12/30/98 -by Kenneth M. Hoeck- Updated 1999, 2003

The Ecumenical Movement For Unity

A Call For Awareness In The Churches Of God

• Many have heard the words ecumenical or ecumenism.  Most who hear the term know that it has something to do with unity of the world's churches or religions. How can there be any danger in different denominational churches sharing worship together?  Is it good that the Moslem, the Catholic, the Jew (practitioner of Judaism), the Christian and the Buddhist can all minimize or disregard their differences in doctrine and  worship "the same god" together?  What are the fruits produced by these "ecumenical organizations"?  Does this have anything to do with "The New World Order"?  What does this have to do with the true spiritual church of God?  Many of us may be in for a surprise! This is NOT your typical anti-ecumenical article.  Yes, God does want His People to be as one ... there is a true unity of Believers and a diversity among them yet they are as one ... but what does that mean?

ORIGINS:

Ecumenical movements, in general, can be traced back to the Tower of Babel.  Nimrod had all the known world at that time believing in his power and ability rather than that of God.  These unified people were generally of one mind--one macrocosmic belief system which encompassed numerous other beliefs.  And they strove together for a common cause, which was, at that time: self-preservation.  For their defiance, God destroyed their tower temple (ziggurat) and scattered them across the face of the earth.  What they had called good ... God had declared evil.

The "Christian" ecumenical movement had its roots back in apostolic times.  The apostle Paul warned his brethren that "the mystery of iniquity [lawlessness] doth already work." II Thessalonians 2:7.  Even at that time he saw "small errors" creeping into the church that would eventually snowball into a giant endtime mystery system of false religion.

Many gnostic/christian sects formed and merged Gnostic-mithraism with the principles of true Christianity to form a mock Christian system that was confused with the original.  This false form of Christianity has a few tentacles reached into modern Christianity.  It is mere paganism "blended" with the "faith once delivered," which cloaked itself deceptively within Christianity and sent the true worship of God underground re-identifying it as a heretical cult to the world but they remained True Christians in fact.

This was one of the characteristics of the "Mystery Religions"--the ability to "morph" into a modified religion, any customs or traditions from other belief systems that it gathered from other religions.  The way to do this effectively was to avoid any doctrines that might divide or keep separate the religions and to focus on simple commonalties in worship.

People received easy-to-swallow lies and watered-down doctrines.  It seemed that the less self-denying and humbling the doctrines offered, the greater the zeal with which they were received.  Various pagan groups were led to receive a part of the Christian faith while rejecting essential truths.  They professed to accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God and to believe in His death and resurrection;  yet no urging of repentance was preached so they had no conviction of sin, which in turn resulted in false "conversions." This ecumenical movement continued throughout the first and second centuries A.D.

Phillip Schaff concerning Elagabalus (Varius Avitus, known also as emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus), who was a Roman Caesar during the third century A.D., stated : "The abandoned youth, El-Gabal or Heliogabalus (218 - 222), who polluted the throne by the blackest vices and follies, tolerated all religions in the hope of at last merging them in his favorite syrian worship of the sun with its abominable excesses. He himself was a priest of the god of the sun, and thence took his name." (A.H. Lewis, A Critical History of Sunday Legislation from 321 to 1888 A.D., pp 20, 21).

"It was openly asserted that the worship of the sun, under the name of Elagabalus, was to supercede all other worship. If we believe the biographies in the Augustan history, a more ambitious scheme of a universal religion had dawned upon the mind of the emperor. The Jewish, the Samaritan, even the Christian, were to be fused and recast into one great system, of which the sun was to be the central object of adoration." (H.H. Milman, History of Christianity, Vol. II, Book 2, Chap 8, par 22, pp 178, 179.)

In the early part of the fourth century, Roman Emperor Constantine, clothed with a form of righteousness by his false conversion, thoroughly intertwined paganism with the already subverted doctrines of what was titled "Christianity."  The members of both "spiritual" groups lowered their standards and their guard.  Further pagan doctrines, ceremonies, and superstitions were sifted into the worship of the professed followers of Jesus Christ; including that of a hierarchy, or rule from the top down.  Although the worshipers of pagan idols were considered to be converted, they unified with the "Christian" church bringing their idolatry with them, only changing the objects of their worship to images of Christendom.

"Constantine labored at this time untiringly to unite the worshippers of the old and the new faith in one religion. All his laws and contrivances are aimed at promoting this amalgamation of religions. He by all lawful and peaceable means melt together a purified heathenism and a moderated Christianity .... His injunction that the 'Day of the Sun' should be a general rest day was characteristic of his standpoint ...... Of all his blending and melting together of Christianity and heathenism none is more easy to see through than this making of his Sunday law. ' The Christians worshiped their Christ, their heathen their sungod; according to the opinion of the Emperor, the objects for worship in both religions were essentially the same.' " (H.G. Heggtveit, Kirkehistorie [Church History], pp. 233, 234.)

"....It is evident from all his statutory provisions, that the Emperor during the time 313 - 323 with full consciousness has sought the realization of his religious aim: the amalgamation of heathenism and Christianity." (Dr. A. Chr. Bang, Kirken og Romerstaten [The Church and the Roman State], p.256).

Many Ecumenical Councils held by the Catholic Church have continued in this tradition.  The Second Council of Nice, A.D. 787 further introduced unsound doctrines, superstitious rites and the adoration of statues, images and objects. These are the fruits of ecumenism.

Modern Ecumenism

The World Missionary Conference of 1910, that was held in Edinburgh, Scotland marked the beginning of modern ecumenism. It created three focuses of ecumenical endeavor: evangelistic, service, and doctrinal. Today, these three aspects are furthered through the World Council of Churches, constituted in 1948.

The Universal Christian Conference on Life and Work was convened in Stockholm, Sweden in 1925 to study the application of the gospel to industrial, social, political, and international affairs. This movement proceeded under the slogan "service unites but doctrine divides."

Sir Francis Younghusband, who established the World Congress of Faiths in the 1930's once wrote, "A religious basis is essential for the new world order."

In The Humanist, Vol. Xll, 5, 1952, Julian Huxley predicted, "The theistic concepts are bound to disappear in the future development of humanity....A new religion will develop...the most important feature of such a religion would be its universalistic character...it would embrace the humanistic teachings common to all great religions of the East and of the West...."

The ecumenical movement continued slowly throughout the years and is reaching a crescendo in the modern day.  The tabloids and periodicals are replete with ecumenical tidbits such as the following.

Daily Herald Newspaper in NW Chicago published the following, on Feb 16, 1997, entitled "Religious groups gather for interfaith prayer service" by Stacy St. Clair. According to the article, a day of prayer was held at Lisle's St. Procopius Abbey. "The purpose of the interreligious prayer day was to stress the similarities between world religions. Though faiths may have different rituals, approaches and clothing, they share the same goal, [Rev. Deena] Butta [priestess of the Fellowship of Isis] said. The Jews praise Yahweh, the Catholic worship Christ and Friends of Isis honor the Goddess. The three boast different titles but embody the same spirit, she said. 'Sometimes I think what we're really fighting over in some of these religions is the names,' she said. The event was sponsored by the Friends of the Parliament for World Religions and Monastic Interreligious Dialogue. Its purpose mirrors Pope John Paul II's belief that group prayer fosters understanding, the Rev. Julian von Duerbeck said."

It has been introduced that ecumenical ideals have been used to subvert and eradicate the faith once delivered throughout history.  Now each one of us must endeavor to pull the covering of wool from over our own eyes...and also from the backs of the ecumenical wolves that have infiltrated the flock ... including the ministry.  Let us further investigate this ecumenical movement together so we can fully understand what it is all about.

