RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ‘AT ODDS’ WITH MAINSTREAM CULTURE

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An increasing share of Americans think their religious beliefs are “at odds” with “mainstream American culture.” 48% of citizens say there is either a “great deal” or “some” conflict in this area, up from just 42% in 2020, according to a Pew Research Centre Survey. The survey also found 29% of Americans believe they are religious minorities, up from 24% in 2000.

Meanwhile, most U.S. adults, 80%, said “religion’s role in American life is shrinking,” a percentage that’s the highest it has been in Pew’s research history. Just 18% expressed the belief faith is gaining influence in American society, with 49% saying religion’s influence is on the decline and that it’s a bad thing, which is unsurprising considering 57% of U.S. adults believe religion’s influence on American life is positive.

Americans’ political affiliations impacted their view of religion and public life. Republicans (51%) said it is important to have a president with the same religious beliefs they hold; just 25% of Democrats said the same. Pew found some interesting statistics regarding this year’s presidential candidates with 13% stating they believe Biden is “very religious” and 4% expressing the same about Trump. Source: Faithwire

Sadly, the majority of the people in the survey who claim to be religious are not born-again Christians who hold a Biblical worldview. Already, most of the denominational/institutional churches have compromised with the world on big issues such as gay marriage and homosexuality. These churches will be among those who thought they were part of God’s church but will be left behind to face the wrath of God. In Revelation 3 each of the seven churches represents the church in each of the seven years before Jesus returns first to rapture His church – the church of Philadelphia. The church of Laodicea is the church that is left behind to face the wrath of God but note they still have the opportunity to repent and be saved.

To the Church in Laodicea

“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ Revelation 3:15-22

GOD WILL BE WITH YOU IN THE COMING TRIBULATION

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In a society increasingly pushing liberal agendas, it’s no surprise to see an accompanying escalation in disdain for biblical truth. With the rise of LGBT ideology alone, basic biology is under attack, marriage is mocked, and those who proclaim what Scripture says about homosexuality are labeled as hateful bigots.

 A survey conducted by the Survey Center on American Life released last week found that fifty-four percent of Gen Z adults who left their formative religion are women; forty-six percent are men.”

According to the results, the primary factors that tied into this increase of women leaving the church were a rise in self-proclaimed feminists and self-identified liberals. Participants (65%) in a previous poll by the same group felt “churches do not treat men and women equally,” the authors of the survey results noted. They added that many women in this current climate find “professional ambition and concern with personal success and growth” outweighs their desire to grow in areas of religion or familial concerns, describing the latter categories as “lower priorities.”

What we see unfolding is exactly what the Bible predicted would happen before Jesus returns to restore righteousness. Jesus told us that tribulation will be intense so we should not be surprised. God is in control and He wants us to play our role whatever that might be. Christians can be sure by the Holy Spirit indwelling our spirit that He will be with us in the situation just as Jesus was in the furnace with Shadrach, Meshak, and Abednego. He did not take them out of the furnace, He was in there with them.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:9-14

We need to get ready to rule and reign with Jesus in His coming Millennial Kingdom.

“The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron…” Revelation 2:26-27

“And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron.” Revelation 19:14-15

BIBLICAL PROPHESIED LAST DAYS APOSTASY

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Wheaton College (1860) (like so many other supposed Christian institutions) has compromised God’s Word in Genesis for a long time. This college also became soft on the LGBTQ issue and other social issues and now is being impacted (not surprisingly) by the woke culture.

Nearly 10 years ago, Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis wrote this in an article about Wheaton College (a college that has produced a science textbook teaching evolution and millions of years as fact): when a Christian institution compromises God’s Word in Genesis, this will eventually put it on a slippery slide of unbelief with the rest of Scripture and Christian doctrine.

Wheaton College was often called the ‘Harvard of Christian Schools’ due to its academic rigor being relatively comparable to the Ivy League titan. Its graduates of note range from Billy Graham to Dan Coates, former Director of National Intelligence and U.S. senator.

