The Jesuits covered up for an abusive Brother and merely moved him to another school

The Jesuits covered up for an abusive Brother and merely moved him to another school

Jesuit priests and brothers operate some of Australia's most prominent  schools, with famous ex-students such as former prime minister Tony Abbott. After Brother Victor Higgs committed sexual offences against boys at one of these schools (St Ignatius College,  Adelaide), the Jesuits kept Brother Higgs as a member of the Jesuit Order and moved him to their famous Sydney school (St Ignatius College Riverview). One of the Adelaide victims finally reported Brother Higgs to the South Australian police and, on 29 January 2016, Higgs was jailed for some of his Adelaide offences. New South Wales police might now examine Brother Higgs' career in Sydney.

The image above is taken from Part 1: Ex-Jesuit accused of sexual abuse - http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/investigative/113912-philippine-society-jesus-sex-abuse-case

According to statements made in the Adelaide District Court, Victor Thomas James Higgs was born in the late 1930s, the youngest of nine children. After a period of training with the Jesuits, he became a Brother in the Australia-wide Jesuit religious order in 1963, aged in his twenties. He later spent three years working at St Ignatius College in Athelstone, Adelaide (1968 to 1970, inclusive, when he was aged around 30). He mostly did administrative duties for the school, although he taught some classes (for example, in religious education and in commerce).

After a complaint by a parent in Adelaide, the Jesuits transferred Brother Higgs to St Ignatius Riverview, Sydney, where he spent ten years. The Jesuits kept him as a member of the Jesuit religious order until he retired in Sydney in 2001.

Higgs was interviewed by South Australian police in early 2013 regarding boys from St Ignatius, Adelaide. When charged, Higgs indicated that would plead not guilty, meaning that he would fight the charges in court. Eventually, nearly three years later, he changed his plea to guilty, which meant that no trial would be needed (a judge would merely have to impose a sentence).

On 29 January 2016, Higgs (aged 78) was sentenced in the Adelaide District Court for indecent assault of two boys at St Ignatius Adelaide (one charge for each boy). These were not the only allegations that police had made against Higgs in Adelaide. These two charges were those to which he finally agreed to plead guilty.

Judge Gordon Barrett sentenced Higgs to a maximum jail sentence of two years and three months jail. He said that Higgs would be able to apply for parole after serving one year behind bars.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Barrett told Higgs:

"The first [charge] involved a boy who would have been about 12 at the time. You took him into your room, made him take down his pants and there fondled his genitals. You did so on the pretext of giving him sexual counselling and assessing his development. You touched him on only that one occasion.

"In relation to the other boy, he was about the same age. He had misbehaved in class. You made him turn up at the canteen where you got him to take his pants down and bend over. He was expecting to be caned for his misdemeanour. Instead you touched his buttocks with a feather duster. The boy asked you what you were doing. You told him to get out. He reported the matter to his parents who raised it with the school. Whether as a result of that report or for some quite other reason, I am not sure, but you left the college in Adelaide and moved to a brother school in Sydney.

"While the two offences consist of a single episode of touching each boy in the ways that I have described, and it is not alleged that you touched other boys, your behaviour has to be seen in a context. That context is that you used to get boys into a private room, make them take down their pants and look at their genitals. You engaged them in sexual talk. All of this, the charged and the uncharged acts, were on the pretext of checking the boys’ development or counselling them, but it is quite plain that you were doing nothing of the sort. You were engaging the boys in this way for your own sexual gratification.

"The reaction of the two boys to your offending is instructive. The first boy appears to have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of another teacher at the school and so it is hard to separate the effects of your offending from the effects of the other teacher’s offending. However, his account of what happened after he came out of your room where you had indecently assaulted him is indicative of the consequences of your offending. Other students noticed the boy come out of the room. They asked him if he had let you touch him. Whatever his response, the other students assumed he had. He was taunted, suggesting he [the boy] was a homosexual. It appears your proclivities were widely known among the students. That boy’s trust in teachers and trust in that school has been damaged forever. It has caused frictions in his own family. When he disclosed what had happened to them, they either did not want to know about it or they told him to get over it. He has continuing anger. In addition, although this may have more to do with the offending by the other teacher, he has had some sensitivities in his personal life.

"The other boy’s reaction was different. He stood up to you. He immediately told his parents. His parents did something about it. He has not provided a victim impact statement. I do not know, but it is possible that he has not been affected in the same way as the first boy. However, that is just chance..."

Judge Barrett said that originally Higgs claimed to the police that, in his encounters with the boys, he had merely been  "counselling" them about sexual matters.

In sentencing, Judge Barrett told Higgs:

"You did tell the police that you had counselled boys about sexual matters, but in that interview there is a surprising lack of insight into your own motivations and the likely harm that you were causing the students. You really conceded no more than that you went about a legitimate task in the wrong way.

"You have entered your guilty pleas at a very late stage...

"I will give you the credit that the law entitles you to for your guilty pleas. It is up to 10%. A more timely guilty plea would have reduced the anxiety of the victims and the witnesses further, and would have entitled you to a greater leniency...