Unifying Principles

Modern ecumenism is clearly founded upon many of the principles of Freemasonry, among others, and is a dire threat to the very pillar and foundation of the Truth itself—the Church.

In his book, Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Albert Pike tells us that "Every Masonic Lodge is a temple of religion; and its teachings are instruction in religion." (p. 213) "Masonry, around whose altars the Christian, the Hebrew, the Moslem, the Brahim, the followers of Confucius and Zoroaster, can assemble as brethren and unite in prayer to the one God who is above all the Baalism." (p. 226)

Pike also wrote "Masonry, like all religions, all the Mysteries, conceals its secrets from all except the Adepts and Sages or Elect and uses false explanations and interpretations of its symbols to mislead those who deserve only to be misled." (ibid., p. 105 )

Let us consider this passage. Ephesians 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Does this scripture mean that we abandon any conflicting doctrines and principles and gather into one common unified religion?  Or does it mean that there is ONLY ONE WAY and that the way cannot be compromised or joined to any other of the world's religions?  This letter was addressed to the saints at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus...NOT to the whole population of the city or the various religious sects but only to those members of God's church.  (Did Jesus Christ seek to BLEND with the religious leaders of His day?  Did He add the Pharisee's traditions to His daily routines? No, He rebuked their "religiosity" and traditions made by men.  Christ never compromised the truth.).  Let us reap more truth from reading further IN CONTEXT.

If we continue in the passage, we find that Paul was not only talking to, but also about those who make up the spiritual church of God....not all people: Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. Notice the warning concerning the deceitful men who speak on doctrinal matters in error to scripture.

Further more we are instructed to NOT do as the other peoples of the world do: Eph 4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But ye have not so learned Christ; 21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

We notice that the church is urged to have unity within itself...but not at the expense of straying from the path that Jesus directed us in which to walk.  We see that there is a Christian principle of unity that needs to be considered, but that there is also a unity with other people(s) and beliefs that is to be completely avoided.

Significant progress toward a New World Order is seen in the spirit of ecumenism now being urged by prominent religious and political leaders.  In the ecumenical plan, basic theological or ideological differences are set aside while emphasis is instead placed upon those elements common to most religions.  The proponents for a world religion have tried to reconcile different religions and to bring leaders from different faiths together in ecumenical movements, to harmonize religions and emphasize only those basic ideas that they have in common.  No form of fundamental religion with a fixed, absolute belief system can be tolerated in the New World Order.  Instead, the loving brotherhood of mankind and the spiritual sacredness of Nature (wiccan) and of Mother Earth (pagan) will be the focus.  We will take a brief look at a few of the thousands of ecumenical organizations and alliances that have been established to this end.

The Amalgamation

The ecumenical movement is built in layers.  Thousands of small churches establish small alliances, which cooperate with other such allied forces to create a network of many lesser ecumenical organizations.  These lesser groups ally themselves with the larger religions into greater organizations focused on unity.  Let us gain a bit of insight as to the objectives of the ecumenical agenda by investigating a couple of these "shared-worship" ministries.

GF

The Gorbachev Foundation is headquartered on U.S. government public land at the San Francisco Presidio. British publisher, Christopher Story states: "The Gorbachev Foundation describes itself as working 'toward a new civilization.' He continues: It is starting a 'united religions organization' to be like a United Nations of religion, complete with a secretary-general, to be based at the Presidio.  The goal is to 'sanitize' world religions and combine them with an appreciation of 'Mother Earth' for environmental purposes… The Foundation's philosophy is based on a game plan developed by a prominent Leninist for altering a country's values, noting that Mr. Gorbachev has said that Mrs. Gorbachev has been a student of this particular Leninist all her adult life"

 "We stand on the threshold of a new world order that may be defined either by an increasing polarization that fuels a spiral of escalating conflict and violence, or by growing global cooperation that calls the human race to work across national, ethnic and religious boundaries to serve a larger global good."

In 1987, Gorbachev stated, "...there must be no let-up in the war against religion because as long as religion exists, Communism cannot prevail. We must intensify the obliteration of all religion..." (Catholic Family News, "One World Church Starts Up" November, 1997). Involving oneself with the all of the world's religions is pretty strange behavior for an atheist, we believe.

UR

Episcopalian Bishop William Swing is a leading force behind the United Religion Initiative 2000, the prominent ecumenical movement of the Gorbachev Foundation.  The ecumenical leader desires to create in the Presidio in San Francisco, a forum, much like the United Nations, where the world’s religions could come together for peaceful dialogue and conflict resolution.  Swing led 200 delegates from historic religious traditions and new spiritual movements including Christian ecumenical leaders, black Muslims, Australian aborigines, pagans from California, American Jews, Hindus, Buddhists from Thailand, British Bahai's, Catholic priests, Indian Sikhs (and other leading illuminated ones from the world's many religions) in a meeting held at Stanford University and began working on a charter for an international interfaith organization called the United Religions (UR) (Remember this acronym!).  This U.R. would be based on U.N. principles and structure as stated in the above section on the Gorbachev Foundation.

The Interfaith Summit Conference, led by Swing, was held from June 24-28, 1997 for the purpose of "uniting the world's religions into a global organization."  The United Religions Organization will be an international, inter-religious organization modeled after and affiliated with the United Nations.  As a U.N. liaison, the U.R. will "cooperate closely with the U.N. and its organizations to complement the U.N.'s political, diplomatic and social mandates, influence U.N. policy and support its programs."

The following information is excerpted from an interview with Swing, which was posted in the June 22, 1997, edition of the San Francisco Chronicle by Don Lattin : "Our job is to start the dialogue aiming at peace among religions."

Swing stated, "If we get into position papers on abortion or something like that, everybody’s just going to divide up into camps and go at it. We’ve got to take several steps behind that to find out the basic values that the religions of the world hold in common."

The Bishop continued by declaring "The great religions of the world could not create a United Religions if Rome invited everybody to Rome. People would be suspicious.  And if Islam invited everyone to Mecca, or if the Jews invited everyone to Jerusalem, people would say, "Who’s controlling this?"  What we’re trying to do is to find some common ground that would be created not by Islam or by the Roman Catholics or anybody else, but by a world that is getting tired of the religions killing each other.  They would all bring the best they’ve got to the table, and we could create a common ground so that we can enter into an exchange and a conversation."

U.R.'s plans are stated as the following- "On the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, we celebrate the success of a model for resolving conflict among nations by adopting this model to bring together the religions of the world in their aim for peace and justice in the next century."

The U.R. will support the work of The Temple of Understanding, a Global Interfaith Association based in New York that is organizing a Spiritual Council of prominent religious leaders and thinkers from different religious and spiritual backgrounds as an Advisory Board to the UN Security Council.  The U.R. will also work closely with The World Council of Faiths at Oxford, UK, which operates an International Interfaith Centre.

While the term United Religions may seem good to most people its agenda is strictly anti-God, seeking to exalt humanity and human intelligence to the status of deity.  They primarily mind the things concerning the flesh.  Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

WCC

The World Council Of Churches (WCC) has an agenda that is fixed upon unity of world religions.  Founded in 1948, the membership consists of about 500 million mainstream Christians represented through some 332 churches, denominations and fellowship in 120 countries and territories throughout the world.

The WCC exists to serve the ecumenical movement by encouraging in its members a common commitment to "follow the gospel of the Triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit."  It can even find unity in the worship of only one aspect of this Trinity.  The goal of the WCC, per their own web page, "is not to build a global "super-church", nor to standardize styles of worship, but rather to deepen the communion of Christian churches and communities so they may see in one another authentic expressions of the "one, holy, catholic and apostolic church."  Such communion becomes the basis for joining in a common confession of the apostolic faith, cooperating in mission and human service endeavours and, where possible, sharing in the sacraments."

