"Christmas"

 

In regards to Christmas, there are varying accounts of when it began to be observed by the catholic church. It is therefore difficult to pinpoint the exact year when the catholic church instituted this tradition. Nevertheless, it is clear that “Christmas” was not formally observed as it is this day for at least the first three hundred years or so after our Savior’s Resurrection & Ascension. 

The following quotes are helpful in determining the validity of the “Christmas” holiday & it’s associated traditions.

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Mario Righetti, a Catholic liturgist, stated that, “the Church of Rome, to facilitate the acceptance of the faith by the pagan masses, found it convenient to institute the 25th of December as the feast of the temporal birth of Christ, to divert them from the pagan feast, celebrated on the same day in honor of the “Invincible Sun”, Mithras.”(12)

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Franz Cumont, one of the greatest scholars on Mithraism, stated, “The Mithraists also observed Sun-day and kept sacred the 25th of December as the birthday of the Sun.”(13)

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Sir James Frazier in his book, The Golden Bough, states, “the largest pagan religious cult which fostered the celebration of December 25th as a holiday... was the pagan sun worship, Mithraism. This winter festival was called..  the Nativity of the Sun.”(14)

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Jacob Bar Salibi, one of the best known and most prolific writers of the Syrian Orthodox Church of the twelfth century said, “It was a custom of the heathen to celebrate on the same 25th of December the birthday of the sun, at which they kindled lights in token of festivity. In these solemnities and festivities, the Christians also took part.”(15)

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In Aryan Sun Myths, the Origin of Religions, S. E. Titcomb reveals that almost all the “sun-gods” were born on December 25th! According to their legends & mythologies, the following “sun-gods” were apparently all born on December 25th: krishna(vishnu), mithra, osiris, horus, hercules, dionysus(bachus), tammuz, indra, & buddha.16  December 25th was also around the time of the winter solstice when a festival was held for the Scandinavian goddess frigga, as well as the feast of Yule, where a boar was offered at the winter solstice.(16)

 

Saturnalia was a festive holiday observed by Rome in honour of their idol, saturn. Saturnalia was celebrated from December 17 through about the 23rd of December. Saturnalia entailed exchanging of gifts, unrestrained or licentious celebrations, and culminated in ritual human sacrifice.(17)

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So while it is widely acknowledged that the Messiah definitely was not born on December 25th, the church found it convenient to celebrate His birth on that day since the majority of pagans regarded that day as a special festival or holiday in honor of the birth of their various Sun-gods. This brings to mind the word syncretism which means, “the amalgamation or attempted amalgamation or blending of different religions.” Do the Scriptures have anything to say about this practice?

 

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Deuteronomy 4:2    

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of YHWH your Elohim which I command you.

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Deuteronomy 12:28-32   

Observe & hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee & with thy children after thee forever when thou doest (that which is) good & right in the sight of YHWH thy Elohim. When YHWH thy Elohim shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them and thou succeedest them & dwellest in their land; Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their elohim saying, “How did these nations serve their elohim? Even so will I do likewise.” Thou shalt not do so unto YHWH thy Elohim: for every abomination to YHWH which He hateth have they done unto their elohim; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their elohim. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

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There are many videos, articles, & books alleging that the pagan traditions which gave rise to the biggest traditions of Christianity(sunday church services, easter, & christmas) were all associated with child/human sacrifices. Apologists for catholicism & Christianity will generally try to discredit or deny these sources & their accounts. However in the previous passage from Deuteronomy, our Creator Himself is telling us that child/human sacrifice is a big part of why He finds these pagan traditions so detestable that he calls them abominations. The idolatrous traditions(church on sunday, christmas, & easter) of christianity should be avoided like the plague for anyone who believes in the Scriptures of our Heavenly Father! 

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Deuteronomy’s warnings against syncretism are amplified by our Messiah in His Teachings.

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Matthew 15:1-9   

Then came to YAHUSHA, scribes & Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, “Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.” But He answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of Elohim by your tradition? For Elohim commanded, saying Honour thy father & mother: and He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or mother, It is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of Elohim of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did YashaYahu prophecy of you saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

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Mark 7:5-13   

Then the Pharisees & scribes asked him, “Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?” He answered and said unto them, Well hath YashaYahu prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of Elohim, ye hold the traditions of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And He said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandments of Elohim, that ye may keep your own traditions. For Moses said, Honor thy father & thy mother; and Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, (It is) Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; (he shall be free). And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or mother; Making the Word of Elohim of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

 

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In the above verses from Matthew & Mark, Adonai YAHUSHA was criticizing the religious leaders of His day, the scribes & Pharisees, for elevating their man made traditions above the Commandments of our Heavenly Father. These religious leaders were causing the people to break the Commandments of our Heavenly Father through their man-made traditions. 

