Jesuits & Catholicism

Funny how things happen…

A friend and I had a conversation the other day about the Bible and traditional religions, specifically Jesuits, Catholicism and the Papacy. We mulled over which version of the Bible is the correct and truest to the originals written in the languages that never change: Greek and Latin.

Our conversation began with the influence the Jesuit organization (not “order”) has on the Vatican and larger still, on the world.

My friend’s family member attends a church wherein his pastor teaches that the ills of the modern world are blamed on Jesuits and their corrupt practices, especially as it pertains to their dark practices and decades-long corrupt influence on the Vatican.

I followed up our conversation with a call to a longtime Catholic bishop who left modern catholicism several years ago when the church that Christ told Peter “Upon this rock you shall build my church” ignored Biblical doctrine and moved vastly to the left. He recommended a book: Jesuits: The Society of Jesus and the Betrayal of the Roman Catholic Church by Malachi Martin.

So, as it happens…

In the quiet of this morning, I’m sipping my coffee and came upon a similar conversation on Spitballers.

Irish Up wrote:

“Good clarification and I agree with your sentiment, but not all the facts.  I’ve known people who were truly in good standing who were known members of “families” that should have been excommunicated if the rules were beings followed (frankly, I don’t know how they didn’t burst into flames when they crossed the threshold!) but they were treated like PILLARS of the church.  I suspect they were $$$~PILLARS~$$$ of the church. 

But what I saw instead was money, time, and personal intrusion into good people’s lives to “annul” marriages (that had children!) or else never be able to remarry or even take Communion.   So, on that point… I’ve seen it with my own eyes.  Lived it in my own life.  When my husband and I were dating, he went to ask his priest about moving forward with me.  The priest said he’d have to be removed from the “elevated” positions he was in…and could never take Communion if he didn’t go through the steps of annulment (they had long been divorced) and if he didn’t get me to convert and marry in the church…..same deal…..THEN, he suggested maybe we should just live together and it could be ignored!!!   

However, believe me when I say that I believe ALL denominations are infiltrated… where else would Satan really like to go to make fools of Christ’s followers?  Im sure it touches a nerve to what I term “sincere” and practicing Catholics (you) when I speak about literal members of organized crime being in “good standing”…  Unfortunately, I also know this is true and I know it’s also true that “real” Catholics don’t approve of but have been unsure of how to address it.   It’s the little guy vs infinite power and $$$ …am I right?  It’s always the same story, different playground.  

If it helps, I’m a fan of Vigano and consider his accusations to be true…and though I don’t think I will ever align with the Catholic Church doctrines, I feel SURE he is in good standing with the Lord because he’s out there being true and brave to the Lord as he understands it.    

Also, you don’t want to get me started on the various Protestant churches…I have several pastors in my family….  We have to be humble enough to know they’re all human institutions with  temptation, fault, and sin.  As far as the directional statistics of conversion, that’s been my personal experience (as well as, I thought) actual statistics.  Does it matter beyond being an anomaly that it might fit a pattern: and if it fits a pattern, could there be a reason?  I don’t think either of us were laying accusations toward good, sincere Christian Catholics.  

When the big earthquake hit Haiti…I was attending a Megachurch (not my first choice, but whatevs…) and we were told people were down there as Missionaries.  We’ve all heard of Hillary and her Baptist friend trafficking children from there.  You will NEVER catch me defending that because it “pricks” my Baptist upbringing and inflames a sense of tribalism.  I EXPECT evil to creep into the churches first.  That said, there are people who I believe are going way overboard on the Jewish thing; yet, if you start bringing up the names of powerful politicians…they seem to be overwhelmingly Jewish and Catholic.   Does it mean anything bad?  Maybe…maybe not.  It’s just a curiosity, not to be confused with an accusation.   I suspect it has everything to do with the power of those two mega~religious bodies/institutions more than the followers or the religions themselves.  If the various Protestant religions had combined their power and money into one giant entity…I suspect you’d find just as much evil; and (who knows?) they may give them a run for their money collectively anyway. 🤷‍♀️  This I promise… I’ve seen my “associations” questioned.  I still think it’s needed.”

…

Followed by this response:

“I think one can easily draw parallels between corruption in US government and in the Catholic church.  The core foundational principles of the US constitution is sound much like the core foundational principles of the Catholic Church are sound.  The problem is that those at the top of these large institutions many times abuse their positions of power.  I believe both institutions are currently infected with such problems, but that eventually good will prevail over evil and both institutions will return to truly serving the people as always intended.”

Another Spitballer wrote:

“…In all honesty, I’ve tried to read some of the Catholic doctrines and beliefs.  I finally decided there were too many human changes over time for me to relate to it as a link to God, but admittedly, some of it is difficult for someone (like me) who wasn’t even raised near Catholics until I was older and became friends with people of many other countries/religions/beliefs.  I’m barely familiar with the jargon, so I find myself frequently looking up definitions. 

As a kid, all I ever knew was my great grandmother was not nice about my grandfather being Catholic and he up and abandoned my grandmother on a KY farm with two little kids and her pregnant with a third to make a new family near Columbus.  He never came back and my Dad and his sisters never had a Dad.  Then my Dad ended up doing basically the same thing to us with a twist.  I know my Mamaw loved him until the day she died, because she never saw another man and when she was “slipping” in her last years, she would ask me about “Jimmy”.  I really think my great grandmother’s  prejudice left painful ripples through the generations.  But it’s a story told a million times.  It’s humanity.  

I do try to be honest about how I feel (even on sensitive subjects) without losing the humility that God created us differently, so I believe we would naturally appreciate different things in different ways.  I think manner of worship could likely fall in there.  

I was raised in a staunch Baptist environment as far as both my parent’s families; my parents had pretty much nothing to do with religion, we traveled the world and I didn’t attempt any formal affiliation until I became a Mom and wanted a foundation for my kids.  Fortunately, I had enough foundation to be truly saved at a very young age and I believe my private relationship with the Lord protected me through situations that I look back on in horror (as an adult mother) realizing how much danger I was probably in.  

There are some gifts my preacher grandfather gave me-he wasn’t “allowed” (by his Baptist conference) to serve “open” Communion; but he told me he thought it was Biblically incorrect, that there are rules to be understood, but that we have no business to “uninvite” someone to the Lord’s table.    He also showed me some of the most weird and interesting things which helped me to open my eyes and ears when I heard Dr Michael Heiser’s VERY interesting  Biblical insight.  He passed last year, but he was a doctoral professor who could actually READ and translate all the old Biblical languages.

AMAZING stuff BTW-I think it clarifies pretty much all the disconnects between all of our institutional religious beliefs as well as destroys boredom or arguments suffered by atheists, liberals and/or people who just can’t get interested.  Exciting stuff for sure.  I HIGHLY recommend him.  

In any case, my husband and I married and every time we move, we visit multiple churches to see what feels right.  We pretty much always end up at a non-denominational, Bible teaching church and it suits us best.  

I’ll leave this subject with a quote from a book I enjoyed 20 or more yrs ago-I should read again, since some of it really stuck with me.  

Mark Twain-Innocents Abroad- RE: his travels through the Holy Land 

“All sects of Christians (except Protestants,) have chapels under the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and each must keep to itself and not venture upon another’s ground. It has been proven conclusively that they can not worship together around the grave of the Saviour of the World in peace.”

I do recommend this book if you appreciate history, religion, and a dry sense of humor.

Peace be with you friend(s) 🫶

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Interesting…