Dr. Philip Potter, WCC General Secretary, quoted the following from a 1969 WCC Central Committee directive: "We call upon the churches to move beyond charity, grants and traditional programming to relevant and sacrificial action leading to new relationships of dignity and justice among all men and to become the agents for the radical reconstruction of society....But the conflict has become intense when it has been perceived that a radical change of economic, social and political structures are needed and not the mere prudential transfer of resources and technologies."

A different WCC document stated: "In the developed countries it means changes in the production structure and employment policies which will only be possible through a certain 'socialization' of decisions that have so far been taken autonomously on the basis of interests of the private sector."

Let us witness the unseemly events that unfolded at one of the WCC led meetings:

The Seventh General Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Canberra, Australia, 1991 held interfaith services for its attending members.  At the opening ceremony, bare-chested Aborigines covered in mud, danced out a clearly pagan ritual around a heathen fire.  All the attendees of the WCC conference had to pass through the smoke of that idolatrous altar to enter the "worship" tent for the opening assembly.  This was followed by an Orthodox Patriarchs procession and the singing of songs of praise to a common god.  The Archbishop of Australia then led faiths from all over the world in reciting the Creed.  Throughout the service Protestant clergywomen took leading roles beside Aborigines.

One of the speakers was Korean professor Chung Hyun-Kyung, who said, "Don't bother the Spirit by calling her all the time.  She is working hard with us."  Chung summoned the spirits of the dead (18 different times!) who have suffered injustices in the past and claimed that "without hearing the cries of these spirits, we cannot hear the voice of the Holy Spirit."  Chung continued, "I hope the presence of all our ancestors' spirits [in truth, demons] here with us shall not make you uncomfortable."  She also invoked "the spirit of Earth, Air, and Water."

She claimed the Holy Spirit was a being and the same was the "image of Kwan In," an Asian goddess of compassion and wisdom.  Chung blasphemed, "Perhaps this might also be a feminine image of the Christ who is the first born among us, one who goes before and brings others with her."  For all this Chung received a standing ovation from the WCC audience!  In the ceremony concluding the multi-day convocation a special place was given to the religions of eastern mysticism.

The book No Longer Strangers was a co-project of the Lutheran World Federation, World Council of Churches, World Student Christian Federation, and the World Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA).  It was first published in June 1984 and reprinted three times in the first year.

This WCC publication is touted to be a guideline for worship and throughout it all God is spoken of as being female in gender.  "By their fruits you shall know them" so let us consider a few more examples in the poem-prayers found in this blasphemous book:

These heretical prayers to a different god show the fruit of the apostasy of the World Council of Churches to be inedible.  Anyone who has studied any of the pagan religions' beliefs will recognize the worship of Virgo (the earth-mother who bears the sheaf of corn in her hand), also known as Demeter or Ceres, Gaia or Ge (the earth), Maia or Isis.  The Buddhist/Shamanist concept of God being in all things is also present but the main theme is apparent to be the worship of the Earth-mother, the all producing eternal source of life, due to her never-failing ever-renewed fertility because she is an Immortal Virgin....sound familiar?

Are you shocked?  When we discovered this, in researching this paper,  I was quite appalled myself.  I knew things were bad but never imagined the true present state of affairs.  Let us share a bit more information on this abominable conglomeration of ecumenical worshippers.

 The WCC sponsored a Re-imaging conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota in November 1993.  Approximately 2,000 women "seeking to change Christianity" were in attendance and, again, the speakers pronounced some more apostate teachings.  (Several denominations supported the conference including Roman Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, Evangelical Lutherans, Baptists, Episcopalians, and Mennonites, as well as members of the United Church of Christ, United Church of Canada, and the Church of the Brethren.)

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported in its Nov. 3, 1993 issue that "throughout the conference worship experiences will celebrate Sophia, the biblical goddess of creation."  This Sophia is "the suppressed part of the biblical tradition, and clearly the female face of the human psyche," claimed Sue Seid-Martin of the University of St. Thomas School of Divinity in St. Paul, Minn.

On Sunday morning, the entire conference joined together in reciting a prayer to Sophia (goddess of Wisdom).  The following is an excerpt of that prayer: "Our maker Sophia, we are women in your image....Sophia, creator God...shower us with your love....we invite a lover, we birth a child; with our warm body fluids we remind the world of its pleasures and sensations....Our guide, Sophia, we are women in your image....With the honey of wisdom in our mouths, we prophesy a full humanity to all the peoples."

One speaker, Virginia Mollenkott, an self-proclaimed pro-abortion lesbian (who participated in the translation of the New International Version of the Bible---Remember...by their fruits!), said, "[Jesus] is our elder brother, the trailblazer and constant companion for us--ultimately is among many brothers and sisters in an eternal, equally worthy sibling-hood. First born only in the sense that he was the first to show us that it is possible to live in oneness with the divine source while we are here on this planet....As an incest survivor, I can no longer worship in a theological context that depicts God as an abusive parent and Jesus as the obedient, trusting child." [Referring to Christ's death on the tree]

The blaspheming Chung Hyung Kyung spoke at this event also.  She is a professor at Korea's Ewha Women's University, the world's largest university for women, with 20,000 students. Chung told the crowd, "My bowel is Buddhist bowel, my heart is Buddhist heart, my right brain is Confucian brain, and my left brain is Christian brain."  In a quite pagan...Buddhist ...even Druidical statement, Chung said "When we do pranic healing, we believe that this life-giving energy came from god and it is everywhere, it is in the sun, in the ocean, from the ground and it is from the trees...We ask god's permission to use this life-giving energy for our sisters and brothers in need.  If you feel very tired and you don't have any energy to give, what you do is...go to a big tree and ask it to give me some of your life energy."

Delores Williams of Union Theological Seminary, said during a discussion panel on Jesus: "I don't think we need a theory of atonement at all.  I think Jesus came for life and to show us something about life.  I don't think we need folks hanging on crosses and blood dripping and weird stuff...we just need to listen to the God within."

According to Charisma, May 1994, p.76, An attending female Lutheran pastor "boasted that Jesus Christ's name was never mentioned." All attendees were urged to overthrow "...the patriarchal image of Father God."

 I cannot believe how devoid of true knowledge these folks all are.  James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?  I am sure that enough evidence on the World Council of Churches has been presented here to show that they do not worship the true God...so should you be yoked with them?  The WCC is very prominent in the worldwide ecumenical movement.  Old Emperor Constantine would love this bunch!  Speaking of empires.....

The Roman Catholic Church (RCC)

The "Mother" of all "Christian" churches is leading the ecumenical drive for union by the year 2000.  While their quest may take longer than they hope they are still extremely dedicated to it.  The Pope has consistently called for a well-planned ecumenical drive to bringing all the churches back into the Roman Catholic church.  A slow steady movement of other churches back to her is the objective and can be verified by the following documental quotations:

"Originally, ecumenism was concerned with unity among Christians. But it is now, increasingly...seek[ing] the union of all religions, Christian or non-Christian. On May 19,1964, Paul VI officially launched a Secratariat for the non-Christians...[which] played an important role during the last two sessions of the Council [Vatican II]...Some months later, Msgr. Wojtyla [who became Pope John Paul II] declared: 'Nostalgia for the unity of Christians makes common cause with that of unity for the whole human race...This gives rise to the attitude of the Church towards other religions, which is based on the recognition of their spiritual values, humans and Christians together, reaching out to such religions as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism...' " (Abbe Daniel Le Roux, Peter, Thou Lovest Me?, p.45).

