Supreme Court's Lack of Religious Diversity

Chris Weigant

Political writer and blogger at ChrisWeigant.com

Posted: 06/30/2014 9:01 pm EDT Updated: 06/30/2014 9:59 pm EDT

The makeup of the current Supreme Court can be seen, in one way, as a big success story for certain minorities. It is a triumph, in fact, for two groups which have historically had to put up with a lot of discrimination and lack of political representation in America. These two groups are not defined by gender or race, but rather by religion. Broken down on religious lines, today's Supreme Court has members from just two religions, both of which had been historically underrepresented on the highest court: Roman Catholics and Jews. There are six Roman Catholics currently serving on the court (Samuel Alito, Anthony Kennedy, John Roberts, Antonin Scalia, Sonia Sotomayor, and Clarence Thomas) and three Jews (Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Elena Kagen). This is undoubtedly a story of rising up from underrepresentation. But, bearing in mind that America is a country with almost too many religions to count, have we actually moved into a problem of overrepresentation or lack of diversity? The question is on my mind today, obviously, as a result of the decision today in the Hobby Lobby contraception case. Three Jewish Justices and one Roman Catholic voted against five other Roman Catholics in a case defining the dividing line between religion and government -- a decision which affects us all.

Even bringing such questions up is a delicate matter. The United States Constitution states quite plainly that "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States." Even if Article VI, paragraph 3 didn't exist, it brings into question the concept of "affirmative action" and the concept of "quotas." All of which have their own long history, pro and con, in America. So allow me to state from the beginning that I am not advocating religious quotas on the Supreme Court in any way. I don't think we should revert to the days when people openly spoke of there being a "Jewish seat" or a "Catholic seat" (note that both are singular) on the Supreme Court. But I still have to wonder, with all the top-notch lawyers in the country, why the current court has such a stunning lack of diversity in the religious realm. I propose no concrete solutions, though, I merely raise the question.

The change in the Supreme Court's makeup is undoubtedly a story of triumph over previous discrimination. Roman Catholics in particular have faced enormous discrimination in American history. There was even briefly a political party (the "Know Nothings" or the "American Party") whose entire agenda was based on being anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic. No other religion has that dubious historical distinction (with the possible exception of the Mormons, who faced equally virulent political discrimination in America's past).

The first Roman Catholic was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1836, but the second and third had to wait until 1894 and 1898. The first Jewish appointment was made in 1916. Since the Constitution was ratified, there have been a grand total of 112 Supreme Court Justices. A full 91 of these (81 percent) have been one flavor of Protestant Christian or another. Only 12 have been Roman Catholic (11 percent), and only 8 have been Jewish (7 percent). Seen in this light, it is pretty stunning that of only 20 Jewish and Roman Catholic Justices in all American history, almost half are now currently serving on the Supreme Court. This, as I mentioned, is a real triumph of minorities who faced a lot of previous discrimination. The equivalent today might be a future Supreme Court composed entirely of women and Latinos (in terms of the political hurdles they have overcome -- I'm not trying to equate religion and either gender or ethnicity, mind you, in any other way than on the scale of struggles faced).

As recently as the 1980s, there was a clear de facto religious quota on the Supreme Court, with one Jew and one Roman Catholic sitting in what was called the "Jewish seat" and the "Catholic seat." There was no law which compelled this, but it was a strong 20th-century political tradition -- one eventually expanded to also include an "African-American seat" and then a "woman's seat." But by the 1990s, even such unacknowledged quotas crumbled, as court members were nominated which fell outside the traditional concept of such minority seats (such as having a conservative African-American on the court, or having more than one woman). Soon the court's age-old Protestant majority shrank as well, until (in 1994) Stephen Breyer's nomination led to the first-ever Protestant minority on the court. By 2010, the last remaining Protestant retired, and the Supreme Court became exclusively Jewish and Roman Catholic.

This brings us up to date. One-third of the Supreme Court is now Jewish, and two-thirds are Roman Catholic. By population, about one-fourth of the American public is Catholic and less than two percent is Jewish. This means that, in terms of religious demographics, 27 percent of the country has 100 percent representation on the Supreme Court. The 50 percent of the country who identify as Protestant have precisely zero representation -- to say nothing of other various religious minorities.

The Supreme Court has had a large degree of success in moving towards greater diversity in the past half-century. Women, in particular, have made great strides. We now have a Latina on the high court as well. In not-so-obvious areas, however, the Supreme Court seems to be regressing noticeably. There is not a single Supreme Court member who didn't attend either Harvard or Yale, for instance. There is not a single member who has ever run for any public office -- which might go a long way to explain their obtuseness when it comes to rulings on campaign finance laws. Both these improvements and these regressions have to be laid at the feet of the presidents making the appointments. Supreme Court Justices are not elected, therefore the makeup of the court is entirely up to the president, who is free to chose any candidate for any reason they wish -- taking into account whether such a person improves diversity on the court in some ways, and removes diversity on the court in other ways.

This is also a result of the "no religious test" idea, enshrined in the Constitution. This concept cuts both ways. It means that even if 90 percent of the people are of one religion, a member of the 10 percent shouldn't be barred from office. But it also means that there is nothing to stop the 10 percent from holding all the available positions, either. If there is really no religious test (instead of de facto religiously-based individual "seats"), then sooner or later, randomly, we should face the situation we now face. If the best candidate for the job is weighed on legal knowledge and judicial temperament alone, and if religion isn't part of that equation whatsoever, then sooner or later we'll have an all-Protestant Supreme Court again (or a court made up of Mormons and Muslims, perhaps). By the laws of chance, the religious makeup of the Supreme Court should fluctuate over time.

But the makeup of the Supreme Court doesn't actually change all that often, so it might be a long time indeed before we see an all-Mormon/Muslim court. Consider that the following religions have never had a single member named to the highest court in the land: Orthodox Christians, Mormons, Pentecostals, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs (this should only be read as a partial list -- there are many other religions which have also never been represented). No Supreme Court Justice has ever publicly claimed to be an atheist, either.

The claim cannot be made that co-religionists on the Supreme Court vote identically (political position is a much better indicator). The fear when John F. Kennedy ran for president that "he would take orders from the Pope" cannot now be proven by the voting patterns of the current court (while five Roman Catholics voted in Hobby Lobby's favor, one dissented, just to give the most obvious example). There is not a true "Catholic bloc" of votes on the Supreme Court, even when it comes to questions of religion and law -- not in the way that there are reliably conservative and liberal blocs of votes (both currently balanced at four each). So I am not suggesting that the five in the majority voted the way they did because their own religion has strict views on contraception.

Presidents select Supreme Court Justices in order to further their own legal, political, and constitutional philosophies. Ultimately, if the voters want a different makeup on the Court, they will indicate this by the presidents they elect (to put this another way). America has moved beyond forming political parties whose purpose is nothing short of religious bigotry, and we've also moved beyond the undeclared tradition that "this is your religion's single seat on the Supreme Court, so just be happy with one out of nine." This is all to the good. But diversity for diversity's sake is a valid goal as well, because it brings to the table different life experiences, different viewpoints, and different ways of viewing the real-world effects of judicial decisions. Two religions who have historically been in the minority on the Supreme Court (20 out of 112, remember) now not just dominate the court, they exclusively dominate the court. Since religion is a big part of the worldview of any adherent, it doesn't seem too much to ask that future presidents at least consider a wider range of religious diversity when considering equally-acceptable candidates to the highest court in the land.

