As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“Despite passage of a local mask mandate this summer, Van Noy said he was ‘exercising his freedom’ by not observing it. He told congregants he wasn’t suggesting they disobey laws, but said, ‘In this case, we can peacefully and biblically resist, without violation of the Godly standards we submit ourselves to.’” - C. Leaders
“One of the disturbing findings was that some 699,000 youth aged 12-17 have an addiction to marijuana in 2019 – representing 187,000 new youth with a Cannabis Use Disorder in 2019 versus 2018. Overall, more than 4.8 million people aged 12 or older reported Marijuana Use Disorder in 2019, up from 4.4 million in 2018.” - MCDaily
Curiosity might kill cats but it’s a really good thing in humans. We could all use more of it. I offer the following to the masks-vs-COVID curious. My view on both mask use and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) use—along with most other COVID-related questions—has been that being dogmatic isn’t appropriate either way.
That said, my overall impression of the evidence continues to be that masks are very likely somewhat helpful and HCQ very likely isn’t. This post focuses on masks.
Evidence comes in many forms. Here I’ll look at these categories:
“Americans are more united than divided when it comes to their safety. Let’s not allow the media and a small group of political activists to polarize and politicize this pandemic and suggest fractures when they do not exist.” - Samuel Abrams
“An Alaskan reader challenged us to share 10 reasons to take the coronavirus pandemic seriously—to believe that it is ‘not a hoax,’ as she put it.” - WORLD
“ ‘Wearing a mask is for smug liberals. Refusing to is for reckless Republicans.’ If only things were that simple; if only we could laugh off the debate as hyperbolic virtue signaling from both sides. Most likely by the time you read this, though, we will have tragically raced past the 100,000 mark in this country’s fatality count.” - John Ellis
“What makes all of this even dumber is that all the federal government has done is recommend mask-wearing. Most of the places that require masks are private businesses. Admittedly, some are adhering to local public health guidelines, but so what? Why aren’t these rebels going shirtless and shoeless into restaurants to stick it to the man and his Maoist ‘No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service’ signs?” - The Dispatch
“We are hearing from some that this disease is extremely serious and from others that it’s relatively minor. Compared to other conditions and diseases you treat, how serious is COVID-19?” - Challies
“Across the nation, some churches practiced safety guidelines and adjusted routines while resuming onsite worship for the first time in nearly two months.” - BPNews
Related…
“I’ve found it useful to reflect on hospital experiences through writing, with particular focus on the quiet individuals working alongside physicians and nurses during this time, including patient transport staff, environmental services staff, and dining services staff. They are unsung heroes, in my opinion, important components of any hospital operation.” - BJU Today
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