Some weeks back, I put together a case against the fear that had consumed so many people this year. It wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t organized very well, but it was dense and full of references to professionals and experts on the subject.
I remain convinced that the greatest threat in 2020 is not the coronavirus, but the hysteria that fear of it has caused, and the willingness of so many people to be manipulated in their fear.
One of the topics that began to be debated more recently is the use of masks. Some shrug it off. Others fight passionately on one side or the other. It surprised me how quickly people took sides.
In an effort to clarify my own thoughts as a Christian and an advocate of limited government, I put together a Quaestio. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologieae is the most well-known example of the format, but I stole it more directly from Peter Kreeft and his Summa Philosophica.
I’ve found that it’s a nice way to organize thoughts and find gaps in my own thinking. Each title is a question related to the subject. The objections deal with what I think are the best arguments against my own position. Then comes an on the contrary, which gives a third party’s perspective on the subject. After that is my own answer, where I try to respond to the question. And last, I respond to each objection on its own.
Below you’ll find a few of the subjects related to masks and Christian living that I’ve tried to answer.
I have a few other questions I haven’t been able to complete, but if there is any interest, I may do so.
- Whether masks are safe?
- Whether it is good to slow the spread of the illness?
- Whether it is good to wear a mask for the benefit of others?
- Whether the wearing of masks can be divided from politics?
- Whether we ought to defer to conscience?
- Whether we ought to resist orders to wear masks?
Whether it is good to argue as the Body of Christ?
Objection 1: It seems that it is not good, because quarreling is wrong. The second chapter of 2nd Timothy says “The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome”. Objection 2: Division in the Body is a sign of Satan’s interference in the church, and we should fight that interference. Objection 3: We must guard our weaker…
Whether it is good to debate the subject of masks?
Objection 1: It seems that it is not good to debate this subject, because minor subjects are a waste of time to debate and just lead to divisiveness. Objection 2: Dividing the church over minor subjects like masks is wrong. Churches ought to divide only as a last resort when dealing with major differences over…
Whether masks are efficacious in preventing the illness?
Objection 1: It seems that masks are efficacious in preventing this illness, as they are worn by surgeons to prevent illness. Objection 2: Countries which have required masks, like South Korea, have outperformed countries which have not, like Italy. Likewise, states which have required masks, like California, have outperformed states which have not, like Texas.…
Antemodernist 