Is this a doctrinal of PERSONAL issue in the church?

[Scarlett O.]

We have the situation in my church that there are mainly older members who feel that we must wear masks and do social distancing, so that happens in 10 AM service, while 11:30 one is mask free zone! We get about 4X more in second service!

Your 11:30 service has more people because it is at a later time.

And by "mask-free zone" - are you saying that it is against your church's policy to wear a mask at 11:30? That you CAN'T wear a mask at 11:30?

 

[AVL1984]

It is selfish to want to be safe? I disagree with that. However, if the government mandates that cover the church/church community say that everyone needs to wear masks indoors, then the church should absolutely follow that mandate. Right now there are no mandates that church attendees need to be vaccinated so there is no way for a church to make that a requirement of attendance (and I don't think that it ever will be). That said, we have not attended in person church since early March 2020 other than one Sunday my husband was asked to preach at our old church because the entire pastoral staff was exposed to Covid and in quarantine. When he went, he stayed completely separate from everyone, only entering the sanctuary to preach and then he left without hanging out with people. This has been because he has 70% lung capacity on a good day due to asthma and this virus could easily kill him so we have instead done online church with our new church, facilitating the online discussion.

But that said, I'm really saddened by the response to this virus and the government mandates amongst church people. At one time I felt the church cared about people's lives and were willing to sacrifice for them but I see now that comfort is more important. What the world is seeing of the church is something that I believe hurts the cause of Christ and certainly is not at all how Christ responded to people. It has me really disillusioned.

It is in no way selfish to want to be safe. But if YOU and YOURS are wearing a mask, and you socially distance yourself, avoiding contact with other people, then you should be safe. I, too have asthma and COPD, as well as diabetes and bilateral Meniere's disease (autoimmune-mediated). I believe more in God than I believe in the alleged science behind the virus. The actual number of cases caused by the C-19 virus alone is quite small. The government has been lumping in the deaths that allegedly have had C-19 as a "contributing factor," but, they don't want to give out the correct numbers. I'm sorry, but the science behind this pandemic just isn't so clear-cut, and it is forcing people to live in fear if they listen to the lies of the MSM and the government and world-controlled health agencies. It's the right of people to disregard "mandates" if each state's governing body doesn't make them law. Each county can dole out mandates all they like, but, they AREN'T law. People CAN be arrested, but they can contest and do, and point out that the recovery rate for this virus is well above 96%. It's not as deadly as the WHO, NIH, CDC, and others make it out to be. It IS uncomfortable to have the virus, but it's also uncomfortable to have the flu or a cold. Christ expects us to use common sense as well as compassion.

 

[AVL1984]

Your 11:30 service has more people because it is at a later time.

And by "mask-free zone" - are you saying that it is against your church's policy to wear a mask at 11:30? That you CAN'T wear a mask at 11:30?

I've asked that you close this thread. It's getting far too contentious and people are introducing things that SHOULD NOT be in this thread. I see that civility is dead on this site!

 

[Scarlett O.]

Thread closed at request of OP.

I apologize for my part in the derailment.