The Feast Days and the Trinity

The Feast Days

In the latest edition of The International News, Solomon Bleary writes: “The feast days and weekly Sabbath stand or fall together. In Leviticus 23:1, God uses the possessive pronoun “MY appointed festivals, the festivals of the LORD” to show ownership. Leviticus 23 addresses God’s seven annual holy days and the Sabbath.”

In response, I would note that God “owns” the entire Torah, and that ALL of the commandments contained therein are “His!” Indeed, they are repeatedly characterized as “my commandments,” “my statutes,” and “my laws” throughout those first five books of the Hebrew Bible (See Genesis 26:5, Exodus 16:28, 20:6, Leviticus 22:31, 26:3, 15, Numbers 15:40, Deuteronomy 5:10, 29, 11:13). I would also agree with Solomon that ALL of these obligations (feast days, weekly Sabbath, sacrifices, offerings, etc.) “stand or fall together.”

Like Herbert Armstrong before him, Solomon failed to mention that everything outlined in Torah represented the terms of God’s covenant with ISRAEL! For instance, the twenty-third chapter of the book of Leviticus opens with this statement: “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.’” (Leviticus 23:1-2, ESV) Likewise, after enumerating all of the Lord’s holy times, we read: “Thus Moses declared to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the Lord.” (Leviticus 23:44, ESV)

Moreover, God made clear to the people of Israel that ALL of the commandments and instructions included therein were parts of an inseparable whole. In the fourth chapter of Deuteronomy, we read: “And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.” (Deuteronomy 4:1-2, ESV) And, a little later in the same chapter: “This is the law that Moses set before the people of Israel. These are the testimonies, the statutes, and the rules, which Moses spoke to the people of Israel when they came out of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 4:44-45, ESV) In this sense, the entire legislation of Torah “stands or falls together.”

Likewise, the Greek New Testament makes clear that Jesus Christ and his apostles viewed Torah (AKA “The Law”) as a comprehensive, inseparable whole. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17, ESV) Here, Christ divided the Hebrew Scriptures into Law and Prophets and said that he came here to FULFILL THEM (ALL of them). Later, in this same account, we read that Christ was asked about the greatest commandments of the Law. He replied: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40, ESV) In similar fashion, Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome: “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Romans 13:10, ESV) James wrote: “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” (James 2:10 ESV)

In other words, Jesus Christ fulfilled ALL of the Law and ALL of the Prophets. It all pointed to HIM! That is why Paul wrote to the saints at Colossae: “So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.” (Colossians 2:16-17, NLT)

How do they all point to Christ? Jesus was our Passover Lamb who was sacrificed for us. He is also the Unleavened Bread of Life, without the leavening of sin. He is our Wave Sheaf Offering! He is the firstfruits of God’s plan to redeem humankind from sin and death, and who made it possible for us to receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit! Jesus is both the epitome of God’s reign over the earth and its inhabitants and the impetus for the proclamation of that Good News. He is the one who carries away our sins and reconciles us to God – achieving our at-one-ment. Finally, Jesus is the one who took on our nature and tabernacled in the flesh for a little while, and the one who invited “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink!” (John 7:37-38, NLT)

In fact, the New Testament informs us that the ENTIRE Hebrew Bible MUST be interpreted and understood through the Christ event! In the Gospel of Luke, we read: “’When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:44-45, NLT) Hence, we are forced to ask ourselves: What happens to the symbol when the reality comes to pass?

In his article, Solomon went on to point out that “Some argue that the feast days (Leviticus 23) are a part of the sacrificial system of the Levites.” My reaction: Have you actually read this chapter of Leviticus? Do you realize that sacrifices and offerings are woven into the text describing ALL of these appointed times which the Israelites were instructed to observe. Yes, as Solomon points out, there were also sacrifices associated with the weekly Sabbath. That’s because it was ALL part of a system – components of a whole!

So, how are these things manifested in the New Covenant? Jesus is the true Sabbath rest who said: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29, NLT) Likewise, in terms of circumcision (another sign of God’s covenant with Israel), Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome: “For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.” (Romans 2:28-29, NLT)

What Solomon and his associates fail to see is that Jesus of Nazareth FULFILLED ALL of the requirements of Torah for us. He didn’t do away with them. He made them obsolete by being  what they pointed to! Moreover, like the saints of Galatia, many of the people of CGI continue to believe that salvation is something which they must earn! Solomon wrote: “If we are not commandment-keeping people, how will we be saved and be a part of the first resurrection?” The answer to his question, of course, is that we will be saved because Christ obeyed those commandments without flaw and then offered himself as a sacrifice for us – to pay the penalty for all of the occasions we failed to obey!

