The Mask Bully returns to steal the prized artifact of the city to address some conspiracy theories and extreme claims. I addressed some of these that directly related to scientific claims yesterday.

Today, I’ll address some others as well as talk about responding to conspiracy theories in general.

I did not write this post to change the mind of conspiracy theorists. My goal is to equip Christians with tools to lovingly address conspiracy theories with their family and friends.

Responding to Conspiracy Theories as a Christian

How we respond to people who believe in conspiracy theories is important.

It’s so tempting to point out that conspiracy theories are ridiculous, but we have to consider that these are one way people are responding to the uncertainty in the world.

Why We Believe Conspiracy Theories

Sometimes, we just want a why, and in the absence of a clear answer, conspiracy theories seem like that answer.

Fr. Gregory Elder wrote a great piece in January 2021 called “Professing Faith: The reality of conspiracy theories.”

Dr. Karen Douglas shared some insights about conspiracy theories.

Claire Wardle summarized the appeal of conspiracy theories.

Conspiracy theories tend to be simple, powerful stories that explain the world. Reality is complex and messy, which is harder for our brains to process.

Claire Wardle

There are several articles that give advice on how to respond to conspiracy theories.

BBC News: “How should you talk to friends and relatives who believe in conspiracy theories?” by Marianna Spring

MIT Technology Review: “How to talk to conspiracy theorists—and still be kind” by Tanya Basu

Forbes: “How To Talk With—And Maybe Help—Someone Who Believes In QAnon And Other Conspiracy Theories” by Lisette Voytko

Psychology Today: “How Should We Respond to People Who Spread Conspiracy Theories?” by Dr. Robert J. Cramer

PBS: “How to keep conspiracy theories from ruining your time with family” by Nsikan Akpan

Treat Others with Respect and Empathy

As I read through these articles, I think that we can connect a lot of the advice with how we catechize and evangelize.

Every single person is made in the image and likeness of God. We must treat them with love and respect, even if we believe that they are saying toxic things and harming people with misinformation.

But beyond our responsibility to love our neighbors (and even our enemies), there is also the reality that being rude isn’t going to change anyone’s mind. Much like we should lead with love and relationship for evangelization and catechesis, we should treat others with kindness when addressing conspiracy theories.

“What’s wrong,” Hassan says, is telling the believer that “they’re brainwashed, or stupid or weak. That’s toxic and going to drive the person deeper [into the conspiracy] by persecuting them.”

“How To Talk With—And Maybe Help—Someone Who Believes In QAnon And Other Conspiracy Theories”

An angry, heated conversation will leave everyone feeling rubbish and further cement conspiracy beliefs.

Mick West

When we think through this, it makes sense logically, but it is difficult to actually follow through with it.

Speaking from personal experience, when someone questions my intelligence for trusting masks, my response isn’t to say “tell me more!” My gut reaction is to defend my stance, sometimes to the detriment of listening to the other side.

At that point, it doesn’t matter who is right because we’ve moved into an argument rather than a discussion.

Instead, we should try to listen to their concerns, no matter how outlandish the claims may be.

Approach conversations with friends and family with empathy rather than ridicule. Listen to what they have to say with patience.

Claire Wardle

Hopefully, we can find some common ground.

For example, one of the big concerns for “both sides” of the mask debate is health. If we validate concerns about health for themselves and their families, we may have a more constructive conversation.

Support Critical Thinking and Ask Questions

However, kindness doesn’t give us a pass to disregard the truth. Again, much like sharing the Gospel and the teaching of the Church, love and truth are not mutually exclusive.

The questions is how can we convince conspiracy theorists of the truth?

One recommendation was to support but redirect their skepticism.

Your aim is not to make them less curious or sceptical, but to change what they are curious about, or sceptical of.

Jovan Byford

Conspiracy theories have some aspect of truth that led to their development. By identifying the speck of truth in the conspiracy theory, you could potentially challenge the falsehoods together.

There’s something verifiable in there somewhere—some information that’s layered with dangerous speculation

Joan Donovan

Note: I wrote a post that includes tips for evaluating the reputability of a source and science literacy earlier this year.

