Acadia

I don't think it can be argued, that whatever Sanger's motives were, supporting abortion is a horrendous thing to do. If we could but see all the bodies of all the helpless, unborn babies who have been mercilessly slaughtered, perhaps we'd think differently. It has indeed been a "Holocaust" and one which continues. It's simply not as visible as all those atrocities committed by Nazi Germany, but it is no less real. I do also believe, that if one does some careful research, one will realize that Margaret Sanger is not the hero and champion of women's rights that she is so often made out to be.

Can you understand why this broad acceptance of all other religions in concerning?

All of this excitement and the large number of people the eclipse is attracting just makes me want to go back home to Canada and sit in the quiet on my parents' deck away from noise and people. I miss the country and being somewhere where I could actually think and enjoy nature.

Muhammad sounds like he was a very demonized man. Thanks for all the links, I'll have to do some reading.

I remember when I worked as a research assistant at our local museum, one of the buildings I had to write about was the Masonic temple. I had to call and talk with a Mason, I think he was a "Grand Master", and he had told me that they now give tours of the lodge, not during meetings of course. (And this was about 12 years or so ago). I also remember that in the museum library there was an old Masonic handbook that dealt, in part, with various punishments those who revealed secret information would be subjected too. Various forms of bodily mutilation mostly. Not very nice stuff in the history of Free Masons, that's for sure.

Perhaps it becomes "diabolical" when they worship other "gods." To my knowledge when they say "God" they do not necessarily mean the God of the Bible.

Salvation is by faith in Christ alone: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." - John 3:14-18 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." - John 3:36 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." - John 5:24 "Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed." "Then said they unto him, 'What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?'" Jesus answered and said unto them, 'This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.'" - John 6:27-29 "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." - John 6:38-40 There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1) The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in His Son. (Romans 6:23) Christ is the end of the Law for all who believe. (Romans 10:4) We are saved by grace, through faith, not of works. (Ephesians 2:8) We must not go about to establish our own righteousness. (Romans 10:1-4) God is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance. - (2 Peter 3:9) Repentance from "dead works" and faith toward God. - (Hebrews 6:1) By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified, but only by faith in Christ. (Galatians 2:16) Also read Romans 4, Romans 5, Galatians 5, Hebrews 4, Hebrews 11 Our salvation is entirely by faith in Christ and what He has done. (The Gospel) 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. - Romans 10:1-13

Yes, you should do your research. Basically, they are an ancient fraternity/secret society with ties far back into organizations such as the Knights Templar and the other organizations Yowm mentioned. Not at all Christian, many churches still don't allow their congregants to be members, though that may be changing, not sure.

You did, when you were suggesting that many of the posts here were prejudiced. But, perhaps I misunderstood you.

I know you didn't quote all of what I said (you chose only a small portion of it to focus on). Quite frankly, you can lump me and all other Christians here into some "prejudiced" category, but I'll say this, the violence sickens me and I truly wish it would stop. If that makes me some kind of terrible, prejudiced person, so be it. Here's what I said in its entirety as well: Now, perhaps you can tell me what is actually so "prejudiced" about that?

My response was a general one, about how if there is violence it only leads to more violence. (Not just in the case of Islamic violence). Also, you only quoted part of what my post said. God bless.

Violence only begets violence, unfortunately. Those who live by the sword will die by the sword. We should pray that more and more people come to faith in Christ alone for salvation.

Yes. It is heartbreaking. No one seems to want to remember that Rome did it before, and they will likely do so again. So many believe the "protest" really is over.

