Chapter 9
The Battle for Religious and Political Freedom
Part 10 – America and Revelation
Introduction
The founding fathers of the American Republic, knew better than we do today, that the republic they had created, was always in danger of being destroyed. When Benjamin Franklin was leaving Independence Hall, after the final voting was completed, a woman in the crowd outside shouted out, “Dr Franklin, what sort of government do we have?” Franklin replied: “A republic if you can keep it.” Franklin knew something that people do not understand today – every generation has to fight for their own liberties, freedoms and rights – and/or they have to actively safeguard the liberties, freedoms and rights that had been won in the past. If people who live under a republican form of government, are not prepared to do this, they will lose the precious gifts their ancestors won for them.
Just because the United States of America managed to wrestle itself free from the grasp of the Platonic/Constantinian/Augustinian monolith that existed in the past, that does not mean that the sacralistic powers have abandoned their desire to rule the world. Quite the opposite the push-back that these powers have been preparing for a long time, are gaining momentum and we will soon see these powers back in the saddle, as portrayed by the woman in Revelation 17, riding the beast. At this point in time we are witnessing this woman rising to supremacy. For a short time, she will triumph by promoting a return to sacralism, and the world will enthusiastically embrace her. Prophecy tells us that it is America, who leads the world in embracing this woman, and when America embraces her, America will repudiate its own constitution, with all its republican and democratic principles – America will become sacralist.
America will become Sacralist
How is it possible that this bastion of freedom will eventually fall? Abraham Lincoln, provides the answer, he said,
At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reaches us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.
We are witnessing the fulfilment of Lincoln’s prophecy. As a republican nation, America is currently committing suicide. It is committing suicide by poison – poison of the mind. The people are drinking “the wine of her fornication” (Rev. 17:2). This ‘wine’ makes the people drunk, so that they cannot think straight. Abraham Lincoln also said:
I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts.
People who have a republican form of government, are totally dependent on knowing the facts, knowing the truth, about any and all relevant issues, pertaining to the well-being of their nation. They cannot make the right decisions if they do not have the right information. However, at this point in time it is almost impossible to know the truth about anything. Accusations of fake news and alternative facts, are rampant. In addition, there is misinformation, disinformation and propaganda of all types flowing from hundreds of sources. The bulk of this ‘wine’ coming from all directions, is planting the seeds of sacralism in the people’s minds. Sacralism, has made a huge comeback. And America will fall by giving up its principles of liberty and adopting sacralism – and sacralism will reign again in the world at large. This is the theme of the latter half of the Book of Revelation.
Collectivism verses Individualism
Collectivism is just another form of sacralism. We can call it ‘secular sacralism.’ In the past sacral societies used religion as the glue to collectivise the people into a homogeneous, uniform citizenry. But as societies have become irreligious in modern times, other means have been introduced to collectivise the people, into compliant herds of citizens. The preferred glue in these post-Christian times is socialism.
But the United States of America and its constitution are both focused on individualism. Therefore, the US and its constitution act like a bulwark against the current prevailing winds, blowing through modern societies today. The sacral/collectivist goals can never be achieved, as long as the most powerful country in the world remains aloof, indifferent and most importantly, un-conquered by the collectivist forces. When the Founding Fathers wrote the following in the Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
They meant that God had given these unalienable rights to individuals. Once they won their independence the constitution was written to enable a nation of individuals to govern themselves in peace and harmony. However, at this current time, this notion of individualism is being destroyed in favour of collectivism, which comes to us packaged in many different disguises. All of these ‘collectivised packages’ are enemies of the American Republic and its constitution, and they are all actively and intensely working to destroy the Republic and its constitution.
Socialism and Communism
The most popular form of collectivism, is socialism. Most people understand that socialism, and its ugly sister communism, are the primary promoters of collectivism. But not all socialists understand that the goal of socialism is communism. Both socialism and communism are working for the same goal – the worker’s paradise, where there are no private rights and everything is collectivised for the good of all. Lenin said: “The goal of socialism is communism.” The only difference between socialism and communism, is that socialism works incrementally, taking small steps at a time. Whereas communism prefers the revolutionary method, removing governments and people by force, and using terror and compulsion to maintain power. This is justified by a philosophy of ‘the ends justify the means.’ If the goals are glorious, then it matters not how the goals are achieved. Both socialism and communism promise utopia and in almost all cases delivers dystopia.
Most people believe that communism was defeated with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. However, communism as a philosophy, is still very much alive, and its sly sister, socialism even more so. As a social and political movement in the world today, socialism is actually having more impact than it ever has in the past. And it is still using the same incremental methods. And the siren sound of socialism, is working so subtly, that many are singing its song without even knowing it. This is because it is coming from the woman riding the beast. In the repertoire of the ‘wine of her fornication’ the siren sound of socialism is her #1 hit. It is number one because it promises utopia – it tickles the ears – but ultimately it always delivers dystopia.
Fascism
Collectivism comes in different packages to suit different people. Socialism appeals to those who inhabit the left end of the political spectrum, and fascism appeals to those who inhabit the right side of the political spectrum – but they are both collectivist – they are both collectivist systems and they are both totalitarian systems.
In both systems the elite hold all the power. Under communism the illusion is upheld that everything is done for the benefit of the workers, when in fact everything is for the benefit of the elite. Under fascism the people are deprived of this comforting illusion. Benito Mussolini gave us the most accurate definition of fascism when he said: “Fascism was an amalgamation of state and corporations.” In other words, big business, using the power of the state to benefit themselves.
Nevertheless, fascists are forced to use the siren sound of socialism to promote their cause. Not many would knowingly work for a cause that would ultimately take away all their rights and leave them virtually with nothing. Historically, the best known fascist is Adolf Hitler, and his fascist party the Nazis. The official name of the Nazi Party was ‘Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei’ (NSDAP). Translated as: ‘National Socialist German Workers’ Party. The Nazis were Fascists masquerading as socialists. In the beginning there were socialists in the Nazi Party, such as Gregor Strasser, who wrote:
We are socialists. We are enemies, deadly enemies, of today’s capitalist economic system with its exploitation of the economically weak, its unfair wage system, its immoral way of judging the worth of human beings in terms of their wealth and their money, instead of their responsibility and their performance, and we are determined to destroy this system whatever happens! Gregor Strasser, Thoughts about the Tasks of the Future, June 15, 1926.
But the Nazis were masters of deception – soon after Hitler came to power he murdered the leaders of the socialist wing of the Nazi Party, in what came to be known as ‘the Night of the Long Knives’ (June 30, 1934).
Nevertheless, even though the Nazis were using socialism for their own ends, they still shared a lot in common with socialism – they are both totalitarian systems and they are both collectivist. In the sacralist socialist model, the individual has to give up all his rights, for the sake of the ‘brotherhood of man.’ In the sacralist fascist model, the individual has to give up all his rights for the sake of the nation (in the case of the Nazis ‘the Fatherland’). Hitler’s writings and his speeches, are riddled with sacralist sentiments:
It is thus necessary that the individual should finally come to realize that his own ego is of no importance in comparison with the existence of his nation; That the position of the individual ego is conditioned solely by the interests of the nation as a whole… that above all the unity of a nation’s spirit and will are worth far more than the freedom of the spirit and will of an individual… This state of mind, which subordinates the interests of the ego to the conservation of the community, is really the first premise for every truly human culture… The basic attitude from which such activity arises, We call – to distinguish it from egoism and selfishness – idealism. By this we understand only the individual’s capacity to make sacrifices for the community, for his fellow man. Quoted by, Leonard Piekoff, The Ominous Parallels, p. 13.
Plato would have been proud to read and listen to Hitler. What Hitler wrote and what he spoke was pure Platonism. Hitler was a sacralist and Nazism was sacralism. Under fascism the individual is crushed – the collectivist needs of the nation are paramount.
The New Age Movement
Another disguised collectivist entity is the New Age Movement. The New Age movement is not new. It is simply a potpourri of recycled ancient paganism for modern consumption. It is a movement, that increases in popularity, in direct proportion to the decline of Christianity. It is a ‘spiritual home’ that people flee to, when they lose their faith in organized religion. The leading institution in the movement is the Theosophical Society, and the leading individual was the Jesuit priest Pierre de Chardin.
New Agers believe, that humanity is evolving, towards a new age of enlightenment and collective consciousness. The movement is for those who despise organized religion (especially Christianity), but they still have spiritual impulses. Because they reject organized religion, they go into the religious marketplace, and they choose the things on offer that appeal to them. Thus, they create a kind of ‘pick and mix’ religion, for themselves. Very little in the market place is original, the ideas and rituals that people choose have been around for centuries. Therefore, the New Age Movement is not really new, it is actually a rediscovery and resurgence of all the ideas and practices that had lost the battle against organized religion. Therefore, in essence the New Age Movement is really just the re-appearance of old Paganism.
