The lovely Gailina asked me today, “George, why does this man totally get it and Bartholomew doesn’t? This man is vindicating everything we’ve said. Can we trade?”
Recently, Yours Truly was gently taken to task by a certain reader. She pointedly asked me whether I agreed with the speech I had recited last week. The speech in question was written by Brother Augustine and rather than comment on it, I decided to read it verbatim.
Needless to say, I agreed with his sentiments.
The question by this reader was (as stated above) whether I, too, thought that those who chose to mask and/or vaccinate were “apostates”. Speaking for myself, I answered in the negative. Though to be fair, as a health professional, I must look askance at the entire covidian narrative. (That’s easy to do given the contradictory statements that Fauci vomits out of his mouth on a weekly basis.)
I. therefore. responded at length with my own observations. However, I think that Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano has crystallized the entire controversy far better than I ever could. As such, I highly recommend that you watch his response and judge for yourselves.
Full interview with Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò-full about Planet Lockdown – YouTube
Where can I find the words of Brother Augustine that you quoted, in writing? Please and thank you
They first appeared on my YouTube rotation and I (fortunately) screen-shotted them. Since then, I’ve gone to his channel and have been unable to locate them. Perhaps someone can reach out to him? (You are not the only person who has asked.)
https://t.me/brotheraugustine/332
Here’s the link, it was still posted on his Telegram channel ????
Thank you!
No prob! If you don’t already I highly recommend following him and the other “OrthoBros” on Telegram.
Also, wanted to plug the new website that those same guys have collaborated on and put together called Patristic Faith, which is a response to the issues with AFR
https://www.patristicfaith.com/
Your lovely commenter here again.
Seraphim and Misha are correct in their understanding of Br. Augustine’s words. His view, unlike yours, is anything but nuanced; he uses black and white language like “lines drawn in the Church”, “as the trenches form”, and “those captivated by the spirit of the world” opposing “those who adhere to the Way”; “it is not ‘schism’, it’s one group apostasising”, etc. You affirm here that your answer to my original question was no, those who mask and vaccinate are not apostate, just mistaken; however, you also affirm here that you agreed with Br. Augustine’s sentiments. These are mutually exclusive positions.
What concerns me about this video is that it succinctly and pointedly conveys precisely that notion which, based on your response to my question, you do not endorse but which several of your readers clearly do. It crosses the line (since we’re speaking of lines) of elevating political conflicts over COVID measures to the level of spiritual warfare. This is a spiritually dangerous position, both for the one who holds it and for the people around him. For the person who holds it, because he comes to Holy Communion while regarding some of those with whom he communes as apostates, and for those around him, because “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”, and eventually that belief will direct his actions towards his brothers and sisters.
I’m old enough and ex-evangelical enough to be unimpressed by talk of the mark of the beast or new world orders. It’s all just a rehash of the end-times books and movies we evangelical kids worried over as teenagers. Many things have been called the mark of the beast in my lifetime — credit cards, bar codes, you name it. All of it came to naught, and none of it is worth destroying a brother for whom Christ died by considering him apostate. When the mark of the beast does appear, I am confident that God, who preserves His Church, will warn me through my priest or through his bishop, not through protestant preachers or internet blogs. Until then, I will keep on watering my stick.
As for the question “What are we to do?” which was discussed further down that original comment thread:
“But what are we to do?” said Susan. She felt that the conversation was beginning to get off the point.
“My dear young lady,” said the Professor, suddenly looking up with a very sharp expression at both of them, “there is one plan which no one has yet suggested and which is well worth trying.”
“What’s that?” said Susan.
“We might all try minding our own business,” said he. And that was the end of that conversation.
You indicate that “several of our readers” support the idea that some Orthodox are apostates. Specifically, which readers? We have thousands of them a day. If you can’t name the offenders your statement borders on defamation, as it is neither reasonable or true, and gives our blog a bad name. I’m serious about this.
Frankly, you’re the first Evangelical (“Evangelical enough”) to tell me they’re too old to believe in the Bible. Have you dismissed the Holy Fathers, as well?! – Did it occur to you that God is alerting you NOW?
“. . . Then as the waters rose, he climbed up on his roof and a helicopter dropped him a ladder. But still he refused, saying “God will save me.” So the waters rose over his head and he drowned. When he got to heaven, he asked God why He didn’t save him, and God said, “I sent you a rowboat, a motorboat and a helicopter. What more do you want?”
As far as waiting for your priest and bishop to tell you what’s up, “The road to hell is paved with the bones of priests and monks, and the skulls of bishops are the lampposts that light the path. Other sources attribute a variant of this quote to St. Athanasius, who goes further than Chrysostom by saying, “The floor to hell is paved with the skulls of priests.”
They’re men, Elizabeth. Fallible. “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. Psalm 146.3”
The apostacy George was talking about has nothing to do with masks or vaccines. Apostasy is when people deviate from the teachings of the Church and the Holy Fathers.