"This is serious offending. It was a breach of trust for you to behave as you did to these boys. If you did not know before, you know now of the consequences that your offending can have, and has had. You are to be sentenced only for two charges to which you have pleaded. Each is a single act of indecent touching but the acts do have to be understood in their context.

"The maximum penalty for indecent assault at the time was seven years imprisonment. I must sentence you on the law as it was then. I will impose one prison sentence for both offences but take both into account. If it were not for your guilty pleas, I would have sentenced you to two-and-a-half years imprisonment. I reduce that by about 10% to two years and three months. I fix a non-parole period of one year.

"The question of suspension [that is, postponing the jail term] is a difficult one. You are elderly and in ill health. You have no other court appearances. In many ways, you have led a productive life. On the other hand, your behaviour was a gross breach of trust. The students and their parents were entitled to your protection, not your abuse.

"I think the offending is too serious for me to be able to suspend the sentence. I have shown what leniency I can in fixing the non-parole period which is lower than I would otherwise have fixed. You will have to serve the sentence. It will begin to run from today."

St Ignatius College, Riverview, Sydney
A Sydney newspaper reported in March 2015 that a retired Jesuit Brother, now in his late seventies, has been accused of committing sexual abuse at St Ignatius College Riverview, Sydney, when he worked there in the 1970s and early 1980s. A former Riverview student lodged this complaint with the Catholic Church authorities in 2004 but (according to the church) he did not want to report this Brother to the police, the newspaper said. Therefore, the retired Brother has not been charged by police in court in New South Wales.

Riverview has a long list of well-known ex-students who have gone on to carve out distinguished careers in politics, law and professional sport. Former students include former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, federal minister for agriculture Barnaby Joyce and former NSW Premier Nick Greiner. Others include Chief Justice Tom Bathurst of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and Australian Test fast bowler Jackson Bird.

Likewise, St Ignatius College Adelaide has some famous ex-students, including former federal Coalition leader Brendan Nelson, federal Coalition minister Christopher Pyne and leading legal figures like Federal Court Judge Anthony Besanko.

SOURCE: http://www.brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/392

PLS WATCH THIS VID: Fiona Barnett tells Her Story [Survivor Trigger Warning - Graphic]

'The church was corrupt to the core': meet the Oscar-nominated heroes of Spotlight

'The church was corrupt to the core': meet the Oscar-nominated heroes of Spotlight

The Boston Globe's painstaking investigation into paedophile priests led to arrests, lawsuits and an Oscar-tipped film. But their fight for justice isn't over yet

In January 2002, a newspaper in Boston broke a story that was to shake the Roman Catholic Church to its very foundations. It concerned the sexual abuse of children by more than 70 priests, and the systematic attempts by Cardinal Bernard Law, the Archbishop of Boston, to cover up their crimes.

For years, the Cardinal had been reassigning known paedophiles — moving them from parish to parish — effectively allowing them to prey on new victims. He had, moreover, been approving out-of-court settlements to their victims, in order to buy their silence.

The Boston Globe’s report was the result of a six-month investigation by the paper’s semi-autonomous Spotlight team — three men and one woman. It began when a new editor took over the paper and asked the team to follow up on a column about Rev John Geoghan, a local priest accused of having sexually abused dozens of young parishioners.

Not since The Washington Post broke the Watergate story in the 1970s had a small, dedicated team of investigative reporters had such an impact. They went on to win a Pulitzer Prize and spark investigations, not only in other American cities, but in 102 dioceses around the world, including Britain. In Ireland, it emerged, subsequent to the Boston findings, that the church had covered up the crimes of 46 paedophile priests.

And now their story has been made into a critically-acclaimed and Oscar-nominated film, Spotlight, directed by Tom McCarthy. - PLS CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING...

EXCLUSIVE: Queens woman, repeatedly raped by priest at 14, stunned to learn he's reinstated by Catholic Church — 'He'd tell me I would have to go to confess to making him impure'

EXCLUSIVE: Queens woman, repeatedly raped by priest at 14, stunned to learn he's reinstated by Catholic Church — 'He'd tell me I would have to go to confess to making him impure'

When Megan Peterson was 14, she was raped and sexually assaulted — sometimes inside the church confessional booth — over the course of a year by her parish priest.


So the abuse survivor was astounded to learn her tormentor, the Rev. Joseph Jeyapaul, was reinstated earlier this month by Catholic Church officials after a suspension of roughly the same duration of her time as a victim.

“It’s very clear what side the Church is on and it’s not about child protection or about morality,” said Peterson, a 26-year-old artist who now lives in Queens. “The bottom line is that the Church is not protecting children.” - Pls.Click HERE to continue reading...

Megan Peterson was deeply religious 14-year-old altar server and a singer in her Minnesota church choir when she says  Rev. Joseph Jeyapaul first raped her in his office. The priest was reinstated by the Catholic Church after a suspension of less than a full year. 

Christianity and Culture

There are ten basic principles which reveal why humanism is now the dominant force in the United States. These ten principles must be grasped by Christians in order for them to understand why humanism has gained the upper hand.

1. A person’s beliefs, values and morals will always be reflected in the way that person lives. His life style will reflect his beliefs.

This law of life is taught in the Scriptures in such places as Pro. 23:7 and Matt. 12:33-37. Those who believe that they are only animals will generally live like one. Those who believe that they are the children of God and are called upon by God to take dominion over the earth will live in accordance with that idea.

