Most knowing observers of the New Age Movement have kept a careful watch on the Earth Charter. That it amounts to Earth worship is apparent, at least to my eye. I'm doing a slow and careful read of Pope Francis' LAUDATO SI encyclical. Something compelling there caught my eye. Was I seeing things nobody else was seeing? Nope! There it was, bold as a cobra, lurking in the pages of Pope Francis' pronouncements on environmental issues.
207. The Earth Charter asked us to leave behind a period of self-destruction and make a new start, but we have not as yet developed a universal awareness needed to achieve this. Here, I would echo that courageous challenge: “As never before in history, common destiny beckons us to seek a new beginning… Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace, and the joyful celebration of life”.It is no surprise that the Earth Charter proponents are thrilled about Pope Francis' input:
For the global Earth Charter network this document is paramount, as Pope Francis makes an explicit reference to the Earth Charter reference in paragraph 207 of Chapter Six on Ecological Education and Spirituality:It is no surprise that the Earth Charter proponents are thrilled about Pope Francis' input. They have issued their Voices of the Earth Charter responding to Laudato Si.
P. 207. The Earth Charter asked us to leave behind a period of self-destruction and make a new start, but we have not as yet developed a universal awareness needed to achieve this. Here, I would echo that courageous challenge: “As never before in history, common destiny beckons us to seek a new beginning… Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace, and the joyful celebration of life”.
Another thing I could not help but notice is the Ken Wilber cultish terminology of "Integral" -- a most favorite New Age buzzword for a most prolific New Age writer: Ken Wilber. Ken Wilber is the author of just about "Integrative" everything - medicine, spirituality, etc.
Well, it is obvious to me that Pope Francis has made most of the New Age community VERY HAPPY. I'm not!
Stay tuned!
CONSTANCE
467 comments:
1 – 200 of 467 Newer› Newest»While the Earth Charter is very bad, it is quite lame when compared to the UN's Agenda 2030, which is the further extension of the infamous Agenda 21.
Here is a link to a Catholic site that details the Vatican's "verbatim" (word for word) support for Agenda 2030. If you are an American and cherish freedom, you need to read this. This well written article details what is wrong with Agenda 2030, explains why it will be used to increase abortions globally, further promote the LGBTQ agenda, advance economic share the wealth Marxism, increase migration, eliminate national borders, etc.
https://akacatholic.com/the-u-n-the-holy-see-and-your-money/
Loaded with new age buzz words.
Surprised it doesn't say "age of Aquarius" but then it's moved on to the next phase now.
Thankfully President Trump actions are exposeing elements of the globalist agenda... To what end is yet to be seen... But at least it's flushing stuff out in nto the open.
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/
Jealousy once again rears it's ugly head.
"Peace" is only supposed to come their way...
I've been following this blog for a while, but this is my first comment. I follow the conservative news sources about Trump and populism vs. globalism, etc. But I don't come to this blog to get more of the same.
I hope people realize that spiritual warfare matters more than the culture war and the information war that is currently raging. Constance has been writing about the spiritual war waged on Christianity by the New Agers for decades. I hope people are coming here to learn from her and not just thinking they are going to be teaching blog readers about whatever articles they last read on Breitbart or PJ Media or Drudge or wherever.
I am not naive about all the talking points of the day and the issues du jour in conservative and populist media. I don't need to get flooded with links to more of the same whenever I skim through comments on this blog.
I am glad that Trump won instead of Hillary. I am glad that he is rolling back some of the things Obama did. But everything is not all about that all the time!
I am with pro-Trump people on many issues, but you guys can keep your cult of personality. I wish it would not be promoted here in the comments so relentlessly.
I just had to speak up and say something about this.
http://lifesitenews.com/news/report-democrats-hold-massive-party-registration-lead-over-gop
Constance,
May I recommend that you take Marko's advice on a previous post when he urged you to use a more advanced type of blogspot so that the visitor can go more directly to the type of information & comments that he or she is most interested in. (Although I and others like the things 1:19 PM has little use for) it would be VERY nice indeed if you were sited on blogspot with a more useable format so that it served your readership more ably based on personal preferences!
RayB,
"While the Earth Charter is very bad, it is quite lame when compared to the UN's Agenda 2030, which is the further extension of the infamous Agenda 21."
Where do you think Earth Charter originated? Hint: Agenda 21. They're interconnected.
Actually, environmental engineering/activism pre-dates, but certainly has gelled, with the inception of Agenda 21.
Anything that highlights Catholic involvement is RayB's particular favorite slant on the subject, but there are many sides to the New Age, all having the same core.
Constance has done a good job highlighting as many angles as she can (with years of diligence and some contributing work on this topic done by a few others too) but has continued to manifest all along, in the shadows, and out of them.
Some day before long the whole thing will be understood. Globalism and it's players are out and proud more and more. All corresponding links are helping to paint the picture.
To Anon @ 3:18 PM ...
Although Earth Charter is broadly based upon Agenda 21, it is not the same in the sense that Agenda 21 & Agenda 2030 are hard law documents that the UN is seeking to FORCE upon the nations of the world via international law ... enforced by an authoritative global government.
The Earth Charter of the exact same evil spirit, but it is basically an educational attempt to achieve VOLUNTARY compliance on the local level, which they hope will lay the ground work for eventually eliminating opposition to 21 & 2030.
Again, the difference is that Earth Charter seeks to educate. Agenda 21 & 2030 is international law they are forcing nations to comply with. That is what makes the Vatican's "verbatim" support for 21 & 2030 that much more ominous because they support the enforcement of this law upon sovereign nations.
"Again, the difference is that Earth Charter seeks to educate. Agenda 21 & 2030 is international law they are forcing nations to comply with."
It takes time to "soften up" the target.....and now sufficiently softened in huge numbers worldwide.
The New Age Agenda has (over many decades) done that steadily, so now the heavy lifting is pretty much done already, basically no stone unturned.
1:19 PM, I don't mind the links that stay on topic, as long as they don't come in floods. That isn't helpful. Take it or leave it, we can all sort through whatever shows up here.
...his name was Seth Rich...
From: Callicott and Frodeman, eds. Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy, Volume 2, pages 201-202. Detroit: Macmillan Reference. © 2009, Gale, a part of Cengage Learning. Reproduced by permission. www.cengage.com/permissions.
RIO DECLARATION The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), the Earth Summit, held in Rio do Janeiro in June 1992, produced a short document titled Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. This document was to be named the Earth Charter, but developing nations objected that such a name focused too much on the earth and nature, and not enough on people and development, so the tide was changed. It was renamed the Rio Declaration for the lack of any consensus about a title with more explicit reference to its contents. The declaration states twenty-seven principles, most given in a sentence or two, while a few form short paragraphs. Although it was only six pages long, there were lengthy arguments during the proceedings over nuances of phrasing. Toward the close of the conference a document was produced, and this has since been signed by almost every nation. The United States signed, with some protests about possible misinterpretations of the language of the declaration.
BOMBSHELL - Foreign Intel Agency Conducts Espionage - Muh Russia!!!
The Department of Justice unveiled an indictment Friday July 13, 2018 against 12 Russian members of the GRU presented by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. The silliness of indicting foreign nationals not in custody for espionage and why this action is a net negative with little if any benefit to U.S. interests.
So, “Organization One”, aka Wikileaks, received the info from whom?
…his name was Seth Rich…
I'm the anonymous from 1:19. I know I can take or leave all the many links and comments that go off topic and that repeat the same talking points I find repeated all over conservative and populist media sources. And if were a spammer here, you call could also take or leave it and could also sort through it. Can't we have anything "wild grown" anymore, though? Must everything be part of a news cycle monoculture these days? Constance is so refreshing because she is the real deal from the grassroots, homegrown and in the wild.
Instead of those chain links that have had varied topics in one chain I will now post the following news resource list once per thread to both inform new readers and remind old readers that there's a LOT going on and to KEEP informed, preferably from multiple sources! ('Caveat Emptor' and) here they are in alphabetical order:
#1) http://badblue.bitnamiapp.com/trendr8.htm
#2) http://www.censored.news
#3) http://www.christiandailyreporter.com
#4) http://www.drudgereport.com
#5) http://www.fark.com
#6) http://metanews.com
#7) http://news.google.com
The Truth Kitty has the complete low down: his name is Seth Rich
Seth Rich Story- Full Recap and New Witness Account
Seth Rich Murder : Witness Press Conference 7/10/2018
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VbIr4hh-L7E
Craig,
Your Seth Rich video is very good. There is not a shred of doubt that Rich was taken out by professionals, hired by whom? At the very end, the "Truth Kitty" makes the comment that this is the way the "deep state operates, they always have and always will." My study of American history compels me to totally agree with that statement.
You might be interested to see another illustration of how the deep state operates. Last night, I took the time to watch this video by Prof. Jerry Kroth on "new" revelations (release of JFK documents by Trump) re: the JFK Assassination. This is a subject that I happened to have studied and can state with a high degree of confidence that this video comports with multiple, documented sources that I have read. Of course, due to the limitations of a video, it is only hitting on the high points.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQwcVcSMpE8
JFK to 9/11: Everything Is a Rich Man's Trick
(This is one of the only documentaries that actually speaks on the real Secret Societies which for most are still a secret. Longer video than usual [3h 27m] so more in-depth than usual.)
https://youtu.be/hlIzPcEqNTc
RayB,
You repeated Craig's recommended video. The one you recommend is
https://youtu.be/ihnqSyUF8pY
Anon ...
Thank you for the correction. Don't know how that happened.
Again, Prof. Jerry Kroth's documentary based upon "new" revelations on the JFK Assassination:
https://youtu.be/ihnqSyUF8pY
PS: if you are the Anon that posted the "Rich Man's Trick" documentary, it looks very good. I will find the time to watch it.
Born White? Round 3
runningfrombabylon.blogspot.com
Tuesday, July 17, 2018 post
RayB,
Yes I am. Excellent, I hope all do likewise!
I watched Rich Mans trick about a year ago. Really clears things up.
It is illegal for the U. S. government to assassinate. Obviously they do break that law frequently! We live in an age of ever increasing deceit, and lawlessness. All we can do is pray!
Anonymous 12:45 PM's posted source inspires a question:
Can You IMAGINE What Would've Happened If TRUMP'S Selected Presidential Portrait Artist Turned Out To Be Known for Paintings of White People Beheading Black People?
https://pjmedia.com/trending/obama-portrait-artist-known-paintings-black-people-beheading-white-people/
http://runningfrombabylon.blogspot.com/2018/07/born-white-round-3.html?m=1
OBAMA’S PAINTER HAS LONG ‘PREDATORY,’ ‘PERVERSE’ HISTORY OF SNEAKING SPERM INTO PAINTINGS
7:48 PM 02/13/2018
Ethan Barton | Investigative Reporter
The artist who painted former President Barack Obama for the National Portrait Gallery in the Smithsonian has a history of including depictions of sperm in his work, and has been described as “predatory” and “perverse” by The Village Voice.
Kehinde Wiley is well-known for recreating famous paintings, but replacing the featured white person – often a noble or general – with a young black man. Wiley often met the men on the street, brought them into his studio, and had them pick a work to be painted into, the famously left-wing Village Voice reported in March 2015.
Wiley “lures young men into his studio with the promise of power and glamour,” writer and art critic Jessica Dawson wrote. She called the behavior “predatory” and “perverse.”
Dawson also points out the sexuality in several of his pieces and highlights that they often include sperm. Wiley’s rendition of “St. Andrew,” for example, shows a black man grinding “his crotch against a wooden cross” with “free-floating spermatozoa” painted on the canvas, Dawson wrote.
http://dailycaller.com/2018/02/13/obamas-painter-has-long-predatory-peverse-history-of-sneaking-sperm-into-paintings/
http://www.neoneocon.com/2018/07/16/trump-and-putin-and-the-fear-mongering-msm/
http://www.infowars.com/lost-enough-radioactive-material-to-make-800-nuclear-bombs/
If You Think The Tech Giants Merely Want To Ban Infowars, Think Again:
Here’s the list of what they’ll ban NEXT!
07/17/2018
By Mike Adams
The left-wing media has become a dangerous lynch mob, desperately calling for Infowars to be completely “deplatformed” (blacklisted) from all prominent online platforms.
The calls for such drastic censorship action against Infowars censor around an array of utterly false accusations which fraudulently assert that Alex Jones claimed no children died in the Parkland shootings — a claim that is utterly FALSE and fraudulent. Jones NEVER uttered any such thing, and NO ONE has produced a SINGLE video clip of him making such an assertion.
REGARDLESS of your opinion of Alex Jones and Infowars, what’s at stake for all of us is far greater than one man and one network. Our very right to express any dissenting view is now being threatened. Infowars is simply the precedent, you see: If they succeed in blacklisting Infowars, then Natural News and hundreds of other independent media publishers are NEXT.
If the tech giants are not reeled in with aggressive legislative, regulatory or law enforcement action, YOU will soon be blocked from expressing any online opinion whatsoever about the following topics:
•Opposing abortion / Protecting the lives of unborn babies.
•Vaccine safety / Vaccine ingredients / Vaccine side effects.
•Medication side effects and dangers of psychiatric drugs.
•Natural cures and herbal remedies.
•Discussion of the health benefits of CBD oil or cannabis medicine.
•Political discussions that aren’t “approved” by the authoritarian Left.
•Criticisms of Democrats or the liberal media.
•Any criticism of transgenderism or the LGBT agenda.
•Home schooling
•Pro-liberty discussions of history / America / The Constitution / Bill of Rights.
•Investigations into censorship itself.
•Self-reliance and prepping instruction / Survival videos.
•Self-defense via firearms / Second Amendment.
•Protecting national borders / Border security.
This is only a PARTIAL list, obviously, as there are a great MANY OTHER TOPICS that WILL ALSO BE BANNED from all the dominant online platforms!
If we don’t demand an end to the tech giants’ outrageous censorship, we will soon wake up and find ourselves living in a world where only a single “official” opinion is allowed to be expressed on any given topic. Even worse, that opinion will be decided by a deranged left-wing activist group with no loyalty to reality.
So, what can we do to fight back against the aggressive, destructive censorship being carried out by tech giants?
From my report “The Censorship Master Plan Decoded,” available at this link (PDF), here’s a list of 13 potential solutions that need to be urgently explored by lawmakers, regulators and President Trump:
http://www.naturalnews.com/files/censorship-master-plan-decoded.pdf
https://youtu.be/ewyM08DP7Wo
http://www.naturalnews.com/2018-07-17-if-you-think-the-tech-giants-merely-want-to-ban-infowars-think-again-heres-the-list-of-what-theyll-ban-next.html
----
http://www.naturalnews.com/2018-07-17-fascist-democrats-call-for-tech-giants-to-blacklist-independent-media-news-sources-they-dont-like.html
Make sure you get out and vote this November, but remember this:
Unless you vote straight Democratic in the 2018 midterm elections, you are UN-AMERICAN.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-07-17/comey-anyone-voting-republican-fall-un-american
I recently had a "conversation" with a Catholic, Liberal, retired union worker on the subject of gun control. He stated emphatically that the 2nd. Amendment needed to be "done away with." Why? Because "guns kill people." I asked him if he knew that the 2nd. Amendment was put in place as a means to guard our freedoms and to keep the government in check and his response was "nonsense." I asked him if he knew that when the British were attacked at Concord to begin the Revolution, the British were en route to confiscate the guns that were being held at the armory? He responded by shrugging his shoulders. Finally, I asked him "do law abiding citizens that own guns commit crimes?" Incredibly, he answered "YES" of course, with no explanation!
A few days later, I gave him a history of gun confiscation perpetrated by the Nazis and Communist dictatorships along with the estimated numbers of mass murders these despotic regimes committed. He completely denied this. What an insult to those innocent victims! Amazingly, another genius (liberal "protestant") then entered into the conversation and stated "you have to admit that in Communist countries, they don't have gun violence." I stated, the reason for that is that ANYONE that is even remotely considered a "threat to the state" is simply taken to a ditch and shot in the back of the head." Amazed again by the stupidity of his response ... a simple shrug!
Liberalism is truly a mental disorder ... more like a disease! It is literally a death wish in action.
Vote DEMOCRATIC
-And if you DON'T:
We'll Do It FOR YOU,
http://www.activistpost.com//2018/07/largest-voting-machine-vendor-in-us-admits-its-systems-had-remote-access-software-installed.html
https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/trump-nato-european-defense-by-javier-solana-2018-07
I knew it wouldn't be long before he shook his finger in our president's face.
He thinks he can run the world better than anybody and everybody else.
BREAKING NEWS
Reuters
At a press conference in Berlin today, Former Secretary General Javier Solana and the CEO of SuperCuts announced a business partnership which will culminate in the opening of "no less than 50" stores across Germany by this January. The stores will "feature the 'ultimate Euro look' at an affordable price."
The first store is to open in Düsseldorf in late August and will be "the showcase model for potential investors" of the franchise, which will be called
HERR SOLANA'S HAIR SALONS
OK, I've been busy of late, and I just came back, reading the comment @ 7:48 PM above. Surely this is trolling, i.e. satire, right? I certainly LOL'd.
Very happy you enjoyed it, Craig! ;^)
7:48 PM
BEING PROACTIVE:
#1) FIGHTING AGENDA 21 IN CALIFORNIA AND WINNING. THIS IS HOW YOU STOP COMMUNISM IN YOUR CITY!
http://www.sgtreport.com/2018/07/fighting-agenda-21-in-california-and-winning-this-is-how-you-stop-communism-in-your-city/
----
#2) Over 100 channels and thousands of new videos now available on REAL.video!
http://www.naturalnews.com/2018-07-19-over-100-channels-and-thousands-of-new-videos-now-available-on-real-video.html
----
#3) #WalkAway!
http://www.sgtreport.com/2018/07/the-truth-about-walkaway-that-nobodys-talking-about/
BREAKING NEWS
Reuters
Fox Announces New Fall TV Series: "A Romantic Comedy For The 21st Century," Starring Roseanne Barr And Elon Musk, To Be Called
THE TWEETY BIRDS
https://nypost.com/2018/07/19/elon-musks-bizarre-tweets-are-raising-red-flags-on-wall-street
Constance,
Did you ever see this link entitled -
Earth Charter and Laudato Si’ book launch at Integral Ecology Symposium.
