The next morning the report in the form of affidavits was presented to the parents of the girls, which caused a very great sensation, and this bundle of infamy and abomination was forced to leave the city by the parents of these daughters whom he had desecrated by his filthy touch.
It was afterwards learned that this state of affairs had existed in this Catholic mansion for years past, and all that had transpired in this mansion would blush the inhabitants of Sodom if it could be told, but it is so filthy that it could not be repeated by any one who had much respect for himself.
After this dignitary had left the mansion there were a number of children's skeletons unearthed in the park belonging to the mansion, and one child's skeleton was found in the waters surrounding the palace.
No one was ever arrested for this awful, awful crime, as this Catholic dignitary fled to some monastery and there was concealed from the law's clutch, as there is no law whereby these monasteries can be forced open and their criminals brought to justice.
A monastery is a Catholic institution that may be used for divers purposes, but for one great purpose, and a very heinous purpose, is to hide and conceal Catholic officials who break the laws of their country, as they can flee to these monasteries and there hide themselves from the wrath of the civil government.
It makes no difference how vile the culprits may be, these Catholic institutions are always a refuge for them, and especially if the culprit who has money or friends supply them with same, as the Catholic Church is and always has been a great money machine, as money, in the eyes of the Catholic dignitaries, covers up a multitude of sins.
You may not know it, but it is a fact, nevertheless, that the monasteries never allow the officers of the civil laws to enter, and suppose the officers did enter, the culprit would never be found, as Catholic institutions are built with the purpose of sheltering her abominable faithless in case these criminals desire to hide themselves therein, as the convents, monasteries and cloisters have a labyrinth which would mystify any one who was not used to these underground passages.
No one ever learned where the dignitary of this Catholic institution at Vechta went, but we were thoroughly convinced that he was hiding somewhere in a monastery.
At this point in my religious training I perceived the nonsense of celibacy, and the Apostle's injunction: "Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband." (I Cor. 7: 2.) But the teachings of my childhood caused me to believe that it would be sacrilegious upon my part to even allow myself to believe that the Pope of Rome could possibly make a mistake, therefore I did as all true Catholics are expected to do, and forced myself to believe that all of the abominations practiced by this church were godly.
At this time I would conceal myself in privacy and endeavor to reason why a minister of the gospel should be expected to do things which were
unnatural and against the direct teachings of God, as we find in Gen. 21:18 that our Creator said: "It is not good that man should be alone, I will make a helpmate for him," but whenever I would undertake to study and try to convince myself of the erroneousness of the Catholic doctrines, her teachings would loom up and blind my intelligent conception of things, as I had been taught that I should not question a single mandate that the Pope of Rome should see fit to promulgate, therefore I made up my mind that it was a sin for me to use the intelligence that God had given me, and I resolved to follow the Catholic doctrine, regardless of what it might lead me to, consequently I closed my eyes to reason and common sense and became a blind and superstitious, follower of Rome.
When I came to America I beheld her great civilization and at once my conception of intelligent action presented itself again, but I fought hard to drive these feelings from my bosom, but the more I fought the stronger I became convinced that I was wrong and that my early training was wrong, and that the entire machinery and mechanism of the Catholic Church was founded upon abominations and superstitions, but the teachings of my mother would prevail and I would slink back into the trenches of Catholicism, and there I remained until less than a year ago, when I resolved to burst the bands of iniquity and walk out upon the plains of Protestantism, regardless of the deep feelings of respect that I had for my early training.
If God is an intelligent God, then we are expected to worship Him in an intelligent manner, and if he is not an intelligent God, it is impossible for Him to be a God, and if the Lord of Hosts is an intelligent Creator and expects us, as His children, to worship Him in an intelligent manner, the Catholic Church and all of her followers are sinning against God every day, as her mode of worship is steeped in the drugs of heathenish superstitions.
In this volume I propose to set forth nothing but absolute truths, and I call upon an intelligent God for my witness, and I am qualified to make oath before any official that is qualified to bind me under oath that every word that appears in this volume shall be the truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.
I will give $5,000.00 to any charitable institution named by any state of the United States if any Catholic priest, bishop or cardinal will prove by any of their church doctrines that I have mis-stated or misrepresented the teachings of Catholicism in any letter, word or sentence.
I want to thoroughly impress the reader with the truthfulness of this volume, so when be or she has perused these pages they may know that it has been written by one who has served in the capacity of a Catholic priest for the past thirty years, but who, to-day, stands out upon the broad plains of spiritual emancipation, and from this time forward will always be found upon the side of spiritual liberty and following, the doctrines of an intelligent God, and when my earthly race is run I hope and pray to be ushered into the presence of an intelligent God.
under oath that every word that appears in this volume shall be the truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.
I will give $5,000.00 to any charitable institution named by any state of the United States if any Catholic priest, bishop or cardinal will prove by any of their church doctrines that I have mis-stated or misrepresented the teachings of Catholicism in any letter, word or sentence.
I want to thoroughly impress the reader with the truthfulness of this volume, so when be or she has perused these pages they may know that it has been written by one who has served in the capacity of a Catholic priest for the past thirty years, but who, to-day, stands out upon the broad plains of spiritual emancipation, and from this time forward will always be found upon the side of spiritual liberty and following, the doctrines of an intelligent God, and when my earthly race is run I hope and pray to be ushered into the presence of an intelligent God. What I will now relate is not hear-say nor something that I have read about, but it is something that I know about, and which I witnessed.
It is a well-known fact that Catholicism endeavors to impress her subjects with the miraculousness of latter day miracles, as she will hold up the bones of some supposed Catholic Saint, and declare to her benighted followers that if they worship these relies they will work wonders and cure the ailment of any affliction they may be possessed of.
For instance, they will take the bone of some Catholic Saint (?) and admonish the followers of Catholicism to touch this bone, or to kiss it, and declare to them that by so doing they will become entirely cured of any malady that may rack their person with misery.
In fact, Catholicism will resort to all kinds of nonsensical practices in order to completely keep their subjects in darkest ignorance, which will enable the officials to "hodwink" their followers and make them believe anything the officials see fit to teach them.
I will now relate what I saw in Munster, Germany. The news spread all through Germany that the "Mother Superior" of the house of Saint Clement was living upon "Holy Communion" only.
Now that, the reader may understand what "Holy Communion" is, I will here state that it is a thin wafer, used for sacramental purposes, which would not weigh more than the one-hundredth part of an ounce, and this is what they claimed the Mother Superior of the house of Saint Clement was existing upon, she only taking one of these wafers every twenty-four hours.
Of course, this was given out by the dignitaries of the Catholic Church in order to blind their followers, and I desire to state right here that I also believed that this was the fact until it was demonstrated thoroughly that it was an infamous lie and that the instigators were infamous impostors. However, pilgrimages started from all directions to see this "Mother Superior," and when they could not see her, they fought for the opportunity of praying in her chapel. Some stayed for weeks and weeks to see her. Applications for intercessions of all kinds of misery were sent to her, as these simple ""dupes" of Catholicism 'actually believed that this impostor-had the power to heal any ailment that might afflict them.
There were thousands of fanatics who visited Munster and hung their crutches on the chapel walls and declared they were cured of their, ailment. The blind claimed to see by her intercessions. lt was claimed that all, possessed o every kind and description of ailments, could be cured if the one who was afflicted only had faith in this Mother Superior's wonderful power?
"The finger of God is in the land!" was the cry,
and tens of thousands of Catholics from all over the country gathered in Munster.
There was a certain man by the name of Friedhoff who doubted the proclaimed powers of this Mother Superior and boldly declared his doubt, and the Catholic world was indignant over the audacity of such a doubt. It was learned that the Mother Superior would allow but one sister of the institution to come to her room, and also her Father Confessor. By the way, it might be pertinent to say that the Mother Superior was an extremely handsome young lady; in fact, very young for the position she occupied.
The guard that was placed over the Mother Superior was given instructions by the Mayor of Munster to watch her closely and see that she lived entirely upon "Holy Communion." The Protestant world took an active part in this matter and gave close attention to the guard that was over this "Mother Superior," as they were determined to learn from whence originated this bold deception, as they were thoroughly convinced that it was nothing more nor less than a deception The confessor of the "Mother Superior" was changed and the sister who waited upon her was changed, and in a very short time the "Mother Superior" asked for food; thus it began to dawn upon the public at large that they had been grossly deceived, and they began to learn that all of these miraculous cures (?) were brought about and promulgated by the leaders of Catholicism. Numerous physicians were taken into confidence and an examination was made of the "Mother Superior," and it was learned that she was pregnant, and it was proven that the child belonged to the priest in charge of the convent, who, by the way, was the one this "Mother Superior" confessed her sins to.
This "Mother Superior" sat in her room and gave her orders to at least two hundred sisters who were inmates of this institution.
