The prayer of Manasses

 

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KGB agent: Patriarch Kirill

As has been noted, I have VERY critical of "conservatives" that support Putin.  Or, for that fact, Patriarch Kirill.  (I have an article that I wrote for Catholic 365 about how truth matters, and Tucker Carlson's "interview" wasn't entirely truthful).  

So, how do I know Patriarch Kirill was a KGB agent?  

Some years ago, I had a Facebook, and I would communicate with a Ukrainian Greek Catholic man (who is now a Greek Catholic deacon), and he had made the claim that Kirill was a KGB agent.  

I said this on the Catholic Answers Forums, and I got in trouble for being "uncharitable".  Except what I was doing was stating a fact. ( Qui est Cyrille, le chef de l'Eglise orthodoxe russe et apôtre de la guerre en Ukraine ?).  If you don't speak French, it says "Who is Cyril, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, and apostle of the War in Ukraine"?  That article, which is very detailed, tells you about Cyril's KGB background, and, how he made his money.  

He's pretty wealthy for an Orthodox bishop, if you ask me.  German Catholic bishops ain't got nothing on him.  

Of course, I can't say as though I'm surprised.  We hear this refrain from some (not all, Sebastian Gorka, for instance, is pro-Ukraine, as am I), American conservatives about how "Ukraine is corrupt".  Okay, and Russia isn't?  Note that I would never use Cyril's corruption to prove Russian Orthodoxy to be false (the fact that there is such disunity between Eastern Orthodox churches is evidence enough for me, almost no other Orthodox consider the Russian church to be Eastern Orthodox at this point).  But, the point remains, you can not argue that Ukraine is corrupt, when the very country you're supporting, is even more corrupt.  

There's also this weird belief that Putin is some kind of good Christian because he banned LGBT propaganda.  Do you think his mistress agrees?  (Алина Кабаева | Семья Путина)  What about his ex-wife?  (Putin's Ex-Wife's Messages Detail Unhappiness as First Lady: Navalny Probe)

There's a lot that can be said about Putin, but, he being a good Christian is not one of those things.  

Patriarch Kirill bothers me more than Putin does, though.  Presumably, Kirill knows his Bible, so, he would probably be familiar with what Revelation 21:8 says.  

God have mercy on him if he knows it, but still persists in his lies.

Make no mistake, Putin and Kirill are knowingly lying about Ukraine.  

How do I know it's knowingly?  Because they're both former KGB agents.  This is where disinformation comes into play.  Keep in mind, those terms "misinformation" and "disinformation".  I don't like using them, because leftists use them wrongly to mean an opinion they disagree with.  

But the KGB knew disinformation.  Think about what they were and what they did.  To Cyril and Putin, the Russian Orthodox church is an arm of the state.  Just as it was in Soviet times.  

Take, for instance, the fact that the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church doesn't exist as a legal entity in Russia.  And is "banned" (which Russia has zero legal right to do), in occupied Ukraine.  (Again, not Russia) (Greek-Catholic Church banned in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast a year ago by local top collaborationist)  Take, for instance, the fact that, while there are Catholic churches in Russia (Russian Catholic: Current ‘situation very like the atheist Soviet Union’), none of them are Ukrainian Greek Catholic.  (Oh, and, also, Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, et cetera, are Ukraine).  

So where does this refrain come from, that Russia is a "Christian country", or that Putin is a "good Christian"?  Or that Russia is morally superior to the west.

Orthobros.

And I will let you read this to explain that.  (Truth matters).  Yes, I cited myself, live with it.  