Vatican insider, Dr. Malachi Martin has said that, based on a message of Mary in a personal visitation, John Paul believes, "There will come a day, when the heart of Islam – already attuned to the figures of Christ and of Christ's mother, Mary--will receive the illumination it needs…a second Fatima…in which they will recognize him as God's vicar on earth…Then with fellow travelers like the Church of England, the Episcopal Church, and others of like mind, the pope could be worshipped as the infallible holy father by over one-half of the world's population."

The following quotations are taken from John Paul II’s Papal Bull entitled Vatican 2000.

"May the Jubilee serve to advance mutual dialogue until the day when all of us together — Jews, Christians and Moslems — will exchange the greeting of peace in Jerusalem."

"May the ecumenical character of the Jubilee be a concrete sign of the journey which, especially in recent decades, the faithful of the different Churches and Ecclesial Communities have been making. It is only by listening to the Spirit that we shall be able to show forth visibly in full communion the grace of divine adoption which springs from Baptism: all of us children of the one Father"

The Papal Bull continues, "Every Jubilee Year is like an invitation to a wedding feast. From the different Churches and Ecclesial Communities throughout the world, let us all hasten to the feast now being prepared; let us bring with us everything that already unites us and, by fixing our gaze on Christ alone, let us grow in the unity which is the fruit of the Spirit. The present task of the Bishop of Rome, as the Successor of Peter, is to make the invitation to the Jubilee celebration all the more insistent, in order that the two thousandth anniversary of the central mystery of the Christian faith may be experienced as a journey of reconciliation and a sign of true hope for all who look to Christ and to his Church, the sacrament "of intimate union with God and the unity of the entire human race". - Here John Paul II tells us that we need to basically shelf all differences and use a single commonality, in this case Christ (without His doctrines), to unify the population of the whole world.

Vatican 2000 continues, "On the occasion of this great feast, a warm invitation to share our joy goes out to the followers of other religions, as it does to those who are far from faith in God. As brothers and sisters in the one human family, may we cross together the threshold of a new millennium that will demand effort and responsibility on the part of all."

"I therefore decree that the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 will begin on Christmas Eve 1999, with the opening of the holy door in Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, a few hours before the inaugural celebration planned for Jerusalem and Bethlehem and the opening of the holy door in each of the other Patriarchal Basilicas of Rome. At Saint Paul's Basilica, the holy door will be opened on Tuesday, 18 January, when the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins, as a way of emphasizing the distinctive ecumenical character of this Jubilee."

"Furthermore, the truth about the communion of saints which unites believers to Christ and to one another, reveals how much each of us can help others — living or dead — to become ever more intimately united with the Father in heaven." The taking of a joint communion between Catholics and Non-Catholics has been one of the major "successes" of the RCC’s ecumenical tactics. Many inter-religious communions have already taken place among the Catholic’s and Protestants.

The Pope’s agenda is clear up to this point : to bring together all of humanity (except the true saints of God) in a great false system of religion which will tolerate all beliefs except those of the true followers of God, who have the testimony of Jesus Christ and are keeping the commandments of God.

"How will leaders have all authority to bring churches back to Rome? Through obedience. A grass roots rebellion can be expected, but use the leaders to knit them back...through obedience to leadership. Each church will have its own scepter, but ministers of all churches will all work together. Build on Vatican II and use a "faith and order model' preach a 'community of faith.' Tell them they just 'need to believe.' " ~Unity of the Churches, Fries and Rahner, pg. 54

The following quotes are excerpted from the Papal document titled : DIRECTORY FOR THE APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES AND NORMS ON ECUMENISM.

[26] Yet however much human culpability has damaged communion, it has never destroyed it.  In fact, the fullness of the unity of the Church of Christ has been maintained within the Catholic Church while other Churches and ecclesial Communities, though not in full communion with the Catholic Church, retain in reality a certain communion with it.  The Council affirms: "This unity, we believe, subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose, and we hope that it will continue to increase until the end of time"

19. No Christian, however, should be satisfied with these forms of communion.  They do not correspond to the will of Christ, and weaken his Church in the exercise of its mission.  The grace of God has impelled members of many Churches and ecclesial Communities, especially in the course of this present century, to strive to overcome the divisions inherited from the past and to build anew a communion of love by prayer, by repentance and by asking pardon of each other for sins of disunity past and present, by meeting in practical forms of cooperation and in theological dialogue.  These are the aims and activities of what has come to be called the ecumenical movement.

33. ...There are many other factors, political, social, cultural, geographical and ethnic, which can give distinct shape to the ecumenical task.

The Universal (Catholic) church is moving slowly and methodically toward the fulfillment of their dubious goals.  Both their rhetoric and subtlety lure the unsuspecting into their clutches.  The same church document contains the following statements.

56. Ecumenism calls for renewal of attitudes and for flexibility of methods in the search for unity....Consequently, ecumenical formation requires a pedagogy that is adapted to the concrete situation of the life of persons and groups, and which respects the need for gradualness in an effort of continual renewal and of change in attitudes.

g) The method of teaching should allow for the necessity of progressing gradually.  Such a method makes it possible to distinguish and distribute the questions to be studied and their respective contents in the various phases of doctrinal formation, taking account also of the ecumenical experience of the person concerned.

Thus, all those engaged in pastoral work will be faithful to the holy and living Tradition which is a source of initiative within the Church.  They should be able to evaluate and welcome truth wherever it is found.  "All truth, by whomsoever it is spoken, is of the Holy Spirit."

73. Ecumenical activity "has to be fully and sincerely Catholic, that is, faithful to the truth we have received from the Apostles and the Fathers and consonant with the faith the Catholic Church has always professed".

The nature worship direction present in the other ecumenical groups is also prevalent in the Catholic church.  The earth and its precious resources will be a major focus of the ecumenical movement.  Maintaining the planet, "Mother Earth," to prolong human life will be a key principle to the ecumenical organizations.  Knowing that the "Earth-mother" is associated with the Virgin (Mary, or in reality, Virgo) should help fathom the depths of this orientation.   A little insight can be found in the same document we've been quoting above.

215. There is an intrinsic connection between development, human need and the stewardship of creation.  For experience has taught us that development in response to human needs cannot misuse or overuse natural resources without serious consequences.

The responsibility for the care of creation, which in itself has a particular dignity, is given by the Creator himself to all people, in so far as they are to be stewards of creation.[193] Catholics are encouraged to enter, at various levels, into joint initiatives aimed at study and action on issues that threaten the dignity of creation and endanger the whole human race. Other topics for such study and action could include, for example, certain forms of uncontrolled rapid industrialization and technology that cause pollution of the natural environment with serious consequences to the ecological balance, such as destruction of forests, nuclear testing and the irrational use or misuse of both renewable and unrenewable natural resources. An important aspect of joint action in this field is in the area of education of people in the use of resources as well as in the planned use of them and in the care of creation.

While preserving our resources for future generations is a kind and thoughtful cause it should never supplant the worship of the true God in spirit and truth.  Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?   We are not to seek to save our flesh but to focus on our chance at eternal life as a spirit-being yet, earth preservation (and worship) seems to be the center of the world's agenda.  The ecumenical movement will demand that you conform to all their standards in the name of this cause. Taking on a form of goodness/godliness but denying the power thereof.

Opposition to the Roman Catholic Church in its quest to unify its "offspring" churches or "daughters" will not be tolerated. Any sects that do not conform will be addressed by the highest powers.  The RCC's "love" and "unity" only are valid to those who yield to her sovereignty.  Let us read more from the DIRECTORY FOR THE APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES AND NORMS ON ECUMENISM.

