing and if someone coughs in your vicinity, mere access to your eyeball isn't going to mean you necessarily get infected.

    No scientific knowledge, but I'd guess the biggest danger would be picking up fomites from surfaces and rubbing them into eyes.

    Sure, but we can minimize that without goggles by limiting the surfaces we touch outside our home, reducing the number of times we touch our face/eyes, and regularly washing our hands. It isn't going to eliminate the possibility of getting ill, but we basically can't ever eliminate that possibility in life . . . we're simply managing risks as best we can.

    My point is that there is no good evidence that we need to wear goggles in public or we might as well not bother to do anything at all.

    I'm pretty sure (well, I hope) that @cgvet37 wouldn't argue that we shouldn't bother to ever wash our hands because we might still get sick anyway. The same principle applies to masks.

    Did you really compare washing your hands to wearing a mask?
  • jamloche
    jamloche Posts: 109 Member
    At my church, almost no one practices social distancing and it often seems as if I'm the only one wearing a mask. When the Elders opened the church back up for live Sunday services, I was angry about it ... but I kept going because it's important to me.

    Lately, I've come to the realization that these are the same people I know and love. The fact is they legitimately believe that masks do absolutely no good whatsoever. In fact, they actually believe wearing masks is harmful ... for any number of reasons - political, medical, and social. It mystifies me how they've come to this conclusion, but they have. And just like me, these people are moving forward in these highly uncertain times, making the best decisions they can, based on things that they very strongly believe in.

    In a very real sense, my brothers and sisters in Christ are actually loving me by NOT wearing a mask. And even though I strongly disagree with their conclusions, I love them for doing what they think is right and good.
  • jamloche wrote: »
    At my church, almost no one practices social distancing and it often seems as if I'm the only one wearing a mask. When the Elders opened the church back up for live Sunday services, I was angry about it ... but I kept going because it's important to me.

    Lately, I've come to the realization that these are the same people I know and love. The fact is they legitimately believe that masks do absolutely no good whatsoever. In fact, they actually believe wearing masks is harmful ... for any number of reasons - political, medical, and social. It mystifies me how they've come to this conclusion, but they have. And just like me, these people are moving forward in these highly uncertain times, making the best decisions they can, based on things that they very strongly believe in.

    In a very real sense, my brothers and sisters in Christ are actually loving me by NOT wearing a mask. And even though I strongly disagree with their conclusions, I love them for doing what they think is right and good.

    WOW
  • cgvet37
    cgvet37 Posts: 1,189 Member
    jamloche wrote: »
    At my church, almost no one practices social distancing and it often seems as if I'm the only one wearing a mask. When the Elders opened the church back up for live Sunday services, I was angry about it ... but I kept going because it's important to me.

    Lately, I've come to the realization that these are the same people I know and love. The fact is they legitimately believe that masks do absolutely no good whatsoever. In fact, they actually believe wearing masks is harmful ... for any number of reasons - political, medical, and social. It mystifies me how they've come to this conclusion, but they have. And just like me, these people are moving forward in these highly uncertain times, making the best decisions they can, based on things that they very strongly believe in.

    In a very real sense, my brothers and sisters in Christ are actually loving me by NOT wearing a mask. And even though I strongly disagree with their conclusions, I love them for doing what they think is right and good.

    This is the best example I have seen illustrating why we will NEVER be able to get this virus under control. As long as people assign moral attributes to forgoing life-saving precautions, there is no hope.

    When/if we get a safe and reliable vaccine, how many people will make religious, moral, political, medical, and social excuses for NOT getting the vaccine?

    You do reslize the virus will always exist, just like the Flu? I don't get a Flu shot, and I never get the Flu. I absolutely will not get a vaccine.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Hollis100 wrote: »
    jamloche wrote: »
    At my church, almost no one practices social distancing and it often seems as if I'm the only one wearing a mask. When the Elders opened the church back up for live Sunday services, I was angry about it ... but I kept going because it's important to me.

    Lately, I've come to the realization that these are the same people I know and love. The fact is they legitimately believe that masks do absolutely no good whatsoever. In fact, they actually believe wearing masks is harmful ... for any number of reasons - political, medical, and social. It mystifies me how they've come to this conclusion, but they have. And just like me, these people are moving forward in these highly uncertain times, making the best decisions they can, based on things that they very strongly believe in.

    In a very real sense, my brothers and sisters in Christ are actually loving me by NOT wearing a mask. And even though I strongly disagree with their conclusions, I love them for doing what they think is right and good.

    I believe I understand where you're coming from. Years ago I read this statement (can't remember the author, and this is a paraphrase): "Everyone tries to do things in the interest of good, as they understand it."

