"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 ____ "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
Panama City, Florida Dec 2008 Truly, the 'joyful journey' is not always joyful EXCEPT for the Lord Jesus Christ - He is the Source of true joy - not people, not circumstances, not wealth, nor anything else.
Family and friends can be wonderful blessings but only in Christ do we find true hope, peace, love and joy.
In 2009, may the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ, lead and guide us as we read the Word of God, obey what it says and abide in Him alone.
John 15
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.
23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." Isaiah 9:6,7
Marine Cpl. William McFarland, left, and Civil Air Patrol Cadet 1st Lt. John Fisher salute after placing a wreath for the Marine Corps at the "Wreaths Across America" ceremony Saturday at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Park. This year, wreaths were placed at 350 veterans cemeteries in all 50 states as well as in 24 American countries in foreign lands. Sonoma Index Tribune Dec 18. 2008
Today I read in my local paper of an annual event called the 'wreath ceremony' which honors dead military veterans.
This caught my attention for a couple of reasons:
1. It grieves me that so many men and women have fought and died in needless, contrived wars under the guise of 'protecting our freedom'.
2. The wreath is a pagan symbol.
THE WARS "War paralyzes your courage and deadens the spirit of true manhood. It degrades and stupefies with the sense that you are not responsible, that 'tis not yours to think and reason why, but to do and die,' like the hundred thousand others doomed like yourself. War means blind obedience, unthinking stupidity, brutish callousness, wanton destruction, and irresponsible murder." - Alexander Berkman - source
THE WREATH "To the Romans, the month of December marked the Festival of Saturnalia (Dec. 17-24). One of their most common customs during that festival was giving gifts to one another. As far as we know that is where the idea of exchanging presents came from. The evergreen wreath also derives from the Saturnalia festival, during which homes were decorated with evergreen boughs. The Druids of England gathered sacred mistletoe for their ceremonies and decorated their homes with it. It is believed that the first Christmas tree was instituted by Boniface, an English missionary to Germany in the eighth century. He supposedly replaced sacrifices to the god Odin's sacred oak with a fir tree adorned in tribute to Christ. Certain accounts claim that Martin Luther introduced the Christmas tree lighted with candles." source
MARK 13 5 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: 6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. 8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. 9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.
JAMES 4 1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
To worry is a sin. Why do we worry? Isn't it because we are not trusting God?
Yesterday, I got my bank statement and found they made a big error which may cause my account to be overdrawn. Nothing can be done until later this morning when the bank opens.
But I have a choice: I can worry or I can trust the Lord.
Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6,7)
This morning, I read in Mark 6 where Jesus surprised his disciples when he walked on the water which scared them. But Jesus said, "Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid." This was another reminder to me to not be afraid nor worry but rather, pray with thanksgiving to God and trust Him.
Dear Lord Jesus, forgive me for worrying and help me to not be afraid. May I always put my trust in You today and everyday. Thank You, Lord!
8:05 am UPDATE: Just called the bank and there was a bank-wide error that caused double withdrawals for several accounts, not just mine! It was repaired yesterday, so all is well. See, there was nothing to worry about - lol!!
Cheney to address secret group The conservative Council for National Policy will meet in downtown Salt Lake http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_7001456 By Thomas Burr The Salt Lake Tribune Article Last Updated: 09/26/2007 02:11:44 AM MDT
WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney will speak to a super-secret, conservative policy group in Utah on Friday during his second trip to the state this year.
Cheney will address the fall meeting of the Council for National Policy, a group whose self-described mission is to promote "a free-enterprise system, a strong national defense and support for traditional Western values."
The organization - made up of few hundred powerful conservative activists - holds confidential meetings and members are advised not to use the name of the group in communications, according to a New York Times profile of the group.
"The media should not know when or where we meet or who takes part in our programs, before [or] after a meeting,'' a list of rules obtained by The Times showed. The group did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment.
Czech Republic President Václav Klaus is also expected to address the Council for National Policy's meeting in downtown Salt Lake City. After his speech, Cheney will meet with Klaus, the vice president's office said Tuesday.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who ran the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, will also be in Utah on Friday but his campaign did not respond to a question about whether he would talk with the group.
Cheney's visit is expected to be short, only a few hours, according to people familiar with the trip's details. The trip coincides with fundraisers in California, Colorado, Nevada and Wyoming, Cheney's spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride said.
All of the events on the trip are closed to the public and the news media, McBride said.
Cheney last visited the state April 26 to give the commencement speech at Brigham Young University.
An ultra-secret conservative group -- so secret that members don't even use the group's name in communications -- will feature Vice President Dick Cheney as a speaker at a meeting in Utah today.
"Cheney will address the fall meeting of the Council for National Policy, a group whose self-described mission is to promote 'a free-enterprise system, a strong national defense and support for traditional Western values," according to the Salt Lake City Tribune.
Founded in 1981 by Tim LaHaye, the co-author of the popular post-apocalyptic Christian-themed Left Behind books, the group holds confidential meetings three times a year attended by a small but powerful cadre of top conservatives.
"The media should not know when or where we meet or who takes part in our programs, before of after a meeting," one of the group's rules reads, according to a New York Times profile of the organization in 2004.
"The membership list is 'strictly confidential," said the Times. "Guests may attend 'only with the unanimous approval of the executive committee."
"In e-mail messages to one another," the paper continued, "members are instructed not to refer to the organization by name, to protect against leaks."
"We do not lobby Congress, support candidates, or issue public policy statements on controversial issues," the group states on its website. Members "meet to share the best information available on national and world problems, know one another on a personal basis, and collaborate in achieving their shared goals."
"Czech Republic President Václav Klaus is also expected to address the Council for National Policy's meeting in downtown Salt Lake City," the Tribune reports, adding that GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney will also be in Utah, but did not respond to the paper about whether or not he would be attending the meeting.
"Many current and former members politely said they would prefer not to speak on the organization's behalf," ABC's Marc Ambinder said in an earlier behind-the-scenes piece focusing on the group. "Those who did respond to telephone and e-mail messages declined to talk about their interest in the organization. More than a dozen did not respond at all."
Cheney's speech and other events of his trip, which coincides with a fundraising swing through West, is closed to the public and the press, according to the Tribune.
--- end ---
September 29, 2007
Cheney, Super-Secret US Society Set Plan For World Apocalypse
Troubling reports are coming from the United States today that according to FSB reports state that the American Vice President Dick Cheney (picture at left) has met with the ‘super secret’ Council for National Policy, which has been confirmed by the Salt Lake City Tribune News Service, and which says:
"Vice President Dick Cheney has departed Salt Lake City today after making a quick speech before a super-secret conservative policy group. The purpose of the trip - which is privately funded - was to speak to the Council for National Policy, a private group that permitted no press coverage. The four-day event that began Thursday is being held at a downtown Salt Lake City Hotel."
Most disturbing about this Council for National Policy are its founding members, and who, according to an FSB policy paper on this secret organization prepared by Andrei Orlov, chief of the Russian think tank PIR Centre (Centre for Policy Studies), are some of the top American Armageddonists, to include:
Timothy F. LaHaye (picture at left): An American conservative evangelical Christian minister, author, and speaker. He is best-known for the Left Behind series of apocalyptic fiction, which he co-wrote with Jerry B. Jenkins.
Harold Lee "Hal" Lindsey: An American evangelist and Christian writer. A graduate of the Dallas Theological Seminary, a prominent Christian Zionist and dispensationalist author.
Erik Prince: Founder and owner of the military support contractor Blackwater USA. A millionaire and former US Navy SEAL, and board member of Christian Freedom International, a nonprofit group with a mission of helping "Christians who are persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ".
According to Russian Intelligence Analysts, the meeting between one of the American War Leaders and this secret organizations leadership is due to the increasing pressure being exerted upon their private military wing, Blackwater USA, and as we can read as reported by the AFP News Service:
"US and Iraq investigations into powerful private security group Blackwater USA are multiplying as more questions are raised about the firm's actions in a Baghdad shooting that left at least 10 Iraqis dead.
On Friday the US Department of State announced it was sending a team to Iraq led by a senior official to evaluate security measures for US diplomats who have relied on Blackwater and other private security firms for protection in the violence-ridden country."
[Note: It should be noted that though Blackwater USA is under a supposed ‘investigation’ by the US State Department, its contract to operate in Iraq has just been renewed for $92 million by the Pentagon.]
Reports from Iraq, however, on the Council for National Policy’s armed wing, Blackwater USA, show great fear by the Iraqi people towards this militant Christian army:
"Hated by Iraqis who refer to them as "Mossad," Blackwater contractors are also mistrusted by fellow private security guards operating in Iraq who say they are arrogant, rude and dangerous."
To the exact numbers of how many of these private US Christian militiamen are in Iraq there appears to be great confusion: "Given the news yesterday that the Iraqi government wants to ban Blackwater, the private security firm working in Iraq, after a firefight that reportedly killed between eight and eleven Iraqi civilians, our (US) nation’s newspapers are taking a (brief) look at the prevalence of private security grunts in country.
Only problem is, no one seems to be able to agree how many of them are over there. According to the best estimates by our major newspapers, it’s somewhere between six thousand and fifty thousand."
But, though their numbers in Iraq may be ‘unknown’ their purpose isn’t, according to these reports, and which state that ‘above all else’ the mission of Blackwater USA is to perpetuate ongoing warfare in the Middle East towards the goal of instigating a Total World War which the Christian War Leaders in the US believe will hasten the return of their main god, Jesus Christ.
Towards this goal American War Leaders have been unceasing, and as we can read as reported by the AFP News Service: "US Vice President Richard Cheney has considered provoking an exchange of military strikes between Iran and Israel in order to give the United States a pretext to attack Iran, Newsweek magazine reported in its Monday issue."
Equally troubling are the reports coming from the United States on the unceasing efforts of their War Leaders to ‘convert’ their Military Forces into a ‘Christian Army of God’, and as we can read:
"A military watchdog organization filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday against the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and a US Army major, on behalf of an Army soldier stationed in Iraq. The suit charges the Pentagon with widespread constitutional violations by allegedly trying to force the soldier to embrace evangelical Christianity and then retaliating against him when he refused."
So horrific have these attempts been to Christianize the American Military Forces in Iraq that it was only when ‘found out’ that the Pentagon was forced to remove from shipment to US Soldiers a Council for National Policy’s video ‘wargame’, and as we can read:
"An evangelical entertainment troupe has abandoned plans to send a controversial video game in care packages to U.S. troops in Iraq.
As a member of the Pentagon's "America Supports You" program, Dallas-based Operation Straight Up planned to include copies of the apocalyptic video game "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" in care packages for the military.
But those packages have been scrapped, according to a Pentagon public affairs officer who spoke on background because the Defense Department did not want to comment publicly about the decision."
Not lost upon the Israeli people in these events is that the ‘end time scenario’ planned by America’s War Leaders results in the total destruction of Israel, and which they, the Israelis, have reacted strongly against, and as we can read as reported by the Associated Press News Service:
"Israeli rabbinic authorities have abruptly called on Jews to shun a major Christian tourism event, baffling and upsetting evangelical groups that traditionally have been big supporters of the Jewish state.
More than 6,000 Christians from over 90 nations are expected to arrive in Jerusalem this week to take part in the 28th annual Christian celebration of the weeklong Jewish holiday of Sukkot, or Feast of Tabernacles, according to the event's organizers, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem."
In an even more stunning move, the Israeli government, and showing their lack of faith in their most stalwart ally, the United States, as the US Dollar continues its crash as a World Reserve Currency, have asked to have their US aid paid in Euros:
"Secretary of State Rice has acknowledged a communique from Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Levni which requests that all foreign aid payments and loans from the United States be made in Euros rather than in Dollars. Foreign Minister Levni cited the rapidly declining dollar and it's disfavor as a world currency as reasons for the request.