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Sunday as Sabbath – God’s Valentine to Humanity

Sunday as Sabbath – God’s Valentine to Humanity:

A Vision for the Lord’s Day Alliance in the USA

Rodney L. Petersen, PhD 

Introductory Comments:

A friend sent around an email in January reporting that on Moody radio (a station known for its conservative brand of Christian faith), on the program the Market Place (WRMB, Boynton Beach, FL), there was a discussion of the Ten Commandments, of which only nine are still valid, said the guest. The talk host asked, “Which one is done? “Oh”, he said, “the fourth, about Sunday” This was not challenged on the air.

This email prompted another friend to remind us that a third friend once commented that when he heard someone boast about not taking a day off he would respond with, “And what other commandment are you proud of breaking”?

A Social Mandate:

We live in a society that is becoming unhinged. The Sabbath commandment (the Fourth Commandment) is sometimes referred to as the “hinge” commandment. It is found between those first three commandments oriented toward our regard of God and the balance of the commandments oriented toward our regard of neighbor. It is a means for “re-hinging” our lives.

The given context for the Ten Commandments is that of an abused and fragmented people, the Israelite slaves of Egypt, seeking to find social coherence and the social moorings that make society possible. According to the text of Exodus 20:2, these commandments, or sayings, were given by “the Lord God who brought you out of the land of Egypt”; out of 24/7 slavery and vitriol.

The Ten Commandments are foundational concepts for establishing a functional social order. In this light we might ask:
• Can we develop an intergenerational society? Then we will honor and not “dis” parents and children (Fifth Commandment).
• Can there be security of our personal identity from acts of violence? Then we will not anger or murder (Sixth Commandment).
• Are our most intimate relationships, those central to our identity, sacred? Then we will not commit adultery (Seventh Commandment).
• Is our means of livelihood, the product of our labor and extension of our very being to be protected? Then we will not steal (Eighth Commandment).
• Are social agreements meaningful and contracts to be trusted? Then we cannot lie (the Ninth Commandment).
• Is our attitude one of abundant trust in God or fear when faced with scarcity? Then we will not covet (Tenth Commandment).

Our gathering together in community to acknowledge the Fourth Commandment is a kind of covenant renewal to live in community as free citizens under God whose identity as defined in the first three commandments is greater than any political reality.

When I lived in Switzerland I was struck by the tradition and pageantry centered around Swiss Independence Day, August 1. Citizens of each town, city, or canton would gather together in the civic square to affirm allegiance to the governing covenant with arms raised. And at the end of the day bonfires would be lit on mountain tops to celebrate the renewed covenant.

This is our Sunday, a weekly celebration and covenant renewal, God’s Valentine to Humanity, to make possible personal coherence, social stability, and our “re-hinging” after 6 days of labor.

Boston area physician, co-minister with her husband of Bethel AME Church, mother and CEO Gloria White-Hammond writes of the fragmentation of our society and of our need for Sabbath in an article, “Home Alone – Seeking Sabbath.”

We must raise up the solid foundations of our homes that have been chipped away at by the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things; repair the broken walls of our fractured churches which, because they have been divided against themselves, have not been able to stand; and restore the streets of our neighborhoods with dwellings that signify life, real life, rested life, for us and for our children, and that is the life that is more abundant. It takes Sabbath space – and many of us ground this in Sunday as Sabbath.[1]

We have a social mandate to foster Sabbath. By encouraging Sunday as Sabbath we are one with Nehemiah in rebuilding the walls of this society so that social righteousness may prevail and hope be given to all.

Sabbath as Sunday is God’s Valentine to humanity.

A Theological Mandate:

Our social mandate is not only grounded in apodictic scripture referencing but also in good theology. The value of the Sabbath in the teachings of Jesus remains unbroken. An understanding of the Sabbath as a “covenant renewal” finds grounding in Jesus’ teachings and Jewish practice. German theologian Karl Barth’s argument adds theological rationale for this: that “the Sabbath commandment explains all the other commandments, or all the other forms of the one commandment. It is thus to be placed at the head.”[2]

Or, as we said earlier, it is the “hinge” commandment.

Spiritual formation among Christians finds its first point of definition in the recognition of the resurrection of Jesus. Consciousness of this point of departure was so powerful that worship became organized around what was referred to as the Lord’s Day or Sunday in recognition of the resurrection of Jesus. The early church gathered together not only for worship on this day but for the weekly collection for the poor (I Corinthians 16:1-2), providing continuity with the emphasis on the deep inner connection between worship and ethics in Judaism (Isaiah 58:6-14; Mark 2:23-28). This Sabbath gathering with prayer and collection for the poor is a mark of spiritual formation. It follows from the two tables of the law, love of God and love of neighbor (Matt. 22:37-40).[3]

Whether as monastic communities or local assemblies of the faithful then – or as communities of faith today – this Sabbath/Sunday gathering was a kind of summary of faith and “covenant renewal” within a defining narrative.[4] It forecast the life of prayer and work through the week, providing a rhythm for spiritual vision and character formation.[5] Sabbath/Sunday observance provided the community a place and a time to work out the inevitable conflicts of life. It gave scope to the recurring challenges of how to live in community, how to live with the earth, how to understand the meaning of economy, and how to engage others.

Sunday as Sabbath Keeps the Christian

As the Rabbis put it, “Jews keep the Sabbath, and the Sabbath keeps the Jews.” We might also say, “Christians keep the Sabbath, and the Christian Sabbath (Sunday) keeps the Christian.”

Lauren Winner, a winsome spiritual writer, writes of what she misses in Christianity in reference to her Jewish background in a book titled, Mudhouse Sabbath. She details and applies Jewish Sabbath customs to her new Christian life, citing another convert to Christianity:

On Friday afternoon…we’d rush home. Flying into the kitchen we’d cook ahead for the next twenty-four hours….Sometimes I’d think how strange it was to be in such a frenzy to get ready for a day of rest. Shabbat preparations had their own rhythm, and once the table was set and the house straightened, the pace began to slow. [After showering] I’d linger in the bathroom…taking as much time as I could to settle into a mood of quietness. When I joined [my husband] Michael and his son for the lighting of the candles, the whole house seemed transformed…. Shabbat is like nothing else. Time as we know it does not exist for these twenty-four hours, and the worries of the week soon fall away. A feeling of joy appears. The smallest object, a leaf or a spoon, shimmers in a soft light, and the heart opens. Shabbat is a meditation of unbelievable beauty. [6]

This special regard given the Sabbath is matched by the president of a Jewish college whom I know who does no email on Shabbat.

Martin Luther eliminated “Saints Days” from the medieval calendar in favor of a weekly celebration of the resurrection on Sunday. Among the Reformed, New England Pilgrims and Puritans kept the Sabbath. They were often known by the phrase, “Good Sabbaths make good Christians.” And they got it right! A day devoted to the Lord – we call it “The Lord’s Day” – is a good and necessary gift from God – God’s valentine to humanity even if it meant Saturday-prepared Boston baked beans and cod.