But now, the school in the leafy suburb west of Chicago has begun to mimic Harvard’s wokeness. Banning biblical words, teaching critical race theory, and psychologizing gender identity issues. This may not seem extreme in modern academia. But for a school that houses the works of Rev. Graham, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien, it is adrift from its orthodox, Christian moorings. What happens to these institutions happens to most of the students who attend them as they are indoctrinated in compromise on God’s Word and increasingly in woke philosophy.

What has happened at Wheaton College demonstrates the importance of the ministries: Answers in Genesis, http://www.answersingenesis.org, and Creation Ministries International, http://www.creation.com.

MAKING HEAVEN ON EARTH IS OUR BUSINESS

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The founder of the Salvation Army, William Booth made this mission statement: “MAKING HEAVEN ON EARTH IS OUR BUSINESS”.

“When we consider that the only prayer Jesus taught us to pray includes up-front “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is done in heaven” Matthew 6:8-10, Booth got it right, and look what he achieved. Making disciples who were totally committed to praying and doing as Jesus commanded.

Sadly, now, like most institutions the Salvation Army has watered down God’s command and has compromised with the world. What is the lead statement on their website?

At the Salvos, we believe in good.

What does good mean to The Salvation Army? “Good is a unique word — a simple yet profound term that takes on different faces and meanings for all of us.

For the Salvos, it is more than a word – it’s a belief. It is helping someone at their point of need, walking alongside a community through and after a crisis, and lending a kind and caring space for someone feeling isolated. And a whole lot more.

At the Salvos, we believe in good for everyone. It is this belief that drives us to find new ways and places where we can make a difference. From times of personal crisis to moments of national grief, we are at work each day, providing support, safety, community, and opportunity.”

God does not get a mention up front and this mission statement is not Booth’s mission statement: MAKING HEAVEN ON EARTH IS OUR BUSINESS but the Mission Statement does get to God.

Why good?

“The meaning of good has been diluted over the years. But at the Salvos, we’ve always believed in the power of good. It reflects our belief in our good God and our calling to share the goodness of God with others. Through our decades of work, we know people can find themselves in hardship anywhere, at any time — be it homelessness or housing stress, drug or alcohol addiction, family and domestic violence, unemployment, financial stress, natural disaster, or another crisis.“

Sydney, Australia church spokesman Major Bruce Harmer says the Salvos offer services to all who are in need, regardless of sexual orientation. “The Salvation Army has worked for many years with gay and lesbian people through their treatment centres and welfare agencies, we have employees who are gay and members of our church who are gay,” he said. “So it’s easy to take one phrase and run with it, but in reality, the Salvation Army is not homophobic.“

In the end times, Jesus told us there would be a great falling away in the church, apostasy, and the love of many will grow cold. Christians need to be prepared for the coming tribulation and be totally committed to God’s agenda for their lives.

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (The Day of the Lord) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” 2 Thessalonians 2:3

“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and you shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Matthew 24:9-12

Biblical prophecy gives us a picture of the church which God raptures to heaven before pouring out His wrath upon an unrepentant world.

To the Church in Philadelphia (Philadelphus the “love for a brother” What remains of the faithful Church will be bound in brotherly love by the persecution of earth-shaking proportions.

“‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name… Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” Revelation 3:8,10-11

Biblical prophecy also gives us a picture of the church that will be left behind to face the coming judgement.

To the Church in Laodicea (Laodicea is a combination of two Greek words (LAO, meaning “God’s people”; and DIKE, meaning “justice or judgment”) Judgement of God’s people

“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” Revelation 3:15-19

PROPHESIED END TIMES APOSTASY BY CHURCHES

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C.S. Lewis once observed, “Where men are forbidden to honor a king they honor millionaires, athletes, or film stars instead — even famous prostitutes or gangsters. For spiritual nature, like bodily nature, will be served — deny it food and it will gobble poison.” Just so, as God has been denied the honor He is due in the public square — as prayer and worship have been forced out of the classroom, suppressed in parliament buildings and legislative chambers, and muffled in film, literature, and art — men have decided to bestow that honor upon themselves.

