Chapter 1

It was at a time before CHRIST was born, during the time of the Roman occupation of the Middle East that the world was crying out for a deliverer from the Roman oppression. The Messiah came, as it was prophesied in the Scripture, but not in the way the people had hoped. The Messiah was met with indifference by the largest majority, rejected by most of the ruling class, and eventually crucified for the crime of blasphemy against GOD.

During the first 200 years or so, those that had turned their lives around toward CHRIST JESUS, and had become Christians, lived a life that gave honor to their MASTER. Sadly, as so often in life, there will be a group that sets itself aside with the intent to change things, and this should be of no surprise that we find a group of Christians bent to push the limit to the extreme (Nicolaitans). [Rev.2:6]

They started to do it by outdoing each other in holiness, and endeavored to change the sayings and writings of JESUS and the Apostles. Whenever JESUS called for soberness, the people understood this as not having any further fun in life at all. They renounced all emotions and voluntarily burdened themselves with all kinds of suffering to overcome their sinful nature. Out of this arose arrogance, which was hidden behind a mask of false humility. They became miserable and disgruntled, in spite of their self-righteousness and integrity.

The heathen, being witness to their steadfast faith in JESUS CHRIST during times of persecution, came to believe in great numbers. They were impressed when they saw the countenance of those that were sent to be executed, and they wanted that kind of faith that enabled them to go through pain and sufferings just like they endured. Many of the emperor’s servants became Christians, and having killed them, found himself short staffed. Finally, emperor Constantine I, moved by political motives, made Christianity a state religion. Those Christians treated each other as equals and the bishops, elders, and deacons were only there to lead the people in an orderly and peaceful way, making sure that no false doctrine crept into the baby Church. All that went according to the teachings of JESUS and HIS Apostles. (page 1)

Unfortunately, this simple and respectable group of Christians underwent a transformation that equals the way of the Catholic church of today. It was customary to look for the most able person to lead the flock and look into the business of running the affairs of the congregation as it is written in 1 Tim. chapter 3, but otherwise they were servants of the Most High GOD, no more, no less. However, it didn't take long before some servants of the LORD came up with the idea to sit on chairs higher than all others, seating the elders and deacons lower than the bishop. As the Church grew in numbers they found themselves short of capable people to minister to the congregation and with the state church came the aristocracy of the priesthood. This led, in a very short time, to a situation were only bishops were allowed to conduct the affairs of the Church, which meant that all the elders and deacons found themselves demoted and had no more say in church affairs.

It was customary to open up every gathering with prayer to the LORD JESUS to enlighten those who were present. This very custom was observed during Church synods whereby the Church leaders came up with the idea that went as follows:

“Every one knows that the HOLY SPIRIT was asked to oversee the synod and therefore, no one has the right to question the authority of the decisions that arise from the synod, of which emperor Constantine I is the chairperson."

The Church during the first few hundred years was very poor, but then Constantine made a law that gave part of the tax money he collected to the Church. This started a trend that we find even around today; that is, the priesthood outdid one another in word and deeds. The door was open to let in greed and covetousness, and it was done in the most shameful and despicable manner one can imagine, and look what came along as a spin-off---superstition. Superstition was used to extract money, real estate, and bequeathals, and ten years later a law was implemented to this effect, and after that no one dared to die without bequeathing to the Church. (page 2)

THE DEAR BELOVED SAINTS

From time to time mankind experiences a disease that befalls the human spirit, which cannot be explained by the experts, nor by the majority of people save those who are true believers in the LORD JESUS CHRIST. This disease in its normal way borders on insanity. The disease had turned Europe into an asylum for the insane, and millions became inmates. This chapter is dedicated to the so-called "saints" that have risen out of the ranks of the Catholic church. Almost all of these "saints" have been the victim of this type of religion that has given Christianity a bad name. It is called Catholicism, and every reader who is not totally convinced of the truth of it, will be at the end of this chapter.

Every type of suffering, no matter how terrible and excruciating, especially when suffered without a cause or reason, was endured to achieve a special place in heaven after death. The Bible speaks of sufferings for our sinful nature, but what these so-called saints have dreamed up, in sufferings and ways to induce pain, can only be called diabolical in nature, and it was done by outdoing each other in every conceivable way. However, the selfish and immoral side of it was never recognized.