Brooklyn Congregational Church’s minister David C. Fisher reminds us of how easy it is to turn God’s gifts into obligations burdened with rules and regulations. “The Sabbath,” he writes, “meant to be a day of sheer enjoyment and rest, got lost in a in a thicket of rules, regulations, and laws. The Puritans were notorious for enforcing church attendance and forbidding recreation, sports, even travel on Sunday.”[7] The tension between the free exercise of faith practices and what was to become the social enforcement of Sabbath/Sunday adherence, enshrined in Sunday Blue Laws keeping stores closed on Sunday until fairly recently, illustrates a tension we continue to live with in our churches.

Fisher adds, “Jesus was often a critic of Sabbath practices of his day – but he never opposed the Sabbath itself. He kept the Sabbath. He opposed rules and regulations that twisted Sabbath rest out of its original intent. He declared that God created the Sabbath for humankind and our enjoyment; God didn’t create us for Sabbath keeping” (Mark 2:27).

We might discern two practices from the tension between our desire to keep Sunday as the Sabbath but allow for freedom of expression in a society characterized by plurality.


Practice One: Jesus went on to call himself the Lord of the Sabbath. Fisher reminds us that this is a revolutionary teaching that has never been given adequate reflection in the church with respect to Sunday: What would a day devoted to the Lord Christ be like?

Practice Two: We might follow Lauren Winner’s suggestions: What if we were to draw into Christianity the Jewish Sabbath rhythm of marking the beginning of Sabbath on Saturday evening? The Puritans followed the Jewish tradition, marking the beginning of Sabbath on the previous evening, and so might we. A shared ritual meal, the invocation of the divine presence at a meal Saturday evening would establish a whole new tonality for welcoming in the Lord’s Day of rest, Sunday.

Sabbath is a foreign concept for many in our society. The restoration of Sabbath is counter-cultural. It will not easy. Our lives are complicated, busy and getting more busy and complicated all the time. Work creeps into all of life. The electronic revolution makes work impossible to leave at the office. And if you are a parent like I am, you are being stretched in every direction.

Abraham Heschel, one of the great Jewish theologians of the last century, writes in his book, Sabbath, that: “Six days a week we wrestle with the world, wringing profit from the earth; on the Sabbath we especially care for the seed of eternity planted in the soul. The world has our hands, but our soul belongs to Someone Else. Six days a week, we seek to dominate the world; on the seventh day, we try to dominate the self.” Heschel reminds us that beyond the sociological and theological value of Sabbath, there is psychological healing of the soul in its weekly practice.

Sunday as Sabbath Keeps the Church

What might the effect be on the church of marking the Lord’s Day with these two practices? The first practice allows for the freedom of choice in a society characterized by religious plurality and yet counsels serious theological engagement and mature ethical decision making. It upholds the rhythm of creative activity with voluntary self-restraint. The popular “WWJD” – “what would Jesus do” – comes into play as parents and children in the context of a community of faith wrestle with how to apportion out the obligations of life in the midst of a commitment to relationships, including that with the God in whose image we have been made (Exodus 20:11) and whose work we do (Deut. 5:15).

What might Sunday activity apart from times of worship and relationship-building look like? Donald Conroy, President of the International Consortium on Religion and Ecology, reminds us of work on this topic by Pope John Paul II in Dies Domini, that “Sunday should … give the faithful an opportunity to devote themselves to works of mercy, charity and apostolate.”[8]

This might include the work of repair (tikkun olam), a concept deeply ingrained in the Jewish community and understanding of the creation story. Elizabeth Spellman writes that the work of “repair” is so central to our human character that she thinks of humanity as homo reparans.[9]
• The restorative work of the prophet Nehemiah comes readily to mind as the rebuilding of a just civic order is required in the context of civil violence.
• From the field of biology and the health care sciences we are reminded of the need for rest for cellular renewal, a concept that has deep resonance with Sabbath rest as envisioned by the author of the Book of Hebrews (4:1-11).
• Churches that are experiencing deep fragmentation can come together around Sabbath as Sunday for purposes of human flourishing.
• A commitment to human flourishing offers much by way of networking with other religious and secular groups.
• Finally, embedded in Sabbath practice is a deep commitment to concepts of gratefulness and appreciation – of all that we have been given. The Genesis text (2:1-3) reads that God rested, blessed and made holy the seventh day. And, by this, we are reminded of the sacred nature of the environment and world in which we live, a world that psychologist Richard Louv reminds us in his book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder (2008) that we lose at our peril.

The Sabbath work of repair, restoration, renewal, human flourishing, networking for the common good and appreciation are all aspects of a Sabbath spirituality that flows from living out Sabbath as Sunday in light of its constituting the Lord’s Day.

This is living in light of the resurrection; receiving God’s valentine to humanity.



[1] Gloria White-Hammond, “Home Alone – Seeking Sabbath,” in Sunday, Sabbath, and the Weekend: Managing Time in a Global Culture, ed. by Edward O’Flaherty and Rodney Petersen with Timothy Norton (Eerdmans, 2010).


[2] Church Dogmatics, III: p. 53.


[3] This material is taken from my chapter, “Just Peacemaking and Overcoming Violence: Formation for Ministry” in Formation for Life Just Peacemaking and Twenty-First Century Discipleship, ed. by Glen Stassen, Rodney Petersen and Timothy Norton (Eugene, OR:Wipf & Stock, 2013): 277-278.


[4] The value of the Sabbath in the teachings of Jesus remains unbroken. An understanding of the Sabbath as a “covenant renewal” finds grounding in Jesus’ teachings and Jewish practice. Karl Barth’s argument adds theological rationale for this: that “the Sabbath commandment explains all the other commandments, or all the other forms of the one commandment. It is thus to be placed at the head.” (Church Dogmatics, III: p. 53).


[5] Horace T. Allen, Jr., “The Lord’s Day as Anticipation and Promise in Liturgy and Word,” in Edward O’Flaherty, S.J., and Rodney L. Petersen with Timothy Norton, eds., Sunday, Sabbath, and the Weekend. Managing Time in a Global Culture (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2010): 93-104.


[6] Lauren Winner, Mudhouse Sabbath (Paraclete Press, 2003); as cited by David C. Fisher; at http://www.plymouthchurch.org/news/PCsermon030809.pdf (accessed February 2014).


[7] David C. Fisher; at http://www.plymouthchurch.org/news/PCsermon030809.pdf (accessed February 2014).


[8] John Paul II, Dies Domini. On Keeping the Lord’s Day Holy (Boston: Pauline Books and Media, 1998): 75. See Don Conroy, “Sabbath in an Age of Ecology within an Emerging Global Society,” in Edward O’Flaherty, S.J., and Rodney L. Petersen with Timothy Norton, eds., Sunday, Sabbath, and the Weekend. Managing Time in a Global Culture (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2010): 164-178


[9] Elizabeth Spellman, Repair. The Impulse to Restore in a Fragile World (Boston: Beacon, 2003).


