The Great Divide

Back in August I reported on a dissident Episcopal congregation — of which I am a member — that has been meeting for unofficial Eucharist services at a private home. Even after Governor Ralph “Coonman” Northam partially relaxed his rules on religious gatherings, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia, in her infinite wisdom, issued a diocesan bull from her offices (which Dymphna used to refer to as the “Winter Palace”) that forbade churches under her purview to take normal communion, sing, use prayer books, drink coffee, or shake hands, for fear that congregants might succumb to the Wuhan Coronavirus and meet an untimely end.

These conditions were unacceptable to more than half the congregation. Our priest resigned, and we dissidents reconvened in the living room of one of our parishioners who has a baby grand piano, which our organist fortunately knows how to play.

We have been meeting there for more than four months, celebrating a full Eucharist, passing the Peace with handshakes and hugs, singing, and gathering afterwards in the adjacent dining room for lunch. Nobody wears a mask, and nobody is afraid. Those precious Sundays are a refreshing change from the COVID madness that seems to have taken over everywhere else.

What struck me during the conflict over these issues is the dichotomy that has developed between those who are afraid, and those who are not. The group that ratted us out to the bishop and forced the closure of the church — a minority — is afraid. They are deeply afraid. They are so afraid that staying home from church and avoiding any possibility of contamination was not enough for them; they had to make sure that the entire congregation endured the same regimen.

The group that meets for Eucharist in a private home is not afraid. We recognize that COVID-19 exists, and that some of us are at risk if we catch it. But we’re still not afraid. For whatever reason, the Coronamadness has not infected us.

Those people who live in fear seem to have forgotten these lines from the Suffrages that we recite during Morning and Evening Prayer:

V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
R. For only in you can we live in safety.

They apparently believe that safety lies in masks, hand sanitizers, vaccines, Dr. Fauci, etc., rather than the Lord.

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As a matter of interest, the great divide between those who are afraid and those who are not coincides exactly with the political faultlines within our little church. Those who are afraid are all liberals, and voted for Joe Biden. Those who are not afraid voted for Donald Trump, with the possible exception of one person who is basically apolitical.

A couple of months ago I saw a news story about the results of poll — I wish I had saved the URL — that showed the amazing correlation between personal responses to the “pandemic” and political affiliation. On every specific behavior — wearing a mask, maintaining social distance, etc. — those who chose to act religiously against the dread COVID were overwhelmingly likely to be liberals and Democrats, while those who didn’t worry so much about it were likely to be conservatives and/or Republicans. The breakdown was astonishing — 60% to 75% vs. 25% to 40%. I’ve never seen such a clear bellwether of the cultural divide.

The divide within our little church mirrors the Great Divide in American society. Regardless of who is inaugurated on January 20, the divide will remain. And it can only widen further — if Biden is inaugurated, more than 50% of the country will know that the election was rigged, and in the future voting will have no meaning. If Trump somehow pulls it off in the Supreme Court, the Deep State and the Democrats will go bananas. The full wrath of BLM/Antifa will be unleashed to burn and loot in our major cities.

Either way, it’s going to get a lot uglier, and fast. As they like to say at Western Rifle Shooters: “Spicy Time is coming.”

17 thoughts on “The Great Divide

  1. Underground churches just like China. Catholics are next. This Pope has forced a schism in the Church beginning with China, betraying the underground church there. The Catholic Al Sharpton, Cardinal Gregory of DC is forcing a schism here. The official church will be the Biden 9 month abortion church. Traditional “haters” will be marginalized for refusing to accept Gaia and climate change as being more important than Jesus Christ. Government decrees will replace canon law in importance.
    I believe the American Catholic Church which Archbishop Carroll threatened Pius VI in the late 1700’s may come to pass.
    The lawsuits over church properties will make what the Episcopalians and Lutherans have gone through look like a walk in the park.

  2. I’ve noticed the same.

    At first, I was afraid. Then at some point I realized that I was having an exaggerated reaction, and recalibrated on the basis of available information.

    But you know what really turned me to ignoring coronavirus? The BLM protests, and how those were okay, per the public health crowd. At that point I realized that it’s basically a political virus.

    Not to say that the virus and the illness isn’t real and isn’t dangerous (as you point out) – but that it’s being used for other purposes. Insofar as I can tell, it’s several times worse than a bad ‘flu season, but it could have passed relatively unnoticed. It was a societal choice not to do that.

    So I basically came to the conclusion that if I get it, I get it. I’m not visiting my elderly mother and aunt, as there’s a high risk of picking it up along the way and transmitting it to them, but beyond that type of concern, I’ve concluded that while I’m not going to act so as to deliberately get it, if it happens, it happens. I also take the risk of being in a car, etc, etc.

  3. I was never afraid.I was prepared with vitamins and quercetin and Zithromax and herbs.I had a plan in place from February/ March.
    And when it hit me I went through it.
    That is it.it was harder than the flu, but even or a not young person if healthy it will pass with no problems.linger cough for 30 days but that ended.
    For the idiots that are afraid we’ll get infected again, it is not true, the body knows the virus and will react correctly to it.If not , no vaccine will be possible either.
    Some time ago a lefty idiot asked me if I am afraid of reinfection… I laughed and said I was not afraid and will never be.
    I hate masks, they are useless, except maybe the de of virus may be reduced if with mask on.It’s just a supposition.
    This virus was teaching me a lesson.Get is shape, returns to sports and be stronger.
    I am grateful.
    Never be afraid , be prepared.

  4. The overeaction has been building for a long time, it is a form of terrorism by Big Pharma and TPTB. acting in concert. But to understand why we con only search the annals of so called ‘conspiracy theory’ and ‘fake news’ (the truth).

    Many medical eperts have told us that covid is not dangerous to most people, but lockdowns are, but governments are not listening. There has to be ulterior motives in it somewhere, maybe it is the the ‘Great Reset’, the ‘conspiracy’ theory that is on the home page of the World Economic Forum, or maybe it is about making Billions of dollars selling vaccines, face masks and PCR test kits, who knows?

    We may never know, but I hope it is the latter as I grew up with the hopeful refain that “Britons never shall be slaves”, but the outlook looks pretty grim.

  5. Culture? Genetics? Easy going? alpha? beta? how we are so different.

    the Spanish flu of 1918.

    More than 100 years … …. — echoing similar demonstrations across the U.S. and around the world recently — there was San Francisco’s Anti-Mask League led by lawyer, suffragette and civil rights activist E.C. Harrington.

    The League drew several thousand people to one anti-mask meeting at a roller rink, according to January 1919 records of the city’s board of supervisors.

    Then, there was the shooting.

    A blacksmith on a street corner encouraged the crowd to take off their masks, proclaiming, “They are the bunk.”

    A 62-year-old health inspector dragged the man to a drug store and insisted he buy a mask to wear, but when the blacksmith began pummeling him with a sack of silver dollars, the inspector drew his revolver and fired. The maskless man and two others were hit. All survived.

    The “mask slacker” and the inspector, according to the Oct. 29, 1918 San Francisco Chronicle, were arrested.

    Nearly 100 others were arrested in the city that same night for not wearing masks. Most got fines. A handful got 10 or 30 days in jail.

    Fines and arrest were uncommon across the U.S., though, because mask laws then were few and far between
    https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/2020/08/03/anti-mask-sentiment-goes-back-100-years-to-spanish-flu-pandemic/

    The most awkward when one can see the fear in the masked ones, who then also want to control every one else too.
    It can seem to be a religion, to be masked, but then others can see those as being unmasked as “devil worshipers”.

    The issue is respect, to leave alone the ones that go the other way.
    Commonsense, where has that gone, and to be considerate.

    Is this is why wars are started?
    Gulliver’s Travels, where Lilliputians to subdue their neighbours the Blefuscudians over what end of the boiled egg should be cracked.
    Satirizing human nature in 1726
    “to vex the world rather than divert it”.

    • It’s all about the totalitarian impulse to tell others what to do.

      These types of people have a tendency to look for the strong side, and nowadays, that’s the left.

      That’s why all the totalitarians are on the left nowadays.

      • “When people see a strong horse and a weak horse, by nature they will like the strong horse.” The saying comes from Osama bin Laden,

        To build a “straw man’s” argument, so they can feel good and in control, whilst demolishing the other debater.

        A reason for portraying the other as a “paper tiger” “fragile temperament” all of many ways to lower the opposition, to ultimately demeaning them as being inhuman.

        In the meantime, the debate, discussion on the actual issue is derailed, and put down.

        The condition of being human, yet fortunately through our civilizations, we try to do better, like the Greeks, Roman, & biblical philosophers, to build better, despite the trying times.

        Free speech, which in debates, discussions are actually an art-form, to carry the ideas with reason.

        All this is to be built on good foundations, and “hopefully” no flaws.

        With that wishing every one an understanding on the reason for the season, and what was actually said, to be guided by the “Word”.
        Special thanks to Baron, and his dedication to shine a light of truth.

  6. I would urge your parish to be a bit more dissident and join a part of the Continuing Anglican movement. There are lots of options for you, including the Anglican Catholic Church, the Diocese of the Holy Cross, the Anglican Church in America, and others. But do not go to ACNA, that is only ECUSA light, and it is infected with the same virus that has destroyed ECUSA.

    Fr. Sam+

  7. “a minority — is afraid”

    — Corona-Bolshevism —

    The meaning of “bolshe” is “more” in Russian. The Bolsheviks, even though they were the minority, referred to themselves as the majority (bolshevik), to gain more power in the eyes of the people.

    Using this tool, all communist endeavours are Bolshevik to some extent. Cultural Marxists use the same trick nowadays, utilizing all sorts of minorities to dominate the majority. Global Corona-Bolshevism uses the fear of Corona-death of a tiny fraction of the population to justify the power-grab over the majority, claiming that they act in the interest of the majority.