(This publication aims to identify linkages and contribute to the understanding between the Encyclical Laudato Si’ and the Earth Charter, given that the content and purpose of both are very similar. )
If you've not checked it out,,,,then please do. http://earthcharter.org/news-post/earth-charter-laudato-si-book-launched-symposium-ecology/
Also, the fact that Hans Joaquim Schellnhuber was 'advising' the Pope during the writing of his encyclical, Laudato Si, its no surprise we will find information that is rather 'new age'. I was horrified he was put on any board at all at the Vatican and always recall a video he did a couple of years back with regard to the failure of the Copenhagen Agreement and the great possibilites for the Paris Agreement NOW THAT THE POPE was on board with all those billion plus catholics to add to the mix ! He obviously thinks we all just say 'how high', when the Pope says 'jump' !! Considering his thoughts on POPULATION I am left wondering who let him into the Vatican Gates !!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhiiFdPdECsa
From OZ
BAPTISM
https://youtu.be/OfoF-3-eCA0
Related:
https://youtu.be/6vD2YeaOXWc
https://youtu.be/2X4cvpxs5m0
https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/the-road-to-eternal-life?source=youtube
OZ, the Vatican Gates are not pearly. Never have been.
Hi Oz,
I totally agree with you on Hans Joaquim Schellnhuber.
Schellnhuber is an atheist who believes in “Gaia, but not in God.”
In 2015, Schellnhuber boasted about having climate skeptics excluded from participating in drafting the Pope’s climate encyclical. The result is nothing short of an exclusive “Unholy Alliance” between the Vatican and promoters of man-made climate fear. With nary a skeptic to be found.
Here is a gem that corresponds with the point you have made.
Pope Worships The Creator, His Advisor Worships The Creation
https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/pope-francis-science-advisor-is-an-atheist/
As you know, we as Catholics have always been taught "good stewardship" with regard to the proper use and care of the goods of this earth.
As far as I know, this teaching was never intended to morph into a Marxist/socialist wealth redistribution scheme masquerading as "science."
The fact is that man made global warming (now called "climate change" since the embarrassing revelations of data tampering dubbed "Climategate") is NOT settled science.
Therefore, like you, I am not the least bit impressed with Schellnhuber's credentials and would also like to know how he managed to worm his way into any influential position at the Vatican. Because in addition to being a radical promoter of the theory of man-made climate change, he is an atheist and an advocate of population control. He once said the carrying capacity of the earth is less than one billion; considering the earth currently holds more than seven billion people, this translates into him desiring to rid the earth of the vast majority of mankind.
He has also made calls for an “Earth Constitution that would transcend the UN Charter” and a “Global Council” comprised of members elected by everyone on earth. He has also suggested creation of a “Planetary Court … a transnational legal body open to appeals from everybody, especially with respect to violations of the Earth Constitution.” Wouldn't that be just ducky????
Schellnhuber along with other similar fellow Vatican "advisors" like Jeffrey Sachs can only be described as a pseudo-scientific clique of arrogant irreligious anti-capitalist, pro-population control cranks who allow no dissent and are way out of the mainstream of even the global warming establishment. They even make some of their fellow climate activists cringe.
In 1984, it was proven by the economist Thomas Sowell that the entire world population (4.4 billion at the time) could live comfortably in the state of Texas. He wrote "Every human being on the face of the Earth could be housed in the state of Texas in one-story, single-family homes, each with a front and a back yard. A family of four would thus have 6,800 square feet - about the size of the typical middle-class American home with front and backyards."
Hi Susanna,
I can honestly say I'm oftentimes 'beside myself' these days with all that's going on within the Church. Schellnhuber is just one of SO many who've managed to worm their way in and distort things. Not long ago I was checking out a Vatican Conference,,,they have so many,,,and saw Richard Branson speaking.....that was enough for me to realise I had good reason to be concerned !! Something organised by Cardinal Turkson if I recall correctly .
I really hope Constance gets to see the link about the Earth Charter tie up with Laudato Si. I realise she wondered at how Laudato Si virtually mimicked part of the Earth Charter but it really is a clarification to her to know that the Earth Charter mob actually decided to tie themselves in with Laudato Si after the event,,,don't you think?? Its as though most of the Church has been brainwashed .... I shouldn't say that but what else are we to think when adorers of the Earth Charter and tying themselves up in knots with our Clergy and lay groups. And putting out books that liken themselves so much with the Catholic Faith. Why was it ever necessary to produce an Earth Charter when 'we' already had all the guidelines they seemed to need??
From OZ
Hi Oz,
I don't pretend to know about everything that is going on at the Vatican but I according to very credible sources, the Catholic Church was infiltrated by the Communists as part of a Soviet Stalinist strategy known as "Operation Outreached Hand" which began in the 1950's and 1960's and did not end with the "fall" of the Soviet Union.
A one time investigator for the House Committee on Un-American Activities, Herbert Romerstein along with Eric Breindel wrote a book entitled “The Venona Secrets - Exposing Soviet Espionage and America’s Traitors”, published in the year 2000. I personally own this book.
The subject matter concerns Soviet Communist espionage in the United States before, during, and after WWII. The source for this work was obtained from the official Communist Party archives in Moscow, Russia.
According to the Preface of this book:
“....researchers were given access to Soviet archives. An article in a hard-line Russian newspaper in April, 1993 said: ‘What right do the Americans have to conduct research into secret materials in our archives? Which traitor to Russia’s interests opened the door to them?’ But before the hard-liners succeeded in convincing Boris Yeltsin to restrict some of the more interesting sections, we had obtained thousands of pages of documents from the archives of the Communist International. Other researchers shared thousands more with us, and we in turn shared the material with Eric Breindel.
“In 1982 he [Eric] had..... joined the Staff of the Senate Intelligence Committee....
“When Eric and I compared the ‘Verona’ material with the documents we had obtained from the Soviet archives and with material the FBI had released about its investigations, we realized that the whole story had not yet been told....”
Among other things, these archives confirmed the existence of operation “Outstretched Hand” which included the infiltration of Communists into Roman Catholic Seminaries!
In addition, the official Communist Party archives in Moscow, Russia includes a document which divulges that members of the Communist Party had also infiltrated a number of important Roman Catholic organizations, including the Holy Name Society which used to be found in almost all Roman Catholic parishes in the U.S.!
We also have Bella V. Dodd's revelation of communist infiltration to the famous 20th-century philosopher Alice von Hildebrand who used to be an occasional guest on EWTN's Mother Angelica Live hosted by the late Mother Angelica.
http://inatoday.com/20030728.htm
You know in the Bible, Christ reveals to St. John in the Book of Revelation:
Behold, I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Rev. 3:11
The point is that you and I already know what we are supposed to believe as Catholic Christians. And Saint Paul tells us that even if an angel were to come and tell us something opposite of what we have been taught to believe all of our lives, we are not to listen.
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be anathema. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be anathema.
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.—Galatians 1:6-10
If you know anything about Catholic Prophecy for the end times, you will know that this state of affairs will not stand.
Hi Susanna!
Very interesting and important information about communist/socialist (Union of Soviet SOCIALIST Republics) infiltration of religion, thank you!
That being said, I do have to take issue with your statement:
"You and I already know what we are supposed to believe as Catholic Christians. And Saint Paul tells us that even if an angel were to come and tell us something opposite of what we have been taught to believe all of our lives, we are not to listen."
With great respect, that is NOT what Paul taught, in fact it is the EXACT OPPOSITE of what Paul taught. Paul was NOT speaking as a doctrine defender of the Southern Baptists, the Mormons, the Pentecostalists NOR the Roman Catholics (etc.) he was talking about what was taught THEN by THEM (he and John, Peter, James and the other Apostles). How do we know WHAT was taught by them then? We read the Bible for ourselves RATHER than trust in men, that's how. (And that, by the way, INCLUDES not trusting men who say "only use OUR 'translation'" BUT, rather, to use the BEST translations of a given scripture, period.) In fact it is such trusting of MEN that has caused the lion's share of doctrinal disagreements between professing Christians, and before that, Christians & Jews. There is a CRITICALLY IMPORTANT REASON, you know, why the Bible INCLUDES saying things such as this:
"Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians*, for they received the message with great eagerness and EXAMINED THE SCRIPTURES every day TO SEE IF THESE TEACHINGS WERE TRUE." (Acts 17:11 BSB)
http://biblehub.com/acts/17-11.htm
*(The Thessalonians had Saint Paul HIMSELF come and tell them "something different from what they had been taught to believe all of their lives" and believed that they were not to listen!)
IF we diligently compare ALL the verses on a given subject AND let the BIBLE interpret the BIBLE we would (and WILL) have FAR more unity in scriptural understanding and doctrinal beliefs than by trusting MEN! (EVEN men who say "WE teach God's ways, trust US"!)
And of course, the great benefits of this type of approach does not JUST apply to religion but also to thinking (and about philosophies [including political]) in general; i.e. the more: OPEN-MINDED, OBJECTIVE and LOGICAL one is, the BETTER!
So the 'Moral Of The Story' is to NOT ASSUME "what we have been taught to believe all of our lives" is true but instead to "PROVE all things". (1 Thes. 5:21 KJV)
Have a great day!
Anonymous 12:03 PM
With equal respect, I don't know what your particular Christian denomination is, but I was responding to OZ as a fellow Catholic. I was NOT responding in general to Catholics and Protestants. I am more than aware of our theological and ecclesiological differences. I thought I made that clear. If not, allow me to do so now.
As you know, the rule of faith for Catholics is not "Sola Scriptura." It is Scripture and Sacred Tradition - in the Pauline sense which is inclusive of both the oral and written Tradition (with a capitol T) with the oral Tradition historically preceding the written Tradition. In the Pauline sense, Scripture is itself part of Sacred Tradition. This Tradition also includes the unanimous teachings of the Apostolic Fathers (i.e. the Disciples of the Apostles), their disciples (i.e. sub-Apostolic Fathers) and the other Fathers of the Church who came after them, most of whom were bishops and martyrs and most of whom are also recognized by the Greek and Russian Orthodox communions since their rule of faith like that of Roman Catholics is also Scripture and Sacred Tradition. We also have the same Old Testament canon ( Septuagint ) as the Orthodox.
THAT is how I have come to learn what St. Paul taught. I am not ASSUMING anything. I am obeying the Catholic Rule of Faith. We Catholics also have the Catechism of the Catholic Church whose purpose is to instruct us about what Catholics are supposed to believe in matters of faith and morals.
If Catholics don't read the Bible "for themselves" (a.k.a. private interpretation), it is because Catholics interpret 2 Peter 1:20 to mean that private interpretation of the Sacred Scriptures is not allowed. And while we are strongly encouraged to diligently study the Sacred Scriptures, we are required to read the Scriptures in and with the Church.
Now if you don't agree with what Catholics believe, I completely respect that. I promise you that I am not one of those "Feeneyite" types who ASSUMES you are going to hell in a handbasket just because you don't agree with Catholic teaching.
But the "Moral of the Story" cuts both ways here in terms of ASSUMING that just because a person has been "taught all their lives that something is true" with respect to the Christian faith he/she hasn't taken a great deal of trouble to seek PROOFS beyond a reasonable doubt according to his/her Rule of Faith that what he/she has been taught is REALLY true.
And when all is said and done, that is why I am still a Roman Catholic. Because after seeking those PROOFS and finding them I can truthfully say that I honestly happen to believe that the Catholic faith handed on to me by my parents from the cradle IS true.
In fact the only legitimate reason to be a Catholic or non-Catholic Christian is because you honestly happen to believe that Christianity is true. And whatever else we believe I think we both agree on THE most important belief - the belief in Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior who died on the Cross to save us from our sins and rose from the dead on the third day, ascended into Heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father from whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.....and His Kingdon shall have no end.
You have a great day too!
Susanna,
Thank you for your response, I appreciate it! (I did not BTW assume that someone such as YOU, for example, didn't do any 'due diligence' in studying your faith of birth. No, I based what I said solely on your statement that I quoted. As I mentioned I have great respect for you.)
The only thing I would mention further here is we ought to be careful to bear in mind scriptures such as Matt. 15:6b.
http://biblehub.com/matthew/15-6.htm
Your past research posts have had some very useful information, Susanna, keep up the good work!
Anonymous 6:17
Thank you for your kind words.
I basically agree on Matthew 15:6.
Catholics make a clear distinction between "tradition" with a small "t" ( i.e. man made) and "Tradition" with a capitol "T" (divine revelation which has been preserved and handed on intact)
Catholic Tradition with a capital "T" is the objective body of public divine revelation that Jesus directly transmitted to Peter and the Apostles who preserved it and handed it on intact to their successors both orally and in written form down to this very day.
By the way, many people are not aware that the Pope is bound by the same Rule of Faith as everybody else. He can flesh out things that have already been revealed and/or taught, but he does not have the right to teach anything contrary to Scripture and Sacred Tradition which are inseparable.
Susanna,
Thanks for the info !! I know of Bella Dodd and also the Von Hildebrands.
I'm off to read about Operation Outstretched Hand. All things considered, I guess We
are to expect 'infiltration'.
And yes, we both do know what we are supposed to believe as Catholic Christians....so watching the goings on within the Church are difficult to bear sometimes. Its a matter of standing firm.
From OZ
OZ,
Alice von Hildebrand and her husband the late Deitrich von Hildebrand were among the foremost Catholic theologians and philosophers of the 20th century.
Here is a couple of links to an interview of Alice von Hildebrand at the Vortex.
The Vortex—Infiltration!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKLBvvlabgw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEONEL1TzMc
__________________________________________________________
Congressional testimony on communist infiltration
Catholic Church
Dodd testified before the U.S. House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). She said: "In the 1930s we put eleven hundred men into the priesthood in order to destroy the Church from within. The idea was for these men to be ordained, and then climb the ladder of influence and authority as Monsignors and Bishops”
Dodd told Alice von Hildebrand that:
“When she was an active party member, she had dealt with no fewer than four cardinals within the Vatican who were working for us, [i.e. the Communist Party]”(Christian Order magazine, “The Church in Crisis”, reprinted from The Latin Mass magazine).[7]
Dodd made a public affidavit which was witnessed by a number of people, including Paul and Johnine Leininger.
In her public affidavit, among other things, Dodd stated:
“In the late 1920’s and 1930’s, directives were sent from Moscow to all Communist Party organizations. In order to destroy the [Roman] Catholic Church from within, party members were to be planted in seminaries and within diocesan organizations... I, myself, put some 1,200 men in [Roman] Catholic seminaries”.
von Hildebrand confirmed that Dodd had publicly stated the same things to which she attested in her public affidavit...…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bella_Dodd#Catholic_Church
___________________________________________________________
Thanks Susanna,
Yes, I'd seen the Vortex video's with Mrs Von Hildebrand. Wouldn't you love to sit and have a longgggg conversation with her?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL1RvQdj7Bc I just watched (or rather listened to) this video which starts out with the Italian, Antonio Gramsci and follows on from there. Mentions Bella Dodd , Operation Outstretched Hand etc. It also mentions Fr Malachi, favourably. I have read negatives and positives about this priest. What do you make of him Susanna? Also, I've only discovered Fulton Sheen in the last few years (he wasn't on our TV screen as I was growing up). Your thoughts on him? Very interesting video.
From OZ
Susanna,
It isn't communist infiltration of the catholic cult you need to worry about. Its the fact that satan uses the catholic cult to pervert the true gospel to the whole world that is the real crime!
Holy mother of OZ!!! That is a lot of gooey snowflakiness!!!!
Trump warns Iranian President Rouhani to never threaten the U.S. again or face historic consequences
The tweet came on the heels of Rouhani’s warning to Trump that hostile policies could lead to the “mother of all wars" with Iran.
Trump called for Rouhani to stop the rhetoric or--in caps lock:
NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/07/23/trump-warns-irans-rouhani-to-stop-threats-or-face-or-suffer-historic-consequences.html
Perhaps the Catholic doctrine of "Tradition" needs to be judged in light of the warning in God's Word
Colossians 2:8-23 King James Version (KJV)
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
https://carm.org/roman-catholicism-bible-and-tradition
http://www.biblelight.net/trdition.htm
Hi OZ,
Yes. I certainly would love to sit and have a long conversation with Alice von Hildebrand
The late Father Malachi Martin was a very mysterious character. My feelings about him have almost always been mixed.
Because of his affiliation with the schismatic bishop, the late Robert McKenna and his (Martin's) alleged participation in the illicit consecration of the late Rama Coomaraswamy as a bishop, I had long suspected Martin of being a sedevacantist
and therefore excommunicated ipso facto by that very participation whih would have involved him in formal schism.
Rama Coomaraswamy was not only a Catholic Traditionalist who was affiliated with Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre's SSPX seminaries in Ridgefield, Connecticutt before becoming involved with McKenna, Martin, the Warrens et al in Monroe, Connecticut, but he was also affiliated with the neo-gnostic/pagan Traditionalist School of which his father, the late Ananda Coomaraswamy was a co-founder. Ananda Coomaraswamy was involved - or at least his wife was involved - with the notorious Satanist Aleister Crowley.
My friend the late Carrie Tomko exposed Rama Coomaraswamy for embracing the neo-gnostic/pagan beliefs of the Traditionalist School at the same time he was professing to be a Roman Catholic.
Catholic Traditionalism and Perennialism
Coomaraswamy was involved with not only the Traditionalist Catholic movement, but also with Perennialism (also called "Traditionalism") whose main exponents were René Guénon, Ananda Coomaraswamy (Rama's father) and Frithjof Schuon. He was a member of the Foundation for Traditional Studies and was a regular contributor to the foundation's journal Sophia.
William Stoddart and Mateus Soares de Azevedo discuss Coomaraswamy's double involvement in an article for the Canadian journal Sacred Web (No. 18, 2007). The topic was also covered by a blogger, Carrie Tomko, specializing in investigation of the occult infiltration of Catholicism, and picked up by, among others, J. Christopher Pryor, a Lefebvrist who operates the Perennialism LeFloch Report. Interestingly, Rama Coomaraswamy had never broken away from Perennialism and propagating it, along with Frithjof Schuon and Coomaraswamy's own perennialist disciple, William H. Kennedy, even when he was associated with Lefebvre's seminary.
http://www.thefullwiki.org/Rama_P._Coomaraswamy
Father Malachi Martin and Bishop Robert McKenna were also affiliated with the famous "demonologists" Ed and Lorraine Warren. A couple of their cases have been made into movies such as The Conjuring, Annabelle. Where it was determined that a person was possessed, Bishop McKenna was often called upon to perform the rite of exorcism
I have read just about all of Malachi Martin's books - especially THE KEYS OF THIS BLOOD, WINDSWEPT HOUSE and HOSTAGE TO THE DEVIL. Martin was working on another one of his blockbuster exposes when he died under some rather sinister circumstances.
Here are some links to information on members of the Monroe Connecticut group with whom Malachi was associated.
BISHOP ROBERT MCKENNA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_McKenna
_______________________________________________
ED AND LORRAINE WARREN
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_and_Lorraine_Warren
_______________________________________________
cont.
cont.
The late Archbishop Fulton J. Shen is now Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. I have many of his books - including his LIFE OF CHRIST which I personally treasure and highly recommend.
His programs can be watched on YouTube.
Here is an example:
Ascension - Venerable Fulton J. Sheen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzgqPwCUCY4
_____________________________________________________
Here are a couple of articles on Venerable Bishop Sheen.