"In the spirit of Yom Kippur, the United States will not hold Israel to any agreements obligating them to accept Dollars as payment for their foreign aid. We will translate our obligations into Euros or whatever currency that best fits Israel's needs" Secretary Rice said in the Friday, Sept 21 announcement."
To the ability of the American people being allowed to know the truth of the radical Christian cabal it does not appear imminent as their government forces have instituted a ban on their churches from delivering anti-war sermons under threat of their losing their tax exempt status. Even more chilling, perhaps, are US media organizations now receiving ‘instructions’ from their National Security Agency (NSA) on how to report the news.
In a World descending towards Total War their does appear, however, a small glimmer of hope from the counter-coup forces in the United States, and whose main spokesman, Admiral William Fallon Commander of U.S. military forces in the Middle East, and who stated to the Nations of the Middle East:
"I expect that there will be no war and that is what we ought to be working for, we should find ways through which we can bring countries to work together for the benefit of all ... It is not a good idea to be in a state of war. We ought to try and to do our utmost to create different conditions."
To the success of the American counter-coup forces does the fate of our World depend upon today, while the failure of their mission to deter war will lead to the destruction of us all ... and the coming of the ancient gods will be upon us once again.
Report: Bailed-out firms bankrolled conventions AIG, Ford, Citigroup, Freddie Mac gave millions to Democrats, GOP before asking for gov't aid What were major corporations such as AIG, Ford, Citigroup and Freddie Mac doing in the weeks before they asked Washington for taxpayer-funded financial bailouts?
CIA Secret Experiments It's the height of the Cold War and the United States government is desperate to combat the spread of Communism. The CIA launches a highly classified, top secret research program into the covert use of biological and chemical agents.
More Religious Groups Protect Baby Jesus with GPS Units When Baby Jesus disappeared last year from a Nativity scene on the lawn of the Wellington, Fla., community center, village officials didn't follow a star to locate him.
Did Noah's Flood start in the Carmel? A deluge that swept the Land of Israel more than 7,000 years ago, submerging six Neolithic villages opposite the Carmel Mountains, is the origin of the biblical flood of Noah, a British marine archeologist said Tuesday.
Foe of 10 Commandments Judge Loses License Stephen Glassroth's license was suspended by the Alabama Bar Association after he did not respond to a complaint that he failed to represent lawyer Dana Jill Simpson, who had hired him to defend her in a tax case.
Newsweek: Bible supports same-sex marriage Mainstream magazine draws fire for declaring Scripture affirms 'gay' right to wed "It doesn't surprise me," he said. "Newsweek has been so far in the tank on the homosexual issue, for so long, they need scuba gear and breathing apparatus. I don't think it's going to change the minds of anyone who takes biblical teachings seriously."
Atheists want God, Bible out of homeland security law A group of atheists filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to remove part of a state anti-terrorism law that requires Kentucky's Office of Homeland Security to acknowledge it can't keep the state safe without God's help.
Focus on the Family Praises "Twilight" Vampire Love Movie Somebody wake me up and tell me this is a bad dream. Caryl Matrisciana, a long time occult researcher and movie producer, reports that Focus on the Family’s Plugged In Online website has some advice for Christians about the Twilight vampire movie phenomenon.
'Doc's' abortion ring terminated after 16 felonies Pro-life Christian group exposed chain's dangerous practices for more than 10 years A woman who admitted posing as an abortion doctor is facing 16 felonies, and her California empire is collapsing after a leading pro-life Christian activist organization spent more than 10 years documenting the dangerous nature of the abortion chain.
Zoo cancels ticket deal with Creation Museum The Cincinnati Zoo has canceled a joint ticket promotion with the nearby Creation Museum in Kentucky, which presents the Bible's version of natural history.
Atheists want God, Bible out of homeland security law A group of atheists filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to remove part of a state anti-terrorism law that requires Kentucky's Office of Homeland Security to acknowledge it can't keep the state safe without God's help.
Focus on the Family Praises "Twilight" Vampire Love Movie Somebody wake me up and tell me this is a bad dream. Caryl Matrisciana, a long time occult researcher and movie producer, reports that Focus on the Family’s Plugged In Online website has some advice for Christians about the Twilight vampire movie phenomenon.
'Doc's' abortion ring terminated after 16 felonies Pro-life Christian group exposed chain's dangerous practices for more than 10 years A woman who admitted posing as an abortion doctor is facing 16 felonies, and her California empire is collapsing after a leading pro-life Christian activist organization spent more than 10 years documenting the dangerous nature of the abortion chain.
Zoo cancels ticket deal with Creation Museum The Cincinnati Zoo has canceled a joint ticket promotion with the nearby Creation Museum in Kentucky, which presents the Bible's version of natural history.
Greek youth riots enter second day After a lull in the disturbances overnight in Athens, Thessaloniki and the northern cities of Komotini and Ioannina, police again engaged protesters furious over the slaying of a 15-year-old, the BBC reported.
Televangelist's $3.6 million jet not tax-exempt, Tarrant appraiser says A Kenneth Copeland Ministry jet worth $3.6 million has been denied tax-exempt status by the Tarrant Appraisal District, setting the stage for a battle that could require the minister to reveal his salary if he wants the jet to be tax-free.
Religious Violence Rages in Nigeria A week after violent clashes left at least 300 people dead and thousands displaced in the central Nigerian city of Jos, the fires have yet to be put out, both literally and figuratively.
SUVs at altar, Detroit church prays for a bailout With sport-utility vehicles at the altar and auto workers in the pews, one of Detroit's largest churches on Sunday offered up prayers for Congress to bail out the struggling auto industry.
Chinese property hunters to raid US Chinese bargain hunters are preparing to descend on American cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, where homeowners have suffered some of the steepest price falls in the US.
Online Exhibition: Illuminating the Word, The St. John's Bible (A Library of Congress Exhibition) ("SICK" K. M.) This exhibition is devoted to a single work of art, an illuminated, handwritten Bible commissioned by Saint John's University and Abbey in Minnesota.
Farmer links seed patents to the Antichrist Michael White says genetic manipulation eradicating God's gift Michael White, who farms near Scottsboro, keeps a Mason jar full of wheat grains next to his well-worn Bible.
O.J. Simpson faces up to 33 years behind bars A Nevada judge sentenced O.J. Simpson on Friday to as many as 33 years in prison for kidnapping and robbing two sports-memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel room.
Australian commission calls for 'intersex' gender designation Australia's official human rights watchdog wants a third gender called "intersex" to be created for use on official documents like passports and driving licences, a newspaper report said on Saturday.
Evangelical leader supports 'gay' civil unions Claims Christians should 'give biblical point of view a different slant' An influential evangelical leader is coming under fire for saying in a National Public Radio interview he believes in homosexual civil unions and that Christians who oppose same-sex marriage and abortion may still find reasons to support Obama.
Not at Pearl Harbor on the "Day of Infamy" (Dec 7, 1941) source
For most people, the story of "Arizona" and other Pearl Harbor and Pacific battlegrounds paints a black and white picture of what allegedly happened. The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in a "surprise" attack, we are told. "A day that will live in infamy," declared President Roosevelt the following day, in his address to a joint session of Congress as he announced the U.S. was at war with Japan, and therefore, with its ally, Germany.
Prior to the Pearl Harbor attack, however, most of the United States citizens were opposed to America's entering the war in Europe on Britain's side. After the Pearl Harbor, the issue was a no brainer. Roosevelt and his pal Winston Churchill NEEDED a "Pearl Harbor" as an excuse to involve this great country in a war (in Europe) that never threatened our national security. And his government made sure it got its "Pearl Harbor" one way or another.
In short, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was no surprise. History is written by the victors. They shape the stories to fit their interests. So what we are being told about Pearl Harbor in schools and textbooks is only a part of the truth. The other part has been carefully excised from our history. Big Brother reincarante? You betcha...
How do I know that? Well, take a look at the front page of the Honolulu Advertiser, dated Nov 30, 1941 (auspiciously exactly 67 years ago today - to the day!).
The top headline reads, "Japanese May Strike over Weekend!" The article even predicted the timing of the attack accurately - eight days before it happened! The rest of the story shows how our government was aware of the oncoming attack.
According to some of my military sources, our government subsequently managed to destroy almost all the evidence, including going into the Hawaii hospitals and ripping off the front page of this newspaper. However, private Paul Brown, seeing what was going on, reportedly managed to save his own front page of the Advertiser and hide it from the government. This is one of the very few known copies of that paper. It is supposedly hanging in the Punta Gorda Florida Military History Museum. At least it was, as of March of this year, I am told.
Of course, none of this takes away one iota of credit or tribute to the brave men and women who fought during WW II, both in the Pacific and in Europe. But it does go to show us once again that the "truth is the first casualty of war." Tonkin Bay, Iraq's "weapons of mass destruction," are but some more recent examples of this truism. Which is why we must never accept what governments tell us at face value. More then 2,400 lives lost in just one day at Pearl Harbor ought to be reason enough, not to mention the millions that followed.
Joseph Leib, a former New Deal bureaucrat and retired newspaper correspondent, wrote an article which appeared in Hustler magazine, "Pearl Harbor: The Story the Rest of the Media Won't Tell," in which he claimed that his friend, Secretary of State Hull, had confided to him on 29 November 1941 that J. Edgar Hoover and FDR knew that the Japanese were going to attack Pearl Harbor withing a few days, and that the President, over Hull's strident objections, was going to let this happen as a way to get the country into war. Hull's dilemma was that he could not reveal this openly to the press, since the White House would simply denounce him, and no one would believe him. He turned over to Lieb a document containing a transcript of Japanese radio intercepts which supposedly detailed the Pearl Harbor plan, making the reporter promise never to reveal the source. Leib rushed the story, minus the identification of Hull, to the United Press bureau, which refused to run it since it was so incredulous. But Leib did manage to persuade UP's cable editor, Harry Frantz, to transmit it on the foreign cable. Although the story managed somehow to get garbled in transmission, it did create a front-page banner headline in the Sunday, 30 November, Honolulu Advertiser: JAPANESE MAY STRIKE OVER WEEKEND! Thus Leib, writing in 1983, has finally cleared up the mystery of the origins of that headline, which has always been a particularly curious part of the Pearl Harbor puzzle. He promises to release more information about his knowledge in other forums.
The Roberts Commission laid the blame for Pearl Harbor on the commanders in Hawaii — General Short and Admiral Kimmel. The commission charged that the pair ignored the importance of an alleged war warning from Washington and charged that they failed to take sufficient defensive actions.
Overall, the two officers were said to be guilty of dereliction of duty. On the other hand, the commission in its report held that the top military leaders in Washington, Admiral Stark and General Marshall, had performed impeccably. That section of the report was first submitted to none other than Stark and Marshall for their approval.
Franklin Roosevelt insisted on strict limits in investigating the 7 December attack. (Echos of Bonesman Bush )
Admiral Standley dissented from the findings but did not write a minority opinion after being told that to do so would weaken the public's confidence in its leaders and thereby harm the war effort.
To make absolutely certain that the commission's report was to his liking, Roosevelt insisted on reviewing it before it became public. Finding that the report did suit his purposes, Roosevelt decided to release it in its entirety to the press. [12]
The Roberts Commission report encountered less-than-universal acceptance by the few people who both understood and disapproved of the situation. For example, Admiral James Richardson, Kimmel's predecessor as Pacific Fleet commander, condemned the report:
"It is the most unfair, unjust, and deceptively dishonest document ever printed by the Government Printing Office. I cannot conceive of honorable men serving on the commission without greatest regret and deepest feelings of shame. " (Could have said the same of the 911 report)
Some calls for congressional investigations were heard, especially from those who had resisted intervention before 12/7. But by and large the American people accepted the verdict of the Roberts Report.