    My definition of what's in the interest of good re the pandemic is definitely not the same as people who refuse to wear masks because they think the masks are useless, so there you go.

    Sometimes I try to have pity instead of rage for people who refuse to listen to scientists and doctors and instead listen to politicians and others who insist everything is on the path to normal, and to stand to gain by that attitude. But it's tough not to be disgusted -- especially because I work in retail, so this issue is personally life-threatening.

    Perhaps in a really small town where everyone knows everyone, and you know what you are doing will be seen and noticed by others.

    Get a little bigger in size and the selfishness is shown and that is absolutely not true.
    People are willing to risk other people's lives all the time on actions THEY KNOW are dangerous to others.
    They truly do not care.
  • Hollis100
    Hollis100 Posts: 1,408 Member
    heybales wrote: »
    Hollis100 wrote: »
    jamloche wrote: »
    At my church, almost no one practices social distancing and it often seems as if I'm the only one wearing a mask. When the Elders opened the church back up for live Sunday services, I was angry about it ... but I kept going because it's important to me.

    Lately, I've come to the realization that these are the same people I know and love. The fact is they legitimately believe that masks do absolutely no good whatsoever. In fact, they actually believe wearing masks is harmful ... for any number of reasons - political, medical, and social. It mystifies me how they've come to this conclusion, but they have. And just like me, these people are moving forward in these highly uncertain times, making the best decisions they can, based on things that they very strongly believe in.

    In a very real sense, my brothers and sisters in Christ are actually loving me by NOT wearing a mask. And even though I strongly disagree with their conclusions, I love them for doing what they think is right and good.

    I believe I understand where you're coming from. Years ago I read this statement (can't remember the author, and this is a paraphrase): "Everyone tries to do things in the interest of good, as they understand it."

    My definition of what's in the interest of good re the pandemic is definitely not the same as people who refuse to wear masks because they think the masks are useless, so there you go.

    Sometimes I try to have pity instead of rage for people who refuse to listen to scientists and doctors and instead listen to politicians and others who insist everything is on the path to normal, and to stand to gain by that attitude. But it's tough not to be disgusted -- especially because I work in retail, so this issue is personally life-threatening.

    Perhaps in a really small town where everyone knows everyone, and you know what you are doing will be seen and noticed by others.

    Get a little bigger in size and the selfishness is shown and that is absolutely not true.
    People are willing to risk other people's lives all the time on actions THEY KNOW are dangerous to others.
    They truly do not care
    .

    That's absolutely true.

  • jamloche
    jamloche Posts: 109 Member
    jamloche wrote: »
    At my church, almost no one practices social distancing and it often seems as if I'm the only one wearing a mask. When the Elders opened the church back up for live Sunday services, I was angry about it ... but I kept going because it's important to me.

    Lately, I've come to the realization that these are the same people I know and love. The fact is they legitimately believe that masks do absolutely no good whatsoever. In fact, they actually believe wearing masks is harmful ... for any number of reasons - political, medical, and social. It mystifies me how they've come to this conclusion, but they have. And just like me, these people are moving forward in these highly uncertain times, making the best decisions they can, based on things that they very strongly believe in.

    In a very real sense, my brothers and sisters in Christ are actually loving me by NOT wearing a mask. And even though I strongly disagree with their conclusions, I love them for doing what they think is right and good.

    This is the best example I have seen illustrating why we will NEVER be able to get this virus under control. As long as people assign moral attributes to forgoing life-saving precautions, there is no hope.

    When/if we get a safe and reliable vaccine, how many people will make religious, moral, political, medical, and social excuses for NOT getting the vaccine?

    If I may play devil's advocate here ... it's possible that assigning the moniker "life-saving precaution" to wearing a cloth face covering may seem to some as if you yourself are assigning moral attributes here.

    In fact, from what I've read about the issue, there aren't any conclusive AND well conducted studies showing the efficacy of wearing cloth masks even as a method of source control. That means that the best we can say with any real certainty is that the science is still unsettled.

    Don't get me wrong, there are other factors such as viral load for example that convince me that wearing a mask is the best choice, and no matter what - we should err on the side of caution in the face of a global pandemic. But I'm also willing to give some people the benefit of the doubt ... that they are making the best choices for themselves and for their families based on what they sincerely believe is true.
  • jamloche
    jamloche Posts: 109 Member
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    jamloche wrote: »
    At my church, almost no one practices social distancing and it often seems as if I'm the only one wearing a mask. When the Elders opened the church back up for live Sunday services, I was angry about it ... but I kept going because it's important to me.

