The following articles are compiled by:

Leo Wong

Leo@WatchmenWatching.com

 

 

 

Mormon Baptism for the Dead

Source: mormonconspiracy.com

 

May 2, 2007 -- Baptism for the Dead is a ritual invented by Joseph Smith for the purpose of entering dead people into heaven who did not have the opportunity, or who did not take the opportunity to join the Mormon Church.

 

According to Tanner, “Even though the Book of Mormon is supposed to contain the fullness of the gospel, it never mentions the doctrine of baptism for the dead, not even once. The word ‘baptism’ appears 25 times in the Book of Mormon. The word ‘baptize’ appears 28 times. The word ‘baptized’ appears 85 times, and the word ‘baptizing appears 6 times, but the doctrine of baptism for the dead isn’t even mentioned once.” If the Mormon Church claims that the Book of Mormon contains the fullness of the gospel, then why are Mormons doing baptisms for the dead when it is not mentioned in the Book of Mormon?

 

Baptism for the Dead is further discussed in the scholarly book The Mormon Conspiracy

 

As described by Scott, the baptisms were performed in the Mormon temples in a special baptismal font room, “...which held an immense bowl-like metallic font which was supported on the backs of statues of twelve life-sized brass oxen, symbolic of the twelve tribes of Israel. A platform extended along one side of the great bowl....”

 

“I sat on the platform, looking furtively for the angels I had heard often appeared in temples. When my name was called, I went down into the water. The baptizing elder turned me around so that he could see a large screen, something like an electronic football scoreboard, which he looked at over my shoulder. On top of the screen was my name, and below it a name I don’t remember, but which I’ll say was Elizabeth Anderson.

 

“ ‘Sister Celester Latayne Colvett,’ he said, looking at the screen, ‘having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you, for and in behalf of Elizabeth Anderson, who is dead, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.’ Then he quickly dropped his right arm from the square and lowered me beneath the water. As I was regaining my footing he had already begun the same prayer, inserting this time the name of another dead woman which had flashed onto the screen behind me. Fifteen consecutive baptisms were performed with me as proxy in a matter of about three minutes. As I left the font, another proxy was preparing to be baptized.”

 

This ceremony is completed in the confirmation room, and goes on daily in the temples for thousands of dead. Millions, probably billions of the dead have been baptized including “deceased presidents of the United States and other prominent persons of the past including Catholic popes and saints......Wilford Woodruff, a president of the Mormon Church during the turn of the century, said that on April 10, 1898, all of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, along with George Washington, appeared to him in the St. George Temple two nights in a row, begging that vicarious ordinance be done for them. Woodruff obliged, and also did the proxy work for Christopher Columbus, John Wesley, and other prominent men of the past, one hundred in all.”

 

Unbelievable? Can one believe that the Mormon Church is credible when a president (prophet) of the church claimed that he actually talked to George Washington and all of the signers of the Declaration of Independence almost one hundred years after they were dead? Baptism of the dead is one of the most ludicrous and disconcerting practices of the Mormon Church. It has been said that the Mormon Church spends millions of dollars on researching genealogies in order to do proxy work. Scott writes for example “...the LDS church spent over 125 million dollars [in 1975] on genealogical and proxy work, employing over eighty camera crews just to keep up with microfilming the bales of documents which pour in daily.”

 

Comments:  There you have it!  Baptism for the Dead is a made up ritual that does nothing for the soul (living or departed), absolutely nothing whatsoever. The ultimate destination is still the Lake of Fire for those who didn’t believe.  For those who have been watching PBS’s latest offering “The Mormons”, you may have been perplexed about this strange and eerie ritual and seeing videos of the grand libraries of microfiche cards stored in a large edifice in Salt Lake City Utah.  Billions of names of people have been complied and categorized and are now available online.

 

Can a deceased person still get into Heaven even though he/she died without accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as his/her personal Savior.  Not if you and I are reading from the same Holy Bible.  Baptism for the Dead is a vile doctrine of demons meant to offer hope for the surviving relatives who themselves have been snookered into believing that water alone can save a soul from Hell.  It’s akin to the Romish practice of infant baptism.  Both give the person a false sense of security.  If water immersion and sprinkling are all that are needed for the forgiveness of sins, then Jesus died for nothing.  He not only willingly offered His life as a sacrifice for sin, His sin atoning blood was shed to cleanse away sins.  Millions of Mormons and non‑Mormons have bought into the Devil’s grand delusion.  They just can’t seem to comprehend the absurdity of it all.  Just think of it! The deceased popes and canonized catholic saints have all been baptized by proxy.  If they couldn’t be saved in their lifetime, after death, there was no hope.  Hebrews 9:[27] And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.