The idea to suffer for CHRIST and for a better life at the end has its roots in the many true Saints that were persecuted and in almost every instance died a terrible and painful death. Rather than rejoice in the LORD for not having to go through it anymore, their deranged minds did not see the uselessness of it all. This madness increased throughout the 4th century even more, and it was Zeno, bishop of Verona, who had said, "The greatest honor of Christian chastity is to trample nature under foot." The spiritual darkness that followed this statement made the earth a woeful place in which to live.

Misquotation of some Bible verses have led multitudes astray on a way that JESUS had never intended for anyone to go, apart from the Bible teachings. The story of JESUS and HIS wilderness experience led great numbers of sick people to do just that, and much more. (page 3)

"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." (Matt.16:24)

"For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heavens’ sake." (Matthew 19:12)

"... go your way, sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will find treasures in heaven, and come, take up your cross and follow Me." (Mark 10:21)

The wilderness of Syria and Egypt was soon overrun with deceived Christians who wanted to suffer like CHRIST. Some zealous individuals outdid JESUS by a mile, by voluntarily submitting themselves to some very bizarre sufferings. There were some who had their hands tied behind their backs, apparently driven by a demonic spirit, thinking themselves unworthy to look up to heaven. Others were sitting in heaps of ashes hitting their heads against the ground over and over. Still others cried and wept as if in grief. Some others chastised themselves for not being able to shed more tears. Many refused to nourish their bodies, and when given food they only took a few bites and threw the rest away, triggered by a sense of unworthiness, or they refused to drink but a few drops at a time. Many clad themselves in filthy rags that stank and were full of lice, and often they had self-inflicted wounds. In many cases they spit blood because they had chastened themselves mercilessly. Some of them who were about to die begged not to be buried, but be left to decay like animals. One of these misled souls lived in a cage, never to see the light of day again. Others dug themselves into the hot desert sand right up to their necks. The "holy Eusebius" carried 260 pounds of iron chain and weights at all times. Again, others made vows not to speak to another person as long as they lived, or hopped around on one leg for many years, or they ate grass like an ox. St. Barnabas had a sharp stone embedded in his foot and was suffering excruciating pain, yet he would not allow anyone to remove the stone. Some slept on beds of thorns. Some tried to go along without sleep at all.

Simeon, the son of an Egyptian shepherd, ate only on Sundays. Before the meal, he would tie a rope around his waist so tight, that he developed ulcers on his skin that stank so bad that no one wanted to come near him. He came under the illusion that his sufferings were not yet enough, so he came up with an idea to torment his flesh even more. He would go to worship the goddess of the Syrian Kebele, and stood on top of a 10 foot high pole for several years. The greater the madness, the higher the poles, and at the peak of it he stood on top of a 30 feet pole for close to 30 years. How he managed not to fall off when sleep overcame him is not documented. He managed to fast for 40 days at one time, but because of physical weakness, someone had to tie him with a chain to a pole that was extended from his pole. So you see their highest aim was to trample nature under foot. (page 4)

The God-given sex drive was considered very unchristian-like and was condemned and battled against. Many young men and women went out into the desert to quench their sex drive by tormenting their bodies, not realizing that through this torment the flesh was even more aroused than before. Many made short process of the root of evil by cutting it off. Amongst them was Origen, a Christian theologian and teacher, and many followed in his foot steps, with the majority being priests and lay people, which led to the point where a law had to be implemented to stop this madness.

These, and many other stories were told of those who went out away from civilization. It is hard to understand why completely "normal people" would suddenly have the urge to wander away from the simple gospel of JESUS CHRIST and become part of a mystical lifestyle that has every sign of demonic tendency, yet millions followed them to do likewise. (May I recommend the book "War on the Saints", which will explain much of this in detail.)

It became obvious that the whole of Christianity was taken by this extreme fanaticism, and the wilderness, in which no sane person would live for any extended period of time, had become the place where the so-called saints stepped on each others toes, for Christ's sake, of course. This led to another brainchild of the deranged mind. They began to build monasteries and not even the mockery of the heathen had any effect on their enthusiasm, because for them it was the way to paradise.