2. The Scriptures command us to judge people on the basis of how they live.
When Jesus said in Matt. 7:1, “Judge not lest you be judged,” He was referring to the hypocrisy of the Pharisees who condemned people for doing certain sins that they themselves were actually doing (Matt. 7:5). When Jesus was speaking to His own disciples He told them to “judge righteous judgement” (John 7:24). We are called upon in Scripture to identify and to reject false prophets (Deut. 18:21, 22; Matt. 7:15-23). Paul warns us concerning those who would claim to be Christians but their lifestyle refutes that claim (Gal. 5:19-21). John tells us to identify people who live in disobedience to God’s Word as “liars” if they claim to be Christians (I John 2:4).

3. The culture of a nation reflects the life style of those who are involved in the culture-forming process.

The philosophers, artists, teachers, politicians, lawyers, judges, doctors, wealthy people, the clergy, media people, etc., will lead a nation either into wickedness or righteousness. The cutting edge of a culture always sets the standard for morality and justice. This cutting edge is generally composed of the professional people of that society. Their influence far exceeds their numbers.

4. We have the biblical responsibility to judge a culture on the basis of its laws because these laws are simply codified life styles.

It was on this basis that the Egyptian, Canaanite and Philistine cultures were judged worthy of destruction. Paul could condemn the Cretian culture as decadent (Tit. 1:10-13). We can condemn such modern cultures as Hitler’s Third Reich or the Soviet Union.

The concept of cultural relativism in which all cultures are to be viewed as good is condemned by Scripture. The people who usually teach the idea of cultural relativism are hypocrites because they also teach that Western or American culture is decadent and evil. They never seem to realize the contradiction between the two ideas. If all cultures are good, then how can they condemn American culture? How can they condemn Christian missionaries for spreading their culture in the Third World? Isn’t their culture good?

5. Pre-Christian, Greek, and Roman pagan cultures codified laws supporting abortion, infanticide, child abuse, rape, suicide, incest, murder for entertainment, etc., because these things were a part of their life style.

6. When enough Christians became involved in the culture forming process of the Roman Empire, they became the cutting edge of that culture. Their beliefs, values and morals led them to repeal pagan laws and to legislate biblical laws. Thus the state ended up forbidding the very things which the previous pagan culture had honored.

7. Western history, in term of its culture, was basically Christian because its laws reflected the beliefs, values and morals of the Scriptures.

Even to this day, there are many laws still on the books which reflect biblical morality. Those people who say, “You cannot legislate morality,” are absurd. Every law ever legislated was instituting somebody’s morality.

8. Christians in the United States during the 1920’s fell into a pietistic focus on one’s personal devotion to Christ that led them to abandon the culture-forming process.
It was assumed that it would be unspiritual for Christians to be involved in law, medicine, education, entertainment, government, art, etc. Their only concern was “soul winning.” This led them to abandon any attempt to influence their society for the good. This extreme separationism was in clear violation of Paul’s explicit statements in I Cor. 5:9-13.

9. Because Christians abandoned the culture-forming process, a vacuum was created in the United States and the humanists moved into this vacuum.

Instead of there being Christian lawyers, judges, politicians, teachers, artists, etc., Christians were only involved in evangelism or missions. The idea of “full time Christian service” meant only the clergy or missionary profession.

The vacuum created by the retreat of the Christians was filled by the humanists. Since they were now in control of the government, public education and the media, they have begun to reinstate the laws which reflect their pagan life style. This is why the laws are changing on such issues as abortion, infanticide, mercy killing, etc. Modern humanists are putting into law what they believe.

The historic understanding of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is now being overthrown. Modern humanists do not believe in the historic meaning of the freedom of religion. If the humanists have their way, the freedom of religion will be limited to believing what you want but not the freedom to practice it!

As we document in The New Atheism and the Erosion of Freedom, modern humanists do not believe that Christians have the “freedom” to teach their religion to their children, witness, pass out tracts or show any public signs of religion. The only “freedom” they will allow is freedom from religion.

Modern laws which legalize such things as abortion come from humanists who are legislating their view of morality. They are legalizing their pagan life style while trying to criminalize Christian education, church camps and orphanages, personal evangelism, Christian TV and radio programs, etc. Their understanding of religious freedom is the same as found in the Soviet Union!

10. The only hope for Western culture is for Christians once again to take over the culture-forming process. Then when they are in control, to repeal the pagan laws and to reinstitute Christian laws. If they do not do this, modern pagans will soon be in a position to begin the same kind of persecution against the Church that their forefathers in the Roman Empire had done to the Christians earlier.

Since it took a full generation for Christians to lose control of the culture, it will probably take another generation to win it back. So, do not be fooled by those who look for easy answers and a “quick fix.” It won’t work! If God does not send us another mighty Reformation, Western culture will die.


Summary
Those of you who are students will have to be the generation that takes over our culture by becoming politicians, media people, artists, lawyers and judges. The survival of Western civilization falls on your shoulders. Only you can gain control of our culture and once again institute biblical laws which make up a just and orderly society. 