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Our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government

By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near.

Testimonies for the Church Volume 5, p.451

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Obama to meet Pope Francis during March trip

The Oval David Jackson, USA TODAY 9:23 a.m. EST January 21, 2014



(Photo: Amit Dabush, AP)


President Obama will meet with Pope Francis on March 27, capping a European trip that will take him to the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy.

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Queen to meet Pope Francis for first time on Vatican visit in April
Queen and Duke of Edinburgh to have private audience with pontiff after meeting Italian president

Giorgio Napolitano



The Guardian, Tuesday 4 February 2014 08.33 EST





The Queen and Prince Philip will have a private audience with the Argentinian pontiff. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA


The Queen is to meet Pope Francis for the first time on a visit to the Vatican in April, the British embassy in Rome has announced.

The meeting – the first between the supreme governor of the Church of England and the leader of the Roman Catholic church since 2010 – will take place as part of a wider visit to Rome.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will have a private audience with the pontiff, who is from Argentina, in the Vatican on 3 April.

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Conference Has Formed an Image to the Beast -- John Grosboll

HistoricAdventTruth

Published on Aug 7, 2012

The SDA conference has placed men in jail for using the name Seventh-day Adventist. By joining with the state they are forming an image to the beast. The Bible speaks of taking others to court as a sin. The conference is also promoting Spiritual Formation or hypnosis. They have gutted the Great Controversy with the book The Great Hope that does not mention the papacy as the beast. They also signed an agreement with the world churches to NOT promote the Sabbath publicly. See www.seventh-day.org and click on SDA info. See more John Grosboll videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/mkencrl
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Rick Warren acts on mental health in son’s death

By
| February 26,2014





ap photo

Saddleback Church founder and senior pastor, Rick Warren, left, and Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, Kevin William Vann, right, pose for a photo at the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. Warren will partner with the Roman Catholic Church and the National Alliance on Mental Illness next month for the first event of what they hope will be a sustained project to get faith leaders more involved with mental health issues and advocacy. LAKE FOREST, Calif. — A year after his son’s suicide, popular evangelical pastor Rick Warren is taking on a new mental health ministry inspired by his personal tragedy.

Warren, founder of Saddleback Church and a best-selling author, will team with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange and the National Alliance on Mental Illness to host a daylong event next month focused on helping church leaders reach parishioners who are struggling with mental illness.

The Gathering on Mental Health and the Church grew out of private conversations Warren had with the local Catholic bishop, Bishop Kevin Vann, after his son’s death and his own writings in his journal as he processed his grief. Matthew Warren, 27, committed suicide last April after struggling with severe depression and suicidal thoughts for years.

“I’m certainly not going to waste this pain. One of the things I believe is that God never wastes a hurt and that oftentimes your greatest ministry comes out of your deepest pain,” Warren said Monday as he met with Vann to discuss the March 28 event. “I remember writing in my journal that in God’s garden of grace even broken trees bear fruit.”

After Matthew’s suicide, more than 10,000 people wrote to Warren and his wife, Kay, to share their own struggles with mental illness, he said. The conference will address a range of mental health issues, from bipolar disorder to suicide to more easily hidden issues such as anxiety, eating disorders and addiction. Attendees can choose from among 20 interactive workshops within the conference.

“When Kay and I began ministering to people with HIV/AIDS about a dozen years ago, I thought AIDS was the greatest taboo. But actually, I think mental illness is,” he said. “And we want to remove the stigma.”

The focus on mental health is a natural outgrowth for churches, which have long been the first stop for the faithful who are suffering and need guidance, Vann said.

As a newly ordained deacon in 1980, Vann said, his first funeral Mass was for a man who had committed suicide. Later, a man hearing voices knocked on the parish door seeking relief.

Vann didn’t feel equipped to handle either situation properly, he recalled.

The conference will put an emphasis on providing resources to churches so that people in need can get the help they need immediately — and so faith workers can get insight into the challenges confronting the mentally ill and their families.

“Our goal is, as we say, we crack the door open and then churches go, ‘OK. If the diocese is doing this, if Saddleback’s doing this, we can do this,’” Warren said. “And we’d love to see a movement started where people actually begin to say, ‘We need to see this element added to our local ministry.’”

Warren founded Saddleback Church in 1980 in his house. The megachurch now claims more than 20,000 members and has multiple satellite campuses around Southern California.

Warren is also author of “The Purpose Driven Life,” which has sold more than 50 million copies, and gave the invocation at President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration.


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Jesuit Order - United States Under Siege - Vatican Nazis

ReligiousMatrix

Published on Jan 11, 2014

http://religiousmatrix.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Metro.Angels...

The Society of Jesus (Latin: Societas Iesu, S.J., SJ or SI) is a Christian male religious congregation of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits. The society is engaged in evangelization and apostolic ministry in 112 nations on six continents. Jesuits work in education (founding schools, colleges, universities and seminaries), intellectual research, and cultural pursuits. Jesuits also give retreats, minister in hospitals and parishes and promote social justice and ecumenical dialogue.

Ignatius of Loyola founded the society after being wounded in battle and experiencing a religious conversion. He composed the Spiritual Exercises to help others follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. In 1534, Ignatius and six other young men, including Francis Xavier and Peter Faber, gathered and professed vows of poverty, chastity, and later obedience, including a special vow of obedience to the Pope. Rule 13 of Ignatius's Rules for Thinking with the Church said: "That we may be altogether of the same mind and in conformity ... if [the Church] shall have defined anything to be black which to our eyes appears to be white, we ought in like manner to pronounce it to be black."[2] Ignatius's plan of the order's organization was approved by Pope Paul III in 1540 by the bull containing the "Formula of the Institute".

Because of the military background of Ignatius and the members' willingness to accept orders anywhere in the world and to live in extreme conditions where required, the opening lines of this founding document would declare that the Society of Jesus was founded for "whoever desires to serve as a soldier of God"[3] (Spanish: "todo el que quiera militar para Dios"),[4] "to strive especially for the defense and propagation of the faith and for the progress of souls in Christian life and doctrine."[5] Therefore Jesuits are sometimes referred to colloquially as "God's Soldiers"[6] or "God's Marines".[7] The Society participated in the Counter-Reformation and later in the implementation of the Second Vatican Council in the Catholic Church.

The prophecy of Revelation 13 declares that the power represented by the beast with lamblike horns shall cause "the earth and them which dwell therein" to worship the papacy—there symbolized by the beast "like unto a leopard." The beast with two horns is also to say "to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast;" and, furthermore, it is to command all, "both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond," to receive the mark of the beast. Revelation 13:11-16. It has been shown that the United States is the power represented by the beast with lamblike horns, and that this prophecy will be fulfilled when the United States shall enforce Sunday observance, which Rome claims as the special acknowledgment of her supremacy. But in this homage to the papacy the United States will not be alone.