Ammo read to his bride on the night of their wedding 1 Cor.7, with the effect that both of them lived in a shed that can best be described as a doghouse, in chastity, like a chicken with a dog. These were the fruits of the doctrines of teachers like St. Eusibius Hieronymus, who was famous for saying:

"When your brothers and sisters beg you with tears in their eyes, when your mother pleads with you, her hair unkempt, and her dress torn, showing you the breast that nourished you, and when your father lays himself across the threshold to keep you from leaving, treat them with disregard, and follow the banner of the cross."

Many however, went to satisfy their ambition and pride, for these mentally deranged people stood in high regard by the common folk of those days, and when they came into a city there was always a triumphal entrance for them, and when they attempted to by-pass a city, the people came out in droves to seek their blessings and advice. Salananuis, living in a village near the Euphrates River, lived in a house without doors and windows and only once a year a hatch on top of the roof was opened to lower the yearly supply. The people believed him to be a saint, for he spoke to no one, not even when the people of the next village kidnapped him one night. A few days later he was re-kidnapped by his people and put back into his house. (page 5)

It was common that these poor, deranged, and mentally sick people were held in high esteem by the inhabitants of the surrounding areas because multitudes gave them their children to be educated, like emperor Theodosius. His children found their greatest delight in feeding the chickens, which is indeed a very noble and innocent pastime activity for a crown prince.

Many of these "fathers of the desert", as they were called, reached a very high degree of "holiness" either through incredible sufferings, which were almost always self-inflicted, or through the wonders and signs that were ascribed to them. It is needless to say that under such excruciating pain coming from the operations they performed upon themselves, their mental states were no longer normal, for they had reached the stage where they frequently had visions and hallucinations by the wagon load, which led their already deranged mental states to be worsened.

The historians who documented these atrocities were by and large an honest lot, and wrote what they knew to have actually taken place. The raw Catholic who lives according to the teachings of his church, especially in Catholic dominated countries, knows very little about the GOD of heaven and earth, and he doesn't understand the TRINITY, and he has no mind to find out more about it, but surprise, he knows most of the legends of saints, and the devil. If someone is interested to learn more about these "fathers of the desert" let him read the books on hagiology, that is the branch of literature that deals with the lives and legends of the saints.

Antonius was a saint who had many wonders ascribed to him, but the best known is perhaps this one. He used to live in the desert of southern Egypt, and was a holy lion tamer, for it is said that all animals of that region obeyed his word. Once in a while they all came to him to receive his blessings. When that was accomplished they all went back into the desert until the next time. Poor St. Paul had died. He used to live in the same region, so when Antonius came to bury him, two lions came to help him in digging the grave, and when they were finished he blessed them and they went back into the wilderness. The first wonder that St. Hilarius performed was a strange one. A young woman, who was despised by her husband, came to him to seek advice from him. The prayer they prayed in private produced a baby nine months later. (page 6)

Let us hurry through the rest of these saints, for there are so many. Here is one who rode on a crocodile through the river Nile. There was one who led a fierce dragon on a string. Another burned snow, and someone else grew fruit on a willow tree. Others had the devil hitched to their plow. In brief, these saints not only had many sober- thinking folks confused, but they also had nature confused. This is hard to believe, but multitudes believed in this nonsense. It was told to them that saints were able to manipulate nature, which implies that they had been exalted to the level of GOD ALMIGHTY.

The fanaticism that started in the Middle East didn't take long to reach Europe. Under the supervision of St. Ambrosia, bishop of Milan, and St. Hieronymus, monasteries and saints sprung up like mushrooms. St. Martin was the first one who started monasteries in France. He later became archbishop of the city of Tours, France. He had a notable flaw; he was very arrogant. He once traveled to meet the emperor Valentian who did not see fit to arise from his throne, so he prayed and flames came shooting out from under his throne making the emperor jump up in a hurry.

The number of saints grew steadily and I’d really like to tell the full story about their lives and the wonders they allegedly did perform, but the lack of time and space forces me to curtail my ambition, and I will only speak of those that have started monastic Orders. Most of them have risen to the rank of "apostle", and even here I have to limit myself because there are just too many. Before I do this, let us take a look as believers in the LORD JESUS CHRIST what it means to be a saint, and what they are good for. The Roman Catholic church teaches that a saint not only is a blessed person, but that there is a special place for them reserved in heaven and that they belong to the family of God. They are in constant communication with Jesus, Mary, the mother of our LORD, the high ranking angels, and the Apostles. It leads to the belief that such a person has equal pull in the heavenly realm, and they never ask anything in vain.