When people say, “I don’t believe it” to something the Church and the Holy Faters believe, what would you call it?
If one doesn’t believe something the Church has revealed, why would s/he think God would personally come down to explain it to them?
He gave us the Church! The Church warns of the great apostasy. People are walking away from the Church’s teaching when they refuse to believe it. If someone thinks they can pick and choose what to believe, they are mistaken. It doesn’t work that way.
Elizabeth, if I may add another point (one which didn’t come to me until recently), part of my “nuanced” position regarding the whole covidian regime and why I don’t believe someone who took the jab is an apostate is this: several sincere Orthodox Christians were assured by their priests and/or bishops that there was nothing wrong with abiding by the state-imposed protocols.
In other words, if the jab is the “mark of the beast” (and I’m not saying that it is), the sin will be on the religious leaders and not on the followers.
We must remember that the symbolism behind the mark in the first place: it is placed on the forehead and the hand, in blasphemous imitation of the tefillin of faithful Jews who likewise kept the Scriptures on their foreheads and arms. The reason that the Jews did so
was because the forehead is the repository of the mind and the hands are the body parts we use to do work.
In other words, those who are in service to the antichrist will have their minds and actions oriented towards him. That doesn’t mean that it will necessarily be microchipped onto the forehead or the hand per se.
Having said that, all of the things you describe and which were in years past assumed to be the “mark of the beast” –VISA cards, UPC codes, etc.–have put us on the path to globalization, wouldn’t you say? Think of how we are tracked presently. If you have an Iphone or an Android, a smartTV, or thingamajig under your steering column, etc, has put us on a path of loss of privacy.
The jab and its constant “boosters” may not be the mark but then again, there’s an old saying: “If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, flies like a duck, it’s a duck”.
Anyway, my opinion. That an a buck-fifty will buy you a cup of coffee at the local Quickie-Mart.
I don’t see how the positions are mutually exclusive. I think the intent behind what we do is important. If someone masks, doesn’t venerate icons, and wants the communion spoon dipped in alcohol because they are afraid and lack faith then that is sin caused by a lack of faith, we all could use some help with having more faith. This is a blasphemy and a fall due to little faith but not an apostasy. Now if someone is masking because they deny that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ and is a vector of disease and corruption or they believe that the relics and icons are vectors of disease and corruption then that’s an outright adoption of a heterodox idea, and if they are teaching and spreading these ideas to others is it not a heresy? My opinion is that it’s important what the motivation behind their action is. The little old lady that’s afraid of getting covid because she listens 24/7 to CNN fear propaganda on her cathode ray tube TV and puts in a mask for church because she trusts her bishop is not an apostate. But what about the bishops who are teaching that we can get sick from holy objects, who are denying religious exemptions to orthodox Christians who believe that participating in the vaccine is sinful?
I don’t know if I’m the Seraphim being referred to in this comment. But just in case I will put in my two cents.
I have never said those who have joined the covidian cult are apostates. I did ask George if he felt that that was what Br. Augustine was saying. I hope they’re not. But it’s a tough call. However, I do think it’s incredibly naive to think all these things are merely political or medical issues that have no spiritual import. Fr. Peter Heers has made the point multiple times that everything has spiritual significance. There’s no area of life of which Jesus is not supposed to be Lord. And this is even more born out by the fact that one of the first things our government did last year was shut down churches. Mind you, this was the same government that wanted church and state separate.
As for the mark, never in human history have we come so close, or even had the possibility, to having a global government. That doesn’t mean it will happen tomorrow or 10 years from now. But all the signs are there. If you choose to ignore them, that’s on you. Also, every Orthodox person I respect has said, this isn’t the mark itself, but its forerunner. I know people get it for various reasons, some out of fear of losing a job, some out of laziness frankly. This doesn’t help. What will we do when the real thing comes? This has been a chance to exercise, to see what we’re made of, to see what we will do when things get real. And forgive me but the Church has largely dropped the ball.
All that said I don’t think those who went full covidian are lost. But I do think they were revealed as people lacking discernment and fortitude. I think this whole thing has been an opportunity to show all of us what’s inside. The antichrist is coming. We ALL had better button down the hatches and learn from this.
I really like y’all’s blog (I’ve been following since the plandemic started although I don’t comment often). I hope y’all will get on telegram. Bro Augustine, Abbot Tryphon are on telegram. You could send group messages to subscribers and also link to your blog articles (what Abbot Tryphon does).
Here’s a great video from Brother Augustine where he interviews Fr. Peter Heers on the current state of the Church. Well worth the watch:
https://youtu.be/P5RrkVmkvKA
Petro, would like to listen but just interminable bumper music with program to begin in umpteen minutes. What gives? Any idea?
Lxc
Lex,
Just FF a bit until you see them on the screen. It was a recording of a “live chat.” It was worth watching, and it dispels some (what I think) are myths about Fr. Peter.