Ohio lawmaker refuses to wear mask because faces are the ‘likeness of God’

An Ohio lawmaker says he refuses to wear a mask to protect himself amid the coronavirus pandemic because he believes that faces are the “likeness of God.”

Republican state Rep. Nino Vitale argued Monday against Gov. Mike DeWine’s recommendation to wear face coverings in public on religious grounds.

“This is the greatest nation on earth founded on Judeo-Christian Principles,” Vitale said in a Facebook video. “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.”

He continued that it was important to him to be able to see others’ faces without a mask obscuring them.

“When we think of image, do we think of a chest or our legs or our arms? We think of a face,” Vitale said. “That’s the image of God right there, and I want to see it in my brothers and sisters.”

DeWine issued an order for face masks to be worn in public but rescinded the mandate last week following backlash.

The governor acknowledged Sunday that the order went “too far,” saying that the government can’t control the public’s behavior.

“It became clear to me that that was just a bridge too far. People were not going to accept the government telling them what to do,” DeWine said on ABC’s “This Week.”

DeWine said though he has walked back the order, he continues to recommend Ohioans wear face coverings in retail stores.––

“At the same time we pulled this back, I said this is highly recommended,” DeWine said.

via https://nypost.com/2020/05/05/ohio-lawmaker-refuses-to-wear-face-mask-on-religious-grounds/

Photo Credit: Facebook