The NAR has been a progressing movement that has its roots even perhaps as far back as Azusa Street. Then in the 1990s there were several so called "revivals", like the "Toronto Blessing" and the "Brownsville Revival." About 10 years ago there was another such event called the "Lakeland Revival, led by Todd Bentley. (Who was endorsed by C. Peter Wagner, Rick Joyner and Che Ahn, among others.) All kinds of strange signs and wonders and manifestations accompany these meetings and "revivals" and it's only spread. People shake uncontrollably, laugh uncontrollably, lose control of their bodies, act drunk and lay on the floor unable to get up, sometimes for hours. And all this is called a move of the Holy Spirit! If you want to learn more, I encourage you to look up the "Toronto Blessing", "Brownsville Revival", "Lakeland Revival" as well as these names: Kenneth Hagin Bob Jones Che Ahn John and Carol Arnott Rodney Howard Browne Randy Clark Heidi Baker Rick Joyner Bill & Beni Johnson (Bethel Redding) Mike Bickle (IHOP) Lou Engle John Crowder Georgian and Winnie Banov Rick Pino Brian Simmons (The Passion Translation) Also, in regard to the 7 Mountain/Dominionism aspect of the NAR, look up Lance Wallnau, he is one of the most influential proponents of this teaching. Also involved in the 7 Mountain Mandate/7 Spheres of Influence teachings are YWAM founders/leaders - Loren & Darlene Cunningham and Campus Crusade's Bill Bright. Both Loren Cunningham and Bill Bright claim they received a "revelation" from God, simultaneously, revealing the 7 Mountains/Spheres as the focus of the spiritual battle and how nations will be won for Christ. The focus is on transforming the world and building an earthly kingdom for Christ to return to. The Bible says nothing of the sort. (But rather, that Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us, and His kingdom is not, at this time, of this world.) I have family and friends that are involved with YWAM and unfortunately, the 7 Mountain/Spheres focus is one of the main things many young missionaries are taught. I've tried to share my concerns, but they don't want to hear it and are quite upset with me. The Cunnighams have also recently met with Pope Francis. They say it's to distribute Bibles, but to what end? Such unity is false and only causes confusion. The Pope's aim is to continue with this Ecumenical movement and bring all religions together with Rome. To this end there are many meetings and gatherings happening all the time now. For two examples that have happened in recent years, look up Together 2016 and Azusa Now/The Call. I truly hope that more and more Christians wake up and warn others. This false unity is leading straight for massive deception. Keep doing your research. Also, you can look into Sid Roth and the Elijah List as well. Stay away from anyone either of those sources endorse. God bless.

They say "peace, peace!", when there is no peace.

Here are some pictures that show this ongoing move toward unity between many noteworthy Protestant and Evangelical leaders and the Catholic Church (Pope Francis)

I agree. I've done just as much research into the Protestant/Evangelical side of the equation. Obviously a message like Bishop Palmer's would not be accepted if people were staying grounded in the truth. Also, such acceptance does not happen overnight.

Absolutely. This false unity (apart from Christ) is really quite deceptive and frightening. On the surface it may seem good, but it requires setting aside the truth and the Gospel. An unacceptable compromise. Unfortunately, Pope Francis is leading many people down this path of ecumenism.

Here is a link to an official Vatican video from January of 2016 that further clarifies the ecumenism that Pope Francis is calling for, not only among all Christian denominations, but all world religions. "Pope Francis' Prayer Intentions for January 2016"

Yes, you are correct.

It's not a new thing... My initial post will clarify what I am referring to.

I agree. Unfortunately, the ecumenical movement is growing. Many "Protestant" and "Evangelical" leaders have official joined with the Catholic Church in an ongoing call for "unity" for the sake of a better world. Pope Francis has made huge strides in reuniting Protestant and Evangelical churches with the Catholic Church. This did not start with him, of course, but he has likely moved such reunification along more quickly than any Pope before him. (John Paul II was also very ecumenical). I don't think this is going to change, which is why we need to be aware of it.

Between the Catholic Church and "Protestants"/"Evangelicals." Please refer to the OP.

