Should True Believers Attend the March for Life Event?
READING TIME: 26 MINUTES
The following are the notes to the discussion found at this link (https://www.facebook.com/tammy.cheetham.77/videos/559558137877232/) for anyone who would like to study the subject more in depth.
(Yes, we wanted to discuss this year’s March for Life event that was held on January 18th in Washington, D.C. We know a good number of people would automatically answer yes to this question about attending the March for Life because Christians should be pro-life and absolutely against abortion. And, while we do not doubt people’s love and sincerity in marching and whatever else they may do for this cause, we want people to recognize that whether people have eternal life or not is of ultimate importance. We believe if those marching truly understood this they would focus on salvation rather than just on preventing abortion. You know, people need to hear about the ultimate act of love – of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins – the act that made it possible for lives to be saved for eternity.
A question that is foundational to this discussion is can the enemy use what seems good and actually cause harm? The answer to that question is an emphatic yes! Here are two scriptures that help illustrate the concept that something may appear as light and actually be quite dark. One is Isa. 5:20: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” The other is 2 Cor. 11:14: “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” These verses are played out on occasions when man is exalted rather than Jesus; when man is said to have the solutions if one will just join the right causes. An initial concern about this event is that when anything is presented as a solution for man’s sinful activities besides the blood of Jesus, then more harm is done than good. In the case of abortion, we can expend a great deal of effort to convince women not to get abortions, but if these women are not saved, they will spend an eternity in hell. We can obviously see which concern takes top priority here.
Another concern about the “March for Life” is the ecumenical nature of the event. The pope has an agenda and it's one the entire Catholic church has pursued since Vatican II. It involves bringing the "separated brethren" back to Rome. Many evangelical leaders have joined in with this ecumenical movement, sad to say. The true church has been persecuted for the last two thousand years and millions have died because they would not accept Catholicism. Nothing has changed. Catholicism is a religion based on the traditions of men, not just another denomination within Christianity. So, when Catholics, Christians, and those of other belief systems, come together at this event, they are presenting a united front; they are praying together, and so forth, and an ecumenical activity has occurred. Additionally, the lines get blurred and often the reports concerning such an event do not distinguish between the two groups, but rather just lump all those working together under the banner of Christian. And, sister Tammy, you will speak more about the ecumenical aspect later in the discussion).
Now, to give some history concerning the March for Life organization. It was started by American pro-life activist Nellie Gray in 1974, following the Supreme Court ruling Roe v. Wade, which decriminalized abortion the previous year. Gray was a native of Big Spring, Texas and a Roman Catholic convert (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Gray_ (activist). So, due to the fact that its founder was Catholic, and she worked closely with Catholic churches and bishops, attendance at the annual event has predominantly been Catholic. Not recognizing the Biblical directive concerning separation by true believers, evangelical leaders have been advocating for a greater presence of evangelicals at the event as evidenced by this quote: “I don’t want to see any fewer rosary beads at the March for Life, but I want to see more evangelicals,” said Dr. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Commission (ERLC), to a gathering of Evangelical leaders during the Evangelicals for Life event held in January of 2016. He continued, “Our absence is a shame. And so we don’t need any less ‘Ave Maria,’ but we need some more ‘Amazing Grace’ in the mix as well.” (https://juicyecumenism.com/2016/01/13/35331/). (And, I suppose we shouldn’t be too surprised by Moore’s ecumenical push in this case considering he attended a conference on marriage and the family at the Vatican in November 2014, along with Rick Warren). (http://religionnews.com/2014/11/03/vatican-to-host-religious-leaders-tackle-marriage-family-issues/).
In a biographical article about Nellie Gray we see a statement concerning her motivation for holding these events: “Everybody is trying to say we are imposing our religion, but we are actually just following our religion and American patriotism,” she told the Post. “God almightily created man and woman in his own image, and we recognize that. The United States Constitution recognizes that the human being is endowed with a right to life, and of course the churches must be involved in this. We must carry out our patriotism and our love of God almighty through such events.” (http://heavy.com/news/2017/01/nellie-gary-march-for-life-founder-biography-anti-abortion-pro-life-quotes-2017-date/) (The fact that she wanted to demonstrate patriotism and a love of God is quite unusual. Where in God’s Word are we given directions concerning the concept of patriotism? Rather, we are referred to as pilgrims in this world (1 Pet. 2:11) and our inheritance is in heaven (1 Pet. 1:4). The concept of patriotic Christians speaks to Dominion Theology which we have discussed many times before, but here is a link to our Facebook note concerning this subject for anyone who may be unfamiliar with it). (https://www.facebook.com/notes/connie-schuetz-wright/the-errors-of-dominionism/827825584388082/)
The current president of March for Life is a woman named Jeanne Mancini who is also a Catholic (http://marchforlife.org/march-for-life-staff/). The following statements by Mancini are from an interview she conducted with Lifesite News (https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/interview-march-for-life-leader-reveals-silver-linings-in-snowpocalypseand). She says this concerning working for the March for Life organization: “The irony of it is, we are not actually an inherently religious organization. We are non-sectarian—though most who work here have a deep faith. We are very prayerful and pray together as a staff. We seek God’s guidance on what our next steps should be.” (Since the definition of non-sectarian is, “organizations not affiliated with or restricted to a particular religious group,” this means the members of the staff to whom Mancini refers could practice any faith or none at all. She states they pray together, but we know that most every religion believes in prayer and true Christians should not pray with members of other religions).
The following statement by Mancini speaks to the fact that March for Life has mainly been a Catholic event from its inception as noted earlier: “We’ve definitely seen more evangelical groups get involved over the last few years. Having come from a background of working at Family Research Council, it was difficult for me to comprehend why—for the most part—my pro-life evangelical brothers and sisters weren’t participating in the March for Life.” (Well, perhaps these pro-life evangelicals to whom Mancini refers privately recognized they should not join with Catholics thereby creating an ecumenical event. But, this is a huge red flag concerning the Family Research Council organization itself that it would present itself as a Christian organization, but would have Catholics on staff).
Another quote from this article by Mancini is: “In addition, many groups are joining with us who are not faith-based. One group, Secular Pro-Life, is truly an amazing organization; I’m always impressed with the different resources they have to offer. We encourage all groups to be involved in the March for Life as long as their approach to being pro-life is non-violent.” (Well, this statement makes the obvious point that one doesn’t have to be a Christian to be pro-life. There are millions of members of other religions, atheists, gays, so on and so forth, who would identify as pro-life. However, a very important question we need to ask is, in fighting against an evil, should we unite with those who don’t recognize the God of the Bible? With those who teach contrary to His Word? We don’t think so).