The influence of Rome in the countries that once acknowledged her dominion is still far from being destroyed. And prophecy foretells a restoration of her power. "I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." Verse 3. The infliction of the deadly wound points to the downfall of the papacy in 1798. After this, says the prophet, "his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." Paul states plainly that the "man of sin" will continue until the second advent. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8. To the very close of time he will carry forward the work of deception. And the revelator declares, also referring to the papacy: "All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life." Revelation 13:8. In both the Old and the New World, the papacy will receive homage in the honor paid to the Sunday institution, that rests solely upon the authority of the Roman Church. Since the middle of the nineteenth century, students of prophecy in the United States have presented this testimony to the world. In the events now taking place is seen a rapid advance toward the fulfillment of the prediction.

With Protestant teachers there is the same claim of divine authority for Sunday keeping, and the same lack of Scriptural evidence, as with the papal leaders who fabricated miracles to supply the place of a command from God. The assertion that God's judgments are visited upon men for their violation of the Sunday-Sabbath, will be repeated; already it is beginning to be urged. And a movement to enforce Sunday observance is fast gaining ground. Mark of the Beast Sunday Law
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US Secretary of State John Kerry Visits Vatican

Photo (Courtesy) http://news.yahoo.com/kerry-visits-papal-diplomat-talk-mideast-peace-153626045--politics.html

Lengthy Meeting With Archbishop Pietro Parolin Focuses on Middle East, US Healthcare Reform


Vatican City, January 14, 2014 (Zenit.org)



Ahead of the upcoming Geneva II Conference, US Secretary of State John Kerry met this morning with his Vatican counterpart, Archbishop Pietro Parolin.


According to Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi, the meeting lasted roughly an hour and 40 minutes. Also present at the meeting were Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States, and Kenneth Hackett, the US Ambassador to the Holy See.

The main subject for discussion was "naturally the question of the Middle East and in particular, the Syrian situation, as well as the Peace Conference in Geneva which is scheduled for the month of January,” Fr. Lombardi said in a statement.

Archbishop Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, reiterated several concerns expressed by Pope Francis during yesterday’s audience with the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See.

“It is unacceptable that unarmed civilians, especially children, become targets,” the Holy Father said of Syria during his address. “I also encourage all parties to promote and ensure in every way possible the provision of urgently-needed aid to much of the population, without overlooking the praiseworthy effort of those countries – especially Lebanon and Jordan – which have generously welcomed to their territory numerous refugees from Syria.”

The two also discussed the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. The Pope expressed his hope for a lasting solution yesterday and recently announced that he would embark on a “pilgrimage of peace” to the Holy Land in May.

Fr. Lombardi said Archbishop Parolin made known to Mr. Kerry concerns of the Holy See and US Bishops regarding healthcare reform in relation to religious freedom and conscientious objection in the United States. Debate continues to rage in the US over the administration's Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate which requires employers to cover contraception, abortifacients and sterilization in their insurance plans.

Although the Obama administration has made several concessions to religious institutions, employers who are Catholic are still compelled by law to cover contraceptives against their conscience.

Fr. Lombardi noted that the meeting was conducted in a positive and constructive atmosphere. The duration of the meeting, he said, “manifests the significance that it had.” (J.A.E.)
(January 14, 2014) © Innovative Media Inc.


Source

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 Photo (Courtesy) http://news.yahoo.com/kerry-visits-papal-diplomat-talk-mideast-peace-153626045--politics.html


Remarks of US Secretary of State John Kerry on Vatican Meeting

"A very comprehensive, very, very interesting conversation."




Rome, January 14, 2014 (Zenit.org)
Here below are remarks made by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry after meeting Vatican officials today:


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Villa Richardson, Rome, 14 Jan. 2014

"Well, let me just say that it was a privilege for me as the first Catholic Secretary of State in about 32 or 33 years to have the privilege of going to the Vatican today to talk with the new secretary of state there about the broad array of issues that we face together across the world. And on a personal level, it was a thrill for me to be able to do that, as an altar boy, as a young kid, I would never have imagined that I would have been crossing the threshold of the Vatican to meet, as Secretary of State, with the Secretary of State of the Holy See.

And it was a very comprehensive, very, very interesting conversation. We touched on just about every major issue that we are both working on, that are issues of concern to all of us. First of all, we talked at great length about Syria, and I was particularly appreciative for the Archbishop’s raising this issue, and equally grateful for the Holy Father’s comments – the Pope’s comments yesterday regarding his support for the Geneva II process. We welcome that support. It is very important to have broad support, and I know that the Pope is particularly concerned about the massive numbers of displaced human beings and the violence that has taken over 130,000 lives.

In addition, the Secretary – Archbishop Parolin asked me for a solid briefing with respect to the Middle East peace process. Pope Francis will be going to Israel and the Palestinian territories and to Jordan in May, and so we agreed, after I gave a briefing, that we would stay in touch in order to keep him abreast of what we’re doing and then what progress there may be in the peace process. But obviously, there are issues of enormous concern to the Holy See, not just about peace, but also about the freedom of access for religious worship in Jerusalem for all religions and appropriate resolution with respect to Jerusalem that respects that going forward.

We also talked about Africa, the challenge of Sudan, where there are particular interests. There is a large Catholic population in South Sudan. President Kiir, himself, is Catholic, and I think that our efforts over the last days could be augmented by the efforts of the Holy See with respect to trying to end the violence and bring about a peaceful resolution. I think the Secretary of State of the Holy See was very interested in what he and they could do in order to try to assist in that process.

We talked also about Cuba and the need for respect for freedom of religion and freedom of – and respect for human rights. I raised the issue of Alan Gross and his captivity, and we hope very much that there might be able to be assistance with respect to that issue. And similarly, the Holy Father yesterday in his speech raised the responsibility that we all have for the climate, for responsibility for planet Earth, which is our common home, as he said. And we share the responsibilities with respect to that.

We talked about the common interest of Pope Francis and President Obama in addressing poverty and extreme poverty on a global basis. The United States of America is deeply involved in efforts in Africa and in other parts of the world – in Asia, South Central Asia – to address this poverty, as is the Catholic Church. And so we have a huge common interest in dealing with this issue of poverty, which in many cases is the root cause of terrorism or even the root cause of the disenfranchisement of millions of people on this planet.

So this was as comprehensive a conversation as I’ve had with any secretary of state or foreign minister in the course of my tenure, and I think, happily, we agreed on an enormous amount of things that we can cooperate on. That’s what’s important. We need to find all of the voices that are prepared to fight for anti-poverty or peace or for reconciliation among peoples, to bring religions together, to bring people together, and to make peace. I am very mindful of the fact that in his first Urbi et Orbi speech or address, the Holy Father did speak about the importance of peace and the importance of all people on Earth being peacemakers.
So I’m grateful for the conversation we had today. I know that the Holy Father is anticipating the visit of President Obama here, and the President is looking forward to coming here to meet with him. So much was agreed on as a mutual agenda this morning, and I’m particularly pleased to know that the Holy Father and the Secretary of State in the Holy See will continue to speak out about peace in the Middle East, continue to try to bring the parties together, continue to help address some of the most pressing concerns that are challenging failed states and failing states in too many parts of the world.

It is good to know that we will have this common enterprise together, and I was very grateful to the archbishop who I had the pleasure of congratulating on his elevation to cardinal, which will take place in February. So it was an all-in-all very helpful meeting, and I’m confident that the groundwork and agreement that we reached with respect to the peace process, as well as a number of other urgent priorities, will help us as we go forward in the next days and months."