As Senate Majority Leader Alben Barkley put it, the report presented a "comprehensive and admirable view of the facts and the people are justified in believing that nothing will be kept from them." All suspicions should end, he declared, because now "everybody knows what happened." [14] http://www.thornwalker.com/ditch/towers_10.htm
Seeking even greater security, the president then made sure the commission would consist of individuals linked, by personal loyalty or political belief, to the administration and its pro-war agenda.
To achieve that goal, Roosevelt relied on his secretary of war, Henry Stimson, to propose three of the commission's five members. Stimson was the pre-eminent war hawk who recorded in his diary on November 25, 1941, that "the question [of the United States dealing with the Japanese] was how we should maneuver them into the position of firing the first shot without allowing too much danger to ourselves."
Henry L. Stimson - Secretary of War -Skull and Bones Franklin D. Roosevelt - Freemason Henery A Wallace Vice President - Freemason Henry C. Clausen- Freemason General George C. Marshall- Freemason General Douglas MacArthur - Freemason Henery Morgenthau - Secretary of the Treasury - Freemason
There are many more...but you get the picture...WW2 was a Freemason operation and the Commission looking into the attack at Pearl Harbor was a complete whitewash....a huge lie....sold to the American public....most of whom still believe the offical history....for that is what we are taught in school...thats what the textbooks say.
The Warren Commission.... On November 29, 1963, President Johnson created the Warren Commission to investigate the assassination of President Kennedy.
The commission is headed by Earl Warren, who was a Freemason and known Bohemian Grove attendee. Another commission member was Earl Boggs who had membership in the Knights of Columbus. He later expressed doubts about the findings of the commission. Boggs died in a plane crash in Alaska in 1972. Searchers never found his body. Another commission member was John Sherman Cooper. Cooper was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and he was a member of the infamous Order of Skull and Bones.
Another member was Allen Dulles Fired by Kennedy. Dulles was a CIA Director, and Council on Foreign Relations member, and a Bilderberger. Another member was Gerald Ford. Ford was a Freemason, a Bohemian Grove attendee, a CFR member and a Bilderberger. Another member was John J. McCloy. McCloy was a CFR member and was reportedly well-connected to many CIA people. Another member was senator Richard B. Russell, who was a Freemason. Alan Spector (Magic Bullet ) Senator PA is a Freemason
The Commission consisted of seven members, six of whom were known to be members of secretive and conspiratorial organizations. This commission of conspirators decided that President Kennedy was assassinated by a lone gunman, and that no conspiracy was involved.
J.Edger Hoover - Freemason Lyndon B Johnson Freenason Hubert H. Humphrey - Freemason Robert S. McNamara Secretary of War - Freemason Warren Commission director Jerry Ford - Freemason.......He also appointed George Bush- Skull and Bones ) as Director of the CIA The Warren Commission has been totaly discredited
The Viet Nam War was a Freemason operation.
911 Commission............... White House Opposed Formation of Commission: President Bush and Vice President Cheney both contacted then-Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle in the months after 9/11 to insist on strict limits in the scope of any investigation into the attacks. Newsweek reported on February 4, 2002, that Vice President Cheney called Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) to "warn" him not to open hearings into the attacks.
If Daschle pressed the issue, Cheney "implied he would risk being accused of interfering with the mission" against terrorism. And despite entreaties from the families of victims of 9/11 attacks and a bipartisan group of senators and congressmen, the president vocally resisted forming an investigatory commission. President Bush only relented on November 27, 2002, a year after the attacks.
budget estimated at $30 million ...for investigating the destruction of WTC...time allowed 18 months
Cost of Starr Investigation (4 years): $ 40 Million....for investigating a BJ in the White House....time...unlimited
Florida Senator Graham asserts that the White House blocked investigations into Saudi Arabian government support for the 9/11 plot, in part because of the Bush family's close ties to the Saudi royal family and wealthy Saudis like the bin Ladens. Behind the White House's insistence on classifying 27 pages detailing the Saudi links in a report issued by a joint House-Senate intelligence panel co-chaired by Graham in 2002 lay the desire to hide the administration's deficiencies and protect its Saudi allies, http://www.americanprogress.org/site...J8OVF&b=124722
President Bush appoints veteran US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to head a commission to investigate the 11 September attacks...... Kissinger is so well known as a member of secret societies.that his name is withdrawn. George Bush - Skull and Bones Richard Cheney - Skull and Bones Donald Rumsfeld - Defense Secretary - Freemason Gen. Colin Powell - Freemason
There are more but again the picture is clear............ The record shows that members of secret societies have manipulated, lied, and are the protagonist in WAR. The War on Terror is a Freemason operation __________________ Truth is not told, it is realized
Ronald Edwards, center, stands with guards at the Imperial Klans of America's 28-acre compound in Dawson Springs, Ky.
Suit seeks to bankrupt second largest KKK group Posted 11/11/08 source
DAWSON SPRINGS, Ky. (AP) — The western Kentucky compound that the nation's second-largest Ku Klux Klan outfit calls home features a high gate with armed guards, a stage for the group's annual gatherings and an open field for burning crosses. The Southern Poverty Law Center wants to take it all away.
On these tranquil grounds amid western Kentucky's low, rolling hills, the Imperial Klans of America incited members to severely beat a Latino teen at a county fair, the civil rights group contends in a lawsuit. The center hopes its case will bankrupt this Klan group, a tactic the center has used to decimate other racist organizations.
Jury selection begins Wednesday in Meade County, about 40 miles south of Louisville and 120 miles from the compound.
"We want to put a stop to this kind of violence," said Richard Cohen, president of the center, which is suing on behalf of the victim. "They issue thinly veiled calls to violence."
The Meade County Sheriff's Office has added patrols and some security at the courthouse but is not expecting trouble, said Deputy Sheriff Dan McCubbin.
The case stems from a 2006 attack on Jordan Gruver that left the teen with two cracked ribs, a broken left forearm, cuts and bruises. The center claims Jarred Hensley of Cincinnati and Andrew Watkins of Louisville were recruiting on behalf of the Klan at the Meade County fair, about two hours east of their headquarters, and attacked Gruver because he is Latino.
"They targeted and viciously beat our client solely because he has brown skin," Cohen said, declining to specify what the Imperial Klans or Imperial Wizard Ron Edwards might have done to trigger the attack.
Requests made through the center to interview the now 18-year-old Gruver, whose family is from Panama, were declined. Calls made to a number for the family were not answered.
Watkins and Hensley served two years in prison for beating Gruver and were recently released. Neither responded to written requests for interviews while in prison. A message left for Hensley was not immediately returned Tuesday. A listed number for Watkins could not be found.
A message left for Meade County Commonwealth Attorney Kenton Smith was not immediately returned Tuesday.
Edwards, who is also a defendant, made no apologies for his views but denied the center's allegations.
"I'm going to show he's a liar," he said of SPLC co-founder Morris Dees. "This is all Morris Dees' imagination."
Edwards - whose arms and neck are covered in tattoos of crosses, Nazi symbols, references to the "Zionist Occupied Government" and an obscenity referring to the center - said if he had sent his Klansmen recruiting, they would have been wearing black T-shirts and camouflage pants, they would not have been drinking and they would not have headed out late at night.
"If I felt a bit guilty, I would have said that," Edwards said. "I didn't have anything to do with it."
The Imperial Klans of America has at least 23 chapters in 17 states, most of which are small, Cohen said.
"It's not a great big operation, best I can tell," said Shawn Bean, a Hopkins County Sheriff's investigator. "I don't think people (in town) pay a lot of attention to them."
Still, the Montgomery, Ala.-based center, which tracks hate groups, deems the Imperial Klans the country's second-largest Klan organization, after the Brotherhood of Klans, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in Marion, Ohio.
Edwards' son, Steve Edwards, runs a Central City, Ky., group called the Supreme White Alliance, which has ties to two white supremacists charged in a bizarre plot to behead blacks across the country and assassinate Barack Obama while wearing white top hats and tuxes.
The center has taken white supremacist groups to court before. It won a $6.3 million verdict from Aryan Nations in 2000, which forced the group to sell its Idaho compound. The center also won a $7 million verdict from United Klans in 1987 following a lynching in Mobile, Ala.
Whatever happens at this week's trial, Ron Edwards insists he'll keep the Klan going, even if it means declaring bankruptcy, which potentially could keep the property and Klan logos shielded from seizure and away from the Southern Poverty Law Center.
"I've picked out some property nearby, just in case," Edwards said. "We'll keep our name and our shield. We're not going away."
Is America a "Christian" Nation? History disputes the idea that this is a nation under covenant with God. Were it so, the founding fathers would have all been Christians in the true sense. And they would have established belief in and obedience to Jesus Christ as the primary criterion for holding elective or appointed office. (Many of the state constitutions did include references to God and to Jesus Christ; somehow, these references were "overlooked" in the federal documents -- see below.)
But some ask, "What about the Mayflower Compact?" We cannot dispute that some of the early settlers in this country were Christians, at least nominally. And the Mayflower Compact did form a body politic, one of the purposes of which was to honor the king of England. But just because they had as one purpose to advance the Christian faith does not mean they meant to do so by establishing an independent Christian government. On the contrary, the Mayflower Compact specifically reaffirmed their loyalty to the king of England.
Nor were these all religious refugees on the Mayflower. True, some of those aboard the Mayflower were Protestant Separatists who had fled England to Holland to escape persecution from the Reformed Angelican Church prelates, but the principals were men commissioned to further the business of the Virginia Company. The Mayflower Compact was an afterthought designed to keep the colony intact after they were blown off course from their intended landing at the mouth of the Hudson River, having landed instead at what later became Massachusetts. When they set sail, it was not part of their original intent to draft the Mayflower Compact and form a Christian colony under its terms.
Although the document that the Mayflower passengers drew up did have some influence on the charters of a few colonies prior to the Revolutionary War, it had no official bearing on the federal government or on any of the colonies or states created either prior to or after the American Revolution. If we are going to call America a Christian nation we must see if its founding body, the Continental Congress, purposed to establish it as such. Did that body, in fact, covenant with God to form this nation?
When the Continental Congress drafted the Declaration of Independence and later, the Congress formed under the Articles of Confederation drafted the Constitution of the United States of America, no mention was made of Jesus Christ. Rather, the only references to deity in the Declaration of Independence were to "God"; none are in the Constitution. In fact, many of the framers of these documents were anti-Christian, being comprised of Masons and deists of many persuasions.
God does not enter into covenants that do not invoke the name of His Son, so there exists no covenant between the Father and the federal government of the United States, or with any state government. Had the constitutions of all these governments, including the federal government, named faith in Jesus Christ as the principle criterion for holding any elective or appointed office, this would have had to be done in the name of Jesus Christ with full understanding of the true Biblical character of His role as Savior and Lord. This the founders of this nation of sovereign states failed to do. (See Note below.)
It is apparent that the Western European influences that shaped America were part of what had become known as "Christendom." But a culture based on the idea of "Christendom" does not of itself constitute a culture based on Scripture or an inviolable covenant with God. The history of Christendom is an ugly history fraught with tyranny and the enslavement of those who are less "enlightened." If God gave the knowledge and means to subdue the earth and take dominion in the name of Jesus Christ, then that privilege has been terribly abused. If, on the other hand, Satan gave that knowledge and means, his purposes have certainly been accomplished. The fruit of Western Civilization, in spite of its enlightened accomplishments, demonstrates that no attempt to institute the Kingdom of God on earth before Jesus returns can succeed. So the idea of a covenant between America and God is pure fantasy.