As Paul wrote to the saints at Galatia almost two thousand years ago: “But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.’ So, it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, ‘It is through faith that a righteous person has life.’ This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, ‘It is through obeying the law that a person has life.’” (Galatians 3:10-12, NLT) Even so, there is a sense in which Solomon’s assertion that Christ is going to return to a commandment keeping people is true.

Quite intentionally, Christ drew Two Great Commandments from the Torah and identified them as fulfilling the Law (Love for God and each other). Indeed, Christ commanded his disciples to love each other, and that them doing so would identify them as his disciples (John 15:9-13).

Paul wrote: “We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ, we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So, you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So, use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.” (Romans 6:6-14, NLT) Hence, Christ will be returning to people who have been transformed and are living their lives in obedience to Christ’s commandments about love.

Christ’s people do NOT need a list of dos and don’ts like the one given to the people of Israel. The people of the New Covenant do NOT need to present sacrifices and offerings, keep the festivals at Jerusalem, be physically circumcised, attend synagogue on Sabbath, avoid eating unclean animals, consult the Urim and Thummim, observe mildew regulations, or write bills of divorce when they become dissatisfied with their spouses! If Christ’s followers are truly loving each other, a specific commandment against murder, adultery, stealing, or coveting becomes redundant and unnecessary. Hence, the answer to the question that Solomon posed (Should the Feast Days Be Kept?) is NO! One last thing, it is currently impossible to observe the festivals in the manner prescribed by Torah anyway!

The Trinity

In the commentary thread for my last post (Should the Feast Days Be Kept?), the issue of the Trinity was raised and offered as evidence that Christians should be observing the Feasts and Sabbaths of Torah. “WHAT?” some of you will ask. It was asserted that Jesus of Nazareth was the God of the Old Testament – that Christ was the one who gave the Law to Moses. Hence, for them, the Law of Moses = the Law of Christ. And, of course, everyone knows that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever! Now, admittedly, in the realm of human reasoning there is a superficial kind of logic to this assertion. However, as usual, if we dig a little deeper, the logic falls apart (because it relies on the Armstrongist binitarianism). In other words, a heresy built on the foundation of yet another heresy!

In response to one of the comments, I wrote: “The fourteenth chapter of John is critical to understanding this phenomenon. We read there: "6 Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.' 8 Philip said to him, 'Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.' 9 Jesus said to him, 'Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.'" (John 14:6-11) Jesus had already told them that he and the Father were ONE (John 10:30).

Likewise, Christ alluded to another part of the Godhead in that same chapter (14) of the Gospel of John. He said: "15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.' 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, 'Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?' 23 Jesus answered him, 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me." (John 14:15-24) Did you get that? Jesus promised that all three parts (Father, Son, Helper/Holy Spirit) would make their home with true Christians - God with and in us!”

In response, the commentator who relied on binitarianism quoted the following passages:

1 Jn 2:1 But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate [parakleton] before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. (BSB).

Jn 14:16) And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate [parakleton] to be with you forever— (BSB).

Rom 8:9 if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Rom 8:10 And if Christ be in you

Gal 4:4) God sent forth [exapostello] his Son

Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth [exapostello] the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Now, the commentator obviously believed that these passages supported his/her binitarianism; but if we take a closer look, we see Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in these passages, and they appear as ONE and a part of each other.

Likewise, the same commentator cited a number of other passages that he/she believed would support his/her binitarianism. As one example, the commentator quoted John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” He/she then asked: “Why isn’t <it> ‘and the Word was with God and the HS’?” He/she, however, fails to acknowledge that later (in this same chapter) we read: “32 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. 33 I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.” (John 1:32-34)

In similar fashion, the commentator quoted: “1Jn 1:3b and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” Then asked: “Why isn’t our fellowship with the Father, Jesus Christ and the HS?” As is usually the case with proof texting, the commentator completely ignored what followed. In the second chapter of this same epistle, we read: “20 But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. 21 So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. 22 And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. 23 Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. 25 And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us. 26 I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. 27 But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.” (I John 2:20-27) I don’t know about you, but that sure sounds to me like John believed that the Holy Spirit was essential to maintaining our fellowship with the Father and the Son!