Morality is not determined by the individual, by convenience, by democratic consensus, but by God.

Those entrusted with preaching and teaching His word have a grave responsibility to speak the Truth, to uphold moral clarity in a world gone mad. As long as Christian leaders remain silent, as long as they produce nothing more than ambiguities and reluctant compromises, more and more souls will turn away from God and listen to the serpent’s hollow pledge.

In 2020, the United Methodist Church announced a proposal to split the denomination over “fundamental differences,” predominantly relating to same-sex marriages. So far, nearly 8,000 individual churches have filed to leave the United Methodist Church over its progressive policies. The Presbyterian Church USA allowed the ordination of openly gay men and women in 2011 and, in 2014, approved same-sex marriages. The Episcopal Church (and Anglican Church) allowed blessings for same-sex unions in 2012. They quickly followed by permitting same-sex marriages in 2015. Of course, these moves are more than merely ambiguous and outright contradict the biblical definition of marriage. Moreover, the Pope has recently sanctified the blessing of same-sex couples, a further compromise with the world that confirms Biblical end-times prophecy of apostasy and falling away. (check out my last two posts on Apostate Pope). In the following two Scriptures, we have the apostle Paul and Jesus warning of a falling away from faith before Jesus second coming first to rescue the Saints before pouring out His wrath upon an unrepentant world.

“Now brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him, we ask you not to be shaken in mind, or be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by letter as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means: for that day will not come, unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition” 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:9-13

Since Western civilization rests on the back of Christianity, a lack of moral clarity from Christian leaders inevitably leads to a lack of moral clarity in Western civilization. Without that moral clarity, Western nations become uprooted from objective morality, as defined by God, and increasingly turn inward upon themselves, giving rise to the dangerous phenomenon of consent-based and consensus-based morality.

APOSTATE POPE – PROOF OF END TIMES PROPHECY PART2

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Pope Francis chose Monsignor Victor Manuel Fernández, the archbishop of La Plata, Argentina, as the prefect, or chief, of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in July 2023. He is an old friend Of Pope Francis and is responsible for the recent statement by the Pope on the blessing of same-sex couples. It has now been revealed that in 1998 he wrote the book Mystical Passion – Spirituality and Sensuality which is almost pornographic. He conflates sexual pleasure with mysticism. As the following video reveals Catholics are now horrified by the doctrinal changes he is now making through Pope Francis.

GOD’S WORD IS NOW HATE SPEECH?

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Member of the Finnish Parliament Pavi Räsänen’s legal saga began after a 2019 social media post in which the devout Christian asked why her denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, would participate in an LGBTQ Pride march. The post included a photo of Romans 1:24-27, one of many Bible passages that declares same-sex intercourse is sinful.

The Bible verses, prosecutors said, amounted to “hate speech” against people who identify as LGBTQ. Police arrested the 63-year-old grandmother of 11 and subjected her to 13 hours of interrogation. They also prosecuted Bishop Pohjola for publishing the booklet.

Last March 30, a three-judge panel of the Helsinki District Court unanimously acquitted the pair, saying the government violated the right to freedom of expression contained in Section 12 of the Finnish Constitution. “It is not for the district court to interpret biblical concepts,” the court ruled.

But shortly after her acquittal, in an act former U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback called “a sign of incredible hostility to religion,” then-Prosecutor General Raija Toiviainen appealed the case — charging Räsänen with “agitation against a minority” under a section of the nation’s law against “War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity.”

The prosecution would not accept truth, even absolute Truth, as a defense. “The point isn’t whether it is true or not, but that this is insulting,” said the prosecutor in her opening statement in the two-day trial, which spanned August 31 and September 1.