Nevertheless, the "Christian America" myth lives on. We again return to the previous question: If America was truly founded as an explicitly Christian nation (as is continually proclaimed by "Christian" activists such as James Dobson, Pat Robertson, D. James Kennedy, Chuck Colson, Tim and Beverly LaHaye, Jerry Falwell, Bill Gothard, etc.), then why do we find no mention whatsoever of Jesus Christ in America's founding documents? -- not in the Declaration of Independence nor in the Constitution of the United States! In fact, the Constitution does not even make a single reference to God! (When Alexander Hamilton was asked why the Constitution fails to mention God, he allegedly replied, "We forgot.") And the reference to God in the Declaration of Independence is merely "Nature's God," a God that is vague and subordinated to natural laws that everyone should know through common sense, i.e., "self-evident" truths. Moreover, the Bible is never mentioned nor alluded to in either document! Nor is God or Jesus Christ mentioned in the hundreds of pages of the Federalist Papers (the "working documents" of the founding fathers). In fact, the United States was the first Western Nation to omit explicitly Christian symbolism, such as the cross, from its flag and other national symbols.
Further incidental evidence of the founders' own views is the statement from a treaty with the Islamic nation of Tripoli in 1797. This treaty was negotiated under Washington, ratified by the Senate, and signed by President John Adams. The telling part is a description of religion in America:
"As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion -- as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen [i.e., Muslims] ..., it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries" (The Search for Christian America, p. 131).
Strange stuff for a nation that some like to say was founded as a "Christian" nation! Strange stuff, indeed! But myths die hard, if ever.
NOTE: [Unless otherwise noted, the material above was adapted and/or excerpted from Vengeance Is Ours: The Church in Dominion, by Albert James Dager, pp. 220-221.]
Note: In all fairness, the states' "fathers" seemed to be more up front with their "Christianity," even though these same men appeared to be ashamed of the Name of Christ when it came to the federal establishment. The colonial charters of Virginia, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, Connecticut, Carolina, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Georgia did acknowledge the Christian religion. The settlers at Rhode Island subscribed to this compact:
"We, whose names are underwritten, do hereby solemnly, in the presence of Jehovah, incorporate ourselves into a body politic; and as he shall help, will submit our persons, lives, and estates unto our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, and to all those perfect and absolute laws of his, given us in his holy Word of truth, to be judged and guided thereby."
Twelve of the thirteen original state constitutions contained explicit acknowledgments of God and Christianity. (The 1776 Constitution of South Carolina even provided that no person should be eligible to the Senate or House of Representatives unless "he be of the Protestant religion.") The exception, Virginia, revised its constitution's preamble in 1870, adding "invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God." At least 42 of the state constitutions contain some acknowledgment of God in their preambles. Article 22 of the Constitution of Delaware (1776) required all officers to profess:
"faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ His only Son and in the Holy Ghost, one God, blessed forevermore; and I do acknowledge the Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testament to be given by divine inspiration."
The fundamental orders of Connecticut (1638-39) contained these words:
"to mayntayne and preserve the liberty and purity of the gospell of our Lord Jesus, which we now profess, as also the disciplyne of the churches, which according to the truth of the said gospell is now practiced amongst us."
Yet somehow, none of this rhetoric made it into the federal documents.
Rick Warren is a false prophet and one of the many wolves in sheep's clothing misleading the deceived these days.
Watch Warren below with Hannity and Colmes on Fox news talk about killing people in self defense. Is this what Jesus would do?? NO!
Not only did Jesus say "Blessed are the peacemakers" but also in Matthew 26 he said, "Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword."
We must also remember this: "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."
Holiday key time for food, gun swap Sponsors of the Goods for Guns program are hoping that the promise of a full belly will lure people to turn in their guns in exchange for $100 gift cards for Acme Fresh Markets.
Starwars style holographic 3DTV could be a reality by 2018, experts say (18 a hidden 666) 3D television system which would display holographic images floating in mid air - reminiscent of a famous scene from Star Wars - could be a reality in households within the next decade according to findings by a team of University of Aberdeen academics.
VIDEO - St. Louis Alderman Urges Residents To Get Armed A Missouri alderman who says he is frustrated with police response to crime in his neighborhood is calling on residents to arm themselves to protect their lives and property.
Moscow's mayor links gays to spread of AIDS Moscow has banned gays and lesbians from promoting their way of life because they can help spread HIV/AIDS, the Russian capital's 72-year-old mayor was quoted as saying on Thursday by RIA news agency.
Thomas Refers A Previously Rejected Case Challenging Obama Eligibility U.S. Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has asked his colleagues on the court to consider the request of an East Brunswick, N.J. attorney, who has filed a lawsuit challenging President-elect Barack Obama’s eligibility to be president.
New 'Bible': Heterosexuality is sin 'There are many different versions; I don't see why we can't have one' A filmmaker who recently released an independent project about a formula that turns all heterosexuals into "gays" now has announced he's working on "The Princess Diana Bible" in which "God" ordains homosexuality as the better lifestyle.
Conservatives form rival group to Episcopal Church Theological conservatives upset by liberal views of U.S. Episcopalians and Canadian Anglicans formed a rival North American province Wednesday, in a long-developing rift over the Bible that erupted when Episcopalians consecrated the first openly gay bishop.
Gitmo prosecutor who quit calls system 'appalling' and 'immoral' A former US military prosecutor, who resigned rather than continue bringing cases against terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay in a system he found "defective" and "immoral," has spoken out for the first time in an interview with the BBC.
VIDEO - Anti-Religious Display At Washington State Capitol Raises Eyebrows KING: With a nod to the winter solstice - the year's shortest day occurring in late December - the placard reads: "At this season of the Winter Solstice may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."
34 Nigerian kids die from tainted teething mix Food and drug agency recovers 2,000 bottles of formula, flies in antidote Nigerian food and drug regulators on Tuesday updated the death toll to 34 in an outbreak of fatalities among infants given a locally made teething formula tainted with a toxic thickening agent.
Bush: 'I Did Not Compromise My Principles' Looking back on his eight years in the White House, President Bush pinpointed incorrect intelligence that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction as the "biggest regret of all the presidency."
It's Time to Update the Pledge Now, with the passing of the Rev. George M. Docherty, who died Thanksgiving Day at the age of 97, let us review why the phrase was added in the first place and why we should consider updating the pledge.
In Matthew 6, when the Lord Jesus Christ is showing his disciples how to pray, he says, "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
God forgave us when we didn't deserve it so we need to forgive those who have hurt us. If we want to be forgiven, we need to forgive one another.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for forgiving us our sin through the cross. Now please help us to forgive others we ask.
21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
Nuclear or Bioterror Attack on U.S. Likely by 2013, Panel Warns The United States can expect a terrorist attack using nuclear or more likely biological weapons before 2013, reports a bipartisan commission in a study being briefed Tuesday to Vice President-elect Joe Biden.
China: 6 babies may have died from tainted milk China's Health Ministry said six babies may have died after consuming tainted milk powder, up from a previous official toll of three, and announced a six-fold increase in its tally of infants sickened in the scandal - to nearly 300,000.
World economy 'weakest since 30s' The United Nations says the world economy faces its worst downturn since the Great Depression. It expects world economic output to shrink by as much as 0.4% in 2009, due to a slump among developed countries - particularly the US and in Europe.
Pentagon to detail military to bolster security Plan would dedicate 20,000 uniformed troops inside U.S. by 2011. There are critics of the change, in the military and among civil liberties groups and libertarians who express concern that the new homeland emphasis threatens to strain the military and possibly undermine the Posse Comitatus Act, a 130-year-old federal law restricting the military's role in domestic law enforcement.
Disney accused by Catholic cleric of corrupting children's minds Christopher Jamison, the Abbot of Worth in West Sussex, has accused the corporation of "exploiting spirituality" to sell its products and of turning Disneyland into a modern day pilgrimage site.
Is gay the new black? Marriage ban spurs debate The gay rights movement entered a new era when Barack Obama was elected the first black president the same day that voters in California and Florida passed referendums to prevent gays and lesbians from marrying, while Arizonans turned down civil unions and Arkansans said no to adoptions by same-sex couples.
Microchips For AIDS Patients In Indonesia Lawmakers in Indonesia's remote province of Papua have thrown their support behind a controversial bill requiring some HIV/AIDS patients to be implanted with microchips - part of extreme efforts to monitor the disease.
VIDEO - American Rabbi & Wife Among Five Hostages Found Dead at Mumbai Jewish Center The dramatic assault on the Jewish cultural centre, where two gunmen were holding hostages including a rabbi and his wife, began shortly after dawn Friday, with masked commandos abseiling onto the roof from a helicopter.
Evidence Mumbai Attackers were Anglo-American Intel Operatives Gaffar Abdul Amir, an Iraqi tourist from Baghdad, saw at least two men who started the firing outside the Leopold Cafe. "They did not look Indian, they looked foreign. One of them, I thought, had blonde hair. The other had a punkish hairstyle. They were neatly dressed," Amir told the BBC.
Virginians Slain in Attacks Lived Out Peaceful Ideals Alan Scherr was an art professor with a comfortable life in the Maryland suburbs, but he spent 25 years studying Transcendental Meditation in a quest for something more. The search took him and his family to Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, where they shed their old life in Silver Spring and meditated in the complex of a New Age mystic.
Some think Keith was murdered because he wrote the following...
THE CATHOLIC CHRONICLES
by Keith Green
CHRONICLE I
One might wonder why, in a scriptural expose of the doctrines of the Catholic Church, I would choose this subject The Roman Interpretation of the Lord's Supper (more commonly known as "Communion") for the first of the "Catholic Chronicles". Most Protestants (today, Protestants are considered to be members of any church or church-group outside the Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox churches) would expect me to deal with what they might consider the more obvious departures from biblical foundation such as the worship of and prayers to the Virgin Mary, the infallibility of the pope, purgatory and prayers for the dead, the history of the torture and burning of accused "heretics" and such like that- and no doubt in future installments we shall look in-depth at each of these.
But for this first article I believe that we should get right to the root, before we begin exploring the branches of Roman Doctrine and practice. And any Catholic who has even a small knowledge of his church knows that the central focus of each gathering (known as the "mass") is the Holy Eucharist.
"THE EUCHARIST" The word "Eucharist" is a Greek word that means "thanksgiving". In the gospel accounts of the Last Supper, Jesus is described as "giving thanks" before breaking the bread (Luke 22:19), and so this word became a proper name for the Lord's Supper in the early Catholic Church. Today, it is more commonly associated with the elements in communion, especially the host or "wafer", although the ceremony itself is still called "The Holy Eucharist".
Now, you might be wondering why I'm taking so much time and effort to explain something as harmless as the ceremony known around the world as communion. If you've ever been to church at all, (Protestant or Catholic), you've probably taken part in a communion service. So why make all this fuss about bread and wine? Why? Because that's where the similarity between evangelical communion services and the Roman Catholic Mass ends- at the bread and the wine!
"TRANSUBSTANTIATION" That 18-letter word above is a complete theological statement. . . and the name of a doctrine, out of which springs the most astounding set of beliefs and practices that has ever been taught in the name of religion. Very, very few people know what the Catholic Church actually believes and teaches concerning this subject. and I am convinced that even fewer Catholics realize themselves what they are taking part in. From earliest childhood, "This is the body of Christ" is all they've ever heard when the priest gingerly placed the wafer on their tongue. And as they grew up it was so natural and part of normal religious life, that their minds never even questioned the fact that Jesus Christ, Himself, was actually in their mouth! It might be hard for you to believe, but that's exactly, literally, what "transubstantiation" means. The Roman Catholic Church teaches their flocks that the bread and the wine used in the Mass actually, physically, turns into the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ after the priest blesses it during the liturgy (ceremony). Although this in itself might shock you, it is really only the beginning. For the implications and practical conclusions of this doctrine are absolutely mind-boggling.