Jun. 29, 2012
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Declared 'Venerable'
A miracle will be investigated by the Congregation for the Canonization of Saints.
TIM DRAKE
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/archbishop-fulton-j.-sheen-declared-venerable
__________________________________________________________
FULTON J. SHEEN
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulton_J._Sheen
_______________________________________________
More voluminous religious drivel posted by Susanna. Pounding the last nails into poor hand wringing OZ's soul coffin.
OZ,
A quick read on how the catholic institution fits into satan's power triad see:
parablesblog.blogspot.com/2017/12/why-north-korea.html
if solana doesn't like Trump that's reason to back Trump.
"IF we diligently compare ALL the verses on a given subject AND let the BIBLE interpret the BIBLE we would (and WILL) have FAR more unity in scriptural understanding and doctrinal beliefs than by trusting MEN! (EVEN men who say "WE teach God's ways, trust US"!)"
that's true enough, but that has to be without using preset filters created by Calvin (worst) and Luther (not so bad). A lot of errors in RC and protestantism hail from Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. The equation of God's energies or actions with His essence is one of them. Extreme divine absolute simplicity is another - take it far enough you deny the Trinity. The notion of sex and marriage as for reproduction only not pleasure and affection, is unbiblical but ingrained in the western thought thanks to Augustine and infecting the eastern thought partly thanks to him and partly because of the past centuries when Orthodox education of priests was primarily only available in Russia and Jesuits ran the education under Catherine The Great.
"So the 'Moral Of The Story' is to NOT ASSUME "what we have been taught to believe all of our lives" is true but instead to "PROVE all things". (1 Thes. 5:21 KJV)"
"In 1984, it was proven by the economist Thomas Sowell that the entire world population (4.4 billion at the time) could live comfortably in the state of Texas. He wrote "Every human being on the face of the Earth could be housed in the state of Texas in one-story, single-family homes, each with a front and a back yard. A family of four would thus have 6,800 square feet - about the size of the typical middle-class American home with front and backyards." "
That's all very fine regarding the persons themselves. But water and land that will produce food (aka arrable land") is another matter entirely.
Elvis was one of those stupid dull eyed sleazebag whores that could sing and that was it. the idiot thought his acting career and movies were serious. yuck. Overly intense relationship to his mother and his twin I think it was died so maybe he was trying to give it life through him ergo trance states maybe?
So what if people switch between threads, they might catch something they'd missed and need to re read. Constance, its your blog post any perosnalnews update you want to any way you want to.
Generally I try to ignore the personal lives of actors and singers and just enjoy the production if possible. increasingly stuff is awful. I never cared for brand loyalty or a kind of music just individual pieces from here and there. A band that makes a great song might crank out nothing but garbage after that, The Beatles were classic for cranking out garbage after a while once in a while a decent bit.
"Why is it that President Trump has to go against North Korea now? Why does this little country bother him so much? It takes up such a small space on the map."
BECAUSE ITS GOT NUKES AND IS DEVELOPING A DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR THEM, IDIOT!
"The Beatles were classic for cranking out garbage"
Who else is 'classic' for that. I wonder????
Susanna,
Do you realize that the "Venerable" Bishop Fulton J. Sheen was an admirer and proponent of none other than the New Age mystic Teilhard de Chardin?
https://www.traditioninaction.org/bkreviews/A_032br_Sheen.htm
The interesting thing about Sheen is that he also read the 3 volume classic on the Gospel of John by one of my favorite authors, A. W. Pink. Sheen was full of praise for Pink's work, calling it "highly spiritual." Pink was a prolific author and was unashamedly a "5 point" Calvinist, which happens to be the theological conviction that I have held for 35+ years. How a Bishop of the RCC could identify with writings of a staunch, classical Bible believing Protestant is a mystery to me, because of the fact that what Pink taught is the antithesis of RC.
Anonymous 7:48 AM,
BEAUTIFUL! ROLF!!!
Hillary calls Putin a great leader, takes a $400 million bribe from him, then calls Trump a TERRORIST for just shaking his hand!
There is a reason for this!
By Joe Kovacs
JULY 23, 2018
The reason the world has gone bonkers:
We Live in "Opposite World"!
In case you haven't noticed recently, the world in which we live seems to have lost its bearings, sliding toward some sort of dark abyss, both in America and across the world.
No doubt, you're familiar with old problems such as murder, war, theft, disease, homelessness, hunger, lying, economic turmoil, religious strife, lusting, adultery, fornication, unwanted pregnancy, abortion and people having a lack of care and concern for their fellow man.
But these days there are a host of new concerns that have many people shaking their heads in disbelief.
We're often told that man-made global warming is threatening the extinction of life on Earth.
We're supposed to believe the news presented to us on major broadcast networks and in newspapers is always an unbiased, accurate depiction of what has taken place.
We have people who in their minds "identify" as members of another race, sex, or even species. As bizarre as it sounds, there are people out there who believe they are cats, and thus live their lives according to a feline protocol.
We're told by certain groups that if you object to their way of thinking, then you're automatically an extremist or hater, and you should be shunned.
Some children are taught from their earliest ages that they can choose for themselves whether they're a boy or a girl, or even something else.
College campuses that are supposed to be areas of free thinking and discussion have, in many cases, become prisons for the mind where students who hold thoughts that are not politically correct are often persecuted.
Why is this all happening? There IS a reason for the madness, and it's not often discussed.
The simple fact of the matter is that we are living in what I call "Opposite World."
...
http://www.plaintruth.com/the_plain_truth/2018/07/we-live-in-opposite-world.html
(Joe Kovacs is the author of the new book Shocked by the Bible 2, as well as his previous books Shocked by the Bible and The Divine Secret.)
www.shockedbythebible.com)
Anonymous 12:53, what does Hillary or Putin have to do with the subject of Pope Francis and the Earth Charter's love affair?
The only part of the long article you posted that had anything to do with the subject of the blog post was this:
"We're often told that man-made global warming is threatening the extinction of life on Earth."
Christina,
You said, "If Solana doesn't back Trump, that's reason to back Trump."
I think we need to back what we are for, such as pro-life for example. If Trump is for it, then we selectively back him on those issues. BUT he needs to show that is doing substantive things and not only political theatre.
Too much Us Vs. Them thinking can get us all suckered in one way or another.
Trump has a sordid history that is easy to look up. He has been reported as taking on human traffickers and getting them arrested at an unprecedented rate. There are stories out there about his Trump modeling agency being involved in trafficking underaged girls from Eastern Europe and Russia.
You would think if those stories of Trump modeling human trafficking were true, they would be all over the MSM. But the problem is that Trump knew everybody and partied with everybody. They can't go after him for all of his crimes without implicating themselves.
Trump has been taking credit for the increased arrests of human traffickers, but if you dig into it, it's just a move to take credit where credit is not due. That is part of his Standard Operating Procedure.
I don't suggest we hate him no matter what and hate everything he does no matter what. I think we should absolutely give him credit where credit is due.
But he's always been dirty and is unlikely to have suddenly gone clean. Just because the MSM attacks are always lame does not mean that's all they've got. He's got stuff on members of the establishment. He's been in bed with many of them all his life. They can't bust him without busting themselves.
These globalist vs. populist people may appear to be out to get each other. But they are and always have been transactional with each other. Sometimes they share the same goals. Sometimes their goals are conflicting. Sometimes they share the same goal but want to use different strategies.
But they continue to be in bed with each other, regardless. They all have dirt on each other. It's all a game to make the other side look the dirtiest without implicating each other on their worst SHARED misdeeds.
Anti-establishment politics is a racket, too.
Anonymous 1:49 P.M.,
Regarding: "Trump warns Iranian President Rouhani to never threaten the U.S. again or face historic consequences."
Off topic. Yes, read about this already on Drudge links.
Was worried about the drums of war beating for Iran regime change. Dug into it more. Realized a PROXY war with Iran, in LEBANON is more likely. This is because in Lebanon, lots and lots of villages house missiles that can take out the Iron Dome in Israel. These missiles are courtesy of Hezbollah, which is mostly an Iran-sponsored creature. Israel has recently practiced a drill -- with U.S. joint forces -- to attack LEBANON.
Anonymous 12:39,
"In 1984, it was proven by the economist Thomas Sowell that the entire world population (4.4 billion at the time) could live comfortably in the state of Texas. He wrote "Every human being on the face of the Earth could be housed in the state of Texas in one-story, single-family homes, each with a front and a back yard. A family of four would thus have 6,800 square feet - about the size of the typical middle-class American home with front and backyards."
This is a fantastic tidbit of information.
And we used to have a Pope who countered the population bomb narrative, too.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-john-paul-ii-on-population-control-and-the-environment
"In a 1994 message to the then director of the United Nations Population Fund the Pope summed up the stand of the church succinctly: 'In defence of the human person, the Church stands opposed to the imposition of limits on family size.' Moreover he slammed the organization for promoting population control with fear tactics. 'All propaganda and misinformation directed at persuading couples that they must limit their family to one or two children should be steadfastly avoided, and couples that generously choose to have large families are to be supported,' he said."
Anonymous 12:03 P.M.,
I speak as a Christian belonging to no denomination. Where I could be categorized in terms of theological belief is probably somewhere close to a conservative Methodist. I agree it's important to prove all things. But I can't quite agree 100% with Sola Scriptura, and I can't quite discount tradition and history as being very important. I'm not sure if I'm disagreeing with you or Susanna or agreeing with either or both of you. (Going not just by either of you directly stated but also by what I think would be the logical implications when thinking it through.)
It's definitely very tricky. It can't be treated as a topic which has clean breaks. That would be naive (in my opinion). After all Calvinism is now a human tradition (and I think you would agree with this, too).
J 1:13 PM
You must be new to this blogspot. Any longtime reader of it knows full well that the heading is only the first topic covered in a given thread and subjects happen to vary very widely in the subsequently posted comments.
However if you strongly disagree with how things are done here I would frankly suggest then that you go elsewhere as grounded in freedom of speech is how Constance very wisely chooses to run HER blogspot.
RayB
According to a Remnant post Bishop Sheen renounced Teilhard de Chardin before he died.
Re: How a Bishop of the RCC could identify with writings of a staunch, classical Bible believing Protestant is a mystery to me, because of the fact that what Pink taught is the antithesis of RC.
The only way in which this could possibly be a "mystery" to you is if you are assuming that Roman Catholics are not "bible believing" Christians. They are. What they don't believe in are a good many of the Protestant interpretations of the bible.
Most Roman Catholics are also not in the habit of throwing the baby out with the bath water. They "test the spirits" and "keep whatever is good." 1Thessalonians 5:21
Anonymous 3:28 P.M.,
Not a new blog reader at all. I've also read Constance's book, Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow.
There may be a fine line sometimes between Freedom of Speech and Freedom to SPAM.
I'm not interfering with your freedom or anybody else's I don't have the authority, and you know it. But, you see, how it works is that I also have freedom -- and I may use it to criticize something somebody else posted.
If you are implying that I don't belong, as you said, it is Constance's blog. Isn't it then up to her and not you to tell me I don't belong here?
Susana said...
"Most Roman Catholics are also not in the habit of throwing the baby out with the bath water. They "test the spirits" and "keep whatever is good." 1Thessalonians 5:21"
When you read on in 1Thess 5 it talks of the Spirit of Truth versus the Spirit of error.
Jesus says, "I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER, EXCEPT THROUGH ME," (Jno. 14:6)
Here's a list from the Catechism of the Catholic Church of teaching that are at odds with the Truth.
The Catholic Church is the one true church (CCC 2105).
Infallibility of the Catholic Church, (CCC 2035).
Only the Roman Catholic Church has authority to interpret Scripture (CCC 100),
The Pope is the head of the church and has the authority of Christ (CCC 2034).
The Roman Catholic Church is necessary for salvation (CCC 846).
Sacred Tradition equal to scripture (CCC 82).
Forgiveness of sins, salvation, is by faith and works (CCC 2036 CCC 2080 2068).
Full benefit of Salvation is only through the Roman Catholic Church (Vatican 2, Decree on Ecumenism, 3). Grace can be merited (CCC 2010 CCC 2027).
The merit of Mary and the Saints can be applied to Catholics and others (1477).
Penance is necessary for salvation (CCC 980).
Purgatory (CCC 1031 CCC 1475).
Indulgences (CCC 1471 CCC 1478 CCC 1498 CCC 1472).
Mary is Mediatrix (CCC 969).
Mary brings us the gifts of eternal salvation (CCC 969).
Mary delivers souls from death (CCC 966).
Prayer to the saints (CCC 2677).
The Communion elements become the actual body and blood of Christ (CCC 1374 CCC 1376).
Hmmm. First you said 'off topic' now "SPAM". Is that your new & improved buzzword label of 'dismissal' for things you don't like? Cool! Facebook and others are ALSO repressing Freedom of Speech by assigning labels too! And so by all means KEEP ON assigning 'off topic' & 'spam', etc. labels to our posts (since we evidently cannot judge their worth or lack thereof on our own) knock yourself out! : )
(That of course was to J 4:26 PM)
Dear J
You belong here just as much as anyone else.
If there is any way I can help you out with information, let me know.
I will say that you are very wise to explore Tradition which includes the writings of the Church Fathers - if even for their historical value as having been written by men who were closest in time to the Apostles of Jesus Christ. You don't necessarily have to be a Roman Catholic to recognize and appreciate their value.
This is important because the Apostles were eyewitnesses to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. If the Resurrection is not a historical fact, our faith is in vain and we are to be pitied.
Except for St. John the Evangelist, all of the Apostles died as Martyrs. So did many of their disciples who are referred to as the "Apostolic Fathers."
My point is that there are plenty of neo-modernist "Bible scholars" of all denominations running around these days trying to "demythologize" the Gospels by placing their historicity in doubt.
Anon. 4:54 PM.
Your litany of beliefs from the Catechism of the Catholic Church are only at odds with YOUR private interpretation of Christianity, and not with the truth.
Oh....and just a little reminder... the Bible does not teach "Sola Scriptura."
Do Your Hermeneutics Hold to Sola Scriptura?
ABNER CHOU | JULY 3, 2018
THE ARGUMENT FOR SOLA SCRIPTURA
How does Christ build His church? Arguably, He builds His church by His Word (Eph 4:11-14; 2 Tim 4:1-2). To have a ministry that pleases God, we must be all about His Word—it is central to true ministry. We could sum it up this way: Scripture is the beginning, middle, and end of ministry.
...
https://www.tms.edu/blog/do-your-hermeneutics-hold-to-sola-scriptura/
"the Bible does not teach "Sola Scriptura.'" Oh REALLY?
http://www.equip.org/article/a-defense-of-sola-scriptura/
The doctrine of sola scriptura is just as important today as it ever was!
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/sola-scriptura-demands-inerrancy/
Hi all,
Scripture says...Ephesians 6:12-13 King James Version (KJV)
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
I believe (and I am willing to be corrected) that Constance books were written for the primary purpose of exposing the plans of the unseen enemy of God and that Jesus Christ is the one and only Saviour for mankind.
Constance in the 1980's was in many respects the forerunner of exposing the endtime new age satanic plans and agendas.
Let us not miss the point of whom ultimately is behind "the plan".
It's not flesh and blood persons.
The world has a problem in this respect.
Much is regulated to conspiracy by people simply because they cannot reconcile the expanse of time and seemingly lack of connections between proponents of the global agenda.
And quite frankly without the reality of God and what He says in the Bible re endtimes and the existance of the devil etc its of no surprise.
How could anyone understand how people from all walks of life in different places and differing times come up with the same plan unless there's common source.
Without the revelation of the great struggle of mankind with sin and the fallen of heaven that was dealt with by Jesus Christ on the cross there is no understanding.
It's been over thirty five odd years since Constance first book and much that was ridiculed of as conspiracy theory by her opponents has come to pass.
Many have also come out of the new age and turned to Christ as a result of Constance's ministry efforts.
Anyway let's be careful to remember who and what is behind things.
The ultimate victory has already been won in Christ.
God bless.
Correction to above... should have said relegated not regulated
GrantNZ,
WELL SAID!
The Bible does not teach Sola Scriptura.....whether implicitly or explicitly.
Twenty one Reasons to Reject Sola Scriptura
1. The Doctrine of Sola Scriptura is not taught anywhere in the Bible
2. The Bible Indicates that In Addition to the Written Word, we are to accept Oral Tradition. i.e. 2 Thessalonians 2:14(15), where Christians are actually commanded: "Therefore, brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle." 1 Corinthians 11:2,
There is nothing in Sacred Tradition which is not also found in Scripture, at least implicitly or in seminal form.
In I Timothy 3:15 we see, not the Bible, but the Church – that is, the living community of believers founded upon St. Peter and the Apostles and headed by their successors – called "the pillar and ground of the truth." This passage is not meant in any way to diminish the importance of the Bible, but it is intending to show that Jesus Christ did establish an authoritative and teaching Church which was commissioned to teach "all nations." (Matt. 28:19).
3. The Bible Calls the Church and not the Bible the "Pillar and Ground of the Truth"
15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 1 Timothy 3:15 New International Version (NIV)
4. Christ tells us to submit to the Authority of the Church in Matthew 18:15-18
5. Scripture itself states that it is insufficient of itself as a teacher, but rather needs an interpreter. 2 Peter 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20, Acts 8:26-40
6. The first Christians did not have a Bible
7. The Church produced the Bible not vice-versa
8. The idea of the Scripture's Authority existing apart from the authority of the Teacher Church is utterly foreign to the Early Church.
9. Heresiarchs and heretical movements based their doctrines on Scripture interpreted apart from Tradition and the Magisterium.
10.The Canon of the Bible was not settled until the 4th Century.
11.An "Extra-Biblical" Authority Identified the Canon of the Bible.
12.The Belief that Scripture is "Self-Authenticating" Does Not Hold Up under Examination
13.None of the Original Biblical Manuscripts is Extant.
14.The Biblical Manuscripts Contain Thousands of Variations
15.There Are Hundreds of Bible Versions.
16.The Bible Was Not Available to Individual Believers until the 15th Century
17.The Doctrine of Sola Scriptura Did Not Exist Prior to the 14th Century
18.The Doctrine of Sola Scriptura Produces Bad Fruit, Namely, Division and Disunity.
19.The Doctrine of Sola Scriptura Does Not Allow for a Final, Definitive Interpretation of any given Passage of Scripture.
20.The Protestant Bible Is Missing 7 Entire Books
21.The Doctrine of Sola Scriptura Had its Source in Luther’s Own Emotional Problems.
http://catholicapologetics.info/apologetics/protestantism/sola.htm
Susanna,
Thank you for your kind words. I completely agree about the importance of history, for proving Jesus and his resurrection were real, and for many other reasons.
GrantNZ,
You have articulated a perspective I share very much. Thank you for reminding us about the big picture!
Anonymous 5:03,
You seem to need for me to be the Leftist foil in your scripted rhetorical war. I'm sorry to disappoint you. I'm a socially conservative moderate independent. Do you have a script for my kind, too? If not, could you ad lib?
J 7:52 PM
You're ugly (but just in a socially conservative way, mind you) and your moderately conservative mother dresses you funny.
"Venerable" Bishop Fulton J. Sheen wasn't the only admirer and proponent of New Age mystic Teilhard de Chardin ... so was the supposed "anti-New Age Pope Benedict!
https://www.traditioninaction.org/ProgressivistDoc/A_120_RatzTeilhardl.html
Also, Fulton J. Sheen denied the complete uniqueness of Jesus Christ as the only "way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6). He held to the heresy that "God" can be found in virtually every religion, and that truth can be found in the same. If that were true, which it isn't, then there would be "many ways" to God the Father and not the ONLY way that is found through Christ alone!
It looks like it’s time to bring back out this article I’d referenced a few years ago: Solo Scriptura: The Difference a Vowel Makes. The author, Keith A. Mathison, has a full-length book out on this subject, as well (I don’t have the book). Essentially, he points out that many mistake sola Scriptura with the erroneously conceived (and cleverly labeled by Mathison) “solo” Scriptura. This mistake is made by both some “Protestants” who think their “solo” Scriptura is really sola Scriptura and some RCC adherents who misunderstand the latter as the former—this former being one of ‘all I need is my Bible and the Holy Spirit’.
Importantly, Mathison also points out how Protestants have a form of “Tradition”, though, of course, different from the RCC “Tradition” (and the EO).
There are also RCC rebuttals to Mathison, such as this blog: Solo Scriptura, Sola Scriptura, and the Question of Interpretive Authority.
While I certainly identify as a Christian (Christ follower), I’m not sure how to further define my belief system. Perhaps I can say that I’m Christian agnostic, the latter defined in its simplest sense as not knowing (from Greek agnōsis: a = means to negate a term; gnōsis = knowledge); i.e., I’m a Christian who doesn’t know which, if any, system/denomination is the “correct” one. See 1 Corinthians 13:9a, 12-13.
Though I think the works of the early Church “fathers” (ECF) are important, one of the problems I see is an over-reliance on the ECF. Daniel Wallace, an NT textual critic, has pointed out the pressing need for textual criticism of the entire ECF, as these texts are, in turn, used in textual criticism of the NT. In other words, besides extant Greek manuscripts, the ECF works are used to try to discern if a given NT variant is “original” or not; yet, it is not uncommon to find a given variant with a particular ECF both evidencing and omitting said variant, or cases in which one ECF favors the variant, while another does not.
The disputed final clause in John 3:13 (who is in heaven) exemplifies this and also points to a problem with the RCC’s stance on “Tradition”. [There are two variations of this clause, but they are extant only in a relative few manuscripts, and are roundly considered spurious by most.] This clause is found in the Douay-Rheims (English translation of the Latin Vulgate), but not in the RCC’s New American Bible. However, this clause is found in such figures as Basil, Chrysostom, Theodoret, Novation, Hippolytus, Hillary, and Dionysius. Interestingly, the following figures are split, having some works with the clause and others which omit it: Cyril, Origen, and Didymus. Bottom line: the D-R follows the Vulgate and most of the ECF, while the NAB follows the newer “Critical Text”, which finds the complete agreement of the Greek Alexandrian text in evidencing the absence of the clause, along with a number of other Greek manuscripts and other versions, persuasive as “original” to the Biblical text, and thus go against their own tradition of “Tradition”.
As for Protestants, the final clause is found in the N/KJV, but not in the modern Protestant translations.
Much as I desire this clause to be “original” to the Bible, I’m just not convinced, given the evidence.
In any case, as far as the Protestants vs. the RCC on the issue of Authority, I don’t think we’re going to convince one “side” to the other in these blog comments.
Susannah,
Thanks for the Fulton Sheen links. I was looking around for some info from the medical staff that dealt with the miracle baby (James Fulton) but couldn't find anything. Curious as to what they made of the full recovery of this child from a professional standpoint. Have you ever read anything from that end of the story??
https://www.romancatholicman.com/things-accelerate-toward-the-end-prophecy-of-archbishop-fulton-sheen/ Fulton Sheens piece about Satan setting up the Counterchurch etc excellent and I'm sure you know it.
I am glad Fulton Sheen was gone from this earth prior same sex marriage being made legal in so many parts of the world. Or having to try to comprehend this whole transgender issue,,,or rather, people with this condition being helped by so called professionals to 'become a different sex'. Never mind the issues within the Church at the moment. It'd have been too much to bear.
From OZ
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Susanna,
Another favourite snippet comes from that interview some years ago between Jennifer Senior and Antonin Scalia...http://nymag.com/news/features/antonin-scalia-2013-10/
Have you seen evidence of the Devil lately?
You know, it is curious. In the Gospels, the Devil is doing all sorts of things. He’s making pigs run off cliffs, he’s possessing people and whatnot. And that doesn’t happen very much anymore.
No.
It’s because he’s smart.
So what’s he doing now?
What he’s doing now is getting people not to believe in him or in God. He’s much more successful that way.
That has really painful implications for atheists. Are you sure that’s the Devil’s work?
I didn’t say atheists are the Devil’s work.
Well, you’re saying the Devil is persuading people to not believe in God. Couldn’t there be other reasons to not believe?
Well, there certainly can be other reasons. But it certainly favors the Devil’s desires. I mean, c’mon, that’s the explanation for why there’s not demonic possession all over the place. That always puzzled me. What happened to the Devil, you know? He used to be all over the place. He used to be all over the New Testament.
Right.
What happened to him?
He just got wilier.
He got wilier.
-----------------------------
Must be so so easy for the Devil nowadays !! He's probably almost bored as he's not even having to try too hard .
From OZ
John 3:13: The Son of Man Who is in Heaven
The Text of the Gospels
A blog by James Snapp, Jr. about New Testament textual criticism, especially involving variants in the Gospels.
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Today we shall look into the question of whether or not the phrase “who is in heaven” was in the original text of John 3:13.
In two recently published translations of the New Testament – the Evangelical Heritage Version and the Modern English Version – John 3:13 ends with the phrase, “who is in heaven.” This is also the reading of the King James Version. It is supported by the VAST MAJORITY (OVER 95%) of Greek manuscripts, as well as the Old Latin, the Vulgate, the Peshitta, the Ethiopic version, and a wide variety of early patristic writers.
...
http://www.thetextofthegospels.com/2018/02/john-313-son-of-man-who-is-in-heaven.html?m=1
Anon 9:51 PM,
I’ve been studying this variant in John 3:13 off and on for the past six or so years, reading various articles, books, blogs, etc., and I’m still not convinced. I’m well-familiar with the work of Snapp, but he most certainly overstates his position with the 95% claim. Sure the overwhelming majority of NT manuscripts contain the final clause; however, the earliest manuscripts do not have it. It could well be argued that it is most likely that the clause was added at some point and all subsequent manuscripts retained the erroneous addition, for why would they delete it?
It is the Byzantine manuscripts, which constitute the overwhelming majority, with the earliest one—and one only this early—from the 5th century (A), while the Alexandrian are from much earlier (p66 [200-325AD], p75 [200-325], א [330-360], B [300-325].
Snapp has a bias favoring the Byzantine text-type over the Alexandrian. While I think some over-value the Alexandrian at times, preferring some readings in which even the Alexandrian texts do not fully agree with each other, in this particular case all the extant Alexandrian texts fully agree.
I’d not heard about the Modern English Version, but Wikipedia reveals that it is merely an attempt at updating the KJV, using the outdated Textus Receptus Greek text which underlies the KJV, so it’s no surprise the MEV contains the clause.
In any case, the main reason I supplied the example is to illustrate a wrinkle in the RCC’s “Tradition”.
The Bible: Most accurate history book ever written!
http://www.wnd.com/2018/07/bible-most-accurate-history-book-ever-written/?cat_orig=faith
Craig,
Thank you! ("The earliest manuscripts do NOT have it." OR "The earliest manuscripts HAVE it." is what I was looking to see regarding this.)
Anon 11:44 PM,
Glad to be of assistance. There’s more that can be said, but it can get a bit technical. I read through Snapp’s post, and I could rebut more of his assertions (and those of some of the commenters); and, I’d be happy to do so, if anyone wishes to raise a specific question.
To go further in regards to the ECF writings, here are some more specific comments: 1) we do not have the original writings, so we’re not sure if a later writer ‘corrected’ any part or omitted anything [such as adding “who is in heaven” even though it was not in the text he was copying]; 2) since punctuation such as identifying the use of source material via quotation marks or some such was not done, we are not sure when a writer was paraphrasing Scripture or quoting it outright, or whether they only intended on quoting a particular portion and intentionally leaving a clause or what-have-you.
Greek manuscripts not infrequently had notes written into the margins of the document, so it’s possible that someone had placed “who is in heaven” in the margins, and a later scribe assumed this marginal note was a correction, thus placing it into his own copy. This is what Metzger’s commentary implies regarding this variant:
On the one hand, a minority of the Committee preferred the reading ἀνθρώπου ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ [Man, who is in heaven], arguing that (1) if the short reading, supported almost exclusively by Egyptian [Alexandrian] witnesses, were original, there is no discernible motive that would have prompted copyists to add the words ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, resulting in a most difficult saying (the statement in 1.18, not being parallel, would scarcely have prompted the addition); and (2) the diversity of readings implies that the expression [the additional clause], having been found objectionable or superfluous in the context, was modified either by omitting the participial clause, or by altering it so as to avoid suggesting that the Son of Man was at that moment in heaven.
On the other hand, the majority of the Committee, impressed by the quality of the external attestation supporting the shorter reading [ED: the earliest Alexandrian manuscripts], regarded the words ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ as an interpretative gloss, reflecting later Christological development (pp 174-175).
I thought this site was about unmasking the new age and globalists etc.
Yet it is constantly focused on the RCC.
5:20 A.M.
No unmasking of the new age is complete without continued coverage on the policies, and proclamations of RCC. It is painfully clear that RCC is dedicated to nearly everything new age!
That was a very astute observation about the significance of the Pope's use of the word "integral" pointing to Ken Wilber's influence. Even back as far as 2015, it looks like the Huffington Post was writing approvingly about "Pope Francis' Integral Ecology".
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-pruett/pope-francis-integral-eco_b_7460058.html
The author of the piece gushes:
"There’s a new term being bandied about, and it’s high time we paid heed: integral ecology.
Whenever the same notion arises synchronously in a number of different contexts — in this case the Catholic Church, the Occupy movement, the climate movement, and the new-economy movement — it’s an idea whose time has arrived."
It is certainly true that Ken Wilber is the New Age philosopher of choice. When I was young and naive, and I was on the Care2 social media platform all the time, I noticed Ken Wilber and Alan Watts were the two most popular philosophers. Then when I briefly participated on the now defunct Zaadz network, it seemed like all the members had a huge Ken Wilber tag in their tag clouds.
Okay all you anonymous folks who are Trump-obsessed and Trump-resistance obsessed. Here is something about Trump that is topical for this current blog post.
https://northeastwisdom.org/2017/01/ken-wilbers-trump-and-a-post-truth-world-an-evolutionary-self-correction/
Ken Wilber apparently wrote a paper that has been making the rounds in some Trump resistance New Ager circles. After a lot of convoluted verbiage, Wilber ends up saying the solution is for the Left to stop being anti-hierarchy but to instead embrace "healthy hierarchy". That way they will become better able to lead.
He is saying that the Trump crisis created a *window of opportunity* for the next step in the evolution of the leading edge of collective human consciousness -- and this next step is a a new Leftist version of "healthy hierarchy".
This vlogger deserves more subscribers, as he puts out excellent, well thought out content:
Sex for Leaks Reporter Ali Watkins Got UNREDACTED Page FISA Application?
Infamous sex for scoops NY Times reporter Ali Watkins is alleged to have been leaked a classified document by her former lover, former Director of Security for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence James Wolfe. The Conservative Treehouse site makes a conclusive observation that the document is in fact the unredacted Carter Page FISA warrant application.
Did Watkins have the original, unredacted 3/17/17 FISA warrant texted to her by James WOLFe? It looks like it to me. So why can’t we see it?
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Toronto Greektown Attack - Taqiyyah Alert - Prime Minister Trudeau AWOL
Canadian authorities finally released the name of the Toronto Greektown attacker, Faisal Hussain. An exploration of the stonewalling before releasing the name, the near instantaneous PR effort made by a Muslim activist, and the media's mental gymnastics to avoid the obvious that it was an Islamic terror incident.
We must ask why the media, the establishment, and Muslims are generally so keen on obfuscating the truth when it comes to Islamic terrorism.
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On another note, this whole issue regarding former intel officials retaining Top Secret clearances gets my goat. I formerly held a TS clearance in my duties as a serviceman, but I was debriefed, no longer holding the clearance, before my separation. It's important to note that anyone with a clearance is to receive classified information only to their level of clearance and on a NEED TO KNOW BASIS ONLY. Hence, for what reason should these former intel officials retain clearances? I know this: Had I breached security as any of these leakers, liars, etc., I’d have been severely reprimanded, lost my clearance, and possibly sent to Leavenworth, Kansas for an extended stay.
(As a public service for those who have not read this part of Constance's blogspot:)
"COMBINED WITH life IN GENERAL -- sometimes humorous, sometimes not!"
I suppose these "former intel officials" are of servie to their masters plans.
service
"Hooray For Hollywood"?
People to be looked up to, lionized and idolized?
New documentary:
"Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood"
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2773246/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_4
The Daily Beast has a story now on it called:
"He Slept With Cary Grant and Spencer Tracy—And Changed Hollywood History"
(Due to the article's explicit nature however, I'm leaving out the link.)
Liking someone's work is one thing but it's long since past time that the "adoring" public stopped putting "celebrities" etc., on PEDESTALS.
It's time to put GOD on a pedestal.
This site has a lot of background information going back decades on the Vatican Paneuropa network.
Le Cercle and the Struggle for the European Continent: CIA, MI6 and Opus Dei Covert Politics
https://isgp-studies.com/le-cercle-pinay
The article was written in 2006, but there is an update towards the end. I found this section in a paragraph towards the end of the article to be relevant to my own attempt to try to understand if the nationalist-populist surge represents a true grassroots opposition to globalism:
"Basically all 'populist' parties and candidates that sprung up in the West have ties to the security services, either traditional anti-Zionist ones or more modern pro-Zionist neo-con ones. Often, as is the case with Donald Trump, these candidates combine both traditional Christian conservative and neocon elements, including the controlled opposition-ran conspiracy-inclined 'new right'..."
'Mad Max' has now DARED to invoke GOD'S name for a self-aggrandizing public political pronouncement:
MAXINE WATERS: I've been sent by God to get Trump!
http://www.theamericanmirror.com/maxine-waters-preaches-on-mission-against-trump-god-sends-you-to-do-something-you-just-do-it/
This is interesting, too, from the same article about the Vatican Paneuropean Le Cercle group:
https://isgp-studies.com/le-cercle-pinay
(Written in 2006, it seems to predict and explain Brexit.) "Interestingly, the latest generation of British Cercle members, whose predecessors were interested in joining the European Union, now do everything in their power to keep Britain out of the emerging European superstate, having lost faith that they can become a significant force within Europe or that the interests of mainland Europe -- France in particular -- with align with those of Great Britain."
OZ,
Here is some information on baby James from the National Catholic Register and other Catholic news sources. I hope it is what you are looking for.
Mar. 7, 2014
Archbishop Fulton Sheen Alleged Miracle Passes Major Vatican Test
The Vatican’s medical team unanimously approved the healing of a stillborn baby as unexplainable by science, marking a major step toward the beatification of the beloved American archbishop.
PETER JESSERER SMITH
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/archbishop-fulton-sheen-alleged-miracle-passes-major-vatican-test
___________________________________
Fulton Sheen and the miracle of baby James
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2014/07/01/fulton-sheen-and-the-miracle-of-baby-james/
___________________________________
Vatican panel approves Archbishop Fulton Sheen miracle
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/vatican-panel-approves-archbishop-fulton-sheen-miracle
___________________________________
Doctors say there is no natural explanation for survival of child delivered stillborn
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2014/03/07/medical-experts-approve-miracle-attributed-to-archbishop-fulton-sheen/
*************************************
Re:Another favourite snippet comes from that interview some years ago between Jennifer Senior and Antonin Scalia...http://nymag.com/news/features/antonin-scalia-2013-10/
Good one!
J, 4:30PM
Interesting article!
Le Cercle is said to be an elite component of Operation Gladio.
http://www.topsecretwriters.com/2014/08/discover-worlds-top-secret-societies/
______________________________________________
One or two of its members may have had ties to La Cagoule which is suspected of having its origins in Martinism and synarchy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Cagoule
___________________________________________________________
Synarchism denoted rule by a secret elite. One of its more enthusiastic nineteenth - century proponents was the occultist Alexandre Saint-Yves d'Alveydre who was a close associate of Papus, who was at one time a member of H.P. Blavatsky's Theosophical Society.
Specifically, Saint-Yves envisioned a Federal Europe (as well as all the states it has integrated) with a corporatist government composed of three councils, one for academia, one for the judiciary, and one for commerce. Sounds totalitarian to me.
Saint Yves also believed in the legendary kingdom of Agarttha a legendary Kingdom that is said to be located in the Earth's core. It is related to the belief in a hollow Earth and is a popular subject in esotericism. Not surprisingly, its form of government was said to be synarchy.
Saint-Yves believed that an ancient synarchist world government was transferred to Agartha (or Aggartha) within a hollow Earth at the start of the Kali-Yuga era, around 3,200 B.C.[4] Saint-Yves d'Alveydre was the man who really introduced the concept of Agartha to the Western world. This concept was later developed by Zam Bothiva and the Fraternité des Polaires in France, and more importantly by the Thule-Gesellschaft in Nationalist circles of Germany....read more...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandre_Saint-Yves_d%27Alveydre
_______________________________________
Operation Gladio was one of the secret NATO - coordinated "stay behind" networks which were established after World War II and whose purpose was to prepare for, and implement, armed resistance in the event of a Warsaw Pact invasion and conquest by the former Soviet Union. This was ostensibly Le Cercle's purpose as well. Both tended to be fascist.
Gladio's existence came to public knowledge when Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti revealed it to the Chamber of Deputies on October 24, 1990, although far-right terrorist Vincenzo Vinciguerra had already revealed its existence during his 1984 trial. According to media analyst Edward S. Herman, "both the President of Italy, Francesco Cossiga, and Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti, had been involved in the Gladio organization and coverup...….read more....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Gladio#First_publicly_revealed_in_Italy
_________________________________________________________
After the end of the Cold War the original Operation Gladio morphed into Operation Gladio B.
Gladio B substituted Muslims for fascists, and continues to carry out false flag attacks, especially in Europe. It was Turkish-American former FBI translator turned whistleblower Sibel Edmonds who exposed the development of Operation Gladio into Operation Gladio/B.
Thanks for those links about baby James Fulton Engstrom, Susanna. I had read a couple very similar. I had also tried to search out any articles from the actual medical staff who were there at the time of James' delivery and thereafter in trying to save him,,,,but I can't find a thing. I realise professionals have since looked at the whole thing for the Church but I was just curious as to what the medical staff had to say who were actually there at the time. It'd be interesting to hear them speak about it.
I also watched the video linked further back here about Maxine Waters 'preaching' at the First AME church. She'd never be free to do this at Sunday Mass, that's for sure !! Its not the time or the place. How about a Town Hall???
From OZ
Thank you Susanna, Operation Gladio B was a new one on me. I'll need to read up on Sibel Edmonds.
OZ,
I have been checking around and this is all I was able to find.
Engstrom remembered that a doctor in the emergency room said, "We'll try for five more minutes, then call it," meaning recording the time of death. "If he had known about the previous 40 minutes" of efforts to revive him before arriving at the hospital, she said, "he would have just called it."
She added, "They were just about to call it when his heart started beating -- 148 beats per minute, which is healthy for a newborn. And it never faltered."
https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/vatican-medical-experts-ok-reported-miracle-attributed-archbishop-0
___________________________________________________________
Bonnie quotes one of the nurses as saying the following at the emergency room:
A nurse held one of James’ feet in an effort to give him some measure of comfort, and Mrs Engstrom said she remarked later, “It was so cold, it was so cold. It was like in the saying ‘cold and dead’.
http://catholicleader.com.au/news/miracle-approval-aids-sheen-cause
______________________________________________________________
On account of privacy laws here in the US, you may not find any public comments being made by the medical personnel who cared for baby James on the night of his birth. Even the tribunal of inquiry that was sworn in on September 7, 2011 to investigate the miracle did so in secret.
.....The tribunal’s work takes place in secret, so there is much that Msgr. Gray cannot say. But since the Engstroms have shared their story widely, he said the general details could be made public.
Msgr. Gray noted that the tribunal’s task is to investigate the alleged miraculous healing and determine whether it can be proved through medical documents and the testimony of witnesses.
“We call them to testify to different things,” he said, including the seriousness of the medical condition. “We call them to testify about the fact that prayers were addressed to Fulton Sheen asking for his intercession. And then we need witnesses to testify to the end result, meaning that the crisis situation was cured, that health was restored.”
Not only will the tribunal confer with the doctors and nurses involved in the case, but also with two outside doctors who can report on the child’s current state of health.
The number of witnesses is small, so testimony should be collected relatively quickly. Some time will be needed, however, for the two outside doctors to make their examinations.
https://thetablet.org/through-the-intercession-of-bishop-fulton-sheen/
__________________________________________________________
There is also the following:
http://www.aknottedlife.com/2015/07/answered-questions-and-fulton-sheen.html
J,
The following is from Wikispooks. Wikipedia is not the best site for in-depth research, but it can serve well as a jumping off point if one is new to a particular subject.
OPERATION GLADIO/B
https://wikispooks.com/wiki/Operation_Gladio/B
As to the question why our governmental intelligence agencies might be involved in these so-called Gladio/B "red flag" terrorist activities run amok, I would refer you to the book entitled:
Infiltration: How Muslim Spies and Subversives have Penetrated Washington
https://www.amazon.com/Infiltration-Muslim-Subversives-Penetrated-Washington/dp/1595552480
________________________________________________________
As the book points out, many Arab Muslms have been hired as translators by our Federal Government. The thing that angers me is that most are Arab Muslims as opposed to Arab Christians who could serve just as well as translators.....and perhaps far more loyally.
The reason why the US originally gave support to al Qaeda - or those who later became al Qaeda members - is because during the Cold War, many of these al-Qaeda members were the mujahideen who fought against the communist Russians in Afghanistan which at the time was dubbed "the Soviet Union's Vietnam."
Sibel Edmonds
https://wikispooks.com/wiki/Sibel_Edmonds
________________________
ALLAN FRANKOVICH
Allan Francovich was an American film producer/director who made a series of films focused primarily on the activities of the CIA and deep politics. His two final films – Gladio (1992) and The Maltese Double Cross (1994) – were both funded by MI6 asset Tiny Rowland. A planned third collaborative film – on the 1986 assassination of Sweden's Prime Minister Olof Palme – was stymied both by Francovich's death in suspicious circumstances (speaking with US government officials while going through customs at George Bush Intercontinental Airport) and by Rowland's death the following year on 25 July 1998.….read more....
https://wikispooks.com/wiki/Allan_Francovich
_____________________________________________________
I am currently reserving judgement on Sibel Edmonds until I can gather more information on her and the other so-called "stay behind" groups.
P.S.
J,
You may have read articles I have posted here about Alexander Dugin and his neo-Eurasian Movement - a disguised attempt to revive the former Soviet Union under a different label. Part of Gladio/B's raison d'etre is said to be the destabilization of Central Asia and the Caucasus.
The Secret War: Gladio and the Battle for Eurasia
http://sggroningen.nl/en/evenement/secret-war-gladio-and-battle-eurasia
______________________________________________
Some refer to Corbett as a "conspiracy theorist." Here again, I am reserving judgement. You never know when these critters are going to turn out to have been "spooks" working under deep cover.
______________________________________
Susanna,
I have been doing some research into Bishop Fulton J. Sheen's position on the "Father of the New Age" Jesuit Priest Teilhard de Chardin. I couldn't find a single word to back up your claim that Sheen changed his position on de Chardin prior to his death. Instead, I found nothing but glowing praise for de Chardin by Sheen, such as claiming de Chardin to be "the greatest spiritual mind of the 20th. Century." Sheen even praised de Chardin regarding Chardin's New Age concept of the "cosmic Christ," which is nothing other than pantheistic dribble.
RayB
More on the connection between the Roman Catholic Church and the New Age Movement and the Jesuit Priest Teilhard de Chardin, the "Father of the New Age" movement ....
Who else was a "fan" of the New Age mystic de Chardin? None other than that pillar against the New Age Movement (that is, according to Constance) Cardinal Ratzinger/Pope Benedict!
Also, who were the two most influential people in the Catholic church behind the acceptance of the anti-Scriptural theory evolution? Ready for a shock? It was the Jesuit Teilhard de Chardin and the RC theologian Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger!
Evolution is a main cog in the New Age wheel, because it supports the NAM's Pantheistic, Cosmic/Christ view of the universe.
https://teilhard.com/2013/05/21/orthodoxy-of-teilhard-de-chardin-part-i/
One more thought re: Fulton J. Sheen and his supposed "miracle."
First, the mother is alleged to have "prayed" to the dead Fulton J. Sheen for intercession regarding her baby. NOTE: there is not a single reference ANYWHERE in the Scriptures where we are to pray to dead people! Rather, we are commanded to pray to the Father through our only Advocate Jesus Christ.
Second, the "miracle" was judged by a "VATICAN panel of medical experts." Not a chance that there is any bias there!
Third, Fulton J. Sheen was a heretic. He taught that "god" could be found in every religion. He was a "great admirer" of Ghandi, along with the founder of the New Age Movement Teilhard de Chardin, praising him as the "greatest spiritual mind of the 20th. Century." Sheen believed in the New Age concept of the pantheistic "cosmic Christ."
Forth, in ALL of the instances of recorded miracles in Scripture, both Old Testament and New, all were conducted (through God) by LIVING believers during their time ON THE EARTH.
Fifth, if the RCC really has "apostolic succession," why is it that their LIVING "apostles" do not do dramatic miracles such as Christ and the Apostles did ... such as making the lame walk, giving sight to the blind, and raising the dead?
I personally find it amazing how the RCC constantly uses "weeping stone statues," relics of "saints," dead, waxed over corpses of "saints," dubious "miracles," etc. ... all designed to give credence to the validity of the RCC!
BREAKING NEWS
Reuters
Blogspot poster and book author 'RayB' announces new blockbuster exposé of the Catholic church's innermost secret doings "as told by those within the 'belly of the beast' itself"
NUNS DARE CALL IT CONSPIRACY
P.S.
I was writing this as he was posting his above 10:29 AM post and didn't mean to distract from that particular post. This was just a bit of levity to lighten things up!
Your points are very solid, RayB.
The compromises run very deep and very wide within the Catholic belief system (and Protestantism has it's deep ones as well). This is all manifesting far and wide in these latter days.
Since the Catholic faith counts on a pope(s) to lead the church (all mere men) for guidance it never takes long for things to go into the ditch spiritually, so it didn't take long for corruption to be present as Judaizers infiltrated the Church, so like these, Roman Catholic leaders have been kicking the Word of God to the curb (at times adding and subtracting literally and often in practice) in favor of their own traditions, their own miracles, their own authority, which was what apostle Paul wrote of in his writings to warn the Church of those who seek preeminence (just one example in 3 John 1:9). The New Age has nothing "new" about it, actually.
God needed no help establishing, maintaining, and preserving His gospel and His church right up to the present day, in fact He will share His glory with no one. But many (who seek preeminence regardless of denomination) will not/would not have it so. That is why the monstrosities that are on the earth today in what can be called (under the very broad blanket) of christendom has made and given much room for error. Focused on the horizontal, to the near exclusion of and lacking greatly in the vertical, a true relationship to the Head of the Church, Christ Jesus Himself.
We must put all of our hopes and trust in the Lord who is still very willing and capable of imparting His great salvation, provision, strength, wisdom, and yes, miracles today. People should humbly get out of His way to see His glory.
Robert McNally • 3 months ago
"I loved to read Fulton J. Sheen and was recently surprised to learn that he fell under the spell of Teilhard. At the time, Sheen was in his late seventies. However, I later learned that shortly before Sheen died he gave up on Teilhard. Why he got duped, I don't know, but it might have been an age thing. Thank God he changed his mind. Another surprise for me regarding Sheen was that he favored Vatican II. I could never believe that. Not Sheen, who had a lot of guts. I remember him saying a lot of controversial statements like " If you want your children to keep the faith don't send them to a Catholic university, send them to a state college. He also stood up against the Vietnam War when it wasn't popular to do so. By the way, I believe I liked every comment that was made here. Thanks."
https://www.remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/articles/item/3861-teilhard-de-chardin-and-the-catholic-evolution
I agree, de Chardin was abominable. But that does not prevent me from seeing the great in Sheen and pardoning the not so great.
That is because no saint is perfect and their cause for canonization is based on other factors. When all is said and done every saint who has ever ben redeemed by Christ is ultimately a "sinner who kept on trying" right to the very end. THAT's why they are saints.
RayB
Re:First, the mother is alleged to have "prayed" to the dead Fulton J. Sheen for intercession regarding her baby. NOTE: there is not a single reference ANYWHERE in the Scriptures where we are to pray to dead people! Rather, we are commanded to pray to the Father through our only Advocate Jesus Christ.
Our God is not a God of the dead but of the living. Luke 20:38, Mark 12:27, Matt. 22:32 The saints are alive in heaven because of the life they have received through their faith in Christ Jesus.
The Book of Revelation shows the saints worshipping God, singing hymns, playing instruments, making requests to Christ to avenge their martyrdom, and offering prayers for the saints on earth (Rev. 4:10, 5:8, 6:9-11).
Because the Saints in Heaven are alive, we believe that we can go to them to intercede for us with God. We do not need to see apparitions or hear their voices in order to believe they will pray for us in heaven. We trust the word of Scriptures that the saints will accept our requests for help and will present them to Christ for us. Sometimes even miracles are granted through their intercession....like the raising of a stillborn infant to life.
The reason that Christians have the power to pray for one another is that each person who is baptized is made a member of the Body of Christ by virtue of the Holy Spirit's action in baptism (1 Cor. 12:11-13). It is because the Christian belongs to Jesus Christ and is a member of his Body, the Church, that we can make effective prayer. Because Christ who is Love has conquered death, Love is stronger than death.
The reason we pray to the Saints in Heaven is that they are still members of the Body of Christ. Remember, the life which Christ gives is eternal life; therefore, every Christian who has died in Christ is forever a member of the Body of Christ. This is the doctrine which we call the Communion of the Saints. Everyone in Christ, whether living here on earth or "fallen asleep in Christ" belongs to the Body of Christ.
From this it follows that a saint in heaven may intercede for other people because he still is a member of the Body of Christ. Because of this membership in Christ, under His headship, the intercession of the saints cannot be a rival to Christ's mediation; it is one with the mediation of Christ, to whom and in whom the saints form one body.
Some Christians--most Protestants, in fact--deny that the Bible gives support for devotion to the saints, but they are incorrect. The Bible encourages Christians to approach the saints in heaven, just as they approach God the Father and Jesus Christ the Lord: "But you have approached Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and myriads of angels, and the assembly and church of the firstborn who have been enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and spirits of righteous ones who have been made perfect, and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood which speaks better than that of Abel" (Heb. 12:22-24).
So if you don't feel that you want to ask for the intercession of the saints, fine. That is your choice. But don't get in anyone else's face who chooses to do otherwise.
Actually, to be fair, you are correct in saying that there is not a single reference ANYWHERE in the Scriptures where we are to pray to "dead people!"
We don't.
We ask for the intercession of LIVING saints who are in Heaven.
The second part of the Great Commandment to love God above all things with our whole heart, our whole soul and our whole mind is to love our neighbor as ourselves out of love for God. These are Christ's own words - Christ who by his Passion, Death and Resurrection has shown us that love is stronger than death.
The living saints in Heaven continue obeying that Great Commandment to love their neighbor in Heaven when they intercede for us to Christ.
Should We Pray to Saints?
by Mike Bennett
Perhaps three quarters of professing Christians belong to churches that pray to dead saints.
But is that what God wants? What does the BIBLE say about prayer and saints?
https://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/prayer-fasting-and-meditation/how-to-pray/should-we-pray-to-saints/#
Craig,
Could you comment on 1:33,P.M. Post? I would greatly appreciate your input.
Susanna,
Yes, you're right that it's a good idea to reserve judgement. Whistleblowers sometimes turn out to be intelligence assets or controlled opposition. They may or may not even be aware of it in every case.
The writer of the comment @ 1:33 PM first goes awry with this sentence, which I view as a non sequitur: Because the Saints in Heaven are alive, we believe that we can go to them to intercede for us with God. Sure the dead saints are alive as part of the body of Christ; however, given that we don’t pray to living members of the body of Christ, I don’t see how we are to pray to the dead members of the body of Christ. Does the mere fact of being dead in Christ elevate these saints’ status over those currently alive in Christ? I don’t see how that follows. And while we may ask fellow believers to pray for us, I don’t any Scriptural prescription for us to ask dead saints to pray for us.
The following sentence follows the same trajectory: The reason we pray to the Saints in Heaven is that they are still members of the Body of Christ.
The three citations in Revelation need to be addressed (4:10, 5:8, 6:9-11). The first one, 4:10, simply describes worship to God, having nothing to do with prayers of or for saints—dead or living. The last one, 6:9-11, describes dead saints asking God how long it will be until they themselves are avenged and them receiving a reply. It is neither explicitly nor implicitly about prayers of dead saints for living saints.
The specific words of 5:8 are “prayers OF the saints”, as opposed to FOR (in the Greek genitive, not accusative). And see also Rev 8:3-4. However, there is, admittedly, some ambiguity as to who “the saints” are here. Are they the living or the dead? If one assumes the latter, then it could be argued that these are prayers of dead saints, and further, that these are for the living saints, i.e. intercessional prayer. But this seems like a stretch. It seems much simpler to conceive that the angels in 8:3-4, along with the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders in 5:8, are presenting bowls full of the prayers of the living saints to God. In Jewish literature it is angels who present the bowls of the prayers of the saints to God (see Tobit 12:15 and 3 Baruch 11:8-9), and, given this, absent any other Scriptural support, I’m inclined to think these verses in Revelation refer to living saints, as opposed to dead saints. Yet, even if this is not the case, neither of these instructs living saints to pray to dead saints to intercede on their behalf.
As for Hebrews 12:22-24, this should be understood in its broader context. Essentially, the writer of Hebrews is comparing Mt. Sinai, (12:18-21), a part of tangible creation (signifying the Mosaic Law), with the superior Mt. Zion (22-24), the intangible heavenly Mt Zion (signifying the New Covenant). In short, he is juxtaposing the Old Covenant with the New Covenant. Verses 22-24 are not prescriptive, they are descriptive. Just look at the writer’s conclusion to the passage in verse 28: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom [‘Mt. Zion’] that cannot be shaken [like ‘Mt. Sinai’, i.e. the Law]…”. In other words, verses 22-24 are describing the totality of the Kingdom we have already approached/come to (“Mt Zion”) [a description], not providing a list of things and entities we are “encouraged” to approach [a directive].
https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/should-we-pray-to-saints
https://becomingchristians.com/2016/10/27/the-shocking-reason-we-should-stop-praying-to-saints/
"Let's see what the Bible says.
Turn to the Word of God and see what He states about saints. After all, if there is a God, then the heavens and the earth and all that exists belong to Him, and He is the one who will control who lives where, and He will dictate the terms of who is, and who isn't, a saint.
Notice first the very positive and dogmatic statements in John 3:13: 'No man has ascended up to heaven,' and in Acts 2:29 and 34 where the Bible states plainly that the prophet and patriarch David is dead and buried and has not ascended to the heavens.
This means, then, that according to the most popular and modern teachings regarding saints, David, who was a prophet (Acts 2:30) and a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22), would not be qualified to be a saint because the Bible plainly states he is not in heaven. This, of course, would not make good sense. If God felt David was a man after His own heart, certainly He would want David around Him where He is.
The Bible shows us plainly that no one is in heaven except God, Jesus Christ and the angels. So why waste all that time praying to some saint who can't hear you, and isn't there?
Furthermore our prayers should be addressed directly to God the Father (Matt. 6:9). It is through the name and office of Jesus Christ that God hears our prayers (Eph. 2:13, 18)."
https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?action=getmagazine&InfoID=1333812231&page=
Pope Francis’ top ‘reform’ cardinal slams seminarians for exposing homosexuality inside seminary
July 26, 2018
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras
One of the Vatican's most influential cardinals, already suspected of looking the other way while gay relationships were conducted in his personal residence, has now admonished fifty seminarians for speaking out against their seminary's rampant homosexual subculture.
...
https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/pope-francis-top-reform-cardinal-slams-seminarians-for-exposing-homosexuali
Susanna (and others interested),
You should be cautious with the source I used (https://isgp-studies.com/). Although the articles on this site are well documented, I think the problem here may be more one of what is left out.