The commentator then went on to list “Well-wishes with two divine sources.” In this instance, the commentator pointed to the greetings in several epistles (mostly Paul’s):

Rom 1:7b Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

1 Cor 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

2 Cor 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Gal 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Eph 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Phil 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

2 Thess 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

1 Tim 1:2b Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

2 Tim 1:2b Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Titus 1:4b Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Philemon 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

2 Pet 1:2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord

2 John 3 Grace, mercy and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love

--David E. Aune, Revelation 1-5, WBC, p.27.

Then, he/she went on to quote from Bullinger’s commentary on Revelation: “Nowhere do we find the Holy Spirit associated with the Father and the Son in any salutation. Not even in the Pauline Epistles”

REALLY? Please notice the rest of Paul’s salutation in his epistle to the Romans:

Romans 1: 1 This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. 2 God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. 3 The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4 and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. 6 And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people.” (Romans 1:1-7a)

Likewise, in his first epistle to the saints at Corinth, we read: “6 Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. 7 No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 8 But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard,  and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.’ 10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.” (I Corinthians 2:6-12)

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit may not be mentioned in all of the salutations; but this trio is woven into the very fabric of the New Testament (and the Hebrew Scriptures). Indeed, some of the very passages which Armstrongists use to disprove the Trinity actually demonstrate the unity of the Godhead! In the first chapter of Genesis, we read that “the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” While in the New Testament, we read that God created all things by Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:9). So, who did the creating? Was it God, the Word, or the Holy Spirit? The answer is YES! In the Gospel of Matthew, we read that Mary “became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Moreover, the angel told Joseph that “the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:18-20) Was the Holy Spirit involved or was the Father involved? Once again, the answer is YES! No, sorry folks, the Trinity isn’t demonstrated in a few proof texts – it is in almost every page of the Greek New Testament!

**Although these posts were written for Banned by HWA, after reviewing the commentary threads on that blog, I think that they should also appear here.

 

Saint David's Day

Yesterday (March 1) marked the day that the people of Wales celebrated their patron saint. He was born in the Sixth Century in the vicinity of St. Bride's Bay, Pembrokeshire, Wales. He is known to have actively sought to refute and stamp out the Pelagian heresy. He also served as the Bishop of Mynyw, and several miracles have been attributed to him. It was said that he raised a dead child back to life and healed a blind man. On another occasion, while addressing a crowd, a hill was said to have formed underneath his feet and elevated him enough so that the people could hear him speak. The people of Wales associate the Daffodil with him and often wear them on his day.

Britanica's Article on Saint David

At any rate, as a person of Welsh ancestry, I am pleased to acknowledge this early pioneer of the Christian faith in the British Isles. Interestingly, my Welsh ancestors were devout Quakers who settled in Pennsylvania in the late 17th Century and early 18th Century. Indeed, the records of that sect's monthly meetings were a valuable resource in tracking this part of my ancestry. I had the opportunity to travel to Wales many years ago and was struck by the rugged beauty of the countryside. May God continue to bless the ekklesia in Wales and may the seeds that David planted so long ago continue to spread like the mustard seed in Christ's parable!  

The Things That You DON'T Have to Believe to Be a Christian

Many denominations and individual Christians have formulated elaborate professions of faith and/or official statements outlining their beliefs. Naturally, these folks believe that these professions/statements are an important, or even essential, part of their religion. Nevertheless, many of us understand that TRUE Christianity is NOT defined by what you know or think you know! Sure, as we have described here in previous posts, there are some essentials or foundational elements that a Christian MUST believe (like believing and accepting that the life and sacrifice of Jesus of Nazareth has paid the penalty for his/her sins and reconciled us to God); but there is a whole lot of stuff floating around out there that is simply NOT critical or necessary for us to accept/believe!

Here are a few:

1. You do NOT have to accept the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. You do NOT have to believe that the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures are flawless and without errors, mistakes, inaccuracies, or contradictions. You do NOT have to believe that it is the only or most perfect representation of God's will and character that is available to us - or that it is the "final authority" in matters related to our Christian faith. You also do NOT have to reject the inspiration of Scripture or its value to the believer just because you reject the teachings of Fundamentalist Christians about Scripture! In other words, rejecting biblical inerrancy does NOT necessarily make Scripture irrelevant! The all or nothing notion is a clearly FALSE DILEMMA in terms of logic.

