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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Signs of the Times	Ryan	Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Question: Hello Brother. I understand it is critical that we avoid being end-times nuts and taking both Scripture and current events out of context, but I have been personally meditating on the signs of the times lately and have basically reached an idea that I find a little disturbing. It is pretty much obvious at this point that both the secular press and secular society are becoming increasingly hostile toward orthodox Catholicism (or Christianity in general) seemingly by the day. Fervor is growing ever stronger in favor of normalizing sexual perversions such as sodomy and even pedophilia experiencing an attempt by certain groups to be "redefined" as something that is acceptable, and on and on. But my main question is this: do you think a sort of official, legal persecution of the Church will take place if and when homosexual marriages are normalized by the State? I understand we already experience certain persecutions here with regard to political correctness and some people losing their jobs and the like, but what I am speaking of here is the official beginning of the end-times persecution by symbolic Babylon. I am of the opinion that this would in effect be stage 1 of official and widespread politically-sanctioned persecution simply because the State will try to force the Church to do this (and we know that the Church will not, as the gates of hell will never prevail against it). Then, since the Church will not do it, the Church will in effect be considered by the secular world as an "illegal institution" of sorts. It will basically deliberately refuse to comply with the law, which would be grounds for some kind of action of "justice" on behalf of the State. Just the other day I read an article where "A member of U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron’s government is calling for a ban on marriages at Christian churches if they refuse to also perform same-sex unions." The article also says it's currently a minority view but could very rapidly spread to the majority. I tend to agree with this opinion. What are your thoughts? These are trying times. I understand Christ told us to be not afraid, but it seems like everyday provides just another reason to become increasingly defensive over what's happening and what it means.
Question Answered by Dear Ryan: The Signs of the Times that you described is almost identical to what was happening in the first century. First century Christians thought that the Second Coming and the end of the world would happen in their lifetime. We just simply cannot know when the Second Coming and the end of the world will be. Jesus tells us that only the Father knows. Certainly the end of my world and yours will be when we die. That is what we need to concern ourselves, to be sure we keep ourselves in the state of grace because death could come to any of us at any time. Those who are alive when the catastrophic events take place that are prophesied in the Bible concerning the last days will be given the grace to live through it. Thus, we need not be afraid. With all that said, the Navarre Bible Commentary suggests that the antichrist may not be a person but a political regime. The Commentary states: The majority of the Fathers see the beast as representing antichrist; St. Irenaeus, for example, writes: "The beast that rises up is the epitome of evil and falsehood and so that the full force of apostasy which it embodies can be cast into the fiery furnace" (Against Heresies, 5, 29)... ... The sacred text is denouncing the sin of idolizing political authority, as if it had divine attributes. The exclamation "Who is like the beast?" is a kind of rejoinder to the meaning of the Archangel Michael's name, "Who is like God?"... "Idolatry is an extreme form of disorder produced by sin. The replacement of adoration of the living God by worship of created things falsifies the relationships between individuals and brings with it various kinds of oppression" (SCDF, Libertatis conscientia, 39). Only those who by the grace of God acknowledge and follow Christ can avoid worshiping the beast, that is, can resist political absolutism which is no place for God or his law. There is little doubt but that this beast is introduced in order to draw attention to the political-religious implications of Emperor worship and its consequences for Christians. Basically the beast is a symbol for regimes which reject God put man on a pedestal. Nowadays Emperor worship is seldom a problem but militant atheism has been a modern parallel whether in the form of atheistic secularism or dialectic materialism. Materialism works in the same deceptive way as the beast does, for although "it sometimes also speaks of the 'spirit' and of 'questions of the spirit', as for example in the fields of culture or morality, it does so only in so far as it considers certain facts is derived from matter, since according to this system matter is the one and only form of being. It follows, according to this interpretation, that religion can only be understood as a kind of 'idealistic illusion', to be fought with the most suitable means and methods according to circumstances of time and place, in order to be eliminated from society and from man's very heart" (John Paul II, Dominum et Vivificantem, 56). This militant atheism, in the form of atheistic secularism and dialectic materialism, is developing before our eyes today. The Obama regime has and is developing along these lines. The beginnings of this development, however, go back directly to the atheistic French Revolution and even further back to the Protestant Revolution. The modern development of this Progressivism, which is a form of "evolutionary" Marxism, which has its base in atheistic secularism and dialectic materialism, began with Theodore Roosevelt in 1901 and came into real power with President Wilson, and is now reaching a peak in Obama. Now I'm not suggesting that Obama or his regime is the antichrist. But what I am suggesting is that it is very possible that the Obama regime is the precursor of the antichrist, like John the Baptist was with Jesus. In God's economy and time, however, one event does not necessarily lead immediately to the second event. While we may be seeing now is the precursor getting our society used to this way of thinking. The second coming may still be 1000 years away. I think about what my grandchildren are going to think about the U.S. and our culture as they grow up. They are growing up in a world that does not even resemble the country I knew as I grew up. That is the danger. What I see as the erosion of American freedom, and erosion of our Constitution, and a corruption of our culture they will see as all normal. That is scary. We need to pray, not that the antichrist will be defeated because he's already defeated, nor that he will not come because the antichrist serves his purpose in God's salvation history, but that our children and our children's children will be in friendship of God and thus able to endure whatever trials and tribulations come their way and ultimately live forever with God in heaven. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Signs of the Times

Ryan

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Question:

Hello Brother. I understand it is critical that we avoid being end-times nuts and taking both Scripture and current events out of context, but I have been personally meditating on the signs of the times lately and have basically reached an idea that I find a little disturbing.