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Adonai YAHUSHA’s criticisms of the scribes & Pharisees of His day applies 110% to the religious leaders of today. All of the idolatrous traditions of church on sunday, easter, & “Christmas” are in clear violation of Deuteronomy 4:2 & Deuteronomy 12:28-32. As a result, our involvement in these idolatrous traditions could never be interpreted as a way of worshipping or giving thanks to our Heavenly Father. In fact, He expressly forbids us from trying to worship Him as others worshipped their pagan idols. We need to collectively repent! We need to abandon our idolatrous traditions, & try to keep His Commandments!

 

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Deuteronomy 4:15-19    

Take ye therefore good heed... lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven and when thou seest the sun, the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them and serve them which YHWH thy Elohim hath divided unto all the nations under the whole heaven.

 

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In this passage from Deuteronomy, our Creator is specifically warning us against any sort of sun worship or worship of these various celestial bodies. In Stephen’s final speech before the Pharisees in Acts, he mentions how Israel fell into the idolatrous worship of the sun, the moon, & the stars: the host of heaven that they were warned in Deuteronomy not to worship. 

 

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Acts 7:42    

Then Elohim turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven;

 

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By going to church on sun-day, or by celebrating easter/ishtar/ashtoreth, & christmas aren’t we also making the same idolatrous mistakes the Israelites did thousands of years ago? All of these religious traditions had their origins in pagan sun & idol worship from thousands of years ago!

 

Leviticus 10:1-2    

And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before YHWH, which He commanded them not. And there went out fire from YHWH, and devoured them, and they died before YHWH. 

 

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In this passage Nadab & Abihu, who were priests of YHWH, deviated from the instructions given to them regarding the worship of YHWH in their duties as priests. According to the passage, it doesn’t say they were involved in any sort of idolatrous activity. They simply offered an incense before YHWH that was different from the incense they were told to use. This passage teaches us that our Creator expects to be served & worshipped according to His instructions. He was not pleased when Nadab & Abihu failed to do so, & unfortunately they immediately suffered the consequences.

 

How much more displeasing is it to Him if we are involved in idolatrous traditions that He specifically & repeatedly forbade? Shouldn’t we abandon our idolatrous traditions, & sincerely try to worship Him according to His own instructions?

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Remember the passage in the book of John where our Messiah was speaking with the Samaritan woman at the well? 

 

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John 4:22-24    

Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for Salvation is of the Yahudim. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. Elohim is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.

 

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Are we really worshipping our Creator & Messiah when we take part in traditions that had their origins in the worship of pagan idols & false gods? Can we claim that we are worshipping Him in Spirit and in Truth when we are involved in traditions that originated in pagan sun worship thousands of years ago? Our Heavenly Father describes these idolatrous traditions as abominations. He specifically forbids them! In Matthew 15:1-9 & Mark 7:5-13(both above), YAHUSHA explicitly states that our worship of Him is in vain if we are keeping the traditions of men, rather than keeping the Commandments of our Heavenly Father!

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Despite our Creator’s clear & specific warnings, these idolatrous traditions are observed because of the false teachings & traditions of catholic & protestant churches. These traditions of the catholic church are in clear violation of our Heavenly Father’s instructions. Hence it is a grave error to keep such idolatrous traditions, regardless of any & all rationalizations or justifications offered by the catholic or protestant church apologists in defense of those same traditions. 

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Consequently, the beliefs promoted by the catholic church regarding the so called infallibility of the pope, bishops, & church in doctrinal matters is summarily disproven. The introduction of these idolatrous customs (church on sunday, easter, & christmas) was performed by the catholic church in gross violation of Deuteronomy 4:2 & Deuteronomy 12:28-32. To believe in any alleged infallibility of the pope, bishops, or the catholic church in any way whatsoever, is to deny the stark reality of the catholic church’s gross idolatry. In other words, while many words could be used to describe the catholic church, under no possible circumstances could the word, “infallible”, be one of the correct descriptors!

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For example, the second Commandment instructs us not to make any graven images of anyone or anything in Heaven, & not to bow down before such images.

