Let me begin this blog piece by saying that I do not accept the bizarre idea, mostly put out by Calvinists, and those under the influence of their warped  and depraved theology, that any human  being born is automatically a son of the devil, a depraved child of evil who can do no good at all. This is one of the legacies which Augustine and his Theologie Nouvelle left for the world. As David Bentley Hart has stated, it would have been better for Chrsitianity if Augustine had died some 20 years earlier than he did. No, God is the author of all life, and therefore, being the One who gives life to all, meets the definition of a father, i.e., one who is the progenitor of life. No human being comes into existence by the actions of the evil one. All he can give is death, destruction, and misery.  It is God alone who gives life, and by the act of creating us, is therefore our Father, whether or not in this life we acknowledge it as such.

“But….but….but….what about the verse in the  Bible where Jesus speaks of the Pharisees as being sons of the devil?”

I assume you mean this verse: John 8:44 “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

Okay, in light of proper Orthodox anthropology, let’s parse this a little bit.  The foundation of a proper understanding of the Scriptures and God’s relationship to us is The Covenant.  The word “covenant” is mentioned over 300 times in Scripture, beginning in Genesis 6. The proper understanding of covenant is relationship.  It is not a contract, which is the most commonly misused understanding of this word in the Bible.  It is not only a relationship, it is one which is entered into by the voluntary and willing actions of two parties. The most clear example of such a relationship, one which is mentioned in various places in the Bible, is marriage.  In Hosea,  God speaks of Israel as His bride who has “gone a-whoring after idols” and laments her infidelity.  In the NT, the Church is spoken of, and we by extension, as the Bride of Christ.  The language used is very intimate and speaks of a freely chosen relationship of mutual love and self-giving.

Covenant does not happen automatically, that is, it is not a covenant when one person takes the other by force and against that person’s will.  That is rape. In a biblical covenant relationship, the greater, or covenant head,  comes to the lessser and offers the relationship. In the thousands of years of human history, it has been the man who has traditionally come to the woman (and the woman’s father) and offered covenant union. The desired bride-to-be has then the choice to accept or reject.

We see this action taking place first in Genesis 15 when God comes to Abraham and offers covenant to Abraham. God then does His part, walking through the severed pieces of animals as part of the covenant-making ritual. Every covenant has a covenant-making ritual by which both parties perform certain acts to seal the covenant and their union. In Genesis 17 we see Abraham doing his part as he is circumcised and has his household also circumcised. The covenant is then completed

So what does this have to do with being a child of the devil? Everything.  Let’s first look at becoming a child of God, which is to say, one of Christ’s brides.  Christ takes an action on the Cross which insures the success of His covenant forever. He then sends the Church out to invite all who will have Him to make covenant with Him. We as individuals do this by submitting to baptism, which is a statement of our union with Him in death (to earthly life) burial (separation from the world) and His glorious Resurrection (we are raised to new life in Him).  We willingly choose to take these actions, and these actions unite us to Him,  just as at the altar in a church, a bride and groom take actions which unite them for life. 

It is the choice of certain actions which unite us in a unitive principle. Thus, when I wanted to become a Knight of Columbus, I took certain actions and vows which united me to that particular body. I became part of that family,  just as when I was baptized, I became part of the family which is the Church. My actions sealed my intent and my relationship with the Knights.

When a person takes actions which belong to the Evil One, the Father of Lies, he is uniting himself to Satan.  He willingly becomes part of the family of wickedness.  I am not talking now about people who act in ignorance. Their relationship to God is known by God alone. But I have no problem speaking about those who, having been told the truth, reject it, continue to pursue evil, and even persecute and kill Christ in His Bride.

I make this statement unapologetically:  everyone who is promoting the lies about the Corona 19 virus has made himself a child of the devil.  You have taken an action which aligns not with truth, but with lies.  Satan is the father of lies, and now by your willing rejection of the truth, is your father.  Your actions are a form of covenant agreement with death.