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On ZENIT's webpage:

US Secretary of State John Kerry Visits Vatican
(January 14, 2014) © Innovative Media Inc.


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Bob Trefz- The First Angel's Message.

Jesus is going to win

Published on Nov 6, 2013

"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." Revelation 14:6,7.

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Apostasy Prepares the Way

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. 2 Thessalonians 2:3.


When the early church became corrupted by departing from the simplicity of the gospel and accepting heathen rites and customs, she lost the Spirit and power of God; and in order to control the consciences of the people, she sought the support of the secular power. The result was the papacy, a church that controlled the power of the state and employed it to further her own ends, especially for the punishment of "heresy."...

Whenever the church has obtained secular power, she has employed it to punish dissent from her doctrines. Protestant churches that have followed in the steps of Rome by forming alliance with worldly powers have manifested a similar desire to restrict liberty of conscience. An example of this is given in the long-continued persecution of dissenters by the Church of England. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, thousands of nonconformist ministers were forced to flee from their churches, and many, both of pastors and people, were subjected to fine, imprisonment, torture, and martyrdom.

It was apostasy that led the early church to seek the aid of the civil government, and this prepared the way for the development of the papacy--the beast. Said Paul: "There" shall "come a falling away..., and that man of sin be revealed." 2 Thessalonians 2:3. So apostasy in the church will prepare the way for the image to the beast.

Satan will work with all power and "with all deceivableness of unrighteousness." 2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10. His working is plainly revealed by the rapidly increasing darkness, the multitudinous errors, heresies, and delusions of these last days. Not only is Satan leading the world captive, but his deceptions are leavening the professed churches of our Lord Jesus Christ. The great apostasy will develop into darkness deep as midnight. To God's people it will be a night of trial, a night of weeping, a night of persecution for the truth's sake. But out of that night of darkness God's light will shine.


Maranatha, by E.G. White,  p.166
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The-USA-in-Bible-Prophecy

Can it really be true? America in Bible prophecy - absolutely! When you think about it, it makes sense that the most powerful and influential nation on earth will play a vital role in the final stunning events of the world's closing history. But even more surprises await you as the Bible reveals how the leading nation of the world came to exist and why! Please read Revelation 13:11-18 before beginning this guide, because these eight verses give a prophetic picture of America in the days ahead.

1. Two world powers are symbolized in Revelation chapter 13. What is the first power?

Answer: The beast with seven heads (Revelation 13:1-10) is none other than the Roman papacy. (See Study Guide 15 for a complete study on this topic.) Remember that beasts in Bible prophecy symbolize nations or world powers (Daniel 7:17, 23).

2. In what year was the papacy predicted to lose its world influence and power?

"Power was given unto him to continue forty and two months." Revelation 13:5.

Answer: The Bible predicted that the papacy would lose its world influence and power at the end of the 42 months. This prophecy was fulfilled in 1798, when Napoleon's General Berthier took the pope captive and the papal power received its deadly wound. (For the full details, see Study Guide 15.)

3. Which nation was predicted to arise around the same time the papacy was receiving its deadly wound?

"And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon." Revelation 13:11.

Answer: The papal captivity mentioned in verse 10 took place in 1798, and the new power (verse 11) was seen emerging at that time. The United States declared its independence in 1776, voted the Constitution in 1787, adopted the Bill of Rights in 1791, and was clearly recognized as a world power by 1798. The timing obviously fits America. No other power could possibly qualify.

4. What is the significance of the beast "coming up out of the earth?"

Answer: This nation arises "out of the earth" instead of out of the water as did the other nations mentioned in Daniel and Revelation. We know from Revelation that water symbolizes areas of the world that have a large population. "The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." Revelation 17:15. Therefore, the earth represents the opposite. It means that this new nation would arise in an area of the world that had been virtually unpopulated before the late 1700s. It could not arise among the crowded and struggling nations of the Old World. It had to come up in a sparsely populated continent.


5. What is symbolized by its two lamb-like horns and absence of crowns?

Answer: Horns represent kings and kingdoms, or governments (Daniel 7:24; 8:21). In this case, they represent America's two governing principles: civil and religious liberty. These two governing principles have also been labeled "republicanism" (a government without a king) and "Protestantism" (a church without a pope). Other nations since ancient times had taxed people to support a state religion. Most had also oppressed religious dissidents. But America established something entirely new: Freedom to worship as you wish without government interference or control--and with government protection. Absence of crowns signifies a republican form of government, rather than a monarchy. Lamb-like horns denote an innocent, young, non-oppressive, peace-loving, and spiritual nation. Jesus is referred to as a lamb 28 times in Revelation. So this new government was trying to uphold His principles. No other power on earth could possibly fit the characteristics and time slot of the lamb-horned beast, except America.

Special Note: How we wish we could stop right here in Jesus' description of America--but we can't, because He didn't. What comes next is jolting and disquieting. America is truly a great country--with its freedom of conscience, press, speech, and enterprise; the protection it provides; its golden opportunities; its sense of fair play; its sympathy for the underdog; and its strong Christian orientation. It is not perfect, but even still a host of people from other countries hasten to become American citizens every year. If America's doors were opened wide, a vast portion of the people of the world would move to the United States at once--to "heaven on earth" as they perceive it. Sadly, this richly blessed country will change drastically in the days just ahead, precipitating unparalleled heartache and woe for God's people. We report it with reticence and deep concern.

6. What does it mean when the prophecy in Revelation 13:11 says America will speak "as a dragon"?

Answer: As we learned in Study Guide 20, the dragon is Satan, who works through various governments of the earth to establish his evil kingdom and crush God's church by persecuting and destroying His people. Satan's aim always has been to usurp God's power and throne and to force people to worship and obey him. (See Study Guide 2 for details.) So "speaking as a dragon" means that the United States (under the influence of Satan) will, in the end time, force people to worship contrary to conscience or be punished.

7. What specifically will America do that will cause it to speak as a dragon?

Answer: Notice the four crucial points:

A. "Exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him." Revelation 13:12. America will become a persecuting power that will force people to go against their conscience, as did papal Rome--which is portrayed in the first half of Revelation chapter 13.

B. "Causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed." Revelation 13:12. The United States will lead the nations of the world in forcing worship of, and allegiance to, the papal Antichrist. The issue is always worship. Who will you worship and obey? Will it be Christ your Creator and Redeemer, or Antichrist? Every soul on earth will finally worship one or the other. The entire approach will appear to be deeply spiritual. Incredible miracles will be wrought (Revelation 13:14, 15) which will deceive billions (Revelation 13:3). Those who refuse to join this movement will be considered godless radicals. Jesus labels Protestant America of the end time a "false prophet" (Revelation 19:20; 20:10), because it will appear spiritual and trustworthy but instead will be satanic in its conduct.

All this may seem impossible, but Jesus' words are always totally reliable and true (Titus 1:2). He foretold the rise and fall of the four world empires and the Antichrist (Daniel chapters 2 and 7) at a time when such predictions seemed outlandish and incredible. But all came to pass precisely as predicted. His warning to us today regarding prophecy is, "I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe." John 14:29.

