Papacy

Richard Ritenbaugh discusses the explosive interview concerning the reality of hell conducted by Eugenio Scalfari, a longtime atheist friend of Pope Francis. According to Scalfari, Pope Francis maintains that hell does not exist. In stating that condemned souls just "disappear," the Pope denies the 2000-year-old Roman Catholic doctrines about an ever-burning hell and the immortality of the soul. Though Vatican representatives responded by accusing Scalfari of taking some artistic license with the Pope's phraseology, Vincent Nichols, the highest ranking Catholic in the UK, agrees that the image of an ever-burning hell derives more from iconography than from biblical sources. Much of Roman Catholic doctrine is a rickety house of cards, in danger of collapsing as one carefully explores the pathetically feeble doctrines of the immortal soul and an ever-burning hell. For this reason, the Church has historically protected this fragile edifice by brute force (such as the Inquisition). When the searchlight of reason endangers Catholic doctrine, history teaches us to expect a backlash from conservative Catholics.

John Ritenbaugh, in his keynote address of the 2017 Feast of Tabernacles, explains why President Trump dismissed on of his closest adviser, Stephen Bannon. Bannon embraced a "theo-political" vision of Christian fundamentalism, influenced by The Fourth Turning , a book which explains why many Americans no longer recognize the country they once knew and respected. Howe and Strauss, the authors of the book, posit a view of history based on a cycle of four generational characteristics which follow an 80 to 100-year period. The four turnings consist of: (1) a High, which is a generation characterized by great accomplishment, cooperation, and sharing of community workloads, as during the time following the Great Depression (2) an Awakening, a wealth-building generation, but one possessing less certitude about cultural values, as exampled in the generation called the Baby Boomers, (3) the Unravelling, illustrated by the social rebellion of the 1960's with its self-centered, anti-God mind-set, and (4) the Crisis, a frightening time of economic distress and war emerging because of the fiscal and moral irresponsibility of the prior generation(s). The deep state and the Globalist elitists, including the current pope, are attempting to mold President Trump into their evil plans. God's called-out ones must show caution in these dangerous times.

Martin Collins, observing that President Obama's speech immediately following a prior address by Pope Francis to the United Nations, occurring simultaneously on the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles, was perhaps the keynote speech of a sinister new world order (a Satanic counterfeit of God's coming Kingdom) in which the sovereignty and liberties of individual nations would be extirpated, replaced by a greatly strengthened United Nations committed to climate change legislation and a Marxist-style redistribution of wealth. In this emerging toxic socio-cultural milieu, God's called-out ones have been warned not to be conformed to the world, but to become transformed into the glorious likeness of Christ. The world view of God's church and the world's view are antagonistic toward each other. The secularist progressive humanist proponents are highly narcissistic, placing human pride and achievement over God's sovereignty, introducing relativism, a philosophical belief that all truth and standards of morality are relative. The consequences of the humanistic mindset (the mindset of the prince of the power of the air) has enervated and sickened the helpless inhabitants of the earth, subjecting them to war, degenerative diseases, and an insane reprobate mind. The entire creation groans for the Millennial Harvest, when God's resurrected saints will assist in administering God's standards of mercy, justice, and peace. When God's Holy Spirit will be poured out on mankind, mankind will rejoice.

David C. Grabbe:  In the Christian era, the Sabbath has been a point of controversy since at least the fourth century AD, when the Roman Catholic Church assumed the authority to change the day of worship from the seventh day to the first. ...

On Monday of this week, February 11, 2013, the world was shocked to learn that Pope Benedict XVI had announced his resignation from the papacy, effective February 28. ...

A rare event in Vatican history occurred when Pope Benedict XVI resigned his office due to deteriorating health. He has been succeeded by an Argentinian, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who took the papal name of Francis. Richard Ritenbaugh compares the two popes' doctrinal positions and styles of leadership.