The Catholic world advertised this "fake" so thoroughly that every house in and about Munster was filled to overflowing with pilgrims who came there on the strength of this well-advertised fake."
Munster was the Mecca. Every train arriving brought in hundreds and added great multitudes to the already great crowd. Some claimed that the. sight of the chapel, or even the sight of the hospital, healed them.
Even the newspapers began to report the wonderful miracles (?) that were-performed by this "Mother Superior."
By this time the Protestants in Munster were getting very active and denounced this worship in round terms, and set about to have an investigation made, which was bitterly opposed by the Catholics. The hotel keepers and shop keepers of Munster were bitterly opposed to the Protestants' denunciation, as they were, anxious for this "fake" to be advertised as thoroughly as possible, as. it was bringing them in large revenues, as the thousands who were visiting Munster were compelled to have raiment, food and lodging; but the denunciation of this "fake" by the Protestants became so great that the bishop was 'compelled, greatly against the wishes of the citizens of Munster, to investigate, and this investigation brought forth enough to startle the civilized world. However,it is only one of the many, many colossal "fakes" that are promulgated by Catholicism. However, the clamor of the 'Protestant world brought things to a crisis, as the "Mother Superior" was ordered to stay in strict confinement and a watch was placed over her.
This brought matters to a climax and I the "Mother Superior" confessed that one of the inmates of the convent had secretly carried her food during all of this time that she wag claiming to exist on "Holy Communion." Of course, this is only one. of the tens of thousands of such schemes that are practiced by Catholicism all over the world, and the Protestants were not surprised and stated boldly and above board that they knew there was some "scull-duggery" attached to all of this fake miracle business.
This "Mother Superior" fled from Munster, and it was learned that she went to the City Rheine, on the river Ems, and gave birth to a child, and the father of this child was the Catholic priest in charge of this convent, who helped and, was the prime instigator in giving out to the world that the "Mother Superior" was performing miracles, which was a malicious lie made of whole cloth and promulgated in order to securely bind the followers of Catholicism to their Idolatrous belief.
This is not the end of the "Mother Superior," as she afterwards practiced in the open what she had practiced in this Catholic convent at Munster, as she entered a. house of ill fame in the City of Rheine in Germany, and there led a life of shame as a harlot of the world; however, she was only living the same life she had been living when she was sailing under the name of "Mother Superior" in this convent at Munster.
Now, reader, if Catholicism would practice such abominations upon the ignorant dupes of her followers in Munster, Germany, is it not reasonable to suppose that she would practice them to-day wherever she can fasten her hellish belief upon the minds of the people!
Hardly a day passes over our heads but what we, see in some newspaper where Catholicism is brazenly declaring to the intelligent public that
miraculous cures are being performed by some "hoodoo saint" of their idolatrous creed.
One would believe that in enlightened America the Roman Church could not wield such an idolatrous influence over her followers, but when you stop to think that the children of Catholic parents are brought up from infancy to believe all of this "hoodooism," it is not strange that they fall into these idolatrous practices.
When America learns that the majority of the convents and monasteries of this country are used for the purpose of shielding and protecting Catholic criminals, and for the purpose of Catholic dignitaries to glut their lust upon the female inmates of these institutions, and will exact and demand laws that will force a rigid examination every thirty or sixty days of these institutions, then the world at large will know and thoroughly understand that these institutions are practically the homes of depravity and licentiousness.
To give the reader more information in regard to what Catholicism resorts to to impress their "dupes" with their idolatry, we want to take up their great magician, "St. Anthony." The Catholic priesthood teaches their followers that St. Anthony's spirit possesses the power' to answer all prayers, in fact, to perform any favor the supplicant may ask.
Now, to illustrate what I mean, is this: Suppose you had lost your pocketbook containing $50.00; the Catholic Church teaches that all you have to do is to pay a few dimes into the priest's pocket and then get down and pray to St. Anthony and you will at once learn where your pocketbook is.
Now, bear in mind that this praying to St. Anthony don't cut any ice unless you pay something, as every prayer must be backed up by money, and the more money paid the quicker action you can get on St. Anthony.
The Catholic Church calls it "St. Anthony's Bread Box," and right by the side of this box they have a large number of small candies, and you are supposed to drop the money into this box to pay for the candles that St. Anthony uses when looking for what is lost, or to light his path on his road to answer your prayer. These candles cost the priest from one-half cent to one cent each, and the "dupe" will drop in from ten cents to ten dollars to have his prayer answered, so you can see that the Catholic Church is a good thing for the candle makers.
We will now give you a few idiotic prayers that are offered to St. Anthony by the followers of blind Catholicism.
"O, Glorious St. Anthony, noble Sunflower of divine conformity, I salute thee in the name of the Queen of Angels and of all the angelic choirs; and I thank Almighty God for the grace bestowed on thee, that like to this Great Queen and the angelic choir's thou wert ever conformed to His holy will. I beseech thee that with this glorious Lady and all the angelic choirs, thou wouldst approach the throne of God, lovingly offer Him this my petition and strengthen it by thine intercession.
"OUR FATHER. HAIL, MARY. GLORY."
"I salute thee, Blessed Anthony, noble Narcissus-flower of knowledge, in the name of all the patriarchs and prophets; and I thank the good God for bestowing on thee, like to the patriarchs and prophets, the gift of divine knowledge and of foreseeing future events. I beseech thee that with the patriarchs and prophets thou wouldst approach the throne of God and by your united prayers and merits obtain for me this my petition.
"OUR FATHER. HALL, MARY. GLORY."
"I salute thee, Blessed Anthony, noble Carnation-flower of fervent love, in the name of all the holy apostles and disciples of Christ; and I thank the most merciful Lord for the great grace bestowed on thee, like unto that of the apostles and disciples, when He chose thee to proclaim the holy Gospel and to spread the Christian faith. I beseech thee that with the apostles and disciples thou wouldst approach the throne of God and by your united prayers and merits obtain for me this my petition.
"OUR FATHER. HAIL, MARY. GLORY."
We will give you an instance of this " St. Anthony's" witchcraft business that came under my personal observation. A lady was standing upon a bridge that spans one of the many streams that rushes down from the Adirondack Mountains, gazing at this crystal stream and watching the fishes below, and while standing there she was toying with a beautiful diamond ring that had been given her by her lover. In a careless manner she allowed this ring to slip from her finger, and it fell into the waters below.
With a sudden cry those who were near her were attracted to the spot and she explained to them her misfortune, and it was not long until there was quite a crowd about her, offering their sympathy and also their assistance.
Some volunteered to wade into this stream and search for the ring, which was done, and a number of buckets of mud were carried up out of the stream from the point the lady had stated she had dropped her ring, but the ring could not be found.
At this point one of our Catholic "dupes" appeared and explained to the lady that if she would put her trust in St. Anthony and would pay $500, that St. Anthony would restore to her her ring.
This lady being a Catholic also, of course, was easily persuaded to do this, so they knelt down and prayed to St. Anthony and beseeched him to restore the lost treasure, and it was not long until all of those in the crowd that belonged to the Catholic Church were in sympathy with this distressed lady, and they were also kneeling and supplicating St. Anthony to restore the lost treasure. They prayed for an hour, but still the lost treasure would not appear; then the ringleader of this barbarous belief informed this lady that the ring had been swallowed by a fish. He pretended to be inspired and claimed that he could catch this identical fish with the bait of St. Anthony's bread. Everything was soon prepared and the line was let down into the water, and sure enough a good sized fish was caught upon this St. Anthony's bait, and the crowd went into rapturous delight, as they were quite sure they had the identical fish that had swallowed the ring.
As soon as the fish was caught a collection was raised by a priest who was in the crowd for the benefit of "St. Anthony's Bread Box." All of the Catholics in the crowd contributed, of course, as they were afraid not to, for Catholics believe that if they do not do what a priest tells them to they are sure to have something awful befall them, and, of course, all of these Catholics believed ill the witchcraft of St. Anthony and believed that he was the actual restorer of all lost things.
The Protestants in the congregation were determined to see what was inside of the fish, so they followed the one that carried it to a butchershop and the fish was cut open, but naught was found in it but what is usually found in any old fish that never saw or heard tell of a diamond ring.
Now, this is one of the thousands--yea, tens of thousands of such instances that are forced down the throats of the ignorant, superstitious followers of Catholicism.
Now, what I relate above is true in every conceivable manner, and not one sentence or statement is misrepresented.
This belief in the power of St. Anthony is simply abominable and belongs to the dark ages of heathendom.
I have often wondered when I was acting as priest ill the Catholic Church wily it was that Protestants, when they attended my church, would look on in wonderment and surprise, and I attributed this wonderment to a desire upon the part of Protestantism to make fun and vilify the teachings of the Catholic Church, but I now realize that this bewilderment came from minds which had been elevated far above the cungerings of the Catholic Church, and I am now surprised that the Protestants who visit Catholic churches are not more bewildered and mystified, as the teachings of Protestantism are based upon the inspirations derived from the Word of God, and the teachings Of Catholicism are naught but the rumblings of the dark ages.