"EXCLUSIVE AUTHORITY" For example, the Roman Church teaches that since their priests are the only ones who have the authority from God to pronounce the blessing which changes the elements of communion into the actual body and blood of Jesus, that they are the only church where Jesus "physically resides" even now! Let me quote a letter written to one of the girls in our ministry from a devoted Catholic:
"To explain the Catholic Church would take volumes, but basically the Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ when He was here on earth. It is the only church founded by Jesus. The greatest asset of our church is that we have Jesus present in the Holy Eucharist. He is really here, body, soul and divinity. He is God and in His omnipotence can do anything He wishes, and He decided to remain with us until the end of the world in the form of the host (the "wafer") in Holy Communion."
If you think this is just the isolated opinion of someone on the fringe of the church, or that the Catholic Church as a whole does not really believe or teach this, I beg you to read on. For not only is this the official teaching of Rome, but according to irreversible church decree (called dogma), anyone who does not hold to this belief, in the most explicit detail, is accursed and damned forever!
"THE COUNCIL OF TRENT" When Europe was electrified by the eloquent preaching of the sixteenth century Reformation, the Roman Catholic hierarchy gathered together. Her theologians worked for three decades on the preparation of a statement of faith concerning transubstantiation. This document remains, to this day, the standard of Catholic doctrine.
As the Second Vatican Council commenced in 1963, Pope John XXIII declared, "I do accept entirely all that has been decided and declared at the Council of Trent". What did the Council of Trent decide and declare?
Some of the first sections are as follows: Canon I: "If any one shall deny that the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore entire Christ, are truly, really, and substantially contained in the sacrament of the most Holy Eucharist; and shall say that He is only in it as a sign, or in a figure, let him be accursed!" Canon II: "If any one shall say that the substance of the bread and wine remains in the sacrament of the most Holy Eucharist, together with the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ...let him be accursed!" Canon III: "If any one shall say that Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is not to be adored in the holy sacrament of the Eucharist, even with the open worship of Latria, and therefore not to be venerated with any peculiar festal celebrity, nor to be solemnly carried about in processions according to the praiseworthy and universal rites and customs of the Holy Church, and that He is not to be publicly set before the people to be adored, and that His adorers are idolaters- let him be accursed! "
"THE WORSHIP OF THE HOST" "You shall not make unto you any engraved image. . You shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them..." The 2nd commandment (Ex.20:4-5) "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:23
In Canon VI, a rite of worship called "Latria" was spoken of. This is not just an "ancient custom", it is thoroughly practiced today in every Mass. After the bread has been supposedly "changed" into Christ by the priest, it is placed in a holder called the monstrance. And before this monstrance the Catholic must bow and worship (this act is called "genuflecting") the little wafer as God! Sometimes they have processions where they solemnly march, as the congregation bows and offers praise and worship to this piece of bread!
The Roman teaching that Jesus Christ is physically present in each morsel of bread creates many other doctrinal and practical problems. For instance, when the service is over, what happens to all those leftover wafers that have been "changed into Christ"? Do they change back into bread again when the priest goes home? I'm afraid not. For according to Canon IV of the Council of Trent, they stay flesh! And don't think that 400 year-old decree is just some dusty old manuscript in a museum case somewhere. It still is completely adhered to and passionately practiced. As an example, here is a passage from an official Catholic home instruction book, copyrighted 1978:
"Jesus Christ does not cease to exist under the appearances of bread and wine after the Mass is over. Furthermore. some hosts are usually kept in all Catholic churches. In these hosts, Jesus is physically and truly present, as long as the appearances of bread remain. Catholics therefore have the praiseworthy practice of 'making visits' to our Lord present in their churches to offer Him their thanks, their adoration, to ask for help and forgiveness; in a word, to make Him the center around which they live their daily lives.' '("The Spirit of Jesus" Catholic Home Study Instruction Course, Book #3, p. 92.) That is an incredible interpretation of how to make Jesus the center of your daily life!
"WHEN DID THIS TEACHING BEGIN?" The teaching of transubstantiation does not date back to the Last Supper as most Catholics suppose. It was a controversial topic for many centuries before officially becoming an article of faith (which means that it is essential to salvation according to Rome). The idea of a physical presence was vaguely held by some, such as Ambrose, but it was not until 831 A.D. that Paschasius Radbertus, a Benedictine Monk, published a treatise openly advocating the doctrine. Even then, for almost another four centuries, theological war was waged over this teaching by bishops and people alike, until at the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 A.D., it was officially defined and canonized as a dogma (A "Dogma" is a teaching or doctrine that can never be reversed or repealed. It is equal in authority to the Bible) by Pope Innocent III.
The historian Tertullian tells us that when this doctrine first began to be taught in the Middle Ages, that the priests took great care that no crumb should fall lest the body of Jesus be hurt, or even eaten by a mouse or a dog! There were quite serious discussions as to what should be done if a person were to vomit after receiving the sacrament. At the Council of Constance, it was argued that if a communicant spilled some of the blood on his beard, both beard and the man should be destroyed by burning! (The Other Side of Rome, p. 21) (By the end of the eleventh century, lest someone should spill God's blood, some in the church began to hold back the cup from the people, and finally in 1415, the Council of Constance officially denied the cup to laymen. Although today, by decree of the Vatican, churches may now offer the cup optionally to communicants.)
"HOW ROME VIEWS THE BIBLE" Before we proceed to look at what the Bible has to say on this subject, it is important to understand the official Catholic view of the Scriptures. According to unquestionable decree, they hold that "Church tradition has equal authority with the Bible". This is not just a theological view, but it was made an article of faith by the same Council of Trent in 1545! And again, this view is completely held by the Church today:
"The teachings of the Church will always be in keeping with the teachings of the Scripture. . . and it is through the teaching of the Church that we understand more fully truths of sacred Scripture. To the Catholic Church belongs the final word in the understanding and meaning of the Holy Spirit in the words of the Bible."
And explaining the premise used in interpreting the Bible: "...usually the meaning of the Scriptures is sought out by those who are specially trained for this purpose. And in their conclusions, they know that no explanation of the Scriptures which contradicts the truths constantly taught by the infallible Church can be true." ("The Spirit of Jesus" Catholic Home Study Instruction Course, Book #3, pp. 94-95.)
Any thinking person can see how such a mode of interpretation can be dangerously used to manipulate Scripture to mean absolutely anything at all! Who has not observed this of the various cults? The Moonies, Mormons, and Jehovah's Witnesses all back up their false teachings with "new revelations" and "inspired interpretations" of the Scriptures each claiming that the Holy Spirit revealed these new truths to their founders. One opens themselves to all kinds of deception when they judge the Bible by what their church or pastor teaches, instead of judging what their church or pastor teaches by the Bible!
"CATHOLIC PROOF-TEXTS EXPLAINED" With this in mind, we will briefly discuss the two main passages of Scripture that the Roman Church uses while trying to show that Jesus Himself, taught transubstantiation.
John 6:54-55: "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink."
Catholics are taught here, that Jesus is explaining how He is literally offering them His flesh and blood, so that they may have eternal life by physically eating Him. With just a little study of the whole passage (vs. 27-71), it is clear that Jesus was not talking about physical, but spiritual food and drink.
Food is eaten to satisfy hunger. And in verse 35 Jesus says, "He who comes to Me shall never hunger". Now, Jesus is not promising eternal relief from physical hunger pains. He is, of course, speaking of the spiritual hunger in man for righteousness and salvation. And He promises to those who will "come to Him " that He will satisfy their hunger for these things forever therefore, to come to Him is to "eat"! (See also Matt. 5:6, 11:28, John 4:31-34.)
We drink also to satisfy thirst, and again in verse 35 Jesus tells us, "He that believes on Me shall never thirst." Therefore, to believe on Him is to "drink"! (See also John 4:13-14.) No one can say that here Jesus was establishing the eating and drinking of His literal flesh and blood to give eternal life, for in verse 63 He says, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." Thus Jesus makes clear what we should be eating and drinking to have eternal life! (See also Matt.4:4.)
Matt. 26:26 and 28: "This is My body . . this is My blood." Catholics base their whole religious system on their interpretation of these two verses. They adamantly teach that right here, Jesus is pronouncing the first priestly blessing that mysteriously changes the bread and wine into His body and blood. The absolute folly of such a conclusion is proved by this one observation: He was literally still there before, during, and after they had partaken of the bread and the cup! He was not changed into some liquid and bread- His flesh was still on His bones, and His blood still in His veins. He had not vanished away to reappear in the form of a piece of bread or a cup of wine! Let's look closer at His words. No one can deny that here we have figurative language. Jesus did not say "touto gignetai" ("this has become" or "is turned into"), but "touto esti" ("this signifies, represents" or "stands for") (the New Testament was written in Greek). It is obvious that Jesus' meaning was not literal but symbolic! And He wasn't the first in the Bible to claim figuratively that a glass of liquid was really "blood".
One time, David's friends heard him express a strong desire for water from the well of Bethlehem. In spite of extreme danger, these men broke through the enemy lines of the Philistines and brought the water to him. When David found out that these men had risked their lives in this way, he refused to drink the water, exclaiming, "Is not this the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?" (II Sam. 23:17).
Throughout the gospels we find similar metaphorical language: Jesus referring to Himself as "the Door", "the Vine", "the Light", "the Root", "the Rock", "the Bright and Morning Star", as well as "the Bread". The passage is written with such common language that it is plain to any observant reader that the Lord's Supper was intended primarily as a memorial and in no sense a literal sacrifice. "Do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19).
"TRUE PAGAN ORIGINS" Where did this teaching and practice really come from? Like many of the beliefs and rites of Romanism, transubstantiation was first practiced by pagan religions. The noted historian Durant said that belief in transubstantiation as practiced by the priests of the Roman Catholic system is "one of the oldest ceremonies of primitive religion" (The Story of Civilization, p. 741.) The syncretism and mysticism of the Middle East were great factors in influencing the West, particularly Italy. (Roman Society from Nero to Marcus Aurelius, by Dill.) In Egypt, priests would consecrate food cakes which were supposed to become the flesh of Osiris! (an ancient Egyptian god of the lower world and judge of the dead - Encyclopedia of Religions, Vol. 2, p. 76.) The idea of transubstantiation was also characteristic of the religion of Mithra whose sacraments of cakes and haoma drink closely parallel Catholic Eucharistic rites. (Ibid.)
The idea of eating the flesh of deity was most popular among the people of Mexico and Central America long before they ever heard of Christ; and when Spanish missionaries first landed in those countries, "their surprise was heightened, when they witnessed a religious rite which reminded them of communion . . . an image made of flour...and after consecration by priests, was distributed among the people who ate it. . . declaring it was the flesh of deity. (Prescott's Mexico, Vol. 3.)
"SO WHY DO THEY TEACH IT?" Before concluding our first chronicle, the question needs to be asked, "Why does the Roman Catholic Church need to have such a doctrine. Why do they think that Jesus needs them to physically eat Him? That is what truly puzzled me as I read astounded through the catechism and doctrinal instruction books. But the answer to that question is not a pretty one. As I said before, the implications and practical conclusions of the teaching of transubstantiation are substantially worse than the doctrine itself and like a great web spun by an industrious spider, Rome's teachings spiral out from this central hub like the spokes of a wheel.
In the following Catholic Chronicle we will look intently at the next direct result of transubstantiation in official Catholic systematic theology: "The Sacrifice of the Mass".
CHRONICLE II
In Chronicle I, we thoroughly examined the doctrine of transubstantiation its history, practice, and real meaning. But we have waited for this second article to answer the question: Why? Why must there be present in the Mass the literal body and blood of Jesus? What purpose does it serve?
The answer is found in these startling words: "The sacrifice of the Mass is the same sacrifice of the cross, for there is the same priest, the same victim, and the same offering." ("The Roman Catholic Sacrifice of the Mass" by Bartholomew F. Brewer, Ph.D.)
