When truth us under attack it is necessary to expose where the attack is from. If truth is under attack one has to know who has launched that attack. Otherwise truth will become polluted or muddled.
I will attempt to be brief in my musing so I can get quickly to the call for action.
For several months the South Central Public Health District has been attempting to pass a mandatory mask order upon the citizens of South Central Idaho, made up of eight counties. I’ve been watching and listening the meetings in an isolated room with forced social distancing seating (where I could easily have been watching in the even more isolated location of home) and have grown increasingly concerned with the attempts to pass an ordinance.
The thing is, it is more like watching a “butcher making sausage with random, arbitrary, questionable and mysterious pieces of what appears to be meat.” It is really quite unusual.
The last time this mandate was attempted a motion started with a cookie-cutter order from Blaine County with extreme Constitutional overreaching orders that stretched across public and private property and even upon how many people could meet together in a home, and masks required in all places. Even in outdoor settings when social distancing could not be maintained. It actually took on so many amendments that the motion was withdrawn and started over with even greater confusion.
Since then, cities in Southern Idaho have been attempting mask orders and thus far have been failed attempts.
The concern tonight is that Thursday, November 12, at 1:30 p.m. at the Twin Falls office of the South Central Public Health District another attempt to mandate citizens in South Central Idaho be ordered to cover their faces.
This may seem an odd place for a pastor to engage the culture.
For me, it is because truth is under attack. It’s not a matter of the truthfulness of a virus that is clearly true. It is because those attempting to pass such an ordinance are so quickly willing to amend their motions with compromising sideboards that actually weaken what they are arguing for in the first place. If a mask mandate is the only way to slow the spread of COVID-19 (and I do not believe it is) then the health district has no valid excuse to place exemptions to the mandate.
Be sure of this, I am not in favor or the health district putting a limit of how many can gather at the church house, but to say the virus spreads in large group settings where people are together for more than 15 minutes then by all means South Central Public Health – put a limit on church attendance, mandate we wear masks, fine us for not putting your signs up. But to exempt churches because you hear that churches will sue you if you do shows you are not doing what you are doing with truthful motives or intentions. Only causing those you want to trust you to not trust you. And right now, I’m not sure I can trust you that you are acting in my best interest in other parts of your order.
As of today, nine months into a declared state of emergency in the state of Idaho, I am not aware of any elected neighbor inquire with a faith community about this virus plaguing the state. Not because we are scientist, but because we preach from a book that shows world history times when the Almighty God plagues nations with pestilence because of their sin.
I’m not the only pastor in the city. I’m not the only pastor in the valley. I’m not the only pastor in the state. The thing is, I don’t know of any pastor any where who has been asked in the State of Idaho by a county, city, or state elected neighbor.
What is my call to action?
- First: Pray with me for the region
- Second: contact Melody Bowyer, director at South Central Public Health with your concerns. Do so by noon on November 12, 2020
- scphd@phd5.idaho.gov
- Call (208) 737-5900
- Always be respectful. Give clear direction you wish for the health district to act on this matter.
- If you are going to speak about a study done or a report to back your position, always give the primary reference.
- See this example from the state of Colorado
So what should one do when truth is under attack? Investigate it, consider the claims, weight the claims against logical truth, and defend the true truth, confront the lie and the liar with truth, and expose the lie and the liar.
South Central Public Health, you are not helping the public with your “sausage-making” mandates. Public trust is needed when you want to be known as looking out for our public health.
The truth is what sets the people free, not overreaching mandates. Give the people truthful reporting, the people are capable of making healthy decisions.
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