Roman Catholicism, as taught by our modern priests and inspired by the papal power at Rome is naught but the distant rumblings of an antiquated chariot of darkness, as the teachings of this MONARCHICAL creed has naught in view but the enslavement of reason for the financial gain and benefit of the "Robed" few who claim the right to think for the masses.
For thirty long years I was bound to this bewitching spirit of darkness by the chords of superstition and never dared to look above my blind superiors for wisdom, until a "something" which I will call "fate" broke the windows of my mental dungeon and permitted the light of "SPIRITUAL LIBERTY" to filter through my being which awoke "reason and common sense" from her long sleep of lethargy. Now, what I once thought "Holy" I detest as abominable; What I once worshipped, I now hate.
It is not the glitter of gold nor the applaudits of the Protestant world that I crave, but it is the Master's approval, that I desire. Therefore I deem it my duty to both God and mankind to proclaim to the world what I know of the awfulness of Roman Catholicism, and I know enough to make my poor soul often wonder if I shall ever be permitted, to sing with the blest around that GREAT WHITE THRONE in the New Jerusalem.
As you peruse these pages, I pray that you may whisper a prayer to God in my behalf, as I am now fifty-six years old and only a child in wisdom.
With pity for the blind hosts of Catholicism and a prayer upon my lips for their deliverance from the trenches of paganism, I dedicate this book to the world as coming from a heart which poured out its youth's vitality upon the barren fields of superstition, and wasted its vigor in serving only the god of myths.
My parents were Catholics, and for this reason I suppose, is why I became a Catholic Priest.
I was born in Germany, in 1847, thus you see I am now almost what the world would call an old man--56 years old.
A few years ago, I was of the opinion that my life had been well spent, but to-day I firmly believe that the major part of my life has been spent in erroneous doctrines and nonsensical teachings, as the broad light of wisdom and independent thought has penetrated the dark resources of my bewildered conception of right, and has caused me to look upon things in general in an intelligent manner. Therefore, I feel that my youth and the vigorous years of my manhood have been spent in what one might term idolatry.
From this time forward I am going to endeavor to undo, as near as possible, what I have helped to accomplish in the past.
In the first place, I desire to give the reader an idea of who I am, as the reader is entitled to this knowledge, and in the second place I want the reader to understand what I am, and in the third place to understand why I am what I am, as there must be a reason for all things.
My ancestors came from Sweden, but becoming tired of religious warfare under Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, they settled in a Catholic colony in Germany, in the southern part of the Dukedom of Oldenburg, near the River Haase.
The reader, if he be a Protestant, is familiar with Protestant affiliations, and I am led to believe belongs to one of the many Protestant denominations, known under the head of Methodist, Baptist, Christian, United Brethren, Presbyterian, Free Baptist. or some one of the many other ProtestantChurches. Therefore you can easily see why it was that I became. a Catholic, as I was taught it from my infancy.
My father, like his ancestors, lived in Essen, Oldenburg. Essen is a town of considerable trade in grain, in fine Oldenburg horses and Holstein cows, in fact, it is a town noted for its fine stock.
The beautiful town of Essen has a considerable population. Two fine rivers, which unite their rapid waters in its very midst, make it an ideal spot to live.
My relatives were among the first and best families of the Dukedom. These families were by name Dickmann, Meyer, Junker and Mohlenkamp, who are at the head of the intellectual and material movements of that place. They are all related by marriage and intermarriage to the Fresenborgs. My parents had ten children. This, however, may not interest the reader, so I will confine myself to my own biography.
The school to which I was sent was one of the leading schools and had a world-wide reputation, especially of sending many scholars and students to the gymnasium and afterwards to universities for different branches of sciences.
It seems as though all of those who attended this school became successful in their individual careers, as lawyers, doctors or some other of the chosen avocations of life.
I was raised, I might say under the walls of the free City of Bremen, and was inspired with the idea of freedom, and this, perhaps, may be the reason why, when I have come to be an old man, that I have shaken off this eternal bondage of Catholicism and launched my boat so late in life upon the broad waters of Protestant freedom.
As the son of a wealthy family, I was sent to the Gymnasium of Vechta for higher studies, where I received the best education which Germany could ,give to her sons, and from there I was dismissed with the diploma of "Maturity" in 1870, which was a passport to any man holding such a diploma in any scholarly community, for a diploma from this institution meant all that it implied.
After I had gone through a perfect study of Gymnasium, and after having obtained my diploma, I could then decide for any career that I might choose.
About this time came the disturbance of all of Germany caused by "The German-French War." Like every patriot, I volunteered as a soldier, but the officers in the German army were practical men and they had little use for unseasoned "student soldiers" in the field of action, and I was left in garrisons where universities were situated, where I had military practice for a few hours each day, and then could follow my studies at the same time.
Peace followed quickly after the Waterloo of Napoleon III at Sedan, and this peace was restored quickly in the "fatherland," as not one victorious Frenchman had crossed the "Rhine."
I followed my favorite study, forestry and agriculture, for some time, but as my parents and my forefathers, both on my father's and mother's side, had been devout Catholics, I had an earnest longing to become a Catholic Priest, as I desired to go forth in the world and proclaim the cause of Christ, believing that Catholicism was the only church which had a right to establish her doctrines, and, of course, cast my lot with this church, and to-day finds me an old man with every vestige of childhood's faith shaken from center to circumference, as I have lived in America so long and seen so much of the intelligence of Protestantism, and so much of the deception of Catholicism, I could not remain in the Catholic Church and be true to my conception of what was right and wrong, therefore I laid aside, with a degree of regret, the relies of Catholic barbarism.
I discarded the Scapular and everything that has no more intelligent meaning to it than the cungering devices of the heathen has towards the uplifting of humanity and the civilization of the world.
Many, many years ago my faith was shaken by what I had seen with my own eyes and heard with my own cars, but I nursed my religious belief from my mother's bosom; my religion was born and bred in my bones; every drop of blood in my person was electrified in childhood by the cungerings of Catholic ledgerdemain, and I was tmother's knee to believe that there was no other church that had a ghost of a chance of eternal salvation but the Catholic Church, and I was taught that all Protestant, were heretics and abominable in the sight of God and sure of eternal damnation, unless they turned from their sins and joined the Catholic Church.
Oftimes I would have my faith shaken by the actions of some lustful priest, but I clung tenaciously to the religion of my mother and refused to look beyond the horizon of Catholic superstition.
About the time that I had fully made up my mind to become a priest, I had my faith shaken in the priesthood to a great extent by a scandalous happening near the College of Vechta, which concerned and strictly involved one of the great dignitaries of Catholicism in my college town, but I fought this feeling of dislike down and forced myself to believe that what a priest or bishop did was all right in the sight of God, but at the same time I had a feeling of distrust, as I could not reconcile myself to believe that God would look with compassion upon the acts of a dignitary more taught at my readily than he would upon the transgressions of his blind and duped followers, but nevertheless I went ahead and prepared myself for the priesthood, which I followed for thirty years.
Right directly opposite the college which I was attending resided the Very Rev. Herold. This reverend gentleman was a high dignitary in the Catholic Church.
We young priests had often heard it whispered about that Priest Harold had in his house at different times a number of concubines, which are nothing more nor less than lude women. We often saw ladies around the mansion, dressed in the very height of fashion, and their actions led us to believe that they were there at the solicitation of Rev. Harold, as they were seen there at all times of the day and night, and this certainly made a very strange impression upon us young students, as there were so many different faces; one day we would see two or three young girls, and the next day the same number would be about the mansion, but different faces. All of we young students endeavored not to believe the rumor, as we were Catholics in every sense of the word, and we did not want to believe that anything so degrading would be tolerated in the very mansion of one of the officials who were teaching us.
The acts of this dignitary became so flagrant that even the students who were trying not to believe the scandal were forced to believe there was something wrong about the mansion of this Catholic dignitary.
About this time there was a young priest by the name of Wulf, from Rome, who was sent to Vechta and made secretary of this dignitary's mansion, who, during the day, worked in the office of the mansion, where court was held in cases of the Catholic Church and schools.
He was soon familiar in and about the mansion and the surrounding grounds and was given many privileges, and the dignitary seemed to like him because he did not meddle with his vile conduct, and the ladies who frequented this place also seemed to admire him. There was a large lawn surrounding the mansion and at night-time a number of vicious dogs were unchained to guard it.
The priest that was sent from Rome was soon on familiar terms with the dogs and they would mind him and became as obedient as children, and he was soon on such good terms with these dogs that he could approach the house at any time, day or night, and one word from him would cause them to sneak off to their kennels and not molest any who desired to approach the mansion.
