Subject: Religion in the news - April 20-26, 1998
Date:    Wed, 13 May 1998 01:39:35 +0000
To:      "Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>

 

From:    Eddie Chumney
To:      heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: Religion in the News


                       Religion in the News
                    April 20 to April 26, 1998


POPE TAKES MARK FROM SHIVA PRIESTESS
The Cutting Edge Click to http://cuttingedge.org/news/n1161.cfm -
A must see site from which the following are the opening
paragraphs --

We received some very shocking, but revealing, information about
Pope John Paul II from a sister Christian organization, Former
Catholics For Christ.  In their newsletter, dated Jan/Feb/Mar,
1998, they reveal that Pope John Paul II allowed a Shiva
priestess to create the traditional Shiva mark on his forehead.
Of course, this event will cause any person to sit up and take
notice, those of us who literally believe Biblical prophecy.  In
the Book of Revelation, the False Prophet, the leader of the new
global religion of Antichrist, causes all people in the world to
take a mark, either in the forehead or in the right hand.
Therefore, it is a big deal when a Pagan priestess causes a mark
to be made in the forehead of the Pope!

You can see for yourself, as we were able to get the original
picture from FCFC. You can see the priestess reach up with her
right hand, planting the Shiva mark upon the forehead of the
Pope, John Paul II.

POPE ASSURES ITALIANS THE END IS NOT YET NIGH
>From Richard Owen in Rome - London Times 4/24/98

To the dismay of Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses and
followers of Nostradamus, but to the relief of almost everyone
else, the Pope has declared that the world is not about to end.

He said that it was doomed to end "at some point", but there was
no fixed date, "nor can one be discerned from the Bible". At his
weekly audience the Pope assured his listeners that the end of
the world was not nigh, or anywhere near nigh, and said
widespread fears that the new millennium would usher in the Last
Judgment were unfounded.

Italy has been gripped by pre-millennial anxiety since the
earthquakes in Umbria last September, which killed 11 people and
damaged the Basilica of St Francis at Assisi. There are frequent
rumours that Vesuvius, which destroyed Pompeii in AD79 and last
erupted in 1944, is about to erupt again. The Vatican has sought
to reassure people that the mysterious Third Secret of Fatima -
allegedly revealed by the Virgin Mary to three Portuguese
children in 1917 and kept secret by the Pope - does not predict
Doomsday.  But books on Fatima and interpretations of the arcane
predictions of Nostradamus, the 16th-century sage, remain
sought-after in bookshops.

Speaking on "The Second Coming of Christ at the End of All
Things", the Pope said that attempts to predict the end of the
world were "illusory and misleading ... history is moving towards
its conclusion, but Christ did not indicate any chronological
deadline." Apocalyptic visions were to be taken "symbolically" as
images of "the precarious position of humanity and the sovereign
power of Christ".

CHIEF VATICAN DIPLOMAT RULES OUT PAPAL VISIT TO ISRAEL
Kahl's I&G News 4/22/98  - Rome La Repubblica (Internet version)
in Italian 17 Apr 98 Report by Orizio La Rocca "Pope Visit
Israel? That Would Be Unfair" Vatican City

"A visit by the pope to the Holy Land?  It is unthinkable at
present because it would be seen to sanction international
situations of injustice."  This throws cold water on hopes of a
visit by John Paul II to Israel before the year 2000. And the
cold water was thrown copiously not by just any churchman, but by
the Vatican's foreign minister, Archbishop Jean Louis Tauran, on
the sidelines of a meeting held at the Vatican press bureau
yesterday to present both the pope's UN representative, Monsignor
Renato Martino, and a book about the Vatican's diplomatic
activities.

Tauran's remark came not from within the press bureau but in an
interview given to RAI Radio Newsreel, which is rather unusual in
the case of the Vatican's foreign minister, who is customarily
rather cautious about making public statements.  Speaking on the
news program, the archbishop not only denied the possibility of
the pope's visiting the Holy Land but also revealed that the
Vatican fears "tragic developments" in the Middle East,
complaining that the Israeli-Palestinian peace process "has made
no progress since the Madrid Conference."  These charges were
promptly denied by Israeli Ambassador to the Vatican Aharon
Lopez.  In a curt statement commenting on Tauran's remarks, the
diplomat pointed to the efforts that his country is making to
"promote the peace process in the Middle East" and pointed out
that Israel's invitation for the pope to visit the Holy Land
still stands.

So are Israeli-Vatican relations deteriorating again?  Indeed, it
is no secret that the Vatican's opinions of the Israeli
Government's peace policy have not been very enthusiastic
recently.  These opinions have emerged from time to time,
including in parts of the Easter addresses delivered by the pope
last week.  These doubts and reservations were all reaffirmed in
Monsignor Tauran's radio interview "The pope and his aides," the
head of Vatican diplomacy said, "are following the evolution of
the political situation in the Middle East with great anxiety.  I
personally am afraid that we are moving toward tragic
developments.  There is a great deal of frustration among the
citizens, both Palestinian and Israeli, who are wondering What
benefits has this peace process begun in Madrid brought us? The
answer is, none."