Organized religion is generally poised to the right of the political spectrum. Therefore, because New Agers reject organized religion, the whole movement is generally poised to the left of the political spectrum. Therefore, the New Age Movement is politically socialist and collectivist. Many people recognize that the Theosophical Society has been the guiding hand behind the origin of the New Age Movement, and the inspiration for its ideology. So, what does the Theosophical Society teach and promote? The following is from Alice Bailey, the successor to Madam Blavatsky (the founder of the Theosophical Society) Bailey writes that the human race is evolving towards ‘collective consciousness’:
This new race will have intuitive understanding and control of energy and will bring humanity to the enlightened level of the willing sacrifice of the individual to the group, moving from selfish desire into group love. Alice Bailey, Education in the New Age, Lucis Trust, condensed from pp. 2, 41, 71 & 119.
The fusion of many minds into one directed activity is today of supreme importance… Unity of directed thought and purpose is the guarantee of inevitable and future success. The power of massed thought is omnipotent… Alice Bailey, The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, Lucis Trust, p. 173.
Please note that the New Age Movement, takes the collectivist philosophy one stage further than all the other similar sacralist movements. The New Agers are not content with people acting the same, they want people to think the same. They believe, that when peoples minds are fused together, they will be able, collectively, to do what has never been achieved before. For example, they believe that ‘raised consciousness’ will enable mankind to live in harmony and create peace on earth. The New Age Movement deserves the epithet ‘feel good fascism.’ It is fascism (disguised as socialism) for those who want to all join hands as they collectively sing ‘The Age of Aquarius’ and march together with their sandals on (instead of jack boots), to Shangri-La.
The Environmental Movement
Almost all New Agers are environmentalist, this is because they believe in the personification of the earth (the planet – which many of them call, ‘Gaia’). To them the earth/Gaia, is the mother of all life. Therefore, the earth has to be protected, and this is why they are environmentalists. But not all environmentalists are New Agers, therefore, the Environmentalist Movement deserves a separate mention.
The Environmental Movement is also a disguised collectivist movement. It used to be genuinely concerned about the environment, but it has been infiltrated and taken over by political activists. Patrick Moore was one of the original founders of Greenpeace. In 1986, he left the movement saying that Greenpeace had, “abandoned science and logic in favour of emotion and sensationalism.” Patrick Moore, ‘Environmental Movement Has Lost Its Way.’ Miami Herald. Jan. 28, 2005.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, many socialists and communists lost their ideological home. They were looking for another platform from which they could criticise and attack capitalism. They found that platform it the environmental movement. This is why the environmental movement has politically turned to the left, and often occupies the extreme left position on the political spectrum. As one sceptical website describes the environmental apparatchiks:
In the name of ‘speaking for the trees and other species’ we are faced with a movement that would usher in an era of eco-fascism. The planetary police would answer to no one but Nature itself. http://ecosense.me/2012/12/30/key-environmental-issues-4/
The Environmental Movement has now become a pawn in a much greater game – enter the ‘Green New Deal.’ The movement is being used to promote larger agendas, such as the Socialist/Communist agenda, the Globalist agenda, the United Nations 2030 agenda, and the Roman Catholic Church agenda.
The United Nations
The United Nations is a bastion of New Agers promoting Socialism, Environmentalism and Globalism (they even have a new age mediation room in the UN headquarters). They are fully engaged in saving the planet from climate change, with their Agenda 2030 (formerly Agenda 21). Their vision for the world is summed up by their favourite slogan ‘sustainable development.’ Sustainable development is just another collectivist programme, that requires all individuals to give up their religious and political rights, in order to save the planet. And the UN goes one step further, they want all nations to give up their rights as individual sovereign nations, in order to establish world government. Both individual rights and national rights have to be abolished:
To achieve world government, it is necessary to remove from the minds of men their individualism, loyalty to family, tradition, national patriotism and religious dogmas… Dr Brock Chisholm, former director World Health Organisation, The Christian World Report, March 1991, vol. 3, #3, p8, & July 1989, vol. 1 #5, p. 1.
The Roman Catholic Church
The Roman Catholic Church has always had an extensive social policy. The Catholic social policy is Platonic, socialist, collectivist, anti-individualist, and anti-democratic. The Catholic Church constantly promote their social policy, but we never understand that they are doing it, because they call it something else – they call it ‘the common good’ (also called ‘the greater good’ – ‘the absolute good’ and/or ‘solidarity’):
…the promotion of justice through efforts to bring about openness of mind and will, to the demands of the common good is something which concerns the Church deeply. Pope Benedict XVI, ‘Deus Caritas Est’, Dec. 25, 2005.