The young priests of this college were determined to learn, if possible, if this Catholic dignitary was guilty of the immoral conduct that he was accused of, so they went to Wulf and explained to him that they desired to make a personal investigation, and got this young priest to promise that he would let them into the grounds one night and also see that the dogs did not molest them.
We selected a dark night and a few of us young priests slipped into the lawn surrounding the mansion and placed a ladder up to the second story window, as there was a bright light inside, and we determined to learn, if possible, what was going on in this room.Dr. Wulf, the secretary, was the first to ascend, and there in this room was the dignitary of the Catholic Church in a half drunken condition, with two licentious and lude women, playing cards and drinking wine, and the trio were in a half nude condition, and frequently this dignitary of the Catholic Church would kiss these ##$$$$%##
After Dr. Wulf came down the ladder and told what he had seen, of course the rest of us wished to become eye witnesses to the perfidy of this vagabond of the Catholic Church.
We would take time about going up the ladder to look at this sight, and sometimes one would remain so long at the top of the ladder the others would become restless and urge him to come down and give the rest of us a chance.
It seemed as though this Catholic dignitary and the women up stairs within had implicit confidence in the dogs, and had no fear of detection in their drunken immorality. This dignitary seemed very drunk, and the ladies began to undress him preparatory to putting him to bed. When they had him undressed, one of them pulled off her clothes and went to bed with him.......(cont next blog)
Stigmata is demon possion. Christ suffered for us on the cross once already. To manifets his suffering is to reject the cross and take suffering ourselves. That is WORKS!!! These poor creatures are suffering needlessly. How spiritually arrogant to think sinful man can suffer for mankind...this is nothing more than religion at its utmost in hypocricy. Here are some documented cases on stigmata demon possession.
Many devout claimants of stigmata, inedia, and other powers, have also exhibited alleged demonic possession. For example, at Loudon, France, a prioress, Sister Jeanne des Anges (1602-1665), was part of a contagious outbreak of writhing, convulsing nuns. Jeanne herself exhibited stigmatic designs and lettering on her skin. A bloody cross "appeared" on her forehead, and the names of Jesus, Mary, and others were found on her hand-always clustered on her left hand, just as expected if a right-handed person were marking them. She went on tour as a "walking relic" and was exhibited in Paris to credulous thousands. There were a few skeptics, but Cardinal Richelieu rejected having Jeanne tested by having her hand enclosed in a sealed glove. He felt that would amount to testing God (Nickell 1998, 230-231).
Stigmata is spontaneous manifestation of bloody wounds on a person's hands, feet, forehead and back - similar to the wounds of the crucified Jesus. Those who describe stigmata categorize these experiences as divine or mystical. History tells us that many ecstatic bear on hands, feet, side, or brow the marks of the Passion of Christ with corresponding and intense sufferings. These are called visible stigmata. Others only have the sufferings, without any outward marks, and these phenomena are called invisible stigmata. The infliction of stigmata is called stigmatization.
Healing is usually reported within a few hours after the wounds appear. Some people who suffer from stigmata report feels of sadness, depression, weakness, their body in physical pain, prior to the bleeding. The blood will pour forth from openings on the body for an unknown amount of time -then just as suddenly disappear and heal. The openings can be just in one area of the body - such as the hands or feet - or in several areas of the body at the same time. The person is almost always in pain and discomfort when this occurs.
There have been over 500 reported stigmatics who have displayed wounds similar to those inflicted upon Jesus. The first recorded case of these wounds was in the year 1222, by a man named Stephen Langton of England. Saint Francis of Assisi first suffered the wounds in La Verna, Italy, in 1224.
Other famous stigmatists include Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint John of God, and Saint Marie of the Incarnation. The most famous stigmatist of the twentieth century was Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (1887196.
Stigmata was more recently experienced by Brother Roque (19681996); a novice in the order of Los Hijos de Los Hijos de La Madre de Dios (The Sons of the Sons of the Mother of God in Villavicencio, Colombia; and Canadian Lilian Bernas who began claiming to exhibit stigmata in 1992.
There have been historical stigmatics that were known to have faked wounds, such as Magdalena de la Cruz (14871560), who admitted the fraud.Similarly self-inflicted wounds can be associated with certain brain disorders. Some people who fake stigmata suffer from Munchausen syndrome which is characterised by an intense desire for attention. People with Munchausen hurt themselves or fake an illness hoping to end up in a hospital where they can enjoy attention and care.
People also fake stigmata knowing that some who had stigmata were declared holy by the Pope. In this way they try to gain recognition. Self-inflicted stigmata heal naturally.
Though some people feel stigmata is psychosomatically induced, this is rarely the case. Stigmata can affect women as well as men. The blood may be of a different type than the person who is having the experience.
Classically, Stigmata appear at as many as five locations of the Holy Wounds, namely the hands or wrists, feet, and side (often fatal), and other wounds endured during the Passion, including:
Wounds caused by a Crown of Thorns, although sometimes invisible Whip lashings or scourging on the back A wound in the side, caused by a spear, or lanceNail holes in the wrists, or hands Nail holes in the ankles, or feet Formations of the flesh in the form of nails: the heads of the nail being rectangular and an inch on the topside and the tip of a nail on the backside, usually curved in as if hitting another surface. Supposedly, a real stigmatic exhibits the wounds in a five-part series. Each series is separated by a length of time, only to repeat again like so: A; A,B; A,B,C; A,B,C,D; A,B,C,D,E. At the end of each sequence the stigmatic is sometimes known to smell a specific type of flower; see also odor of sanctity.
Also, according to experts, the blood seeping from the wounds of the individual should be the blood of Christ, thus yielding two types of blood from one wound.
There is debate over the historical method crucifixion, if nails were driven through the hands or wrists. Stigmata appear on the hands of some stigmatists, and the wrists of others. Skeptics see this as evidence that the wounds have a human origin rather than a divine one, as divine wounds might be expected to be more consistent. The odor has a smell of jasmine.
In supposed real Stigmata, the blood flows freely and cannot be stopped with traditional medical care. Faked Stigmata are superficial and heal quickly. Blood will appear fresh and of a bright, deep color. The blood flow will often go against the laws of gravity. The stigmata are usually received with states of extreme ecstasy.
In his paper on "Hospitality and Pain", iconoclastic Christian theologian Ivan Illich touches on the phenomenon of stigmata with characteristic terseness: "Compassion with Christ... is faith so strong and so deeply incarnate that it leads to the individual embodiment of the contemplated pain". His thesis is that stigmata result from exceptional poignancy of religious faith and desire to associate oneself with the suffering Christ.
The stigmata theme has been used in several movies, TV shows, and books.
Other Famous Stigmatics:
St. Francis of Assisi (1186-1226); nails appeared in his wounds. St. Lutgarde (1182-1246), a Cistercian; St. Margaret of Cortona (1247-97); St. Gertrude (1256-1302), a Benedictine; St. Clare of Montefalco (1268-130, an Augustinian; St. Angela of Foligno (d. 1309), Franciscan tertiary; St. Catherine of Siena (1347-80), Dominican tertiary; St. Lidwine (1380-1433); St. Frances of Rome (1384-1440); St. Colette (1380-1447), Franciscan; St. Rita of Cassia (1386-1456), Augustinian; Bl. Osanna of Mantua (1499-1505), Dominican tertiary; St. Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510), Franciscan tertiary; Bl. Baptista Varani (1458-1524), Poor Clare; Bl. Lucy of Narni (1476-1547), Dominican tertiary; Bl. Catherine of Racconigi (1486-1547), Dominican; St. John of God (1495-1550), founder of the Order of Charity; St. Catherine de' Ricci (1522-89), Dominican; St. Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi (1566-1607), Carmelite; Bl. Marie de l'Incarnation (1566-161, Carmelite; Bl. Mary Anne of Jesus (1557-1620), Franciscan tertiary; Bl. Carlo of Sezze (d. 1670), Franciscan; Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-90), Visitandine (who had only the crown of thorns); St. Veronica Giuliani (1600-1727), Capuchiness; St. Mary Frances of the Five Wounds (1715-91), Franciscan tertiary. Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824), Augustinian; Elizabeth Canori Mora (1774-1825), Trinitarian tertiary; Anna Maria Taïgi (1769-1837); Maria Dominica Lazzari (1815-4; Marie de Moerl (1812-6 Louise Lateau (1850-83), Franciscan tertiaries. Of these, Marie de Moerl spent her life at Kaltern, Tyrol (1812-6. At the age of twenty she became an ecstatic, and ecstasy was her habitual condition for the remaining thirty-five years of her life. She emerged from it only at the command, sometimes only mental, of the Franciscan who was her director, and to attend to the affairs of her house, which sheltered a large family. Her ordinary attitude was kneeling on her bed with hands crossed on her breast, and an expression of countenance which deeply impressed spectators. At twenty-two she received the stigmata. On Thursday evening and Friday these stigmata shed very clear blood, drop by drop, becoming dry on the other days. Thousands of persons saw Marie de Moerl, among them Görres (who describes his visit in his "Mystik", II, xx), Wiseman, and Lord Shrewsbury, who wrote a defense of the ecstatic in his letters published by "The Morning Herald" and "The Tablet".
