Sunday, July 09, 2006
RELIGION OF THE ANTI-CHRIST
As we watch the Church changing repeatedly before our eyes, the question that hangs in the balance for a faithful Catholic is whether the changes are consistent with the traditional faith. When we can't be sure, thoughts turn to the religion of the Antichrist, and whether there is any possibility that the changes we are seeing might serve this opposition.
Over at the Orthodox Christian Information Center there is an article titled "Count the Number of the Beast: 666" by Inok Vsevolod (Filipiev), from Holy Trinity Monastery, that looks at some of the novelties in Western society, to determine if they fit the pattern we are given in Scripture. The article, as the title reveals, deals with the mark of the Beast, explaining why all of the talk about chips and national identity cards may in fact not be something we should worry about, but that is not to dismiss entirely contemporary trends.
The religion of Antichrist will require a form of submission in exchange for the mark. We will be required to deny Christ to get it.
It is this denial of true Christianity that constitutes the principal reason for setting the seal of Antichrist. Clearly, then, the acceptance of this seal is not connected to any trademarks or commercial marks on documents, money or even on the flesh (for example, prisoners in labor camps wear numbers on their clothing, and slaves used to be branded). This is not the seal of Antichrist. The acceptance of the mark must be joined with a conscious denial of Christ and the acceptance of the law of Antichrist.
It is interesting to trace how, over thousands of years, Satan has been preparing mankind to accept his religion. Many pagan cults confess some kind of divine triad. The ancient Romans had Jupiter, Juno and Minerva; the Hindus have Brahma, Siva and Visnu; in the Egyptian religion one finds the trinitarian group of Osiris, Isis, and Horus. The concept of a trinity also exists in Buddhism and among the ancient Slavs and Celts. In the Graeco-Roman religious cults this idea was reflected in the veneration of the three-bodied goddess Hecate, the three-headed Scylla, the triune divinities of the Cabiri. At the gate of Hades stood guard the fiendish, three-headed dog, Cerberus. Numerous divine triads have been revered by pagan tribes of the Americas and Africa. The cult of voodoo, which is related to modern satanism and still practiced today, believes in some anti-trinity.
These confessions may be said to contain fragments of true revelation. If satan did not exist, one could say that these pagan peoples revered the true God-in-Trinity, even though their concepts of just Who this is were in many ways distorted. But because the world of dark spirituality is in fact a distorted representation of the Divine world, and the devil in his actions imitates God in a distorted fashion, it follows that the distorted divinity of the pagans is a false god, endeavoring to pass for the true God. Through the lips of the Prophet David, the Church warns us that all the gods of the heathen are devils (LXX, Ps. 95:5). It is evident that, under the guise of these pagan "trinities," satan himself is concealed together with his minions.
It is the threat posed by that future deception about which Scripture tells us to observe the signs of the times that causes a skeptical reaction to any novelty in religion such as Celebration Church. But as the article states, it is not entirely in the future. The deceptive religion of the Antichrist permeates every age in some greater or lesser measure.
The diabolical deception will closely mimic the truth. The Antichrist would not be accepted if he were obvious in his intent.
To some it may appear that keeping oneself from accepting the stamp of the Antichrist will be easy. We should not forget the warning in Scripture that in the last times even many of the chosen will be deceived, that is, many Orthodox Christians. How is this possible? It is important to understand that the principal danger lies not in the fact that this stamp will be masked and presented in the form of some technological innovation, but rather in the fact that modern, "civilized" man will be ashamed, he will be embarrassed not to accept it. This will be the greatest temptation to overcome-and many will not. Just listen to the logic: "Why do you refuse to take part in this measure that involves all of humanity, that is being instituted worldwide? After all, it symbolizes unity and the brotherly love of all peoples. It is a symbol of our unity under the aegis of a lawful global authority that has been given to all men from above. Are you against peace and order? Do you want a reign of chaos and enmity? If you are people of good will, you must take part in these cultural enactments that concern all mankind." Of course, it will turn out that one such "innocent" enactment will be, in fact, the rite of bowing down before the God-hating Antichrist. Only a discerning vigilance, illumined by the grace of God, will be able to preserve us from such subtle deception of the last times. What will be the consequences of accepting the mark of Antichrist? They will be truly horrific, destroying human souls. The fruit of denying God is always dreadful, for life without God is death.
Today we see a strong movement for peace and justice that operates out of a syncretized religious belief. We also see what ecumenism is doing to our belief that Jesus Christ and the Church He founded is the whole and entire expression of the Truth. The Benedictine nuns who have requested dispensation from their vows in order to stop offending their non-Catholic members are an example of it. They had a choice to make. Either they could continue to serve God in the Chruch He established, or they could abandon the Church and serve man. We know the choice they made. They were embarrassed by the Roman Catholic faith. Like Peter, they chose to deny Christ's Church in order to avoid being embarrassed.
In making that decision these nuns made it just a tiny bit more difficult for those of us who choose not to deny Christ's Church. They provided an example that can be held up by anyone who wants to promote the ecumenical gospel of syncretism, a gospel that does deny Christ.
Yesterday evening at Mass our celebrant was a priest who is in town while attending school. His home is Africa. Apparently he is no stranger to the sort of embarrassment and harrassment that can come our way when we confess Christ. He told us that we should anticipate and accept that we will be ridiculed and despised, just as the Apostle Paul was ridiculed and physically abused for his faith. Sobering words as we watch the boundaries between faiths disappear in the name of peace.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!