The site doesn't say much about Putin, and what it does say, is sympathetic. It says very little about Israel as well.
This is strange, in a way, because when I first found the site about three years ago, it laid out a "four establishment model": 1) Eastern Liberal Internationalist Establishment, 2) National Security Establishment, 3) Zionist and Israeli Establishment, and 4) Russia, with the caveat that the former Soviet Union establishment may be too loosely organized to call an establishment.
I don't know who is really behind the site. The one individual who claims authorship was able somehow to get some exclusive scoops that would be hard to get without intelligence connections.
Re: Institute for the Study of Globalization and Covert Politics
https://isgp-studies.com/about
https://isgp-studies.com
https://www.reddit.com/domain/isgp-studies.com
http://disinfo.com/2012/09/taking-the-conspiracy-genre-up-a-notch-with-the-institute-for-the-study-of-globalization-and-covert-politics
https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Institute_for_the_Study_of_Globalization_and_Covert_Politics
https://wikispooks.com/wiki/Jo%C3%ABl_van_der_Reijden
https://deeppoliticsforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?87-Institute-for-the-Study-of-Globalization-and-Covert-Politics
NPR: JESUS WAS A SOCIALIST
https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/07/27/npr-explains-the-new-democratic-left-jesus-was-a-socialist/
Asylum Rules Would Allow Migrants To FILL HALF OF MIDWEST
https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/07/26/asylum-rules-would-allow-migrating-foreign-populations-to-fill-half-of-midwest/
Vatican meets #MeToo: Nuns denounce their abuse by priests
https://apnews.com/f7ec3cec9a4b46868aa584fe1c94fb28
Craig,
Re: "The writer of the comment @ 1:33 PM first goes awry with this sentence, which I view as a non sequitur: Because the Saints in Heaven are alive, we believe that we can go to them to intercede for us with God.....
...Sure the dead saints are alive as part of the body of Christ; however, given that we don’t pray to living members of the body of Christ, I don’t see how we are to pray to the dead members of the body of Christ."
_______________________
Excuse me......We don't pray TO members of the body of Christ whether living here or in Heaven, but we DO ask living members of the body of Christ whether living here or in Heaven to intercede for us TO Christ.
Therefore, your supercilious "non-sequitur" comment was not only erroneous, but also dishonest in so far as I was quite clear about what I meant.
Not only that, but the living Saints in heaven ARE above the living members of the Body of Christ here on earth and for Scriptural evidence of this, I would refer you to the passage where Jesus said so:
"Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist: YET HE THAT IS BUT LITTLE IN THE KINGDON OF HEAVEN IS GREATER THAN HE. Matthew 11:11
The bottom line is that if you and other Protestants here wish to believe in YOUR private interpretation of the Scriptures which YOU portray as precluding the idea of humbly asking other members of the Body of Christ to intercede for you to Christ, then don't. But when you butt into a conversation that began between fellow Catholics who were just exchanging information of mutual interest while otherwise minding their own business, then it is you and your fellow Protestants who are out of line.....because as I see it, the Catholics here aren't pulling that kind of crap on you.
Lastly - and I am not accusing you of this - but I will say that certain other creatures here whose chief "religion" is not Christianity - but rather Catholic bashing and trying to prove the Pope is "antichrist" or "an antichrist" - that they TRY to disguise as as "Christianity" - may one day be revealed as "antichrists" themselves - especially since our Lord said "Judge not lest ye be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" Matt 7:1-3
Maybe if THEY spent a little more time praying - if only directly to Christ - and less time accusing others of iniquitous activities, they might be taken a little more seriously as Christians outside the repulsive and un-Christian little echo chamber they have tried to create on this blog
Anonymous 1:52 PM,
Thank you. Your last link, to the discussion forum about ISGP, looks to be interesting reading.
You're welcome.
Anon 2:45 PM (and 1:33 PM):
In your 1:33 PM comment you wrote (and I quoted in my first reply to you): The reason we pray to the Saints in Heaven is that they are still members of the Body of Christ. Therefore, I didn’t mischaracterize you. In fact, all one has to do is perform a quick internet search for “do Catholics pray to dead saints” and one will find many different pro-Catholic sites affirming this same thing.
But, let me charitable and assume this was a slip of the pen, so to speak, on your part, given your 2:45 comment. Now, certainly we agree that we can ask any living saint to pray/intercede for us, and we can do this face-to-face, via phone, via internet, etc. But, these methods are not available to us if the goal is to ask dead saints to intercede for us. By what method then, pray tell [OK, bad pun], are we to use?
I’ve noticed that the charge of “private interpretation” is pejoratively levied against non-Catholics who challenge Catholics on Scriptural matters; so, rather than provide my own challenge to your interpretation of Matthew 11:11, I’ll allow the NAB(RE) do so. The footnote to this verse reads:
John’s preeminent greatness lies in his function of announcing the imminence of the kingdom (Mt 3:1). But to be in the kingdom is so great a privilege that the least who has it is greater than the Baptist.
This implies that the “kingdom of heaven” in this verse is not about the previously departed. Since the very first occurrence of “kingdom of heaven” is found in Matthew 3:2, in reference to John the Baptist, I’ll quote the footnote there:
the kingdom of heaven is at hand: “heaven” (lit., “the heavens”) is a substitute for the name “God” that was avoided by devout Jews of the time out of reverence. The expression “the kingdom of heaven” occurs only in the gospel of Matthew. It means the effective rule of God over his people. In its fullness it includes not only human obedience to God’s word, but the triumph of God over physical evils, supremely over death. In the expectation found in Jewish apocalyptic, the kingdom was to be ushered in by a judgment in which sinners would be condemned and perish, an expectation shared by the Baptist. This was modified in Christian understanding where the kingdom was seen as being established in stages, culminating with the parousia of Jesus.
The second occurrence of “kingdom of heaven is at hand” is on Jesus’ lips, found in Matthew 4:17. The footnote reference there reads:
At the beginning of his preaching Jesus takes up the words of John the Baptist (Mt 3:2) although with a different meaning; in his ministry the kingdom of heaven has already begun to be present (Mt 12:28).
In the middle to latter part of your comment you identified me as a Protestant. Not that I expect everyone to read every comment, but only to point out: in this very thread I’d identified myself thusly:
“While I certainly identify as a Christian (Christ follower), I’m not sure how to further define my belief system. Perhaps I can say that I’m Christian agnostic, the latter defined in its simplest sense as not knowing (from Greek agnōsis: a = means to negate a term; gnōsis = knowledge); i.e., I’m a Christian who doesn’t know which, if any, system/denomination is the “correct” one. See 1 Corinthians 13:9a, 12-13.”
In part, I jumped into this discussion because of the claim that a woman prayed to a dead mean (Fulton Sheen), and this dead saint’s “intercession” resulted in the miraculous resuscitation of her stillborn baby.
Is The Bible TRUE?
https://youtu.be/G9Y4KaMJ3JU
Related:
https://youtu.be/G8-73Z3L_qw
https://youtu.be/HcEmkCf16co
https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/is-the-bible-true
In the first part of her interview with Rick Wiles, Constance made the assertion that "the New Age Movement couldn't advance their agenda while Benedict remained Pope, because he wanted no part of the NAM." I asked Constance for proof to back up her claim, to which she made another assertion regarding John Paul II, while ignoring the question regarding Benedict.
The truth of the matter is this: Cardinal Ratzinger/Pope Benedict is a huge fan of the "Father of the New Age Movement" Teilhard de Chardin!! Benedict wrote extensively, and glowingly, about de Chardin's theory of the "spiritual evolutionary movement of mankind towards the cosmic Christ." Considered to be a "great theologian" of the RCC, Cardinal Ratzinger devoted a large part of his book arguing FOR the "orthodoxy" of de Chardin's New Age views!
The following is just one small illustration from "The Spirit of the Liturgy:"
"Invoking the epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians, Teilhard looks on Christ as the energy that strives toward the Noosphere and finally incorporates everything in its “fullness’. From here Teilhard went on to give a new meaning to Christian worship: the transubstantiated Host is the anticipation of the transformation and divinization of matter in the christological “fullness”. In his view, the Eucharist provides the movement of the cosmos with its direction; it anticipates its goal and at the same time urges it on.”
Read more about Benedict's support for de Chardin at this Catholic's site (which also endorses de Chardin):
https://teilhard.com/2013/05/21/orthodoxy-of-teilhard-de-chardin-part-i/
PS: I have yet to find a single shred of evidence that "Venerable" Bishop Fulton J. Sheen EVER renounced his support for New Age Mystic Teilhard de Chardin.
noosphere
A postulated sphere or stage of evolutionary development dominated by consciousness, the mind, and interpersonal relationships (frequently with reference to the writings of Teilhard de Chardin).
RayB,
It really isn't right that Constance doesn't reply to your question!!!
If your name started with S, she would be all over it! Maybe its just the lawyer in her?
Did "saint" Pope John Paul II ENDORSE the New Age heretic Teilhard de Chardin?
You be the judge ... the following proves John Paul II's endorsement of de Teilhard via the Vatican's Secretary of State:
"On May 12, 1981, the centenary of Teilhard’s birth, cardinal secretary of state Agostino Casaroli wrote to Cardinal Poupard, rector of the Catholic Institute of Paris, as follows:
"The international scientific community and, more broadly, the whole intellectual world, are preparing to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Father Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. … I am happy, Your Excellency, to communicate this message to you on behalf of the Holy Father [Pope John Paul II] for all the participants in the conference over which you preside at the Catholic Institute of Paris as a tribute to Father Teilhard de Chardin, and I assure you of my faithful devotion."
Fulton Sheen, a Fan of Teilhard de Chardin
By Patrick O’Brien
Some weeks ago I began to read the book "Footprints in a Darkened Forest" by Archbishop Fulton Sheen. Now I like most of Bishop Sheen's work very much, and am currently reading a book of his collected meditations, from pre-conciliar times. But chapter six in Footprints dismayed me greatly. Entitled “The Origin of Man in Society,” this chapter is a defense of Teilhard de Chardin, with Sheen's assumption of the truth of biological evolution.
Archbishop Sheen writes favorably: “He [Chardin] wrote that his thought was in one direction: ‘A rethinking of Christianity on the scale and dimension of the universe as it is revealed ever more clearly to us.’” Didn't red lights flash before Sheen when he read the phrase “rethinking of Christianity”? Didn't he consider that this “revealing” is that of alleged science and not of God to man?
Sheen writes: “For Teilhard there is a continuity between an animal seeking food and a magnet pointing to the north; between a male and a female uniting in the act of generation and two atoms uniting to form a chemical compound. The meaning is not the same in each instance, but there is more than a mere figure of speech in this unification. Atoms are not alive, it is true, but they have what might be called pre-life.” Any wonder why Rome condemned Chardin? And why didn't Bishop Sheen realize the gibberish he was writing in trying to explain Chardin's Gnosticism?
Again Chardin is quoted: “The whole world is ascending towards Christ the King, even the irresistible surge of the ocean tides under the Pull of the moon and sun.”
And further: “His [Chardin's] fundamental orientation was ‘to attain heaven through the fulfillment of earth. Christify matter.’” More nonsense, quoted by Sheen as if it clarified thought. This nonsense, however, seems to have found a resting place in the Vatican II Church. Consider Paul VI's Encyclical Populorum progressio and Rome's flirtation with the United Nations in endeavoring to “build the earth” (a phrase of Chardin's.) Heaven becomes a well-developed and ordered earth.
Examples could be multiplied, as Sheen tries to make sense of Chardin. But one last very disturbing quote from the Archbishop: “It is very likely that within 50 years when all the trivial, verbose disputes about the meaning of Teilhard's ‘unfortunate’ vocabulary will have died away or have taken a secondary place, Teilhard will appear like John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila, as the spiritual genius of the twentieth century.” Since the cause for Sheen's canonization has been opened, what are we to think? ...
https://www.traditioninaction.org/bkreviews/A_032br_Sheen.htm
(RayB, SHOULD there indeed turn out to be no substantial evidence that he renounced de Chardin one might speculate that this then rumor was manufactured to 'help' advance the cause of his canonization.)
Use care with your wordage:
"You be the judge ... the following proves..."
(Can't have it both ways!)
This is an amazing article that is packed with information regarding the historical along with the CURRENT Catholic support of the "Father of the New Age" movement Jesuit Priest Teilhard de Chardin, entitled:
"Teilhard de Chardin: The Architect of Vatican II You Need to Know."
https://onepeterfive.com/teilhard-chardin-vii-architect/
To Anon @ 11:19 AM ...
re: your statement: "(RayB, SHOULD there indeed turn out to be no substantial evidence that he renounced de Chardin one might speculate that this then rumor was manufactured to 'help' advance the cause of his canonization.)"
Anon,
This is a very common tactic used to excuse away heresy. In a real sense, it is a form of idolatry at the expense of truth. I saw the same applied in defense of Billy Graham's "Wider Path" heresy, in which he stated emphatically on Robert Schuller's Hour of Power that Christ was inside everyone, in every religion, and all they had to do is say "yes" and even though they didn't even know His NAME, they would be saved," blah, blah, blah. Whenever I pointed out Graham's heresy, I typically got a response such as "he was old and senile when he said that," which was not true at all. Furthermore, the Graham Association stated that "this has always been Graham's position!" Perhaps this is why Graham had close ties to the Vatican, and was a huge ecumenical supporter, and why he believed in this "Wider Path?" He too seems to have been a follower of the evolutionary concept of the "Cosmic Christ" as taught by de Chardin, Sheen, Benedict, etc.
RayB,
I believe you'll find this of interest.
https://www.adullamfilms.com/BillyGrahamRome.html
The evidence is overwhelming. The RCC is deeply involved with the New Age Movement ...
New Ager Barbara Marx Hubbard declares her concept of the world's spiritual evolution as it evolves towards the "cosmic Christ," who currently resides in the "Noosphere."
As it was then reported by "The National Catholic Register," here is their fascinating first hand account of the "2012 Leadership Council of Women Religious," a conference that was at that time officially SANCTIONED by the Vatican!
http://www.ncregister.com/blog/ann-carey/futurist-addresses-lcwr-assembly-on-day-1
I think it good at this point to mention that it is by far the best that one be self-aware and to not (in effect) treat his/her religion as if it were their High School or College sports team and "root" for THEIR 'team' (and perhaps 'league') and against the other(s). And by that I mean the "MY Country/(Team, etc) Right Or Wrong!" type of mindset. We should be of "The TRUTH, Comfortable Or NOT!" mindset to properly advance in personal (including SPIRITUAL) growth! In other words, try your best to dispassionately help reduce or eliminate any unchristian things in your particular church or denomination that you may come across INSTEAD of taking the information as a PERSONAL AFFRONT. For example the good people in the RCC (that are also AWARE) don't WANT the NAM in their denomination. So then naturally they should work to eliminate (or at least significantly reduce) its presence in the RCC... BUT, IF they CAN'T, they MUST make a CHOICE:
Stay Or Leave.
And this goes of course, for ALL OTHER churches/denominations and includes ALL OTHER serious doctrinal matters as well.
Everything else being equal, it boils down to this:
Are we committed to the TRUTH
or our TEAM?
Choose CHRIST.
“I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life!" John 14:6
Thanks Susanna,
Seems like things are kept rather quiet when investigating 'a miracle'.
Cheers, OZ
After decades of silence, nuns talk about abuse by priests
https://apnews.com/f7ec3cec9a4b46868aa584fe1c94fb28
Highly Influential Catholic Cardinal Resigns; Sexual Abuse Scandal Widens
VATICAN CITY, July 28 Pope Francis on Saturday accepted the resignation of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, one of the U.S. Catholic Church's most prominent figures who has been at the center of a widening sexual abuse scandal.
McCarrick, 88, the former archbishop of Washington, D.C., is the first cardinal in living memory to lose his red hat and title. Other cardinals who have been disciplined in sexual abuse scandals kept their membership in the College of Cardinals and their honorific "your eminence".
The allegations against McCarrick, which first surfaced publicly last month, came with Francis facing an image crisis on a second front, in Chile, where a growing abuse scandal has enveloped the Church in the Latin American country.
A Vatican statement said the pope ordered McCarrick's suspension from the exercise of any public ministry. This means he remains a priest but will be allowed to say Mass only in private.
Francis also ordered McCarrick to go into seclusion "for a life of prayer and penance until the accusations made against him are examined in a regular canonical trial".
McCarrick's sudden fall from grace stunned the American Church because he was a widely respected leader for decades and a confidant of popes and presidents.
Last month, American Church officials said allegations that he sexually abused a 16-year-old boy almost 50 years ago were credible and substantiated..
Since then, another minor has come forward with allegations that McCarrick abused him when he was 11 years old, and several men have come forward to allege that McCarrick forced them to sleep with him at a beach house in New Jersey when they were adult seminarians studying for the priesthood.
McCarrick has said that he had "absolutely no recollection" of the alleged abuse of the teenager 50 years ago but has not commented on the other allegations.
The New York Times reported last week that two dioceses in New Jersey, where McCarrick served as bishop before being promoted to Washington in 2000, had reached financial settlements in 2005 and 2007 with men who said they were abused by McCarrick as adults decades ago.
https://www.christianpost.com/news/megachurch-pastor-adam-hamilton-says-christians-can-support-gay-marriage-and-not-be-heretical-226454/
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/pennsylvania-catholic-nuclear-bomb-grand-jury/
RayB,
It's certainly important, so I would NOT encourage you completely stop, but I WOULD encourage you to INSTEAD use standalone links (with a BRIEF description IF needed) rather than any more similar extended RCC pedo stories. (Why? [Not trying to sound too harsh with you but] because, quite frankly, there's a fine line between regularly informing parishioners of a pedophilia problem in their church and repeatedly shoving their faces in it.)
Anon @ 3:35 PM ...
I think you have me confused with someone else. I almost never "copy and paste" stories, but rather offer my own comments and then typically provide the link.
My above post is a rare exception to that practice.
Furthermore, my intent is not to "shove" the "pedophilia problem" in anyone's face. I simply pasted a true story that amply illustrates that the rampant crimes of pedophilia runs far deeper than the RCC wanted us to believe. It is much more than just a "problem" as you term it, it is a rampant, ongoing CRIME that continues against INNOCENT CHILDREN. These horrific crimes are rarely PUNISHED because Rome typically refuses to cooperate with law enforcement authorities. Instead, Rome hides their criminals and instructs them to do "penance, pray and reflect," etc. all while their crimes go unpunished.
I am not going to apologize to anyone for standing firm against their criminal, anti-Christ practices. For those in the RCC that don't fervently oppose the evil that is taking place under the guise of their "religion," IMO, they are complicit.
RayB,
Thank you for your response.
No (my bad) what I meant was DEFINITELY PUT links to the RCC pedo stories in question but then move on without the repeated extended harping on them.