Rise of the Putin bots

  Note, for more information, go here: Responding to Archbishop Viganò & What's Going on in Ukraine w/ Fr Jason Charron  (Fr. Jason does get one thing wrong, the so called "Pachamama" episode, as Fr. Deacon Dragani, has conclusively proven, that was NOT an example of idol worship, Fr. Jason, that is a PROTESTANT argument, not a Catholic one), but, Fr. Jason gets everything else more or less right (his wife is Ukrainian and he used to live in Ukraine, and has family there)

 So, since 2014, parts of Ukraine have been illegally occupied by Russia. Since 2022, Russia escalated its war in Ukraine.  Now, I am not a legal scholar, but, I DO know that there has stangely been Conservatives supporting Putin's actions.  Like Archbishop, Viganò, who, for the record, I think is lying.  What's bizarre is how Viganò has called Moscow the "third Rome".  Moscow was NEVER part of the Pentarchy, as it didn't exist, yet.  I am not arguing that the United States should send soldiers to Ukraine to fight Russia (which is never a position I have held), but I am failing to understand some of the "Conservative" arguments people make to defend Putin.  "Ukraine is corrupt", okay, and Russia isn't?  "Russia is a Christian nation", Christian nations have amongst the highest abortion rates on earth?  "Putin is a Russia first guy"!  By invading a sovereign nation?  "Ukraine is full of Nazis and fascists".  Because Nazis are well known for their love of Jews (Zelensky is Jewish), ethnic Jews (the former defense minister is of Jewish descent), and Muslims (the most recently appointed defense minister is a Crimean Tatar Muslim).  

What's even more confusing, is those defending Putin don't seem to know his actual positions.  Were Viganò consistent, he'd know that Catholicism is heavily restricted in Russia, that he couldn't even preach in the streets, to tell them the truth of Catholicism.  The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is outlawed, so, how, exactly is this a Christian nation?  At this point, because of the 2018 schism, it's not even an Eastern Orthodox nation.  And lest someone asks me how I know what's actually going on, because I can read some Ukrainian, speak a little bit, and am completely capable of reading Cyrillic.  I've also bothered talking to people from there. A widow, a RUSSIAN speaking widow, who is 100% Pro-Ukraine, is not going to lie about what's going on.  A Russian soldier who was told that it was a "special operation" to "De-Nazify" Ukraine, isn't lying, intentionally, because that's what they were told.  Of course, some American "Conservatives", like to pretend that, not only is Putin justified in this, but that Ukraine is the worst country on earth, maybe ever.  I seem to recall Euromaidan, I seem to recall priests were in the streets, both Greek Catholic and Eastern Orthodox, to protect their flocks.  It should be noted, that Russia seems to confuse "Pro-Russian language" with "Pro-Russia", I have talked to both Russian speaking, and ethnic Russian Ukrainians, and without exception, they consider themselves Ukrainian.  Putin knows he's lying.  

Of course, more disgusting than Putin, is the Patriarch of Moscow, of the "Pseudo Orthodox Church", as I've seen some OCA refer to him as.  I once got in trouble on a forum for calling Patriarch Kirill a "KGB agent", I was told it was "uncharitable", unsure how, as it's a matter of public record (so was Putin).  Kirill cares more about being Russian than being Christian.  He told Russian soldiers, he LIED TO THEM, and told them that their sins would be forgiven if they died in battled.  Even though they died in battle for a lie?  TRUTH matters, and somehow, someway, some (not all) American Conservatives have convinced themselves that Russia is the good guy here.  I get not liking Zelensky (Trump said he'd end the war in 24 hours, Zelensky said Biden would do it in 5 minutes, if that's the case Mr. Zelensky, why hasn't he)?  But, how does this mean Putin is the good guy, here?  Of course, Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Charlie Kirk, and Tucker Carlson, while they say a lot of things that are true, have this bass ackwards, as my grandma would say.  (Stone is probably the worst offender).