Questions for Discussion
1.    How is a culture formed?
2.    How did our culture become so pagan?
3.    Who allowed the humanists to take over?
4.    What is the “cutting edge” of a culture?
5.    Where do laws come from?
6.    Can you legislate morality or immorality?

Taken From How To Keep Your Faith While In College, Ch. 7

Source: FaithDefenders.com

PILIPINAS 2016

Masasabing kuwentong barbero lamang ang mga katotohanang nagyayare sa ating bansa ngunit ang masklap ay ang mga kuwentong barberong ito ay siyang dapat nating seryosohen para sa pagbabago ng bansang na lason ng mga dayuhang nagtanim ng mga maling aral at ngayon ay atin ng kultura at PANINIWALA. Ang youtube na palabas pong ito ay ibinahagi lamang ng inyong lingkod upang ating makita ang napakasaklap na KULTURA ng bansang ating pinagmamalaki sa likod ng mala impeyernong simabahang Romano Katoliko na siyang may hawak sa liig ang napakaraming kalahi sa bansang ngayon ay kung tawagin ay PILIPINAS? KRISTIYANONG BANSA?


Orihinal na palabas sa YOUTUBE ni takero miyamuto na pinamagatang,ep. 22 ANONG JUICE MO .. Filipino Christian Hypocrisy Commentary.. Kwentong Barbero ni Takeru

Orihinal na palabas sa YOUTUBE ni takero miyamuto na pinamagatang, Proud to be Pinoy The Philippines is the only Christian Nation in Asia, Kwentong Barbero ni Takeru

"This was a pity because they had so many able people, educated in the Philippines and the United States. Their workers were English-speaking, at least in Manila. There was no reason why the Philippines should not have been one of the more successful of the ASEAN countries." - Lee Kuan Yew

NAGA VIPER - The Truth About it!

"The Naga Viper held the record for the world’s hottest pepper for a very short time and has since been beat by 4 other peppers and is currently the 5th hottest pepper. It is an unstable 3-way hybrid between a Naga Morich, Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Pepper) and a Trinidad Scorpion created in the UK. Its short reign has made this one of the more rare and hard to find seeds."- https://www.crazyhotseeds.com/shop/naga-viper/

"The Naga Viper pepper is one of the hottest chili peppers ever measured. It was briefly the "World's Hottest Chilli" in 2011 according to the Guinness World Records with a rating of 1,382,118 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), a figure that surpassed the reading of the Infinity Chilli.

The Naga Viper was created in England by chilli farmer Gerald Fowler of The Chilli Pepper Company in Cark, Cumbria. It is claimed to be an unstable three-way hybrid produced from the Naga Morich, the Bhut Jolokia and the Trinidad Scorpion (some of the world's hottest peppers). Due to its hybrid nature it is unable to produce offspring exactly like the parent due to segregation of alleles, and therefore traits."  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naga_Viper_pepper )

"It is capsaicin that makes chillies hot. The heat is measured in Scoville heat units, which is the number of times a sample of dissolved dried chilli must be diluted by its own weight in sugar water before it loses its heat. For a green bell pepper this is zero. But habanero peppers have a Scoville value of between 100,000 and 350,000. For pure capsaicin the figure is 16 million.

While the Satanic-red horns of chillies seem to hint at their throat-scorching potential, extracted capsaicin is an odourless and colourless substance. Chilli-maniacs can buy phials of the stuff on the internet, though its use as a food additive is banned in the EU.

It is used in pepper spray, however. The use of chilli peppers as weapons dates back to pre-Columbian times, when, it's said, Mayans burned rows of them to create a stinging smokescreen. And in what may have been a pre-Columbian version of the naughty step, an ancient Aztec codex shows a parent propelling a teary-eyed infant near a pit of burning chillies.

However, the Aztec codices also tell us that they put chilli on their teeth to kill toothache pain, and the use of capsaicin as an analgesic also continues to this day.

It is sometimes said that people in hot countries use more chilli because it makes them sweat, which cools them down. But in 1998, researchers at Cornell University pointed out that the greater use of spices in countries such as India, Thailand and China was likely to be linked to their anti-microbial function. By studying recipe books from all over the world, the researchers found that spices including chilli were more likely to be used close to the equator, and were also used more in humid valleys than on high plateaux.

This correlation with climate, and the attendant risk of infectious disease, was greater than the link with the right growing conditions for the spices. In other words, humans in dangerous climates developed a taste for chilli which, as Joshua Tewksbury puts it, "probably saved them a lot of death".

We now know that chillies are also a good source of antioxidants. Forty-two grams of the spice would account for your recommended daily allowance of vitamin C, although admittedly that would make for a pretty strong curry. They are also rich in vitamin A, as well as minerals such as iron and potassium.

Capsaicin has even been touted as a potential weight-loss tool. Research conducted this year by the University of Wyoming on mice that had been fed a high-fat diet found that the molecule increased metabolic activity in the animals, causing them to burn more energy and preventing weight gain. In another study, published last month in Plos One, researchers at the University of Adelaide found that the receptors in the stomach that interact with capsaicin play a role in sensing when we are full. Previous studies on humans seem to back the idea that eating spicy food seems to curb our appetite.