 

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Exodus 20:4-6   

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I, YHWH your Elohim, am a jealous El, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

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Leviticus 26:1   

Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am YHWH your Elohim.

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Deuteronomy 5:8-10   

Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I, YHWH your Elohim, am a jealous El, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

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Despite the extreme clarity & lack of ambiguity of these verses, it is almost impossible to walk into any catholic church anywhere in the world that doesn’t have any number of graven images right inside. It is said that at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, a statue of the pagan idol jupiter was renamed to represent St. Peter. It’s toes are said to be almost shiny because of the number of people kissing its toes! This is exactly the sort of behavior which is strictly forbidden in the verses above!

 

In addition to substituting idolatrous traditions for the Sabbaths, & Feast Days (see Leviticus 23) of our Heavenly Father; the catholic church literally fills their churches with countless graven images & idols in violation of the explicitly clear 2nd Commandment of our Heavenly Father. Any alleged “infallibility” of the pope, bishops, or catholic church therefore can only be imagined, pretended, & self proclaimed. 

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Another perfect example of the false teachings of the catholic church has to do with the catholic doctrine of transubstantiation. Transubstantiation is the belief that the communion bread & wine become the actual blood & body of “Jesus Christ” during the catholic service of mass. Such a notion has no support in the Scriptures.

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Matthew 26:26-29   

And as they were eating, YAHUSHA took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

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Mark 14:22-25   

And as they did eat, YAHUSHA took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. And He took the cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And He said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of Elohim.

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Luke 22:17-20   

And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of Elohim shall come. And He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

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All three of these passages clearly indicate that they were eating bread & drinking the fruit of the vine. He did not transform the bread & wine into His literal flesh & blood; it was purely symbolic! Although YAHUSHA symbolically referred to it as his blood in the three verses above, He even acknowledges that the wine they were drinking was from the “fruit of the vine”! Furthermore, we know from Leviticus 11(see below) & the following passages that it is simply not permissible to eat human flesh or drink any sort of blood. 

 

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Leviticus 3:17   

It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.

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Leviticus 7:26   

Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings. Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.

 

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So clearly the doctrine of transubstantiation is another false, erroneous,  catholic tradition which has nothing to do with the truth of the Scriptures.

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In regards to the doctrine of infalliblity, it is clearly grossly mistaken when even a cursory review of the catholic church’s history is attempted. For example, there are attempts by the catholic church to revise the history of its inquisition.   These revisionist historians attempt to downplay & minimize the true extent of the catholic church’s long, & bloody inquisition. In various catholic websites & media, the claim is made that the inquisition was actually very fair. It is even claimed that the inquisition was welcomed by the various states & individuals who suffered at its hands!(30,31)

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However, earlier sources are generally more correct for a proper historical perspective. While it is beyond the scope of this chapter to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the exact number of the poor victims who were tortured to death, burned alive, or otherwise mercilessly murdered by the catholic inquisition, a review of historical quotes will be attempted to give a better historical perspective of the roman catholic inquisition. 

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 “Anyone who attempts to construe a personal view of God which conflicts with Church dogma must be burned without pity." -Pope Innocent III  (18)

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The following quotes are taken from the following website, http://www.cs.unc.edu/~plaisted/estimates.html .  This website attempts an analytical look at the number of victims of the catholic inquisition.

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"That the Church of Rome has shed more innocent blood than any other institution that has ever existed among mankind, will be questioned by no Protestant who has a competent knowledge of history. The memorials, indeed, of many of her persecutions are now so scanty, that it is impossible to form a complete conception of the multitude of her victims, and it is quite certain that no power of imagination can adequately realize their sufferings.”(19)

   

"From the birth of Popery in 606 to the present time, it is estimated by careful and credible historians, that more than fifty millions of the human family, have been slaughtered for the crime of heresy, an average of more than forty thousand religious murders for every year of the existence of popery.”(20) 

 

 

“In one word, the church of Rome has spent immense treasures and shed, in murder, the blood of sixty eight millions and five hundred thousand of the human race, to establish before the astonished and disgusted world, her fixed determination to annihilate every claim set up by the human family to liberty, and the right of unbounded freedom of conscience.”(21)   

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 “Alexander Campbell, well-known religious leader of the 19th-century, stated in debate with John B Purcell, bishop of Cincinnati, in 1837 that the records of historians and martyrologists show that it may be reasonable to estimate that from 50 to 68 millions of human beings died, suffered torture, lost their possessions, or were otherwise devoured by the Roman Catholic church during the awful years of the inquisition. Bishop Purcell made little effort to refute these figures.”(22)