Keep in mind, I am a conservative.  I understand being frustrated.  I am frustrated, too.  But, to act like someone who is extremely Pro abortion (Putin had the chance to outlaw it in 2017, he didn't), lies about a country with a Jewish president being full of Nazis (Putin presumably knows that Nazis aren't going to vote for Jewish people), and, in is being bank rolled by China (Check out who picked up the slack on Russia after sanctions, Biden should have put sactions on China, too, this means you're indirectly funding this war, i.e., remote cooperation with evil, if you're American), is somehow the Saviour of Christianity, is an absurdity.  We Christians already have a Saviour, Jesus of Nazareth.  With regards to Mr. Putin and Patriarch Kirill, or at least with Kirill, I'm not entirely convinced Putin is a Christian of any sort, I'd like to remind you of a Bible verse,  'For nothing is hid that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light." Luke 8:17 (RSVCE) 

On the canon of the Bible

 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105)

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

These verses are from the King James Version, I wanted an excuse to use my King James Bible for Catholics Bible Walsingham Publishing - King James Bible for Catholics

Okay, so, I am not going to argue over whether or not Sola Scriptura is true.  That is a post for another time.  But, thinking about it, I think that the canon of scripture is a problem for the Protestant.  Now, I want to put a caveat, as some Protestants do use the so called "Apocrypha" such as Anglicans.  

But, ultimately, I think, if you are going to establish doctrine from the Bible, you first have to know what's in it.  One of the most common things I hear is that the Bible is self attesting.  Okay, how?  By praying and having a warm fuzzy feeling?  I can have a warm fuzzy feeling about the communist manifest, it doesn't make it true.  

I've also heard that some Protestants believe that if the New Testament quotes it, then we can accept it as scripture.  So, how many Protestants accept Enoch as scripture?  What about the books that Protestant accepts as scripture, but aren't quoted at all, or even alluded to, in the New Testament? 

I think the ultimate problem with self attestation is it's circular.  You have to already assume that you have inspired books, to know they're inspired.  I don't think that's a good way to prove it.  If only we had some sort of extrabiblical source to know which books are in the Bible.

Anyway, more, here The Canon Question and, here: Apocrypha Apocalypse

What is the Apocrypha Project?

 

What is the Apocrypha Project?

            Since the Protestant reformation, a minority of Christians no longer accept the canon of certain books that have, until then, with the exception of Jerome, been considered canon since the canon was determined.

            Who is the Apocrypha Project for?

            Everyone, but mainly Protestants that would otherwise be unfamiliar with these books.

            What are you going to do?

        Record the entire Deuterocanon on my Rumble account.  Although, ideally, I’d prefer the whole Bible.

        How did you come up with this idea?

            From Gary Michuta, who runs the YouTube Channel, “Apocrypha Apocalypse”.

        Where can I listen to these books?

        https://rumble.com/user/AdamCSC

        That being said, it’s not going to be a book every week, so be sure to subscribe!

Who's choice?

 

                                    Who’s choice?

“Consider that I have set before thee this day life and good, and on the other hand death and evil.”-Deuteronomy 30:15

            One of the things we Christians are often accused of is believing a God that sends people to hell.  Not so.  God doesn’t send people to hell, as hell is a choice.  One goes to hell by turning away from God (Matthew 7:21-23).  But, with the recent Dobbs ruling and the overturning of the injustice that is Roe v. Wade, I’ve been thinking.  What do these people mean when they say choice?

            “My body, my choice”, they cry.  Okay, so, why did they choose to have sex?  (Contrary to popular belief, very few abortions are the result of rape).  Could they not have chosen to abstain?  It is possible to live without sex.  I’ve been doing it for a while, now. 

            And, what, exactly, do they mean by “MY BODY”?  How can a separate human being with its own DNA be your body?  If you really believed “My body, my choice”, you’d have abstained from the act that lead to that child’s conception. 

            The baby doesn’t get a choice.  I read that Iceland aborts 100% of Down Syndrome babies. 

            And this is something leftists rejoice in?  Killing disabled children.

            This is personal to me, as I have a diagnosed autism spectrum disorder (and I am not the only one in my family).  Some years ago, there were calls to abort autistic children. 

            Autism is not a physical thing, so, you can’t really tell if someone is autistic until after they're born.  I think there are, sadly, people who want to change that.  It’s nice to know that one of my aunts would be okay with murdering me.

            And that’s what it boils down to.  Just because the law books don’t say it, yet, abortion is murder, if not worse.

             “And the king, answering, shall say to them; Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these least my brethren, you did it to me”-Matthew 25:40