It is pretty much obvious at this point that both the secular press and secular society are becoming increasingly hostile toward orthodox Catholicism (or Christianity in general) seemingly by the day. Fervor is growing ever stronger in favor of normalizing sexual perversions such as sodomy and even pedophilia experiencing an attempt by certain groups to be "redefined" as something that is acceptable, and on and on.

But my main question is this: do you think a sort of official, legal persecution of the Church will take place if and when homosexual marriages are normalized by the State? I understand we already experience certain persecutions here with regard to political correctness and some people losing their jobs and the like, but what I am speaking of here is the official beginning of the end-times persecution by symbolic Babylon.

I am of the opinion that this would in effect be stage 1 of official and widespread politically-sanctioned persecution simply because the State will try to force the Church to do this (and we know that the Church will not, as the gates of hell will never prevail against it). Then, since the Church will not do it, the Church will in effect be considered by the secular world as an "illegal institution" of sorts. It will basically deliberately refuse to comply with the law, which would be grounds for some kind of action of "justice" on behalf of the State.

Just the other day I read an article where "A member of U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron’s government is calling for a ban on marriages at Christian churches if they refuse to also perform same-sex unions." The article also says it's currently a minority view but could very rapidly spread to the majority. I tend to agree with this opinion.

What are your thoughts? These are trying times. I understand Christ told us to be not afraid, but it seems like everyday provides just another reason to become increasingly defensive over what's happening and what it means.

Question Answered by

Dear Ryan:

The Signs of the Times that you described is almost identical to what was happening in the first century. First century Christians thought that the Second Coming and the end of the world would happen in their lifetime. We just simply cannot know when the Second Coming and the end of the world will be. Jesus tells us that only the Father knows.

Certainly the end of my world and yours will be when we die. That is what we need to concern ourselves, to be sure we keep ourselves in the state of grace because death could come to any of us at any time.

Those who are alive when the catastrophic events take place that are prophesied in the Bible concerning the last days will be given the grace to live through it. Thus, we need not be afraid.

With all that said, the Navarre Bible Commentary suggests that the antichrist may not be a person but a political regime. The Commentary states:

The majority of the Fathers see the beast as representing antichrist; St. Irenaeus, for example, writes: "The beast that rises up is the epitome of evil and falsehood and so that the full force of apostasy which it embodies can be cast into the fiery furnace" (Against Heresies, 5, 29)...

... The sacred text is denouncing the sin of idolizing political authority, as if it had divine attributes. The exclamation "Who is like the beast?" is a kind of rejoinder to the meaning of the Archangel Michael's name, "Who is like God?"...

"Idolatry is an extreme form of disorder produced by sin. The replacement of adoration of the living God by worship of created things falsifies the relationships between individuals and brings with it various kinds of oppression" (SCDF, Libertatis conscientia, 39).

Only those who by the grace of God acknowledge and follow Christ can avoid worshiping the beast, that is, can resist political absolutism which is no place for God or his law.

There is little doubt but that this beast is introduced in order to draw attention to the political-religious implications of Emperor worship and its consequences for Christians. Basically the beast is a symbol for regimes which reject God put man on a pedestal. Nowadays Emperor worship is seldom a problem but militant atheism has been a modern parallel whether in the form of atheistic secularism or dialectic materialism.

Materialism works in the same deceptive way as the beast does, for although "it sometimes also speaks of the 'spirit' and of 'questions of the spirit', as for example in the fields of culture or morality, it does so only in so far as it considers certain facts is derived from matter, since according to this system matter is the one and only form of being. It follows, according to this interpretation, that religion can only be understood as a kind of 'idealistic illusion', to be fought with the most suitable means and methods according to circumstances of time and place, in order to be eliminated from society and from man's very heart" (John Paul II, Dominum et Vivificantem, 56).

This militant atheism, in the form of atheistic secularism and dialectic materialism, is developing before our eyes today. The Obama regime has and is developing along these lines. The beginnings of this development, however, go back directly to the atheistic French Revolution and even further back to the Protestant Revolution.

The modern development of this Progressivism, which is a form of "evolutionary" Marxism, which has its base in atheistic secularism and dialectic materialism, began with Theodore Roosevelt in 1901 and came into real power with President Wilson, and is now reaching a peak in Obama.

Now I'm not suggesting that Obama or his regime is the antichrist. But what I am suggesting is that it is very possible that the Obama regime is the precursor of the antichrist, like John the Baptist was with Jesus. In God's economy and time, however, one event does not necessarily lead immediately to the second event. While we may be seeing now is the precursor getting our society used to this way of thinking. The second coming may still be 1000 years away.

I think about what my grandchildren are going to think about the U.S. and our culture as they grow up. They are growing up in a world that does not even resemble the country I knew as I grew up. That is the danger. What I see as the erosion of American freedom, and erosion of our Constitution, and a corruption of our culture they will see as all normal. That is scary.

We need to pray, not that the antichrist will be defeated because he's already defeated, nor that he will not come because the antichrist serves his purpose in God's salvation history, but that our children and our children's children will be in friendship of God and thus able to endure whatever trials and tribulations come their way and ultimately live forever with God in heaven.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum