 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
| Fellow |
ship > United Religions (2000): A Tower Unto Heaven |
|
|
 |
|
United Religions (2000): A Tower Unto Heaven
by Tom Stewart
March 12, 2000
Unbeknownst to many, will be the June 26th 2000 inauguration of
the United Religions (UR), whose purpose is "to
promote enduring, daily interfaith cooperation" (from
the Preamble of the United Religions Initiative Charter). "And
they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto Heaven;
and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole
Earth" (Genesis 11:4). The "United
Religions Initiative (URI) is a growing global community"
that, "in time, aspires to have the visibility
and stature of the United Nations" (from the introductory
remarks to the United Religions Initiative Charter). "5 And the LORD came down to see the
city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have
all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from
them, which they have imagined to do" (11:5-6). June 26th
is also significant, in that it is the anniversary for the signing of the charter
of the United Nations. "Though hand join
in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall
be delivered" (Proverbs 11:21).
Likewise, the month of June will see the official Catholic celebration of Pentecost
(on Sunday, the 11th), during the "Jubilee of the Year 2000", hosted by
Pope John Paul II. "24
He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and
layeth up deceit within him; 25 When
he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart" (Proverbs 26:24-25). The Roman Catholic Church will observe a "Day of Reflection on lnterreligious Dialogue", which is an "invitation to
prayer and reflection addressed particularly to Catholics... fixed for Pentecost
Sunday in the year 2000... Pentecost is a sign that Babel can be overcome,
that harmony can be achieved, and this finally is the goal of interreligious dialogue...
for Christians to remember that they are not Christians just for themselves alone,
but that they are called to relate to other believers and indeed to all members of
humanity" (from the Vatican website). "A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a
flattering mouth worketh ruin" (Proverbs 26:28).
Why such negativity to the demonstration "that
Babel can be overcome, that harmony can be achieved"?
"10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing.
My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water
and bitter?" (James 3:10-11). The duplicity of the Papacy
can be seen in its March 1st 2000 publication of a Vatican document on the past faults
of Catholic leaders, entitled "Memory and Reconciliation: The Church and the
Faults of the Past" (as reported in "Vatican Releases Document on Past
Faults" from Catholic World News). The document's release, in an effort of the
Pontiff to prepare for the celebration of the Jubilee, is a "request for pardon on behalf of the Church"; meanwhile, the document insists that "'the
purification of memory' should not be misinterpreted as a suggestion that the
Church has erred on questions of faith and morals, or has failed in her task
of 'proclaiming the revealed truth which has been confided to her.'" "7 Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a
lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit I have not spoken? 8 Therefore thus saith the LORD GOD;
Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you,
saith the LORD GOD" (Ezekiel 13:7-8).
The Papacy may seek "Dialogue" and "Reconciliation" in this proclaimed year of celebration of the Jubilee. But, the "repentance"
of Pope John Paul II for the condemnation and martyrdom of John Huss (1370-1415)
by the Ecumenical Council of Constance (1414-1418)-- infallibly convened by
Pope John XXIII, where Pope Martin V infallibly condemned Huss-- is not
allowed in this admission of faults. Again, "Memory and Reconciliation"
specifically denies that the "Church
has erred on questions of faith and morals". "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then
peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without
partiality, and without hypocrisy" (James 3:17). John
Huss of Bohemia (also spelled Jan Hus), a priest of the Church of Rome, was proclaimed
as a heretic, i.e., divisive away from the faith and morals of the Catholic Church,
because he "had transferred his allegiance
from the Church [of Rome] to
God speaking in his Word. This was his great crime" (from
"Imprisonment and Examination of Huss" in J. A. Wylie's "The History of Protestantism" ---New Window). "But
the Anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that
any man teach you: but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things, and is Truth,
and is no lie, and even as It hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him" (1John 2:27).
Such are the encumbrances to the Papal attempt for religious harmony this June (2000).
But, if the Pope ultimately manifests himself in the role of the False Prophet of
the Apocalypse, then his eventual headship in the union of all religions, i.e., United
Religions (UR), will be his greatest achievement. "And
he [the False Prophet] exerciseth
all the power of the first beast [the Antichrist] before him, and causeth the Earth and them which dwell
therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed" (Revelation 13:12). This editorial only desires to warn those that hear
the voice of the Holy Spirit through His Word to "keep [yourselves] unspotted from the world" (James 1:27) by keeping yourselves "in
the Love of God" (Jude 21) through prayerful obedience
to His command to "come out from among
them, and be ye separate" (2Corinthians 6:17).
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit saith unto the churches" (Revelation 3:22).
"Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers,
beware of the concision" (Philippians 3:2). "Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou
hast, that no man take thy Crown" (Revelation 3:11).
Maranatha!
[For further study, please see the "Babylon the Great Manifests Itself As The
Global Religion: United Religions (2000)" section of our
article, "The Final Judgment
of the Great Whore" ---New Window, in our series, "Babylon
the Great" ---New Window.]
.
Lest We Forget
---New Window
A WStS Prologue to J.A. Wylie's "The History of Protestantism"
by Tom and Katie Stewart
"Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants
of men"
(1 Corinthians 7:23).
Martyrs have added their testimony to the foundation laid by our LORD. "If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall
receive a reward" (1Corinthians
3:14). They have given us an heritage unto the LORD,
a lineage of faith. They have given us their testimonies of a Love that the flames
could not burn out. For example,
- "These homilies [religious
writings-- testimonies] were golden cups, filled with
living waters, and when the people of England pressed them to their parched lips,
it well became them to remember whose were the hands that had replenished these vessels
from the Divine fountains. The authors of the homilies—Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer—though
dead, were yet speaking. They had perished at the stake, but now they were preaching
by a thousand tongues to the people of England. Tyrants had done to them as they
listed; but, risen from the dead, these martyrs were marching before the nation in
its glorious exit from its house of bondage" (excerpted
from "The
History of Protestantism", Volume 3, Book 23,
Chapter 15 ---New
Window by J. A. Wylie).
The word "protestant" is a reactionary
word. It objects to the errors of the Church of Rome. "Be
ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness
with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (2Corinthians 6:14). In 1755, Samuel Johnson's dictionary defined a Protestant as
"one of those who adhere to them, who, at the beginning
of the reformation, protested against the errours of the church of Rome."
Error-- in the name of Christ-- is to be separated from and
reproved. "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness, but rather reprove them"
(Ephesians 5:11).
To passively abide in the darkness of Roman Catholicism is to take sides against
the LORD Jesus Christ...
- "It is that ignorance which paralyses the arm of the
Church of Christ, and makes the glorious word "Protestant" senseless, almost
a dead and ridiculous word. For who does really protest against Rome today? where
are those who sound the trumpet of alarm?" (excerpted from "Fifty Years in the Church of Rome"
---New Window by Charles Chiniquy).
Next "From the
Editor's Desktop"
Section Index for Fellowship
Readers are permitted and encouraged to copy
and freely share this article with others.
Holy Bible