Louise Lateau spent her life in the village of Bois d'Haine, Belgium (1850-83). The graces she received were disputed even by some Catholics, who as a general thing relied on incomplete or erroneous information, as has been established by Canon Thiery ("Examen de ce qui concerne Bois d'Haine", Louvain, 1907). At sixteen she devoted herself to nursing the cholera victims of her parish, who were abandoned by most of the inhabitants. Within a month she nursed ten, buried them, and in more than one instance bore them to the cemetery. At eighteen she became an ecstatic and stigmatic, which did not prevent her supporting her family by working as a seamstress. Numerous physicians witnessed her painful Friday ecstasies and established the fact that for twelve years she took no nourishment save weekly communion. For drink she was satisfied with three or four glasses of water a week. She never slept, but passed her nights in contemplation and prayer, kneeling at the foot of her bed.
A psycic stigmatic (The guy in the picture)
Georgio Bongiavani a man who experiences stigmata on his hands and forehead every day of his life. Georgio's wounds appear legitimate. He lectured about the return of extraterrestrials which links to biblical prophecies and Revelation.
Offer it up: Stigmatas, Suffering and the Catholic Church By Jackie Alnor (Posted March 2, 2003)
The Roman Catholic Church is full of traditions that seem so bizarre to those raised Protestant. One of the hardest things for Bible-based Christians to understand is the concept of self-induced suffering.
This is seen most often during the season of Lent, approaching Easter. EWTN, the Catholic television network, airs footage of processions of the Catholic faithful walking up cobblestone stairs on their knees until they are bloody. Also in the processions are monks with their backs bared who lash themselves with leather whips while keeping in step with the crowds who are following behind a liter carrying an ornate and decked out statue of Mary.
In some extreme cases, men present themselves every Good Friday, particularly in the Philippines, to be literally nailed to wooden crosses while the crowds gather around and look upon them with awe and approval. Some of these self-afflicted sufferers come back year after year to compete with each other to see who can stay nailed to their cross the longest.
A well-known monastic practice is the wearing of hair shirts designed to make a penitent monk very uncomfortable. The wearers of the burlap attire would take vows to not satisfy the urge to scratch even as the itching became unbearable. They were to offer it up to God for merit in heaven.
Bible-believing Christians look at this and get sick to their stomachs. It is obvious to them that these activities have no spiritual merit whatsoever. The Bible backs up that assessment. The Apostle Paul wrote of the spirit of this sort of thing when he said:
"These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence" (Col 2:23).
Stigmata Origins
Historically, these sorts of traditions came out of the monastic practices of the Middle Ages. The Franciscan order of monks were known for their vows of poverty, strict rules, and harsh treatment of their bodies. The founder St. Francis of Assisi is the first known person to ever have the ultimate in pain piety -- the stigmata. The Catholic Encyclopedia describes this paranormal phenomena this way:
"Many ecstatics bear on hands, feet, side, or brow the marks of the Passion of Christ with corresponding and intense sufferings. These are called visible stigmata. Others only have the sufferings, without any outward marks, and these phenomena are called invisible stigmata."
St. Francis received his painful stigmata, where his skin allegedly bunched up over his wounds to take on the form of the nails of the crucifixion, after a statue of the suffering Christ hanging on a cross took on life and spoke to him, according to published literature from one of EWTN’s television series.
The stigmatists believe that their suffering can release people from Purgatory. The stigmata, as well as self-induced suffering, has redemptive value to those alive and dead, according to Catholic tradition.
Victim Souls
Today there are several Catholics showing the marks of the stigmata who are revered by those given to the mystical. One unusual case is that of Audrey Santo, a teen-aged girl who has been comatose since the age of three when she fell into a swimming pool and drowned and was resuscitated. She was featured on a 20/20 feature in 1999 which showed hundreds of pilgrims descending upon Worcester, Massachusetts, seeking healing by touching the girl.
Although this girl hasn’t spoken since she was three, she often shows the stigmata and her face reveals excruciating agony when it is present, usually around Easter time. Other strange phenomena surround this tortured girl -- allegedly statues weep and secrete oil and Eucharistic hosts bleed. Biographer Antonia Felix in the book "Silent Soul" noted, "In the Santo family home chapel there is a large photograph of Padre Pio saying Mass, and the dark traces of the stigmata can be seen around the edges of his gloves. Oil is continuously flowing from this photograph and staining the wall beneath it."
There seems to be this strange pattern involving those who bear the stigmata -- weird paranormal things happen all around them. According to Felix, in a list published in the late 19th century there had been around 321 stigmatics and only 41 of them were men, the rest women. One of those women, St. Catherine de’ Ricci, besides having the stigmata, also had the "gift" of bi-location -- being in two places at once. She was said to have been mystically married to Jesus who gave her a special ring that only she could see.
St. Clare of Assisi is the one who came up with hot cross buns and would pray before St. Francis’ talking crucifix. She also was known to bi-locate and her body is one of those that refuses to decay and is venerated as incorrupt in her church.
St. Gemma Galgani was also allegedly mystically married to Jesus, experienced his flagellation and levitated to Jesus’ arms on the crucifix in Lucca, Italy. Levitation is a common byproduct of the stigmata. The same mystical duet happened to St. Veronica Giuliani, an Italian mystic whose blood-stained pillow cases are still on display at the church in Citta di Castello, Italy. Pilgrims there get to see the tree to which she levitated, according to an EWTN broadcast.
There are several websites dedicated to the memory of the newly canonized stigmatic Padre Pio. His stigmata first assailed him in September of 1918 after praying before a crucifix. Many of his experiences have been recorded of him wrestling with demons who tried frequently to throw him into the burning fireplace.
"Saint" Padre Pio
Padre Pio devotees do not see the obvious sinister origins of his torments. The Padre Pio homepage says:
"The world today needs credible signs. Padre Pio is a credible sign to our time. He is a true victim with Christ. He is a channel of grace. At the altar he is the anointed one…He presented his many spiritual children to Our Lord offering his own suffering for them."
The late Bible Answer Man Walter Martin is one of the few church leaders in the 20th century to lend credibility to the stigmata. In November of 1983, he told his Bible class:
"Stigmata is, down through the ages, a valid form, particularly at Easter time, of identification with Christ. I know the stigmata, the wounds on the hands and the feet and the side and around the top of the head, have appeared in the lives of many Christian saints, and therefore it would be very difficult to say that it was demonic. And I take it to be, when it is genuine, a genuine manifestation of a witness to Christ and to his sufferings on the cross."
But, what are the biblical options? It’s either demonic, psychological, or a hoax. It certainly can’t be a valid Christian experience since Jesus is the only one worthy to be the sacrifice for the sins of mankind.
"I met Padre Pio at his home in San Giovani Rotundo in 1960," wrote Mike Gendron, founder of the Proclaiming the Gospel ministry in response to my inquiry concerning Martin’s statement. "At the time I thought as Walter Martin did, however later after my conversion, I read his autobiography. He said souls from Purgatory would stop by his window on the way to heaven to thank him for suffering on their behalf. Wrong!"
Another ministry associate friend of this writer's (who will remain unnamed) had strong words in response to Martin’s apparent affirmation of the stigmata.
"This isn't surprising," he said. "Walter Martin:
Sent people back into the Catholic church Said that crucifixes are valuable in exorcism (Note: I’ve only heard him say this of the empty cross) Promoted hypnosis Said that Seventh Day Adventists are Christians Believed in a local flood Mocked Henry Morris and others who believed in a global flood Said that all truth is God's truth Said that psychology has given us insights into the schizophrenic mind."
Blind Science
The psychological profession would write off cases of the stigmata as mere manifestations of auto-suggestion while the victims were in self-induced hypnotic trances while contemplating crucifixes. But there is no real evidence that such a thing is possible; that is mere speculation. The secular world cannot accept any spiritual reality, so they can only postulate the abundance of their ignorance on paranormal issues.
Certainly the demonic element can manifest markings in the body. There was the famous case of an alleged satanic ritualistic abuse victim whose story was told in the controversial book "Michelle Remembers." While under hypnosis, recalling her traumatic experiences as a child with Satan worshippers, she developed rashes on her body that were in the shape of the devil’s tail -- a pointed triangle as is seen drawn in caricatures of the guy with the pitchfork in his hand. The book contained photographs of those infernal markings and whether her story is to be believed or not, the pictures were pretty convincing that some devil was playing with her and making the marks.