 

Walter M. Montano, a former Catholic priest, asserts in his book,"Behind the Purple Curtain”, that it has been estimated that 50 million people died for their faith during the 1200 years of the dark ages.(23)

   

“Let us keep a sense of proportion. The record of Christianity from the days when it first obtained the power to persecute is one of the most ghastly in history. The total number of Manichaeans, Arians, Priscillianists, Paulicians, Bogomiles, Cathari, Waldensians, Albigensians, “witches”, Lollards, Hussites, Jews, & Protestants killed because of their rebellion against Rome clearly runs to many millions; and beyond these actual executions or massacres is the enormously large number of those who were tortured, imprisoned, or beggared. I am concerned rather with the positive historical aspect of this…. The religious history of Europe has never yet been written.”(24)

  

One thousand years covers the crest of the persecutions when from 50,000,000 to 150,000,000 martyrs died of the sword, at the stake, in dungeons, & of starvation because of the confiscation of their earthly possessions.(25)

   

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The following quotes are from the following website... http://amazingdiscoveries.org/R-Roman_Catholic_Inquisition_Jews_Protestant

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Church historian R. Tudor Jones writes that "the majority of the martyrs were ordinary people, including many women"... “John Foxe was an eyewitness and earnest historian of the fierce persecution in England in his day. His Book of Martyrs gives detailed accounts of many public trials and executions of those whom the Roman Catholic Church judged to be "heretics" worthy of death. His descriptions of Christians being burned at the stake tell of their inspiring bravery in the face of such a horrible death; and of the determination of Roman Catholicism to exterminate everywhere true Christians who opposed her.  Similar records have come down of the massacres of Jews at the hands of the Roman Church.”(26)

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“To wring out confessions from these poor creatures, the Roman Catholic Church devised ingenious tortures so excruciating and barbarous that one is sickened by their recital.”(27)

  

“Of eighty popes in a line from the thirteenth century on, not one of them disapproved of the theology and apparatus of Inquisition. On the contrary, one after another added his own cruel touches to the workings of this deadly machine.”(28)

   

“Through relentless torture, starvation, genocide, massacres, burning at the stake, against every conceivable fury of [Papal] Rome, they [i.e., the ‘seeds of protest’] could not be extinguished. History estimates that over one hundred million people lost their lives during that time of [Papal] Roman tyranny. Is it any wonder that God graphically describes this onslaught of [Papal] Rome as her being ‘drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus’, and calls her the ‘Beast’?”(29)

 

   

Of course, revisionist historians seeking to minimize the atrocities & depravities of the Inquisition, have come out with estimates of as low as only three thousand people who were killed during the inquisition! (30,31) These revisionist claims are extremely difficult to accept, given the sheer duration & longevity of the inquisition.

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It is accepted without question that Nazi Germany killed about 6 million jews in the twelve years between January of 1933 and May of 1945. The quotes listed above generally indicate that the catholic inquisition continued for at least about 1,000 years, if not longer. Various entire communities & groups of people were completely wiped out over that thousand year period. Nevertheless, we are asked to believe the claims of only 3,000 victims of the 1,000 year catholic inquisition???

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The catholic church is also terribly famous, or rather infamous, for the widespread sexual abuse of children & vulnerable adults. The false catholic doctrine of celibacy for their priests & nuns has resulted in untold suffering for countless millions of victims around the world. In America, nearly every diocese of the catholic church is facing or has faced child sexual abuse claims. As a result, the catholic church  has spent over $3.8 billion in legal expenses in America alone since the 1950’s. Yet, sexual abuse in the catholic church is nothing new. Catholic clerical sexual abuse of women & young children of both sexes has apparently been systemic & endemic since it’s very inception thousands of years ago. 

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Rev. Thomas Doyle discusses this history in his piece, “A Very Short History of Clergy Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church.” He points out that the earliest recorded  catholic church legislation was from the council of Elvira (in 306AD, Spain). “Half of the canons passed dealt with sexual behavior of one kind or another and included penalties assessed for clerics who committed adultery or fornication.