    Lately, I've come to the realization that these are the same people I know and love. The fact is they legitimately believe that masks do absolutely no good whatsoever. In fact, they actually believe wearing masks is harmful ... for any number of reasons - political, medical, and social. It mystifies me how they've come to this conclusion, but they have. And just like me, these people are moving forward in these highly uncertain times, making the best decisions they can, based on things that they very strongly believe in.

    In a very real sense, my brothers and sisters in Christ are actually loving me by NOT wearing a mask. And even though I strongly disagree with their conclusions, I love them for doing what they think is right and good.

    Understand attending church is important to you and everyone has to make there own decisions when an actual law is not involved. Just hope you don't have to be loving your congregation while hooked up to a ventilator.

    God bless.

    My pastor said something that really stuck with me. He said that we must all understand that there is often risk associated with church attendance. I take that to mean that in some parts of the world, attending a Christian church service could lead to real persecution (not that Christians have the corner on that market).

    Obviously I recognize that religious persecution and Covid-19 are not the same thing, but it made me think about my own convictions and how I understand the biblical mandate regarding church attendance. My presence there is either important or it's not.

    These are strange times we are living in.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    mockchoc wrote: »
    tittyman1 wrote: »
    Never wore one and doing fine.

    Why can't people seem to grasp that wearing a mask is to protect OTHERS from YOUR snot and slobber droplets exploding from your face while you are blabbing your uninformed opinions on wearing masks?

    Because a LOT of people apparently only think about themselves. I wonder how they will feel if they catch it and spread it to people they love and they die or get dangerously ill.

    They'll blame someone else because nothing could ever be their fault.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    jamloche wrote: »
    At my church, almost no one practices social distancing and it often seems as if I'm the only one wearing a mask. When the Elders opened the church back up for live Sunday services, I was angry about it ... but I kept going because it's important to me.

    Lately, I've come to the realization that these are the same people I know and love. The fact is they legitimately believe that masks do absolutely no good whatsoever. In fact, they actually believe wearing masks is harmful ... for any number of reasons - political, medical, and social. It mystifies me how they've come to this conclusion, but they have. And just like me, these people are moving forward in these highly uncertain times, making the best decisions they can, based on things that they very strongly believe in.

    In a very real sense, my brothers and sisters in Christ are actually loving me by NOT wearing a mask. And even though I strongly disagree with their conclusions, I love them for doing what they think is right and good.

    This is the best example I have seen illustrating why we will NEVER be able to get this virus under control. As long as people assign moral attributes to forgoing life-saving precautions, there is no hope.

    When/if we get a safe and reliable vaccine, how many people will make religious, moral, political, medical, and social excuses for NOT getting the vaccine?

    "In a very real sense, my brothers and sisters are actually loving me by refusing to get vaccinated. I love them for doing what they think is right and good."
  • jamloche
    jamloche Posts: 109 Member
    Gisel2015 wrote: »
    jamloche wrote: »
    At my church, almost no one practices social distancing and it often seems as if I'm the only one wearing a mask. When the Elders opened the church back up for live Sunday services, I was angry about it ... but I kept going because it's important to me.

    Lately, I've come to the realization that these are the same people I know and love. The fact is they legitimately believe that masks do absolutely no good whatsoever. In fact, they actually believe wearing masks is harmful ... for any number of reasons - political, medical, and social. It mystifies me how they've come to this conclusion, but they have. And just like me, these people are moving forward in these highly uncertain times, making the best decisions they can, based on things that they very strongly believe in.

    In a very real sense, my brothers and sisters in Christ are actually loving me by NOT wearing a mask. And even though I strongly disagree with their conclusions, I love them for doing what they think is right and good.

    But does Christ loves you for putting your fellow Christian's friends health in jeopardy and risk getting the virus and maybe dying? He was sacrificed for protecting his flock, but his flock can't even keep social distance or wear a mask to protect humanity? Wow, just wow!

    But if they honestly believe that wearing a mask does no good and is, in fact, harmful to themselves and to the public at large ... how could they do anything else? Isn't the "objectively evil" thing "Doing Something that You Sincerely Believe is Harmful to Others?"

    It's hard to remember that what seems so clear and obvious to us may present differently to others. In their mind, wearing a mask does not equal protecting humanity. I'm just trying to get past the anger that seems to muddy this debate from both sides.

    Not trying to make this a religious thing ... that's just the circleof people around me.
  • jamloche
    jamloche Posts: 109 Member
    jamloche wrote: »
    At my church, almost no one practices social distancing and it often seems as if I'm the only one wearing a mask. When the Elders opened the church back up for live Sunday services, I was angry about it ... but I kept going because it's important to me.