I do not believe that the mind has some sort of latent powers that can create such diabolical markings. It isn’t explainable scientifically, but is in the realm of the unseen, where it is either divine or demonic.
Bible Clues
So is the stigmata of divine origin? The evidence rules that out. The first stigmatic was talking to idols that talked back to him and that is idolatry: a forbidden practice in scripture. The other paranormal accompaniments such as bi-location and levitation have no scriptural basis, and are only seen in the occult.
People may argue that just because it isn’t in scripture doesn’t mean it isn’t of God. But, the Bible says "do not exceed what is written," (1Cor. 4:6) and this certainly does.
The Bible’s teaching on suffering for Christ’s sake has to do with enduring persecution that will most certainly be the result of becoming His follower. Jesus told us:
"Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also" (John 15:20). And He told His followers that in this world they would have tribulation.
The Apostle Paul saw this in his own life. He was beaten, left for dead, and eventually executed because of his testimony for Christ. These were the marks he referred to when he said, "I bear in my body the brand marks of Jesus" (Gal. 6:17). This has often been interpreted to mean that he bore the stigmata, but one cannot get that from the passage.
Peter also spoke of how we would suffer -- not self-inflicted wounds, but those caused by persecution to those who would not deny Jesus as Lord.
"Instead, as you share in the sufferings of the Messiah rejoice, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory" (1 Peter 4:13).
Suffering for the sake of suffering as is done in the Catholic processions has no eternal merit and is not the sufferings of Christ, but the sufferings of spiritual pride in action. This does not give Jesus any glory whatsoever. The demonic-inflicted pain of the stigmatics gives no glory to the Lord either, but makes a mockery of the once and for all sacrifice of the cross. Jesus bore our sin and the chastisement we deserve was placed on Him (Isaiah 53:5). The sufferings inflicted upon us because we are His true followers will bring eternal rewards and a martyr’s crown.
I leave you with an admonition from Walter Martin that I can agree with:
"Unrepentant evil cannot be cooperated with. You have to turn away from it. If you don’t, you will become guilty as an accessory after the fact" (WAM Bible class: 11-27-83)
My friend sent me an article last night. Needless to say, I near about fell over. These last days are really getting bad. Even though I am a Spirit filled tounge talking Born Again Christian, I am now going to a Bapist church. Better than going to anymore Charasmatic kookyball churches. I keep my tounges between me and God....lol. Not sure how it is in the States but where I live the Charasmatics are becoming fruit cakes!
Besides gold dust,angel feathers,diamonds and ectoplasmic blobs we now have...THE STIGMATA. See how the Charasmatics are becoming Roman mystics! I have alot to say on this subject but for now let us just take a look at this strange phenomena and please feel free to let me know what you think about it
PROPHETIC & GLORY CONFERENCE
WITH
TODD BENTLEY
Hosted by Fusion Church
February/March, 2008
Auckland Town Hall, Auckland, Bew Zealand
One of the speakers is by KARI BROWNING and here is the write up.(Go to this site to see for yourself)
God is giving unusual signs in the sky and on the earth. I believe that the signs we are experiencing are conveying a message. Like the signs God gave to Moses, these signs have a voice.
And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. - Exodus 4:8 (KJV, emphasis added)
I recently spoke at two conferences where unusual signs occurred. I believe that these signs are speaking a message to the Church at large.
The first conference was in Salt Lake City in March 2007. One of the speakers was Randy DeMain. While being driven to one of the meetings, Randy shared with the driver that he had been preaching a new message entitled “The Doves of the Latter Rain.” Randy mentioned that when he began to preach this message, doves began to show up in various cities where he was speaking. While he was telling him this, a dove began to fly alongside the car. When they arrived at the church, several people were standing outside looking up at two doves perched on the roof. We were told that it was unusual to see doves in that vicinity.
Immediately following that conference in Salt Lake City, I flew to a conference in New Zealand where I was speaking with Joshua and Janet Mills. During that event, Joshua had a very unusual experience and we witnessed some amazing signs.
Joshua had a ring which was given to him by his father-in-law for his son, Lincoln. It was a very valuable diamond ring and was part of Lincoln’s inheritance from his grandfather. While on a ministry trip in Phoenix, Arizona, the ring had been stolen from Joshua’s hotel room. Later, in New Zealand, while lying on his bed in his hotel room, Joshua had a vision. In the vision, he saw a house in Phoenix which he believes belonged to the person who stole the ring. In the vision, he entered the house and saw the ring on a table. He picked up the ring, and when he came out of the vision, he had the ring in his hand! He literally took back what had been stolen from him – his son’s inheritance.
After that experience, some other unusual signs occurred in New Zealand. Joshua was preaching on Sunday morning at Fusion Church. His text was Luke 17 about the lepers who had been healed. As he finished his message and began to pray, he felt a warm liquid in his hand. It looked like liquid blood. It then changed and looked like bright red glory dust. As he held his hand up to show the blood sign, a leader in the church began to have oil pour from her hands. Many came to the altar for salvation and several people were healed.
During the Sunday evening service, we heard a shofar (trumpet) sound come through the sound system when no one was blowing one in the natural.
I believe that these signs are speaking a message. Billye Brim, in her book The Blood and the Glory, said that the revelation of the blood was foundational to the latter rain outpouring. I believe that the revelation of the power of the blood has been stolen and is now being restored. Billye also noted that the revelation of the blood and the revelation of the glory go hand in hand. We are living in a time when God is manifesting His glory in tangible ways.
Billye Brim associates the latter rain outpouring with both the Azusa Street revival (which began on April 14, 1906) and the Latter Rain revival (which began on February 12, 1948.) The inheritance ring that was restored belonged to Joshua’s son, whose name is Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12 and died on April 14! I don’t believe it a coincidence that these revivals began on the anniversary dates of Abraham Lincoln’s birth and death, that the ring belonged to someone named Lincoln, and that in both of these revivals, the revelation of the power of the blood was key to the outpouring. The Gateway Apostolic Resource Center, the ministry I co-oversee in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, hosted conferences on both of these significant dates, prior to this experience in New Zealand, because we have been contending for restoration of what was lost in these two revivals.
Before going to New Zealand, Joshua Mills had been at Miracle Valley in Arizona for a tent meeting there. This is where A.A. Allen had held miracle meetings during the latter rain revival of the 1950’s. While there, an angel appeared to Joshua and told him that he would receive the blood sign. I was told by one who had attended A.A. Allen’s meetings that A.A. Allen would receive both blood and oil on his forehead and that it was his trademark. (Both the blood and the oil came during the same meeting in New Zealand while Joshua was preaching out of Luke 17 about the lepers being healed. Leviticus 14 describes how both blood and oil were used to cleanse leprosy.)
Roland Buck was a man who was visited by angels. His story is recorded in the book Angels on Assignment. During one encounter, he was told that “the message of the atonement is a tremendously powerful and liberating message for Christians. In this day, the final message before the call of the trumpet for us to come higher is the one of atonement.” The shofar (trumpet) sound came through the sound system without anyone blowing it after the blood sign came. The atonement message is the message of the blood. The message of Jesus Christ and him crucified must be preached to all nations first… before the trumpet sounds and Jesus returns. (Mark 13:10,26 and I Corinthians 2:1-5) Interestingly, Judaism refers to the Day of Atonement as “The Great Trump.”
In 2002, on the Day of Atonement, Bobby Conner had an experience that was a continuation of an experience he had while in New Zealand a few days prior. In this experience he saw a door, and on the door written in gold were the words: “The Gateway to God’s True Glory.” A voice said, “Look, you have entered the door of Jeremiah 33:3. Call unto Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
In his book, The Seven Festivals of the Messiah, Edward Chumney wrote regarding the Day of Atonement: “The result of this triple entry into the Holy of Holies, this triple recitation of G-d's most holy name, and this triple prostration by the entire people, was an utterly awesome sense of G-d's Presence making atonement for the people, cleansing them of all their sins, permitting them to begin the year afresh, renewing their lives.” The High Priest would enter three times, say the name of God three times, and the people would prostrate themselves three times. Bobby was given Jeremiah 33:3 on the Day of Atonement. I don’t think this is a coincidence.
I believe that God is speaking through these signs that the revelation of the blood and the revelation of the glory are being restored. I believe that we are in the beginning stages of a glory revival that will far surpass what was experienced in 1906 and 1948. We need to seek God for greater revelation of the atonement message and the power of the blood of Jesus. We need to remember the benefits of the atonement – He forgives all of our sins and heals all our diseases (Psalms 103).
Mike Gendron As Director of Proclaiming the Gospel Ministry, Mike works through local churches equipping the saints to effectively and faithfully communicate the Gospel of grace. He has taught the students and faculty at The Master’s Seminary, Dallas Theological Seminary, Moody Bible and Tyndale Theological Seminary. Mike is the author of Preparing Catholics for Eternity and Roman Catholicism: Scripture vs. Tradition, along with other resources that make the Gospel clear to those who are trapped in religious deception. Since graduating from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1991, Mike has conducted short-term missions trips and taught in hundreds of churches throughout the world.