And in the words of Pope Pius IV... "I profess likewise that in the mass there is offered to God a true, proper, and propitiatory (conciliatory, to soothe the anger of, to win or regain the goodwill of, to appease, placate or make friendly, to reconcile - Webster's New World Dictionary and Harper's Bible Dictionary.) sacrifice for the living and the dead." (From the fifth article of the creed of Pope Pius IV.)
That is the incredible truth! The Roman Catholic Church believes and teaches that in every Mass, in every church, throughout the world (estimated at up to 200,000 Masses a day) that Jesus Christ is being offered up again, physically, as a sacrifice for sin (benefitting not only those alive, but the dead as well!) ("It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" Heb. 9:27.) Every Roman Mass is a re-creation of Jesus' death for the sins of the world. Not a symbolic re-creation! But a literal, actual offering of the flesh and blood of the Lord to make daily atonement for all the sins that have been daily committed since Jesus was crucified almost 2,000 years ago ("The Catholic Home Instruction Book", #3, P. 90.).
That's why the elements must become physically Jesus' body and blood, so that they can be once again offered for sin: "The Holy Eucharist is the perpetual continuation of this act of sacrifice and surrender of our Lord. When the Lord's Supper is celebrated, Christ again presents Himself in His act of total surrender to the Father in death." ("The Spirit of Jesus" pp.89-90, Imprimatur: John Joseph Cardinal Carberry, Archbishop of St. Louis.)
"He offers Himself continually to the Father, in the same eternal act of offering that began on the cross and will never cease." ("Sons of God in Christ" Book 4, P. 117.)
"The Mass is identical to Calvary it is a sacrifice for sin it must be perpetuated to take away sin." (For Them Also, pp.289-299.)
The catechism of the Council of Trent required all pastors to explain that not only did the elements of the Mass contain flesh, bones and nerves as a part of Christ, "But also a WHOLE CHRIST". (Encyclopedia of Religions, Vol. 2, p.77.) Thus it is referred to as "the sacrifice of the Mass" and as "a renewal of the sacrifice of the cross"! ("A Catholic Word List" p. 45.)
"THE COUNCIL OF TRENT ON "THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS"" As we shared in Chronicle I, the Council of Trent was called to clarify and standardize Catholic doctrine in response to the challenges of the Reformation. The canons on this subject (passed in Session XXII. Cap II.) are as follows: "If any one shall say, that in the Mass there is not offered to God a true and proper sacrifice, or that what is offered is nothing else than Christ given to be eaten, let him be anathema." (Anathema- The strongest denunciation of a person that can be made in the ancient Greek (the original language of the New Testament). Literal meaning: "devoted to death". A thing or person accursed or damned. -- Webster's New World Dictionary and Harper's Bible Dictionary.)
"If any one shall say that in these words, 'This do in remembrance of Me', Christ did not make the apostles priests, or did not ordain that they themselves and other priests should offer His body and blood, let him be anathema."
"If any one shall say that the sacrifice of the Mass is only of praise and thanksgiving, or a bare commemoration of the sacrifice performed on the cross, but not propitiatory; or that it is of benefit only to the person who takes it, and ought not to be offered for the living and the dead for sins, punishments, satisfactions, and other necessities, let him be accursed."
"If any one shall say that a blasphemy is ascribed to the most holy sacrifice of Christ performed on the cross by the sacrifice of the Mass let him be accursed." "BUT IS THIS THE BELIEF OF ROME TODAY?" If any be in doubt as to the modern Roman position, we shall quote the recent (1963-65) Second Vatican Council:
"At the Last Supper. . . our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of His body and blood. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross. . ." p. 154, The Documents of Vatican II, Walter M. Abbott, S.J.
The catechism books teach that the reason the Mass is the same sacrifice as that of Calvary is because the victim in each case was Jesus Christ. ("The New Baltimore Catechism" #3, Question 931.) In fact, they refer to the bread of the Eucharist as the "host", which is the Latin word hostia which literally means "victim" (Webster's New World Dictionary.)
BUT WHY "THE SACRIFICE" OF THE MASS? We will now quote the Church's own contemporary literature to fully answer this question (taken from the book, This Is The Catholic Church, published by the Catholic Information Service, Knights of Columbus, Imprimatur: (sanction or approval. Specifically, permission to print or publish a book or article containing nothing contrary to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church - Webster's New World Dictionary.) Most Reverend John F. Whealon, Archbishop of Hartford: "Sacrifice is the very essence of religion. And it is only through sacrifice that union with the Creator can be perfectly acquired. It was through sacrifice that Christ Himself was able to achieve this for man. It is only through the perpetuation of that sacrifice that this union may be maintained.
"What makes the Mass the most exalted of all sacrifices is the nature of the victim, Christ Himself. For the Mass is the continuation of Christ's sacrifice which He offered through His life and death. Jesus then, is the priest, the offerer of the sacrifice. But Christ was not only the priest of this sacrifice (of the cross), He was also the victim, the very object itself of this sacrifice.
"The Mass is thus the same as the sacrifice of the cross. No matter how many times it is offered, nor in how many places at one time, it is the same sacrifice of Christ. Christ is forever offering Himself in the Mass." (pp. 20-24.)
BUT JESUS SAID "IT IS FINISHED!" Every true believer loves the sound of these words: "It is finished!" (John 19:30). For it is the wonderful exclamation that the Lord's suffering was finally over- He had fulfilled His mission! Jesus had lived a life of sorrow, bearing the burden of a world gone mad. He had been rejected by everyone, even His closest friends. He had lived a perfect life before men and God, and His reward on earth was to be laughed at, spit upon, beaten beyond recognition, and finally nailed to a cross. But He had submitted willingly, because it was the will of His Father to offer Him as the satisfaction of the penalty for all the sin in the world past, present and future!
But here, in the words of a Roman Catholic priest, is the "true meaning" of the words "it is finished!" These words do not declare that His sacrifice was finished, but that He had finished His former, normal, earthly life and was now fixed in the state of a victim...He then began His everlasting career as the perpetual sacrifice of the new law." ("The Sacrifice of Christ" by Fr. Richard W. Grace.) Hence, according to Rome, Jesus must be forever dying for sin, "perpetually".
Have you ever wondered why in every Catholic Church they still have Jesus up on the cross? Every crucifix with Jesus portrayed as nailed to it, tells the whole Catholic story- Jesus is still dying for the sins of the world! But that's a lie! We need only look to the Scriptures to see the truth.
"BACK TO THE BOOK" The epistle to the Hebrews speaks of the "once for all" sacrifice of Christ on the cross, not a daily sacrifice on altars. The Bible repeatedly affirms in the clearest and most positive terms that Christ's sacrifice on Calvary was complete in that one offering. And that it was never to be repeated is set forth explicitly in Hebrews, chapters 7, 9 and 10:
"Who needs not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: For this He did once, when He offered up Himself" (7:27)."...by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us" (9:12)."Nor yet that He should offer Himself often. . . but now once in the end of the world has He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. . . so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto those who look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (9:25-28).". . . we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: but this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for the sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God. . .for by one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified" (10:10-14).
Notice that throughout these verses occurs the statement "once for all" which shows how perfect, complete and final Jesus' sacrifice was! His work on the cross constituted one historic event which need never be repeated and which in fact cannot be repeated. As Paul says, "Christ, being raised from the dead dies no more" (Romans 6:9). Any pretense of a continuous offering for sin is worse than vain, it is blasphemy and true fulfillment of the Scripture, "Seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame" (Heb. 6:6).
"JESUS THE ONLY PRIEST" Jesus not only became the perfect sacrifice for sin, but after being accepted by God as having totally fulfilled the requirements of the old covenant, He became "the mediator of a better covenant" (Heb. 8:6). That means that Jesus is the high priest of every true believer! "There is one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ" (I Tim. 2:5).
The Bible teaches that the priesthood of Jesus Christ is unique "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek" (Psalm 110:4 and Hebrews 7:17.) ". . . because He abides forever, (He) holds His priesthood permanently" (which means that it cannot be transferred to another!) (Heb. 7 17. 24).
But Roman Catholicism teaches that the apostles were ordained by Jesus Himself (at the Last Supper) to perpetuate the coming sacrifice He would make on the cross. And that this ordination has been handed down through the centuries to the current generation of priests. Therefore, Rome teaches that her priests actually operate and discharge the priesthood of Jesus Christ, and that they are called "other Christs" (alter Christus, in Latin.)
This explains the great adulation and honor heaped upon the Roman priest. The French Catholic Saint J.B.M. Vianney said that "Where there is no priest there is no sacrifice, and where there is no sacrifice there is no religion . . . without the priest the death and passion of our Lord would be of no avail to us. . . see the power of the priest! By one word from his lips, he changes a piece of bread into a God! A greater feat than the creation of a world." He also said, "If I were to meet a priest and an angel, I would salute the priest before saluting the angel. The angel is a friend of God, but the priest holds the place of God. . . next to God Himself, the priest is everything!" What humiliation for Jesus Christ, the One who has been given a name "above all other names!"
"BUT ISN'T ROME CHANGING?" Today, many are expressing hope that Rome is turning toward scriptural Christianity. They point to the many reforms of Vatican II (that is, Such as Masses performed in the common language rather than exclusively in Latin, the relaxation of taboos such as eating food on Friday, etc.) and also to the ever-widening charismatic renewal. True, these things appear to be a positive sign of change, and many are thrilled by them; but most fail to realize that these changes are only superficial. For Rome could never reject the sacrifice of the Mass- just streamline it enough to keep the truth of its meaning hidden. Pope John XXIII made it clear that His Church is bound "to all the teachings of the Church in its entirety and preciseness, as it still shines forth in the act of the Council of Trent and First Vatican Council..." (The Documents of Vatican II, Abbott, S.J.)
It is clear that the whole of Roman teaching and belief is founded on this premise of the continual sacrifice of Christ for sin: "It should be easy to see why the Mass holds such an important place in the Church's life. The Mass is the very essence of the Church. Within it the Church's life, and the Church's very existence is centered. If there were no mass, there could be no Catholic Church. The Mass is our act of worship, an act which we know to be really worthy of God, because it is the sacrifice of God's own Son.
"What the sacrifices of the old law were unable to accomplish- what no other form of human worship can accomplish- the Mass performs: Perfect atonement is made for sin.
"The souls of men yet unborn, together with those now living and those who have come into existence since Christ's sacrifice, all have need of the salvation which Christ has won for us. It is through the Mass as well as through the other sacraments that the effects of Christ's salvation are applied to the souls of men." (This is the Catholic Church pp. 24-25.)
It is made thoroughly clear that Rome will forever put its faith in the Mass for the eternal forgiveness of sins. To remove this belief from her system of theology, would be like knocking out the pillars of a great edifice- the whole building would come tumbling down!
"PAUL'S EXTREME WARNING" As I sat stunned, reading all the "Let them be accursed" threats of the Council of Trent, I could not help but think how their curses would only fall back on their own heads for the words of our brother Paul call out across the centuries:
"But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed!" (Gal. 1:8).
Not only does Paul warn that an authentic angel from heaven should not be heeded while preaching a "different doctrine", but he gives the ultimate warning " . . . even though we"! Paul strictly warned the Galatians, not even to listen to him- the chief apostle and master of true doctrine- if he should reverse himself on any of the fundamental teachings of the gospel. How much more then, should we reject the appalling traditions and practices of a system that is not only unbiblical, but is actually steeped in mysticism, bordering dangerously on the occult!
CONCLUSION: THE DEFINITION OF A "CULT" Now I am sure, many of you who have been reading this, might have been wondering if (and when) I would use this word. Today, the word "cult" is thrown around without much thought. People seem much too eager to use it to describe any individual or group that doesn't exactly agree with them. And I do not, and will not use the word lightly. But as far as I can see from the Bible, a person is only in danger of being grouped with "false brethren" by tampering with three very basic issues of biblical truth. (These are greatly condensed for this example.)