We can find the ‘deep concern’ the Catholic Church has for the common good in its official publications, such as the ‘Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church:
The common good does not consist in the simple sum of the particular goods of each subject of a social entity. Belonging to everyone and to each person, it is and remains ‘common,’ because it is indivisible and because only together is it possible to attain it, increase it and safeguard its effectiveness…The common good, in fact, can be understood as the social and community dimension of the moral good. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Sect. 177, 178
It is the role of the state to defend and promote the common good of civil society. The common good of the whole human family calls for an organization of society on the international level. Compendium, Sect. 177, 178
From these statements, taken from the ‘Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, we can deduce, that the Church’s ‘deep concern’ does not extend itself to individual property rights. In addition, in order to achieve these ‘common good goals’ the Catholic Church says it is the role of the state to enforce the Church’s agenda. And the ultimate purpose of the Church and the state working together is a world government, controlled and directed by the Church. In other words, exactly as it was during the Catholic Church’s historical period of supremacy from 538 to 1798.
The latest encyclical from the Catholic Church by Pope Francis I ‘Fratelli Tutti’ (Brothers All), is a long essay on the evils of individualism and a call to adopt the Catholic ‘common good’ in order to save the planet and create ‘social justice’ for all. The attack on individualism begins already in the 13th paragraph, where the Pope calls individuality, ‘empty individualism.’ The Pope has much to say about all the political, social and economic issues of the day, but he always squeezes into his arguments the issue of individuality and how it must give way for the common good. For example:
Individualism does not make us more free, more equal, more fraternal. The mere sum of individual interests is not capable of generating a better world for the whole human family. Nor can it save us from the many ills that are now increasingly globalized. Radical individualism is a virus that is extremely difficult to eliminate, for it is clever. It makes us believe that everything consists in giving free rein to our own ambitions, as if by pursuing ever greater ambitions and creating safety nets we would somehow be serving the common good. Paragraph 105.
Viruses are frequently presented as great threats to the well-being of humanity. And here we find the Pope, saying that individualism is a problem equal to that of a virus for the good of humanity. Viruses often generate mass hysteria; the Pope is trying to stoke mass hysteria against individualism. The Pope even promises the world violence, if individuality does not surrender to the common good:
Unless the rights of each individual are harmoniously ordered to the greater good, those rights will end up being considered limitless and consequently will become a source of conflicts and violence. Paragraph 111.
The Pope ought to know, that violence is already in the world, justified by the common good. Reporting directly from Rome, the US Magazine, ‘US News and Report’ did a feature article on Cardinal Ratzinger, (the future Pope Benedict XVI). Under a subsection entitled ‘Defending the Faith: The Vatican’s Man’ the report summarized what Ratzinger believed. When asked about… ‘Liberation theology.’ Ratzinger said…
The ‘absolute good’ (and this means building a just socialist society) justifies everything else, Including–if necessary–violence, homicide, mendacity. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, US News & World Report, Dec 2, 1985. (Brackets included in original article)
The future Pope admits here, that violence was justified for the greater good. This is traditional Catholic philosophy – ‘the end justifies the means.’ If the end goal is ethically and morally good, then it matters not what methods are used to obtain the goal. Communism uses the same argument to achieve its goals.
Another ‘buzz’ word heard often in these new age ecumenical times, is ‘solidarity.’ Solidarity sounds nice and attractive, but words no longer mean what they used to. According to an address by Pope Francis, to the heads of states, in 2017, solidarity means:
Solidarity is more than a feeling, it’s a commitment to the common good… Pope Francis, World Day of Peace, 2016.
On Oct. 2020, Pope Francis celebrated an international ecumenical event called ‘No One is Saved Alone, Peace and Fraternity.’ The Pope met with representatives of different religions for a season of prayer for ecumenical goals. The theme of this interfaith encounter was a statement from the Pope’s latest encyclical, ‘Fratelli Tutti’ (All Brothers) which states:
We need to develop the awareness that nowadays we are either all saved together or no one is saved. Fratelli Tutti, #137.
Here the Pope is advocating for ‘spiritual collectivism.’ This is the same concept as the New Ager’s ‘fused minds’ (aka ‘hive mind’) where everything is thought and done like bees in a bee hive – where the queen bee will be the Pope and the rest of the world will follow his commands. By announcing that ‘no one is saved alone’ the Pope is saying that, it is the beehive that will be saved – if you are not part of the bee hive – you will not be saved. This is the direct opposite of the biblical position. The biblical position is that it is essential to stand outside the bee hive in order to be saved – “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2 Cor. 6:17). God saves individuals. God does not save collectivised systems, such as the bee hive that the Pope is building.