2. You do NOT have to reject the theory of evolution or believe that the earth is only 6,000 years old. You do NOT have to believe that the fossil and geological records have been misinterpreted by scientists, or that the evolution of life forms on this planet is an absurd or illogical explanation for the diversity of the life we see around us. In short, you do NOT have to believe that science or scientists are the enemy of our faith, or that the conclusions they've reached based on the available evidence necessarily contradict the notion of God as Creator of the universe. In other words, the choice between faith and science is yet another FALSE DILEMMA!

3. You do NOT have to accept ANY denomination's or individual's profession of faith or statement of belief to be a Christian! The acceptance of such professions/statements may identify you as a Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Baptist, Methodist, or Armstrongite; BUT it has NO bearing on whether or not you're a Christian, a disciple of Jesus Christ, a member of the assembly called out and together by God! Indeed, I haven't found very many people in my experience who embrace all of the practices and beliefs of the various manmade organizations they may be affiliated with in terms of their Christian faith. Once again, all or nothing is always a FALSE DILEMMA! If you have God's Holy Spirit and something doesn't make sense to YOU, then you would be FOOLISH to embrace it as truth!

4. You do NOT have to adopt a partisan political affiliation to be a Christian. Indeed, I'm personally very skeptical of the status of folks who do that. In other words, you do NOT have to be anti-abortion or against LGBTQ folks or immigrants to be a Christian! Likewise, you do NOT have to be a Capitalist, Socialist, Libertarian, Conservative, Liberal, Globalist, Isolationist, Vegetarian, or Carnivore to be a Christian. As we have already mentioned in the previous points, identifying manmade ideologies or policies as good or evil, Christian or Satanic is the epitome of binary thinking - the good old FALSE DILEMMA!

What do you think?

The Modern Beast and Babylon

Herbert Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God offered a booklet in the early 1970s titled The Modern Romans. Unfortunately, although Armstrong flirted with the truth in that booklet, he still ultimately missed the boat (as he and his followers have done with most things of a prophetic nature. In the books of Daniel and Revelation, the Roman Empire became the epitome of human governance during the period of the Second Temple and beyond. Rome was the type of Babylon, the city that ruled over the other kings of that part of the earth! The Romans were militant, wealthy, exploitative, inventive, and ruthless. They erected great works, demanded the loyalty and worship of their subjects, and were obsessed with entertaining themselves and the masses.

Let's notice some of the language in the book of Revelation. We read there: "they worshiped the beast, saying, 'Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?'" (Revelation 13:4) Rome and its army were considered the preeminent military power in the Mediterranean and European world of that time. Continuing, we read that the beast: "opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also, it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain." (Revelation 13:6-8) Rome and its Emperor made themselves gods and declared that the state and emperor were worthy of worship. Over time, the Roman Senate became a rubber stamp for the emperors - eventually, willingly ceding all of their power to him. They persecuted Jews and Christians and ridiculed their beliefs and practices.

Likewise, a little later in the same book, we read: "'Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.' And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: 'Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.' And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." (Revelation 17:1-6) Rome ruled the lands around the Mediterranean and set up client states and allies in many different lands. Indeed, the Roman economic, political, and military system was duplicated in numerous other nations around the world of that time. Coliseums, amphitheaters, baths, aqueducts, and highways were constructed everywhere that Rome ruled. Wealth and excess were the foundation of that society. Continuing, we read: "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages...And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth." (Revelation 17:15-18)

Now, the readers of John's apocalypse in the First and Second Centuries would have readily recognized this symbolism as applying to the Roman Empire. It would have been crystal clear to them! Likewise, being very familiar with their own history and the book of Daniel, they would have appreciated the comparison of the city of Rome to the city of Babylon, and the Roman Emperor to King Nebuchadnezzar of old. Unfortunately, many Christians are NOT looking for these attributes in any of the nations of the Twenty-first Century, and the real import of the message of the book of Revelation regarding God's evaluation of human systems of governance is often missed or overlooked! In short, do we recognize any modern nations which exhibit the same characteristics?