Who Jesus is- Son of God, God the Son, Creator of the Universe.
What He came to do- to die once for all, for the sins of mankind, then raise from the dead as the eternal high priest of all true believers.
How a person directly benefits from Christ's death for sin- he is accounted as righteous through a total faith and rest in the finished work of Christ, and becomes the possessor of God's free gift eternal life (salvation).
The Roman Catholic Church has been considered a true Christian faith, mainly because it is generally known that their theology is quite orthodox on point #1. But as we have pointed out in these two chronicles, they are perilously shaky on the atonement Christ's substitutionary death for sinners #2. But if there is any doubt left at all, as to whether or not the Roman Church is authentically and biblically Christian, there will be a complete and thorough study of the Roman view on how one obtains salvation in our third installment of "The Catholic Chronicles".
CHRONICLE III
". . . the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Rom. 6:23)
How blessed it is to know Jesus! His love, His mercy, His righteousness, His forgiveness! He has promised to "cast all our sins into the depths of the sea" (Mic. 7:19) and to separate us from our sins "as far as the east is from the west!" (Ps. 103:12).
This is the good news! (That's the literal meaning of the word "gospel" good news!) That is what the true church of our God has the privilege of proclaiming... "liberty to the captives.!" (Lk.4:18).
The reason I begin this article on the Roman Catholic view of salvation with such rejoicing in my Savior, is because I have just finished reading a mountain of official (Roman) church literature on the subject, and I can honestly say, I have never had such joy in my heart of hearts about the finished work of Christ. As I scoured each page and read of penance, confession, venial and mortal sins, indulgences, purgatory, etc. I then had the infinite pleasure of searching the Scriptures to see what they had to say on these fundamental Catholic doctrines.
Oh what relief my soul found in the Scriptures! What holy joy! What clarity of light I saw, as the simple brilliance of God's mercy shown into my mind. If there is anything more beautiful than God's love and patience with man, it has never been revealed to mortals!
All this to say that I am bogged down with the information I have accumulated, and I will probably have to cover it all in this, Chronicle III, briefly touching on each subject, while always coming back to the main question: "According to Rome, how can a man or woman be saved from the consequences of his sinful nature and actions, and how can they gain assurance that they are in a right standing before God?"
If the future permits, I will come back in another installment and cover some of these subjects (particularly, purgatory and indulgences) in far greater depth and detail. It is our desire to see people find the true salvation that Jesus died for; therefore, we must deal with that great (and most important) subject wholly, before taking the time to supply other necessary (and most revealing) subject matter.
"The Catholic Teaching on Sin" Before we can understand what Catholics are taught about salvation, we must first see what they are taught they need to be saved from. In Matt. 1, the angel of the Lord speaks to Joseph in a dream about his betrothed, Mary, saying "she will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins" (vs. 21).
Today, many evangelicals toss around the term "saved" without much thought. "When did you get saved?" someone might ask. It's almost like a title, or a badge that a person wears to prove that he's become part of the club the "saved". Others are under the impression that when a person talks of being "saved", they are talking about being saved from many different things sickness, death, the devil, hell, etc. But when the angel of the Lord used that precious word to prophesy that Jesus would fulfill all the predictions of the prophets, he made very clear what Jesus was coming to save His people from...their sins!
In official Roman Catholic theology, this too is the main thing that people are taught they need to be saved from- their sins. But the only thing that Catholic and evangelical teachings have in common on the subject of sin...is the spelling! For when a Catholic talks about his "sins", you must find out first if he is talking about "mortal" sins, or "venial" sins. And then you must ask him "how do you get rid of them?" The answer given will most likely confound a non-Catholic. For words like "faith", "repentance", even "Jesus" will usually be missing in the answer. Instead, a whole new list of other words will have to be learned, defined, and understood before the evangelical can fully grasp how a Catholic is taught his sins (and the penalty due them) can be canceled out.
"Mortal and Venial Sins" The first of these unfamiliar words are the names of the two groups Rome has separated all sins into. Now if you're a Catholic, you might be wondering why I'm making such a big deal of the dividing of sins into two distinct categories (each with their own set of consequences and remedies) for it has been part of Catholic doctrine for a long, long time.
According to Rome's definition, mortal sin is described as "any great offense against the law of God" and is so named because "it is deadly, killing the soul and subjecting it to eternal punishment". Venial sins, on the other hand, are "small and pardonable offenses against God, and our neighbor". Unlike mortal sins, venial sins are not thought to damn a soul to hell, but with the committing of each venial sin, a person increases his need for a longer stay in the purifying fires of a place called "purgatory". (Look that word up in your Bible dictionary you'll find it right next to "venial"! )
Now, there is no agreement among the priests as to which sins are mortal and which are venial, but they all proceed on the assumption that such a distinction does exist. The method of classification is purely arbitrary. What is venial according to one may be mortal according to another.
According to Rome, the pope is infallible in matters of faith and doctrine. He should then be able to settle this important matter by accurately cataloging those sins which are mortal as distinguished from those which are venial. However, there are some definites in the "mortal" category: blatantly breaking one of the ten commandments, practically all sexual offenses (whether in word, thought or deed) and a long list of transgressions which have changed throughout the centuries.
For instance, until Vatican II (a church council that met between 1963-1965) it was a mortal sin to attend a Protestant church, to own or read a Protestant Bible, or to eat food on Friday! Oh, and it's still a mortal sin to "miss Mass on Sunday morning ("Sunday obligation" can also be fulfilled by attending a Saturday evening Mass) without a good excuse" (which means that considerably more than half of the claimed Roman Catholic membership throughout the world is constantly in mortal sin!) Venial sins include things like thinking bad thoughts, having wrong motives, losing your temper, etc. things that do not necessarily "lead into actual sin" but still, nevertheless, are sins that need to be eradicated in some way.
"What Does the Bible Say?" The Bible makes no distinction between mortal and venial sins. There is in fact, no such thing as a venial sin. ALL SIN IS MORTAL! It is true that some sins are worse than others, but it is also true that all sins if not forgiven bring death to the soul. The Bible simply says: "The wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). And Ezekiel says: "The soul that sins, it shall die" (18:4).
James says that "whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all" (2:10). He meant, not that the person who commits one sin is guilty of all other kinds of sin, but that even one sin unatoned for, shuts a person completely out of heaven and subjects him to punishment, just as surely as one mis-step by the mountain climber plunges him to destruction in the canyon below.
In the light of these biblical statements, the distinction between mortal and venial sins is shown to be completely absurd. In fact, the very act of classifying sins into "greater and lesser" is immoral in itself. We know how quick human nature is to grasp at any excuse for sin. Rome seems to be saying "these sins are really bad! But those? Well . . . you can get away with a few of them and not really suffer too much". Speaking of "getting away" with something, let's get right down to how Rome teaches you can "get rid of" your sins.
"Confession" The Catholic system starts to get real complicated when we begin to look at the ways one can erase both their mortal and venial sins. "Two kinds of punishment are due to mortal sin: eternal (in hell forever), and temporal (in purgatory). Eternal punishment is canceled by either baptism (which is only allowed once in a person's life--and if a person were to die immediately after baptism, Rome says he will go "straight to heaven". Otherwise, the only other conditions by which a Catholic may be assured he will go directly to heaven immediately upon death, is to die a "saint" -- a completely perfect and sanctified person, or to die a martyr's death. All others must do some time in purgatory.) or confession to a priest."
The Baltimore Catechism defines confession as follows: "Confession is the telling of our sins to an authorized priest for the purpose of attaining forgiveness." The important words here are "authorized priest". And to be genuine, a confession must be heard, judged, and followed by obedience to the authorized priest as he assigns a penance, such as good works, prayers, fastings, abstinence from certain pleasures, etc. A penance may be defined as "a punishment undergone in token of repentance for sin, as assigned by the priest" usually a very light penalty.
The New York Catechism says,"I must tell my sins to the priest so that he will give me absolution (release from punishment; acquittal; remission of sins declared officially by a priest--Webster's Dictionary.) A person who knowingly keeps back a mortal sin in confession commits a dreadful sacrilege, and he must repeat his confession."
"The Priest's Role" Canon law 888 says: "The priest has to remember that in hearing confession he is a judge." And the book, Instructions for Non-Catholics says: "A priest does not have to ask God to forgive your sins. The priest himself has the power to do so in Christ's name. Your sins are forgiven by the priest the same as if you knelt before Jesus Christ and told them to Christ Himself." (p. 93).
"The priest forgives the guilt of mortal sins which saves the penitent from going to hell, but he cannot remit the penalty due for those sins, and so the penitent must atone for them by performance of good works which he prescribes. The penitent may be, and usually is, interrogated by the priest so that he or she may make a full and proper confession. Stress is placed on the fact that any sin not confessed is not forgiven, any mortal sin not confessed in detail is not forgiven, and that the omission of even one sin (mortal) may invalidate the whole confession. Every loyal Roman Catholic is required under pain of mortal sin to go to confession at least once a year. But even after a penitent has received pardon, a large, but unknown amount of punishment remains to be suffered in purgatory." (The doctrine of purgatory rests on the assumption that while God forgives sin, His justice nevertheless demands that the sinner must suffer the full punishment due to him for his sin before he will be allowed to enter heaven.)
Technically, venial sins need not be confessed since they are comparatively light and can be canceled by good works, prayers, extreme unction (one of the seven sacraments also know as "anointing of the sick" or "the last rites", and administered when a person is near death.) etc., but the terms are quite elastic and permit considerable leeway on the part of the priest. It is generally advised that it is safer to confess supposed venial sins also since the priest alone is able to judge accurately which are mortal and which are venial. The Baltimore Catechism says: "When we have committed no mortal sins since our last confession, we should confess our venial sins or some sin told in a previous confession for which we are again sorry, in order that the priest may give us absolution" (p. 329). What chance has a poor sinner against such a system as that?
As an example, a minister friend of mine who was brought up in the Catholic Church, tells the story of how his older brother went to confession every single week and confessed the same sin to the same priest and was given the same penance in order to receive absolution. This went on week after week, year after year. One day, while on a trip away from home, he decided that he would not break his pattern of going to weekly confession, so he went to another Catholic Church in the city he was visiting. He went into the confession box and confessed the same sin to a different priest. He began with "forgive me Father for I have sinned", and then began confessing the sin once again, but this time he was shocked when the priest said: "But my son, that's not a sin!" My friend's brother got up, and hurried out the door, and from that day on he has never stepped foot in any church again.
"Historical Development" We search in vain in the Bible for any word supporting the doctrine of "auricular confession" (the official title for confession to an authorized priest in a confession box. It is called "auricular" because it is spoken secretly, into the ear of the priest.) It is equally impossible to find any authorization or general practice of it during the first 1,000 years of the Christian era. Not a word is found in the writings of the early church fathers about confessing sins to a priest or to anyone except God alone. Auricular confession is not mentioned once in the writings of Augustine, Origen, Nestorius, Tertullian, Jerome, Chrysostem, or Athanasius all of these and many others apparently lived and died without ever thinking of going to confession. No one other than God was thought to be worthy to hear confessions or to grant forgiveness.
Confession was first introduced into the church on a voluntary basis in the fifth century by the authority of Leo the Great. But it was not until the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 under Pope Innocent III that private auricular confession was made compulsory and all Roman Catholic people were required to confess and to seek absolution from a priest at least once a year. If they did not obey this command, they were pronounced guilty of mortal sin and damned for eternity to hell. ("R.C." p. 199.)