Now, let’s discuss a bit from the march itself. These were the opening remarks by Jeanne Mancini:
“Good afternoon and welcome to each and every one of you. I would like to say a special thank you to Sidewalk Prophets for their wonderful rally performance (they provided the music). My name is Jeanne Mancini and I am honored to serve as the president for the March for Life. On behalf of the entire March for Life team, I want to welcome you to the 46th annual March for Life, the largest annual human rights demonstration in the world. Let’s begin our program by joining together to say the Pledge of Allegiance which is going to be led by Patrick Ambrosio from the Knights of Columbus.” (Well, many people may not realize this, but the Pledge of Allegiance was written by Francis Bellamy, a Christian Socialist pushed out of his post as a Baptist minister for delivering pulpit-pounding sermons on such topics as “Jesus the Socialist”). https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/whats-conservative-about-pledge-allegiance (Additionally, and these are a few comments you made a couple of years ago concerning the pledge, sister Tammy, when you pledge allegiance to a flag you are committing idolatry because every nation encourages sin in its government. When you pledge allegiance then you are giving yourself to everything it stands for! Let us not forget that gay marriage and abortion are part of the law of the land in the US. We do not pledge to any man or anything of this world because it cannot be trusted, even if it mentions a god! When the one world order comes into complete fruition, people who are used to pledging their allegiance to man’s system will be part of it because they have refused to be separate and have bowed to the golden calf).
Jeanne Mancini then says the Sidewalk Prophets will lead us in the National Anthem. (And, basically we have the same idea as with the pledge. We are singing the praises of our nation when as Christians we are citizens of another Kingdom).
Then, Jeanne Mancini says, “I would like to welcome to the podium Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, the chair of the United States Bishops Conference on Pro Life Activities. He is joined by several other Roman Catholic and Orthodox bishops and offering our opening prayer.”
The following is part of his prayer: “I welcome His Eminence representing the Assembly of the Canonical Orthodox bishops of the United States of America as well as my brother Orthodox and Catholic bishops. I especially welcome all of you gathered in this vast crowd as we stand together and proclaim our beliefs in the dignity of the unborn child and of all human life…May we be untiring in our witness and undeterred in our cause for righteousness and peace in our nation. And, for the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of genuine happiness for each of our children and for all people throughout the world.” (https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4775160/archbishop-naumanns-opening-prayer) (Well, as I already stated, this joining together for a common cause and these prayers make this an ecumenical event. And, we will never have true righteousness or true peace until the Prince of Peace returns to rule and reign. He has already extended the opportunity of liberty to people in all nations. You know, God’s children have true life in Him, with the promise of eternal life; we have true freedom because whom the Son sets free is free, indeed; and we have joy unspeakable and full of glory. We do not place our hope in counterfeit rights from man).
And, sister Tammy, I know I have already given some information about ecumenism, but would you please share what you have prepared specifically concerning prayer?
Ecumenism can either be defined as a movement promoting unity among Christian churches, or denominations, or as a movement promoting worldwide unity among religions through greater cooperation and improved understanding. The word itself is derived from Greek οἰκουμένη (oikoumene), which means "the whole inhabited world", and was historically used with specific reference to the Roman Empire. Other definitions vary with some saying unity among different religions is better described as “interfaith dialogue”, or cooperation.
The ecumenical agenda is operating in full swing in much of what labels itself as Christian across the globe. We are witnessing many different religions joining together in spiritual endeavors such as prayer, worship and even evangelism, however bizarre this may sound.
Prayer to any other god than God Almighty, the Only True God, Who sent His Only Begotten Son Jesus to be the propitiation for our sins, is a matter of fact praying to a false god. It is an idol set up in the hearts of mankind. This goes with worship and evangelism, too. How can one worship the True Living Lord when they have not the right spirit that points towards Jesus Christ? They rather have another jesus as spoken of in II Corinthians 11:4! We cannot have any fellowship with those that have another gospel.
Evangelism is where the good news of Jesus Christ is shared through the anointed Holy Ghost preaching and inspired by the right Spirit. We cannot have a Catholic, Mormon, Muslim, Seventh Day Adventist or any other religion giving any form of true evangelism, worship, or prayer, and so forth. Praying with anyone that has not the faith in the Jesus of the Bible is not Scriptural unless they are being led to Christ in repentance and faith. Allowing yourself as a true believer to join in prayer with unbelievers would communicate your agreement with their faulty understanding of God. Praying with and praying for are two different things.
The Word of God exhorts us time and time again to not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. The Bible teaching of separation forbids God's people from fellowshipping with error (Romans 16:17-18; II Corinthians 6:14-18; 11:1-4; Galatians 1:8-9; Ephesians 4:14-15; 5:11; Philippians 3:1-2; Colossians 2:8; II Thessalonians 3:6; I Timothy 1:3; 6:3-5; 6:20-21; II Timothy 2:16-21; 3:5,13; Titus 1:10-14; 3:9-11; II Peter 2:1-3; 3:17; 2 John 7-11; Jude 3; Revelation 2:2,6,14-16,20-23; 18:4).
Jesus taught His people to pray our Father, so make sure that you are praying with true believers that have the same Father. The Bible never refers to the lost as His children.
This whole concept of joining with false religions brings disunity to the body and the ones being obedient to expose these errors are the ones being shunned in the name of dissension and as though they are unloving, judgmental Pharisees!
We see in the book of 1 Kings 18 the prophet Elijah and the contest on Mount Carmel with the false prophets who worshiped Baal. He never joined with false prophets to pray, but rather prayed to God and the One True God Almighty. These days we have many people coming in a false unity, such as Islam and Judaism, that are even twisting the scriptures to say they come in the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We must discern that they do not have the same God. Not all who claim Abraham as their father do have Him because they are not in the faith, and they do not have the Holy Spirit. We see even in the last days the enemy is going to have power to call even fire down from heaven and mimic with lying signs and wonders to deceive but be assured that his gospel will not be that of the Word of God. It will be this false unity, one that will lead to joining with other religions, and when the enemy has finished using all the other religions, then he will put them all down so that he gets the attention and worship of the world. Therefore, we do not unite with Babylon, the world’s system at all in any spiritual endeavor. We are simply to preach Jesus and what He has done and allow the Holy Spirit to work as we continue to share His Word.
Many we see have a fallacious view of unity. They want to embrace all who “love Jesus” without defining what Biblical love really means, described as “interfaith dialogue”, or cooperation. In many articles and sources, the word ecumenism is used in the broad sense of promoting religious unity.
Thank you so much for sharing all of that, sister Tammy. We pray so for people’s eyes to be opened.
The rest of the speakers’ comments are from this link unless another one is given (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF7e7lxKgjE) March for Life 2019 - Washington D.C. Full Video
Moving on to mention just a few of the speakers: The special guest speaker was Ben Shapiro who is an American conservative political commentator, writer, and lawyer. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Shapiro) He is also an orthodox Jew. (http://www.zmanmagazine.com/PDF/Shapiro.pdf) Here are a few of his comments:
“Righteousness doesn’t have to be popular; it just has to be righteous.” (Well, we are not made righteous by fighting abortion. Our righteousness is in Christ alone. However, being an Orthodox Jew, Shapiro doesn’t adhere to this truth). Here are some Jewish beliefs concerning righteousness according to the Jewish Virtual Library site: “Righteousness is not an abstract notion but rather consists in doing what is just and right in all relationships…Righteousness requires not merely abstention from evil, but a constant pursuit of justice and the performance of positive deeds…Because righteousness is not an inherent human characteristic, but rather a learned trait resulting from sustained performance of obligations, man can never attain the peak of righteous perfection…the impossibility of achieving absolute righteousness, however, does not preclude the constant striving toward this end.” (https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/righteousness) (So, in Jewish thinking, fighting abortion would be an act contributing to one’s own righteousness).
And, sister Tammy, you have shared this information before, but would you share about the Talmud again so believers can understand why we cannot unite with Jews in ecumenical activities?
“The Talmud, which literally means “learning,” is actually a vast library, consisting of sixty-three individual works, or “tractates.” This enormous collection of literature covers a range of subjects as diverse as biblical law, medicine, agriculture, and philosophy. It is the embodiment of what is called the “oral law” – a compilation of Jewish religious traditions developed over the centuries and handed down orally from generation to generation. The Talmud consists of two main parts – the Mishna, written in Hebrew around A.D. 200, and the Gemara, written in Aramaic, around A.D. 400 in Palestine and around A.D. 500 In Babylonia. The Gemara is related to the earlier Mishna in the same way as a Bible commentary is related to the biblical text. The mastery of this enormous collection of literature, sometimes referred to as the “sea of the Talmud” (yam hatalmud), requires a lifetime of diligent study.
Jesus according to the Talmud
Jesus was born out of wedlock (Mishna Yebamoth 4,13) to His mother, Miriam, and her lover Pantera (Shabbat 104b). She is said to have been the descendant of princes and rulers, and to have played the harlot with a carpenter (Sanhedrin 106a). Jesus spent time in Egypt, from where He learned magic. He was a magician who deceived and led Israel astray. He mocked at the words of the wise, was tainted with heresy, and was thus excommunicated (Sanhedrin 107b). He called Himself God, also the Son of Man, and said that He would go up to heaven (Jerusalem Taanit 65a). He was “near to the kingdom” and had five disciples (Sanhedrin 43a). He was tried in Lydda as a deceiver and as a teacher of apostasy (Tosephta Sanhedrin X, 11: Jerusalem Sanhedrin 25c,d). He was executed in Lydda, on the eve of Passover, which was also the eve of the Sabbath, by being stoned and hung, or crucified (Tosephta Sanhedrin IX, 7). For forty days a herald proclaimed that He was to be stoned, and invited evidence in His favor, but none was given (Sanhedrin 43a). He (under the name of Balaam) was put to death by Pinchas the Robber (Pontius Pilate?) when He was thirty-three years old (Sanhedrin 106b). He was punished in Gehenna by the means of boiling filth (Gittin 56b, 57a). Finally, under the name of Balaam, He is one of those excluded from the world to come (Mishna Sanhedrin X, 2).
Thank you so much for that information, sister Tammy. Of course, these statements absolutely horrify us, but they also lead us to pray for Jewish people to hear the gospel and be convicted.
(You know, I wonder how many “conservative Christians” listen to his program and don’t know he is an orthodox Jew, or more so, don’t know what they believe about Jesus?) This is from an article by the National Review, a conservative publication: “Shapiro is surpassed only by Oprah on the podcast charts. He keeps up with popular culture, responding to celebrities, television shows, and more, while offering a conservative perspective that is all too often ignored…He avoids making exclusively political arguments and instead speaks the language of morality.” (https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/ben-shapiro-show-second-top-podcast-itunes/)
(And, this language of morality is actually at the foundation of the belief system in this nation. No matter how many people want to argue that this is a Christian nation, it isn’t because morality rather than the gospel is preached in the public square. In addition, and more importantly, a truly Christian nation would neither tolerate, nor promote, the worship of false gods, plain and simple. What we actually have is an American civil religion which allows people of all belief systems to join together to fight an evil in society. The concept of an American civil religion is a huge topic so let me give this description and then move on): “…A quasi-religious faith exists within the United States with sacred symbols drawn from national history. Scholars have portrayed it as a cohesive force, a common set of values that foster social and cultural integration. There is a viewpoint that some Americans have come to see the document of the United States Constitution, along with the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights as cornerstones of a type of civic or civil religion or political religion. Americans embrace a common "civil religion" with certain fundamental beliefs, values, holidays, and rituals, parallel to, or independent of, their chosen religion. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_civil_religion) (So, while we will refer to the ecumenism inherent within such a gathering as the March for Life we also recognize the aspects of a civil religion being in play because atheists actually attend this event and march as well).
Continuing with statements made by Ben Shapiro at the March: “Our children slaughtered over the decades remember. They look at us from above and they know that they meant something; that they do mean something so long as we keep them in our minds and in our hearts…God, the God who built and preserves nations, who brings life and maintains it, who stands with those who suffer most at the hands of evil, He will remember us, too. He will remember America and He will bless her. God will bless us because we are the guardians of His most precious creations. We stand between America and the darkness and we will march until that darkness is banished forever.” (Well, the Bible does not give us any indication that anyone, babies or adults, look down from heaven and have any knowledge of events on earth. And, as far as God blessing America, there are many more sins that are being committed that He won’t just ignore. And, then, the true darkness is from Satan and involves all sin and it won’t truly be eradicated until he is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone as we read about in Rev. 20:10).
Now, just to mention a comment by Mike Pence, the vice-president: He said, “Listen to the truth and know that He who said, ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you’ also said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you’ as you stand for His creation, as you stand for the right to life.” (https://www.lifezette.com/2019/01/pence-life-is-winning-america-once-again/)
However, Mike Pence makes these statements as if he is speaking to a crowd of Christians. Actually, in an article from National Review from Jan. of 2017 we learn that, “The March for Life has always been a highly inclusive event, with Feminists for Life and Atheists Against Abortion standing shoulder to shoulder with Catholic priests and nuns, Protestant ministers, and rabbis. (http://www.nationalreview.com/article/444359/march-life-anti-abortion-rally-draws-huge-diverse-crowd). (So, here Pence is assuming a lot to say God is with unbelievers and false converts just because he thinks God is happy with the cause they are supporting. These people desperately need to hear the gospel, not be made to feel God is smiling down on them).
