[martin77]

it is generally believed that the massive persecutions that faced the early church were really the single most important reason why the early church grew so rapidly, spilling out of palestine into ancient Europe. In other words, Nero and Calligula were unwittingly, the greatest missionaries the church ever had. Failure to stop the church by brute force probably forced the Devil to re-think his strategy and unsuprisingly came up with a brilliant strategy, what could not be destroyed from the outside could be destroyed from the inside.

And from the ashes and bones of the thousands of believers who were murdered by the roman armies came the early catholic church. The gospel was twisted, the Word became so distorted as to be meaningless. because He Who is Aganist Us understood that a corrupted church is like no church at all, perharps even worse because the congregants are lulled into a false sense of sercurity whereas if they were unbelievers, they would be troubled by their conciences.

Today, we can see the same strategy at play. Secular philosophies are quietly being introduced into the church. We are being asked to accept homosexuality in church without questioning why Jehova wiped out whole cities of Sodom and Gormorahh with a shower of fire and sulphur. Because we are supposed to love our neigbours, says the liberals.

Me think we need to get our priorities right. indeed we are to love our fellow brothers and sisters, but this is a command from God, as it is a command from Him that we abstain from sin and pervesions like Homosexuality. the point here is that God comes first. We cannot disobey him in the name of following his command, the donkey comes before the cart, as the old saying goes. In anycase, we do not hate our gay brothers and sisters, just what they do. If they were to repent and turn away from sin, we would be wrong to close them out.

Its not just homosexuality, so is the philosophy of materialism too creeping into the church. Back in Kenya, I remember watching with pity churches were the congregation was held in near rapturous trances while the minister led them through a fantasy of the mansions they would own and the luxury sedans they would drive, to the deep intonations of Amen! coming out of such a church, its hard to tell if one had been worshiping God or Marmon.

All these things are wrong. The Message of God, as far as the fundamentals are concerned, were never meant to be changed. Sure we cannot wear sandals and bury our dead in caves like the jews did (in anycase this is not chrisitanity, just Jewish culture)but what God said is wrong thousands of years ago remains very much wrong.

Having said that, Its little comfort for unbelievers to latch into the comfort zone of 'even the church is corrupt' Ultimately it will be as that great kenyan gospel singer Mary Atieno said 'Kila mtu atauchukua mzigo wake mwenyewe' (what happened to her? does anyone know?) You will stand before jehova as an individual with a capacity to choose what is right and what is wrong. Whether your bishop was a thief, or Voillina is not exactly what she claims to be won't matter on that day.