Caravaggio, Salome receives the head of John the Baptist
For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known,
1 Cor 13:12
From the dawn of Christianity there was never a time when the truth of God's word and the faith of our fathers was easy. Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven Faith has always been a hard sell except for those who can come as trusting children. All others must squint through an increasingly opaque window.
We recently returned from a trip to Dublin and London. The murky windows through which the heritage of our faith has passed seemed even darker than on our first visit a few decades earlier. Passing through the countryside where many of the spiritual battles for the protestant reformation were fought is much like visiting an ancient museum. Tall spires of once solid country churches dot the landscape but the Sunday services draw few. Much like many churches the US, Father McKenzie mumbles a half hearted mass to a few old folks. Thanks to the lurid sex scandals of Catholicism and the liberal stupidity of mega church Protestantism's name-it-and- claim-it, gospel, many churches sit vacant or have become pubs. It's hard to imagine how even the shallowed minds of a dumbed down generation could find their way to Christ through these shadow lands. We recommend the movie Spotlight we watched on a recent inflight movie offering. (Also available on Amazon Prime). A well made docudrama, it highlights the conspiracy of the Roman Catholic church in their sordid coverup of many thousands of cases of child sexual abuse from within the highest ranks of the institutional church. No amount of cover could disguise the corruption found there. The Roman Catholic church especially in the US has created a grooming culture and America in general has become "grooming culture central". Incredibly, 28% of American Gen Z (b. 1997 -2012) identify as LGBTQ. The global average is 3%. Grooming is defined as “the practice of preparing or training someone for a particular purpose or activity. We have watched the slow, methodical process of an entire generation being groomed to embrace immorality." Can God bless this America?
Sunday service has dwindled in popularity by 20 per cent since 2019, despite Church of England's claims it has 'bounced back. Catholic church attendance is down 50%. The real tragedy here is the destruction of the Christian fellowship and community which once, however loosely, united believers and guided the way to life for millions who now turn away in disgust.
We are loathe to conclude on such a pessimistic note . The best news is that in spite of the presence of pervasive evil, our God continues to rescue his beloved few from the wrath to come. We love the historical wisdom of Charles Haddon Spurgeon and have featured his amazing ministry many times. On our first visit to London some 35 years ago, we found the Metropolitan Tabernacle in which this great preacher spent so much of his life, run down and selling trinkets, a mere shadow of it's past glory. Happily God has revitalized this historic ministry and it thrives again.
- Lami
READ MORE # Sexual Perversion
Some thoughts on Death, Corruption and Eternal Life
As the population ages, death and the process of dying inhabit our subconscious preoccupation.
People ask: Are you afraid to die?
The current growth of the population ages 65 and older, driven by the large baby boom generation—those born between 1946 and 1964—is unprecedented in U.S. history. PRB.org
Absent from the Body, Present with the Lord, John MacArthur
If You’re Afraid of Death, Watch This Video NOW, Todd Friel
Here's why you shouldn't be afraid of dying, Jordan Peterson
Pronounced Dead for 20 Minutes - What He Saw and How it Changed His Life Forever, Prioritize Your Life
On Death and Dying, Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
Sanctuary of Sin: How a religious order became a haven for pedophile priests | NewsNation Prime
Additional investigative reporting on sexual abuse and coverup within the Roman Catholic church.
Sex, Lies and the Priesthood - Watch This Movie about former priest and investigator, Richard Sipe - Report, ChildUSA.org