It’s so tempting to just spew facts (and I am totally guilty of this), but if you have an opportunity for one-on-one conversation, it may be more fruitful to ask questions.

By asking questions and getting people to realise the flaws, you ultimately get people to doubt their own confidence and open them up to hearing alternative views.

Phil (former conspiracy believer)

The best way to change someone’s view is to make them feel like they’ve uncovered it themselves.

Stuart Johnson

Additionally, we should strive to make it a conversation. Again, I know this is difficult because you have a lot of evidence disproving the conspiracy theory or the other person is being obstinate, but your willingness to have a conversation may be the first seed.

“Don’t think you can talk them out of it,” Hassan said. “Get into a strategic and interactive mode by building a good rapport with them, asking good questions, and giving them time to answer before following up. Tell them, ‘Share with me what you think is a really reputable article. I’ll read it and get back to you on it, if you agree to read something I share with you. But the deal is we both listen respectfully to each other.’”

“How To Talk With—And Maybe Help—Someone Who Believes In QAnon And Other Conspiracy Theories”

Be Patient

Changing hearts takes time. You aren’t going to instantly convince someone that something they firmly believe is incorrect through a single conversation.

Remember, there are some circumstances that make it really difficult for people to accept new information at this point.

Again, think to our experiences as Christians trying to spread the Gospel. It’s unlikely that you convinced someone to become Catholic, to get baptized, to come home to the Church, etc. in a single conversation (and if you did, you should be teaching others your secrets).

Instead, you walk with the person, building a relationship and sharing information.

You plant and tend to the seeds though you may never see the bloom.

And, much like evangelization efforts, the most important thing you can do is to pray for them.

Addressing Some Conspiracy Theories and Other Falsehoods

I want to address some conspiracy theories and falsehoods I’ve heard about masks. Again, my goal is not to convince people who believe these falsehoods. My intent is to provide some starting points for discussions.

Facebook is Hiding the Truth

Conspiracy Theory: Facebook is hiding the truth by not allowing certain content on their site.

Examples: One of the women in the thread discussing masks claimed that Facebook is hiding the truth because it wouldn’t let her share certain links.

I’ve also seen people claim that Facebook wouldn’t let them share their friend’s post.

Others say Facebook is deleting their posts.

Common ground: I think we can all acknowledge that sometimes, the Facebook algorithm sucks. Consider having a few examples in mind about times you saw Facebook incorrectly fact-check something, ban someone unfairly, etc.

Possible questions:

• Do you think that Facebook should have the right to dictate what is and is not allowed on their website?
• How does Facebook benefit from hiding the truth?
• Do you think the limitations on sharing the post might be due to the original poster’s privacy settings rather than Facebook controlling it?
• Why do you think the information you’re unable to post on Facebook is reputable? Does it pass the CRAP test? Can you confirm the information from other sources?
• I found a post that is similar to the one you wanted to share. Why do you think this post was allowed but yours was not?

Compliance

Falsedhood: Saundra McDowell claimed that “masks are just a symbol of deception and oppression. Its [sic] compliance training for what’s to come.”

Others argue that this is just a test to see how compliant we are in preparation for the “New World Order.”

And of course, there is the common claim that people who wear masks are “sheep.”

Common ground: We should be leery of forms of oppression and should think critically about what laws, rules, and recommendations we follow.

Potential questions:

• Is compliance/obedience to secular laws always a bad thing?
• What role does obedience to one’s bishop play?
• Would a priest or bishop have the authority to ban masks?
• What role does charity for one’s neighbor play?
• What evidence is there that there will be a New World Order?
• Who would benefit from it?

Resources:

The Catechism of the Catholic Church has a section talking about authority and obedience.

Msgr. Charles Pope describes what a bishop can ask of those in his diocese.

Fr. Matthew P. Schneider, LC wrote an article about obedience as a virtue in the context of when public Masses were suspended.

Nicholas LaBanca wrote an interesting piece on the virtue of obedience and rights of conscience. It is important to note that this refers to matters of faith, but it highlights how our consciences are imperfect.