But what about heart disease and cancer? The recent study in China found a correlation between the consumption of spicy food and lower rates of death from those diseases - and laboratory research from the last 10 years suggests some possible reasons for that too.

In 2012, a team of nutritionists at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, working with hamsters, found that capsaicin helped break down so-called "bad" cholesterol which might have clogged up the animals' arteries, but it left alone the "good" cholesterol which helps remove it. There was a second benefit for cardiac health too - the capsaicin appeared to block the action of a gene that makes arteries contract, restricting blood flow.

Several studies have also indicated that capsaicin has powerful anti-cancer properties. It has been found to be helpful in fighting human prostate and lung cancer cells in mice, and there are also indications that it could be used as a treatment for colon cancer. It may also improve drug resistance for bile-duct cancer sufferers.

But before people make any radical changes to their diet, they are advised to wait for a clinical trial to be conducted using humans, not rodents.

"There are a lot of reports that say that capsaicin may be good for human health, especially with cancer," says Zigang Dong at the Hormel Institute of the University of Minnesota. "However, there are other reports that show totally the opposite result."

Dong is the co-author of a 2011 review, published in the journal Cancer Research, titled The Two Faces of Capsaicin, in which claims about the spice's benefits for health are laid alongside a long list of counter-claims, pointing to negative effects.

The report details six studies on rats and mice in which the animals developed signs of cancer in the stomach or liver after their diet was changed to include more capsaicin. Meanwhile, studies examining the effects of capsaicin on the human stomach have delivered wildly divergent results. While one showed visible gastric bleeding after consumption of red pepper, another showed no abnormalities, even when ground jalapeno peppers were placed directly in the stomach." - http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34411492

Compound responsible for chilis' heat may help kill prostate cancer cells

"Capsaicin, the compound responsible for chilis' heat, is used in creams sold to relieve pain, and recent research shows that in high doses, it kills prostate cancer cells. Now researchers are finding clues that help explain how the substance works. Their conclusions suggest that one day it could come in a new, therapeutic form. Their study appears in ACS' The Journal of Physical Chemistry B.

About 10 years ago, researchers reported that capsaicin can kill prostate cancer cells in mice while leaving healthy cells unharmed. But translating that dose to humans would require them to eat a huge number of chili peppers per day. Figuring out how capsaicin works could help researchers transform it into an effective drug in the form of an injection or pill.

Researchers have figured out that the molecule binds to a cell's surface and affects the membrane, which surrounds and protects the cell. That finding prompted Ashok Kumar Mishra and Jitendriya Swain to try to gain a deeper understanding of capsaicin's effects so it might be harnessed in the future for new medicines.

The scientists were able to detect how the compound interacts with cell membranes by monitoring its natural fluorescence. The study showed that capsaicin lodges in the membranes near the surface. Add enough of it, and the capsaicin essentially causes the membranes to come apart. With additional research, this insight could help lead to novel tools against cancer or other conditions." - http://www.news-medical.net/news/20150910/Compound-responsible-for-chilis-heat-may-help-kill-prostate-cancer-cells.aspx

"Chilies have antioxidants that can destroy cholesterol which could cause major disease like atherosclerosis and other heart diseases. Other disease like eye cataracts and arthritis, like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It also dilates airway of lungs which reduces asthma and wheezing. 

Live long, strong and healthy, eat SILI everyday! Chili is good for you...that is the truth about it! " - http://www.onlinena.ga/2015/01/sili-truth-about-it.html

Sex and Religion in Manila

It is surprising why many so-called "Pinoys" or Filipinos doesn't want to accept the fact that the country is full of corrupt religious leaders in the government. Perhaps it is because it is embedded in our culture.? 'May kasabihan, kung ano ang puno siya rin ang bunga.' We are numb because it has become part of us our culture and we are used to it. 'Nakasanayan na nating mga noypi?' For more than four hundred years Roman Catholicism who was brought by the Spaniards is still dominating our country's government. You can call me anti-Roman Catholic but history tells us that Romanism is a corrupt religion that should be rejected. With hundred of cases of pedophilia, human rights violations against nations and cultures, including falsification of documents together with conspiracy in acquiring land and riches of other kingdom and nations, the Philippines is just one of many of them who suffered injustice and deception from the hands of this pseudo-religion who has a great influence in the world's ruling class and mass media. - MORE -http://www.webmalaya.info/2015/01/pater-corruptelarum.html

Watch Left Behind or Led Astray? For FREE For 5 Days!

Take a fascinating journey with us as we examine the shocking origins of the secret, pre-tribulation rapture doctrine. You will be amazed as we look into admissions by pre-tribulation leaders who admit that the theory is without clear biblical and historical merit. Join us as we discover the origins of this relatively new doctrine, explore its possible origins among mystics, Jesuits and theologians, and how this doctrine was ultimately disseminated...

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What Does the Bible Say About Piercing the Body?

Song of Solomon 2:15 says, "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes." Foxes sometime in search of food would enter into the grape orchards and devour the grapes and spoil the crop. However, the little foxes were too small to reach the grape bunches so they would chew on the vines and it would kill the whole vine. Instead of the farmer just losing his crop, he would lose his vine which was more disastrous. Spiritually some things we do or allow that we might think are little or insignificant can also be disastrous for us.