“At the heart of the prosecutor’s examination of Räsänen was this: Would she recant her beliefs? The answer was no — she would not deny the teachings of her faith,” said Alliance Defending Freedom International Executive Director Paul Coleman after the verdict. The legal proceedings “bore all the resemblance of a ‘heresy’ trial of the Middle Ages; it was implied that Räsänen had ‘blasphemed’ against the dominant orthodoxies of the day.”

But the Court of Appeals unanimously threw out all of the charges, stating that the law required the post to be intended to offend, and “there must be an overriding social reason for interfering with and restricting freedom of expression.” The state must pay the defendants’ legal fees, the court ordered.

“I never suspected for a moment that I was guilty of anything illegal in my writings or statements,” said Räsänen at a press conference shortly after the verdict, where she thanked God and her supporters. “This isn’t about my opinions, but about the rights of thousands and thousands of Christians to freedom of expression.”

Gratitude swept across Europe in the early morning hours after the verdict. “Glory to God! Brave Paivi Rasanen has been vindicated!” said author Rod Dreher, an American expatriate living in Hungary. “Common sense prevailed,” wrote Anglican Rev. Calvin Robinson of the U.K. thankfully.

But their legal nightmare may not yet be over. The new prosecutor, Anu Mantila, told a Finnish media he is “seriously considering” appealing to the Supreme Court of Finland. Mantila believes the case involves two fundamental and equal human rights — the “right” to be free from discrimination and the freedom of religion — and, since the Court of Appeals simply repeated the findings of the lower court, he wanted a more in-depth vetting. Specifically, he said he wants the court to consider his contention that “hate speech” causes both psychological and physical damages — and to explain how he can prosecute speech accordingly.

“This issue should still get the opinion of the Supreme Court,” Mantila told a Finnish news source, Helsingin Sanomat. Manila said he wants some court to explain how and when he can prosecute alleged “hate speech” that does not clearly incite hatred. The court, he said, should show him where “the line is between punishable and non-punishable expression when it comes to less serious hate speech that does not incite violence and hatred.” But Räsänen’s attorneys say the second trial came to the same conclusion because the prosecution introduced no new facts. Finnish citizens have expressed their weariness with the ongoing prosecutions. One Finnish teacher announced, “My wallet announced that I am no longer interested in paying for this circus.”

Although jubilant over the outcome, Christians say the prosecution exemplifies the phrase: “The process is the punishment.”

“While we celebrate this monumental victory, we also remember that it comes after four years of police investigations, criminal indictments, prosecutions, and court hearings,” said Coleman. Arielle Del Turco, director of the Center for Religious Liberty at Family Research Council, cited Räsänen as one of 99 incidents of anti-Christian persecution that have taken place in the West in three years. 

“How long until American lawmakers are similarly prosecuted?” asked Family Research Council President Tony Perkins. Perkins and Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) met with Finnish Ambassador Mikko Hautala last month. 

Roy also warned that Räsänen’s trials could come to the United States during the debate over the so-called “Respect for Marriage” Act. “When you venture into hate crimes, you are now empowering the government to determine what is in your head, and now they’re going to prosecute you for thoughts … and in this case, your religious views,” said Roy. “That is something we have to stand athwart.” At the 2023 Pray Vote Stand Summit, Roy hailed the Finnish MP as “a hero” who “gives you hope. She gives you a belief that we can stand up and stand athwart that kind of tyranny.”

Räsänen’s “acquittal is a monumental victory for free speech,” said Alliance Defending Freedom President and General Counsel Kristen Waggoner. “Päivi’s case serves as a stark reminder of the rising tide of censorship on a global scale.”

In biblical fashion, Räsänen rejoiced in her trials. “This whole process, this litigation, has given so many chances to testify about Jesus,” including “in a live broadcast straight to Finnish homes,” explained Räsänen on “Washington Watch with Tony Perkins” last June. “At the police station, we had the Bible on the table, and the police asked me questions. He asked me to explain, ‘What is the message of the Letter to Romans? What is the message of the first chapter?’ and so on.”