Additionally, Mike Pence delivered an address at the 37th annual Rose Dinner, held the evening of the March for Life event, in Washington D.C. The Rose Dinner is an evening of inspiration and fellowship to conclude the March for Life activities. (https://marchforlife.org/mfl-2019/rose-dinner/)
I also wanted to share just a bit from his speech at this dinner. Mike Pence related that he and his wife have attended many March for Life events, how important this was for him and his family, and also shared about President Trump’s commitment to the pro-life cause. Then he shared something a colleague had told him that he’d never been able to shake. This is what the man had said: “When the time comes and we face that awesome moment of final judgment standing alone before God those in the pro-life movement will not be alone. There will be a chorus of voices that have never been heard that are heard beautifully and clearly. They will speak up for everyone who has been in this movement. They will say spare them.” (https://www.c-span.org/video/?457071-1/vice-president-pence-speaks-marc dinner&live) (Well, that is a theological mess to say the least. Believers are spared from God’s wrath because of the price Jesus paid on the cross for our sins. I have no clue what the man was talking about who related the story and Mike Pence is giving people false hope about eternity by sharing it).
Additionally, Pres. Trump spoke by video. Here are some of his comments: “I am very proud to welcome tens of thousands of families, students, and people of all faiths and backgrounds to our nation's capital for the 46th annual March For Life.
Today I have signed a letter to Congress to make clear that if they send any legislation to my desk that weakens the protection of human life, I will issue a veto. And we have the support to uphold those vetoes. Every child is a sacred gift from God. As this year's March For Life theme says, each person is unique from Day One. That is a very important phrase. Unique from Day One. And so true.” (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/01/18/president_trump_speech_to_march_for_life.html) (Sadly, most people listen to his remarks and are just thrilled. They don’t notice that he welcomed people of all faiths and backgrounds which means he has no understanding that Christians are not to participate in ecumenical endeavors. He says he will veto any legislation that weakens the protection of human life, but in the first two years of his administration when the Republican-controlled Congress sent him multiple budgets that continued Planned Parenthood’s $543.7 million in government funding, he threatened to veto some of them over multiple issues, but ultimately relented and signed them. And, we know the part that Planned Parenthood plays in the abortion industry). (https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/tucker-carlson-trump-is-not-capable-of-defunding-planned-parenthood-despite) (And, we have to wonder how Trump truly feels about abortion because before he launched his successful 2016 presidential campaign, he had a record of pro-abortion-rights statements). http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/every-life-is-worth-protecting-president-trump-vp-pence-tell-march-for-life?fbclid=IwAR2H3dk3E5ztBSazK1IAMPt2apkX02Su_QtZ1R7jsjmTZw9cF-MUKHJD5AA
And, then, Alveda King gave the closing prayer. She is an American activist, author, founder of Alveda King Ministries, and a niece of Martin Luther King, Jr. Here is part of her prayer: “Lord, bless the organizers of this great March for Life 2019. Bless our president and his administration…Grant us sanctity and compassion for good…Please bring an end to all crimes against humanity and please bless every home, house, person everywhere.” (https://www.c-span.org/video/?456921-1/vice-president-pence-addresses-march-life-rally) (Well, we would say it’s odd, to say the least, that Alveda King asked God to bless so many people that don’t even know Him. She should have prayed they would come to salvation. And, then, she prays for an end to all crimes against humanity, something that cannot occur until Jesus Christ returns to rule and reign).
That is all I wanted to discuss concerning the speeches at the event. I did want to mention that Catholics who participated in the March for Life event would be able to receive a plenary indulgence for doing so. The instructions are as follows:
Kat Talalas, assistant director for pro-life communications at the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, said that “the Vatican has granted that a plenary indulgence may be obtained under the usual conditions by participating in the National Prayer Vigil for Life, as well as the other sacred celebrations surrounding the March for Life.”
An indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment due to sins which have already been forgiven.
The usual conditions for a plenary indulgence which must be met are: that the individual be in the state of grace by the completion of the acts, have complete detachment from sin, and pray for the Pope’s intentions. The person must also sacramentally confess their sins and receive Communion, up to about twenty days before or after the indulgenced act. (https://catholicherald.co.uk/news/2019/01/15/plenary-indulgence-available-for-participants-in-washington-march-for-life/)
Now, here is a little information from a Catholic website to help us understand indulgences: “In the Sacrament of Penance the guilt of sin is removed, and with it the eternal punishment due to mortal sin; but there still remains the temporal punishment required by Divine justice, and this requirement must be fulfilled either in the present life or in the world to come, i.e., in Purgatory. An indulgence offers the penitent sinner the means of discharging this debt during his life on earth.” (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07783a.htm) (I just wanted to include this information to help the listener understand that Catholicism is a works-based religion and that is, of course, just one of many examples that could be given).
(I want to mention a few points you made in last year’s discussion, sister Tammy, as we come close to the end of this discussion. Standing against abortion for a true Christian is the proper heart to have, yet this in and of itself is not the power of God unto salvation. Your next-door neighbor and the woman or man at your workplace that is unsaved can have correct morals, but still be at enmity with God because they love this world and have unbelieving hearts towards Jesus Christ.
The Christian would do far better justice by standing outside the abortion clinics with the gospel message, giving tracts and proclaiming that sin leads to death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord and that He can set the sinner free. Maybe a few of the doctors performing these atrocities would hear and repent, too! At least give them the true answer!
And, then, I would just like the listeners to think about these questions: What if supporting the much anticipated, man-centered solution to the evils in society results in a worse evil? What if solving the current problems requires uniting with those who preach another Jesus and another gospel? Will Christians be so desperate to solve society’s problems that they will participate in ecumenical activities that will lead to the one world religion? We, sadly, would have to say that many by their actions are saying yes to these questions. Most people don’t realize it, but every ecumenical activity is laying the groundwork for the one world religion.
We will agree that abortion is a scourge upon the land. However, we cannot join with one evil to fight another. There currently are 1.2 billion Catholics on their way to hell, unless they hear the true gospel and come to salvation, because they preach a works salvation as they deny the sufficiency of Christ’s death on the cross. The fact they are pro-life and speak out against the deaths of approximately 61 million aborted babies does not erase the fact that Catholicism is a false religion from which we are to remain separate. We can pray and we can give the gospel to those seeking abortion, but we are not to gather with unbelievers, or false believers, to present a united front when these need the true gospel so desperately as well.
So, in conclusion, we have seen that true believers joining together with those of other faiths and presenting a united front, knowingly or unknowingly, gives credence to these false beliefs; such joining together flies in the face of clear, Biblical commands to remain separate (2 Cor. 6:14-17 and Rev. 18:4, for example). Besides the ecumenical aspect, we have seen that emphasizing man’s efforts pushes the gospel of salvation to the side and offers no hope of being born again and spending eternity with Jesus. For these reasons a true believer will not join the March for Life activities, but will rather present the gospel to a lost and dying world).
