Papal Resignation

Pope Benedictus XVI (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Genesis 9:6 explains why it’s a sin to murder or even injure a man:

“Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.”

Because we are each made in God’s image it is wrong to kill us, or even assault us.  To kill another man is a kind of blasphemy against God, Himself.

However, highest form of the blasphemy inherent in killing another man is killing yourself.  That’s why those who commit suicide are deemed to have committed an unpardonable sin and won’t be buried on “hallowed ground” by the Catholic Church.

See, my body is the particular “image of God” with which I’ve blessed and also entrusted in this life. It’s merely true that others have a divine prohibition against injuring or killing my body, it’s also (in my opinion) that I have an obligation to defend my personal “image of God” against any assault by the wicked.  Thus, I have a right of self-defense where that “self” is my personal “image of God”.

Therefore, if I commit suicide, I have probably committed the single greatest insult and blasphemy that any man can commit against God.  By committing suicide, I not only kill my own “image of God,” I deny my obligation to defend my “image of God”.

There may be greater blasphemies than suicide, but I have no idea of what they may be.

This introduction on suicide brings me to the recent resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.  I want to begin by saying I am not Catholic.  I wasn’t raised Catholic.  I haven’t studied the Catholic faith.  So, my following commentary is based on nothing more than my own “gut”.  I write from ignorance.  Even so, I might have something to write that’s worth reading.

There are a number of conspiracy theories to explain why he resigned.  Some say he’s so old that he can no bear the workload required of a Pope.  Others say he may have some criminal liability attached to lawsuits against the Catholic Church for allowing child abuse by priests to continue.  I have no idea which theory is true.  I don’t know why the Pope resigned.

But if I understand the Catholic faith correctly, the Pope was and presumably still is, presumed by Catholics to be God on Earth.  For reasons unknown to me, after the physical body of the last Pope died, God decided to inhabit the body of the man we’ve come to call Pope Benedict XVI.

If that were true, the man chosen to be Pope would be singularly blessed.  To be chosen to allow your personal “image of God” (your body) to become the exclusive “vessel” that holds God the Father would be an extraordinary blessing.

I can say that if God chose my body to “occupy,” I would never throw Him out. I would continue to carry God within my flesh until they carried me out, feet first.

So, I look at Pope Benedict XVI and I’m wondering “What th’ hell are you thinkin’ about, buddy?”  What do you have to do that’s so important that you’ve decided to evict God and retire from the ranks of Popes?

For me–an ignorant non-Catholic–it looks as if either Pope Benedict XVI never really was God or, if he was, he has just committed a kind of blasphemy that makes normal suicides seem benign.

Pope Benedict has just abdicated what some believe to be the throne of God.  Pope Benedict has just turned his back on God and effectively said, “Get th’ hell out!”  Pope Benedict has seemingly declared that it’s better to be a mortal man than God.

A Pope has seemingly turned his back on God.

As I’ve already said, my ignorance concerning things “Catholic” is almost perfect.  I don’t mean to offend anyone.  I may be completely off the beam in this article.

But there is something in Pope Benedict’s resignation that strikes as spiritually horrific.  If the Pope were God, why couldn’t He resolve whatever health, energy, legal or political problems were bugging him?  Why would the “Pope/God” cave in to the pressure and resign as Pope?

I’m not even sure that, once chosen to “be” the Pope, any man can “resign”.  Maybe the appointment as Pope is “for life” and can’t be terminated except by death.

You don’t quit being Pope the same way you resign from being a janitor or even a President.  The fact that Benedict the XVI chose to resign rather than die tells me that either the Catholic faith is a fraud and the Pope is no more “godly” than your or me–or–the one man on Earth who acts as God’s vessel has quit.

There’s even a report by USA Today that on the night of the day when Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation, St. Peter’s basilica (located within the Vatican) was struck twice by lightning.  I don’t know if these reports are true or false.  More, as a Protestant, I’m not inclined to treat these reports as true since they tend to validate the Catholic faith.  Nevertheless, I have to admit that these reports are consistent with the idea that God might be very displeased by the Pope’s resignation–or that big changes are coming.

As a Protestant, I’m not sure that Pope Benedict’s resignation didn’t strike a lethal blow against the foundation of the Catholic Church.   He seems to have committed a kind of spiritual suicide that’s almost unprecedented.

If it’s wrong to commit suicide because you’re made in God’s image, isn’t it an even more profound suicide if you are chosen to “be” or “retain” God and you quit?  There’s something extraordinary in Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation.  There are some spiritual implications that I can’t put my finger on, but something about it all seems, at least to me, to constitute an incredible assault on the Catholic Church.

Whatcha think?

 

Pre-Tribulation Rapture?

Many, perhaps most, living Christians believe that we are in or nearing “End Times”.  I certainly do.

Many, perhaps most, modern Christians believe that in the context of “End Times” there’ll be three and a half years of “tribulation” during which the Anti-Christ will torment, torture and kill many, perhaps most, of the people on Earth.

Many, perhaps most, modern Christians believe that just before the Tribulation begins, all true Christians will be “raptured” up into the air to meet with Christ and be thereby spared the torments of the Tribulation.  This is the “Pre-Tribulation Rapture” that is expected to take place before the Tribulation begins.  The rest of the world–who are not true, sincere Christians (despite some of their claims to the contrary)–will be “left behind” to be tormented/tortured/killed by the Anti-Christ.

 

Is It Just Me . . . ?

Tick-tock, tick-tock (Photo credit: Earls37a)

One of my readers (“SEM”) posted the following comment on this blog:

“Is it just me or does it seem that ‘A Clock Is Ticking’? Preparation is the operational word; yet, said PREPAREDNESS must be “diversified”.

“Consider said diversity in terms of everything human (re Five Basic Needs). Guns, gold and a getaway plan are physical; said diversity speaks to the Spiritual, Emotional and Psychological.”

“SEM” presents what may be one of the most profound and persistent questions of our time is “Is it just me . . . ?”  Am I the only one who feels a growing sense of apprehension, or do others share that feeling?

 

The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment

The Prophet Isaiah (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’ve understood for several decades that whenever someone advanced a new idea, a new insight, everything becomes grist for his mill.  The length of women’s skirts can prove an economic theory; the number of petals on a flower can prove a mathematical theorem.  Innovators tend to be so excited, passionate and obsessed with their innovation, that they see supporting evidence everywhere they look.

But frequently, the alleged “supporting evidence” is merely coincidence.  Often, the “supporting evidence” is actually evidence of the innovator’s mindset and obsession rather that evidence in support of his innovative theory.

Therefore, I tend to be skeptical of anyone’s new, “general theory” to explain anything.  (I am particularly skeptical of my own innovative ideas.)

The Rabbi Jonathan Cahn has written a book entitled The Harbringer.  He’s also posted four videos on YouTube under the title The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment.

I haven’t read his book.  I have seen the videos.  If I understand correctly, the videos advance the same thesis as the book: that there have been nine events since the attack on the World Trade Towers in A.D. 2001 that are “harbringers”–warnings from God of impending judgment on the United States.  More, according to  Cahn, these nine modern “harbringers” exactly parallel the nine “harbringers” from God to Israel warning that Israel was about to be judged by God.

Israel ignored their nine ancient harbringers and was destroyed.  Rabbi Cahn warns that if the U.S. also ignores the same nine modern harbringers, the U.S. will likewise be destroyed by God’s judgment.  Cahn also explains that if America heeds these harbringers, repents and turns back to God, it may be spared the impending judgment.

 

The Lord’s Prayer

The Lord's Prayer (1886-1896) from the series The Life of Christ, Brooklyn Museum (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When you study law, you begin to get a sense of history.  Not because the history of the law is merely interesting, but because it’s important to understand the historical context of any law or court decision.  Law does not mean the same thing at all times and places.  A law may mean one thing in A.D. 1900 and another thing entirely in A.D. 2000.

For example, something the Supreme Court said prior to A.D. 1933 may not carry the same weight as something the Supreme Court said after A.D. 1933.  More, the definitions of words change over time, and a word defined one way in Black’s Law Dictionary, 1^st Edition (A.D. 1891) might be defined somewhat differently in Black’s 4^th Edition (A.D. 1968) and completely opposite in Black’s 8^th (A.D. 2004)

• Historical context is similarly important when we talk about the principles and laws expressed in the Bible.   Given that the Bible, as a complete book, is at least 15 centuries old, everything within the Bible should be well fixed and incapable of “evolution”.  In terms of historical context, all we might really need to know is whether a statement was made in the Old Testament or the New.