Are there any nations in 2025 who have built vast empires and accumulated great wealth and military power? Are there any instances where we could justly ask: Who is like this great nation? Who would dare to fight against it? Are there any nations extant in our day who have exerted their economic and military power on a global basis? Is there any nation(s) who has imposed its will on other nations and forced them to adopt copies of their own systems? Is there any nation today who has monopolized the wealth and resources of much of the rest of the world? Is there any nation today who has devoted itself to great public works and spectacles? Is there a nation in our time who has constructed great arenas, theaters, and stadiums to entertain its people? Is there any nation in the 21st Century that has copied Roman and Greek architecture - causing people to admire the classical past? Is there any modern nation who has made its ideology into something worthy of adoration and worship? What do you think?

*The English Standard Version is used throughout this post.

The Generosity of the United States?

Jesus of Nazareth laid down a principle of God's judgment that is recorded in the Gospels. He said: "When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required." He also said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Likewise, in the Gospel of Matthew, we read that he once told a rich young person: "If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor."

In a thread for the Banned by HWA post The Incredible Human Paradox, I wrote: "As with Babylon of old, the United States has conquered, exploited, murdered, enslaved, and oppressed." In response, Ronco wrote: "No country has done more than the US to aid people in third world countries." This is one of the standard responses of "patriots" when anyone dares to point out any fault in the United States. The reasoning goes like this: "as long as the good is greater than the evil" we must evaluate the entity as "good."

Well, let's take a closer look at Ronco's claim about the generosity of the United States. By any object standard, the United States is one of the wealthiest nations on the face of the earth (see The World's 25 Richest Countries by GDP and The Ten Wealthiest Countries in the World). Now, while we could certainly say that the United States gives the largest total dollar amount of any country in foreign aid, that statistic would be virtually meaningless when we compare the wealth of nations in relation to their giving. According to the World Economic Forum, these countries are the most generous in terms of their giving based on percentage of gross national income given: Sweden (1.41%), UAE (1.09%), Norway (1.05%), Luxembourg (.93%), Denmark (.85%), Netherlands (.76 %), United Kingdom (.71%). Hint, the United States did NOT make the list! In their article Why the U.S. Ranks at the Bottom in a Foreign Aid Index, NPR reported that: "According to an annual index released Tuesday by the Center for Global Development that ranks 27 of the world's wealthiest countries, the U.S. scored dead last on foreign aid contributions and quality — despite being the largest donor in dollar amount. That's because in 2017, it allocated a mere 0.18 percent of its gross national income for development assistance. That is well short of the 0.7 percent that wealthy countries have committed to strive for since 1970."

Imagine that - the wealthiest nation on the face of the earth gives the smallest percentage of its income to the poorest of the world! How can anyone point to this statistic with pride? By any objective standard, the United States is one of the least generous nations on the face of the earth! In the Gospel of Mark, we read: Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on." (Mark 12:41-44, NLT) 

The Evil Foundations of the United States of America

Unfortunately, a growing number of Fundamentalist Christians have sought to portray the United States as a "Christian" nation. To support their false narrative, they have asserted that the United States was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, and that its Founding Fathers were Divinely inspired men of an exceptionally righteous character. In short, they have ignored and/or attempted to whitewash a great deal of the dark reality of U.S. history. The TRUTH is that the United States was founded on discontent, exploitation, oppression, rebellion, ruthlessness, hypocrisy, greed, and unrelenting violence! In short, there isn't enough lipstick in the world to make this pig pretty!

The story of the United States begins with the European Colonization of the Americas. From the "discovery" of the very old "New World" by Colombus to the establishment of plantations or colonies by the British, there hasn't been very much righteousness or truth in the narrative of what actually happened during those years. Indeed, the story opens with such a sense of European superiority and arrogance toward the indigenous peoples of this continent that it makes the racism of the Twenty-First Century look mild by comparison! To be clear, those natives were looked upon as savages, barely worthy of being considered human. Their civilizations were regarded as barbaric, and their use of the land they occupied was looked upon as uncivilized, wasteful, and lazy. In fact, Europeans had such a low opinion of the aboriginal peoples that they regarded their claims to the lands they occupied as having been invalidated.