 

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Will Turkey become an Islamist state?

Source: Jerusalem Post

 

May 2, 2007 -- Turkey, the world's prime example of a mainly Muslim country as a secular democratic state, may be losing that status. For the first time, a member of an Islamic party stands poised to win the presidency. And the upcoming parliamentary elections are likely to result in yet another victory for the Islamic-oriented government.

 

The ruling Justice and Development Party, led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has selected the party's No. 2 leader, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, as its candidate for the presidency. Secularists fear this may be the beginning of the end for the secular nature of the republic, as established by president Mustafa Kemal Ataturk more than 80 years ago.

 

While Turkey has twice had a prime minister from an Islamic party, the president is looked on as a bulwark of the secular system. The president plays an important role in Turkey. He appoints the prime minister, the military's chief of staff, university rectors, and members of the country's highest court.

 

The other institution safeguarding the status quo is the Turkish army, which has brought down governments on several occasions.

 

Whatever happens in the near-term, the Turkey that the world has known for 83 years -and considered a success - is passing through the most perilous times it has known for many generations.

 

Comments:  Turkey is a paradox alright.  Predominately Muslim, it has had numerous secular governments, is a member of NATO, is friendly toward the U.S and Israel, and is a so called “democratic” nation.  The Islamic world considers the Turks traitors to their cause.  Islam, as practised by Iran, hates America and Israel with a passion.  Turkey’s return to its Islamic roots would be a giant feather in the cap of Iran.  That return is even more probable because of the EU’s numerous hurdles being placed before Turkey’s EU membership application.  Turkey’s growing patience might mean Turkey’s turning its back on the Europeans including its withdrawal from NATO.  Iran, as a father looking for his son’s homecoming, would exclaim “It’s time to be Home Again”.

 

Turkey has had a profound effect on history.  It used to be called Asia Minor and it was where many of the churches of the Book of Revelation were located.  The Apostle Paul travelled extensively throughout Asia Minor.  The Roman Emperor Constantine declared Christianity to be the official religion of his empire and he established the City of Constantinople (now called Istanbul) to be the capital of the Eastern portion of his vast empire.  Finally, Turkey was the center of the Ottoman Empire.  A return to the Islamic fold is predicted in Ezekiel 38:6 where it speaks of Togarmah (generally acknowledged at modern day Turkey) being allied with Gog (leader of Russia) and Persia (modern day Iran and a chunk of Iraq) in the last days as prelude to the invasion of Israel.

 

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Guilt-ridden turn to Internet to confess

Source: USA Today

 

May 3, 2007 -- Food was becoming an obsession bordering on worship, and the addict wanted to confess.  But not to a priest or a minister. The distraught person went to the computer.

 

"I have lost friends, jobs and opportunities because I put my addiction first. ... I have destroyed the perfectly good health that God gave me," the anonymous person wrote at dailyconfession.com. "I can't see how I can be forgiven. I knew better and I did not do better. I cannot stand myself."

 

But anonymous online confessions are becoming an important outlet for many young people.

 

Sarah, a 19-year-old from Ontario, Canada, said in a telephone interview that Internet confessional sites such as dailyconfession.com can become almost "a mini-support group," providing in her case a forum for sharing her conflicted feelings about a drug-addicted parent.

 

"The idea of confessing isn't necessarily about right and wrong. It's about unloading a burden," she said. "It's almost cathartic."

 

Comments:  Mark 2:[7] Who can forgive sins but God only?  You sometimes wag your head in wonderment how people just don’t get it!  It’s good that some realize that a priest cannot possibly forgive sins, but a computer?  A soulless machine containing metal, plastic and silicone chips?  Hasn’t anyone ever told them that Jesus is the only forgiver for sins?  Sad to say, but a lot of young folks have never heard the plain Truth (no, not that magazine that Garner Ted Armstrong used to publish for his cultic church).  They will be those who will be Left Behind after the Rapture event and perhaps do a Google search for “rapture disappearance of millions” and get saved that way.