Political Correctness
Political correctness, is a recent cultural phenomenon, that is enabling the construction of the mass fusion of minds – so eagerly anticipated by the New Agers. So, which political ideology is correct? And who does the correcting. Answer: the correct ideology is socialism, and we correct each other. Probably the greatest example of this phenomena is to mention conspiracy. Anybody, who dares to point out conspiracy, is immediately called a ‘conspiracy theorist.’ Labelling someone a conspiracy theorist is meant to shame the offender into silence, and confine them to the margins of decent society. We do this to each other on many issues, such as gender, transgender, homosexuality, feminism, racism, etc. etc. Political correctness has evolved into ‘hate speech’ which results in legislation and judicial ‘correcting’ for offenders. Free speech is no longer free. One is no longer allowed to express one’s individual opinion anymore. Political correctness is just another collectivist tool forcing us into the ‘hive mind.’ And now we have political correctness on steroids – ‘wokism.’
Religious Correctness
The Book of Revelation tells us, that political correctness, will soon spill over into religious correctness. Revelation informs us about the rise of the Beast, which is a political and economic power, but primarily a religious power. And it will be politically/religiously incorrect to speak a word against it. Those who do speak against it, will be accused of hate speech and punished. The Bible itself will in all likelihood be banned because it will infringe hate speech laws. However, a sanitized and ‘woke’ modern translation might be allowed.
Sacralism Resurrected
The Book of Revelation tells us that the beast power is the Roman Catholic Church. Revelation and Daniel (Revelation is repeat and enlargement of Daniel), tells us that this same power reigned supreme for 1260 years. Then we are told that at the end of the 1260 years the Roman Catholic Church would receive a deadly wound, and its supremacy would come to an end. But then we are told that the wound would be healed, and it would ascend to power and supremacy again.
What was it that enabled the Catholic Church to maintain its power for over 1260 years. Whatever it was, this is what the Catholic Church wants to create again. If it is going to achieve supremacy again, it must recreate the conditions that enabled it to maintain that power. The system it created to keep its power was feudalism. Feudalism was a system of semi-slavery – people were locked into a strict hierarchy. Feudalism was Platonism perfected. Society was stratified into three sections. The elite (monarchs, aristocracy, popes etc.), at the top. The serfs at the bottom. And in between, the security/soldiers to protect the elite.
The whole system was structured with a complex system of rules, that held them in place. But the most effective system of control was the manipulation of people’s minds through fear. This is why it is said of Babylon that she traded in, “slaves and souls of men” (Rev. 18:13).
So, in order for the Roman Catholic Church to achieve supremacy again, she has to create neo-feudalism. We are going back to the medieval age. At least one sacralist/socialist/religionist was prepared to admit what has/is going on, Nicolas Berdyaev wrote this in 1933:
We are witnessing the end of the Renaissance… Minds gifted with some power of intuition would readily go back to the middle ages to seek there the real roots of human life – to find man once more… Man is tired to death and is ready to rest upon any kind of collectivism that may come; and then human individuality will vanish once and for all. Nicolas Berdyaev, The End of Our Time (originally titled ‘The New Middle Ages’), Sheed and Ward, New York, 1933, p. 13.
I look to the thought of a world which is to begin, the world of the new middle ages… Ibid. p.15.
Notice how Nicolas Berdyaev equates the return to the Medieval Age as returning to collectivism and the destruction of individuality. Of course, the new feudalism will not be exactly like the old feudalism, but it will be all about collectivism, the destruction of individuality and the control of the people both physically and spiritually – still trading in “slaves and souls of men” (Rev. 18:13). The new feudalism is being accomplished by the harnessing of all those political, social and economic forces that share the same collectivist/socialist/Augustinian/Platonist/sacral ideology. All of the political movements, social movements, religious movements. Environmental movements, that embrace the collectivist ideology, are working for the woman riding the beast – whether they realise it or not.
Conclusion
When an individual is bundled up into any collectivist system (with the possibility of being bundled into several collectivist systems), he or she is no longer an individual. But God saves individuals. God does not save collectivised humanity. Only individuals can make a decision for salvation. Once a decision has been made for salvation, the individual has to wrestle oneself free from collectivisation – both in body and mind. One has to actively refuse to be ‘traded’ by the woman riding the beast.
The fight we are in here, make no mistake about it, is a fight of individualism versus collectivism. Paul Ryan, former Speaker, US House of Representatives.
The Book of Revelation is about this struggle. This is why the Republic of the United States of America is in the Book of Revelation, because the Republic is the last bastion of individualism in the world, and when the republic falls, the end will come.