    Lately, I've come to the realization that these are the same people I know and love. The fact is they legitimately believe that masks do absolutely no good whatsoever. In fact, they actually believe wearing masks is harmful ... for any number of reasons - political, medical, and social. It mystifies me how they've come to this conclusion, but they have. And just like me, these people are moving forward in these highly uncertain times, making the best decisions they can, based on things that they very strongly believe in.

    In a very real sense, my brothers and sisters in Christ are actually loving me by NOT wearing a mask. And even though I strongly disagree with their conclusions, I love them for doing what they think is right and good.

    Wait, what?

    This sounds like broken brain thinking.

    Your first set principle is "I believe these people are good" and you move on to "therefore everything they do must be good and an expression of their love and goodness."

    It really should be "These people are doing something that is objectively selfish and misinformed" and let that take you to deciding what type of people they are.

    Your style of thinking is what lets us rationalize evil. "These people are good, therefore [x behavior] must be good."

    In reality these could be otherwise good people who are doing something wrong. Or they could be truly terrible people who are using a belief system to whitewash their generally terrible behavior. I don't know -- I don't go to your church. But I do know that saying "Christians are good, therefore all Christian behavior is good" isn't logical.

    (Same for any group, this isn't religion-specific).

    I fully agree with the bolded statement above. The point of my comment was that I want to believe the best about people who I disagree with. I'm trying to believe that they are doing what they sincerely think is right ... just like me. Just like you. The fact that they are Christians is secondary.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,733 Member
    jamloche wrote: »
    Gisel2015 wrote: »
    jamloche wrote: »
    At my church, almost no one practices social distancing and it often seems as if I'm the only one wearing a mask. When the Elders opened the church back up for live Sunday services, I was angry about it ... but I kept going because it's important to me.

    Lately, I've come to the realization that these are the same people I know and love. The fact is they legitimately believe that masks do absolutely no good whatsoever. In fact, they actually believe wearing masks is harmful ... for any number of reasons - political, medical, and social. It mystifies me how they've come to this conclusion, but they have. And just like me, these people are moving forward in these highly uncertain times, making the best decisions they can, based on things that they very strongly believe in.

    In a very real sense, my brothers and sisters in Christ are actually loving me by NOT wearing a mask. And even though I strongly disagree with their conclusions, I love them for doing what they think is right and good.

    But does Christ loves you for putting your fellow Christian's friends health in jeopardy and risk getting the virus and maybe dying? He was sacrificed for protecting his flock, but his flock can't even keep social distance or wear a mask to protect humanity? Wow, just wow!

    But if they honestly believe that wearing a mask does no good and is, in fact, harmful to themselves and to the public at large ... how could they do anything else? Isn't the "objectively evil" thing "Doing Something that You Sincerely Believe is Harmful to Others?"

    It's hard to remember that what seems so clear and obvious to us may present differently to others. In their mind, wearing a mask does not equal protecting humanity. I'm just trying to get past the anger that seems to muddy this debate from both sides.

    Not trying to make this a religious thing ... that's just the circleof people around me.

    Believing something doesn't automatically make you right. Whatever they believe, even if there's a slight chance masks help, your brothers and sisters in christ are being selfish for not keeping their cooties to themselves. There's also a condom joke in here somewhere but I don't want to offend. 😀

    How are you going to feel if you end up on a ventilator because someone didn't wear a mask? Will their thoughts and prayers comfort you while you're trying to breathe? (I'm reminded of the school shootings and all those scared and DEAD kids.)
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,493 Member
    edited August 2020
    jamloche wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    jamloche wrote: »
    At my church, almost no one practices social distancing and it often seems as if I'm the only one wearing a mask. When the Elders opened the church back up for live Sunday services, I was angry about it ... but I kept going because it's important to me.

    Lately, I've come to the realization that these are the same people I know and love. The fact is they legitimately believe that masks do absolutely no good whatsoever. In fact, they actually believe wearing masks is harmful ... for any number of reasons - political, medical, and social. It mystifies me how they've come to this conclusion, but they have. And just like me, these people are moving forward in these highly uncertain times, making the best decisions they can, based on things that they very strongly believe in.

    In a very real sense, my brothers and sisters in Christ are actually loving me by NOT wearing a mask. And even though I strongly disagree with their conclusions, I love them for doing what they think is right and good.

    Understand attending church is important to you and everyone has to make there own decisions when an actual law is not involved. Just hope you don't have to be loving your congregation while hooked up to a ventilator.

    God bless.

    My pastor said something that really stuck with me. He said that we must all understand that there is often risk associated with church attendance. I take that to mean that in some parts of the world, attending a Christian church service could lead to real persecution (not that Christians have the corner on that market).