Hi everyone! I shared this on another forum, but would like to get more input here. This is a poll/thread for my fellow Protestant/Evangelicals. Some of you have no doubt seen this video or heard about it as it is a few years old, but I am still interested in hearing your thoughts on the matter. (Since I cannot share the video in the post, here is the link to it: "Bishop Tony Palmer and Pope Francis - The Miracle of Unity has Begun: KCM Minister's Conference 2014") Ecumenism is by no means going away, so I think this issue is something we must all honestly consider. I know it can be quite controversial, hence the reason it is posted in the section of the forums. First of all, if you aren't familiar with the video I am referencing, please take the time to watch it, in its entirety before responding to this thread. I would like this to be a productive discussion/debate, so it's important that we are all on the same page and know what issues are being presented. ***First, let me be clear: this video is not posted out of any disrespect for BishopTony Palmer, who passed away about six months after his presentation at the KCM Minister's Conference, shown in this video. My aim is simply to address the claims he makes during the talk he gave during this conference. Nor is it the within the scope of this thread to address any issues with Kenneth Copeland, Word of Faith, the Charismatic Movement or the “Prosperity Gospel.” I am well aware of these issues, but they are not the purpose of this thread. The Anglican church, is, likewise, not the subject of this thread.*** In his talk at the KCM Minister's Conference that took place from January 21-23 2014 (shown in the video above) Anglican Bishop, Tony Palmer presented his ecumenical stance regarding Evangelicalism, Protestantism and Catholicism. Though not a Catholic himself, Bishop Palmer, who had a longstanding friendship with Pope Francis, prior to him becoming Pope, had personally met with him and recorded a video message to share with all the Evangelical leaders present at this conference. (The video above is from his official YouTube channel, it was published on February 28, 2014 and contains the description: “This is the Full un-cut Video of my Presentation and Delivery of both mine and Pope Francis' message to the international Evangelical Leaders at the KCM Minister's Conference, 21-23 Jan, 2014 Fort Worth, Texas, USA. 'The Miracle of Unity has Begun') In his talk during the conference, Bishop Palmer clearly presented his ecumenical beliefs, and he shared the video message from Pope Francis as well. The major point of both Bishop Palmer's message and that of Pope Francis is unity between Catholics and Evangelicals. This call for unity between Evangelicals and the Catholic Church is, of course, not in any way something that originated with Bishop Palmer or Pope Francis. This call for unity (ecumenism) has been ongoing for some time. (In May of 1994, for example, the historic document, titled “Evangelicals and Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the Third Millennium”, was signed by many notable Catholics and Evangelicals who agreed thereby to enter into official partnership with one another, claiming that there were no longer any serious differences between Catholicism and Evangelicalism and that they were doing the will of Christ by truly uniting in Him). This message was echoed by Bishop Palmer and Pope Francis during the KCM Minister's Conference in January of 2014. During his presentation at this 2014 conference, Bishop Palmer made statements, such as: “And this is history that we've got a Pope who recognizes us as brothers and sisters, speaks to us as brothers and sisters and has sent a message to us...” “I believe that God has brought me here, to this year's Minister's Conference, in the spirit of Elijah.” (pauses) “Let me explain. If you look carefully, the spirit of Elijah was on John the Baptist, to turn the hearts of the sons to the fathers. And to turn the hearts of the fathers to the sons. To prepare the way for the Lord. And we know that prophecy always has a double fulfillment. And we know that Elijah will come before the second coming as well. And I've understood that the spirit of Elijah is the spirit of reconciliation. To return hearts to each other.” “If you're born again...raise your hand if you're born again. You're a Catholic.” (audience laughs) “Take back, redeem, what belongs to you. We are Catholics!” “I've come to understand that diversity is divine. It's division that's diabolic.” “The glory that the Father had, He gave to Jesus. The glory was the presence of God. What is the Charismatic renewal? It's when we experience the presence of God. And He said, 'and I give them the glory', pragmatic reason, so that they may be one. It's the glory that glues us together, not the doctrines.” “If you accept that Christ is living in me, and the presence of God is in me, and the presence of God is in you, that's all we need. Because God will sort out all our doctrines when we get upstairs.” “Division