  8. Baron,
    Your comment regarding the personality types of those who insist upon being masked, themselves and others around them, as opposed to those who only wear a mask out of necessity and/or compliance with law and regulation was spot on. I have observed the same character pattern of these two groups within my own social circle. The common denominator that I have found is the person’s faith in God, or lack thereof. Those who do not acknowledge God or His Son as Lord and Savior have no choice but to attempt to control their circumstances and surroundings, which are quite beyond the control of any human. The other group readily acknowledges God as the Creator and Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and rightly trusts in their loving kindness, mercy, and gracious care for them as they live out their lives with the hope of heaven.
    Psalm 91 speaks to this assurance that we have from the Lord, and especially for these days where it is written, “the pestilence shall not come near you. “

  9. That is a beautiful comment you made, acuara. The Holy Bible gives Christians great news and that makes us trust in God more readily in all things.. Thank you for your words.

  10. Years ago, there was a book written which was a study of the change in German society implemented by the Nazi regime in 1933. It was called “A Small Town in Germany”. One of the findings was that the totalitarian Nazi regime destroyed all the cultural and social institutions not directly controlled by the Nazi party. Part of the control mechanisms by a totalitarian regime is to suppress all independent social organization where people can communicate with each other independent of the government.

    It seems rather obvious to me the totalitarian governors and mayors (overwhelmingly Democrat) are indulging their wish for an all-powerful state, strong enough to implement their Marxist fantasies. Small businesses are not valued by a fascist regime. Fascism is a mutually-beneficial partnership between big government and big industry. One of the main agenda items is to destroy all the small businesses. Small businessmen who started their own companies often value their freedoms and are willing to act. The totalitarian governors and mayors are fine with Target, Walmart and McDonalds, but are quite anxious to put the small neighborhood pub and grill out of business.

    If Biden makes it to the White House, expect the lockdowns to continue a few months. Also, expect the relief packages to go predominately to the big employers (coincidentally to the national chain stores). By that time, small business will have been essentially cleared out and the population more dependent than ever on services beholden to the government. The “liberal” religions (Vatican Catholicism, liberal Judaism, United Methodist Church, Unitarian) will reach a cordial arrangement with the government, probably involving minimal actual human contact, and relying heavily on YouTube and Zoom meetings.

    I’m more optimistic on dissident religious churches, since the Constitutionalists are in the majority on the Supreme Court. Supreme Court packing is the only way the totalitarians will be able to go full throttle on their implementation of fascist communism, but Biden may not go for a step that radical. That’s one ray of hope.

    • Unfortunately, it sounds to me that you’re approximately correct.

      I’ve come to the conclusion that communists *like* big business, because it’s government-like, and they feel that they’ll be able to roll it into the apparatus of the state quite readily. Big business, for now, gets to enjoy “friendly” relations with the communists and make joint forces against small business and general economic freedom.

      That’s the only explanation I can come up with for why there’s such a link between the left and big business.

      The whole system is actually quite similar in practice to how things work in China – already.

      • I believe the system of big government and big business is more appropriately called fascism than communism. Interestingly, Hitler ran for power on a socialist platform, but once he became chancellor, he was quite happy to allow the large German companies like Krupp continue as private businesses, as long as they supported his government and its policies.

        Also interestingly, it was Hitler’s pivot from socialism to fascism that caused his rift with the socialist Rohm, head of the Brown Shirt street fighters. Rohm was openly critical of Hitler for abandoning socialism, and maintained his separate organization of street thugs. The Brown Shirts became threatening to Hitler’s new allies, big business, and Hitler finally acted to suppress Rohm and the Brown Shirts…by murdering them in the Night of the Long Knives.

        China is definitely fascist now.

  11. My fear is that the current divide with Deep State and Deep Church leftists will spread to many more areas of life, maybe all eventually. I’m 100% opposed to any form of vaccination, period, and lockdowns, which like all the restrictions are done solely to achieve control.

    This is European cultural Marxism on steroids. As a Canadian living in Thailand I would never return to Canada, where the left reigns supreme. There may be some mild push back against extreme lockdowns but overall Canadians will believe the gov’t and accept every outrage.

    Canadians will start giving up property rights as the great socialist reset takes hold, biting deep by next summer. Capital flight from Canada will start in earnest early next year.

  12. Baron’s theory proven in France!

    “In detail, the most reluctant ones are the voters of the National Rally (80 percent) and La France insoumise (69 percent). The supporters of the Socialist Party and the Republicans are very divided, since one half is in favor and the other is not. Among supporters of President’s Macron’s La République en Marche, 62 percent are pro-vaccine.”

    https://medforth.blog/2020/12/04/despite-calls-61-percent-of-french-do-not-intend-to-get-vaccinated/

  13. This is a sincere invitation to join us at the Chair of St. Peter Ordinariate. We are part of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, but we retain our English patrimony in our Mass, song, & traditions.

    We have our own diocese, called an ‘Ordinariate’, & our own bishop, Steven Lopes. We don’t report to anyone except the Pope. So we don’t fall under any Catholic diocese. There are three Ordinariates in the world. One here in America, one in England (& Wales & Scotland) & one in Australia.

    Most of our clergy are married with large families & are also former Episcopalians & Anglicans. Most of the Ordinariate parishes are majority former Episcopalians, but once the word gets out to other Catholics, these parishes begin to grow exponentially.

    For more information visit us at https://ordinariate.net/

    Cheers!

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