My point is (and was):
The RCC has a (serious criminal) pedo problem.
WE GET IT.
Continue on as you have if you must, I am in complete sympathy with your feelings and aims about this (I just think that a modified approach would be better).
But that being said, outrage IS needed, whether outleted through one approach or another to get true reform underway regarding such a thoroughly vile and heinous activity!
And NOT AT ALL just in the RCC, BUT:
EVERYWHERE!!!
Pedophilia in the Catholic church is very well known, and it has entered pop culture to the point that even South Park had a cartoon episode about it. The Boston Globe had a long series of investigative articles about it. As early as the 80s, Malachi Martin was going on Coast to Coast AM to talk about it.
But pedophilia is not confined to the Catholic church. It is also a Baptist problem. See:
http://www.stopbaptistpredators.org/index.htm
The sad fact is that institutions react by covering up for people who make their image and reputation look bad.
We should be able to expect more from our churches -- but churches are run by men, and these men like their power, money and status.
Just keep in mind the historical perspective, though. Greeks used to have their Catamites, and it was after Christianity that people thought this type of practice to be immoral and not normal.
The teachings of the Catholic church have influenced history for the better, at the same time as the members of the institution have often not lived to their own teachings.
Keep in mind that you can't completely attack the Catholic church without also attacking Christianity, even if you are not Catholic. For centuries, the Catholic church *was* Christianity. So it still remains a part of our Christian heritage and history, even if we are Protestants.
Anon states (in part):
"Keep in mind that you can't completely attack the Catholic church without also attacking Christianity, even if you are not Catholic. For centuries, the Catholic church *was* Christianity. So it still remains a part of our Christian heritage and history, even if we are Protestants."
First and foremost, you are accepting the false narrative that "Christianity" began under Roman Catholicism and didn't exist without it. That is patently false. There have always been believers outside this false system. Furthermore, its actual beginning took place under the Roman Emperor Constantine in the 4th. Century, which melded Paganism and some elements of Christianity together. Precisely why there are so many Pagan practices that remain today within RC.
Throughout 1,000 years of the Dark Ages, Rome conducted all their "masses" in Latin, which was not the language of the common people. In reality, the people never heard ANYTHING about Christ or His gospel, so where was this "Christianity" that you claim existed because of Rome? By the way, it was the "Dark Ages" primarily because Rome would not allow the light of God's Word to shine forth, even to the extent that they persecuted those that were found with literally fragments of God's Word upon them, often to the point of torture and death.
The RCC does not declare the Gospel of Christ, but rather an obedience to THEIR sacramental system as an absolute REQUIREMENT for achieving a "state of grace," the state of which can be lost at any time. For example: if a Catholic misses Mass (Mortal Sin) on purpose, he/she has committed a "grave sin," and if they die in that state they will go to HELL for ETERNITY! There are dozens of other "Mortal Sins" that will send them to Hell as well. THAT is NOT the liberating Gospel of Christ that is meant to "set the captives free" from obedience to meritorious, slave/religious systems, but by truly empowering believers to be free from a life of self-will sinful disobedience via Christ, God's Spirit and His Word.
Obedience to ANY religious system, including the RCC, will save no one. Exposing the RCC for what it is, a false, enslaving system is NOT an attack in any way upon Christianity!
I mistakenly posted that "Anon" stated (in part) ... "J" was the one I was addressing.
aside from other issues, Teilhard's view of the noospgere and Jesus as Cosmic Christ i.e., pantheistic and evolving not Pantokrator ruler over all and in His divinity infinite type of cosmic, sounds suspiciously like a denial of the literal physical return of Jesus Christ from heaven.
Also compatible with MSOG eschatology though that and the Joel's Army deception limits this to an elite cadre of believers.
prayers to saints. pray is an old term for ask or speak. the Hebrews passage refers to spirits of just men made perfect. David was not in heaven when Jesus said that in the Bible but in a lower part, not at The Throne of God, but since all were to
not be perfected without us either us made perfect or the process going on with them in advance it follows they are now in
heaven.
Even if not in the Throne section, the angels take their prayers to God, and they being alive in Christ hear us by The Holy Spirit.
you ask the living to pray for you. same thing sort of. depends on the attitude. Jesus is the Mediator in sense of High Priest and sacrifice made for us, but the saints intercede for us with Him as do the living we ask to pray for us.
that said, it is possible to overdo the saint and Mary focus. RC has gone overboard. even posits now a reign of Mary before the Reign of Christ. hmmmm. wierd. Orthodoxy is much more reserved than that.
The entire Mary as crusher of satan on which a lot of visions and mariology is based, is from Jerome's mistranslation of Genesis where Samaritan, Greek, and Masoretic all say the woman's SEED crushes the head of the serpent not the woman herself. this is about direct crushing, not indirect by being the means by which The Word was Incarnate.
The cloud of witnesses referred to by RC and EO to support praying to saints and that they see us, is dubious for this as it can refer to their witness that is givers of testimony by word and deed this cloud of testifiers. Other arguments remain.
part of the evil of pedophilia is that it is rarely overt rape but more often seduction and corruption. the boy or less often girl is less willing and eager than overwhelmed psychologically so it is sort of rape, but then they gradually get to liking it and a new generation of perverts is born.
In a landmark case, after a lengthy investigation into 6 of 8 dioceses in Pennsylvania, a Grand Jury has found OVER 300 ... that's OVER THREE HUNDRED ... cases of pedophilia perpetrated by priests, etc. They have also found obstruction of justice committed by the hierarchy, etc. ... what a surprise!
In the story below (see link), Lynne Abraham, a former Judge and District Attorney, describes the unrelenting obstacles she faced by the RCC as she bravely sought to bring justice to the criminal pedophiles during her term as DA about 15 years ago. She appears to be an amazing woman.
Read this article to see how the RCC really operates when dealing with law enforcement!
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/06/lynne_abraham_lethal_investiga.html
RayB,
To be clear:
Not 'just' 300+ CASES,
300+ 'predator' PRIESTS!
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/pennsylvania-catholic-nuclear-bomb-grand-jury
J,
After Christ ascended into heaven, Christianity began with Peter and the Apostles and continued on through their successors. Constantine merely ended the persecutions by pagan Roman Emperors and legalized Christianity.
To say that Roman Catholic Christianity began under Constantine or that Constantine invented the Catholic Church is downright laughable. If Constantine converted to Christianity, then it follows that that there had to be a Christianity already in existence for him to convert to.
As for the so-called "believers" outside Roman Catholicism, they were the heretics like Gnostics, Donatists, Arians, Docetists, Montanists, Nestorians, etc.
They came in several different flavors. You could pretty much take your pick.
Arianism in particular, had it prevailed, would have resulted in the paganization of Christianity insofar as redemption would have been sought in the creature rather than the Creator.
One of the reasons why Constantine favored Christianity was, according to Eusebius of Caesarea and other Christian sources ( i.e. Lactantius DeMorte 44)on account of a dramatic event in 312 at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, after which Constantine claimed the emperorship in the West.
Constantine, according to these sources, is said to have looked up to the sun before the battle and saw a cross of light above it, and with it the Greek words that translated to mean "in this sign, conquer," often rendered in a Latin version, "in hoc signo vinces" (in this sign, you will conquer). Constantine commanded his troops to adorn their shields with the Christian symbol (the Chi-Rho), and thereafter they were victorious.
Following the battle, the new emperor IGNORED THE ALTARS TO THE GODS prepared on the Capitoline and did not carry out the customary sacrifices to celebrate a general's victorious entry into Rome. Instead he headed directly to the imperial palace refusing to accept divine honors.
The Edict of Milan of 313 made the empire officially neutral with regard to religious worship. It didn't make Christianity the state religion. Nor did it render the traditional (pagan) religions illegal. It put Christianity on equal footing with the other religions of Rome.
If Constantine was a pagan, he was a very bad pagan.....especially when he began tearing down pagan altars and speaking out against paganism. In fact, the first episodes of persecution of Paganism in the Christian history of the Roman Empire started late in Constantine's reign with his orders for the pillaging and the tearing down of pagan temples.
The Council of Nicaea dealt primarily with the Arian controversy. Constantine himself was torn between the Arian and Trinitarian camps. In fact, even though Constantine was the one who gathered the bishops together for the Council of Nicaea, after the Nicene council, AND AGAINST ITS CONCLUSIONS, Constantine eventually recalled Arius from exile and banished the orthodox Athanasius of Alexandria to Trier.
Therefore, if Roman Catholicism had really been invented by Constantine, Roman Catholics should now be professing an Arian Christology which denied the divinity of Christ instead of the orthodox Nicene Christology which acknowledges both the humanity and the divinity of Christ.
While it is almost universally acknowledged that Constantine converted to Christianity in 312, he was not actually baptized into Christianity until just before his death in May 337.
http://www.livingbreadradio.com/2016/02/anti-catholic-myths-lies-1-emperor-constantine-founded-catholic-church/
As for the Bible, even Martin Luther acknowledged his debt to the
Catholic Church who has determined and proclaimed through her infallible rulings just which books are actually part of Sacred Scripture, and how she has preserved and maintained the Bible throughout the centuries.
"Outrage IS needed, whether outleted through one approach or another to get true reform underway regarding such a thoroughly vile and heinous activity!
"And NOT AT ALL just in the RCC, BUT:
"EVERYWHERE!!!"
'J' mentioned Southern Baptists also have this to deal with, here's another example of a Bible (OT) professing religion but one outside of professing Christianity to further illustrate that we should be concerned about the VICTIM(S) rather than 'saving face' for the people &/or group(s) the perpetrator(s) may be affiliated with:
Rebel Rabbi Exposes Child Molesters
By Antonia Marrero and Adam Grannick for the Moral Courage Project
The choice to expose a pedophile is a no-brainer, right? Mostly.
But if your community believes that ‘informing’ on other community members is unthinkable, pedophiles are left free to continue preying on kids. In fact, pedophiles flourish in insular communities. And there are few communities more insular than Williamsburg’s rapidly-growing population of Hasidim, a branch of Orthodox Judaism whose name signifies piety.
Brooklyn’s neighborhood of Williamsburg is home to approximately 180,000 Hasidim. One of them is Rabbi Nuchem Rosenberg, and he’s on a mission.
"Boys used to come and tell me that they go the ritual bath—they’re being sodomized,” the rabbi said. “Girls used to tell me that their father sleeps with them.” Faced with mounting reports of child molestation, Rosenberg founded a free hotline to inform his community about sexual predators, as well as how to get the police involved.
Other rabbis denounced the open condemnation of community pedophiles, labeling Rosenberg an “informer” against the Jewish people. The smear has given apparent permission for violence against Rosenberg himself. Fellow Jews have hurled rocks at him. One particularly nasty street ambush included having bleach thrown in his face, disabling one of his eyes for a time. Of all the synagogues in Williamsburg, the rabbi can count on one hand how many will let him enter to pray.
Irony is, Rosenberg has allies among the most learned and influential rabbis in Israel. They’ve not only affirmed his stance, but have further stated that it’s mandatory for Jews to report child abuse to the cops. Still, according to Rosenberg, local rabbis often broker deals whereby the accused pedophile will pay the victim’s family for their silence.
Yet, he insists, “You can’t make everybody quiet.” Hasidic Jews are starting to speak up, overcoming the cultural modesty surrounding sexual misconduct. Rabbi Rosenberg exemplifies a depth of moral courage that’s stronger than slander, equipping him to stand up for children despite the self-censorship of their own parents.
His hotline settles the question about where shame belongs in religious communities. It places blame squarely on predators instead of victims. This is how progress unfolds—not with ease, but with TRUTH.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/rebel-rabbi-exposes-child-molesters
Do Protestant churches really have a bigger problem with pedophilia?
What does the research show?
https://www.catholicconvert.com/wp-content/uploads/SexInProtestantChurches.pdf
RELIGION
10/01/2013 10:11 am ET | Updated Oct 02, 2013
Evangelical Sex Abuse Record ‘Worse’ Than Catholic, Says Billy Graham’s Grandson Boz Tchividijian
Sarah Pulliam Bailey Religion News Service
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/protestant-sex-abuse-boz-tchividijian_n_4019347.html
Sex abuse spans spectrum of churches
By Mark Clayton, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor April 5, 2002
https://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0405/p01s01-ussc.html
Stop Baptist Predators.org
http://www.stopbaptistpredators.org/alarmingnumbers.html
Pedophilia Only a Catholic Sin?
https://www.redstate.com/diary/roetenks/2009/08/14/pedophilia-only-a-catholic-sin/
Protestant Churches Grapple With Growing Sexual Abuse Crisis
May 23, 2014
https://www.npr.org/2014/05/23/315129859/sex-abuse-allegations-getting-protestant-churches-to-come-clean
Child sexual mosestation by various Protestant clergy
http://www.reformation.com/CSA/variousabuse.html
Simply for the benefit of those who (while open-minded) have not yet heard any alternative church history to the church history through (&/or of) the RCC:
Christ promised, “…I will build my church; and the gates of hell [hades, the grave] shall not prevail against it.” The Church of Jesus Christ was not to die. The Church founded by Jesus Christ was not to drift astray, embracing paganism and the ancient Babylonian mystery system. Upon commissioning His Church to preach the gospel to the world, He promised, “I am with you Always, EVEN UNTO THE END OF THE WORLD.”
And the apostle Paul records, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he [Christ] hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
The Church founded upon Christ and built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, was to continue under the direct guidance and inspiration of Jesus Christ. THAT Church has continued through the centuries!
...
http://www.giveshare.org/churchhistory/kelly/kelly.pdf
PREFACE:
The object of this treatise is not so much to give the history of the great national religious sects as it is to give a history of the true religion, tracing it down through the ages, century after century by its doctrine as practiced and taught in the Old Testament, by Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and others, and then extended with minor changes down through the New Testament to the present time, as set forth by Christ, (Hebrew-Yahshua) and His apostles, all of whom were Jews.
Jesus (Yahshua) said "the gates of hell would not prevail against it."
Therefore that same religion established at Pentecost, (Acts 2nd chapter), that three thousand Jews embraced, was NEVER stamped out, but CONTINUED amidst the most severe persecution from Rome, and is spreading over the entire world today.
There has been but little interest manifest in the history of religion of the past because, most historians leave the history of the true faith with the death of the apostles, and then trace what they call Christianity down through the "Dark Ages" as it emanated from Rome after being polluted with the teaching and practice of "Sun worshipers" of the East, through the historical "Council of Nice," 321 A.D., presided over by King Constantine of Rome.
...
This present writing is not a work to cater to any one, but is a history of the assemblies of God down through the ages, through over twelve hundred years of persecutions and bloodshed, even unto the present time. It narrates from histories and ancient records the course of these certain people of God, who, down through the course of time, have upheld the doctrine of the Scriptures, and kept the light of divine truth burning when all the world around them was in gross darkness known, and mentioned repeatedly by historians as "The Dark Ages."
http://www.reformedreader.org/history/dugger/toc.htm
http://triumphpro.info/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Apostasy-and-the-Perfect-Storm.pdf
https://www.ucg.org/system/storage/serve/4601/the-church-jesus-built.pdf
Anonymous 4:14,
Thank you for the very informative historical details about Constantine and his era. You know your history. Love it!
RayB,
The Catholic church spans a long history that includes some good, some bad and some ugly. You seem well informed about the bad and the ugly but uninformed about the good. In that you are just normal, because you are just replicating the several-centuries-old anti-clerical bias in historical scholarship. I have met a lot of people like you, and I was taught to think like you do in my childhood. In my adulthood I have chosen on my own to read some history about the Catholic church that I never got in school or college. It made me feel that I understand the history of Christianity and of the Western world much better than ever before.
J, 7:04
I appreciate your kind words. I have spent a lot of time studying my history. Actually His-Story.
For a little review go back and read what Constance wrote on this date below:
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Pope Francis' Speech to Joint Session of Congress -- My concerns are yellow high-lighted
To my readers:..........
The Messiah was born last week, rabbi claims; TV spot promotes Temple rebuilding
MESSIAH-MANIA HAS HIT A FEVER PITCH IN ISRAEL
as one prominent rabbi says the prophesied redeemer was born a week ago, while a group promoting the rebuilding of the Temple released a new TV spot saying, “The time has arrived.”
...
Maybe it’s the blood moons. Maybe it’s the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. Or, maybe, suggest other rabbis, now that the majority of Jews in the world now live in Israel, prophecy is read to be fulfilled.
Perhaps the most surprising development is a statement by a well-respected Israeli rabbi, Chaim Kanievsky, a leading authority in Haredi Jewish society, stating unequivocally that the messiah was born July 21.
Kanievsky, hailed as one of the leading rabbis of his generation, wrote a book, “Siach Nechama,” or “A Comforting Discourse,” that claims [This following part sound at all familiar, Constance?] the messiah is alive today and when Israel merits it, he will immediately reveal himself.”
...
https://mobile.wnd.com/2018/07/messiah-mania-hits-fever-pitch-in-israel/
J said to RayB (in part) @ 7:09 PM:
"The Catholic church spans a long history that includes some good, some bad and some ugly. You seem well informed about the bad and the ugly but uninformed about the good."
J,
By the "some bad, some ugly" could you possibly be referring to the nearly 700 years of the Inquisition that raged throughout Catholic Europe, in which countless believers in Christ were tortured, and or murdered because they believed the Bible instead of dictatorial, autocratic Rome? I guess that would qualify for "some bad," don't you think? Or perhaps the Dark Ages, whereby Rome attempted to extinguish the LIGHT of God's Word for 1,000 years?
OR ... maybe you're thinking more in modern times, whereby Rome propped up Fascism in Italy via the Lateran Treaty of 1929 ... signed in agreement with the Fascist Benito Mussolini? Or, maybe you're thinking the Vatican's quid quo pro Concordat in 1933 with Nazi Germany, which gave Hitler the credibility he sought from the "church?" Kind of "bad" don't you think?
Or, maybe you're thinking how Pope Francis recently left it to the COMMUNIST Dictatorship of China to pick the Catholic Chinese Bishops, and by doing so, turned his back on the "underground Catholics" that have suffered persecution? Kind of "bad," or maybe you see some "good" in all this?
Or, maybe you approve of the totally false "gospel" that Rome declares to their followers ... duped into believing that salvation is to be found through obedience to Rome and their meritorious, spiritual enslavement, which declares "mess up one time (missing Mass) and you are doomed to eternal Hell? Or maybe their declaration of suffering in Purgatory to "cleanse them of their venial sins" appears to be "good" to you?
I have no issues with the PEOPLE caught up in the RCC, but rather, with the fraudulent HIERARCHY which are leading their people AWAY from the "the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE," Jesus Christ.
"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!"
