Is the Pope the Antichrist? by WRF Member Leonardo De Chirico (ministering in Rome)

These days no one asks a question like this. It seems too arrogant, too outdated, grossly missing the mark of a honest religious conversation.

 He rode into the city in WHAT? 

When our Lord made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, he came riding on a donkey, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah.  It was then the prerogative and expectation that the king would enter the city on a mount. 

 The Pope: I know what the Pope represents to Roman Catholics, and I appreciate what the current Pope brings to the office in terms of an apparent servant attitude, a willingness to talk about Jesus, and to lead local priests and congregations in that direction.

Before the bodies had cooled or the blood congealed, President Obama stalked to the nation’s television cameras and with phony rage damned the guns that law abiding Americans own, and blamed them for the latest mass shooting. 

Michael kept insisting that his viewing pornography wasn’t hurting anybody. “I’m divorced, and what else am I going to do with my sex drive?  This isn’t hurting me; it’s actually helping me.” 

What do you think “the joy of the Lord” means? As in Nehemiah 8, “the joy of the Lord is your strength?” My grammar is rusty, but isn’t that “subjective or objective genitive?” Is it the joy the Lord himself has, or the joy we have in him or because of him? That sounds nitpicking but when you know how weak you are, and I do, then knowing where your strength is, now that’s important.

The booklet which is attached to this page of the WRF website was written by WRF member Gordon Woolard and it is offered here as a resource for WRF members around the world. As with other materials like this which we post on our website, the specific views presented in this material are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the WRF.

As I sat at my computer on Sunday night, September 27, I was amazed. For five days every newscast and commentator had responded the visit of Pope Francis to America with such joy and positive energy. From every perspective, including the most non-religious journalists and broadcasters, people had talked about the pope but in doing so they had talked a great deal about Jesus, the Bible and the joy of the gospel.

Frankly, I’m Poped out.   News networks have carried much of the Pope’s visit to America live and non-stop.  We have seen him in Washington meeting with the President, speaking to Congress, and holding Mass for thousands of people.

I recently had coffee with a friend who is seriously considering leaving one denomination for another. His reasons for seeking my advice had less to do with my wisdom and more to do with my experience.

As an African and an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana teaching at a seminary of the Presbyterian Church (USA), I have keenly followed the fractious debate on the subject of same-sex relations within the Presbyterian family of churches.

A friend of mine forwarded a blog by Dr. Matthew Stone, a former Muslim, entitled, “Why Christians Deterred Me from Leaving Islam.”  In the context of the refugee crisis sweeping Europe and the prospect of receiving 10,000 of those Muslim refugees here in the United States, Dr. Stone’s thoughts are worth considering.