Image of God

Falsehood: Since man is made in the image and likeness of God, covering our faces dishonors Him.

Examples: Rep. Nino Vitale said “This is the greatest nation on earth founded on Judeo-Christian Principles. One of those principles is that we are all created in the image and likeness of God. That image is seen the most by our face. I will not wear a mask. That’s the image of God right there, and I want to see it in my brothers and sisters.”

I’ve heard some people say they specifically won’t wear masks as they walk up to receive the Eucharist because they need to be face-to-face with God.

Saundra McDowell also argued that “Our Bodies…our faces…are created in the image of God. We shall not veil our faces spiritually or practically.”

Common ground: We all want to honor God.

Possible questions:

• Why do you believe that being made in the image and likeness of God refers specifically to physical appearance?
• Are healthcare workers who wear masks regularly (like surgeons) dishonoring God? Should welders look for different protective gear?
• Are people who wear scarves over their mouths and noses in the winter hiding the image of God?
• Should people also avoid sunglasses?

Resources: Here’s a great article here that explains “image and likeness” is not physical.

For your entertainment, this Twitter thread and the responses still has me chuckling:

Muzzles

Falsehood: Masks are just muzzles intended to silence Christians and prevent them from proclaiming the Gospel.

Common ground: We have a responsibility to make disciples of all nations and should be worried about attempts to limit evangelization efforts.

Possible questions:

• How do masks inhibit one’s ability to proclaim the Good News?
• What evangelization efforts were you doing prior to mask mandates that you feel you are no longer able to do?
• Why are Christian leaders recommending masks?
• What evidence is there that masks are intended to silence Christians?
• Why are missionaries who wear masks still having success bringing people to Christ?
• Why are masks with Christian imagery not banned?

Un-Godly Fear

Falsehood: Masks are demonic because they are based on fear and “Anything that causes people to enter into un-Godly fear and compliance to tyranny is demonic.”

Common ground: Fear should not keep us from God. On the contrary, it should encourage us to draw even more closely with Him.

Possible questions:

• Why do you think the fear related to COVID-19 is un-Godly?
• What evidence do you have that the fears about COVID-19 are unfounded or unjustifiable?
• Are the false claims that masks are harmful also demonic? Why or why not?
• Is [other false claim related to COVID-19 that causes large amounts of fear] demonic? Why or why not?
• Is fear always a bad response?

Resources:

I’ll be sharing a post about fear from a Christian perspective tomorrow.

For general, reputable information about COVID-19 that is shared in an accessible way, I highly recommend Friendly Neighbor Epidemiologist, Your Local Epidemiologist, and Dear Pandemic.

Fr. Matthew P. Schneider, LC has some excellent resources about misinformation surrounding the COVID vaccines.

There are a number of posts on my blog that talk about mask facts and information about vaccines.

Occult, Satanism, and a New Religion

Conspiracy theory: Masks are part of a demonic/satanic/pagan ritual.

Note: I’ve noticed that people use these terms interchangeably. There is a distinction, but for the sake of simplicity, I’ll stick to the word Pagan.

Examples: From Facebook thread where my mask discussion originated:

Also, they are rooted in the occult and satanic rituals. Honestly, covidism and masking has become it’s own religion.

Colleen Palmer held a sign that said “Masking is a satanic ritual.”

Indeed, as you’ll see throughout the rest of this commentary, the entire manufactured coronavirus crisis is one giant, occult ritual from start to finish, divided up into four mini-rituals, each with the distinct occult purpose of initiation and transformation of the world and its people into a new global order.

Steve Barwick

Explanation:

I think in most of the aforementioned falsehoods and conspiracy theories, are pretty self-explanatory. We might not agree with their reasoning, but we can at least somewhat see where it is coming from. When it comes to the “Pagan ritual” claims, the source doesn’t seem as intuitive – at least not to me.

I had to do a lot of digging to figure out what Pagan ritual this relates to. Most of the people making the claim that it is a Pagan ritual don’t actually explain why they believe that.