"18. Human folly and human sinfulness however have at times opposed the unifying purpose of the Holy Spirit and weakened that power of love which overcomes the inherent tensions in ecclesial life.  From the beginning of the Church certain rifts came into being.

57. Not only teachers, but all those who are involved in pastoral work will be progressively formed in accordance with the following principal orientations: b) Knowledge of the history of divisions and of efforts at reconciliation, as well as the doctrinal positions of other Churches and ecclesial Communities will make it possible to analyse problems in their socio-cultural context and to discern in expressions of faith what is legitimate diversity and what constitutes divergence that is incompatible with Catholic faith.

35. The religious landscape of our world has evolved considerably in recent decades and in some parts of the world the most noticeable development has been the growth of sects and new religious movements whose desire for peaceful relations with the Catholic Church may be weak or non-existent.  In 1986, a report[49] was published jointly by four dicasteries of the Roman Curia which draws attention to the vital distinction that must be made between sects and new religious movements on the one hand and Churches and ecclesial Communities on the other.   Further studies are in progress on this question.

Clearly it is especially up to the Bishop, the Synod of Eastern Catholic Churches or the Episcopal Conference to discern how best to respond to the challenge posed by sects in a given area.  But it must be stressed that the principles for spiritual sharing or practical cooperation outlined in this Directory only apply to the Churches and ecclesial Communities with which the Catholic Church has established ecumenical relations.  As will be clear to the reader of this Directory, the only basis for such sharing and cooperation is the recognition on both sides of a certain, though imperfect, communion already existing.  Openness and mutual respect are the logical consequences of such recognition."

The Catholic priests are encouraged to learn the doctrinal positions of other churches in opposition to theirs.  They often achieve this knowledge from actually involving themselves within a particular group or sect.

 Any person or group(s) who are considered "incompatible" with the Catholic church will be branded as heretics.  The Inquisition was used to dispose of such  individuals who stood firm in the truth in the not so distant past...will history repeat itself?  And since we are speaking of the Inquisitions...this is an ideal segway to the next ecumenical group .... the Jesuits.

THE JESUS SOCIETY

This is the elite of the RCC Initiated...the Jesuits.  The following decrees have been excerpted from the Society of Jesus' own public documents as given to the lower level initiates of Jesuitism.

Jesuit GC 34:Decree 5:130 3. Vatican II has exhorted all Catholics to a dialogue which will "acknowledge, preserve, and promote the spiritual and moral goods found in other religions, and the values in their society and culture" in order to "join hands with them to work towards a world of peace, liberty, social justice, and moral values."2 The Holy Father has repeatedly asked Jesuits to make interreligious dialogue an apostolic priority for the third millennium.3 In a world where Christians comprise less than 20 percent of the population, it is imperative that we collaborate with others to achieve common goals. In the context of the divisive, exploitative, and conflictual roles that religions, including Christianity, have played in history, dialogue seeks to develop the unifying and liberating potential of all religions, thus showing the relevance of religion for human well being, justice, and world peace.  Above all we need to relate positively to believers of other religions because they are our neighbors; the common elements of our religious heritages and our human concerns force us to establish ever closer ties based on universally accepted ethical value

Ecumenism- Jesuit GC 34: Decree 12:(Ecumenism)326 1. The signs of the times give stark proof of the fact that a faith doing justice must necessarily lead to ecumenical and interreligious dialogue and cooperation.  In many parts of the world, it is precisely religious divisions that are a force contributing to injustice, violence, and even warfare.  In situations of conflict, often fueled by historic confessional hostilities, ecumenism calls us to pardon and to love as essential components of a Gospel-inspired struggle for justice and reconciliation.  As peoples move towards ever closer political, economic, social, and cultural unity, and as nations once divided by centuries of hatred and conflict form new supranational economic and political structures, the historic divisions of Christianity represent a flagrant counterwitness to the Gospel message "ut omnes unum sint" (John 17:21).

What a wonderful bunch of guys those Jesuit fellas are...wanting to promote interactive dialogue, prevent violence and conflicts and such! (sarcasm intended).  The above public statements fully contradict these words excerpted from The Jesuit Oath (as relayed by Carlos Didier in his book Subterranean Rome, pp349-351) which is taken by high level Jesuits.

"I do further declare that the doctrine of the churches of England and Scotland, of the Calvinists, Huguenots and others of the name Protestants or Liberals to be damnable and they themselves damned who will not forsake the same. I do further declare, that I will help, assist, and advise all or any of his Holiness' agents in any place wherever I shall be, in Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, England, Ireland or America, or in any other Kingdom or territory I shall come to, and do my uttermost to extirpate the heretical Protestants of Liberals' doctrines and to destroy all their pretended powers, regal or otherwise."

"I furthermore promise and declare that I will, when opportunity present, make and wage relentless war, secretly or openly, against all heretics, Protestants and Liberals, as I am directed to do, to extirpate and exterminate them from the face of the whole earth; and that I will spare neither age, sex or condition; and that I will hang, waste, boil, flay, strangle and bury alive these infamous heretics, rip up the stomachs and wombs of their women and crush their infants' heads against the walls, in order to annihilate forever their execrable race. That when the same cannot be done openly, I will secretly use the poisoned cup, the strangulating cord, the steel of the poniard or the leaden bullet, regardless of the honor, rank, dignity, or authority of the person or persons, whatever may be their condition in life, either public or private, as I at any time may be directed so to do by any agent of the Pope or Superior of the Brotherhood of the Holy Faith, of the Society of Jesus."

The Jesuits are the most dangerous of the ecumenists as they are a leading force of the movement because their members infiltrate all other organizations and churches.  They are wolves who have crept into the sheepfold and even into the ministry of ALL churches.  They lead or influence church members by using "brainwashing" techniques, which are very subtle to the untrained, to cause them to accept Catholic doctrines ever so gradually.

"The goal is to leaven society. All independent ideas must be put under death -- and bring in 'love and unity.' " ~ Jesuit Higher Education, pg 34

"Charismatic movement is the glue to bind the churches, with Jesuits infiltrating all churches." The Church is Charismatic - World Council of Churches

"The Jesuit way is to [use] diplomacy, ideology, and propaganda to infiltrate the church".~ History of the Reformation by D'Anbignes

"The plans for the New World Order, and One World religion brought about through the Jesuits...and others"~ En Route to Global Occupation by Gary H. Kah

Per Carlos Didier's Subterranean Rome, pp349-351, the new Jesuit leader is instructed: "you have been taught to act the dissembler: among Roman Catholics to be a Roman Catholic, and to be a spy even among your own brethren; to believe no man, to trust no man.  Among the Reformers, to be a reformer; among the Huguenots, to be a Huguenot; among the Calvinists, to be a Calvinist; among other Protestants, generally to be a Protestant, and obtaining their confidence, to seek even to preach from their pulpits, and to denounce with all the vehemence in your nature our Holy Religion and the Pope; and even to descend so low as to become a Jew among Jews, that you might be enabled to gather together all information for the benefit of your Order as a faithful soldier of the Pope....To take sides with the combatants and to act secretly with your brother Jesuit, who might be engaged on the other side, but openly opposed to that with which you might be connected, only that the Church might be the gainer in the end, in the conditions fixed in the treaties for peace and that the end justifies the means."

Watch for messages from your church's pulpit that have subtle twists in them...you may have been supporting a Jesuit in ministers clothing!  The fiery darts of Satan have no conscience...the Jesuits only care about the end results.  The end justifies the means is a term directly from Communism...but this group does not promulgate communism...more like socialism....and it oozes utterly with Satanism.  The term has been used by the Roman Catholic Church throughout the centuries to justify its murder of thousands who would not bend the knee to their rule and also to build its enormous size, wealth and power.  It would be a tragedy of the greatest possible proportions if the bible-believing followers of Christ in these last days were to be deceived by the same satanic philosophy, only this time when it is applied to ecumenical evangelism. Will you trust these individuals of this secretive society?

