Brownstone » Articles for Rev. John F. Naugle

Rev. John F. Naugle

Reverend John F. Naugle is the Parochial Vicar at St. Augustine Parish in Beaver County. B.S., Economics and Mathematics, St. Vincent College; M.A., Philosophy, Duquesne University; S.T.B., Catholic University of America

darkness to light

Reflections on the Triduum: Can the Darkness Turn to Light?

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Three years ago I felt the depth of the darkness which had entered the world, and I was moved to choose defiance in favor of the light. This brought my path to be part of the good work being done here at Brownstone. A Happy Easter to all, and let us continue the good fight against weaponized fear which seeks to prevent us from experiencing our highest goods.


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Lent Ash Wednesday

Remember, Man, Thou Art Dust 

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Calls for general amnesty or accusations that those of us who got things right only did so through luck are lame attempts at self-absolution. To apply the logic of the confessional: there can be no reconciliation without contrition and firm purpose of amendment. It is important then to demand the attitude of mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa even among the most stubborn.


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thou shalt not

We Need a List: Thou Shalt Nots of Public Health 

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Civil society in general and public health specifically needs a list of “Thou shalts” and “Thou shalt nots.” Without them, any evil imaginable can be justified when the next panic hits. If we want to avoid a repeat of 2020 or, God forbid, something even worse, we must make it clear what we will never ever do, no matter how scared we might get. Otherwise, the siren call of “just saving one life” may lead us to previously unthinkable evils.


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focused protection

Focused Protection Is Embedded in our Calendar

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Don’t allow these days to make you sedentary and depressed for this will hurt your well-being, but rather stay spiritually connected in every way possible, including with your loved ones and community. If we survive the winter, let us celebrate the life which we have been blessed with. And let us never let anyone convince us to do otherwise, even if they claim to speak in the name of “public health.”


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deification of mathematical modeling

The Deification of Mathematical Modeling

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These weren’t prophets warning us about the future. They were profiteering charlatans who knew what they were paid to predict. Their training taught them that this was utter statistical malpractice but not one of them objected as to how their work was being used. It was produced to be propaganda and they were happy to please their benefactors.


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Golden Calf

Mitigation Is the Golden Calf

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It was evident to me from the early days of the lockdown that something very cult-like was occurring. When quite literally nothing happened during those first 15 days to justify the lockdowns, the mantra of “just wait two weeks” was on the lips of the believers of the Branch Covidians, much like how a doomsday cult leader is allowed to pick new dates when the aliens don’t show when they are supposed to. 


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