Ecumenism refers to the unifying of various groups in a particular category into a single group that then comprises the entire category. There is within professing Christendom an ecumenical movement that has been in existence for several generations. Over the past several years this push for church unity has been quietly increasing in size and influence. Its goal is to bring all Catholic and Protestant churches/faiths, denominations, etc. together into one group whose members would meet together in their local areas and carry out their unified religious activities under one roof, with one leader and one set of beliefs and customs. Over the past few weeks the movement, now including a new twist, has exploded onto the world scene. But before we go there we will undertake a short history lesson. This series will take the reader back in time to when and where the movement planted its roots. As the reader will soon learn, the movement was originally not a peaceful undertaking, but rather a deadly life or death decision on the part of the people involved, none of whom wanted to be part of it.

During the time when the Roman Empire was at the zenith of its power it was unstoppable. It defeated nation after nation, city-state after city-state and forced the people into the Roman Empire as subjects of Emperor Constantine. The individuals involved had two choices: join the victors and live or refuse and die. Obviously, the vast majority chose the former. The Romans were a polytheistic nation which acknowledged a variety of gods along with their beliefs and practices. This also involved the gods and religions of the people they defeated and enslaved.

In a move that involved pure genius the Catholic Church of that day wormed its way into the good graces of the Roman government, a move which gained her a considerable amount of influence. Following Emperor Constantine’s supposed “salvation experience,” the government began to force its captives into what became known as Roman Catholicism. Because the empire was intimately involved with the Catholic Church, it became known as the Holy Roman Empire. As history reveals, there was nothing holy about either the church or the empire.

On the spiritual level the Empire’s captives were forced into “the church” at the point of a sword. The new “converts” increased the size of her laity group considerably. This forced true believers who refused to bow to the church’s doctrines to flee from the Roman government which had become the enforcement arm of the church. These humble souls would spend the next 1260 years living in caves and hovels and subsisting on what God provided them (Heb. 11:36-39).

Being forced into a strange religion caused considerable friction between the foreign “converts” and the Catholic Church. In order to maintain peaceful relations with her new members the papacy was forced to include some of their beliefs and customs in her catechisms. Over time, these heathen “truths” became “Bible truths.”

However, the people were totally ignorant of Bible Truths because only the priests were allowed to own or read the Holy Bible. Nor could the people hear the Bible read aloud. To be found guilty of breaking those rules carried a death sentence. All preaching was done in Latin, a “dead language” which only those in the priesthood understood. For many generations the laity within “the church” knew nothing about the Holy Scriptures. This was necessary, for Catholicism had (has) very little to do with the Holy Bible.

When Martin Luther led his protestors (“protestants”) out of the Catholic Church during their so-called “revolution” they took with them most of her heathen beliefs and practices because they were believed to be from the Lord. By reading the home page of this website the reader can see that many of their heathen beliefs and practices are embraced and believed to be “Biblical” to this day. The Holy Scriptures prove such beliefs to be of Satanic origin. The Lord’s apostles preach that fact. Yet, 99% of professing Christendom continues to believe that Satan’s “truths” are indeed Bible Truths. During the so-called “Protestant Reformation” only a few “truths” were abandoned and a few more added. A little-known fact is that Luther and his “protesters” left the Catholic Church, not because of theological differences, but because of the sins of the priesthood. The sinning priest problem persists, as the number of court-cases being conducted attests.

Through his messengers, Satan continues to deceive both Catholics and Protestants into believing what their religious ancestors believed. This continues to be a problem because of the Catholic teaching that church leaders must not be questioned because they are sent by God, a “truth” that the protestants continue to honor, myself being guilty in times past. Concerning unholy ministers, God declares loud and clear: “I did not send them” (Jer. 14:14,15; 23:21,32; 27:15; 29:9). A couple of examples will demonstrate how the modern church continues to perpetuate the lies and deceptions that her ancestors had been taught and forced to believe.

A prime example of such deception concerns the Sabbath of the Lord. The reason Sunday is the church’s sabbath is that many of the people whom the Romans conquered and enslaved worshiped the sun on “the venerable (holy) day of the sun”–SUNDAY. In order to keep the sun worshipers happy, the church changed the Lord’s Sabbath from Saturday (the 7th day of the week) to Sunday (the 1st day of the week). Read the Sabbath series. Key word–Sabbath.

Another church “truth” that God condemns concerns the trinity. The belief in a three-in-one godhead came into being when the Romans conquered a group of people who believed in a god that had three heads. In order to make these people comfortable the Papacy created what became known as the “trinity.” The original trinity consisted of Mary, Jesus and Joseph. It was later changed to the form it takes today. Both the Sunday sabbath and the trinity are man-made church “truths” which are abominations in the eyes of God.

Through the Apostle John the Lord commands us to “try (test) the spirits” of church leaders to determine if they are of God (1 Jn. 4:1). This command can only be obeyed by comparing their teachings to the Holy Bible. This ultra-important command from on high is summarily ignored by the whole of professing Christendom. The modern church elects its leaders by voting. Her hirelings preach what they are told to preach, which is also determined by men. The vast majority of professing Christendom refuses to obey God’s Holy Bible, insisting on going their own way. The end product of that Satanic mind-set is the two-headed, multi-bodied religious abomination written about in Revelation 17:1-5. Here the Apostle John identifies her as the Great Whore, Mystery Babylon (Catholicism) and her harlot daughters (Protestantism). Jesus Himself identified her as the final (Laodicean) church era in which we are living today. Read Revelation 3:14-18 for His very graphic characterization of today’s version of Christianity. L.J.