"There is a danger," Tauran went on, "that this frustration will
lead to irrational reactions.  I think that the political leaders
of the region, on all sides, and those of the international
community must realize the risks that such profound frustration
entails."  Such a situation is inconsistent with a visit by John
Paul II to Jerusalem.  The archbishop explained "The holy
father's great dilemma is that if he does pay a pilgrimage to the
Holy Land, it must be a symbol of peace and of rapprochement
between the peoples.  Can this happen in the present context?  I
would say not. Because in view of the situation, the opposite
would certainly be the case. The pope would be seen to be
sanctioning, condoning, international situations of injustice.
So for the moment," Monsignor Tauran concluded, "conditions are
not ripe. We shall see what happens in two years' time."

FINLAND: LEADING MINISTER OF LUTHERAN CHURCH DECLARES 
HELL DOES NOT EXIST

Weekend News Today Source: The Washington Times Sat Apr 25, 1998

Sinners fretting about the fate awaiting them in the hereafter
may like to consider a move to Finland, where a leading minister
of the normally austere Lutheran Church in Finland, has declared
that hell does not exist and everyone will end up in heaven
anyway. "It's an entirely false construct," said the Rev. Antti
Kylliainen, a Helsindi priest and author of a book that has
sparked a furious row among the generally docile Finnish
faithful. "Fire, brimstone and eternal torment -- they're all
part of the same sad myth."

Adding fuel to the flames on earch is another outspoken minister,
the Rev. Olli Arola, who told a  newspaper last week that Jesus
Christ was "in all probability" married to Mary Magdalene and
that the immaculate conception and virgin birth were "highly
unlikely ever to have happened."

While 85 percent of Finns nominally belong to the national
Lutheran Church, only about 15 percent regularly attend services.
But most of them seem to have written angry letters protesting
the ministers' remarks, saying they amount to heresy.  "We're
beginning to lose count," church spokeman Petri Torstiainen said.
"It's unprecedented -- cetainly into the thousands. I'm sure
these comments were intended to encourage a healthy debate,  not
out-and-out rebellion."

But many Finns seem as upset by the church's treatment of the two
priests as by their remarks. The bishops gave Mr. Arola a mild
roasting but decided against taking formal action. And despite
holding a full inquiry into Mr. Kylliainen's book, they voted
against punishing him -- apparently because doing so would have
infringed on his right to free speech. (London Guardian, Jon
Henley, distributed  by Scripps Howard)

EASTER DATE TO COINCIDE
Religion News Today 4/23/98

Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox Church leaders are
working on a proposal to celebrate Easter on the same date.
Catholic and Protestant churches follow a different calendar than
the Orthodox, resulting in holidays falling on different dates.
This year the Orthodox celebrated Easter on April 19, one week
later than the others.  The discrepancy results from a
disagreement over revisions to the calendar by Pope Gregory XIII
in the 1500s.  Church representatives have agreed to a proposal
that would allow all churches to celebrate the holy day together
by applying modern astronomical methods to a formula devised by
the First Ecumenical Council in 325 A.D., news reports said.

LONDON CATHEDRAL TO HOLD PRO-PALESTINIAN SERVICE
Arutz Sheva 4/24/98

The British Chronicle reports that the prominent Westminster
Cathedral in London will be used for a pro-Palestinian church
service next month.  British-based Palestinians will mark "50
years of the Palestinian tragedy" with an inter-faith service at
the church, organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and
other groups.  The main speaker will be Canon Naim Ateek, pastor
of the Anglican St. George's Cathedral in Jerusalem and an
outspoken proponent of a Palestinian state.  Invitations to the
event feature a map of Palestine on Israeli territory,
overprinted with the words: "Palestine 50 - Time for Justice."

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From:          Ken Jeffries 
To:            heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject:       Arutz-7 News: April 24-26, 1998 -Reply

** High Priority **

Shalom Bar Zion and Bat Zion

I am a Zionist Christian and I will pray against the pro-Palastinian
church service.  This is an insult to Israel and should not take
place.  I was also deeply offended by Robin Cook's behaviour on his
visit to Israel and also Al Gore should be ashamed.  

Father
I pray that You will bring this church service to nothing, I pray
Father that these Chrisitan leaders remember Genesis 12 v 3 " I will
bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you".  We ask You
Father-G-d to bring everything under Your control.  We praise and
worship You Almighty G-d, creator and redeemer. Amen

I will continue to bless and pray for Israel, I will pray for Memorial
day on the 29th for those Israeli's who have fallen in defence of
their country, the promised land that you shall hold forever.

B'shem Adonai

Ken

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