The Council of Elvira was not the only source of early legislative attempts to curb the sexual misdeeds of the clergy.  Other gatherings of bishops throughout the Christian world, which encompassed what are now Western Europe, Northern Africa, the Middle East and the British Isles, passed laws attempting to stamp out clerical concubinage, clerical fornication and homosexual activity.”(32)

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Rev. Doyle’s, “A Very Short History of Clergy Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church” (http://www.crusadeagainstclergyabuse.com/htm/AShortHistory.htm) indicates that catholic clerical abuse of women, & children has been rampant since the beginning of the catholic church. The catholic church’s tradition of mandatory celibacy for their nuns & clergy was foundational in the genesis of this institutional catholic sexual abuse scandal, as it forbade the natural sexual human relations that our Heavenly Father intended to be a significant part of intimate, loving relationships between men & women.  

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As Doyle notes in his piece, the church’s response to this scandal for the past 50-60 years has been one of intimidation of victims & their families. The church also chose the approach of secrecy & countless attempts to cover up or minimize the extent of these horrible crimes. This was done in repeated efforts to control the damage, & avoid the negative publicity that such crimes would generate against the catholic church. 

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The catholic church’s inquisition, their false doctrine of mandatory celibacy for clergy, as well as their response to their catholic sexual abuse scandal together completely refute their claims of catholic church infallibility, & reduces such claims to nonsensical absurdity. The same organization responsible for the torture & slaughter  of untold millions of victims, as well as the sexual abuse of women & children without number still somehow brazenly claims to be infallible! In reality, nothing could be further from the truth!

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In Christianity, it is generally an unquestioned article of faith that the whole Bible is the inspired, infallible “Word of God.” However, it was the catholic church that determined that the letters of Paul the Pharisee should be considered infallible, & included in the New Testament Canon. The catholic church’s Council of Laodicea (363AD) approved a canonical list that omitted Revelations from the New Testament, & Enoch from the Hebrew Scriptures. Subsequently their Council of Carthage in 397AD adopted a New Testament list of books & letters that is the same as our present New Testament.(11) This in itself should be significant cause for reasonable people to reconsider the validity of including Paul’s letters with the actual Scriptures!

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There is a belief that our Heavenly Father will intervene supernaturally if necessary to preserve the integrity of His Scriptures. However, Del Tondo points out that our Heavenly Father did not intervene to prevent Adam & Eve from being deceived into disobeying Him. Our Heavenly Father had given man the responsibility of protecting & taking care of the Paradise that had been provided for him. He also gave human beings the responsibility of identifying & rejecting the false prophets, while carefully preserving the true Scriptures of our Heavenly Father.

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Unfortunately, just as we failed to guard the Garden of Eden, we haven’t done a very good job of preserving the integrity of His Kadosh Scriptures. In regards to the Scriptural Canon, Del Tondo points out that the Book of Enoch was included in the universal Christian Canon till about 363AD, when it was removed from the Canon by the Roman Catholic Church at its Council of Laodicea.(33) Nevertheless, the Book of Enoch has remained in the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Canon over the past two thousand years.(33)

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If the book of Enoch is not inspired/infallible Scripture, then it was wrongly included in the universal Christian Canon for over 300 years.(33) Similarly, the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Canon has wrongly included Enoch for the past two thousand years(if Enoch is not true Scripture.)(33) On the other hand, if Enoch is truly inspired/infallible Scripture, then the Universal Canon has wrongly removed it from our Heavenly Father’s Scriptures for over the past two thousand years.(33) In both scenarios, our Heavenly Father did not supernaturally intervene to correct the situation.   The Bible does contain the inspired, infallible Word of our Heavenly Father. However, it also contains the letters of Paul the pharisee, whose letters should never have been included with the NT Scriptures. 

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Paul the pharisee meets the Scriptural definition of a false prophet or teacher as found in Deuteronomy 13:5, & Matthew 7:15-20. Paul repeatedly wrote that “we are not under the Law”(Romans 6:14-15, Galatians 3:23-25, Galatians 5:18, etc) , & that all things are lawful (1 Corinthians 6:12, & 1 Corinthians 10:23). This definitely puts him in violation of Deuteronomy 13:5. Consequently for thousands of years, billions of people have been neglecting to keep the Commandments of our Heavenly Father. This is the natural fruit of Paul’s letters, & puts Paul in the false prophet category according to YAHUSHA’s words of Matthew 7:15-20.

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Romans 6:14-15

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the Law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the Law, but under grace? God forbid.

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Galatians 3:23-25

But before faith came, we were kept under the Law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

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Galatians 5:18

But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the Law.