C. "Saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live." Revelation 13:14. The United States will make an image to the beast by legislating religious practice. It will pass laws requiring worship and force people to either obey them or face death. This action is a copy or image of the church-state combination that the papacy utilized at the height of her power during the Middle Ages, when millions were slain for their faith. America will combine civil government and apostate Protestantism in a "marriage" that will support the papacy. It will then influence all the nations of the world to follow her example. Thus, the papacy will gain worldwide support.

D. "And cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed." Revelation 13:15. The United States, as head of this international movement, will next influence the nations of the world to impose a universal death sentence upon all who refuse to worship the beast or his image. Another name for this worldwide coalition is "Babylon the Great." (Study Guide 22 will provide more information.) This worldwide alliance will, in the name of Christ, substitute the policeman's power for the Holy Spirit's persuasion and will force worship.

8. Over what specific issues will force be utilized and the death sentence passed?

"And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." Revelation 13:15-17.

Answer: The final points of contention will be worshiping and obeying the beast and receiving his mark--Sunday as a holy day--versus worshiping and obeying Christ and receiving His mark--His holy seventh-day Sabbath. (For details, see Study Guide 20.) When the issues become clear and people are forced either to worship on Sunday and break the Sabbath or be killed, those who then choose Sunday rather than Sabbath will be, in essence, worshiping the beast. They will have chosen to obey the word of a creature, a man, instead of the word of their Creator, Jesus Christ. Here is the papacy's own statement: "The church changed Sabbath to Sunday and all the world bows down and worships upon that day in silent obedience to the mandates of the Catholic Church." Hartford Weekly Call, February 22, 1884.

9. Could a government really control buying and selling?

Answer: During World War II, buying was controlled for some items (such as sugar, tires, and auto fuel) by requiring ration stamps. Without stamps, money was worthless. In this highly computerized age, a system based on your Social Security number could easily be set up. Unless you agreed to cooperate with the worldwide coalition, your number, when punched in before a purchase, could show you disqualified. We do not know precisely how all this will come about. But we can be positive it will happen because in Revelation 13:16, 17, God says it will.

Two Emerging Powers
Revelation chapter 13 is clear. Two superpowers will emerge in the end time: the United States of America and the papacy. The United States of America will support the papacy by leading a drive to force the people of the world to worship the beast (papacy) and receive his mark or else face death. The next two questions will evaluate the strengths of these two superpowers.

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10. How strong and influential is the papacy today?

Answer: She is by far the strongest religio-political power in the world. Virtually every leading country of the world has an official ambassador or state representative at the Vatican. Notice the following facts:

A. The papacy is so influential and powerful that nearly every major country consults her before making major policy moves. Her "large diplomatic corps maintains relations with more than 100 nations." U.S. News and World Report, October 30, 1978, p. 24.

B. She takes the credit for the demise of communism, saying that Mary, Jesus' mother, guided the pope's strategy that brought down communism. "Handmaid or Feminist," Time, December 30, 1991, pp. 64, 65.

The pope is an extremely popular world leader.

C. The aim of the pope is to unify the Christian world under the leadership of the papacy by the end of this century. He has made more than 40 world trips to lay the ground work for this goal. Gene H. Hogberg, The Plain Truth, November/December 1989, pp. 24, 25.

D. The worldwide response has been almost overwhelming. During the Iraqi crisis, the pope and America's president sometimes discussed world affairs weekly by phone. U.S. News and World Report, August 13, 1990, p. 18.

E. On June 7, 1982, former President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II met for 50 minutes at the Vatican and structured a plan to eliminate communism. The United States shipped tons of modern communication equipment to Poland (the starting place) to help spread necessary information to the masses. "The Holy Alliance," Time, February 1992, pp. 28, 31, 35.

F. Gorbachev said, "Everything which took place in Eastern Europe in recent years would have been impossible without the Pope's efforts and the enormous role, including the political role, which he played in the world arena." Mikhail Gorbachev, Toronto Star, March 9, 1992.

The papacy, which formerly referred to Protestants as "heretics," is now calling them "separated brethren" and graciously suggesting that all work and pray together for peace and God's presence. Millions of Protestants are deeply impressed. In fact, several Protestant denominations have had official dialog with the papacy to try to settle the differences that caused the Reformation.

11. How strong and influential is the United States today?

Answer: The United States is regarded as the world's number one military power and center of influence. Note the following:

A. "[America is] the planet's sole remaining superpower." "The U.N. Obsession," Time, May 9, 1994, p. 86.

B. "There is no prospect in the immediate future of any power to rival the United States." Charles Krauthammer, "The Lonely Superpower", The New Republic, July 29, 1992, p. 23.

C. Yassir Arafat labeled America "the new Rome" because, as old Rome was the undisputed superpower of its age, America is now number one. Newsweek, August 12, 1991, p. 33.

D. "America's power will now determine all major global events." Jim Hoagland, "Of Heroes ...", The Washington Post, August 21, 1991, p. A-23.

When a Marxist group overthrew the government of Ethiopia, America was asked to negotiate. When Boris Yeltsin took office as president of the newly independent Russia, he visited America first. Former U.S.S.R. President Mikhail Gorbachev turned to America in his crisis. When Kuwait was invaded, its government called on America. The U.S.-led war against Iraq rallied the support of almost the entire world. A National Public Radio correspondent called the American president the "president of the world." We now have "a highly unusual world structure with a single power, the United States, at the apex of the international system." Krauthammer, The New Republic, p. 23.

12. It is clear that the influence and power of both the United States and the papacy are escalating with rapidity. What other factors could possibly help set the stage for a worldwide law to execute those who refuse to violate conscience?

Answer: We cannot name them with certainty, but a few looming possibilities are as follows:

A. The activity of terrorists.
B. Riots and escalating crime and evil.
C. Drug wars.
D. A major economic crash.
E. AIDS and other epidemics.
F. Nuclear threats from radical nations.
G. Political corruption.
H. Gross miscarriage of justice by the courts.
I. Welfare abuse.
J. Increasing taxes.
K. Pornography and sickening immorality.
L. Appalling global disasters.
M. Radical "special interest" groups.
N. The abortion crisis.

All world nations now look to the United States for protection and support.
A backlash against corruption, lawlessness, immorality, permissiveness, injustice, poverty, weak and ineffective political leaders, and many similar woes could easily precipitate a demand for strong, specific laws to be rigidly enforced.


13. As world conditions worsen, what will Satan do to deceive the masses?

"And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live." Revelation 13:13, 14.

Answer: America will experience a counterfeit, worldwide revival and will insist that religious laws be passed to force every person to participate. (This is represented by "an image to the beast" in Revelation 13:14.) People will be forced to disregard God's holy, seventh-day Sabbath and worship instead on the beast's "holy" day--Sunday. Some will also comply simply for social or economic reasons. World conditions will become so intolerable that a worldwide "back to God and prayer" movement, with all joining in worship and prayer on Sunday, will seem to be the only solution. Satan will deceive the world into believing that they must compromise Bible truth and keep Sunday holy. But in reality, obedience to and worship of the beast will shut people out of God's kingdom. No wonder Jesus makes such an issue in Revelation over worshiping the beast and receiving his mark!