Mt 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

(To read the entire Jesuit Oath click here)

UN

The United Nations is an interesting player in the world scene.  It has been pushing a secular ecumenical agenda since its inception.  Dark forces are at work in this organization as we will reveal and it will be a leader in promoting "Humanity worship and/or Mother-earth Worship".

Robert Muller, former Assistant Secretary of the United Nations, wrote in his book New Genesis; Shaping a Global Spirituality : "My great personal dream is to get a tremendous alliance between all the major religions and the UN...On the occasion of Earth Day, I proposed that humanity should hold in the year 2000 a world-wide Bimillennium Celebration of Life, preceded by unparalleled thinking, perception, inspiration, elevation, planning and love for the achievement of a peaceful, happy, and godly human society on earth."

Those will be perilous times for a rebel thinker such as a Church of God member who holds true the biblical fact that no society on earth will be "godly" until the return of God's First-born Son, Jesus Christ.  Anybody who thinks that they will build this utopia apart from God is sorely mistaken...do not follow them.

In his speech before the Parliament of the World's Religions, Dr. Robert Muller, Former Assistant Secretary-General of the U.N. reaffirmed the absolute inclusiveness of the new world religion. He said, "...do not worry if not all religions will join the United Religions organization. Many nations did not join the UN at its beginning, but later regretted it and made every effort to join. It was the same with the European Community and it will be the case with the world's religions because whoever stays out or aloof will sooner or later regret it."

Muller, a Catholic, has stated: "We need a world or cosmic spirituality...I hope that religious leaders will get together and define...the cosmic laws which are common to all their faiths...We must also hope that the Pope will come before the year 2000 to the Untied Nations, speak for all the religions and spiritualities on this planet and give the world the religious view of how the third millennium should be a spiritual millennium." (World Goodwill Newsletter, 1989, no.4, pp.1,3).

. In 1992 AID Chairman J. Brian Atwood told the U.N. population control conference in Cairo, "We will all be changed by this global discussion. In time, individuals will change their outlook. Societies will change their morals. Religions will interpret their beliefs differently....".

In 1992 the United Nations Environmental Program sponsored Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.  This conference was set up by New Age Hindu occultist Maurice Strong and was attended by many prominent people, including US President George Bush and Germany's Chancellor Helmut Kohl.  Obviously to nobody's dismay, on the very first day of the proceeding, The Great Invocation (a prayer to Lucifer) was read from the podium.

The prayer is not exclusive to the U.N. but is a principle prayer used by many ecumenical groups, so it is beneficial for us to spend a moment investigating it.  In 1935, The Great Invocation was given by Djwhal Khul to those who worship Humanity through medium Alice Bailey and the Lucis Trust (Lucifer Trust).  "The beauty and the strength of this Invocation lie in its simplicity, and in its expression of certain central truths..."-[The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, Lucis Trust, 1957.]   "The Great Invocation relates the will of the Father, the love of the Hierarchy, and the service of Humanity into one great Triangle of Energies; this triangle will have two major results: the 'sealing of the door where evil dwells,' and the working out through the Power of God, let loose on earth through the Invocation, of the Plan or Love and Light."-[The Rays and the Initiations, Lucis Trust, 1969].  

Here is the evil prayer in its entirety:

Sources tell us that the words of this universal prayer have been chosen carefully by adepts to preserve important (satanic) numerological information and mantric power.  Please note that the users of this prayer state that the Christ referred to in the Great Invocation is more than the historical figure from 2000 years ago or the founder of the Christian religion.  This Christ, we are told,  is the "eternal embodiment of cosmic love and the World Teacher of all religions".  (Many deceived of the world believe in a World Teacher, knowing him under such names as the Lord Maitreya, the Imam Mahdi, the Messiah, & the Kalki Avatar. )

We have been warned of "another Jesus", a false Christ (even many false Christs), who preaches "another gospel" whom many will accept. Paul warned us in 2Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

"The vision offered us by this glimpse into the energy field of the Great Invocation drives home the esoteric fact that we are fully engaged and immersed in a Plan of cosmic proportions.  This Plan encompasses Beings Whose Lives are lived at levels of consciousness beyond our human comprehension... " [John Berges. Sacred Vessel of the Mysteries. Planetwork Press, 1997.]

One proponent of this "World Prayer" declares, "A common theme is affirmation of the progress of humankind according to an unfolding Plan.  We invite you to join in this affirmation by reciting daily the Great Invocation of Light.  The Invocation is available to people of all religious faiths and to people with no particular faith at all.  It is the universal prayer of the Aquarian Age, as the Lord's Prayer was the prayer for the Piscean Age.  The Great Invocation belongs to all humanity and not to any one religion or group.  It is a world prayer, translated into more than 75 languages and dialects.  The Great Invocation is based on truths common to all major religions and is used daily by millions of people all over the world.  We need light to illumine the way ahead and reveal the vision of a new civilization; we need love to govern the relationships between people and bring to an end the reign of hatred and separatism; we need the power of the will-to-good to direct human choice and decision making."

Many "Christian" groups recite this demonic prayer daily.  Several ecumenical groups and humanity conscious individuals also tout this prayer as being wonderful, a veritable spiritual mortar, to hold together the pieces of the ecumenical tower that is being built.  Is it so surprising that it was read at the opening of that U.N. meeting called Earth Summit?

The United Nations exalts Humanity above all--and that is precisely their objective in regard to the ecumenical movement today.  Origin World Theology Project--Universal Communion: A Common Interface For All Religions: "We are working to create a single integrated system of spiritual and religious ideas that is capable of 'faithfully interpreting' the essential aspects of the theologies of most or all existing world religions traditions.  "If successful, this single system would be able to simultaneously interpret the essential doctrine of any and all major world religions, in terms of one 'common' set of principles.  This set of common principles and interpretations could then conceivably act as an 'interface between traditions', through which their interrelationship with one another could be harmoniously mediated."

At the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), UN leaders are finalizing their framework for global governance.  Conference director, Dr. Wally N'Dow stated, "We will have written a new economic and social agenda geared to the needs of the world community in the new Millennium."  Below contains excerpts of the Habitat Global Plan document:

Preamble 1. Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development. They are entitled to enjoy the benefits of human settlements for a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature and in harmony with shared spiritual and moral values and ethical considerations. Without these values and considerations that imply justice, peace, love and compassion, a human being cannot live in harmony with others. (There they go with that nature worship again.  In their opinion, shared spiritual values MUST be held or you are non-compliant to the cause and thusly detrimental to society.)

"Goals and Principles 18. A just, comprehensive and lasting peace is a prerequisite and an essential condition to achieve sustainable human settlements development.  Civil, ethnic and religious strife, armed conflicts, terrorism, foreign aggression or occupation are destructive to human settlements and should be renounced by all States."  (What constitutes religious strife is entirely up to the U.N.  It is possible that one could violate this international covenant by telling people to repent of their sins which would cause offence to them.  Do you see the potential dangers?)

"C. NATIONAL COMMITMENTS: SUSTAINABLE HUMAN SETTLEMENTS IN AN URBANIZING WORLD 57. We commit ourselves to respecting cultural traditions, religious beliefs, and spiritual values in our human settlements. 58. To this end, we will: (a) ensure that places and symbols of worship, spiritual enlightenment, and cultural enrichment will be encouraged and protected in our human settlements.... 65. We commit ourselves to the formulation and implementation of human settlements policies which combat segregation, discrimination and exclusion in all their forms and promote social integration based on equality, respect and tolerance."

