What is the truth regarding the origins of the COVID virus? And what would be the ideal response of Orthodox Christian leaders on behalf of our churches and schools during similar future events? The following is an attempt to speak with clarity and balance, thoroughness and yet brevity about both the danger to health and the encroachment on freedom we experienced from 2020-2021. I hope it can serve as a “talking points” resource for discerning Christians as they decide what ministries to support.
What Orthodox clergyman or layman can claim that they handled this crisis perfectly or that it and its effects are now forgotten by all? We need to learn from the crisis so as to learn holiness, not repeating past mistakes when similar future events arise.
Please provide any suggestions you may have to improve the document. Alternatively, if you think it is accurate, please provide your endorsement in the comments. Note that the underlined wording is that which is most conciliatory towards those Christians who wish to use masks and vaccines.
I'm indebted to Fr. Peter Heers for his encouraging videos & podcasts. Be sure to watch this video, one of many from Fr. Peter Heers on this topic. And see also these notes from Priestmonk Kosmas, entitled "For the Orthodox Faithful who are Confused about Covid Vaccines." For sure this has been a fearful time for everyone. Maybe this can be our COVID Bible verse: "In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
AN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN MANIFESTO on GAIN-OF-FUNCTION VIRUS RESEARCH, the COVID LOCKDOWNS and MANDATES, and the BEST RESPONSE to SIMILAR FUTURE EVENTS:
Whereas the origins of COVID were not natural, but from a lab leak, this having been made clear by investigative reporting such as “What Really Happened in Wuhan,” by Sharri Markson. [See this interview.] And whereas the gain-of-function virus research occurring in the lab was unnecessary and equivalent to reckless endangerment or manslaughter, being the result of (1) human fear and the prideful overestimation of man's ability to cure all contagions before they manifest and perhaps (2) the alleged desire of the Chinese Communist Party to create bioweapons.
And whereas, given this fact, our faith as Christians needs to be placed not in (1) social distancing, masking, and vaccine mandates, etc.—which foolishly increase fear and man's inhumanity to man according to a Christ-rivaling utilitarian philosophy—or in (2) natural immunity alone, which is the pride of those who trust in their own strength, but in Christ's healing offered to this fallen world full of dangers and strife, He being the only hope we have in this fallen world.
And whereas vaccines for dangerous viruses of natural origin, may be acceptable to Christians, so long as they are not derived from fetal cell lines, but not this this COVID vaccine, created as it was by fearful men for whom nothing is sacred from the flesh of aborted infants to protect against a virus enhanced and released upon humanity not by God, but by foolish and wicked men, against whom God himself promises to wage war, saying, "Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling." (Proverbs 26:27).
And whereas we are entering a "Brave New World" where governments may invent lethal virus-weapons with whatever "functions" they desire for the purpose of population reduction or management and thereby save or attempt to save only those persons who take the approved anti-poisons, that is to say, publicly mandated proprietary vaccines, effectively dividing society into classes based on new laws of ritual cleanliness which benefit the secular humanist technocratic elite, some of whom regard ordinary citizens as little better than owned cattle.
And whereas natural immunity and mRNA-assisted immunity are two paradigms of protection from COVID of which it is being found, according to emerging scientific studies, that the path of natural immunity, while it may pose an initial risk to some who are at increased health risk, offers the best defense of public health; and that, thus, when our community knowledge and resources and, yes, faith in supernatural healing are taken into account, we may have very strong hope.
And whereas the Holy Fathers of the Church teach us that Holy Communion is healing for both "soul and body" and we believe thus that, if we approach Christ's mysteries in full faith, He will in fact, according to His good pleasure, grant us perfect health, but even if He doesn't, we would not want to do anything else.
And whereas the Church is founded upon the principle of the sovereignty of Christ, not the sovereignty of the people; and whatever Christ's sovereignty is, it is not a disorderly affair (1 Corinthians 14:40); for example, even if someone dies, that is not disorderly for those who are in Christ for we all have an appointment with death to keep (Hebrew's 9:27) unless Christ returns first; Therefore, better to die in the arms of Christ, than shrinking away in fear. As the prophet Job said "though he slay me, yet will I follow him" (Job 13:15).