14. While interest in the counterfeit revival heightens, what will be happening to the genuine worldwide revival sponsored by God's end-time people?

Answer:
The Bible says the entire world will be "lightened" with its glory (Revelation 18:1). Every person on earth will be reached (Mark 16:15) with God's end-time, three-point message of Revelation 14:6-14. God's last-day church will grow with amazing speed as millions join God's people and accept His offer of salvation by free grace and faith in Jesus, which transforms them into His obedient servants. Many people and leaders from all countries of the world will refuse to worship the beast and embrace his false teachings. Instead, they will worship and obey Jesus only. They will then receive His holy Sabbath sign, or mark, in their foreheads (Revelation 7:2, 3), thus sealing them for eternity.

Spiralling Growth Infuriates Counterfeit Movement
This spiralling growth among God's people will infuriate the counterfeit movement. Its leaders will become fully convinced that those who refuse to cooperate with the worldwide counterfeit revival are the cause of all the world's woes (Daniel 11:44). They will disqualify them from buying and selling (Revelation 13:16, 17), but God will feed His people (Isaiah 33:16) and protect them (Psalms 34:7).

15. In desperation, the U.S.-led coalition will next decide to impose the death sentence on its enemies (Revelation 13:15). What does Revelation 13:13, 14 say its leaders will do to convince people that God is with them?

Answer: They will work miracles--so convincing that everyone except God's faithful end-time people will be persuaded (Matthew 24:24). Utilizing the spirits (or fallen angels) of Satan (Revelation 16:13, 14), they will impersonate dead loved ones of the people through sorcery (Revelation 18:23) and probably even pose as Bible prophets and apostles. These lying (John 8:44), demonic spirits will doubtless claim that God has sent them to urge all to cooperate.

His Angels Pose as Christian Ministers
Satan's angels will also appear as godly clergymen, and Satan will appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). As his crowning miracle, Satan will claim to be Jesus (Matthew 24:23, 24). Satan, while impersonating Christ, could easily claim that he changed Sabbath to Sunday and urge his followers to proceed with their worldwide revival and uphold his "holy" day--Sunday.

As his crowning miracle, Satan will impersonate Jesus.

Billions Are Deceived
Billions, believing that Satan is Jesus, will bow at his feet and join the counterfeit movement. "and all the world wondered after the beast." Revelation 13:3, NEB.* The deception will be overwhelmingly effective. But God's end-time people will not be deceived, because they test everything by the Bible (Isaiah 8:19, 20; 2 Timothy 2:15). The Bible says God's law cannot be changed (Matthew 5:18). It also says that when Jesus returns, every eye will see Him (Revelation 1:7) and He will not touch the earth but will remain in the cloud and call His people to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).

*The New English Bible, (C) 1961, 1970 by the Delegates of the Oxford University Press and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press. Used by permission. *

16. How can we be safe from powerful end-time deceptions?

Answer:
A. Test every teaching by the Bible (2 Timothy 2:15; Acts 17:11; Isaiah 8:19, 20).
B. Follow truth as Jesus reveals it. Jesus promises that those who do His will never end up in error (John 7:17).
C. Stay close to Jesus daily (John 15:5).

Reminder: This is the sixth Study Guide in our series of nine on the three angels' messages. The next Study Guide will reveal how Christian churches and other religions worldwide will relate to the events of the end time.


17. Are you willing to worship and obey Jesus even if it means ridicule, persecution, and finally the death sentence?

Answer:

Read more

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*King James Bible is public domain and not copyrighted.

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The Image of the Beast

"When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in common, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees and to sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy, and the infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result."

The Great Controversy, p. 445.

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The Great Controversy

garyzw

Published on Oct 31, 2012


No description available.

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The Vatican and America - Amazing Documentary!

mark122west

Published on Mar 18, 2013

Please listen to what is being said in this documentary. This is a secular documentary made by the History Channel, and yet it provides amazing insight into the beasts of Revelation 13 and the Whore of Babylon.

Revelation 13 prophesied about two world powers that would change the world. And this documentary supports that prophecy.

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Additional Notes: 

1. Miguel H. Diaz (Cuban), U.S. Ambassador to the holy see (August 5, 2009 – November 5, 2012), seen at 23:33 min. and onward.
2. "In New York City the value of its property is valued at $2.5 Billion..."
3. "In Rome the land occupied by the Vatican is valued at about $1.5 Billion..."

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Conference Has Formed an Image to the Beast -- John Grosboll

HistoricAdventTruth

Published on Aug 7, 2012


The SDA conference has placed men in jail for using the name Seventh-day Adventist. By joining with the state they are forming an image to the beast. The Bible speaks of taking others to court as a sin. The conference is also promoting Spiritual Formation or hypnosis. They have gutted the Great Controversy with the book The Great Hope that does not mention the papacy as the beast. They also signed an agreement with the world churches to NOT promote the Sabbath publicly. See www.seventh-day.org and click on SDA info. See more John Grosboll videos athttp://www.youtube.com/user/mkencrl

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Revelation 13, History Repeats Itself

Have you ever heard the expression, “History repeats itself?” This saying applies in almost everything including matters of politics and religion. We live in a time and age where we are used to these two entities being separate and distant. However, in ancient times, politics and religion often became closely intertwined. This was demonstrated in Egypt, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Pagan Rome, among other nations.

In Egypt, politics and religion became one when King Akhenaten declared that there are no other gods except for Aten, the sun disc. Babylon combined its civil power with religious authority when King Nebuchadnezzar ordered everyone to bow to the image of gold which he had made. King Darius, of the Medes and Persians, one time made a law requiring that everyone should pray to him for 30 days. In the Pagan Roman Empire, the emperor Caesar was regarded as a god. These are examples of how world governments, at the time, intertwined religion with their rule.

History repeats itself, so we can expect that a world power or government whose influence extends over the world, will eventually intertwine religion along side its civil power. This statement is not made on a mere assumption, or on the philosophical idea that history repeats itself. This statement is declared with the back up of Bible prophecy which predicts that religion will be forced with world wide civil authority. Which religion? Which civil authority? Revelation 13 gives us the answers.

In Revelation 13, there are two main beasts that are discussed. Some people think the beast is Islam, others think it is the Masonries, etc, but Revelation 13 gives specific identifying criteria so that there can be no mistake in identifying each beast.

Read more

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Conference Has Formed an Image to the Beast -- John Grosboll

HistoricAdventTruth

Published on Aug 7, 2012


The SDA conference has placed men in jail for using the name Seventh-day Adventist. By joining with the state they are forming an image to the beast. The Bible speaks of taking others to court as a sin. The conference is also promoting Spiritual Formation or hypnosis. They have gutted the Great Controversy with the book The Great Hope that does not mention the papacy as the beast. They also signed an agreement with the world churches to NOT promote the Sabbath publicly. See ww.seventh-day.org and click on SDA info. See more John Grosboll videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/mkencrl

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He maketh fire come down from heaven

11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Revelation 13:11-18.

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