This Habitat Agenda suggests that such "outdated" things as Biblical Christianity and traditional gender roles would not fit in to society and therefore would be in violation of Global policy.  The intentions of the U.N., and all the other ecumenical associations that are kin to it, is to alter your values, your family, your beliefs and even more.  People will embrace global spirituality, a pantheistic blend of the world's earth-centered religions.

 Swiss theologian Hans Küng stated in his book, Global Responsibility: In Search of a New World Ethic (1991) that "any form of ... church conservatism is to be rejected.... To put it bluntly: no regressive or repressive religion -- whether Christian, Islamic, Jewish, or of whatever provenance -- has a long-term future." "If ethics is to function for the wellbeing of all, it must be indivisible. The undivided world increasingly needs an undivided ethic. Post modern men and women need common values, goals, ideals, visions. But the great question in dispute is: does not all this presuppose a religions faith?.... What we need is an ecumenical world order!".

United States President Bill Clinton has echoed the U.N.'s creed in his Rwandan Address given in March 1998 as shown in the following excerpts:

"So let us challenge ourselves to build a world in which no branch of humanity, because of national, racial, ethnic or religious origin, is again threatened with destruction because of those characteristics, of which people should rightly be proud......we must hold accountable all those who may abuse human rights, whether insurgents or soldiers.  Internationally, as we meet here, talks are underway at the United Nations to establish a permanent international criminal court.  Rwanda and the difficulties we have had with this special tribunal underscores the need for such a court. And the United States will work to see that it is created.

You see countless stories of courage around you every day as you go about your business here--men and women who survived and go on, children who recover the light in their eyes remind us that at the dawn of a new millennium there is only one crucial division among the peoples of the Earth.  And believe me, after over five years of dealing with these problems I know it is not the division between Hutu and Tutsi, or Serb and Croatian and Muslim in Bosnia, or Arab and Jew, or Catholic and Protestant in Ireland, or black and white.  It is the line between those who find meaning in life through respect and cooperation and who, therefore, embrace peace, and those who can only find meaning in life if they have someone to look down on, someone to trample, someone to punish and, therefore, embrace war.  It is the line between those who look to the future and those who cling to the past. It is the line between those who give up their resentment and those who believe they will absolutely die if they have to release one bit of grievance.  It is the line between those who confront every day with a clenched fist and those who confront every day with an open hand.  That is the only line that really counts when all is said and done......When you strip it all away, whether we're talking about Rwanda or some other distant troubled spot, the world is divided according to how people believe they draw meaning from life."

In another Rwandan address, Bill Clinton stated "For all the wonders of the modern world, we are still bedeviled by notions that our racial, ethnic, tribal and religious differences are somehow more important than our common humanity. That we can only lift ourselves up if we have someone to look down on. But then I look around this hall. There is every conceivable difference on the surface among the Americans and the South Africans in this great hall of freedom, different races, different regions, different native tongues but underneath the same hope, the same dreams, the same values. We all cherish family and faith, work and community, freedom and responsibility. We all want our children to grow up in a world where their talents are matched by their opportunities. And we all have come to believe that our countries will be stronger and our futures will be brighter as we let go of our hatreds and our fears, and as we realize that what we have in common really does matter far more than our differences."

1John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

The world wants you to accept all forms of religion.  To say that one of them (or all of them!) is not from God would be antagonistic and such a statement would be regarded as hostile.  The whole world is seething with this ecumenical poison.  What about the churches who claim the true faith?  

Effecting The Church of God?

The ecumenical movement has been also ravaging the churches of God. The Dallas Morning News in an article titled Wrestling with faith had some interesting commentary on ex-WCG members and their inclination to Judaism.

"Rabbi" means "teacher." And the two dozen people who had assembled Sunday were looking for a Jewish teacher. Christians, self-described ex-Christians and newly converted Jews all struggled with the dichotomy of the Jesus-focused teachings of their youth and the newer Jewish yearnings of their hearts. "As Christians, the thought of giving up Jesus is very traumatic," Mr. Feist said. …. The group … included people who were brought up Catholic, Southern Baptist, Worldwide Church of God and Seventh-day Adventist. But they shared one essential article of faith with the Orthodox rabbi: They take the Jewish Scriptures as seriously as he does … Most no longer believe that Jesus is the Messiah who is predicted in the Jewish Scripture

Like many of those who came, the Feists were once members of the Worldwide Church of God, a background that established a predisposition to take Judaism seriously. Under the leadership of its founder, former ad executive and self-taught Bible student Herbert Armstrong, the Worldwide Church of God attracted hundreds of thousands of members to a message very different from that of any other denomination. Some of Mr. Armstrong's teachings were similar to Jewish tradition: Celebrate the Sabbath on Saturday, as the Bible commands. Follow the biblical admonition to avoid pork and shellfish… About a year ago, their (the Feists) insurance agent - another former Worldwide member - sent the Feists a series of tapes distributed by Rabbi Singer…. The longer they listened, the more convinced they became that Christianity was not based on truth and that Judaism is. "I've had to repent of idolatry I didn't know I was doing," Ms. Feist said.

This "turning away" from the truth continues amongst the scattered people of the churches of God at large. Keeping God’s laws and Judaism are two VERY different things. Notice that the "teachings" that the article attributes to HWA are described as being from the bible (scripturalism) while the "similar" teachings of the Orthodox as referred to as Jewish Tradition (Judaism). The proselytizers of Judaism prey on this "common ground" to turn people from truth …to tradition. Once ensnared by this false Judaistic doctrine, and the individual withdraws from the worship of God in spirit and truth, it is not likely that they can return to God.

 

• Hebrews 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

 

Once "converted" to Judaism, often slowly through what is known as the Hebrew Roots Movement and/or Messianic Movement, these former brethren are ripe for the ecumenists next move to full communion with the Catholic Church. Catholicism and Judaism both share the same root of the Babylonian Mysteries that was picked up during the exile in Babylon. (Be it noted: Even within the Catholic Church there may be those whom God counts as His - read the failings of the Churches in Revelations to understand that they are still called His church. Many may be called to repentance.)

    In a sermon on June 20th, 1998 titled One Holy, CATHOLIC Church, WCG Minister Phil Hopwood stated that the definition of ekklesia is " the assembly, or church, is all those believers in all places, through all time, who gather together in community to serve God"

Hopwood continues "Edwin Clowney, in the New Dictionary of Theology discusses this catholic character trait of the church as follows; The NT church is catholic or universal: it is not limited geographically as Israel was, and it joins in one fellowship people of every sort. The church cannot exclude from its membership any who credibly confess Christ. Sectarianism that limits church membership to any race, caste, or social class denies catholicity."

"Part of being One church, being one holy Church, is understanding, accepting and appreciating the catholicity of the Church. Understanding the love and grace that has made the church catholic or universal. Understanding and appreciating the love and grace of God that has placed us so undeservedly in the Church, and responding to that love by extending that same love, grace and acceptance to all others who are also placed in the Church. A refusal to accept others, is an act in direct contradiction to God's acceptance of us; Jesus also told us that others would know who are his disciples by the love we have for one another"

"Roman Catholic means the Roman church around the world, including people from everywhere, not just Rome. It could just as well be called the Roman Universal Church? What is another denominational name that contains a synonym for catholic or universal, in its title? Worldwide Church of God - Catholic Church of God would mean just the same thing, in fact if you were to translate the words Worldwide Church and Catholic Church into another language you would quite likely use the same words exactly for both."

This "minister" of the Worldwide Church of God pushes the catholic ecumenical agenda on his website unashamedly.