READING TIME: 26 MINUTES
The following are the notes to the discussion found at this link (https://www.facebook.com/tammy.cheetham.77/videos/559558137877232/) for anyone who would like to study the subject more in depth.
(Yes, we wanted to discuss this year’s March for Life event that was held on January 18th in Washington, D.C. We know a good number of people would automatically answer yes to this question about attending the March for Life because Christians should be pro-life and absolutely against abortion. And, while we do not doubt people’s love and sincerity in marching and whatever else they may do for this cause, we want people to recognize that whether people have eternal life or not is of ultimate importance. We believe if those marching truly understood this they would focus on salvation rather than just on preventing abortion. You know, people need to hear about the ultimate act of love – of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins – the act that made it possible for lives to be saved for eternity.
A question that is foundational to this discussion is can the enemy use what seems good and actually cause harm? The answer to that question is an emphatic yes! Here are two scriptures that help illustrate the concept that something may appear as light and actually be quite dark. One is Isa. 5:20: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” The other is 2 Cor. 11:14: “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” These verses are played out on occasions when man is exalted rather than Jesus; when man is said to have the solutions if one will just join the right causes. An initial concern about this event is that when anything is presented as a solution for man’s sinful activities besides the blood of Jesus, then more harm is done than good. In the case of abortion, we can expend a great deal of effort to convince women not to get abortions, but if these women are not saved, they will spend an eternity in hell. We can obviously see which concern takes top priority here.
Another concern about the “March for Life” is the ecumenical nature of the event. The pope has an agenda and it's one the entire Catholic church has pursued since Vatican II. It involves bringing the "separated brethren" back to Rome. Many evangelical leaders have joined in with this ecumenical movement, sad to say. The true church has been persecuted for the last two thousand years and millions have died because they would not accept Catholicism. Nothing has changed. Catholicism is a religion based on the traditions of men, not just another denomination within Christianity. So, when Catholics, Christians, and those of other belief systems, come together at this event, they are presenting a united front; they are praying together, and so forth, and an ecumenical activity has occurred. Additionally, the lines get blurred and often the reports concerning such an event do not distinguish between the two groups, but rather just lump all those working together under the banner of Christian. And, sister Tammy, you will speak more about the ecumenical aspect later in the discussion).
Now, to give some history concerning the March for Life organization. It was started by American pro-life activist Nellie Gray in 1974, following the Supreme Court ruling Roe v. Wade, which decriminalized abortion the previous year. Gray was a native of Big Spring, Texas and a Roman Catholic convert (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Gray_ (activist). So, due to the fact that its founder was Catholic, and she worked closely with Catholic churches and bishops, attendance at the annual event has predominantly been Catholic. Not recognizing the Biblical directive concerning separation by true believers, evangelical leaders have been advocating for a greater presence of evangelicals at the event as evidenced by this quote: “I don’t want to see any fewer rosary beads at the March for Life, but I want to see more evangelicals,” said Dr. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Commission (ERLC), to a gathering of Evangelical leaders during the Evangelicals for Life event held in January of 2016. He continued, “Our absence is a shame. And so we don’t need any less ‘Ave Maria,’ but we need some more ‘Amazing Grace’ in the mix as well.” (https://juicyecumenism.com/2016/01/13/35331/). (And, I suppose we shouldn’t be too surprised by Moore’s ecumenical push in this case considering he attended a conference on marriage and the family at the Vatican in November 2014, along with Rick Warren). (http://religionnews.com/2014/11/03/vatican-to-host-religious-leaders-tackle-marriage-family-issues/).
In a biographical article about Nellie Gray we see a statement concerning her motivation for holding these events: “Everybody is trying to say we are imposing our religion, but we are actually just following our religion and American patriotism,” she told the Post. “God almightily created man and woman in his own image, and we recognize that. The United States Constitution recognizes that the human being is endowed with a right to life, and of course the churches must be involved in this. We must carry out our patriotism and our love of God almighty through such events.” (http://heavy.com/news/2017/01/nellie-gary-march-for-life-founder-biography-anti-abortion-pro-life-quotes-2017-date/) (The fact that she wanted to demonstrate patriotism and a love of God is quite unusual. Where in God’s Word are we given directions concerning the concept of patriotism? Rather, we are referred to as pilgrims in this world (1 Pet. 2:11) and our inheritance is in heaven (1 Pet. 1:4). The concept of patriotic Christians speaks to Dominion Theology which we have discussed many times before, but here is a link to our Facebook note concerning this subject for anyone who may be unfamiliar with it). (https://www.facebook.com/notes/connie-schuetz-wright/the-errors-of-dominionism/827825584388082/)
The current president of March for Life is a woman named Jeanne Mancini who is also a Catholic (http://marchforlife.org/march-for-life-staff/). The following statements by Mancini are from an interview she conducted with Lifesite News (https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/interview-march-for-life-leader-reveals-silver-linings-in-snowpocalypseand). She says this concerning working for the March for Life organization: “The irony of it is, we are not actually an inherently religious organization. We are non-sectarian—though most who work here have a deep faith. We are very prayerful and pray together as a staff. We seek God’s guidance on what our next steps should be.” (Since the definition of non-sectarian is, “organizations not affiliated with or restricted to a particular religious group,” this means the members of the staff to whom Mancini refers could practice any faith or none at all. She states they pray together, but we know that most every religion believes in prayer and true Christians should not pray with members of other religions).
The following statement by Mancini speaks to the fact that March for Life has mainly been a Catholic event from its inception as noted earlier: “We’ve definitely seen more evangelical groups get involved over the last few years. Having come from a background of working at Family Research Council, it was difficult for me to comprehend why—for the most part—my pro-life evangelical brothers and sisters weren’t participating in the March for Life.” (Well, perhaps these pro-life evangelicals to whom Mancini refers privately recognized they should not join with Catholics thereby creating an ecumenical event. But, this is a huge red flag concerning the Family Research Council organization itself that it would present itself as a Christian organization, but would have Catholics on staff).
Another quote from this article by Mancini is: “In addition, many groups are joining with us who are not faith-based. One group, Secular Pro-Life, is truly an amazing organization; I’m always impressed with the different resources they have to offer. We encourage all groups to be involved in the March for Life as long as their approach to being pro-life is non-violent.” (Well, this statement makes the obvious point that one doesn’t have to be a Christian to be pro-life. There are millions of members of other religions, atheists, gays, so on and so forth, who would identify as pro-life. However, a very important question we need to ask is, in fighting against an evil, should we unite with those who don’t recognize the God of the Bible? With those who teach contrary to His Word? We don’t think so).
Now, let’s discuss a bit from the march itself. These were the opening remarks by Jeanne Mancini:
“Good afternoon and welcome to each and every one of you. I would like to say a special thank you to Sidewalk Prophets for their wonderful rally performance (they provided the music). My name is Jeanne Mancini and I am honored to serve as the president for the March for Life. On behalf of the entire March for Life team, I want to welcome you to the 46th annual March for Life, the largest annual human rights demonstration in the world. Let’s begin our program by joining together to say the Pledge of Allegiance which is going to be led by Patrick Ambrosio from the Knights of Columbus.” (Well, many people may not realize this, but the Pledge of Allegiance was written by Francis Bellamy, a Christian Socialist pushed out of his post as a Baptist minister for delivering pulpit-pounding sermons on such topics as “Jesus the Socialist”). https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/whats-conservative-about-pledge-allegiance (Additionally, and these are a few comments you made a couple of years ago concerning the pledge, sister Tammy, when you pledge allegiance to a flag you are committing idolatry because every nation encourages sin in its government. When you pledge allegiance then you are giving yourself to everything it stands for! Let us not forget that gay marriage and abortion are part of the law of the land in the US. We do not pledge to any man or anything of this world because it cannot be trusted, even if it mentions a god! When the one world order comes into complete fruition, people who are used to pledging their allegiance to man’s system will be part of it because they have refused to be separate and have bowed to the golden calf).
Jeanne Mancini then says the Sidewalk Prophets will lead us in the National Anthem. (And, basically we have the same idea as with the pledge. We are singing the praises of our nation when as Christians we are citizens of another Kingdom).
Then, Jeanne Mancini says, “I would like to welcome to the podium Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, the chair of the United States Bishops Conference on Pro Life Activities. He is joined by several other Roman Catholic and Orthodox bishops and offering our opening prayer.”
The following is part of his prayer: “I welcome His Eminence representing the Assembly of the Canonical Orthodox bishops of the United States of America as well as my brother Orthodox and Catholic bishops. I especially welcome all of you gathered in this vast crowd as we stand together and proclaim our beliefs in the dignity of the unborn child and of all human life…May we be untiring in our witness and undeterred in our cause for righteousness and peace in our nation. And, for the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of genuine happiness for each of our children and for all people throughout the world.” (https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4775160/archbishop-naumanns-opening-prayer) (Well, as I already stated, this joining together for a common cause and these prayers make this an ecumenical event. And, we will never have true righteousness or true peace until the Prince of Peace returns to rule and reign. He has already extended the opportunity of liberty to people in all nations. You know, God’s children have true life in Him, with the promise of eternal life; we have true freedom because whom the Son sets free is free, indeed; and we have joy unspeakable and full of glory. We do not place our hope in counterfeit rights from man).
And, sister Tammy, I know I have already given some information about ecumenism, but would you please share what you have prepared specifically concerning prayer?
Ecumenism can either be defined as a movement promoting unity among Christian churches, or denominations, or as a movement promoting worldwide unity among religions through greater cooperation and improved understanding. The word itself is derived from Greek οἰκουμένη (oikoumene), which means "the whole inhabited world", and was historically used with specific reference to the Roman Empire. Other definitions vary with some saying unity among different religions is better described as “interfaith dialogue”, or cooperation.
The ecumenical agenda is operating in full swing in much of what labels itself as Christian across the globe. We are witnessing many different religions joining together in spiritual endeavors such as prayer, worship and even evangelism, however bizarre this may sound.
Prayer to any other god than God Almighty, the Only True God, Who sent His Only Begotten Son Jesus to be the propitiation for our sins, is a matter of fact praying to a false god. It is an idol set up in the hearts of mankind. This goes with worship and evangelism, too. How can one worship the True Living Lord when they have not the right spirit that points towards Jesus Christ? They rather have another jesus as spoken of in II Corinthians 11:4! We cannot have any fellowship with those that have another gospel.
Evangelism is where the good news of Jesus Christ is shared through the anointed Holy Ghost preaching and inspired by the right Spirit. We cannot have a Catholic, Mormon, Muslim, Seventh Day Adventist or any other religion giving any form of true evangelism, worship, or prayer, and so forth. Praying with anyone that has not the faith in the Jesus of the Bible is not Scriptural unless they are being led to Christ in repentance and faith. Allowing yourself as a true believer to join in prayer with unbelievers would communicate your agreement with their faulty understanding of God. Praying with and praying for are two different things.
The Word of God exhorts us time and time again to not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. The Bible teaching of separation forbids God's people from fellowshipping with error (Romans 16:17-18; II Corinthians 6:14-18; 11:1-4; Galatians 1:8-9; Ephesians 4:14-15; 5:11; Philippians 3:1-2; Colossians 2:8; II Thessalonians 3:6; I Timothy 1:3; 6:3-5; 6:20-21; II Timothy 2:16-21; 3:5,13; Titus 1:10-14; 3:9-11; II Peter 2:1-3; 3:17; 2 John 7-11; Jude 3; Revelation 2:2,6,14-16,20-23; 18:4).
Jesus taught His people to pray our Father, so make sure that you are praying with true believers that have the same Father. The Bible never refers to the lost as His children.
This whole concept of joining with false religions brings disunity to the body and the ones being obedient to expose these errors are the ones being shunned in the name of dissension and as though they are unloving, judgmental Pharisees!
We see in the book of 1 Kings 18 the prophet Elijah and the contest on Mount Carmel with the false prophets who worshiped Baal. He never joined with false prophets to pray, but rather prayed to God and the One True God Almighty. These days we have many people coming in a false unity, such as Islam and Judaism, that are even twisting the scriptures to say they come in the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We must discern that they do not have the same God. Not all who claim Abraham as their father do have Him because they are not in the faith, and they do not have the Holy Spirit. We see even in the last days the enemy is going to have power to call even fire down from heaven and mimic with lying signs and wonders to deceive but be assured that his gospel will not be that of the Word of God. It will be this false unity, one that will lead to joining with other religions, and when the enemy has finished using all the other religions, then he will put them all down so that he gets the attention and worship of the world. Therefore, we do not unite with Babylon, the world’s system at all in any spiritual endeavor. We are simply to preach Jesus and what He has done and allow the Holy Spirit to work as we continue to share His Word.
Many we see have a fallacious view of unity. They want to embrace all who “love Jesus” without defining what Biblical love really means, described as “interfaith dialogue”, or cooperation. In many articles and sources, the word ecumenism is used in the broad sense of promoting religious unity.
Thank you so much for sharing all of that, sister Tammy. We pray so for people’s eyes to be opened.