Räsänen said she is always careful to repeat her central motivation: “We have in the Bible the solution to the problem of sin, because Jesus has died for our sins.”

The prosecution, she said, “gives more chances to speak about biblical values” and “share the gospel and the word of God” with “captive audiences.” 

Ultimately, Prosecutor General Ari-Pekka Koivisto will decide whether to appeal the case, according to Finnish media sources. On Tuesday, Räsänen promised to endure to the end of her legal persecution, even all the way to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

“Whatever the consequence, I will not back down from my biblical convictions.”

CONSEQUENCES OF REJECTING THE GOD OF THE BIBLE

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A spiritual and moral change is taking place in the world largely brought on by rejecting the existence of God, our Creator, and His commandments on how we should live. It is most noticeable in the U.S.A. which was established on a Judaeo-Christian heritage as evidenced by “In God we trust” on their currency.

SICK: Ohio Issue 1, Ads Present a False, ‘Pro-Abortion’ Jesus

The election over Ohio’s Issue 1 which is “Establish a Constitutional right to Abortion”, where ads proclaim that followers of Jesus should be “pro-abortion,” is one such election. For decades, politicians tried to cloak their abortion-expanding policies beneath protests that they were “personally opposed” and believed abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare.” The authors of Issue 1 insist Jesus would amend Ohio’s constitution to give people of all ages the “right” to make “reproductive decisions” ranging from unlimited abortion to transgender surgeries, to potentially allowing prostitution. Watch their ads and read their literature. Issue 1’s sponsors have quietly turned the political initiative into a public bout of spiritual warfare.

Perhaps the most offensive “Yes on 1” ad features a man dressed in clerical robes, overt religious symbolism in nearly every shot, and enough crosses to make the most staid MSNBC host shout “Christian nationalism!” if it supported life. “My faith tells me that people have a right to make decisions over their own bodies. That fundamental idea, that God gives us freedom, that’s at the heart of what it means to be in relationship with God,” says Terry Williams of the Orchard Hill United Church of Christ in Chillicothe, in rural southern Ohio. His parish “affirms the full inclusion and participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer persons in the life and leadership of our church,” states its website.

Like most satanic falsehoods, it contains a kernel of truth. Women seeking abortion need “my concern, my compassion, my solidarity, and my help. There is no division for Jesus in how you treat your neighbor and how you treat your god. And you show your religion by how you care for one another.” Allowing a fully distinct human being to be killed, possibly torn limb-from-limb without anesthesia seems a peculiar way to look out for “the least of these.” But Williams plants the seed of concern to reap the harvest of heresy.

“I am pro-abortion, not in spite of my faith, but because of my faith,” concludes Williams. “As people of faith, vote Yes for your neighbors to have the right to make their own decisions.”

Biblical prophecy tells us that there would be apostasy in the last days before Jesus returns to rescue His Saints, pour out His wrath upon an unrepentant world, and rescue His nation, Israel from the armies of the world at the battle of Armageddon. Jesus will then set up His Millennial reign with the glorified Saints. This world still has 1000 years before it is finally destroyed. The second resurrection then takes place followed by Jesus’ White Throne judgement. The unrepentants are cast into the Lake of Fire for punishment and the second death. The righteous enjoy the new Heaven and new Earth.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1-4

CHURCHES ARE BEING TAKEN OVER BY DEMONIC SPIRITS

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“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons…” 1 Timothy 4:1

In this verse, where Paul refers to those who “shall depart from the faith,” he is not talking about ungodly individuals who stick their middle finger in God’s face, spit on the Bible, and hate the church. He is talking about believers who will depart from the church, from the truth of the Bible, from the preaching, from prayer, from fasting, and from deliverance and miracles. And the reason they will depart is shocking. They will give heed to seducing spirits. These are evil spirits, and these dark seducing spirits will eventually woo them into accepting “doctrines of devils.”