But that leaves a very big question:  When did the Old Testament end and the New Testament begin?

 

Digital Currency–Mark of the Beast?

The video below is an “infomercial” that promotes a newsletter and some various stock investments.  The video’s producers are attempting to sell you something.  I don’t agree with the video’s commercial slant. Its producers seem inclined to see the sinking of the Titanic as a great business opportunity to sell life-jackets.  They don’t seem to see or object to a coming catastrophe.  They only see a chance to make fast buck off the catastrophe.

I have no association with the pitchmen behind this video and the link below is not intended as a commercial recommendation.

Nevertheless, the video’s producers lay the foundation for their sales pitch with compelling evidence that cash is being fast replaced by digital currency; that it may soon be illegal to buy anything with anonymous cash; that all purchases may soon be made by means of debit cards that can be instantly and electronically tracked and taxed by the government.

I don’t expect a transition from cash to digital to take place overnight.  Debit cards will have to be issued to all of the homeless, probably to illegal aliens.  An underground economy will probably spring up, complete with black markets, and widespread crime among those who can’t get a debit card or don’t want one.

 

Another Conspiracy Theory

Image via Wikipedia

George Green claims to have been a former member of the “elite” who presume to rule the world.  In a December, A.D. 2010 interview, Mr. Green makes some astonishing allegations concerning the New World Order’s plans to destroy the United States.

I’m usually inclined to dismiss such fantastic claims as just another “conspiracy theory”–most of which turn out to be false (or at least exaggerated).  But Mr. Green speaks with such conviction, knowledge and spontaneity that he sounds unusually credible.

I still doubt that his allegations are correct.  Nevertheless, if he’s telling the truth, his allegations are frightening.

But, throughout this video’s dire warnings, I am reminded that God is (still) in control.  Wicked people may have wicked plans for this country, but that does not mean those plans will be executed.

“There will be wars and rumors of wars . . . .”

video    00:10:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kHHONdT2FsQ#!

 

Japan is Dying II

Image via Wikipedia

On March 31st, I posted “Japan Is Dying” on this blog.  That article was largely a response the the Fukushima nuclear reactor meltdowns, but also dealt with fundamental demographic problems:  1) Japan’s economy has been moribund during its “Lost Decade”; and 2) 75% of Japan’s women are unmarried and therefore unlikely to reproduce.

Japan is aging, it’s population is falling, it’s economy is depressed, and the Fukushima radiation may ultimately cause Japan to lose Tokyo and much of northern Japan to a “dead zone”.

Unless at least two or three of those problems are resolved, I doubt that Japan will recover in my lifetime. I wouldn’t be surprised to China invade Japan within the next ten years.

 

Tectonic Weapons and End Times

Image via Wikipedia

Earthquakes are much in the news.

The Java earthquake of May, A.D. 2006 killed nearly 6,000, injured 36,000 and left 1.5 million homeless.

In March of this year, an earthquake off the coast of Japan caused three nuclear reactors at the Fukushima nuclear power plant to suffer meltdowns and spew radioactive particles into the atmosphere that may ultimately affect the entire northern hemisphere.

This week, an earthquake struck The State of Virginia and, while it didn’t do much real harm, nevertheless astonished most Americans since most people don’t associate earthquakes with the east coast of the United States.

I don’t know if the world is experiencing a higher than average incidence of earthquakes, or if global, electronic communications simply cause us to hear about distant earthquakes that, in other times, would be unreported.

But for some, the seeming increase in the incidence of earthquakes is reminiscent of the various verses in the Bible that associate the onset of “End Times” with “earthquakes”.  For example:

 

Fukushima Disaster Continues

Image by Sterneck via Flickr

On March 11th, A.D. 2011–just 5 months ago–a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and following tsunami caused a catastrophic failure of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.  Three nuclear reactors suffered “meltdown”.   Initially, there was great international concern over the radiation leaking from the Fukushima plant which might not merely affect Japan, but also Canada, the United States and potentially the entire northern hemisphere.

Over the next few months, however, mainstream media attention was diverted from Fukushima, people lost interest and today, most Americans don’t recognize the word “Fukushima” or remember the three meltdowns.  It’s amazing how quickly people forget.  It’s amazing how easily we are led by “entertainment” to ignore reality.  It’s not just amazing.  It’s frightening.