The rest of the speakers’ comments are from this link unless another one is given (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF7e7lxKgjE) March for Life 2019 - Washington D.C. Full Video
Moving on to mention just a few of the speakers: The special guest speaker was Ben Shapiro who is an American conservative political commentator, writer, and lawyer. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Shapiro) He is also an orthodox Jew. (http://www.zmanmagazine.com/PDF/Shapiro.pdf) Here are a few of his comments:
“Righteousness doesn’t have to be popular; it just has to be righteous.” (Well, we are not made righteous by fighting abortion. Our righteousness is in Christ alone. However, being an Orthodox Jew, Shapiro doesn’t adhere to this truth). Here are some Jewish beliefs concerning righteousness according to the Jewish Virtual Library site: “Righteousness is not an abstract notion but rather consists in doing what is just and right in all relationships…Righteousness requires not merely abstention from evil, but a constant pursuit of justice and the performance of positive deeds…Because righteousness is not an inherent human characteristic, but rather a learned trait resulting from sustained performance of obligations, man can never attain the peak of righteous perfection…the impossibility of achieving absolute righteousness, however, does not preclude the constant striving toward this end.” (https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/righteousness) (So, in Jewish thinking, fighting abortion would be an act contributing to one’s own righteousness).
And, sister Tammy, you have shared this information before, but would you share about the Talmud again so believers can understand why we cannot unite with Jews in ecumenical activities?
“The Talmud, which literally means “learning,” is actually a vast library, consisting of sixty-three individual works, or “tractates.” This enormous collection of literature covers a range of subjects as diverse as biblical law, medicine, agriculture, and philosophy. It is the embodiment of what is called the “oral law” – a compilation of Jewish religious traditions developed over the centuries and handed down orally from generation to generation. The Talmud consists of two main parts – the Mishna, written in Hebrew around A.D. 200, and the Gemara, written in Aramaic, around A.D. 400 in Palestine and around A.D. 500 In Babylonia. The Gemara is related to the earlier Mishna in the same way as a Bible commentary is related to the biblical text. The mastery of this enormous collection of literature, sometimes referred to as the “sea of the Talmud” (yam hatalmud), requires a lifetime of diligent study.
Jesus according to the Talmud
Jesus was born out of wedlock (Mishna Yebamoth 4,13) to His mother, Miriam, and her lover Pantera (Shabbat 104b). She is said to have been the descendant of princes and rulers, and to have played the harlot with a carpenter (Sanhedrin 106a). Jesus spent time in Egypt, from where He learned magic. He was a magician who deceived and led Israel astray. He mocked at the words of the wise, was tainted with heresy, and was thus excommunicated (Sanhedrin 107b). He called Himself God, also the Son of Man, and said that He would go up to heaven (Jerusalem Taanit 65a). He was “near to the kingdom” and had five disciples (Sanhedrin 43a). He was tried in Lydda as a deceiver and as a teacher of apostasy (Tosephta Sanhedrin X, 11: Jerusalem Sanhedrin 25c,d). He was executed in Lydda, on the eve of Passover, which was also the eve of the Sabbath, by being stoned and hung, or crucified (Tosephta Sanhedrin IX, 7). For forty days a herald proclaimed that He was to be stoned, and invited evidence in His favor, but none was given (Sanhedrin 43a). He (under the name of Balaam) was put to death by Pinchas the Robber (Pontius Pilate?) when He was thirty-three years old (Sanhedrin 106b). He was punished in Gehenna by the means of boiling filth (Gittin 56b, 57a). Finally, under the name of Balaam, He is one of those excluded from the world to come (Mishna Sanhedrin X, 2).
Thank you so much for that information, sister Tammy. Of course, these statements absolutely horrify us, but they also lead us to pray for Jewish people to hear the gospel and be convicted.
(You know, I wonder how many “conservative Christians” listen to his program and don’t know he is an orthodox Jew, or more so, don’t know what they believe about Jesus?) This is from an article by the National Review, a conservative publication: “Shapiro is surpassed only by Oprah on the podcast charts. He keeps up with popular culture, responding to celebrities, television shows, and more, while offering a conservative perspective that is all too often ignored…He avoids making exclusively political arguments and instead speaks the language of morality.” (https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/ben-shapiro-show-second-top-podcast-itunes/)
(And, this language of morality is actually at the foundation of the belief system in this nation. No matter how many people want to argue that this is a Christian nation, it isn’t because morality rather than the gospel is preached in the public square. In addition, and more importantly, a truly Christian nation would neither tolerate, nor promote, the worship of false gods, plain and simple. What we actually have is an American civil religion which allows people of all belief systems to join together to fight an evil in society. The concept of an American civil religion is a huge topic so let me give this description and then move on): “…A quasi-religious faith exists within the United States with sacred symbols drawn from national history. Scholars have portrayed it as a cohesive force, a common set of values that foster social and cultural integration. There is a viewpoint that some Americans have come to see the document of the United States Constitution, along with the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights as cornerstones of a type of civic or civil religion or political religion. Americans embrace a common "civil religion" with certain fundamental beliefs, values, holidays, and rituals, parallel to, or independent of, their chosen religion. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_civil_religion) (So, while we will refer to the ecumenism inherent within such a gathering as the March for Life we also recognize the aspects of a civil religion being in play because atheists actually attend this event and march as well).
Continuing with statements made by Ben Shapiro at the March: “Our children slaughtered over the decades remember. They look at us from above and they know that they meant something; that they do mean something so long as we keep them in our minds and in our hearts…God, the God who built and preserves nations, who brings life and maintains it, who stands with those who suffer most at the hands of evil, He will remember us, too. He will remember America and He will bless her. God will bless us because we are the guardians of His most precious creations. We stand between America and the darkness and we will march until that darkness is banished forever.” (Well, the Bible does not give us any indication that anyone, babies or adults, look down from heaven and have any knowledge of events on earth. And, as far as God blessing America, there are many more sins that are being committed that He won’t just ignore. And, then, the true darkness is from Satan and involves all sin and it won’t truly be eradicated until he is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone as we read about in Rev. 20:10).
Now, just to mention a comment by Mike Pence, the vice-president: He said, “Listen to the truth and know that He who said, ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you’ also said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you’ as you stand for His creation, as you stand for the right to life.” (https://www.lifezette.com/2019/01/pence-life-is-winning-america-once-again/)
However, Mike Pence makes these statements as if he is speaking to a crowd of Christians. Actually, in an article from National Review from Jan. of 2017 we learn that, “The March for Life has always been a highly inclusive event, with Feminists for Life and Atheists Against Abortion standing shoulder to shoulder with Catholic priests and nuns, Protestant ministers, and rabbis. (http://www.nationalreview.com/article/444359/march-life-anti-abortion-rally-draws-huge-diverse-crowd). (So, here Pence is assuming a lot to say God is with unbelievers and false converts just because he thinks God is happy with the cause they are supporting. These people desperately need to hear the gospel, not be made to feel God is smiling down on them).
Additionally, Mike Pence delivered an address at the 37th annual Rose Dinner, held the evening of the March for Life event, in Washington D.C. The Rose Dinner is an evening of inspiration and fellowship to conclude the March for Life activities. (https://marchforlife.org/mfl-2019/rose-dinner/)
I also wanted to share just a bit from his speech at this dinner. Mike Pence related that he and his wife have attended many March for Life events, how important this was for him and his family, and also shared about President Trump’s commitment to the pro-life cause. Then he shared something a colleague had told him that he’d never been able to shake. This is what the man had said: “When the time comes and we face that awesome moment of final judgment standing alone before God those in the pro-life movement will not be alone. There will be a chorus of voices that have never been heard that are heard beautifully and clearly. They will speak up for everyone who has been in this movement. They will say spare them.” (https://www.c-span.org/video/?457071-1/vice-president-pence-speaks-marc dinner&live) (Well, that is a theological mess to say the least. Believers are spared from God’s wrath because of the price Jesus paid on the cross for our sins. I have no clue what the man was talking about who related the story and Mike Pence is giving people false hope about eternity by sharing it).
Additionally, Pres. Trump spoke by video. Here are some of his comments: “I am very proud to welcome tens of thousands of families, students, and people of all faiths and backgrounds to our nation's capital for the 46th annual March For Life.
Today I have signed a letter to Congress to make clear that if they send any legislation to my desk that weakens the protection of human life, I will issue a veto. And we have the support to uphold those vetoes. Every child is a sacred gift from God. As this year's March For Life theme says, each person is unique from Day One. That is a very important phrase. Unique from Day One. And so true.” (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/01/18/president_trump_speech_to_march_for_life.html) (Sadly, most people listen to his remarks and are just thrilled. They don’t notice that he welcomed people of all faiths and backgrounds which means he has no understanding that Christians are not to participate in ecumenical endeavors. He says he will veto any legislation that weakens the protection of human life, but in the first two years of his administration when the Republican-controlled Congress sent him multiple budgets that continued Planned Parenthood’s $543.7 million in government funding, he threatened to veto some of them over multiple issues, but ultimately relented and signed them. And, we know the part that Planned Parenthood plays in the abortion industry). (https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/tucker-carlson-trump-is-not-capable-of-defunding-planned-parenthood-despite) (And, we have to wonder how Trump truly feels about abortion because before he launched his successful 2016 presidential campaign, he had a record of pro-abortion-rights statements). http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/every-life-is-worth-protecting-president-trump-vp-pence-tell-march-for-life?fbclid=IwAR2H3dk3E5ztBSazK1IAMPt2apkX02Su_QtZ1R7jsjmTZw9cF-MUKHJD5AA
And, then, Alveda King gave the closing prayer. She is an American activist, author, founder of Alveda King Ministries, and a niece of Martin Luther King, Jr. Here is part of her prayer: “Lord, bless the organizers of this great March for Life 2019. Bless our president and his administration…Grant us sanctity and compassion for good…Please bring an end to all crimes against humanity and please bless every home, house, person everywhere.” (https://www.c-span.org/video/?456921-1/vice-president-pence-addresses-march-life-rally) (Well, we would say it’s odd, to say the least, that Alveda King asked God to bless so many people that don’t even know Him. She should have prayed they would come to salvation. And, then, she prays for an end to all crimes against humanity, something that cannot occur until Jesus Christ returns to rule and reign).
That is all I wanted to discuss concerning the speeches at the event. I did want to mention that Catholics who participated in the March for Life event would be able to receive a plenary indulgence for doing so. The instructions are as follows:
Kat Talalas, assistant director for pro-life communications at the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, said that “the Vatican has granted that a plenary indulgence may be obtained under the usual conditions by participating in the National Prayer Vigil for Life, as well as the other sacred celebrations surrounding the March for Life.”
An indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment due to sins which have already been forgiven.
The usual conditions for a plenary indulgence which must be met are: that the individual be in the state of grace by the completion of the acts, have complete detachment from sin, and pray for the Pope’s intentions. The person must also sacramentally confess their sins and receive Communion, up to about twenty days before or after the indulgenced act. (https://catholicherald.co.uk/news/2019/01/15/plenary-indulgence-available-for-participants-in-washington-march-for-life/)
Now, here is a little information from a Catholic website to help us understand indulgences: “In the Sacrament of Penance the guilt of sin is removed, and with it the eternal punishment due to mortal sin; but there still remains the temporal punishment required by Divine justice, and this requirement must be fulfilled either in the present life or in the world to come, i.e., in Purgatory. An indulgence offers the penitent sinner the means of discharging this debt during his life on earth.” (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07783a.htm) (I just wanted to include this information to help the listener understand that Catholicism is a works-based religion and that is, of course, just one of many examples that could be given).
(I want to mention a few points you made in last year’s discussion, sister Tammy, as we come close to the end of this discussion. Standing against abortion for a true Christian is the proper heart to have, yet this in and of itself is not the power of God unto salvation. Your next-door neighbor and the woman or man at your workplace that is unsaved can have correct morals, but still be at enmity with God because they love this world and have unbelieving hearts towards Jesus Christ.
The Christian would do far better justice by standing outside the abortion clinics with the gospel message, giving tracts and proclaiming that sin leads to death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord and that He can set the sinner free. Maybe a few of the doctors performing these atrocities would hear and repent, too! At least give them the true answer!
And, then, I would just like the listeners to think about these questions: What if supporting the much anticipated, man-centered solution to the evils in society results in a worse evil? What if solving the current problems requires uniting with those who preach another Jesus and another gospel? Will Christians be so desperate to solve society’s problems that they will participate in ecumenical activities that will lead to the one world religion? We, sadly, would have to say that many by their actions are saying yes to these questions. Most people don’t realize it, but every ecumenical activity is laying the groundwork for the one world religion.
We will agree that abortion is a scourge upon the land. However, we cannot join with one evil to fight another. There currently are 1.2 billion Catholics on their way to hell, unless they hear the true gospel and come to salvation, because they preach a works salvation as they deny the sufficiency of Christ’s death on the cross. The fact they are pro-life and speak out against the deaths of approximately 61 million aborted babies does not erase the fact that Catholicism is a false religion from which we are to remain separate. We can pray and we can give the gospel to those seeking abortion, but we are not to gather with unbelievers, or false believers, to present a united front when these need the true gospel so desperately as well.
So, in conclusion, we have seen that true believers joining together with those of other faiths and presenting a united front, knowingly or unknowingly, gives credence to these false beliefs; such joining together flies in the face of clear, Biblical commands to remain separate (2 Cor. 6:14-17 and Rev. 18:4, for example). Besides the ecumenical aspect, we have seen that emphasizing man’s efforts pushes the gospel of salvation to the side and offers no hope of being born again and spending eternity with Jesus. For these reasons a true believer will not join the March for Life activities, but will rather present the gospel to a lost and dying world).