destroys our credibility. It is fear that keeps us separated, because fear is false evidence appearing real, it's an acronym. F E A R, false evidence appearing real. Because most of your fear is based on propaganda.” “Luther believed that we were saved by grace through faith....alone. Amen. But that's not it. The Catholic Church believed that we were saved by works. And that was their protest. In 1999, they wrote this together, [referring to the official agreement between the Catholic Church and the Lutheran church, signed in 1999] because in the Protestant church we got a lot of cheap salvations. People were getting born again but no fruit whatsoever. And because we didn't even look for fruits, it wasn't the issue, cause it wasn't necessary for salvation. And no it's not, but it's a good judge if you are saved. So what these two churches did, they put the two definitions together. Listen to it. I'm reading verbatim from the Catholic Vatican website. Justification means that Christ Himself is our righteousness. In which we share through the Holy Spirit in accord with the will of the Father. Together we, Catholics and Protestants, (Lutherans), believe and confess that by grace alone in faith in Christ's saving works and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God, and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works.” (audience applause) “This brought an end to the protest of Luther.” (pause) “Brothers and sisters, Luther's protest is over. Is yours?" “So, the protest has been over for fifteen years. And I get a bit cheeky here, cause I challenge my protestant pastor friends, if there is no more protest, how can there be a protestant church? (pause) “Maybe now we're all Catholics again. But we are reformed. We're Catholic in the universal sense. We're not protesting the doctrine of salvation by the Catholic Church anymore. We now preach the same Gospel. We now preach you are saved by grace through faith, alone. The word 'alone' was the argument for 500 years. The word 'alone' is there, you can read it yourself. The protest is over.” (pause) “The protest is over.” “We need to throw as much resources and energy into the ministry of reconciliation as we do to the ministry of evangelization. Or are we building walls without foundations?” Here are some questions I think Evangelicals and Protestants must honestly ask themselves, however, before deciding whether or not Bishop Palmer is correct in regard to the assertions he made at this conference. Is it actually true that Evangelicals and Catholics can have real unity if official Catholic doctrine and tradition have not changed? Are there truly no serious differences in faith and doctrine between Catholicism and Evangelicalism? (Or Protestantism) Is the “protest” really over, as Bishop Palmer suggests? Are we actually “all Catholics again” as Bishop Palmer claims we are? Are Evangelicals and Protestants actually in agreement with official Catholic doctrine regarding the Gospel and how one is saved? Does the Catholic Church actually teach “salvation by faith unto good works”, as Bishop Palmer claims? Or are good works still held as a necessary part of salvation in official Catholic doctrine and tradition? Is it true that official Catholic doctrine no longer includes various works as a crucial part of salvation? Also, here is what Pope Francis says, in part, in the video shared at this conference: (Speaking of Catholics and Evangelicals, he says) “We are kind of...permit me to say, separated. Separated because, it's sin that has separated us, all our sins. The misunderstandings throughout history. It has been a long road of sins that well all shared in. Who's to blame? We all share the blame. We have all sinned. There is only one blameless, the Lord. I am nostalgic [yearning] that this separation comes to an end and gives us communion. I am nostalgic [yearning], of that embrace.” “We have a lot of cultural riches, and religious riches. And we have diverse traditions. But we have to encounter one another as Brothers. We must cry together like Joesph did. These tears will unite us. Tears of love.” “And let's pray to the Lord that He unites us all. Come on, we are Brothers. Let's give each other a spiritual hug and let God complete the work that He has begun. And this is a miracle; the miracle of unity has begun.” And here are some more questions I think we should ask ourselves as Protestants and Evangelicals: Is Pope Francis correct? Is it “sin" that has separated us? (Catholics and Evangelicals) Was the Reformation, therefore, simply a “misunderstanding"? Were all the thousands who died rather than submit to the Catholic Church, the Papacy and it's doctrines and tradition guilty of sin and misunderstanding as well? Should Evangelicals and Protestants be willing to come back into unity with the Catholic Church? Why or why not? Please share your thoughts (respectfully and constructively). I will post some further thoughts of my own soon. God bless

Very interesting. Constantine truly did change everything.