Doctrines of devils are false religions and other false teachings that dismiss the Bible: idol worship, the worship of man, the worship of objects, the worship of charms and amulets and crystals and horoscopes, etc.; and they will eventually defend every sort of perversion that goes against the Word of God. Church people will literally side with demons, occultism, and witchcraft. If you haven’t seen that come full circle in our time, then you’ve not been paying attention. In short, Paul says there will be demonic activity in the church during the last days that will destroy the church. The influence of demonic activity in the life of the American church is an absolute fact. Demons work to destroy the conscience of their host and have no conscience of their own. A demonic spirit is void of that emotional connection to God, so it causes people to live numb and dry and lukewarm and barren, and in this context, we begin to understand that a demon is nothing more than a person without a body who has taken hold of a human body.

As we see more and more demonic influence in our culture, we need to heed Paul’s warnings. The devil is going hard after the people of God, and no one is an exception. We must buckle up with the armour of God, stick close to His Word, and keep our eyes focused on Christ.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:10-12

PROPHESIED END TIMES CHURCH

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PCUSA pastor teaches on Psalm 139, says she ‘felt God’s presence,’ ‘no sin’ after 2 abortions

The sermon by Rev. Rebecca Todd Stephens PhD alleges ‘anti-choice’ Evangelicals have ‘colonized our minds’ with ‘toxic theology’

A female Presbyterian pastor for over 25 years who is also a Planned Parenthood advisor delivered a sermon in which she said she felt “God’s presence” when she aborted two pregnancies and blasted Evangelicals for their “toxic theology” on the subject.

In a sermon delivered July 9, 2023, at the Community Church of Chapel Hill Unitarian Universalist in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the Rev. Rebecca Todd Peters spoke candidly about her own experience with abortion and how she views Scripture through that lens.

Wearing a pink stole emblazoned with the Planned Parenthood logo, Peters opened her message bemoaning the state of pro-life Evangelicalism, with its “talking fetuses, aggressive bumper stickers and saccharine billboards quoting Scripture and invoking God’s wrath.”

Peters referenced the state’s recently passed law banning most abortions after 12 weeks. She said the bill’s passage is an example of Evangelical culture setting the political tone on abortion.

Peters spoke about how what she called the “abortion is sin” message has been “internalized not only by Christians but by Jews and Muslims,” calling it “one of the most disturbing things” she and her team learned in their interviews with over 500 “religiously identified people who have had abortions.”

After claiming that “the Bible doesn’t say anything about abortion,” she appeared to describe her own statement as “astonishing because the Bible has a lot to say about how people are to live what is and isn’t allowed. … [B]ut to reiterate, it says nothing about abortion.”

In one of the more shocking moments of the sermon, Peters referred to pre-born life as a “zygote” and criticized the “anti-choice” position that life begins at conception.

“The lens through which anti-choice Christians read the Bible is the theological belief that from the moment of fertilization, a zygote is biologically, morally, ontologically, and in every other way indistinguishable from a baby,” she said. “When they then read Scripture through this lens, they abrogate all manner of text to support that position.”

But for Family Research Council’s David Classon, Peters’ assertion that the topic of abortion is not in the Bible is simply a “fundamental misreading of Scripture.”

While the word “abortion” itself does not appear in the Bible, Classon told CP Thursday the concept of “human life beginning at the moment of fertilization is all over the pages of Scripture.”

Peters said her reason for choosing Psalm 139 as the sermon’s primary text was because she views it as “one of the anthems of the abortion imaginary.”

“As a person of faith, I’m outraged by the Religious Right’s co-optation of God, and whether you believe in God or a sacred presence or a divine order in the world or something else entirely, I expect that many of you might also be troubled by how Scripture and God are being used in the public debate about abortion,” she said.

“I refuse to cede the sacredness of Scripture or its interpretation to those who would wield it as a weapon.”

Classon, however, cited two of the more well-known passages, including Psalm 139, the same text from Peters’ sermon, showing how God views life from conception. 