"Can A Priest Forgive Sins?" The Scriptures teach that "only God can forgive sins" (Mark 2:7). "The Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" (Matt. 9:6). Dr. Zachello tells of his experience as a priest in the confessional before leaving the Roman Church in these words: "Where my doubts were really troubling me was inside the confessional box. People coming to me, kneeling down in front of me, confessing their sins to me. And I, with the sign of the cross, was promising that I had the power to forgive their sins. I, a sinner, a man, was taking God's place. It was God's laws they were breaking, not mine. To God, therefore, they must make confession; and to God alone they must pray for forgiveness."("R.C." p. 203).
In fact, the only word in the Bible about confessing sins to anyone other than God, is found in James: "Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed"(5:16). It is obvious that the Lord meant what He says in Revelation, chapter 1, that "He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father" (vs. 6), and Peter calls the church "a chosen race, a royal priesthood" (I Pet. 2:9). Believe it or not, the only mention of New Testament believers being priests is used in a context where all true believers are included, not just a select few. That is why James could say that we should confess our sins "to one another".
Catholics love to quote the verse in John 20:23 to prove that priests do have the power to "forgive and retain" sins. "If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them: if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained." The powers of forgiving and retaining sins, were given to the apostles as proclaimers of the Word of God, not as priests. As we have just pointed out, there are no Christian "priests" in New Testament teaching and doctrine. Pastors, yes. Deacons, yes. Apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, yes. Priests, no!
Jesus was telling His followers that by preaching the gospel, they were being given the power to declare that a person's sins were forgiven them by God! And if an individual, or group did not receive them and the forgiveness they offered in the name of Jesus, then they were instructed to "shake the dust off their feet" as a protest against them, and warn those who it would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for them (Matt. 10:14-15). In other words, if a person rejected the apostles' preaching of the gospel, they had the right to tell that person that his sins were not forgiven, because they had rejected God's only provision for atonement of sins. "The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me" (Luke 10:16). This power to forgive and retain sins, contrary to Rome's teaching, belongs to everyone who preaches the true gospel of salvation.
"Penance" In the Roman system, penance is one of the seven sacraments. (The seven sacraments are: Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance, Holy Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme Unction.) The Baltimore Catechism defines penance as "the sacrament by which sins committed after baptism are forgiven through the absolution of the priest" (p. 300). Another catechism published in New York says, "the priest gives penance to help me to make up for the temporal punishment I must suffer for my sins. The penance given to me by the priest does not always make full satisfaction for my sins. I should therefore do other acts of penance . . . and try to gain indulgences." (Indulgences are remissions of so many days or months or years of punishment in purgatory--a subject which we will cover in depth in a future chronicle.) And in Instructions for non-Catholics, we read: "After confession some temporal punishment due to sin generally remains. You should therefore perform other acts of penance also so that you may make up for these punishments, and avoid a long stay in purgatory." (p. 95).
"Penance as a System of Works" Here indeed is salvation by works. For penance, as the catechism says, involves confession of one's sins to a priest and the doing of good works as the only way by which sins committed after baptism can be forgiven. The Church of Rome thus demands acts of penance before She grants forgiveness, inferring that the sacrifice of Christ was not sufficient to atone fully for sin and that it must be supplemented to some extent by these good works. But what God demands is not acts of penance but repentance, which means turning from sin. "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him: for he will abundantly pardon" (Isa. 55: 7).
The easy way in which the Church of Rome deals with sin is seen in this doctrine of penance. The penitent receives pardon on comparatively easy terms. He is assigned some task to perform, usually not too hard, sometimes merely the recital of a given number of "Hail Mary's". The result is that he has no qualms about resuming his evil course. It shocked Martin Luther when he read the Greek New Testament edited by Erasmus, that Jesus did not say "do penance" as had been translated by the Roman Church, but "repent".
"Penance versus Repentance" Penance is a wholly different thing from gospel repentance. Penance is an outward act. Repentance is of the heart. Penance is imposed by a Roman priest. Repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit. What God desires in the sinner is not a punishment of oneself for sins, but a change of heart, a real forsaking of sin, shown by a new life of obedience to God's commands.
In short, penance is a counterfeit repentance. It is the work of man on his body; true repentance is the work of God in the soul. The divine Word commands, "Rend your heart and not your garments" (Joel 2:13). Penance is "rending the garments" - an outward form without inward reality.
While Romanism does teach that Christ died for our sins, it also teaches that His sacrifice alone was not sufficient, and that our sufferings must be added to make it effective. In accordance with this, many have tried to earn salvation by fastings, rituals, flagellations and good works of various kinds. But those who attempt such a course always find that it is impossible to do enough to earn salvation.
Dr. C.D. Cole says, "Romanism is a complicated system of salvation by works. It offers salvation on the installment plan, then sees to it that the poor sinner is always behind in his payments, so that when he dies there is a large unpaid balance, and he must continue payments by sufferings in purgatory, or until the debt is paid by the prayer, alms, and sufferings of his living relatives and friends. The whole system and plan calls for merit and money from the cradle to the grave and even beyond. Surely the wisdom that drew such a plan of salvation is not from above." ("R.C." pp. 257-258.)
"The Biblical Teaching on Good Works" Good works, of course, are pleasing to God and they have an important and necessary place in the life of the Christian. They naturally follow if one has true faith, and they are performed out of love and gratitude to God for the great salvation that He has bestowed. Good works, in other words, are not the cause and basis of salvation, but rather the fruits and proof of salvation- "Not by works done in righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to His mercy He saved us through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5). The born-again Christian produces good works as naturally as the grapevine produces grapes. They are a part of his very nature. He performs them not to get saved, but because he is saved.
"Salvation by Grace" Grace, just because it is grace, is not given on the basis of proceeding merits. By no stretch of the imagination can a man's good works in this life be considered a just equivalent for the blessings of eternal life. But all men because of pride, naturally feel that they should earn their salvation, and a system which makes some provision in that regard readily appeals to them. But Paul lays the ax to such reasoning when he says: "If a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law" (Gal. 3:21). Time and again the Scriptures repeat that salvation is of grace, as if anticipating the difficulty that men would have in accepting the fact that they would not be able to earn it.
The Council of Trent, in its opposition to the reformer's doctrine of justification by faith, and in defense of its doctrine of penance, declared: "Whoever shall affirm that men are justified solely by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ... let him be accursed" (Council of Trent, section 6.) And the Catholic Almanac says, "Penance is necessary for salvation...and was instituted by Christ for the forgiveness of sins". (pp. 269, 559.)
The modern church teachings completely concur: "Many things are necessary for salvation. All these things work together faith, baptism, the Eucharist, the doing of good works, and others as well. Redemption is one thing, salvation is quite another. There is nothing lacking on Christ's part; there is much to be done on ours." ("The Apostles Creed" published by the Knights of Columbus, pp 18-19.) Also, in a booklet published in 1967, under the sub-heading, "We Must Atone Too", it says that "even though the satisfaction of Christ was complete and universal, nevertheless all adult Christians are obliged to imitate their suffering Master and make personal satisfaction for their sins by good works. ("You Shall Rise Again" published by the Knights of Columbus, p. 3.) But the apostle Paul in his masterpiece on justification by faith says, "Having now been justified by His blood we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him" (Rom. 5:9). (See also: Eph. 2:8-10, Rom. 1:17, 3:21, 22, 28, 5:1, 18-19, 11:6, John 3:36, Gal. 2:21, 3:11.)
"And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him as righteousness. Now to the one who works, the reward is not reckoned as grace, but as debt. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness" (Rom.4:3-5).
What a significant coincidence it is that this doctrine of justification by faith is given such prominence in the epistle to the Romans, since Rome later became the seat of the papacy! It seems to be written there as if intended as a strong and permanent protest against the errors of the Roman Church.
"Assurance of Salvation" The first consequence of the doctrine of penance (as well as the doctrines of purgatory and indulgences) is that the Roman Catholic, though baptized and confirmed, can never have that assurance of his salvation and that sense of spiritual security which is such a blessing to the true Christian. In proportion as he is spiritually sensitive, the person who holds to a works religion knows that he has not suffered as much as his sins deserve, and that he can never do as much as he should in order to be worthy of salvation.
A dying Roman Catholic, after he has done all that he can do and after the last rites have been given to him, is told that he still must go to purgatory. There he will suffer unknown torture, with no assurance as to how long it will continue, but with the assurance that if his relatives pray for his soul, and pay with sufficient generosity to have candles lit and have special masses said for him, that his sufferings will be shortened somewhat.
Oh what a contrast with all of that, is the death of the true believer who has the assurance that he goes straight to heaven into the immediate presence of Christ! (Phil. 1:23). What a marvelous blessing is the true faith of the Christian, both in life and especially at the time of death!
The Council of Trent even pronounced a curse upon anyone who presumed to say that he had assurance of salvation, or that the whole punishment for sin is forgiven along with that sin ("R.C." p. 267.) Such assurance is pronounced a delusion and a result of sinful pride. Rome keeps her subjects in constant fear and insecurity. Even at death, after extreme unction has been administered and after thousands of rosary prayers have been said "for the repose of the soul", the priest still cannot give assurance of salvation. The person is never "good enough" but must serve in purgatory prison to be purified of venial sins before he can be admitted to the celestial city. No one can be truly happy or truly at peace. And particularly in spiritual matters, a state of doubt and uncertainty continues for one's whole life, and right into the grave.
But God needs us to be saved, and according to the Bible the Holy Spirit can give us the assurance that we have salvation when we have a true, intimate relationship with the Son of God (I John 5:9-12). But in Romanism, one must work hard for it and must pay dearly for it, and after he has done all that the priest has prescribed, he still cannot know whether he has it or not. And through it all, there stands the anathema of the Council of Trent against all who affirm the certainty of their salvation. Hence, there cannot truly be found anywhere a Roman Catholic, consistent to what his church teaches, who enjoys the true assurance of eternal life.
"Conclusion" It is obvious by even this brief glimpse into the doctrines of mortal and venial sins, confession, penance, and purgatory, that the Roman Catholic Church has constructed one of the most unbiblical doctrinal systems that has ever been considered "Christian". The fear, anguish, and religious bondage that such a system of "reward and punishment" creates, has tormented millions of lives for centuries, and continues to prey on those who are ignorant of the biblical way of salvation.
To merely call such a system "a cult", would be to throw it into the vast category of religions and quasi-religions that are currently making the rounds of our college campuses and city streets, snatching up many an unsuspecting youth. No, the Roman Church is not a cult. It's an empire!
With its own ruler, its own laws, and its own subjects! The empire has no borders, it encompasses the globe with its eye on every person who does not vow allegiance. It calls the members of other faiths "separated brethren" (The term used by Vatican II to describe the members of Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Protestant churches.) and has as its goal the eventual bringing together of everyone under its flag.
I know that many will not be convinced or moved by this article (or any of the others) to make such a conclusion. They are impressed by what they've heard about recent stirrings among the Catholics in the "charismatic renewal". Many evangelicals (especially Charismatics) have been thrilled by the reports of Catholics speaking in tongues, dancing in the Spirit, having nights of joy and praise, even attending "charismatic masses".
Mouths that used to speak out boldly against the Church of Rome have been quieted by the times. It no longer is in vogue to speak of the pope as "the antichrist" (Although the following people unhesitatingly did: Martin Luther, John Bunyan, John Huss, John Wycliffe, John Calvin, William Tyndale, John Knox, Thomas Bacon, John Wesley, Samuel Cooper, John Cotton, and Jonathan Edwards.) or the Catholic Church as the "whore of Babylon". Now Protestants unwittingly believe that "our differences are not so great". Ah, that is just what She needs us to think!
I've never completely understood why God led me to write these articles. But it becomes more clear with each day of study, and each page of research. Never has something so black and wicked, gotten away with appearing so holy and mysteriously beautiful . . . for so long!
The Keith Green Story This is the story about the life of Keith Green. He died at the age of 28 but before that touched the life of thousands and thousands of people. And now millions of people still listen to his music. Keith was a follower of Jesus. for more info: http://www.keithgreen.com/