These attitudes toward the indigenous population of the Americas manifested themselves in a number of ways over the years which followed. Europeans took lands and established settlements without permission. They also launched wars of conquest on the natives and imposed treaties on them based on European laws and values which they did not understand. Moreover, as those natives had no natural immunity to European diseases, the Europeans unintentionally and intentionally introduced lethal epidemics among them which suddenly wiped-out large numbers of the original inhabitants of the land. In fact, according to History.com, "By the close of the Indian Wars in the late 19th century, fewer than 238,000 Indigenous people remained of the estimated 5 million-plus living in North America before European contact." That same source goes on to inform us that the clash of interests between natives and Europeans led "the U.S. government to authorize over 1,500 wars, attacks and raids on Indians, the most of any country in the world against its Indigenous people." By the 1830's, President Andrew Jackson had set in motion the removal of 60,000 indigenous people from the Southeast by the United States Army (many of whom would die along the way in what is now known as the "Trail of Tears."

Likewise, we know that the first African slaves were introduced into what would become the United States in 1619. In their article on "The Middle Passage," Britannica informs us that thousands of Africans were involuntarily loaded aboard ships for the 5,000-mile voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to be sold as slaves in the New World. The same article goes on to inform us that, because of the intolerable heat, crowding and unsanitary conditions within the holds of the ships: "Historians estimate that between 15 and 25 percent of the enslaved Africans bound for the Americas died aboard slave ships." The souls who survived were subjected to forced labor, substandard food/clothing/housing, beatings, and forced separation from family members. Politifact.com informs us that "Thirty-four of the 47 men depicted in the famous 'Declaration of Independence' painting were slaveholders." By the way, that number included such names as John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson! Indeed, history informs us that twelve U.S. Presidents owned slaves (including Washington, Jefferson, and Madison). Moreover, we know that the United States eventually fought a great Civil War over the institution of slavery, and that that war remains the deadliest war in terms of casualties in U.S. history.

As for our notions of republican and democratic governance, we borrowed heavily from the pagan Greeks and Romans. We sometimes forget that Rome had a Senate long before the United States did. Also, within the false history of the Fundamentalist Christians we spoke about at the beginning of this post, the claim is made that all of our Founding Fathers were Christians. Now, in the broadest possible sense, we could say that such statements were true, but the devil is truly in the details. Indeed, the kind of Christianity practiced by men like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin would be disavowed by the same folks who make these claims. It would be more accurate to state that they were Deists with Christian dispositions. For instance, did you know that Thomas Jefferson wrote his own version of the Gospels which eliminated the miracles and claims of Christ's Divinity? Did you also know that Benjamin Franklin described himself as a Deist and expressed his doubts about Christ's Divine status? Moreover, it is clear that many of the things which these men believed and practiced were inconsistent with Christ's commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. We could justly claim that there were some elements of "servant leadership" incorporated into the Constitution of the United States, but we would be hard pressed to find widespread evidence of it in the actual experience of our government.

Finally, we must admit that the United States was founded in rebellion against Great Britain. Indeed, the Revolutionary War is a well-documented fact of our history. In fact, that war served as the basis for the original extant/borders of our nation. Later, Thomas Jefferson purchased what was then known as the Louisiana Territory from the French tyrant, Napoleon Bonaparte. Likewise, many of us seem to forget that we fought a war with Mexico that resulted in the United States annexing the entire northern half of that nation's territory! We also fought a war with Spain and acquired many of their interests and territories around the world as a consequence of it. We too sometimes forget that the United States became a world power because of our commerce and devotion to building a strong Army and Navy. Moreover, in the course of that pursuit, we have developed and used weapons of mass destruction unprecedented in the history of humankind on this planet! Hence, we can see that any attempt to characterize our nation's beginnings as benign, righteous, just, or "Christian" is very problematic and contradicts much of the historical evidence available to us.

The PLAIN TRUTH is that the United States of America is yet another in a long list of efforts by humans to govern themselves. Like the other nations of the earth, one faction seeks to impose its will and vision on others; and together they attempt to secure their interests and will at the expense of the other nations of the earth. In short, nostalgia for the good old days and patriotic propaganda may make us feel warm and fuzzy; but then again, most fairy tales do just that! As Christians, we would all be better served by a clear-eyed assessment of who and what we are compared to God's standard.

The Moral and Intellectual Credentials of America's Defenders of Family Values

In the United States, the Republican Party is perceived to be politically conservative and the defenders of faith, family values, marriage, masculinity, and patriotism. Some of the most vociferous mavens of traditional "Christian" values in the United States have been affiliated with talk radio and the current and former political commentators of Fox News. And, make no mistake, many Evangelical Christians eat up the stuff these folks dish out like it was caviar! BUT is the influence these demagogues exercise warranted? What exactly are their credentials to defend the ideology they espouse?