“The author, David, talks about his development in utero, and he praises God for fearfully and wonderfully making him in his mother’s womb,” he said. “It’s a profoundly pro-life text.”

He also pointed to Luke 2, where Mary, who is pregnant with Jesus, goes to visit her relative Elizabeth, who is also pregnant with the child who would become known as John the Baptist.

“The unborn John the Baptist leaps for joy … she refers to Mary as ‘the mother of my Lord,'” Classon said. “Jesus is a couple of weeks in utero, yet Elizabeth recognizes Jesus as her Lord and Mary as the ‘mother of my Lord.’

“So the idea that the Bible says nothing about abortion, and has nothing to teach us about abortion, is patently false.”

Calling Psalm 139 a “liberating message of justice and light,” Peters then read from the text, “For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Peters shared her appreciation for both the psalmist and the Psalm itself and appeared to affirm, along with Jeremiah and Job, “their certain knowledge that God was with them in the womb.”

She revealed that as a mother of two, she had previously aborted two other pregnancies.

“I, too, feel that I am known by God in these ways, as a woman who has borne two children. I can affirm that I felt something sacred happening in my gestating body during those pregnancies,” said Peters. “I can also attest that I felt God’s presence with me as I made the decision to end two pregnancies and I felt no guilt, no shame, no sin.”

While acknowledging his inability to know Peters’ innermost thoughts, Classon said he finds it hard to believe Peters’ claim about not experiencing any shame or guilt over her decision to terminate two of her unborn children.

“I don’t know her heart, I can’t get inside of her mind, but I think it’s inevitable for the folks who go through terminating a pregnancy to think about it,” he said. “It’s not an easy decision.

“But to protest it as strongly as she does, ‘no guilt, no shame, no sin,’ if she really does feel that way, it would betray a conscience that has been seared, a conscience that no longer can hear the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit.”

“Guilt and shame, are appropriate responses to doing things that are morally blameworthy. And if it’s true that she feels no guilt or no shame, that speaks to a conscience that has been seared, likely by decades of protesting and trying to convince herself that abortion indeed is not what it actually is, which is the intentional ending of human life.”

Peters further offered her views on what she termed “forced pregnancy.”

“If pregnancy and gestation are to remain holy mysteries, they require cooperation,” she said. “A forced pregnancy or birth is not holy.”

Her sermon culminated in a stated theological position in which she suggested Bible-believing Christians can be both pro-life and pro-abortion.

“As complicated, thoughtful morally capable people, we are able to hold both of these realities in tension: that the gestation and birth of a child is a wondrous event to be celebrated and that not all pregnancies will or need to culminate in a birth,” she said.

“This is theologically consistent with the belief that prenates are not yet human beings.”

Peters did not respond to a request for comment from The Christian Post. This story will be updated when a response is received.

According to her bio, Peters has been active in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for over 25 years and currently represents the denomination as a member of the Faith and Order Standing Commission of the World Council of Churches. Peters is also a professor of religious studies and founding director of the Poverty and Social Justice Program at Elon University in North Carolina.

She is also listed as a member of Planned Parenthood’s Clergy Advocacy Board, which supports “access to safe, legal abortions and other sexual and reproductive health care,” according to a statement from board chair the Rev. Burl Salmon.

Article is taken from Christian Post by Ian M. Giatti, a reporter for The Christian Post

Considering Peter’s position on abortion and the fact she has had two abortions herself and does not consider them a sin, it is hard to comprehend how she became a Presbyterian minister so long ago and now has senior positions in the denomination, at Elon University, and Planned Parenthood. Jesus said there would be a great falling away and apostasy in the end times church. It is just one of the end times signs unfolding in our day. Be watchful and be one of the Christians that Jesus describes in the church that is raptured (Church of Philadelphia).

“Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.” Revelation 3:10

Do not be like the people in the church that is left behind (Church of Laodicea) to face the wrath of God.

“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” Revelation 3:15-19

They will face the wrath of God but they still have the chance to repent though they will be refined in the fire.