Issued: 08/22/21 Revised: 12/11/23

PLEASE NOTE:  Because Bible versions sometimes differ from each other in crucial ways, the version quoted here will be the one that best clarifies the point being made.  For a quick comparison between versions, please go to: http://www.biblehub.com.

   All bracketed material may be authorial comments, attempts at proper syntax, or minimal rewordings of Scripture for the sake of clarity and continuity.  These emendations will not be italicized.

   The “/” will be used to signify “and/or.”  The symbol “↔” is used to connect verses corroborating each other and so establishing doctrinal truths (Matthew 18:16↔2Corinthians 13:1).

   In differentiating between Yahweh Son [Jesus] and Yahweh Father [the Most High God], lower case letters have been used when discussing the former; upper case letters are reserved for the Only and Most High God.  Since Jesus was at pains to differentiate himself from Father, we have followed his lead here.

   The term neo-Christians will be used to differentiate between false Christians and Jesus’ true followers.

MISSING THE “ROCK” FOR THE SCREE

   In discussing Christian failures, where does one begin? 

   Let us count some forays:  Crusades; inquisitions; cultural genocide; political alliances with anti-Christian rulers; idolatrous cults; pagan shrines given Christian veneers; dividing the body of Christ into denominations; usurping Jesus’ role as sole mediator between Father and men; even Trinitarian dogma, which blurs the distinction between Father and Jesus’ proxy Godship—like Joseph actually supplanting Pharaoh on the throne (Genesis 41:40). But then purveyors of Christian dogma love playing musical chairs with gods real or imaged.  Though we are told that only one road leads to Father (John 14:6), contemporary religious eclecticism champions multiple access ramps converging on it; whether it be Islam maintaining Jesus did not die on the cross and therefore was not resurrected; or polytheistic/idolatrous cults worshipping some highest deity within a pantheon of lesser ones.

 The latter ones negate Father‘s testimony that there are no gods other than Him (Deuteronomy 32:39; Isaiah 44:8, 45:5; John 5:44; 1 Timothy 1:17). By denying Jesus’ death and resurrection—let alone his Messiaship, the Islamic Koran posits that the Christian faith is a pipe-dream (1Corinthians 15:14-17).¹ And by their enthusiastic participation in killing and misguiding people, Christian denominations of every stripe have furthered Satan’s agenda by undermining Jesus’—or rather Father‘s (John 7:16-18)—redemptive objectives .

 Roman Catholicism specifically has been the greatest culprit: Her history is drenched with the blood of pagans, ‘heretics’, and Father‘s saints—the last attested to by Daniel 7:21↔Revelation 13:7 and Revelation 17:5-6. If David could not build Father‘s Temple because of all the blood he had shed in defense of His designs (1Chronicles 28:3), let us ask ourselves how Roman Catholicism could possibly have ever had anything to do with the building of Father‘s true Temple, the body of Christ (Ephesians 5:23). Yet, as prophesied in Revelation 13:8, it would command the reverence of untold millions slated for destruction; which should not surprise us, given that Satan’s headquarters are inside this “mother of all the abominations of the earth” (Revelation 2:13, 18:2) who will get her comeuppance from Father Himself (Daniel 8:25↔Revelation 18:4-10).

  We owe pagan-conversion tactics² to Roman Catholicism, which blossomed under the aegis of Imperial Rome; so that when the empire fell, all its secular and religious customs were downloaded and imported into her organizational norms:  A pontifex maximus [emperor = pope] ruling over a curia [Roman senate = priestly class]; the cult of the Great Mother [queen of heaven = Marian dogma]; ‘reinvented’ pagan idolatry in the worship of ‘beatified’ troopers.

 Similarly Sol Invictus, the official sun god of late empire Romans, and Jesus were made to share the same birth date of December 25; both were ostensibly worshipped on Sundays [per imperial decree on March 7, 321]; and Jesus, a created being, argued to share Father’s substance [Nicene Creed].³ John 10:30 seemed to support that assumption; though Jesus was not talking about equality with a God higher than him (John 14:28); wiser than Him (Mark 14:32↔Acts 1:7); and Who unlike Jesus could destroy bodies and souls at Armageddon (Matthew 10:28↔Revelation 20:9). Instead Jesus was talking about his own God (Revelation 3:12), the One Who channeled His will through Jesus via the Holy Spirit (John 15:26, 16:13); and to Whom in time Jesus would surrender his plenipotentiary powers (1Corinthians 15:24-28). Thus Father and Jesus are ‘one’ only in a figurative sense: Jesus being a conduit for, neither contributing to not altering one iota from, Father‘s designs. Only one Intellect at work.

 The Jewish Mary, herself a by-product of the Creation Jesus set in motion, was deemed to be ‘God’s mother’, given that Trinitarian dogma had rolled Father and Jesus into one Divinity. Here we have a perfect example of what Hosea 7:13 [Son] and Hosea 11:7 [Father] were driving at: Son was being misrepresented as the Father he never claimed to be; and Father was not being honored because Son was being worshipped in His stead. Let us not ignore the ‘usurping’ intent in Marian dogma, where Jesus’ role as sole mediator between men and Father (1Timothy 2:5) was invested on ‘Mary,’ co-opted by Catholic theologians to be ‘mediatrix’ of graces between men and Son overshadowing the Divinity sitting to Jesus’ left. (Psalms 110:1; Mark 16:19; Acts 7:55-56 [visual confirmation]; Romans 8:34↔1Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 1:3; 1Peter 3:22).

 It would take more than the books alluded to by John (John 21:25) to account for all the egregiousness Christianity has committed in name of Father and Jesus; but our purpose here is to examine briefly the most damaging, subversive, and enduring.  Judaism’s failures are mitigated by its dependence on human teachers and prophets; but what is Christianity’s excuse for its own, given our access to Father‘s “hidden wisdom” through Jesus and the Holy Spirit (John 16:13; 1Corinthians 2:10-13; 1John 2:27)?  Jewish failures were due to cause and effect; Christian failures are predicated on dogmatic choices despite the possibility of knowing better.

DONKEY TOLD, IGNORE THE SCOLD

   As with everything Biblical, there is more to Mosaic dietary laws than meets the eye, especially in regards to animals and what they symbolize.  Dogs and pigs, both winners as domestic pets, are reviled because of instinctive habits corresponding symbolically to lamentable human behaviors (Proverbs 26:11; Matthew 7:6; Philippians 3:2; 2Peter 2:22).  Oxen, denoting Jesus’ envoys (1Corinthians 9:9-10), do as directed when furrowing the “field” where Jesus’ seed will have optimal conditions to bear fruit (Matthew 13:37-38; Luke 8:11-15); whereas donkeys, recalcitrant animals, require the occasional slap on the rump or harsh tugging to do as expected.  This symbolism manifests itself across the entire Judeo-Christian spectrum:  ‘Oxen’ are the obedient faithful; contrarian ‘donkeys’ pursue their own self-interests/agendas, hampering the oxen’s endeavors. That is why Jesus does not ‘plow’ the world with oxen and donkeys yoked together (Deuteronomy 22:10).

   The Scriptures tell us what to do and not to do, how to behave and not behave (Romans 15:4). In this respect we are indebted to Jews, Scripture’s poster people mapping out Christianity’s trajectory towards apostasy.  This was done by shifting the focus from Israel as a whole to Judah and Jerusalem specifically; since Judah was Jesus’ tribe and Judean David Jesus’ paramount symbol in Scripture (Isaiah 22:22; Ezekiel 37:24-25; Hebrews 7:14; Revelation 3:7, 5:5, 22:16). Jerusalem was Yahweh’s chosen sight for his Temple (2Chronicles 7:16; Psalms 132:13-14↔Revelation 21:3)—the earthly stand-in for Jesus’ body, the Church.  Yahweh Father never indwelled any human-made edifice built for Him (Isaiah 66:1-2; Acts 7:48); so that though inhabited by Yahweh Son, Moses’ Tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-15) and Solomon’s Jerusalem Temple (2Chronicles 5:14) were only way stations accessing Father in Heaven (1Kings 8:27-54; Hebrews 4:16, 10:19-22). True to His specifications (Isaiah 66:1↔1Kings 8:27), Father either indwells Jesus’ body, which is a mystical concept (Ephesians 1:9-10, 4:6; Colossians 2:9), or Heavenly Jerusalem built by Himself (Hebrews 11:16)

   From Part II, we could find/replace the nouns “Jews” with “Christians” and “Judaism” with “Christianity” to make the same arguments; having imitated Jewish ways—and then some, Christians seem equality committed to jettison Father. An exaggeration? Not really, given Psalms 2:1-3 and 74:8 forecasts; which in turn may be the reason behind Amos 8:12: The eventual, enforced suppression of divine teachings. Nothing new in religious history and the standard MO of godless governments everywhere. Add to these Jeremiah 5:7-14, where “Yahweh God of hosts,” Father’s speaking Son, accuses both Jews and Christians of assembling “themselves in troops at harlots’ houses.” Surely not ‘run-of-the-mill’ brothels, readers, but their symbolic counterparts: Houses of worship, whether synagogues or churches—as suggested by Revelation 17:5 in relation to Roman Catholicism and Protestant denominations issuing from her.

Next came idolatry, the “whorish”/adulterous behavior for which Jerusalem was held particularly culpable (Jeremiah 3:6-11; Ezekiel 16).  Idolatry hardly needs belaboring:  Its vilification begins with the Second Commandment (Exodus 20:4-6);⁴ but adjudged particularly egregious in connection with the worship of the queen of heaven (Jeremiah 7:17-18, 44:4-5,16-25)—redux as Mariology under a Christian veneer.  Jeremiah, Christianity’s most pertinent prophet, was preaching in Jerusalem prior to its fall to the King of Babylon; and it does not take rocket science to see that Christendom, ‘site’ of Jesus’ Church, is to the former what Lucifer is to the latter (↔Isaiah 14:4-20).

Then came choice of weapons. Not for Christians Paul’s spiritual ordnance (Ephesians 6:10-17); Hebrews 4:12 was fine and dandy; but real weapons were needed to cut through bone and marrow, irrespective of human souls, to increase survival odds and enjoy the spoils of war.  Father’s “sword” did not keep Jesus from being nailed to the cross; he had opposed real-sword wielding in all contingencies (Matthew 26:52), even when Peter cut off Malchus’ ear to defend him (John 18:10-11).  But then Jesus had no desire to prolong his life in this world, not only in order to fulfill his mission (Matthew 26:53-54), but because true victory lay beyond death (Matthew 16:25, 28:18↔Revelation 1:18; John 10:18; 1Corinthians 15:55-57). For Jews and Christians, though, it appears that might offers better dividends in life than future promises.

   Simply put, just another variation of wanting one’s cake and wolfing it down too.  In the Old Testament plant symbolism was used to allegorize the Jewish experience; when it came to Christians, nothing but the entire animal kingdom would do, ranging from apex predators to docile creatures.⁵   After all, Jews ‘rooted’ in Canaan and cross-pollinated laterally over the surrounding terrain; Christians stampeded over the whole world and made inter-species carnage look like fastidious banquets.  Yahweh had said that blood needed to be drained into the ground (Leviticus 17:13); but under Christianity, drenching the soil of nations was the way to go—which helps that other ‘father’ (John 8:44) turn the world into the cemetery it is (Isaiah 14:6,16-17,20).

   Hypocritically, neo-Christians are irate at Jews for “killing” Jesus; technically, it was Roman soldiers who actually did; and perhaps we may be carrying symbolism too far, but may not the term ‘Roman soldiers’ in a Scriptural context apply to Rome-compliant killers of the saints (Daniel 7:21, 8:24↔Revelation 7:13, 17:6)? Which makes one wonder whether there is a subtext in here, since Peter GPSs “Babylon” in Rome (1Peter 5:13); and we know Babylon the Great sits on seven hills⁶ glutting on the blood of saints (Revelation 17:5-6).  Is Scripture suggesting that her followers ‘killed’ Jesus far more often than Jews did, for what was/is done to his followers was/is done to him (Matthew 24:9, 25:40; John 15:18-19; 2Timothy 3:12)?

ANTI-SEMITISM

   Rabid anti-Semitism is amongst the most irrational and unforgivable neo-Christian sins, an egregious behavior dissected by Paul in Romans 11:11-24; yet alive and well in conspiracy theories ranging from world domination schemes to sci-fi politics claiming UFOs are equipped with Jewish laser beams.  If some Jews were abettors in Jesus’ death, they did so blinded by the “spirit of stupor” Father gave them for their self-sufficient proclivities (Romans 9:31-32, 10:3,21, 11:7-8).  Out of envy Jewish priests wanted to get rid of Jesus (Matthew 27:18); but even Jesus understood that Jews at large were in no position to know better (Luke 23:34).  And if Jesus was their victim, Father required that it be so (Isaiah 53:4-12; Matthew 26:54; John 18:11, 19:11); and no one could straighten out what needed to be twisted in order for His designs to succeed (Job 12:13-17; Ecclesiastes 7:13; Daniel 4:35). Nor, before anyone asks, does Father feel compelled to live up to human expectations (Isaiah 43:13; Daniel 4:35; Romans 9:20,22; 1Corinthians 10:22).

   Nowhere in Scripture do we find instructions to persecute Jews, kill them, or dispossess them of their properties to siphon off Jewish wealth and subsidize anti-Christian secular and religious agendas.  The neo-Christian belief that Father made Jews fair-game for victimization is a perverse and contemptible notion—amongst others, exploited by Hitler in Mein Kampf.⁷ Justification by faith, salvation’s fundamental criterion, came to us through Jewish Abraham, Israel’s grandfather (Genesis 32:28); and was extended to him prior to circumcision to encompass Gentiles as well (Romans 4:11-16)—which bears out Jesus’ contention that salvation would come from the Jews (John 4:22). Jesus, our Messiah, was genealogically though not genetically a Jew (Matthew: 1:1-18; Luke 1:31-35; Hebrews 7:14).  It was Paul, a Jew (Philippians 3:5), who was hand-picked by Jesus to bring his Gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15); while Peter, falsely argued to be the first ‘pope,’ was commissioned to minister to the Jews (Galatians 2:7). So even if disobeying Jesus’ instructions (Matthew 23:8-10),⁸ if anyone qualified for the ‘papacy,’ it should have been Paul; for channeling the Holy Spirit, he was truly infallible as well as Jesus’ chosen ‘vicar’ amongst non-Jews (Acts 9:15).

 Therefore, although Jewish rejection of the heavenly Jesus (Matthew 23:37) and the earthly one (Mark 15:10-14) made Jesus’ death both a reality and a necessity for salvation, Jews have been unwittingly instrumental in Christians’ redemption (Romans 11:11-12).  This exemplifies the workings of Father’s inscrutable ways (Romans 11:13); by which irrational animals (Numbers 22:21-33; 1Kings 17:6; 2Peter 2:16) or even transgressors of His laws (1Samuel 28:7-9; John 11:49-52) can be co-opted to further His objectives.  Notwithstanding the fact that Scripture portrays Jews as Christian ‘adversaries,’ “as far as election is concerned, they are loved for the sake of their ancestors“; and they will be saved by grace just like us and with us (Romans 11:25-30).

 If Father loves Jews, what gives Christians the right to hate them (Romans 14:4)? We are both here for the ride, not to stipulate or negotiate conditions with Father as to how ‘ethnic cleanse’ the journey to Heavenly Jerusalem. Whether we like it or not, Father means to put an end to Jewish and Christian religious squabbles and merge the two into one nation (Jeremiah 3:18, 50:4-5; Ezekiel 37:21-22). And to that end, our most resounding “Amen!”

FEMALE PREACHERS

   In typical neo-Christian fashion, let us downplay the positive and accentuate the negative:  Let us commit to doing what we are explicitly told—or shown—not to do.  Paul stepped on—and still does—many toes when he forbade women to preach in churches; if women wanted to learn anything, they had better ask their husbands at home (1Corinthians 14:33-38).  Note Paul’s preamble:  “As in all the assemblies of the saints”; and his coda:  “If anyone thinks to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge the things that I write to you…are commands of the LORD; but if anyone ignores this, he [or she] should be ignored.”  In other words tuned out, no matter what a stalwart advocate of female equality that person professed to be.  And “saintly” women should concentrate on matters within their purview (1Peter 3:1-6), regardless of peer pressure or censure.

   There is a role for women in Christianity but not in terms of preaching the Gospel.  Jesus had women serving him (Luke 8:1-3); but no woman was chosen by him, as the all-male Apostles were, to preach his doctrine.  There were prophetesses in the Old Testament like Hulda, whose role was to provide a link between Yahweh and men who sought her guidance rather than go through divinely-appointed channels (2Chronicles 34:22-28): Male prophets.  In Acts 21:8-9 we hear of Philip the evangelist, who had four daughters gifted with prophetic powers; but besides this factoid, their contributions to Christianity remain unknown.  Unlike legitimate prophets in the Old Testament, no Biblical woman ranked Yahweh Son‘s personal calling like Moses (Exodus 4:10-12), Isaiah (Isaiah 6:6-8), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:1-7), and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 2:1-7).  Daniel’s Book gives ample evidence of his singular role as Yahweh’s chosen interpreter.

   Prophetess Deborah freely admitted to her self-appointment as Judge over Israel (Judges 5:7) because Sisera was dragging his feet assuming that onus; for which reason the victory that could have been his was given over to a woman (Judges 4:4-9).  The subtext here is that humans who capitulate to female entities real or symbolic rather than to the all-male Father/Son/Holy Spirit triumvirate have taken their first step towards defeat.  Proverbs 6:20-26 and Ecclesiastes 7:26 outline the consequences of submitting to apostate churches; for which reason Paul used Eve [an obvious symbol for the Church as Adam is for Jesus↔1Corinthians 15:45-47; 1Timothy 2:14] to highlight Satan’s gender of choice to ensnare men; and why Revelation 18:4 warns Father’s people to “flee from her” [Babylon the Great] in order to be spared her judgments and escape with their souls.

   Today’s neo-Christians, in the grip of modernization and female empowerment, advocate for women’s active role in preaching.  In an ironic turn of events, it is the Roman Catholic Church, emblematic of all religious abominations, that zealously champions Father’s male-exclusive preaching staff; though being riddled with a priestly class, Roman Catholicism is in violation of Jesus’ upgraded teaching reforms (Luke 16:16; John 16:13; Galatians 1:11-12; Ephesians 3:3; 1John 2:27)—all of which are rooted in Isaiah 54:13↔John 6:45.

   Is Father discriminating against gender?  No.  He knows how Satan operates; knows that when it comes to women, men are willing to compromise on uncompromising, divine dictates; that Adam-clones will give in to Eve-clones; that women are as recalcitrant and disobedient as men; and that given an inch, Miriam-clones will push the ‘equality’ envelope ad infinitum.  Except for those ‘socially non-conforming’ X and Y chromosomes [the Y, already dwarfed in size, said to be nearing irrelevance], women’s and men’s DNAs are exactly the same:  Conceived for better things but mutating towards evil ones (Ecclesiastes 7:29, 9:3).  The aging Solomon, once himself willing prey to female control (1Kings 11:1-3), belatedly realized where he had gone wrong.

  Let us approach this pragmatically:  If men from Day Eight have defaulted on all matters spiritual, why add female contributions to the mix?  Why add fire to fire, or the Ebola virus to coronal ones?  The more, the hairier (sic) things get; Creation’s ‘inflammation’ is reduced by restraining unsolicited tongues (James 3:6-8).  Will women fall in step behind Father’s ‘oxen’ team or join the ‘donkey’ bandwagon?  The answer was foreknown and uttered in Isaiah 3:16-26, 4:1.  You see, Deuteronomy 9:6 and 31:29 were meant for Christians as well as Jews, because the true Israel is all of Father’s people, and true Jews in Father’s eyes are all the faithful (Romans 2:29)—all saved by grace and not by personal fulfillment (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Ethnicity, race, and gender are non-issues in Scripture (Galatians 3:28); whereas universal, absolute, and unconditional disobedience to Father is.

RELIGION REVAMPING

  From body modification to self-redemption, human beings are fans of ‘re-inventing’ everything.⁹  Why not undergo multiple surgeries to resemble a fictional Orc [Google the Net]; or embrace who one believes he/she may be rather than facing up to what he/she truly is?  Why not ‘take control’ over our own lives even if our daily fates lie beyond human control (Matthew 5:36-37↔John 15:5)? Why not embrace the sexual orientation we feel comfortable with rather than the gender Father assigned us with? Why not add social causes people prioritize to a Gospel that does not encourage them? No godly men anywhere in the Bible advocated for or participated in protests/manifestations—let alone challenging the powers that be however repressive (Romans 13:1-2; 1Peter 2:13-16). Did Jesus? No; but he did constrain us to speak his truth to all men on pain of death (Matthew 5:14-16; Mark 8:38; Luke 12:3; Acts 1:8, 9:15; 2Corinthians 4:13). 

 Thus preaching is not about ‘reinventing’ a Gospel stated to be as unchanging (Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:6; Ecclesiastes 3:14; Matthew 5:18-19) as its Author (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17).  World peace, a cherished human goal, is not happening (Jeremiah12:12; Matthew 10:34); poverty will never be abolished (Mark 14:7).  Liberation theology acted upon contradicts divine will, leading to condemnation (Romans 13:1-2).  Prosperity gospel is a ‘geyser up-trickle down’ scam to redistribute congregants’ wealth amongst its proponents (Ezekiel 34:2-4); and if you doubt this, Google the latter’s personal worth vis-à-vis that of the fleeced.  In this scheme, money, like time, moves only in one direction.

   But the grand-daddy of all evangelical obsessions is abortion.  Is it wrong?  Yes.  Is it immoral?  As far as Father is concerned, it is in violation of the Fifth Commandment (Exodus 20:13) which closes with a ‘period’ that speaks volumes! No matter when science estimates fetuses become conscious beings, Scripture highlights a level of divine involvement, recognition, and identification from the beginning of gestation (Judges 13:5; Psalms 22:10, 139:13; Isaiah 46:3, 49:1,5; Jeremiah 1:5; Luke 1:5; Galatians 1:15).  Questions of cell differentiation and stages of fetal development are non-issues, especially in view of Jesus himself:  The embryo implanted in Mary’s womb contained the entire essence and awareness of everything he had been as Yahweh Son (John 6:38, 8:57-58↔Genesis 18:22-25; John 17:5↔1Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8).  The Jesus of religious scholars may be an illiterate, itinerant preacher; but the Jesus of Scripture was the Yahweh Son proxy Creator who called into being all things on heaven and earth (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16); as well as the Yahweh Son proxy God who announced his own incarnation (Isaiah 52:6; Ezekiel 34:11).

   Why then is opposition to abortion ‘non-Christian’?  First, because it impedes the personal choice that either justifies or damns a person.  Secondly, no one has any business or say in another’s decisions (Deuteronomy 24:16; Ezekiel 18:20; Galatians 6:4-5). Who has been entitled to dictate terms to another’s servants (Romans 14:4)?  Or presume to impose personal beliefs contrary to Father‘s designs (Acts 5:38-39)? Even people ignorant of Father’s laws will be justified or condemned according to how their actions agree or not with Christian norms (Romans 2:12-15). 

 Thirdly the abortion debate is fertile ground for divisiveness and opportunism.  It provides camouflage for disingenuous operatives fanning unrest to sow, if not outright violence, then mistrust and ill-will—disunity being Satan’s primary ploy in his putsch to bring down Christianity (Mark 3:25).  Abortion is as old as the hills and probably practiced during Jesus’ time; yet he did not say a single word condemning the practice; nor did the Apostles travelling through nations where abortions were carried out.  Jesus knew better than getting involved in men’s quarrels, to the point of limiting responses to “yes” or “no” while refrain from proffering opinions (Matthew 5:37↔Ecclesiastes 5:2-3).

 By manipulating men’s fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15), Satan has deployed all sorts of uplifting scripts about life’s sanctity and blessedness; but when it comes to Jesus’ uncompromising standards, attempts to prioritize mortal life over obedience to his instructions may lead to the loss of immortal life (Matthew 16:25-26). It is true that fetuses never have a say in abortion; and though this may rankle us, it is always wiser to defer to Father‘s comprehensive overview rather than our limited perspectives. Saving babies from abortion so that parents who do not want them and foster institutions who end up having them can subject them to all kinds of psychological and physical abuses stink of sadism—and jails are jam-packed with such unfortunates. When Solomon exalted the dead and the unborn (Ecclesiastes 4:2-3, 7:1), he was cramming harsh realities between the lines:  Life is pain and non-birth/death is deliverance from it. Horrible as it may sound, the unborn baby is far more blessed for having been spared what goes under the sun.

  Now if evangelicals are truly committed to the rights of fetuses, why not put their money where their mouths are and defray all expenses needed to bring them to term? Why do not die-hard, ‘Christian’ anti-abortionists embrace those babies and rear them up, like lots of not particularly religious people who—to our shame—do so with love, joy, and pride? For even as the latter instinctively do what Jesus enjoins us to do, love others as ourselves, they are willing to accept the sacrifices their concern for those babies will exact from them; whereas ‘Christians’ limit their commitment to marches, hymn singing, and what is worse, aid and abet political agendas which harm if not kill people Father has entitled to make their own choices. Knowing abortion to be wrong, as it definitely is, we are only asked to make others aware of the consequences of their actions (Ezekiel 3:18-21).

 Thankfully, unlike some political/evangelical ‘Christian inquisitors’, Father’s ways are not in line with theirs (Isaiah 55:8); the way He judges things is far more nuanced than men’s (Romans 11:33); and unlike human beings, He is not as prone to throw the baby away with the bathwater: He will avail Himself of anything and anyone to prove our biases and preconceptions wrong (1Corinthians 1:26-29). Killing with intent in the absence of moral imperatives is not irremissibly damning: Moses, a murderer (Exodus 2:12); David, a man steeped in blood (1Chronicles 22:8); and Paul, complicit in and abettor of Christian purges (Acts 8:1, 9:1-2; 1Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13), are proofs of this assertion. We love to boast of ‘knowing’ Jesus; but when it comes to raining brimstone on those we perceive to resist his doctrine, we are no better than his clueless Apostles were (Luke 9:52-56).

 Father (Ezekiel 18:32, 33:11) and Son (Luke 9:56) are about saving souls; and how they choose to go about it is none of our business. Who is to say that an abortionist might not come to realize the immorality of his actions and become a preserver rather than an exterminator of life? Or that a woman aborting her child might in time regret her decision and make amends to correct it? Yes, babies will die in the process; but in a Gospel like ours where the innocent die—Jesus included—so that we may live, what is our beef? Have we considered what role these tragic losses play in Father’s grand design? For it is by our responses to them that Father tests our resolves and convictions; reveals us as true Christians or frauds before men—let alone the fact He has the power to restore the dead to a higher level of existence—Paul’s argument in Hebrews 11:17-19. The souls of aborted fetuses are not lost: They return to Father (Ecclesiastes 12:7); and who is to say they will not return with Jesus, be reborn as immortal beings, and be swamped with blessings denied them in this world?

 So in terms of abortion, zealot ‘Christians’ need to address the type of abortion they are in dire need of: Excising the infernal seed Satan has planted in their judgmental hearts.

NEITHER COMPLICIT NOR A HYPOCRITE BE

   Which brings us to coordinate (0,1), one step up from the ‘origin’ of failing to honor Father—i.e., hypocrisy.  Specifically the Pharisaic variant:  Rigid adherence to the letter of the Law rather than focusing on the spirit that informs it (Matthew 23:23).  “You shall not kill” is binding on all, but weighed against “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matthew 7:12).  In short, any one expecting mercy, understanding, and forgiveness for one’s transgressions must give them in order to be treated likewise; for in Father’s playbook, forgiveness is a two-way endeavor (Matthew 6:14-15).  Do not judge others lest you be judged (Matthew 7:1-2). Do not let others’ moral shortcomings compromise your Christian integrity (Jeremiah 15:19).  Be a beacon of light by standing above the herd (Matthew 5:16) so that others have a stab at salvation, not like most people unconcerned about their neighbors’ fate.

   For it is binding on Christians to ‘flavor with salt’ the affairs of this world; and if they fail in that respect, they are good for naught (Matthew 5:13).  This ‘salty’ quality was not pulled out of Jesus’ hat:  It is the reason why Mosaic offerings were salted (Leviticus 2:13) and an everlasting covenant of salt was instituted (Numbers 18:19).  Like most things in Mosaic Law, salt is a symbol for the Christian attributes that enhance human souls and help change the spiritual composition of others.

    However, modern evangelicals are resistant to ‘saline-fication.’  Oppose institutions of authority established by Father (Romans 13:1-2); and for good measure kneel and pray to Him when actively attacking them.  Jesus, who knew Satan was egging Peter to frustrate Father’s designs, put the Apostle at his back (Matthew 7:23); but evangelicals prefer placing Jesus’ secular and religious enemies in front so that they can lead us into oblivion.  It is okay to lend a hand to orphans, widows, and the dispossessed (Isaiah 1:16; Matthew 25:35-36) as long as they are not immigrants or stuck at the border; and when it comes to prisoners, who the ‘moral majority’ believe deserve what they get, Jesus must have been off his rocker.

   We are living in “latter days” prophesied by Paul in 1Timothy 4:1-3 and 2Timothy 3:1-5, a state of affairs Jesus had forecast in Matthew 24:12:  Pandemic, undiluted, entrenched, soul-numbing evil.  The most salient characteristic of all unrighteous people is either their belief that they are ‘good’ (Jeremiah 16:10; Matthew 7:22-23; Titus 1:16), or their conscious complicity in corrupting whatever needs to be to make things ‘great again’ (2Corinthians 11:13-14).  These are the ones Father has sentenced to ‘hard-heartedness’ (Psalms 81:12: Lamentations 3:65; Ephesians 4:18) under Satan’s wardenship (2Corinthians 4:4)—which may be the reason why Father‘s purges His own house first (Jeremiah 25:29; Ezekiel 9:6; 1Peter 4:17). For Satan, who is no fan of rehabilitation or parole, burying souls and throwing away the spade is how he gets his kicks (Isaiah 14:17,20).

THE SCORE-SETTLING GOD

   Which brings us to coordinate (0,2):  The ‘Christian’ perception that despite so-called ‘acts of God,’ Father is at heart an amoral, loving machine Who forgives all—the good cop, bad cop apologia.  Amongst the truly egregious ‘Christian’ pastimes is blaming Him for every form of human suffering—be them natural catastrophes; dread diseases as divine punishment for men’s immorality; or personal misfortunes.  When someone reaps the consequences of his/her actions, we promptly say, “God punished him/her.”  If the comeuppance vindictive ‘Christians’ wish on someone is delayed, “God will take care of him/her in time.”  ‘Christians’ have refashioned the God of love Jesus preached into a score-settling bully venting our darkest instincts.  No wonder some indigenous peoples chose martyrdom rather than submitting to Conquistadors’ heavenly malefactor.

   Misunderstood Scriptures like Isaiah 45:7 and Daniel 7:17 have contributed to this character assassination.  What these Scriptures truly mean is that nothing happens to men unless God allows it; even Jesus made this clear (John 19:11), as had Isaiah centuries before (Isaiah 53:6,10).  But just as it is impossible for a loving Deity personally to mete out evil, someone else both tempts men [Father tempts no one↔James 1:13]¹⁰ and relishes his role as Father’s “homicidal sword” (Ezekiel 21:10-15). The operant word here is “homicidal.”  Who has always been a sword-wielding homicide from the beginning?  Satan (Exodus 12:23; 2Samuel 24:16; John 8:44; Revelation 6:8).

Thus Satan—not Father—is the de facto tormenter of men.  While Satan can do nothing unless Father permits it (Exodus 12:23; 2Samuel 24:16; Job 1:12, 2:6; Isaiah 14:6-20; Ezekiel 21:10-13; Luke 22:31), human suffering is the consequence of men defaulting on the terms of Father‘s covenants (Psalms 78:10; Isaiah 24:5; Jeremiah 11:10, 31:32; Hosea 6:7; Hebrews 8:9). Nobody accuses banks of vindictiveness when evicting people for unpaid mortgages; and though the state is accused of ‘murder’ for executing tried and convicted people, no one can argue the latter chose to break the social contract by willingly inflicting harm on others in the process. Yes, our imperfect justice system does not live up to the hype that everyone is equal before the law; and although equality is the standard in Judeo-Christianity (Deuteronomy 16:19; Proverbs 17:15; Isaiah 5:23, 10:1), examples abound where exemplars of righteousness were snuffed out because they confronted others with their shortcomings (Genesis 4:3-8; 2Chronicles 22:9, 24:20-21; Mark 3:4-6↔Psalms 31:13, 71:10). Nobody likes to have his/her ‘reinvented’ image of self proven false (Proverbs 9:8).

Not that the consequences for disobedience were left unstipulated (Deuteronomy 28:15-68):  It is because they were foretold that punishments against transgressors are justified (Jeremiah 30:11; Romans 3:20, 7:7). Or as Jesus argued, “if I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin” (John 15:22). Or as Paul explained, knowledge of the Law brings awareness of sin (Romans 3:20). To put it colloquially, you chose to do what you were told not to do, so now you have to face the music.

 Father is not as hypocritical as lionized secular/religious leaders who never accept responsibility for misfortunes resulting from their policies.  When they fail to deliver on their promises, those failures are shunted onto someone or something else.  But Father, knowing Satan has the instincts of a caged lion, will not shift responsibility onto a being for whom killing is second nature. As the Person who unlocks the cage, He assumes responsibility for all the evil Satan is then free to deploy.  And just as he demonstrated in Job 1 and 2, Satan knows exactly which human buttons to push to badmouth God.  Job’s wife, the obliging female at hand, urged Job to blame God and scalded him for being a wimp (Job 2:9-10); Job thought it best to keep his mouth shut (Job 2:10); and his three friends, spouting the pious logorrhea ‘Christians’ indulge in, missed the lessons implicit in Job’s misfortune entirely (Job 40:2,8, 41:11, 42:7).

 But let us not add foolishness to our blindness.  If Father would not constrain our evil actions with adversities, there would be no motivation for us to behave better.  Like Psalms 39:11 says, “You discipline a person with punishment for iniquity.”  And with two specific goals in mind:  “Our human fathers punished us for a short time, as it seemed right to them; but God does it for our own good, so that we may share His holiness” (Hebrews 12:10).  But the most important:  “I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant” (Ezekiel 20:37). Which means that although He would prefer not to (Lamentations 3:33), Father allows human suffering in hopes men come their senses and turn to Him (Deuteronomy 4:29-30, 30:1-3↔Jeremiah 23:20, 29:13; Hosea 3:5).

 Let us face it, folks:  Regardless of all our pretenses at Christian piety, we need to be forced into obedience so that we are covered under the terms of Jesus’ covenant; thus saved by grace and not by personal merits (Ephesians 2:8-9).  It is when we have no remaining options that we turn to Father (Jeremiah 29:11-13); and while most of our religious leaders tell us that He forgives all, Romans 9:15-22 puts the lie to their claims:  Some will never be saved, including those boasting of their ‘Christian’ accomplishments (Matthew 7:22-23).

THE UN-FEAR OF GOD

 Fear of Father does not mean cowering in terror of Him, but recognizing that He will withhold—as forewarned—His protection from whomever strays out of line.  Out of that certainty comes either compliance circumventing punishment or obedience learned by enduring it—Father’s version of ‘tough love.’ It is in its ability to inculcate righteous behaviors, fearing Father is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10).  Yet because human beings resent being told what to do, ‘Christians’ have diluted that wise fear with the concept of Father being a softy at heart.  No matter whatever horrors one has committed in his lifetime, if that person ‘accepts Jesus as his Lord’ at the penultimate moment of existence, that person will be forgiven—silly stuff, really, since neither Judas nor Esau were forgiven though sincerely repentant of their actions (Matthew 27:3-5; Hebrews 12:16-17). It is for these reasons that Father calls fear of Him “a precept taught by men” (Isaiah 29:13) devoid of bite to set behaviors right.  And so up the axis of transgressions, Father’s precepts are CRISPR-ed with human priorities, resulting in a type of worship that is at once vain and profitless (Matthew 15:9).

 We may believe that by exalting Father’s loving nature, we are scoring brownie points with Him; but the reality is far more nuanced. As Paul pointed out, “See then the goodness and severity of God. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off ” (Romans 11:22). It is He who even Jesus told us to fear (Matthew 10:28). Succinctly put, Father’s love does not override other attributes like mercy, justice, morality, and integrity.  Just as He allotted Jews a time period to reconcile with Him, He has done the same with Gentiles (Zephaniah 2:2; Luke 21:24); and all of us had better, in the remaining time allotted to us, work proactively towards our salvation. For when that time expires, Father, Who never goes back on His word (Numbers 23:19; Malachi 3:6; James 1:17), will cut us off during the coming night when no one can work (John 9:4).

 We have been warned:  “Seek Yahweh while He may be found; call you on Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6); and, “At an acceptable time I listened to you, in a day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation” (Isaiah 49:8; 2Corinthians 6:1-2). Heed His timetable.

AS THE WORLD CHURNS

   Pay no heed to claims that Jesus’ signal flares (Matthew 24:7↔2Chronicles 15:5-6) are commonplace in history.  Today, as one defining calamity-tipper nears fulfillment (Matthew 24:14), the very near future will not be business as usual. “When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish, it is then they shall be destroyed forever” (Psalms 92:7↔Proverbs 16:18; 1Timothy 4:1-3; 2Timothy 3:1-5).  Some climate changes are now irreversible, despite what naysayers and science-deniers may tell you. Rising global temperatures are contributing to species collapse and the proliferation of invasive ones; as well as diseases, droughts, forest fires, scarcity of water resources, oceanic oxygen depletion, natural-habitats eradication, and rising-sea levels.

   For good measure volcanoes are blowing their tops all over the world, belching toxic gases into the atmosphere.  The Jet and Gulf Streams are being disrupted. The magnetic poles are shifting; if and when they finally do, it will be a grave (sic) new world.  Oceanic currents are cooling off, heralding a possible ice age:  Erstwhile dunes of sand turning into snow drifts.  And perhaps because the planet itself is tired of men’s onslaughts against nature, it is sending seismic waves to dislodge us [earthquakes] or drown us [tsunamis], like any sensible living organism would do to get rid of pathogens inimical to its continued existence (Leviticus 18:28).

   When these things truly pile up in rapid succession, divine guidance may be off limits (Jeremiah 51:46; Ezekiel 7:26).  It may be then that faced with their failures and their inability to fix humanity’s problems, world leaders may blame Father and challenge His sovereignty—Satan’s second try out of three (Psalms 2:1-3; Isaiah 14:13-14).  It may be then that civil rights and liberties will be suppressed, because in times of chaos nations must be made to march to the tunes of dictators.  It may be then that Revelation 13:15-17 will fully come to pass, given surveillance techniques in tyrants’ quest for human domination.  And it may be then, as was in the past enabled and abetted by human armies (Daniel 8:24, 11:36-39), that the female ‘beast’ will be propped up by the orbiting weaponry of two superpowers firing laser beams against insurrectionists (Revelation 13:11-13).  But as of this writing, these are unquantifiable ‘ifs.’  We shall recognize them when they if and when they unfold.

   The point to focus on is that in the midst of this mayhem, only Father promises refuge (Deuteronomy 4:29-31; Proverbs 18:10; Psalms 91:4)—what Paul called “help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Which is not to say that His seekers will be raptured to Heaven or spared all suffering: Only 144,000 will qualify for that (Revelation 7:1-8, 9:4). And they will not be raptured, the reason why they are “sealed on their foreheads” so as to be by-passed by destroying forces—a system of protection well-established in Scripture (Genesis 4:15; Ezekiel 9:4). 

 The Israelites in Egypt were similarly kept from harm by smearing lamb’s blood on the sides and tops of doorframes (Exodus 12:7,13).  Were the Israelites spared the plagues of Egypt?  Yes.  Were they raptured before the plagues struck?  No; they were given no choice but to live through them.  Neither will be new Israel—us— be raptured before the final seven plagues hit; when it is all over and done with, we will cross no Red Sea like the Israelites did but Jesus will lead us through the divide between earth and Heaven.

 And just in passing, please let us not be naïve in thinking that the 144,000 are strictly Jewish.  After all, in Christian parlance, “Jews” are those who share Abraham’s faith; that faith, and not ethnicity, confers divine citizenship.  Why Revelation’s emphasis on tribal identity, we are not equipped to say; perhaps genetic dilution and propagation amongst races?  Who knows? But let us leave science out of this, since it always increases the prospects of detouring us from faith (1Timothy 6:20-21).

   In closing, if we are to rely on Father’s mercy and help in times of need, we should learn to direct our pleas to Him (Matthew 21:22; John 16:23).  He in turn instructs Jesus on how to keep us safe (John 14:13-14).  Do not let your self-appointed controllers mislead you, having been warned that hypocrites do not qualify for divine benefits (James 1:6-8; Revelation 3:16).  Both Father and Son demand absolute and unshakable loyalty to them (1Samuel 2:30; Matthew 10:37; Luke 6:47-48).

  It seems self-serving to worship Father only for what He stands to give us.  In our next and final chapter, we will discuss what we should appreciate about Him.  We lavish a worship of sorts on athletes, celebrities, Tik-Tok ‘influencers,’ in fact anyone who captures our imagination and we put on pedestals.  Teresa of Avila once said, “Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices”; and though this is not an endorsement of her, it is a valid statement in its own right and an example of the “good” Paul told us to retain (1Thessalonians 5:21).

  

¹ Hence the forewarning in Galatians 1:8-10 centuries before Mohammad.

² Torture; auto-da-fés [Portuguese for “acts of faith”; i.e., burning people at the stake]; enforced religious conversions; excommunications; etc.

³ One way of saying that since Son comes from Father, he shares Father‘s eternal nature; therefore there is no “moment” in which Son did not exist—except, of course, in Genesis 1:2-3; Psalms 2:7; Acts 2:24, 13:30, 17:31; Colossians 1:15; and Revelation 1:18, 3:14. Human preconceptions notwithstanding, there is only One Being, or rather One Dyad, Who is eternal in the absolute meaning of the word: Father and the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:1-2; 1Timothy 6:15-16).

⁴ Note too that Roman Catholic catechisms redact the Second Commandment to champion idols as memorials for ‘beatified’ troopers; yet ignore the proscription against manufacturing them (Exodus 20:4-5; Deuteronomy 27:15). Idols may be significant to their worshippers; while Father believes such people to be irrational (Isaiah 44:9-20, 45:20)—let alone having already called their bluff (Isaiah 57:13; Jeremiah 2:26-28; Hosea 5:15).

⁵ For a fuller discussion, see series entitled Genesis: The Myth That Never Was.

⁶ The city proper has shifted over the terrain many times during its long history, but always encompassing seven hills.

⁷ As Hitler argued, Jesus had taught the world how to deal with the Jews by whipping the money-lenders out of Temple precincts (John 2:14-17). Jesus’ actions had nothing to do with anti-Semitic prejudices: He was incensed at the desecration of the place where his Father‘s name was invoked.

⁸ Which included the pointed instruction not to call any spiritual teacher ‘father.’ As an upholder of the Fourth Commandment, “Honor your father and mother” (Exodus 20:12↔Luke 18:20), Jesus could not have been referring to male parents.

⁹ Like ‘improving’ on nature by inserting genes into cats that make them glow in the dark?  Online commentary to rationalize this aberration: No danger of tripping over them!

¹⁰ Francis, Bishop of Rome, has expressed a desire to change the wording [a Biblical no-no] of the Lord’s Prayer because “lead us not into temptation” suggests Father is tripping people up.  The real meaning behind this statement is that if Father allows Satan to tempt men, then Father has ultimate control over the temptation process.  With the Lord’s Prayer, one is begging Father to keep him/her from falling prey to temptations.

   Glaringly obvious proofs of this are Luke 4:1-2 and 22:31-32.  In the first it is the Holy Spirit Himself who takes Jesus to the desert in order to be tempted by Satan; in the latter, Satan has to ask someone higher to allow him to put Peter through the grinder. Jesus’ words leave no doubt that only Father was in a position to allow Satan to tempt Peter.

  Francis should not compound his fallible reasoning with emending the Inalterable.  He would do greater service to his flock by quoting Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 6:13 to the fullest.  As it now stands, the Roman Catholic version of the Lord’s Prayer denies Father the recognition His Son wanted Him to have.

Another forbidden excision; another notch in the belt of Babylon the Great’s abominations.