- Isaiah 5:20,21
Anonymous said @ 12:37 PM to RayB:
I believe you'll find this of interest.
https://www.adullamfilms.com/BillyGrahamRome.html
Anon,
Thanks for the link. I am very familiar with their work, having seen virtually all of their videos, which are very high quality and informative. Their expose` on the history of the KJV is exceptional (I think it is called "Lamp in the Darkness").
Thanks again,
RayB
RayB,
Atheists and Leftists speak exactly the same way you do about the history of the Catholic church and use it to bash any and all Christians over the head with it.
When the Reformers rebelled against the Pope, they used ideas that had been developed for centuries by Catholic thinkers.
When the Enlightenment thinkers came up with their ideas about individual rights, likewise, they relied on the foundation that had been built during what you term the "Dark Ages" by Catholic thinkers.
Anonymous 11:06,
Where do I begin with all your incorrect assumptions. She, not he. Moderate independent, not liberal.
One thing you did get right. Yes, I am now an adult. That one was actually a true statement.
Keep going and see how many more statements you can get right. Maybe you can improve over time. I think you need to work a little bit harder and want it a little bit more. You can do it!
A book about the strong influence of Catholic history written by a Protestant who is, like Constance, from Michigan. Larry Siedentop. He attended Hope College, a small college in Holland, Michigan. As you may guess from its name, it was founded by Dutch Calvinists and like much of Western Michigan was strongly influenced by them. After graduating from Hope, he attended Harvard. Now he is a historian at Oxford. He specializes in French political liberalism in the history of political theory. But he wrote a book tracing the influence of Catholic thinkers on what we think of as strictly Enlightenment ideas.
The name of the book is, Inventing the Individual: The Origins of Western Liberalism. (Meaning of course Classical Liberalism, not Leftism)
If you read the book, you will see that the Reformation and the Enlightenment could not have happened without all the groundwork done throughout the "Dark Ages" by Catholic thinkers.
Also the story about Popes and monarchs is not a simple one. Sometimes in history they allied with the masses against the local aristocracy, and they alleviated and buffered local oppression to some extent. This was due to power struggles between all the local powers and the more centralized, higher powers. Nonetheless the result was sometimes to the benefit of the peasant and serf classes.
The history was a lot of things, and we short-change our own understanding of our history and heritage if we don't comprehend anything about the overall narrative beyond anti-Catholic stereotypes and tropes.
J 1:31 PM,
Truth is truth whether atheists, non-atheists, Leftists, Rightists, Centrists or RayB says it.
And: NOBODY said people can't have good ideas if they happen to be of a particular faith.
BTW... FYI: RayB actually did not just now invent the term "Dark Ages" as you seemed to imply. No, in fact you'll be interested to know that it's a virtually universally-used term for that period of time in Europe.
(But other than that, good post!)
Anonymous 1:31,
"Dark Ages" is a loaded term that is reflective of anti-clerical bias in historical scholarship. Larry Siedentop is one of relatively few historians to attempt to overcome anti-clerical (anti-Catholic) bias in his studies and writings.
The Dark Ages Were a Lot Brighter Than We Give Them Credit For
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/our-voices/battle-of-ideas/the-dark-ages-were-a-lot-brighter-than-we-give-them-credit-for-8215395.html
From the above link:
"Such is the continuity of change that historians now identify at least three medieval ‘renaissances’: the Carolingian, the Ottonian and one in the 12 century. The world is constantly being renewed."
Five Contributions of the Middle Ages
http://www.vlib.us/medieval/lectures/medieval_achievements.html
(1. Freedom, 2. Equality, 3. Constitutional Law, 4. Dignity of Labor, 5. Power of the People)
"The Dark Ages Were a Lot Brighter Than We Give Them Credit For"
The following is a list of those things adopted and perpetuated by the Roman Catholic Church (including during the Middle Ages). Many of the dates are approximations, as many of the things had been current with the church years before, but only when they were officially adopted by a church council and proclaimed by the pope as "dogma of faith," did they become binding on Catholics:
A.D. 120—Easter Sunday began to be observed at Rome.
A.D. 310—Prayers for the dead, and making the sign of the cross.
A.D. 317—The word "trinity" first formally used at Synod held at Alexandria.
A.D. 321—First edict, by Constantine, concerning "Sunday" observance. Wax candles introduced in church.
A.D. 325—Nicene Creed adopted. Easter decreed to be the first Sunday after Passover, and enjoined on all Christians. Doctrine of the "trinity" formally stated.
A.D. 336—Roman Church officially switched from Sabbath to Sunday.
A.D. 353—Christmas first observed at Rome on December 25.
A.D. 354—Observance of Christmas ordered on December 25 by Bishop Liberius.
A.D. 375—Veneration of angels and dead saints.
A.D. 394—The mass, as a daily celebration, adopted.
A.D. 431—The worship of Mary, the mother of Christ, and the use of the term, "Mother of God," as applied to her declared by Council of Ephesus.
A.D. 500—Priests began to dress differently from the laity.
A.D. 554—The union of church and state (or beast power) which was to continue 1260 years.
A.D. 593—The doctrine of purgatory was first established by Gregory the 'Great'.
A.D. 600-The Latin language was imposed by Pope Gregory I. Prayers began to be directed to Mary and to the dead saints.
A.D. 610—The title of pope first given to the bishop of Rome by Emperor Phocas.
A.D. 709—Kissing the pope's feet began. It had been a pagan custom to kiss the feet of emperors.
A.D. 788-Worship of the cross (a pagan symbol) and images and relics authorised—idolatry.
A.D. 850-Holy water, mixed with a pinch of salt and blessed by the priest was authorised.
A.D. 890—Veneration of St. Joseph began.
A.D. 965—The baptism of bells instituted by Pope John XIV.
A.D. 995—Canonization of dead saints begun by Pope John XV.
A.D. 998—Fasting on Fridays and during Lent was imposed.
A.D. 1090—The rosary, or prayer beads, introduced by Peter the Hermit.
A.D. 1184—The inquisition of 'heretics' was instituted by the Council of Verona.
A.D. 1190—The sale of indulgences, commonly regarded as a purchase of forgiveness and a permit to indulge in sin, began.
A.D. 1215—The dogma of transubstantiation was decreed by Pope Innocent III.
A.D. 1215-Confession of sins to the priest at least once a year instituted by Pope Innocent III, in the Lateran Council.
A.D. 1220—The adoration of the wafer (host) decreed by Pope Honorius.
A.D. 1229-THE BIBLE FORBIDDEN TO LAYMEN and placed in Index of Forbidden Books by the Council of Valencia.
A.D. 1414-The Roman church forbade the cup to the laity (communion), Council of Constance.
A.D. 1439—The doctrine of purgatory proclaimed dogma of faith by Council of Florence.
A.D. 1545—Tradition declared to be equal authority with Bible by Council of Trent.
A.D. 1550—"Secret rapture" theory taught by Jesuit Catholic scholars.
A.D. 1854—The "immaculate conception" of the virgin Mary proclaimed by Pope Pius IX.
A.D. 1870-Dogma of "papal infallibility" proclaimed by Pope Pius IX.
A.D. 1951—Pope Pius XI reaffirmed the doctrine that Mary is the “Mother of God."
A.D. 1960—The dogma of the assumption of the virgin Mary proclaimed by Pope Pius XII.
Anonymous 3:05 PM,
Tares sown among the wheat.
Jesus said the wheat and the tares would grow together until the harvest. I have to give Constance credit for making this point in her blog.
Anonymous 3:05 PM,
In my childhood my parents belonged to Herbert Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God, which called the RCC the Whore of Babylon and taught that you would burn in the Lake of Fire if you did not keep the Sabbath. It taught that Christmas trees are pagan and that the tinsel represents a serpent coiling around the tree. At Christmas time at school, I followed my parents' instructions not to sing Christmas songs along with the other kids. They taught me that demons are more active during all pagan holidays, especially Halloween.
And do you know what? I would have preferred to have been raised Catholic.
Herbert Armstrong took to calling himself the Last Prophet, but he was a false prophet, because his End Times prophecies failed.
Most of his people left his church. Many became atheists. Some formed splinter groups.
One little splinter group is still dominated by Armstrong's former 2nd in command, Rod Meredith. Rod Meredith is now senile, but his children live off their splinter group by collecting tithes. Half the people in the group see through it, but if they leave, they will be cut off from friends and family members. So they stay and pay.
My father used to work for Rod Meredith but had a falling out with him and told him, you are not the Head of the Church, Christ is.
This is the same thing Protestants have said of the Pope, no?
But guess what, human hierarchy is the same everywhere, in some key ways! Why, because human nature is the same everywhere.
Do you know what, it comes down to PMS -- Power, Money, Sex. Not confined to Vatican hierarchy at all! Herbert Armstrong's WCG had plenty of scandals regarding P, M and S.
Oh, and one of the infiltrators of the WCG went on to help China industrialize and America deindustrialize. His name is Robert Lawrence Kuhn.
Intrigue is everywhere. Apostasy is everywhere. No church has a monopoly on it.
J 3:15 PM,
Who exactly are YOU referring to as "wheat" and "tares" may I ask?
J 3:26 PM,
You claim a certain past while saying "Rod Meredith is now senile".
Interesting.
This "now senile" Rod Meredith has been DEAD for over a year...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_Church_of_God
But all that being said, yes, intrigue IS everywhere.
And as far as apostasy goes, it is certainly LURKING everywhere. And, yes, no church has a monopoly on it.
And as far as choice of religion goes: it's absolutely VITAL to choose GOD over MAN, including LEAVING a church if it comes to it, no matter HOW MANY accurate Biblical truths they may otherwise have!
GOD MUST BE FIRST in our hearts and minds RATHER than the following after the approval of MEN.
J,
You are spot on in your thinking.
Certain "Christians" on this blog who shall remain nameless out of charity, are omitting the fact that they are not abiding by the Scriptures, but according to extra-biblical sources such as professional anti-Catholics like Alexander Hislop who has been discussed on this blog by other Catholics in the past. Hislop was the author of "The Two Babylons: Papal Worship Proved to be the Worship of Nimrod and His Wife." The book's central theme is its allegation that the Catholic Church is a veiled continuation of the pagan religion of ancient Babylon, the product of a millennia-old secret conspiracy founded by the Biblical king Nimrod and the Assyrian queen Semiramis, whom Hislop claimed was Nimrod's wife.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Hislop
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Two_Babylons
For example, Hislop maintains in his book that Catholic holidays like Christmas and Easter are pagan festivals established by Semiramis and that the customs associated with them are pagan rituals.
The truth is that the Old Testament canon for Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians is the Septuagint which includes the two books of the Maccabees, one of which gives us the history of the Jewish festival known as the Festival of Lights or Hanukkah. Christmas falls just around the same time as the Jewish Feast of Lights/Hanukkah.
The Protestant Old Testament canon is the Hebrew Bible which has its origins around the time of the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem and Jerusalem itself. It was put together by Jewish rabbis as an "antidote" to the Christians who were becoming more and more successful in winning converts to Christ. They omitted the Septuagint which was the old Testament canon most often quoted by Our Lord and the Apostles in the New Testament and either omitted or reinterpreted everything in the Old Testament that pointed to Jesus Christ as the Messiah,
As for Easter, it falls close the Jewish Feast of Passover. In fact the Exultet at the Easter vigil sings of the Exodus.
The "bumper sticker" style laundry list of Catholic beliefs at 3:05 P.M. is also a typical misrepresentation of Roman Catholicism and contains some outright falsehoods which can also be found in Hislop and other professional anti-Catholics of his ilk.
Among these professional anti-Catholics is Charles Chiniquy who was also an apostate Catholic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Chiniquy
"Some fundamentalist Protestants still regard Hislop's book as proof that the Roman Catholic Church is, in fact, the continuation of ancient Babylonian religion. Jehovah's Witnesses periodical The Watchtower frequently published excerpts from it until the 1980s. The book's thesis has also featured prominently in the conspiracy theories of racist groups such as The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord and other fringe groups. Author and conspiracy theorist David Icke incorporates Hislop's claims about Semiramis into his book The Biggest Secret, claiming that Semiramis played a key role in the establishment of a global conspiracy run by Reptilian aliens, whom he asserts is secretly controlling humanity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Two_Babylons
Ralph Woodrow is an Evangelical Christian minister, speaker and presently the author of sixteen books. Woodrow formerly supported the thesis of 19th century Presbyterian churchman, Alexander Hislop, that Roman Catholicism is a syncretistic pagan religion in his book Babylon Mystery Religion and gained a certain notoriety when he changed his view and pulled the work from circulation. His new viewpoint is documented in The Babylon Connection?.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1480062.The_Babylon_Connection_
Have a great day!
Anonymous 3:55,
I haven't checked up on Rod Meredith's doings in about three or four years. I should have checked up again before posting about him. The last time I read about him, he was still alive.
I completely agree with all of the points you made.
Anonymous 4:15,
That sounds so familiar. I was taught about Nimrod and Semiramis in childhood. Armstrong probably lifted those types of tropes from JWs. He was influenced by Mormons, JWs and SDAs. Plus some of his own license to use writer's elaboration!
I have observed even the History Channel spreading these ideas on shows about the history of Christmas. I don't recall if Nimrod or Semiramis were mentioned on the History Channel. (Many times hubby has had it on while I've been half asleep or on my laptop.) But I do recall the whole trope of Catholics assimilating pagan holidays that had origins in Babylon (and maybe also Celts and Vikings and others) -- it's kind of a flexible game that can be played when you're interpreting symbols so much. No doubt locally people do keep some of their former customs after converting, so there is just enough truth to make it plausible...
J said to RayB ...
"Atheists and Leftists speak exactly the same way you do about the history of the Catholic church and use it to bash any and all Christians over the head with it."
My response: The history of the Catholic Church is what it is. The fact that even "atheists and leftists" can see it for what it is speaks volumes.
"When the Reformers rebelled against the Pope, they used ideas that had been developed for centuries by Catholic thinkers."
My response: The Reformers did not use "ideas" from "Catholic thinkers." They came to their CONVICTIONS by reading/studying God's Word. The Reformers sought to have the Bible made available (the LIGHT of God's Word) in the LANGUAGE of the people, which, when studied, proved that the RCC was based upon a multitude of lies. Early on, the Reformers by and large attempted to get Rome to change their doctrines and practices to be in conformity to God's Word. When Rome responded with brute force, the Reformers saw there was no way Rome would give up its power over the people and broke with the church.
"When the Enlightenment thinkers came up with their ideas about individual rights, likewise, they relied on the foundation that had been built during what you term the "Dark Ages" by Catholic thinkers."
My response: The French Revolution happens to be an area that I have studied.
I have never seen anything (except for your obscure liberal book that you cite) that even remotely suggests that the Enlightenment "thinkers" was inspired by "Dark Age" Catholic "thinkers."
The reality is that the Catholic Church and its clergy (thoroughly corrupt) made up what was called the 1st. Estate ... they owned vast amounts of land. The nobility and aristocracy made up the 2nd. Estate ... also vast land owners. The 3rd. Estate made up the rest (non land owners, serfs, farmers, etc.) which consisted of 98% of the population. It was the 3rd. Estate that was manipulated from outsiders to rebel against the Monarchy, which ended in setting up a purely secular state that quickly evolved into the Great Terror. Your "Catholic thinkers" from the "Dark Ages" must have been a radical bunch, because the Enlightenment banned all religion (due primarily to the intense corruption of the French Catholic Church) and even held orgies inside cathedrals that they confiscated. Robespierre ended up declaring himself the "Superior Being" and attempted to create a new religion with him being the focal point. Were those sneaky "Dark Age" "Catholic thinkers" behind that one too? ROFL !!
Glad in a sense that 4:15 PM wrote as it shows what a laughably weak argument can be mounted against the truth.
#1) The name "Alexander Hislop" is defamed and his writings summarily dismissed WITHOUT evidence.
#2) The writer keeps throwing out names of other people from all over the spectrum of beliefs in the mix to lump them all in together and thereby confuse the issue even more.
#3) "contains some outright falsehoods" stated WITHOUT evidence.
#4) The writer makes some of the MOST PATHETIC defenses of Christians observing pagan holidays that I've EVER seen:
"Christmas falls just around the same time as the Jewish Feast of Lights/Hanukkah."
AND
"As for Easter, it falls close [to] the Jewish Feast of Passover."
(He or she missed the boat on that one! They didn't think to say:
"As for Sunday, it falls close to Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath"!)
Anyway, next year all you fellow Americans have a great 5th of July!
Anonymous 5:10 PM,
Paul said clearly in the New Testament that Gentile converts to Christianity are not required to observe the Sabbath.
RayB,
I didn't cite an "obscure liberal book", but a book by an Oxford historian.
Yes, indeed Enlightenment thinkers do owe the foundation of their ideas to Catholic thinkers, and to the One who inspired the Catholic thinkers, Jesus Christ. Before Christ lived and died, nobody had a concept of an individual or of individual rights. Hence, the title of the book by Oxford historian Larry Siedentop, Inventing the Individual.
Siedentop is, by the way, unlikely to be a liberal. He went to Hope College in Holland, Michigan, which is a Dutch Calvinist stronghold college. That whole area of western Michigan is so conservative that the people who lived there did not even vote Democrat during the New Deal years, and also the workers were union busters in that area.
Also, now you *do* know of people besides Siedentop who point out similar things about the "Dark Ages" -- because I just provided links to them in this very comment thread. So now you can no longer say that.
J 6:17 PM,
REALLY? Glad to know it!
Uh, WHERE was that exactly?
(You seem to have forgotten to mention it.)
Anonymous 6:27 PM,
See Colossians 2:16 - 2:17. (NIV)
"16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ."
◄ Hebrews 4:9 ►
Aramaic Bible in Plain English
So then, it remains for the people of God to keep the Sabbath.
New International Version
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
English Standard Version
So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,
Berean Study Bible
So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
Berean Literal Bible
So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
New American Standard Bible
So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
Christian Standard Bible
Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God's people.
Good News Translation
As it is, however, there still remains for God's people a rest like God's resting on the seventh day.
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God's people.
International Standard Version
There remains, therefore, a Sabbath rest for the people of God to keep,
NET Bible
Consequently a Sabbath rest remains for the people of God.
New Heart English Bible
There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
New American Standard 1977
There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
American Standard Version
There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest for the people of God.
Darby Bible Translation
There remains then a sabbatism to the people of God.
English Revised Version
There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest for the people of God.
Weymouth New Testament
It follows that there still remains a sabbath rest for the people of God.
World English Bible
There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
Young's Literal Translation
there doth remain, then, a sabbatic rest to the people of God,
King James Bible
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Jubilee Bible 2000
There remains therefore a rest {Gr. Sabbatismos} for the people of God.
◄ 4520. sabbatismos ►
Strong's Concordance
sabbatismos: a sabbath rest
Definition: a KEEPING OF THE SABBATH, a Sabbath rest.
Berean Study Bible
9So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10For whoever enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His.
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