Is it coincidence that many of the churches of God have chosen "ecumenical" names?  Very much like the Catholic church (Catholic means Universal), the COG's have used names like: Global, United CoG An International Association [UCGAIA= you see Gaia? (the Earth-Mother)], , Inter-Continental, WorldWide, etc.  I am in no way meaning to imply that all, or even some of, the people who attend these churches are in some way bad.  Many of them are God's true people ... but remember the tares do grow with the wheat.  Could there be a hidden agenda here?  The Roman Catholic Church has stated it fully intends on bring back all churches under its "universal umbrella."  We have read that the Jesuits permeate the churches … slowly and subtly making changes ... how long have they been IN our churches?  Maybe ... from the beginning.

II Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

II Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

Does this ecumenical agenda effect the so-called Churches of God?  Are there any "grassroots unity" movements that seek to gather people together under minor doctrinal commonalties to avoid clashes with the larger heretical ideas held by some? Will they forsake the truth for this common token of worship?  Truth that may offend others?

We are to love God and one another...that is clear.  We are even commanded to love our enemies....but not to fellowship with them. Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Luke 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

We must take care who we place spiritual confidence in (for that one should be God alone).  Be wary of whom you fellowship with...choose your friends wisely--1Corinthians 10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. 21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.

Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

I am 100% "FOR" unity - true Christian Ecumenism. In Heresies, Full intolerance, rebuke and rejection.  In Essentials, Unity. In Non-Essentials, Forbearance. In All Things, Love.  That being said, I make no claim of evil against the people who encourage certain ecumenical activities amongst the churches of God, but issue a warning to exercise caution.  Not all ecumenism is negative just as not all ecuemnism is positive. If the term is used to describe spiritual unity between the true worshippers (therefore obedient) of the Father, then God pronounces it as good.  Pray to God the Father for discerning wisdom...to avoid any joining with darkness so you may walk with God always.  Fellowshipping with other groups who worship the same true God is a wonderful thing and we should never forbid it.  We should not be isolationists, only fellowshipping with those who believe exactly as ourselves in every doctrine, but should be strong in our faith and have a knowledge of our subtle enemy, Satan, whose trickery is not easily spotted. We must become familiar with the devices that he utilizes against us all. He will seek to divide you over small doctrinal matters (usually making a mountain out of a molehill). He will seek to have you to never divide; which allows heresies in to weaken the faith. He will deceive you into believing that if another doesn't agree with you on a topic then "they worship a different God or Jesus." Do not fall into this snare! The truth is like a narrow passage between two ditches, don't veer off too far to one side or the other or you will be mired down and love may wax cold.

Be cautious of 'overly' tolerant invitations. What if the only thing we have in common is only Sabbath-keeping ... and we fellowship based on that ... but one group worships in spirit and truth, another turns the Sabbath into an idol and worships it rather than the Creator, and another group keeps the Sabbath but declares the Apostle Paul and his writings to be Gnostic and heretical, and lastly another group follows the beliefs and practices as outlined in the Talmud, yet they keep the Sabbath.  Would you suggest that they all fellowship together?  Do they all believe God's word?  Do they all obey God's word?  

Isaiah 8:9 Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. 10 Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us. 11 For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, 12 Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. 13 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

One Sabbath keeping ecumenist had this to say about unification based on minimal common doctrines such as the Sabbath alone--"First, there is the psychological barrier which needs to be surmounted - certainly at grass-roots level initially. Second, there needs to be a certain amount of 'seeding' of the idea amongst the laymembership, ministry and leadership. Finally, the leadership should adopt approaches and policies which will lead to agreements on how to work together."

Doesn't this sound just like the watered-down rhetoric being spouted by the ecumenical groups we examined earlier in this article?  Did you know that "thought-seeding" is a subtle brainwashing technique...much like the neuro-linguistic programming used by Masons and Jesuits to subvert others?  (for more on NLP click here)

Service Unites / Doctrine Divides

"Service Unites / Doctrine Divides," although true in some respects, seems to be the main mantra of the false ecumenist among us. These people desire us to not discuss any doctrinal matters and focus only on the service to one another and on the fellowship. It is true that service to each other does unite God’s children but it is also scripturally true that doctrine MAY divide! Doctrine that is true may divide if confronted by false doctrine (or vice-versa). On the other hand, divisive doctrine itself is forbidden in scripture. The ecumenist will focus on service while avoiding dogmatic doctrine at ALL costs. Why is this so? Because doctrine DOES DIVIDE and GOD MADE IT SO. Jesus said in Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. The sword of the Word of God divides just as Jesus told us it does.

We are informed that the word of God (doctrine) divides - yet the individual with the ecumenical stance against doctrine says, in opposition to the scriptures, that dividing over doctrine is wrong. Of course, as noted earlier, there are divisions that are not good. Let us look to God and His word for the truth of the matter. Romans 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. Does it say to avoid those who divide BECAUSE of doctrine? NO, it says to avoid those who cause divisions by speaking IN OPPOSITION or CONTRARY to (good) doctrine. There are a ton of doctrines that true Disciples may not agree upon but that DO NOT divide the Body. This is where we forbear one another. Be happy that your salvation is NOT based upon perfect understanding of every doctrine.  However, there are indeed some doctrines that are 'heretical', meaning they cause people to fall away from their FAITH in Christ alone for salvation or cause them to break God's commandments and/or to tolerate moral sin (which also destroys the faith), of which must be withstood in the spirit.

Why doesn’t the ecumenist like doctrine? Because the truth derived from doctrine may expose him! Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Suppressing doctrine is a foolish attempt to stifle God’s words. God will use His word to divide the sheep from the goats and the tares from the wheat. Proverbs 4:1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. 2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. Use the word of God, brethren, to prove all things. 2Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

2John 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

I Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;  Even though the Spirit "expressly" reveals this fact in God's Word, many in the various churches of God today still insist that one must not be dogmatic over doctrinal matters and that we should tolerate all opinions and beliefs.  This is completely unscriptural as God says we are to contend for the Faith, to prove all things and to test the spirits by Gods Word.  Do you do these things as God's word instructs us to?

Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

CONCLUSION

Satan's sinister plan involves the building of an ECUMENICAL TOWER OF BABEL....one that could quite possibly deceive God's "very elect"!  The ecumenical movement is but a vain attempt to bring about (false) peace (cp. Jer 6:14; Jer 8) and (false) unity denying that true unity and peace can only come by the return of Jesus Christ.  We are a scattered people but the Lord will gather us once more. Jeremiah 31:10 Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. 11 For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. 12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.

The problem with any ecumenical movement is that to obtain the "prize" of UNITY many groups/individuals trade off doctrine to reach a Lowest Common Denominator (LCD).  The line between truth and human unity programs is caused to fade ... to intentionally be blurred so that people are afraid to make sound decisions between right and wrong (cp. Ezek 22:26).  God scattered the nations and human religions when he destroyed the city of Babylon...who is it that dare attempt to undo what God has done?  Woe to those who call evil good.

Let us use a play on one of the acronyms used by the ecumenical groups to show an alarming shadowy type--Nehemiah 9:7 Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur ( U.R. = United Religions ) of the Chaldees ( Babylon ), and gavest him the name of Abraham. That is quite a coincidence...the United Religions of Babylon!

And just like the children of Abraham, some will be led out of Babylon as well if they hearken to the Lord's cry in Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Precisely as the Bible prophesied it would, the one-world spirit is forming quickly and seeking to draw all who call on the name of Christ into its ungodly fellowship. What can you do? II Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

"He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

RETURN TO THE LIBRARY

©1998(REVISED 1999, 2003) Truth On The Web Ministries: All the articles originated by Kenneth Hoeck or Brian Hoeck may be freely distributed or mirrored as long as presented in their entirety, attributed to Truth on The Web, and that proper author credit is given.