New Guidance about COVID-19 and places of worship

Covid-19 appears to me to be a saga that goes on and on and rather than come to a satisfactory conclusion (if that were possible) seems to go down an even darker path as people are coerced to take the requisite number of jabs to do meaningful activity and/or are fined or even interned if they fail to comply. It is one subject I would rather NOT blog about or, if I do, do so on a less regular basis, but I feel I must given developments and, like all new entries to do with the Corona pan (scam) demic, include it in my “Covid-19 – an historical review from this blogger’s perspective” ebook, which I update from time to time and share with interested folk. I represent, if anyone, the basket of deplorables people are told to avoid, and if not me to encourage to hold the line then who?

The latest development to particularly affect me and those close to me are the most recent UK government directives affecting faith groups: “On 27 November and 8 December 2021, the Prime Minister announced new precautionary measures in light of the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in England. These focus on rules around international travel; the compulsory wearing of face coverings in many public spaces for those not exempt; an encouragement for those who can to work from home; and the requirement for those attending various large or enclosed gatherings to have an NHS COVID Pass or evidence of a negative lateral flow test. In the UK Government’s guidance on face coverings, face coverings much be worn in places of worship from 10 December, for those not exempt. In an email written directly to faith groups, the Government states that exceptions to this ruling exist for those leading a service, reading and so on, from the front. They also say that ‘there is a reasonable excuse exemption which allows people to remove a face covering while singing.’”

I am grateful to a friend for forwarding me the above information, which I may not have got to as I tend not to follow mainstream media because it is so depressing as well as often untrue. It is relevant, of course, because back in July 2021 I started re-attending services held in church buildings because the government insistence that people wear masks when attending were lifted. I hadn’t been to one since lockdown measures came in force, in March 2020. While I had hoped things would get back to some sort of normality, given all that I could see taking place around me, I sadly had to conclude this would be unlikely and, to quote the title of my last blog, the writing was on the wall. And yes, it affects me because my own “church” has opted to go along with the new rules, and it makes me even sadder.

As I have often pointed out, few of us are expert in these matters and those who are often disagree (not that you will know it given the censorship taking place telling us who to believe and who not – and what do they say about lies, damned lies and statistics?). Besides doubting whether mask wearing is effective and noting all sorts of inconsistencies when people do, I recoil at the idea of starving oneself of oxygen (especially minors), and thus decrease natural immunity, and wearing something that is a sign of enslavement and the occult. While never doubting Covid is for real, I doubt whether it is more a threat than seasonal flu and wonder if the Omicron variant is a mere distraction from accumulating evidence of the damaging affects of vaccines. But I have chosen to wear masks in public places though, e.g. shops, because I accept owners of these establishments are entitled to make the rules and I dislike making a fuss or upset low paid workers and there is a time and place to make a stand.

When it comes to church, I take a different stance. I recognise that on matters like mask wearing this should not be a falling out matter among members, despite observing in the recent past this having often happened (there are more important things to attend to, after all). However, we are beholden to be true to our consciences and, as far as I’m concerned, this is guided by the teachings of the Bible, which I know better than most. “Church” is or at least should be the last bulwark against government tyranny and for truth and doing the right thing (noting opposite sides often claim the moral high ground for their opinions), and there is a time to stand up against harmful dictates, and this one is harmful as it opens up the way for more and harsher restrictions once Christmas is out of the way. If we want an example of churches rolling over in the face of evil, we need look no further than the church in 1930’s Germany who went along with Hitler’s assurances that what his government was doing was done to make people safe. We all know what happened next.

As for me, regrettably, I won’t be attending “church” if I am required to wear a mask (medical exemption or not).