Many of the young people in our society here in the USA are embracing a dangerous "little fox" or seemingly "little thing" that may seem harmless. The young people are saying that it is a "trendy" thing to do. Many of them are showing off multiple ear, nose, tongue, eyebrow and navel jewels and rings attached to their pierced flesh. Some even have this done on unspeakable parts of their bodies. These are abnormal and unnatural.

As many people are not aware of the spiritual dangers in such practices, this article is not meant to condemn any that may already have this done. However, we would urge you to seek the Lord as to any further involvement in this practice. The Lord loves everyone, no matter what we are currently doing however, His desire is to show us a better way.

The Bible warns us against cuttings in our flesh in Leviticus 19:28 which says, "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord."

Our young people do not realize what they are doing has its roots in witchcraft and the practices of false religions. Those that have made trips to other parts of the world have viewed the bodies of those who have not only pierced and tattooed their bodies but have gone further, with mutilating their bodies. It is repulsive to see someone deform the body that the Lord made in perfection. The Lord admonishes us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20,

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

If we are to glorify God in our bodies, how do body piercings glorify Christ?

In 1 Kings 18 we find the story of Elijah contesting the evil prophets of Baal (a false god of that day whose followers practiced witchcraft). The prophets of Baal worked themselves into a frenzy trying to get their god, Baal to show himself mightier than the true and living God. However, the God of Elijah proved to be the true God. During the frenzy of the Baal worshipers they began to disfigure their bodies as we see from this scripture in 1 Kings 18:28, "And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them."

Another scripture that warns us not to disfigure our bodies is Deuteronomy 14:1(Amp.): "You are the sons of the LORD your God: you shall not cut yourselves, or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead."
When it speaks here about doing this in relation to the dead; this was a witchcraft rite done to mourn or remember their dead, so cutting, piercing and tattooing have its origin in witchcraft practices. The verse below reveals a connection between foreign gods and earrings.

Genesis 35:2: "Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: 3 And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. 4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem."

Perhaps a more well known scripture having to do with earrings is the record of the children of Israel falling into rebellion and worshipping the golden calf while Moses was up in the mount with God receiving the Ten Commandments. Here we find they took their earrings and cast them into the fire and make a golden idol out of them which greatly displeased the Lord.

Exodus 32:2-3: "And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron."

There is one specific verse in the Old Testament which uses the Hebrew word, "lachash," which is a word specifically associated with witchcraft. Here, the jewelry is used as an amulet to cast a spell.

Isaiah 3:18-23: "In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, 19 The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, 20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings, 21 The rings, and nose jewels, 22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, 23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the veils."

This is what makes it spiritually dangerous for people. People not realizing this opens the door for Satanic attack because they
have a mark or opening which allows the enemy entrance in their lives. Today this practice is growing because of false religions and pagan influences infiltrating the church.

Many of our young people are getting body piercings and tattoos out of a spirit of rebellion against their parents advice. Many men are also wearing earrings to make a statement of their rebellion by showing that they are "macho" or homosexual. Because the youth of our day are despising and rebelling against their parents this is very displeasing to the Lord as one of the Ten Commandments in the Bible is to honor our parents (Exodus 20:12, "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee" and Colossians 3:20: "Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.")

Some complain and say that most of the women today in our society wear pierced earrings and they attempt to use this as an excuse for the bizarre body piercings they are flaunting. The Lord always judges what we do by our motives as He looks on the heart. It is a different matter when women wear pierced earrings as a custom, without the rebellion and pride attached to it. However, this could even be wrong if women are filled with vanity and pride over their appearance. Remember God looks at our heart attitudes. In fact, the Bible speaks of a generation of women that will be alive at the coming of the Lord that will be judged severely for their flirting and their haughtiness. Let us look again at the prophecy in Isaiah 3:16-24 (NIV):

16 The LORD says, "The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with out stretched necks, flirting with their eyes, tripping along with mincing steps, with ornaments jingling on their ankles.
17 Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion; the Lord will make their scalps bald."
18 In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces,
19 The earrings, the bracelets and veils,
20 The head dresses and ankle chains and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms,
21 The signet rings and nose rings,
22 The fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses
23 And mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls.
24 Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well dressed hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth: instead of beauty, branding.
25 Your men will fall by the sword, your warriors in battle.

We are living in a day that the Bible speaks of in 2 Timothy 3:1-7:

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

If you have been one that has been led away by lust or have been rebellious against your parents, you can come to the Lord and repent and He will give you a new start and a desire to live a holy and obedient life unto God. We should remove anything that portrays rebellion and ask the Lord to forgive us and give us a submissive spirit. Jesus does not condemn us, but rather, will help us. He loves us and invites us to a wonderful life in Him.

One note of warning  to the church on this subject of body piercings. We have a generation now of young people that love the Lord yet do not understand all of His ways. Soon we are also going to be seeing a great revival among the youth of the world.  The youth of this day want a real cause to live and die for.  Most have not seen true Christianity.  However, when they do come to Christ many will be bringing their tattoos, dress, music and old habits with them right into the church.   We must be sure that we do not despise them nor look down on them, but rather welcome and love them and gently teach them the ways of the Lord. We are called to love and pray for them and help them avoid making some of the mistakes we have made in our own walk with the Lord.  We need to be true mothers and fathers to them. Yes, we must speak the truth in love, but let us make sure we are loving them and not condemning them.   On the other hand, we must not accept all that they would desire to bring with them that would harm them and compromise the Word of God.  We will all need God's grace to bridge the generation gap. We would recommend a great article written by a young Christian on this very subject. 

