A Clouded Illusion
TimeWatch Editorial
September 14, 2016
In the year 1952, Avro Manhattan published a book entitled, Catholic Imperialism and World Freedom. According to his official Biography, Poet, artist, philosopher and writer on religious, historical and allied themes, Baron Avro Manhattan was known for his forthright and uncompromising views. He was born in Milan, Italy on April 6, 1914, to wealthy American/Dutch parents. His aristocratic roots meant that he was a Knight of the House of Savoy as well as a Knight Templar and a Knight of the Order of Mercedes. In all, he wrote some sixty books. In chapter 17 of Catholic Imperialism and World freedom he said the following.
“To believe that the enmity of the Catholic Church towards Protestantism is a thing of the past, or that the Catholic Church, while still waging war against her Orthodox rival, is at peace with all other Christian denominations, is as unreal as to believe that she no longer considers herself the unique bearer of truth. Ancient Catholic hatred against Protestantism is still there, potent, dynamic, and as mercilessly ready to attack as ever. The environment of the West would no longer permit an open resumption of the old Catholic-Protestant conflicts, nor could the Catholic Church act with either success or impunity in a society where the principle of religious freedom is loudly proclaimed and practiced. But to believe that the Catholic Church is no longer her former self because of a sudden radical change of heart is dangerous.” Avro Manhattan, Catholic Imperialism and World Freedom, Page 316.
Avro Manhattan makes the point that Rome’s present congeniality is based entirely upon convenience and a patient watchfulness for opportunity to again establish her dominance. Notice how he continues;
“Her present superficial tolerance is derived from a mixture of forcibly and voluntarily accepted factors, mostly beyond her control. Besides modern society having compelled her to accept religious tolerance, motives of her own have persuaded her to accept and even to befriend Protestantism: Other powerful motives have contributed to Catholic “tolerance” of Protestantism; the fact that the most influential Western nations nominally are partly or wholly Protestant, that the most powerful of these, the U.S.A., has become the chief ally of the Vatican, and that the Vatican's financial budget has become a dollar budget, almost three-quarters of it coming, directly or indirectly, from the U.S.A. This has far more weight at the Vatican than is generally believed, and adds to the irony of history in so far as the Catholic Church is at present financially, politically, and even militarily wholly dependent upon Protestant lands; indeed, the mainstay of her global political strategy is Protestant U.S.A.” Avro Manhattan, Catholic Imperialism and World Freedom, Page 317.
But things have changed. Without violence or intimidation, Catholicism has taken a dominant position in the nation. Baptist historian, Dr. Bruce Gourley, in an article entitled; “Move Over Evangelicals, the Roman Catholic Church Has Risen to the Top” published July 6, 2014, on the Nurturing Faith Website says the following:
“American evangelical Protestant Christianity, largely shunned by the millennial generation, is rapidly fading. Even the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in America, has now experienced an unprecedented seven straight years of decline. While the traditionally conservative, evangelical Christian Right remains powerful and visible by virtue of its alliance with the Republican Party, the movement’s Christian nationalist agenda has not staunched the attendance decline in evangelical churches. Meanwhile, amidst a decade of Protestant evangelical struggles, the Roman Catholic Church slowly, persistently and strategically has grown in stature and importance in American religious life.” Dr. Bruce Gourley, “Move Over Evangelicals, the Roman Catholic Church Has Risen to the Top” July 6, 2014
But that is not all. Catholicism and Protestantism watched together, the decline of morality. Their vision of the country, indeed the world, began to become further removed. The old adage, the enemy of my enemy is my friend began to rise. Dr. Gourley describes it this way.
“Despite mutually animosity, however, Protestant evangelicals and Roman Catholics shared a common enemy: an increasingly sexually-lenient American culture and society. Evangelicals and the Roman Catholic Church were in virtual lockstep in their opposition to divorce, abortion, sex outside of marriage, and homosexuality–issues of which sexuality was front and center. As the 2000’s progressed, evangelicals found it hard to ignore the sex-related commonalities they shared with the Roman Catholic Church. Meanwhile, both evangelicals and the RCC looked to the Republican Party as the vehicle for defeating Democrats and forcing their sexual theology upon American culture and society.” Dr. Bruce Gourley, “Move Over Evangelicals, the Roman Catholic Church Has Risen to the Top” July 6, 2014
This union of Catholicism and Protestantism, prophesied so long ago, has occurred. The genius of evil has agitated the societal decay so effectively, that the formerly Protestant leadership no longer protests, joining hands with the power that has long sought to destroy the movement. The agenda that now seeks to reconnect Church and State, appears to be the call of the Protestants, when in actuality, it is the manipulated voice of Rome.
What is even more astounding is the fact that the Presidential Candidate that has raised the issue during this election, and has promised to remove the wall that separates Church and State, when compared with all the others who were part of the primaries, is perhaps the last source that one would expect to do so. We therefore stand upon the threshold of rapid movements that are soon to break forth upon the nation and the world.
Cameron A. Bowen