And whereas our cause is not the worldly politics of personal freedom, but the freedom to gather to worship and eat together joyfully as Christians, that is to say, freedom in Christ, which is more dear to us than anything in this world; "For freedom Christ has set us free" (Galatians 5:1); and forcing masks and vaccines in the Church is not just a political position, it is the political position of those who are opposed to our freedom in Christ, who wish to place the anti-Christ state over the inner life of the Church; and we need to reject the encroachment upon the inner life of the Church of all worldly politics, whether conservative or socialist.
LET US THEREFORE BELIEVE AND RESOLVE...
That the primary solution to this COVID crisis and any similar future crisis is for Christians to publicly call for Christ’s deliverance from the immense folly of gain-of-function virus research and any similar schemes of population reduction.
That, neither mandates of masks and vaccines nor natural immunity are capable of guarding our health, but that Christ would have us be healed by our faith in His gospel (2 Cor 11:3-15) from this artificially manufactured, effectual (if not intentional) viral bioweapon as the consciences of many Christians have already led them to believe and as indeed multitudes have already been healed by God's grace.
That, though sadly some have lost friends and family and clergy during this time, whether from COVID itself or from the simultaneous presence of other contagions and chronic ailments together with COVID, the vast majority of people having contracted this illness and remaining thus alive, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, ought to thank God and hereafter pursue with renewed vigor the love of God and neighbor, including those who make different personal health choices than us.
That, if some Christians decide to continue to practice masking and the taking of COVID vaccines and boosters of which we make no claim that these means had no effectiveness at all for individuals by degrees and by compromise, Orthodox clergy and Christians must therefore emphasize what will give us unity: Namely, our confession that God is our healer through faith; and that, though we disagree on which means of healing are most effective or among those blessed by God, whether various experimental vaccines or existing medicines, Jesus' words still apply to those of us who enjoy health today: "Your faith has healed you." None of us remain alive without God's blessings and his sustaining power. And no better healing balm exists than that of faith and hope combined with wise medicines and therapies when necessary.
That faith with its attendants, the sacraments and corporate prayer, etc., alone, apart from masks and vaccines, is sufficient protection from COVID for those who so believe and must be respected as such because the church is a place of freedom where strong faith is honored. And yet (let us believe) that those who choose masks and various vaccines ought also to be respected in their choices and not stigmatized.
That, thus, Orthodox clergy should not exclude from churches either through edict or stigma those who decline masks and vaccines or those who personally use them----those who decline them being more likely to be excluded through the edict of misguided hierarchs persecuting their own faithful and those who use them being more likely to be excluded through stigma. If "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord," then neither should wearing a mask or not wearing a mask be a cause to exclude someone from church life. The way of truth is to allow individuals the freedom to choose. To deviate to the left or right is to assist the devil with his scheme of dividing and conquering the faithful and by extension the broader society which is dependent on the faithful.
That, furthermore, churches ought to become places of encouragement and assistance, not passive-aggressive opposition, for those wishing to live outside the world’s blind fear and inhumanity to man and the effects if this blindness on the military, medical, educational, and, yes, religious industrial complexes,* preaching and living the good news of God's gracious love for mankind.
And, finally, that, this world's faithlessness (and perhaps even treachery) having thus been exposed now more than ever through this crisis, we should not continue in our sins, but endeavor to build the kingdom of God on earth more than ever in partnership with other discerning Christians.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *From wikipedia: "The industrial complex is a socioeconomic concept wherein businesses [or churches] become entwined in social or political systems or institutions, creating or bolstering a profit economy from these systems. Such a complex is said to pursue its own financial interests regardless of, and often at the expense of, the best interests of society and individuals. Businesses [or churches] within an industrial complex may have been created to advance a social...goal [such as advancing gospel truth], but mostly profit when the goal is not reached. The industrial complex may profit financially from maintaining socially detrimental or inefficient systems."
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Even if an old man or child is the only one to speak out, the truth will be revealed because God never allows it to be hidden for long! "There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known" (Luke 12:2).
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