The Bible gives overwhelming evidence as to why Scripture must be always our sole authority for faith. The Word of God is pure, perfect, inerrant, infallible, living, truth, light, holy, eternal, and forever settled in heaven. It illuminates, cleanses, saves, frees, guides, converts, heals, quickens, judges, and sanctifies. It also brings conviction, gives knowledge, gives wisdom, produces faith, refutes error, searches the heart, equips for every good work, and is used as a weapon. The Word of God is even exalted even above the very name of God.
Have you read Psalm 138:2?
Compare this with tradtion ... Jesus told the religious leaders of his day that their tradition was nullifying the very word of God. Yet the religious leaders of today continue to do the same and deceive their followers. Because of this we must take the exhortation of Peter seriously ... that is we ought to obey God rather than men
For Christians, the Scriptures provide the only objective basis for authority while the indwelling Holy Spirit provides illumination, conviction and discernment. This dual authority, the Spirit of God working with the Word of God, is sufficient in all matters of faith and Christian living. Catholics, on the other hand, submit to a dual authority of tradition and Scripture, under the subjective interpretation of their church. The pope, speaking for the church, is said to be infallible in matters pertaining to faith and morals. You ask, "Where does it say that Scripture alone should be the authority for faith?" Is "Sola Scriptura," the battle cry of the Reformers, found in the Bible? There are at least nine biblical justifications for the authority of Scripture alone.
All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God and useful for reproof and correction of error (2 Timothy 3:16) Since Scripture is used to correct and reproof then it must be the authoritative standard by which everything else is judged for its truthfulness.
Jesus said, "Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:34). The character of God is on the line. "God is not a man that He should lie ... and hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good (Numbers 23:19). Submitting to the authority of God's revealed word will guide us in His perfect will.
Christ used the authority of Scripture to rebuke Satan's attempt to deceive Him (Matthew 4:1-11). He gave prepositional statements to accurately convey the truth that Satan attempted to distort. Jesus was our perfect model for rebuking deception.
Jesus used the authority of Scriptures to rebuke false teachers (Matthew 22:29). The only way false teachers can be confronted and exposed is in the power of God's Word.
Repented sinners are saved by hearing and believing the Word (Ephesians 1:13-14) The integrity of the Gospel must be maintained and proclaimed for true conversions. Jesus prayed for Christians to be sanctified (set apart) by the truth of His Word (John 17:17). Christians must separate themselves from apostate churches and false teachers. God uses division to show those in His approval (1 Cor. 11:19).
One must continually submit to the authority of Scripture to be a disciple of Christ (John 8:31). Those who follow the traditions and teachings of men are often led astray.
Christ rebuked the religious leaders for nullifying the Word of God with their tradition (Mark 7:13). Any tradition that nullifies the Scriptures must be exposed and renounced so others will not be deceived. The Scriptures were written to all Christians, not to popes and Magisterium to be interpreted for lay people. Anytime we allow others to interpret God's word for us, we leave ourselves open to deception.
God foreknew the teachings and traditions of men would become corrupt and would lead many astray. In His wisdom, He left us with His Word, the only objective, absolute authority for truth, to lead us back to Him. It is pure, powerful, perfect, inerrant, infallible, living, holy, eternal, and forever settled in heaven. It illuminates, cleanses, frees, guides, converts, quickens, judges, sanctifies, brings conviction, gives wisdom, produces faith, and refutes error. Can you describe tradition in the same way God describes His word? Why would you want to add anything subjective to the objective standard God has given us?
Catholics will also argue that we would not have the Bible today if it were not for the Catholic Church. Did the Catholic Church really determine which books to include in the Bible and protect it throughout the centuries? I believe we have the Bible today in spite of Rome, who kept it hidden in a dead language for hundreds of years (Latin). In recent history Catholic priests refused to absolve the sins of any person who had possession of a Bible, until it was returned. Catholics must consider the following facts about the Bible.
Since the books were written under the inspiration of God, they were canonical the moment they were written. A council was not necessary to affirm what was already true. No book became canonical by the action of a church council. What the council did was determine which books did not meet the tests for canonicty. All the Old Testament books are quoted in the New Testament except Esther, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon. None of the books of the Apocrypha, which the Catholic Church added to its canon in the 16th century, are quoted.
The New Testament books had certain tests for canonicty. They either had to be written or backed by an apostle (Mark by Peter and Luke by Paul). They also had to be circulated and accepted by the majority of churches. By the second century only the 27 books that now make up the NT were accepted by the people of God. Each book had to reflect internal consistency and character with other Scripture.
Peter referred to the letters written by Paul as Scripture (2 Peter 3:16). We have the infallible Word of God today because almighty God has protected it and will continue to do so Matthew 5:18
"Recognizing Deception and Apostasy" written by Dene McGriff
I could go on and on and on, but don’t you see something wrong? Thirty years ago we evangelicals expected the liberal World Council of Churches members to end up in the Catholic fold, but one would have never expected a fundamental church such as the Baptists to ever even consider it. Yet today, we see a quantum shift. Today evangelicals are leading the bandwagon to celebrate a Jubilee 2000 and a Papal Mass for as many as 5 billion! Evangelical leaders are flocking to Rome to kiss the Papal ring! So where does this leave their flocks?
If there were only one sign of the Apostate Church that should make every true Christian sit up and take note, it is this rapprochement with the Roman Catholic Church. Yet, although there are a number of voices crying in the wilderness, few take note. Dave Hunt, whose excellent book, A Woman Rides the Beast, brought nothing but ridicule from the establishment. Where are the watchmen? Where are the spiritual leaders? Where is the cry of protest from today’s spiritual giants at this travesty? Our so-called evangelical leaders are strangely silent.
Many of the leaders of the New Revival - the Vineyards, Kansas City Prophets, and most dominionists have pilgrimaged to Rome. The Promise Keepers and similar men and women’s organizations promote an ecumenical agenda, as do most para-church organizations such as YWAM, Campus Crusade, Youth for Christ, etc. There are very few left who haven’t jumped on the bandwagon.
This just came out on the Internet on May 1, 1998. “Kampen, The Netherlands, 28 April (EN--Dr. Konrad Raiser, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, has renewed his call for the main Christian churches to start, in the year 2000, a process to lead to a universal Christian council uniting all churches and Christians. Speaking at the opening of the Dutch Kerkendag (church day) on Saturday, 25 April, Dr. Raiser said that in the year 2000, leaders of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Pentecostal churches should make a solemn promise not to rest until such a council had been achieved.”
I used to think, hey just think of all the “born again” charismatic Catholics! They must be Christians. Now I realize that speaking in tongues is not necessarily evidence of being “born again.” Mormons, Buddhists and Hindus, and most other religions have this phenomena. If all of these people were truly saved, I doubt the Lord would allow them to stay in such an idolatrous institution. The Lord doesn’t say stay and evangelize, he says get out of that apostate church lest you partake of her plagues! I know too many Catholics that are truly “born again” and the last thing they would do is to back to the Roman Catholic Church. Those of us who are “evangelicals” are the naive ones who fail to recognize the utter evil of the Harlot church.
Why has this happened? Why have we drifted so far? First, I think it is because we are in the last days. It was prophesied to happen and it is. Second, Christians are Bible illiterates, and are not grounded in the faith. But third, you have to lay the blame squarely on the leadership. There isn’t a single Bible School or Seminary in the country that is untouched by this apostasy. The pastors and professionals are leading the trusting flock - a good argument for not being a dumb sheep.
Anyone who would question is considered to be rebellious, not under authority, a troublemaker, negative, unloving, divisive, a heresy hunter. People who resist the rush to unity are ridiculed, and marked. It is incredibly frustrating because people will not discuss the issues. They attack the person. I used to ask my pastor, have you ever read this book or that, and he would reply, “oh no, that is too negative.” These people are afraid to be informed about the issues! And they are our leaders! Dear readers, if you remember nothing else, please don’t forget this. There is a move that calls for unity at any cost. Instead of being a protection for the believer, doctrine is considered divisive.
The whole Word of God is no longer the standard, but the five essentials (e.g. as defined by the Promise Keepers) or whatever the number may be. This will be defined by the experts, so don’t bother to argue. Who are you? What are your credentials? This is a juggernaut, which will run through the churches of this land, so be careful if you get in the way. You will be run over, mowed down, personally discredited.
I am frankly disgusted as I read one book after another on the “last days.” They warn that the real threat to the church is the New Age movement. They think the threat is from the Hindu, Buddhist or Muslim, the Universalist or the modern New Ager who sits in the lotus position and meditates. The threat is not from without but from within! It is coming from the evangelical church, which has embraced the most New Age humanistic pseudoscience ever concocted by man. This isn’t my bright idea. Why can’t our leaders see it? We opened our doors wide and invited humanism into the church and few there are that have not been affected by it!