Richard Ritenbaugh, focusing on Peter's proclamation that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the living God, recognizes that after this awesome insight, Jesus realized that He could begin building His church. Sadly, the church that publically appeared in the second century was hopelessly corrupt, but appropriated the name 'Christian.' The Roman Catholic church presumed to speak for Christianity, attempting to control political and religious constituencies. The medieval (Roman Catholic) church was awash in sexual sins, as well as sins of avarice. The custodians of the 'keys to the kingdom' wielded their power to bind and loose for carte blanche control, using tithes, papal fees, papal taxes, fiefdoms, the threat of excommunication, and the selling of indulgences to increase the revenue of the church and promote tyrannical political power over secular domains. This massive, corrupt monolith was not the small flock that Jesus Christ founded, a group called and empowered by God's Holy Spirit, the same power that gave Peter the insight to recognize Christ's true office. Although Peter was given responsibilities of leadership, as connoted from the rock imagery or symbolism, he was not granted the post of 'vicar of Christ.' Peter would be considered first of the lively stones selected for His Temple. The apostles are indeed part of the foundation and Jesus Christ is the Corner Stone. Peter gets credit for being the first stone selected for the foundation that would also include us as part of the living stones. The 'keys of the kingdom' simply refers to the office of steward or caretaker to maintain the physical operations of the church, facilitating access to believers and protecting the sanctity from scoffers and detractors. Binding and loosing refers to powers of judgment, based on what God has already allowed through the apparent and manifest principles already revealed by the Scriptures.

With all the abuse cases casting aspersions on Catholic priests—and some are indeed guilty of the charges against them—many people believe that the Roman Catholic Church is in decline and that it will never regain its moral authority. Richard Ritenbaugh argues that, instead, Pope Benedict XVI will use this crisis to help his Church emerge even stronger on the other side.

Jesus had served the people all day, but that evening, when He entered Simon Peter's house, He found He had one more miracle to perform. Martin Collins dissects the healing of Peter's wife's mother, showing that it contains a pointed lesson about gratitude and service.

The recently elected Pope Benedict XVI has already set out sweeping goals for his pontificate. Richard Ritenbaugh wonders, however, how much this German pope will be able to accomplish—and whether his efforts will incite turmoil in Europe.

For centuries across Europe, Catholicism taught that the Jews were guilty of deicide—the murder of Jesus Christ. At various times in its history, the Church felt no compunction to ghettoize the Jews, ostracize them, confiscate their goods, and murder them. Charles Whitaker shows how false teaching like this can lead to horrible results.

In this second and final installment in a series on the great harlot of Revelation 17, Richard Ritenbaugh focuses on her wealth and her bloodthirsty persecution of God's people. A Christians we must watch world events and come out of her ways!

Revelation 17 depicts a fallen woman astride a beast, drunk with the blood of God's saints. Whom does this image represent? "Christian" history makes the answer plain!

A major distinguishing characteristic of mankind is his free moral agency, presenting him with choices and the right to make decisions. We need free moral agency to be transformed into God's image. The volition to do right has to come from the core of our character or nature. Paradoxically, the way to maximum freedom is to yield to God's way of doing things. Unless one has the Spirit of God, he cannot exercise the necessary internal control to be subject to the government of God. Even though the church is not the government of God (John 18:36; I Corinthians 15:50), we need to respect the ministry as well as lay members, being subject to one another (I Corinthians 11:1). The operation of God's government absolutely depends upon each person governing himself, never going beyond the parameters of the authority God has given him.

The vast majority of Christian churches today teach the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, as a time for rest and worship. Yet it is generally known and freely admitted that the early Christians observed the seventh day as the Sabbath. How did this change come about?

John Ritenbaugh continues to reflect on Stephen's incendiary message to fellow Hellenistic Jews (ostensibly given in hopes of their repentance), chastising them for their perennial rejection of prophets and deliverers, including the greatest Deliverer ever sent (namely Jesus Christ), clinging instead superstitiously to the land, the law, and the temple. Stephen's 'untimely' martyrdom and his compassion on his persecutors, followed by the protest reaction against his brutal murder (all part of God's divine plan) resulted in a rapid spreading of the Gospel. The study then focuses upon the influence of Simon Magus, a noted practitioner of sorcery or magic who became impressed with the power of God's Holy Spirit, presumptuously offering Peter money to purchase this power for selfish purposes to control others rather than to serve them. Peter recognized the hypocritical, deceitful, impure motives of this request and responded appropriately.

John Ritenbaugh insists that the reprobate mind God consigned to nonbelievers (a mind incapable of moral judgment) constitutes the basis for the world's dubious standards of morality and idolatry. Discernment of right and wrong comes exclusively from doing the will of God. Idolatry derives from worshiping the work of our own hands or our own mental fabrications (imposing our own will against God's) rather than the true God (to be worshiped only in spirit and truth). Whatever consumes our thoughts and behavior (motivated by lust or covetousness for something forbidden by God's law) has become our god or our idol.