Let's begin with the President they all adore and defend with such vigor. Donald Trump is a notorious womanizer and adulterer. He has been married three times and has fathered children by all three. He does NOT attend any Church on a regular basis and has used the Bible as a prop for the furtherance of his own political career. He lies and twists the truth without blinking an eye - insisting that the end justifies the means. He is arrogant, vindictive, and unkind and has displayed none of the other fruits of the Holy Spirit in either his personal or professional life. However, he did receive a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Wharton. Hence, unlike most of his defenders, he does at least have a college degree. There is no record of military service.

Rush Limbaugh was the preeminent voice of conservative talk radio for many years. He was a nominal Methodist throughout his life. He was divorced three times, and his fourth wife outlived him. He had no children. He was addicted to prescription drugs for a time. To his credit, Rush did graduate from high school and tried college for two semesters at Southeast Missouri State University. Rush was a gifted and flamboyant radio personality, but he was not known for his intellectual prowess. Even so, he did amass a fortune in the course of his career on radio. There is no record of military service.

Rush Limbaugh - Wikipedia

Rush Limbaugh - Death, Career & Facts

Sean Hannity began life as a Roman Catholic but abandoned that faith when he was young. He professes to believe in God, the multi-verse, and that God is the Creator of all of mankind. He is noted for his less than generous appraisals of homosexuals and liberals. He has stated that "there is an intersection between politics and a belief or a faith in God. And, you know, the United States of America has been the light to the world." Hannity has also affirmed that he is at his best when he takes 30 minutes out of his day to devote to "God time." He was married to the mother of his children for many years before separating from her and eventually divorcing her several years later. He is currently in a relationship with Ainsley Earhardt (who is 14/15 years his junior), a fellow commentator on Fox. He attended New York and Adelphi Universities, but did not receive a degree from either one. There is no record of military service.

Sean Hannity | Biography & Facts | Britannica

Sean Hannity Opens Up About His Religious Journey and Christian Faith

Sean Hannity - Wikipedia

Speaking of Ainsley, she has been married and divorced two times; and she has been in a relationship with colleague Sean Hannity since her last divorce in 2019. Nevertheless, Earhardt is a professing Christian and does have a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of South Carolina.

Ainsley Earhardt - Wikipedia

In one of his many books, Bill O'Reilly wrote: "My religion is Roman Catholicism. I go to church, but I'm an independent thinker." He is divorced and was accused by his former wife of domestic violence. O'Reilly has been the subject of many lawsuits by women claiming that he sexually harassed them, resulting in many millions of dollars being paid to settle those cases. Bill, however, does hold degrees from Marist, Boston, and Harvard. There is no record of military service.

What religion is Bill O'Reilly? - Beliefnet

Bill O'Reilly (political commentator) - Wikipedia

Jesse Watters, a protege of Bill O'Reilly, divorced the mother of his first two children in 2019 and immediately announced his engagement to the woman who had caused his divorce (to be clear, he had an affair with her while he was still married to his first wife). He and his second wife also have two children together. He does, nevertheless, have a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity College. There is no record of military service.

Jesse Watters - Wikipedia

Glenn Beck started out life as a Roman Catholic, but he drifted into alcoholism and drug addiction. Later, he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon) and has even dabbled in Anglo-Israelism. He divorced his first wife in 1994 and married his current wife in 1999. Although Beck didn't attend college, he did graduate from high school. In fairness, he is noted for his generous philanthropy, and his affinity for unreliable sources and conspiracy theories. There is no record of military service.

Glenn Beck - Wikipedia

The Not-so Mormon Soteriology of Glenn Beck – Mormonism Research Ministry

Tucker Carlson is the product of a broken marriage and was abandoned by his mother as a child. He claims to be an Episcopalian, but he has been very critical of that faith (see my post on that subject). He is still married to his wife and has a Bachelor of Arts in History from Trinity. He lost his job at Fox for exposing that network to significant liability for misleading reporting surrounding the January 6th Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. There is no record of military service.

Tucker Carlson - Wikipedia

Mark Levin is an accomplished lawyer who received his law degree from Temple University. He has only been married two times. He was raised in the Jewish faith. There is no record of military service.

Mark Levin biography, net worth, wife, divorce, marriage, wedding • biography 

Hmmmmm, I'm not sure the collective moral and intellectual credentials of this bunch is very impressive. What do you think?

They preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.