"Recognizing Deception and Apostasy" written by Dene McGriff
What Does the Roman Catholic Church Believe?
Although there may be some "born again" Catholics, the question is, has the Roman Catholic Church officially changed any of its historic positions? The answer is no! In fact, Vatican II and every council and edict since confirmed these positions. Exactly what does the Roman Catholic Church believe? Unfortunately, because of the vastness of this subject, I will only highlight a few. All of these points can be fully documented. The following are just a few of the historic and present day positions of the church, which are absolutely opposed to historic Bible, centered Christianity:
· The Catholic Church teaching and tradition are equal to the Scripture even though traditions are often inconsistent and contradictory.
· An infant is saved through the sacrament of baptism, which removes "original sin."
· God forgives sin through the Church, specifically the judicial act of the priest following confession and contrition.
· The atonement of Christ is not sufficient - the sacrament of the Eucharist converts the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ through a process called "transubstantiation. The bread and wine are worshipped as God.
· Only a priest can administer these sacraments.
· Mary is the sinless Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven and co-Redeemer, sitting at the right hand of God mediating for us. People worship and pray to Mary as well as saints.
· The Roman Pontiff is the head of the church and the representative and authority of God on the earth.
· The Pope is infallible and the infallible interpreter of Scripture.
· From an eschatological or "last days" point of view, the Roman Catholic Church sees itself exercising dominion over the earth. The Vatican is a country with embassies in most countries throughout the world.
· Indulgences, purgatory, praying to the dead, etc.
When it comes to salvation, semantics are subtle but important. They say they believe in Jesus Christ as their savior. They believe Christ died for their sins but that salvation comes through the Roman church. There is a one-time salvation through infant baptism, which is imparted by the church. But salvation is literally imparted by the priests as a member partakes in the mass. The Scripture says that “Christ entered in once into the holy place to obtain our salvation” (Hebrews 9:12). To say that “the priest is indispensable, since he alone by his powers can change the elements of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ” is an abomination (John A. Hardon, Picket Catholic Dictionary, Doubleday, 1966, p. 249). The more Masses they attend the better because they are physically eating and drinking Jesus Christ. The true gospel of grace is denied by the teaching that ‘merits and graces” won by Christ are dispensed by installment each time they participate in the mass. Please notice that the laity only has a “relationship with God” through the mediation of the priests and the Church.
To acknowledge the priesthood of Rome is to deny the priesthood of Christ and the believer. To accept the mass and the Eucharist is to deny the efficacy of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Many Catholics may not be fully aware of what the church teaches and others may not agree with them. Of course there are some saved Catholics, but one would have to think that anyone who fully understands, could not continue in the way of the Roman Catholic Church.
Catholicism and true Christianity are diametrically opposed. The path to unity is to overlook their positions on essential truths. We can have unity with the Roman Catholic Church at the expense of the truth or we can have truth. We could spend a lot of time on the Roman Catholic Church. There is so much that can be said. But here are just a few examples. Their claim that there is an unbroken succession of Pope’s is historically inaccurate. There are huge gaps. There are times when there was no Pope and others with more than one Pope. Further, many of the Popes down through the ages as confirmed by many solid historical accounts were involved in the most heinous sin, immorality, and crimes against humanity. There is a lot of documentation, so if you are interested, please check it out. There are so many inconsistencies.
Priests married for a thousand years but once it was forbidden, the only sin was marriage - not fornication. The Vatican became the home of one of the biggest brothels the world has ever known. Rome - the mother of harlots. “Popes had mistresses of fifteen years of age, were guilty of incest and sexual perversions of every sort, had innumerable children, were murdered in the very act of adultery....In the old Catholic phrase, why be holier than the Pope?” (Peter de Rosa, Vicars of Christ: The Dark Side of the Papacy, Crown Publishers, 1988, pp.396-397)
I will only deal in depth with one other topic and that is Mary worship. Many deny that this takes place, but just listen to the Rosary - Mary is more prominent than Jesus Christ Himself. I have been in and out of churches all over Europe and Latin America, and it is obvious who is at center stage -Mary! The current Pope goes to Mexico and venerates Our Lady of Guadalupe. He is convinced that the Fatima visions will restore Mary to her rightful place. The Immaculate Conception is Mary - the Co-Redeemer. Mary is venerated far above God or Jesus.
Although there may be some "born again" Catholics, the question is, has the Roman Catholic Church officially changed any of its historic positions? The answer is no! In fact, Vatican II and every council and edict since confirmed these positions. Exactly what does the Roman Catholic Church believe? Unfortunately, because of the vastness of this subject, I will only highlight a few. All of these points can be fully documented. The following are just a few of the historic and present day positions of the church, which are absolutely opposed to historic Bible, centered Christianity: · The Catholic Church teaching and tradition are equal to the Scripture even though traditions are often inconsistent and contradictory. · An infant is saved through the sacrament of baptism, which removes "original sin." · God forgives sin through the Church, specifically the judicial act of the priest following confession and contrition. · The atonement of Christ is not sufficient - the sacrament of the Eucharist converts the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ through a process called "transubstantiation. The bread and wine are worshipped as God. · Only a priest can administer these sacraments. · Mary is the sinless Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven and co-Redeemer, sitting at the right hand of God mediating for us. People worship and pray to Mary as well as saints. · The Roman Pontiff is the head of the church and the representative and authority of God on the earth. · The Pope is infallible and the infallible interpreter of Scripture. · From an eschatological or "last days" point of view, the Roman Catholic Church sees itself exercising dominion over the earth. The Vatican is a country with embassies in most countries throughout the world. · Indulgences, purgatory, praying to the dead, etc.
When it comes to salvation, semantics are subtle but important. They say they believe in Jesus Christ as their savior. They believe Christ died for their sins but that salvation comes through the Roman church. There is a one-time salvation through infant baptism, which is imparted by the church. But salvation is literally imparted by the priests as a member partakes in the mass. The Scripture says that “Christ entered in once into the holy place to obtain our salvation” (Hebrews 9:12). To say that “the priest is indispensable, since he alone by his powers can change the elements of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ” is an abomination (John A. Hardon, Picket Catholic Dictionary, Doubleday, 1966, p. 249). The more Masses they attend the better because they are physically eating and drinking Jesus Christ. The true gospel of grace is denied by the teaching that ‘merits and graces” won by Christ are dispensed by installment each time they participate in the mass. To turn a wafer and wine into Christ’s flesh and blood through transubstantiation is not only blasphemous but also ridiculous! Please notice that the laity only has a “relationship with God” through the mediation of the priests and the Church.
To acknowledge the priesthood of Rome is to deny the priesthood of Christ and the believer. To accept the mass and the Eucharist is to deny the efficacy of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Many Catholics may not be fully aware of what the church teaches and others may not agree with them. Of course there are some saved Catholics, but one would have to think that anyone who fully understands, could not continue in the way of the Roman Catholic Church. Catholicism and true Christianity are diametrically opposed. The path to unity is to overlook their positions on essential truths. We can have unity with the Roman Catholic Church at the expense of the truth or we can have truth. We could spend a lot of time on the Roman Catholic Church. There is so much that can be said. But here are just a few examples. Their claim that there is an unbroken succession of Pope’s is historically inaccurate. There are huge gaps. There are times when there was no Pope and others with more than one Pope. Further, many of the Popes down through the ages as confirmed by many solid historical accounts were involved in the most heinous sin, immorality, and crimes against humanity.
There is a lot of documentation, so if you are interested, please check it out. There are so many inconsistencies as to be laughable. Priests married for a thousand years but once it was forbidden, the only sin was marriage - not fornication. The Vatican became the home of one of the biggest brothels the world has ever known. Rome - the mother of harlots. “Popes had mistresses of fifteen years of age, were guilty of incest and sexual perversions of every sort, had innumerable children, were murdered in the very act of adultery....In the old Catholic phrase, why be holier than the Pope?” (Peter de Rosa, Vicars of Christ: The Dark Side of the Papacy, Crown Publishers, 1988, pp.396-397)
I will only deal in depth with one other topic and that is Mary worship. Many deny that this takes place, but just listen to the Rosary - Mary is more prominent than Jesus Christ Himself. I have been in and out of churches all over Europe and Latin America, and it is obvious who is at center stage -Mary! The current Pope goes to Mexico and venerates Our Lady of Guadalupe. He is convinced that the Fatima visions will restore Mary to her rightful place. The Immaculate Conception is Mary - the Co-Redeemer. Mary is venerated far above God or Jesus.
. 
--Dr. Konrad Raiser, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, has renewed his call for the main Christian churches to start, in the year 2000, a process to lead to a universal Christian council uniting all churches and Christians.