According to two wordy articles shared repeatedly across questionable websites, masking is part of “the pagan ritual of transformation.” I will not be linking to these sites because they do not deserve traffic (nor are these pieces worth your time to read), but you can find them by searching “why you are wearing a mask the pagan ritual of transformation” and Steve Barwick’s “occult ritual transformation.”

The first piece starts by talking about isolation. The argument is that people are separated from the world and given a new definition of reality. Masks supposedly facilitate this death to self. This then supposedly leads to “a sort of fever-dream purgatory-nowhere land” which makes them susceptible to the integration process. The article concludes “Does any of what’s been described in this article sound familiar to you? The only question that remains is: do you consent?”

Of course, this entire piece hinges on speculation and vague connections, hoping the reader will conclude: “Why yes, this sounds just like wearing a mask!”

The second piece is a lot longer and misuses Christian beliefs to manipulate readers into trusting this conspiracy theory. I won’t go into every issue about his post in this blog post (but I’d be happy to do so in another blog post if there’s interest) because it’s so long and erroneous, but I’ll highlight a few concerns that I have.

• He uses Bible verses out of context.
• One of his arguments essentially boiled down to the claim that we can unwittingly abandon our identity as children of God.
• He assumes that the only reason people are so passionate – sometimes inappropriately so – is because they are under the influence of occult rituals and not because they are looking at science. (Of course, he denies evidence for the safety of efficacy of masks.)
• He doesn’t cite a lot of sources, but when he does, some of them are questionable in their applicability to his argument.

He also goes on to claim that handwashing and social distancing are also parts of occult rituals, but that’s a whole other topic.

Common ground: We love God above all else.

Possible questions:

• What Pagan ritual is masking related to?
• How do you know it is a Pagan ritual?
• Are surgeons participating in a Pagan ritual?
• Why would our Pope, our bishops, and our priests endorse something that is part of a Pagan ritual?
• If isolation was the goal, why would there only be limits on face-to-face interactions? Why would people still be able to call each other and connect online? Why would church services still be permitted to be broadcasted?
• Can people unwittingly(and unwillingly) participate in an initiation ritual?
• How does wearing a mask in public cause someone to lose a sense of self?
• What is the line between making large-scale changes for the common good and distorting reality?
• What evidence is there that masks are a cultural action and not one based on evidence for public health?
• Can we change our identities from being children of God?
• Do the clothes we wear change who we are as people?
• Can you consent to give away your whole identity without knowing it?
• Do similarities in rituals, stories, etc. mean that they are connected? For example, some point out similarities of Christ’s resurrection and Easter celebrations to a pagan holiday.

Additional Note: Don’t Give Satan Credit

As Christians, we should absolutely recognize the evils of the Occult and Satan. At the same time, we shouldn’t give Satan too much credit. We live in a broken world full of sinful people. We cannot (and should not) place the blame solely on Satan. Satan thrives when we give him attention, and falsely attributing masks to him is a prime example of giving him undue attention.

Response to COVIDism as a Religion

It’s true that people can make an idol out of nearly anything, but it is pretty extreme to say that acknowledging the severity of COVID is equivalent to people making that their new religion.

I like the definition of idol on CatholicCulture.org (emphasis mine).

Any creature that is given divine honors. It need not be a figure or representation, and may be a person. In fact, it may be oneself, or some creation of one’s own mind or will. An object becomes an idol when it is treated as an end in itself, with no reference to God. (Etym. Latin idolum, image, picture, idol; from Greek eidolon, phantom, idol.)

Could people make wearing a mask an idol? Yes.

Could people make other COVID responses an idol? Yes.

Is the response we’re seeing from the majority of people idolatry? No.

People are showing a reasonable amount of concern and encouraging the proper precautions. Of course, it is a big focus, but that’s because COVID is a big issue.

There are secular aspects to this discussion, but that doesn’t mean that we are failing to reference God.

Christians recognize that they have a responsibility to protect the life and health of their neighbor.

Christians encourage masks out of Christian love for their neighbor. They accept the minor discomfort out of charity.

Christians advocate for precautions against COVID so we can worship God safely.

Christians use their gifts from God to use science and reason to understand the world.