When it Comes to Masks and Vaccines, We Must Never Bind the Consciences of Others.

I wholeheartedly agree that our decisions should always be motivated by love of neighbor; however, I strongly disagree that the only way to love our neighbor is to wear a mask or take a vaccine.

Several months ago, I published an article appealing to believers to judge others charitably when it comes to wearing masks. My aim in that article was not to choose a side on whether believers should or should not wear masks; rather, my desire was simply to show that different believers may come to different conclusions on whether or not wearing masks is the best way to love our neighbors. This paragraph provides a good summary of my argument:

"The desire to love one’s neighbor is good and right; indeed, loving our neighbor is a direct command from our Lord Jesus (Mark 12:28–31)! And as a direct command from our Lord, this command is essential (and central!) to the faith. All believers are called to love our neighbors, and there are no exceptions to this command. But while the command itself is clear and rightly labeled as essential, the specific outworking of this command may vary depending on the situation and may look different from person to person. In the case of masks, because Scripture does not give any direct command, deciding whether to wear one becomes a matter of conscience (cf. Rom. 14). To be sure, believers should always be motivated by love of neighbor and love of God, and any decision to wear or not wear a mask should be made with these commands in mind. Moreover, if believers choose to wear masks, they should wear them to the glory of God; if they choose not to wear them, they should refrain from wearing them to the glory of God."

Since I wrote this article in July, many public officials have redoubled their efforts to encourage mask-wearing, either through strong exhortations or executive orders and mandates. What’s more, an increasing number of Christian leaders have also called on believers to wear masks in order to love our neighbors, and many pastors and churches now require masks during their worship services and small group gatherings. As I explained in my previous article, I believe these pastors and leaders are seeking to love their churches well, and I believe that pastors and churches can come to different conclusions on these issues. Every congregation is different, and the elders of each church are tasked with shepherding their local congregations by the grace of God and to the glory of God. But while it is understandable that some pastors and Christian leaders may encourage other believers to wear masks, and while some churches may even require masks at their gatherings (or may decide to meet virtually), I have become deeply concerned by calls from some Christian leaders that either imply or directly state that wearing masks is the only way to love our neighbors. As one recent example, Erik Raymond recently wrote an article for the Gospel Coalition claiming that masks are not a matter of conscience:

“For many wearing a mask is one reasonable way to love other people and protect them. It would be unloving to minimize or ignore their concerns, especially in light of the evolving data and heightened case numbers. Christian love requires a willingness to follow Jesus and set ourselves aside. Christians should be eager to do this.”

Raymond further contends that “[i]t’s saddening to read of some churches who disregard safety standards and then become super-spreaders for the virus. This harms the testimony of the church in the community. . . . I do not believe that conscience is a valid reason for refusing to wear a mask to church.”

Another example comes from a recent conversation with Dr. Russell Moore, President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, and Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health. In that conversation, Dr. Moore made several quips about “conspiracy theorists” and “5G towers,” and Dr. Collins joked that “Bill Gates has not convinced us to put microchips into the syringes [of the vaccines].” On masks, though, Dr. Collins made the following statements:

“So, again, if we are as Christians called, not to be observers, but to be participants in getting past this and dealing with the needs for attending to the sick and suffering, I think there are other ways that we can do that [referring to Christians gathering virtually instead of in person].”

“And that means all of us are recognizing these simple measures, even though they’ve gotten politicized like this [Dr. Collins holds up a mask]. This [mask] is not a political statement. This is not an invasion of your personal freedom. It doesn’t mean you’re less masculine if you wear one. Guys, I’m talking to you. This is what it is. This is a life-saving medical device. . . . You are doing the altruistic loving thing of saying, ‘Just in case I’m that asymptomatic carrier, that feels fine, but is actually contagious, I’m going to protect those people from me.’ That sounds like a Christian action if I’ve ever heard one.”

I wholeheartedly agree with Erik Raymond, Russell Moore, Francis Collins, and others that our decisions should always be motivated by love of neighbor; however, I strongly disagree that the only way to love our neighbor is to wear a mask (or to limit gatherings, meet virtually, take a vaccine, etc.). As I explained in July,

"All believers should agree with [the] call to love our neighbors, and choosing to take action . . . to protect our neighbors is rooted in God-honoring self-sacrifice. But concluding that wearing a mask is the best (or only) way to love one’s neighbor rests on several assumptions: (1) that masks have been proven to be effective in slowing the spread of COVID-19, (2) that there is no risk of increased infection or other harm from wearing masks, and (3) that there are no alternative measures that would be equally or more loving."

In light of these much stronger calls by some Christian leaders that would remove liberty of conscience for believers when it comes to wearing masks (and in some cases decisions to travel, associate with others, or receive vaccines), I hope to more fully explain in the coming days why I believe masks, vaccines, social distancing, et al. may not be the best way to love our neighbors. Some will still choose to wear masks (or receive a vaccine, distance from others, etc.) in an effort to love their neighbors, and I believe others have the right to make that decision and fully support their freedom to do so. But my concern is that many Christians— and even some Christian leaders—have become almost dismissive of the genuine concerns raised by others about masks, gatherings, vaccines, and more.

What is at issue in these discussions is not whether Christians should love their neighbors; our Lord's command to do so is beyond dispute. But discerning the best way to love our neighbors in relation to covid-19 is more complex, as calls to embrace different measures (e.g., masks) rest on premises with which many reasonable people may disagree. My aim in sharing more articles or materials in the coming days is not necessarily to persuade everyone to agree with my positions; rather, my hope is simply to show that the concerns of many believers are not simply “conspiracy theories” but are based on substantial scientific evidence. Moreover, even if the scientific evidence were overwhelmingly in favor of wearing masks, distancing, etc., there are still other legitimate (and arguably more important) reasons for choosing to gather, to meet without masks, and more. In all, I pray these posts will be received as the efforts of an imperfect Christian brother seeking to help others examine whether the underlying premises of various health recommendations are correct (and at least understand why reasonable people may come to different conclusions).