In looking at the world’s condition, many wonder if it can get worse. The brutal attack by Islamic terrorists on Israel revealed much. It was a reminder that the enemies of Israel are hateful, cruel, and barbaric. It was also an eye-opener on the hate leveled at Jews and Israel by the rest of the world.

Not since Hitler’s acts in World War II has there been such open hatred toward a people. The very people who fly the banners “hate does not live here” are filled with hate. The type of hate being witnessed around the world is not just spoken but is wrapped in the shroud of unspeakable immoral acts and begs the question of how long the Lord will wait to return and set things right. Let’s look at Sodom for an indicator.

Genesis 18 is the account of the Lord revealing his plans to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because “their sin is very grievous (verse 20).” Abraham then asked the Lord to spare the cities if there were 50, then 45, then 40, and on down to 10 righteous people found. The Lord graciously conceded that if there were 10 righteous people, He would spare the two cities. Of course, the two angels that went down to check only found Lot, his wife, and his daughters.

The wicked people of the city tried to molest the two angels, so they struck them blind and told Abraham’s nephew Lot, who lived in Sodom, to take his family and flee to the hills because God was going to destroy the cities. Lot, his wife, and two of his daughters kept delaying their departure, and finally, the angels took them out of the city. Lot’s wife looked back and was turned to salt.

This is a story of a most sinful and dark place, where even the righteous had the most difficult time separating themselves from the depravity. Sodom is mentioned over 50 times in the Bible. Christ pointed to Sodom as an example of how it will be upon his return.

In Luke 17:28-30, Christ said, “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”

Sodom and Gomorrah are the gold standard when talking about the depravity of mankind. They are the example of the judgment of God.

Jude 1:7 says, “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”

The sins were comprehensive.

The Lord says in Ezekiel 16:49, “Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread [gluttony], and abundance of idleness [laziness] was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.”

It would seem that these days in which we live are very similar to the time of Sodom.

Two thoughts: When it gets as bad as Sodom (and it will), the Lord will not tarry. Also, be vigilant to be going about Christ’s business in this world but not being of it. For being of the world is difficult to come out, as exemplified by Lot’s wife.

Posted in The Daily Jot

The Roman Catholic Church has a systemic problem with its priests—sexual abuse of minors. Adding to the thousands having been sexually abused by priests in the United States, Chile, Australia, Ireland and France, is Spain.

Spain’s human rights Ombudsman presented a report to the Spanish parliament on October 27^th indicating that more than one in 200 Spaniards may have been sexually abused by Catholic Church priests since the 1940s. Given Spain’s population of roughly 47 million (a little larger than California), that amounts to about 235,000 victims where some 61% of Spaniards identify as Roman Catholic.

The Catholic Spanish Episcopal Conference said the reports “do not correspond to the truth.” But the Spanish parliament heard a different story. The parliament commissioned the Spanish Ombudsman to conduct an investigation beginning in July 2022 into allegations of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church and the role of public authorities. Over 8,000 people were surveyed, victims were interviewed, and public reports were investigated, according to the Ombudsman’s report.

The report states that while some Catholic Church representatives were cooperative, the bulk of the Church was defensive and “refused to collaborate with the investigation.” The report documents that records of sexual abuse were not kept by the church “even when offenders were named by several victims.”

The report stated: “There is a great deal of evidence that sexual abuse within the Catholic Church is a serious social and public healthcare issue that has caused a great deal of harm. The seriousness of the phenomenon at a social level stems not only from how intensely the victims have suffered but also from the number of people who have been affected and how their trust, and the trust of a large number of people, has been betrayed by an institution that has clearly exercised power and moral authority…

The issue of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church has affected boys, girls, and adolescents in particular and must be viewed in the context of the issue of child sex abuse and, more specifically, victimization in institutional contexts.” The report said that some 64.6% of the victims were male.

The report said: “At least from an official standpoint, the Catholic Church’s response has long been characterized by denial and attempts to downplay the issue.”

Accordingly, Spain’s Catholic Church reacted to the report first by trying to discredit the report by calling the numbers untruthful—a polite way of saying they were a lie. Second, by issuing a feckless statement rather than a direct apology. Cardinal Juan Jose Omella told reporters, “I reiterate the petition for pardon to the victims for this pain.” In the US, the Baltimore Diocese is declaring bankruptcy to avoid future sex abuse claims.

In Mark 9:42, Christ said, “And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.”

How much tithe money perpetuates this evil and stains the hands of givers?

Sources:

• https://www.defensordelpueblo.es/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/RESUMEN_INFORME_abusos_Iglesia_catolica.pdf
• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/spains-bishops-apologize-for-sex-abuses-but-dispute-the-estimated-number-of-victims-in-report/ar-AA1j9iqJ
• https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/one-200-spaniards-may-have-been-abused-by-catholic-priests-rights-ombudsman-2023-10-27/

“The priest is the man of God, the minister of God… He that despiseth the priest despiseth God; he that hears him hears God. The priest remits sins as God, and that which he calls his body at the altar is adored as God by himself and by the congregation…. It is clear that their function is such that none greater can be conceived. Wherefore they are justly called not only angels, but also God, holding as they do among us the power and authority of the immortal God.” –The Council of Trent (1546)

Posted in The Daily Jot