Bottom line in regard to body piercings would be to ask the popular youth slogan, "What Would Jesus Do?" I don't believe we will ever see Jesus with any body piercings that He placed on Himself. I can't imagine Jesus with a tongue ring or a navel piercing. The only scars on His body are the nail pierced hands and feet put there by the evil men that crucified Him. They were not self inflicted. Overcomers will put away the "little foxes" that lead to bigger compromises.

EDITOR'S NOTE: We are including a testimony of a former Hindu who knows only too well that body piercings and tattoos are a form of witchcraft:

I am from Malaysia and I truly enjoy the Overcoming Life Digest. Although I enjoy reading all the articles, I find the Little Foxes enlightening and informative. Last Friday, when I entered the GCN chatroom, they were discussing about tattoo and piercing (tongue). One of the believers there was telling them it was wrong for Christians to have tattoos. Since I was formerly a Hindu, I know tattoo is from Hinduism and also witchcraft. Also, Hindus pierce their tongue with small spears and prick the entire body with little hooks and go in trances. I have witnessed this personally. But praise God, I never took after any of these rituals even when I was a Hindu. Praise God, I managed to convince a few about the evil of tattoo. One of them asked me for scripture verses which I promised I would send. But during the weekend, I was busy and also, I couldn't find the relevant scriptures. I prayed to the Lord to help me. Then He reminded me of an article I read in your Digest last year. So I send them your article instead. Praise God for the articles in Little Foxes. Keep up the good work. Karen

 This article was taken from the Overcoming Life Digest (November/December 1998 Issue)

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BAD INK?

Lev 19.28, 19; Gal 3.23-24; Matt 5.17

We’ve been working through a series of messages on how the voices in popular culture are calling people to “follow me.” Sometimes, into life and health, but other times into a dead end kind of life.  Some of the topics we’ve talked about have been clear cut, even obvious. Today’s topic is anything but.

The trend today is tattooing. It is a very old practice. Usually used as a way to be identified or to show devotion to a group or god. The Ancient Chinese, Canaanites and Romans used tattoos these ways. They marked slaves, criminals and outcasts. Tattoos have been used as a rite of passage, sign of devotion or bravery.

Increasingly, tattoos are being used in other ways. As wearable art, as a way to hide scars. As a sign of devotion to Christ or a way to mark important life experiences.

And as you may know, the Church has generally held the opinion that tattooing is wrong. And I am well aware that sitting in this room right now are people who share that position as well as the opposite. For some tattoos are bad, for others, not so much. Some do not and will never undergo the process of getting one. Others have and will.

One thing is certain, the practice is growing. In North America, 1 in 5 adults have a tattoo and the rate is going up. So this is something worth talking about.

The only Bible passage that has anything to say directly about the practice is Leviticus 19.28. Where it says, 28 “‘Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.”

And while that may seem clear enough there are a few issues to be aware of.

First: context.

You need to know that Leviticus 19 is part of a book of laws. The overall point of the book is how God makes a way for sinful people to approach a holy God. So chapter 19 begins with a very common phrase:

Lev 19          The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

Be holy, that is, set apart, different than the people who live around you who do not know the Lord. And chapter 19 lists many, many ways the people were to do this and be reminded of God’s holiness all at the same time. Here are a few more examples from chapter 19.

26 “ ‘Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it.

“ ‘Do not practice divination or sorcery.

27 “ ‘Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.

29 “ ‘Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness.

30 “ ‘Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the Lord.

We read more of them earlier and they sound familiar, right?

19 “ ‘Keep my decrees.

“ ‘Do not mate different kinds of animals.

“ ‘Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.

“ ‘Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.

But let’s be honest, some of them are a little odd. Don’t eat meat with blood in it? Is that even possible? Don’t cut the hair on the side of your head? Or the edges of your beard? It also appears that mules are out, so King David broke at least one of these laws. And according to this list, at least some people here broke the one about two kinds of seed in one field. And just about everyone here is in violation of the last one. Who isn’t wearing a cotton poly blend?

The point is that God provides these laws back then so that his people back then could understand what God had done in setting them free from Egypt and ungodly practices. Witchcraft, fortune telling and scarring or marking their bodies as a religious ritual, superstition, or for showing their love for false gods.

The point? Context matters. Every Bible text has a reason why it was first written and what it means since Jesus rose from the dead.

Second: All or Nothing?

The second thing to notice is that when Jesus talks about the Law, he makes it clear that humanity is in an all or nothing situation. All the Law, including Leviticus 19 remains in effect. At least at some level. Until his return. You know the passage: Matthew 5.17-19

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

And some would like, on that basis to prohibit tattooing then, now and always. The problem is, however that we will have to give up much more than tattoos if we go this route.

