Lesson 16: Church and Politics (Update 3)

Another impactful change in just the last 5 years is the ability to hide one’s identity. That is evident in the present use of masks in public life.

We got used to seeing people with their faces covered during COVID. Even though government regulations requiring these became controversial, we still expect people with communicable illnesses to wear masks.

However, we also see citizens hiding their identities when taking political action. For instance, the federal police force, ICE, considers masks part of its uniform. White supremacist organizations parade in DC wearing masks. And it’s much more common for people to hide their faces when speaking publicly.

All of this was totally unacceptable in the past. So what’s going on?

Obviously, people don’t want to take responsibility for what they’re doing, or are afraid to. Masks provide the same anonymity found on social media. They enable the user to do all sorts of things he or she would not dare in face-to-face confrontation.

I first learned how prevalent this is when supervising a 30-member high school reading group. All but one reported they had pretended to be someone of the opposite sex when using social media. They did it for fun. Those engaging in political action do so for power.

Chris Matthias, in To Catch a Fascist, reports members of both far-right and -left organizations go to great extremes to remain anonymous. They do not use their real names even in private meetings with their compatriots. Chris argues this makes the best way to oppose them is to expose them.

From a religious perspective, masks protect the wearer from prophecy. We often forget that the founders of our nation appreciated religion not only for inspiring but also for checking government. You see that in the First Amendment, which gathers together freedom of speech, religion, press, and assembly. All four are protected as checks on governmental power.

The present administration has been very effective in weakening the checks on executive power. It has marginalized the legislative and judicial branches. It has had some success in intimidating the press. It has threatened groups that assemble to protest. And it has muted religious prophecy by winning the loyalty of many churches, dismissing others’ criticism, and using masks to conceal the identities of those who carry out actions that violate religious values.

At bottom, people use masks because they’re afraid, and they’re afraid because they have lost trust in others. Theologians remind us that in Christianity the opposite of fear is love. The church is called to proclaim a kind of love that inspires trust and overcomes fear. It leads to the removal of physical and psychological masks.

Tags: American Exceptionalism, Christian Prophecy, Church and Politics, Church as Governmental Check, ICE and Masks, Masks in Public Action, Mathias To Catch a Fascist, Modern Suppression of Christian Prophecy, Prophecy and Social Nedia, Separation of Church and State