Furthermore, these saints are very busy indeed, for they not only have to attend to all the people who pray to them here on earth and to keep them safe, but they are also involved in special functions concerning hagiology. The higher the saints are esteemed here on earth, the higher their office will be in heaven. They are over whole nations, special events around the globe, and therefore, their office is no picnic.

Royalties are under their special protection like St. George, St. Michael, and St. Moritz. The saint for the pigs is St. Anthony. Many nations have their saints like Ireland has St. Patrick, and over Portugal is St. Anthony, together with the pigs. St. James is over Spain, and over France is St. Denis, and the Venecians have St. Mark. There is a saint for every trade, profession, sickness, and for every nation around the globe. St. Benedict is the father of all Benedictine monks and nuns. The Order was established in Monte Casino, Italy, the infamous battleground during WW II. St. Boniface was an English monk who became the "apostle" of the Germans. He was the driving force behind celibacy, worship of relics like the diapers of Jesus, and he is responsible for image worship and idolatry, etc. (page 7 )

St. Bernard came out of Burgundy, France, and was known to have been a great authority as a mediator between heads of states and theologians in both the political and theological field. He was also known as the instigator of the second crusade, which was fought with the loss of seven million lives. Because he was very persuasive, he made it possible for men to leave their wives and families and follow him all the way to Jerusalem and back. This is the story about him. A stone image of Christ hanging on the cross was placed in the countryside. When a beggar came that way, Christ came off the cross to embrace him with great passion. Likewise, an image of Mary, the mother of CHRIST, hewn out of stone, went even further, for she went to quench the thirst of St. Bernard by giving him to drink from her stone breast.

On some other occasion he came to a place where they had a picture of Mary hanging on the wall, and he greeted her by saying, “Greetings to you, O Queen,” and with great amazement she answered him, “We thank you dear Bernard,” whereof he replied with the words of the Apostle Paul from 1Cor.14:34, "Let women keep silent in the church."

St. Bernard himself had 160 monasteries established during his life time. After his death there were almost 500, and one hundred years later there were 2,000 of them. The monks and nuns were known to be very industrious, having a high standard of morality, and if there were any blessings to be reaped from their existence, doom was about to rise over the horizon.

A new Order of monks had found their way into society. They were called Franciscans, and were established by Francis of Assissi as an order of mendicant friars going about the land begging. Of the founder, it was said that he loved animals and they loved him and he called them brethren. He had the habit to preach to them, and this one day the birds of the neighborhood made a lot of noise with their chirping so that he had to beg them to be silent, and they obeyed. A louse got herself lost in his clothing, so he picked her up and said, “Let us both praise the Lord,” and then put her right back into his hair from whence she had come. Francis called his body “brother donkey,” for he thought he behaved like one at times. When the donkey was about to get out of control he rolled himself naked on a bed of thorns, or in the winter in the snow, or he went into the frigid waters of a frozen lake until all carnal and sensuous feelings had left him. It is told that at one time he made himself a wife and children out of snow, and then began to embrace them with such vigor that they all melted away in a very short time.

The number of those monks grew rapidly. Eventually there were so many, that when the pestilence struck the area and about 7,000 of them died, it didn't make a dent in their ranks. While Francis was in the mountains of the Apennines, Italy, an angel was supposed to have appeared to him, imprinting the five stigmas of Jesus unto his body until they bled. He was worshipped more than JESUS in the Catholic church, which led to many miracles being ascribed to him, that exalted him higher than JESUS.

Their opponents were the Dominicans, which was another Order of mendicant monks that made begging their mainstay. St. Dominic was their founder, and the founder of the terrible Inquisition that has ravaged throughout Europe during the Middle Ages. At first the Dominicans thought to unite with the Franciscans, but when it failed, they became enemies. The Dominicans claimed to be the more noble Order, and rivalry has been between them ever since. St. Dominic "blessed" the world with nine prayer positions, which made it possible to change from one position to another without ceasing to pray, or breaking the monotony of the prayers. This Order also grew very fast, and in a very short time there were over 4,000 monasteries built all over Europe. I will not speak of the wonders that St. Dominic supposed to have performed, for as the father of the Inquisition, he does not deserve to be called anything else than a butcher.