 

A guilt laden conscience conveys a less than happy camper.  Young people have committed suicide at an epidemic rate.  The feel the despair, the hopelessness, and the futility of life itself.  Whom do they turn to?  They are wary of older people and religious ones especially.  Going online, they post their blogs crying out to the millions of surfers out there to read their plight and hopefully respond with solutions.  Online Christian ministries are cropping up like groundhogs in a farmer’s field, but how do you connect them to those who are pleading for a listening ear and a sympathetic shoulder to lean on.  More importantly, how can believers intercept the messages of the lost and perishing?  With God, all things are possible and you will be amazed at how God uses the World Wide Web to reach people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

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Debtors turn to Biblically-based advice to make ends meet  

Source: telegraph.co.uk

 

May 2, 2007 -- Debt-ridden Americans are turning to churches for Biblically-based advice on anything from credit card repayments to buying a second-hand car.

 

With the US population having run up non-mortgage debt of more than $2.4 trillion, churches and Christian radio stations are competing with more traditional financial advisers for the attention of indebted citizens.

 

The churches often use programmes developed by other Christian organisations and distributed within religious communities or via the internet.

 

Comments:  1 Timothy 6:[6] But godliness with contentment is great gain.

[8] And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.  The key to contentment is knowing that your sins have all been forgiven by Jesus, that God will never forsake you, that God will always provide for your food and shelter, and of living a simple life for Jesus free of debt and devoid of covetedness.   The latter has stumbled many a believer and unsaved alike.  We all envy what our relatives, co-workers and neighbors seem to have.  The fancy cars, the three vacations a year, the glitzy clothes they showcase for the public, etc., may be things that have maxed out their credit cards and bank loans.  They could be deeply in debt, but give an appearance of opulence.  A person’s net worth could be pittance, but they must portray a façade of wealth.  Human pride will send one to the poor house faster than ladies running from a beauty salon at the sight of a mouse.

 

Christians can surely counsel people on financial based on solid Biblical principles.  Who wants to be neck up in debt?  Getting into debt is easy, but getting rid of all that red ink takes willpower and determination to change one’s lifestyle.  It’s akin to having Liposuction done on one’s hips and thighs to rid of that blob of fat.  Once out of debt, it’s the right time to serve Jesus on a Spartan disposable income.  Yes, the Gospel of Jesus Christ must form part and parcel of every Christian counselling.  The temporal money matters will suddenly vanish once a person dies (you can’t will a debt to anyone), but what about the immortal soul?  Get right now financially and spiritually.

 

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Oprah praises Barack Obama, rules out bid of her own

Source: CNN.com

 

May 2, 2007 -- Popular talk-show host Oprah Winfrey reiterated her support of Sen. Barack Obama's, D-Illinois, presidential bid Tuesday, and told CNN's Larry King she will never seek political office herself.

 

Winfrey, who has never endorsed a presidential candidate in the past, said she chose to support Obama this time because she knows "what he stands for."

 

When asked if she would ever run for an office herself, the popular talk-show host said she is able to make more of an impact in her current job than she could in any political post.

 

"You know that is not going to ever happen," she said of a potential political bid. "I feel that the platform that I hold, the chair in which I get to sit in every day and speak to the world, is of far more value to me than any political office could be."

 

"Value in that I get to speak to people's hearts and get to connect with people all over the world," she added.

 

Comments:  Oprah is the wealthiest woman in the world besting J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter fame) and Queen Elizabeth by a furlong.  Countless millions hang onto her every word and when she speaks about a certain topic, they take it as gospel truth.  She is a veritable goddess in the eyes of many.  It’s “Oprah said, Oprah said that.”  People seek her counselling advice.  Millions have bought her books, CDs and DVDs.  She set up Dr. Phil McGraw and he makes millions for himself and for Harpo Productions.  In essence, Oprah is worshipped as a deity.  She may deny that she’s divine or something, but she doesn’t dissuade her subjects from falling prostrate in front of her.  Her support of a fellow black in the person of Barack Obama will garner lots of votes for him.  Hillary Clinton is not a shoo-in for the Democratic Party nomination especially with Oprah being Obama’s vocal cheerleader.

 

Her political ambition is that she has none.  Consider her spiritual state.  She claimed to be a Christian yet she espouses all sorts of new age stuff and Eastern mysticism.  She’s currently gone bonkers over “The Secret” which is another tool of the Devil used to deceive the masses.  She is abetting the Devil’s agenda so much that she should ask for a cut of his profits, i.e. the enslavement of souls.  She might be a believer in her heart (only God knows), but tragically for many, she has not used her talents to promote the Kingdom of God.  Like many “Christians” of today, she has betrayed the faith.  How much more of this can real believers take and God will allow?  May God expedite the Rapture event!

 

 

 

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Keep watching (Matt 24:42)!

 

Until next time,

Shalom!

 

 

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