    Obviously I recognize that religious persecution and Covid-19 are not the same thing, but it made me think about my own convictions and how I understand the biblical mandate regarding church attendance. My presence there is either important or it's not.

    These are strange times we are living in.

    Everyone has their own interpretation but the 4th commandment in the Christian Bible says to remember the Sabbath (Lord's Day) and keep it holy. Nothing says one has to "keep it holy" inside a church.

    Again different interpretations.
  • jamloche
    jamloche Posts: 109 Member
    glassyo wrote: »
    jamloche wrote: »
    Gisel2015 wrote: »
    jamloche wrote: »
    At my church, almost no one practices social distancing and it often seems as if I'm the only one wearing a mask. When the Elders opened the church back up for live Sunday services, I was angry about it ... but I kept going because it's important to me.

    Lately, I've come to the realization that these are the same people I know and love. The fact is they legitimately believe that masks do absolutely no good whatsoever. In fact, they actually believe wearing masks is harmful ... for any number of reasons - political, medical, and social. It mystifies me how they've come to this conclusion, but they have. And just like me, these people are moving forward in these highly uncertain times, making the best decisions they can, based on things that they very strongly believe in.

    In a very real sense, my brothers and sisters in Christ are actually loving me by NOT wearing a mask. And even though I strongly disagree with their conclusions, I love them for doing what they think is right and good.

    But does Christ loves you for putting your fellow Christian's friends health in jeopardy and risk getting the virus and maybe dying? He was sacrificed for protecting his flock, but his flock can't even keep social distance or wear a mask to protect humanity? Wow, just wow!

    But if they honestly believe that wearing a mask does no good and is, in fact, harmful to themselves and to the public at large ... how could they do anything else? Isn't the "objectively evil" thing "Doing Something that You Sincerely Believe is Harmful to Others?"

    It's hard to remember that what seems so clear and obvious to us may present differently to others. In their mind, wearing a mask does not equal protecting humanity. I'm just trying to get past the anger that seems to muddy this debate from both sides.

    Not trying to make this a religious thing ... that's just the circleof people around me.

    Believing something doesn't automatically make you right. Whatever they believe, even if there's a slight chance masks help, your brothers and sisters in christ are being selfish for not keeping their cooties to themselves. There's also a condom joke in here somewhere but I don't want to offend. 😀

    How are you going to feel if you end up on a ventilator because someone didn't wear a mask? Will their thoughts and prayers comfort you while you're trying to breathe? (I'm reminded of the school shootings and all those scared and DEAD kids.)

    The bolded statement in your comment could be made about both sides of this argument ... it's all about perspective. My point is that being wrong doesn't automatically make you evil.

    The fact is, I know the situation when I walk into that building every Sunday. If I end up on a ventilator, I hope that I will remember that it was my choice to put myself at risk.
  • jamloche
    jamloche Posts: 109 Member
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    jamloche wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    jamloche wrote: »
    At my church, almost no one practices social distancing and it often seems as if I'm the only one wearing a mask. When the Elders opened the church back up for live Sunday services, I was angry about it ... but I kept going because it's important to me.

    Lately, I've come to the realization that these are the same people I know and love. The fact is they legitimately believe that masks do absolutely no good whatsoever. In fact, they actually believe wearing masks is harmful ... for any number of reasons - political, medical, and social. It mystifies me how they've come to this conclusion, but they have. And just like me, these people are moving forward in these highly uncertain times, making the best decisions they can, based on things that they very strongly believe in.

    In a very real sense, my brothers and sisters in Christ are actually loving me by NOT wearing a mask. And even though I strongly disagree with their conclusions, I love them for doing what they think is right and good.

    Understand attending church is important to you and everyone has to make there own decisions when an actual law is not involved. Just hope you don't have to be loving your congregation while hooked up to a ventilator.

    God bless.

    My pastor said something that really stuck with me. He said that we must all understand that there is often risk associated with church attendance. I take that to mean that in some parts of the world, attending a Christian church service could lead to real persecution (not that Christians have the corner on that market).

    Obviously I recognize that religious persecution and Covid-19 are not the same thing, but it made me think about my own convictions and how I understand the biblical mandate regarding church attendance. My presence there is either important or it's not.

    These are strange times we are living in.

    Everyone has their own interpretation but the 4th commandment in the Christian Bible says to remember the Sabbath Lord's Day) and keep it holy. Nothing says one has to "keep it holy" inside a church.

    Again different interpretations.

    I totally agree! In fact, I had never taken the time to really suss out my own interpretation until COVID-19 came around.
This discussion has been closed.