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1 Corinthians 6:12

All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

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1 Corinthians 10:23

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

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Deuteronomy 13:5

And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from YHWH your Elohim, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which YHWH thy Elohim commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.

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Matthew 7:15-20

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

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Deuteronomy 8:3 & Matthew 4:2-4 both instruct us that “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of YHWH”. Clearly, the Bible does contain the Words of our Heavenly Father as recorded in the Torah, the Prophets, the Psalms, the Gospels, & Revelations. In contrast, the letters of Paul the pharisee have no place being included with actual Scripture, since in his letters Paul himself admitted to using lies & deception in his dealings with various congregations. 

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Furthermore, when our Heavenly Father brought the children of Israel out of slavery in the land of Egypt, the Scriptures, Exodus 12:38, tell us that he brought a “mixed multitude” out with them. The “mixed multitude” were people of all different ethnicities, races, & lineages who saw the wondrous way in which our Heavenly Father dealt with Egypt to secure the freedom of the children of Israel.

 

The mixed multitude realized that YHWH is the Creator, & wanted to serve Him. They were not physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob so they were basically strangers or “gentiles”. This mixed multitude are referred to as the “strangers” in the very Commandment regarding the Sabbath found in Exodus 20:8-11 & Deuteronomy 5:12-15. The “strangers” were expected to keep the same Torah as the children of Israel according to Exodus 12:49, Leviticus 24:22, & Numbers 15:15-16.

 

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Exodus 12:49

One Law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

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Leviticus 24:22

Ye shall have one manner of Law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am YHWH your Elohim.

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Numbers 15:15-16

One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before YHWH. One Law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you.

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One main exception was that the “strangers” or gentiles were not allowed to keep Passover, as no uncircumcised person could keep Passover. {As an aside, if they decided to become circumcised in order to keep the Passover, then they were to be considered as native born children of Israel, regardless of their race, ethnicity, lineage, etc. As mentioned previously circumcision seems to have been the mechanism whereby our Heavenly Father grafted strangers who desired to serve Him into the children of Israel.} 

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Our Heavenly Father’s Torah is for the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob. His Torah is also for the gentiles or strangers who love our Creator, & want to serve Him. As gentiles or strangers who love YHWH, we are most likely not physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob. Nevertheless, we are still expected to keep His Torah.

 

Galatians 5:2-3

Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

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Paul’s letters repeatedly imply & insinuate that gentiles are not obligated to keep our Heavenly Father’s Torah. Galatians 5:2-3 is just one example to illustrate this point. By warning that only the circumcised gentiles have to keep YHWH's Torah, Paul is really implying that the uncircumcised do not have to keep YHWH's Torah. This is a false teaching since we know the children of Israel & the gentiles were all expected to keep YHWH's Torah according to Exodus 12:49, Leviticus 24:22, & Numbers 15:15-16. By implying that uncircumcised gentiles are not obligated to keep our Heavenly Father’s Torah, Paul’s letters have deceived untold countless numbers of people into disobeying our Heavenly Father for thousands of years.

 

Deuteronomy 4:2

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of YHWH your Elohim which I command you.

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Deuteronomy 12:28-32

When YHWH thy Elohim shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.

 

Thou shalt not do so unto YHWH thy Elohim: for every abomination to YHWH, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

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Deuteronomy 13:5

And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from YHWH your Elohim, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which YHWH thy Elohim commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.

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Matthew 7:15-20

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

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These kind of false teachings are repeatedly warned against in Deuteronomy 4:2, Deuteronomy 12:28-32, & Deuteronomy 13:5. Similarly, YAHUSHA also warned us to be not deceived by false prophets. He told us in Matthew 7:15-20 that we would know the false prophets by their fruits. Paul’s fruit is seen in the fact that for the past two thousand years up to this very day, Paul’s letters have been instrumental in deceiving billions of Christians into disobeying the instructions of our Creator & Heavenly Father!

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It is therefore clear that Paul’s letters should have no place in our Heavenly Father’s Scriptures! Deuteronomy 8:3 & Matthew 4:3-4 indicate that every word that proceeds from the mouth ofYHWH & YAHUSHA is what constitutes true Scripture, not Paul’s letters!

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Deuteronomy 8:3

And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of YHWH doth man live.

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Matthew 4:3-4

And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of Elohim, command that these stones be made bread. But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of YHWH.

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