Look at the verses in Leviticus 19 again: No more mixed fiber fabrics. Clothing, sheets, towels, whatever. No more haircuts. Every male must allow their beard to grow untrimmed. Ever woman must not pluck their eyebrows or any other facial hair that might appear. No more shaving your head, armpits or legs. No more pork, sausage or mixed breed animals. And you had better be. Here. Every. Sunday.

The truth is that God’s Law stands forever, but the application of it changes. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection “accomplishes” much. In him things have changed for those who believe. The Animal sacrifice system as Israel knew it is over. Good Friday took care of that.

At the same time, other commandments of scripture remain in effect. The Great Commandment is just one example.

Matt 22.37-40 37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Take note that both are Old Testament texts. Love God is from Dt 6.5 and Love of neighbor is from Lev 19.18. So the question is how do we work this out, line by line?

Galatians 3.23-25 helps us here.

23 Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

The laws of Leviticus were a tool to teach infant Israel who God is and how to live apart from the surrounding culture in a way that honors God. Believers in Christ are not required to follow the letter of those laws. This is why we don’t read about tattoos or fabric in the New Testament.

But we are required to follow the spirit in them. Which is why we do read about love one another, do not steal, murder or be sexually careless.

So, back to the main point: To tattoo or not tattoo

There are two big reasons why Christians have rejected tattooing in the past. The first we just talked about. Leviticus 19 no longer applies to believers.

The second, has more to do with the culture of the times and a certain way of understanding humanity made in God’s image.

In 330 AD the emperor Constantine outlawed tattoos. He said, “Because the human face reflected the image of divine beauty, it should not be defiled." The 2nd of Nicaea supported that in 787 as part of the argument over whether we should use pictures of Jesus or Mary in the church.

He wanted to make a break from unchristian Roman values to faith in Christ. Gladiators and criminals, even slaves were routinely tattooed on their faces and Constantine thought the process degraded them, which it did. It also marked them permanently. So that even after they came to faith people would still think they were bound by their old life, rather than life in Christ.

And in the same way, 1 Corinthians 6.19-20 is often brought into the argument. “You were bought with a price, honour God with your body.” With the following lament, that tattoo will get saggy or fuzzy. Which may be true, but is more about that person’s discomfort than Gospel truth.

In response, believers have said that while we bear the image of God that does not mean God looks like us. Further, if disfiguring the body with tattoos is wrong, then so too is cutting hair, using makeup, piercings and so on. Piercings, by the way, are not forbidden in the Bible.

Tattooed believers will also quote Matt 23.26 and similar passages to argue that God cares about the inner person most of all. And if the “inside” is clean, then the “outside” will be too. This is a pretty good argument because as you might remember, in the Old Testament, a man who was made into a eunuch could not worship with God’s people based on a bodily “modification.” But the Ethiopian eunuch was baptised into the church.

So both “sides” can make reasonable arguments concerning the practice. And it’s in this way that we find ourselves “disputable ground.” An area where respect for difference is needed. These are the “non-salvation” issues that people stubbornly divide over.

Romans 14 talks about this at length. The people in his time were divided over what was okay to eat. Paul sums it up with these words:

13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way. 14 As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. 15 If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. 16 Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

Based on our study this morning, tattooing is not a salvation issue. But at the same time, it does say something about a person’s identity and values.

Think Before You Ink

Let’s try to wrap this up. There is no doubt that we can over identify with our culture and confuse the message of Christ by how we act. And it seems likely that at some point, a person can go too far and disrespect their body as given by God to be protected and honored.

So here is a list of questions that might help the discernment process.

1.    What is the motive?

Why do I want it? To fit in, vanity, trend following? Is the tattoo a way to identify with a gang or an act of rebellion? Shock value? If so, you should probably pass.

Or, is your desire to honour God through body art? Is your desire to mark divine encounters and either painful or joyful experiences? Are you ready to tell the story of your tattoo as a part of your walk with the Lord? I have known people who have shared their joy and regret through the tattoos they wear.

2.    What does the tattoo say about your identity – self-understanding?

I understand people are tattooed while undergoing radiation treatment. They put a target down to target the cancer precisely. Alzheimer patients are sometimes tattooed with their names in the event they get lost? Facial scarring can be covered by using skin colored tattoos. And increasingly, women who have undergone mastectomies are tattooing the scar tissue to redeem the experience.

If you get a tattoo will modesty be a factor? Will it be visible and attract improper attention to your body? This speaks also to size, number, location and content.

3.    What about the future?

This is practical but important. How will a tattoo impact job opportunities, future spouse. How might it impact present and future relationships?

4.    Is my decision based on faith and will the result be glorifying to God?

Romans 14 says that our lives together are to be a matter of righteousness, peace and joy in the Spirit.

And this cuts both ways.

13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.

So if you can answer “yes” to this question and I cannot, then maybe I have to trust the Lord on the matter and not my feelings or opinions. But maybe you have to be gracious and in humility help me to understand your decision to get a tattoo.

In either event, we are in this together. We live in a world demanding our attention, hoping to shape our values. Together, we have been called to follow the Spirit so that our choices lead to the life worthy of the hope we profess.

Source:http://sonriseponoka.com/news/2015/11/1/bad-ink (AUDIO CAN BE HEARD FRON THIS LINK.)