There were also female saints, and as a matter of fact, they were as numerous as their male counterparts. One of them was St. Afra. Her mother was the manager of a brothel in which Afra was the priestess. One day, the Spanish bishop of the region came to "convert" the lost souls, and since he had a very close relationship with the priestess it was only natural to make her a saint. St. Theresa of Avila was a Spanish Carmelite nun who came out of the royal family of Spain. Her admirers gave her the most curious names one can ever imagine, like Ark of Wisdom, heavenly Amazon, garden of Balsam, cabinet minister of the Holy Spirit, etc. Even as a child she had been a very spiritual fanatic, and she wanted to go to Africa to find the martyr’s death there. She became the abbess of her own monastery, and it was by virtue of her office that she could do as she saw fit, and she did just that. It is said that Jesus was so taken by her holiness that He gave her His ring in marriage, saying to her, "As of now you are all mine, and I am yours." Some other time an angel came to her and touched her with a red hot arrow, and even though it did hurt a lot, she went to ask for more. Up to this day, August 27 is the day that Catholics celebrate her honour in the church. The nuns under her were subject to very rigid discipline. Blind obedience was a must, and the slightest deviation from it resulted in merciless punishment.

Self-inflicted pain was common, for the nuns slept on beds of thorns, or snow, and they drank blood and dipped their bread in rotten eggs. They pierced their tongues with needles when they had broken the no speaking rule. It was obvious that Theresa didn't like men in trousers, yet all her nuns wore them, while the men had to wear an apron that was nothing else than a brown piece of cloth to cover their loins. She was also the author of many books that made some girls’ lives hell.

At the same time there was a Catherine of Cardone who had become insane over her love for Jesus. She used to live in a cave and wore a dress of barbed wire, thorns and willows, and she ate grass like a cow without using her hands. St. Clare had lived a very disciplined life. Her wardrobe had consisted of a gown of pig skin, covered by a dress made of horse hair. She was so "humble" that she would go out to kiss the feet of the maid servants in the village, and then would wash them from being contaminated by her kiss.

St. Catherine of Siena was also engaged to Jesus. He had given her a diamond ring which no one could see, but she. She cared for the most revolting sick, and for this Jesus imprinted into her His five stigmas that were bleeding, which led to a 40 year war between the Franciscans and Dominicans, with the result to not paint her with the stigmas bleeding, by order from the pope. The holy Brigit rescued a girl who had a man in the guise of Satan lying on top of her. And finally, let us take a look of the Rose of Lima, a Dominican nun who slept on broken glass and knotty wood, and drank a liter of bile before she went to bed. Jesus was so taken by her holiness that he came to her saying, "Rose my darling, you shall be my bride." Virgin Mary, her mother-in law, was present and congratulated her saying, "See what honor you have done to my son?" When her "holiness" was reading, Jesus appeared on the page of the book and smiled at her. If she did some needle work, Jesus would come and sit down on her pillow and joke with her, but she was very unhappy, for she knew that Jesus had many brides and she was very jealous until he came back to her. Her "mother-in-law, Mary” served her for over 20 years as her maid, it was told. Although the monastery was infested with lice and fleas, no one ever came near her "holiness", says the papal bull.

There are many hundreds more besides those mentioned, but apart from them there are many to whom Catholics pray that have never existed, yet are well known and esteemed by them. This indicates that they are fabrications of Catholic minds, like St. George and St. Mauritius. Every good Catholic who wants to fork out a few hundred thousand dollars can be declared a saint after his death, and there is no need to worry about a story. The priesthood is known to be very clever in making one up.

The Christians in the first three centuries knew nothing about saints other than the Apostles who were called Saints, and rightly so. Christians honored also the martyrs who had lost their lives for the cause of the gospel. However, when emperor Constantine I made Christianity the state religion, many of the pagan practices were adopted into the Church to attract the heathen and make them accept Christianity, in the hope it would make it easier for them to convert. When the priests became presumptuous and carried the idea that they were the spiritual link between men and GOD, the door to mass deception was opened. The belief began to circulate that the saints had more pull in heaven than JESUS, and nothing was impossible for them to persuade GOD to set HIS laws aside and follow the wishes of the saints, and therefore the wishes of mere men. This was to be accomplished through the repetition of prayers and through bribes. Christendom could not have been dealt a more devastating blow than through the cult of the saints, because most of the so-called “saints” were lust ridden scoundrels and failures in society. History tells us so.