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Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts

Monday, June 18, 2012

Hitler's Positive Christianity... Unleashing the Patriotic Church


There is nothing—absolutely nothing—insofar as political power when it is under girded by morality, especially when that morality embraces the strength of the Christian religion. This is what Adolph Hitler seized upon, amplified, and nourished: One Reich, one Reich's Church. With religion's unwavering legitimacy enshrouding Nazism's agenda—nothing could stop him. Today, an eerie semblance overshadows the West (this "revision"—August, 2005—is an update of this semblance)—it harkens back to the dark side of Christendom's triumphalism wherein the State and Church team up to defeat evil doers and simultaneously spread Globalism and Gospel through military strength and the Crusaders' zeal. What awful foolishness we witness when history repeats her worst episodes—nothing compares to the insanity of those who are doomed to duplicate earth's darkest days!

NEVER IN AMERICA?

This article was written by one of German ancestry whose forebears on his mother's side can be traced to Martin Luther himself; thence, the incessant interest in the rise of Adolf Hitler and, in particular (through years of research) the under girding support he derived in his ascendancy from the Christian religion in the heart of Europe. How could this possibly happen? Alas! Could we in America be as deceitfully predisposed to such a malevolent curse—driven by the same demons? Do we today witness camouflaged strategies designed to accomplish a greater horror of unimaginable consequence and upon Christendom of like vulnerability?

The remotest thought of such an evil plot akin to what seduced the German people could somehow be foisted upon our beloved America boggles the senses . . . yet, each day, each month, the same cultural polarization eerily divides; the similitude of its military-industrial complex mirrors that of Rome's expansions; its cries for greater and more restrictive security for its citizenry clamors; its tenuous economic factors now threatening the globalism it created as a result of the insatiable consumption of all things luxurious persist—all this while within the walls of our crystal city, the party is oblivious to the multitude of the wretched outside who admire and distain its opulence. Are there comparisons? Be not quick in your rejection that alleged "systems" now in place—with histories of wide disparity—insure Americans absolute relief from the extremities of Nazi Germany . . . look again, look carefully, very carefully . . . history's mercurial habit at repetition seeks to warn us all . . . "broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat."

THE INTOXICATING APPEAL

To understand the appeal, the absolute, mesmerizing, and intoxicating drive behind Hitler's success, one must go beyond the inequities of the Versailles Treaty and delve into the mysterious association that Herr Hitler placed upon the Christian religion. Don't think that Adolf was way off into some cultic, overtly demonic world of fantasy and influence. True, the occult most assuredly was deeply engaged in his thinking and outlook—but the use of legitimate Christian imagery was his forte. He both understood the need to mobilize the masses and the religion that alone could sway their fidelity to his cause.

Furthermore, throughout his declarations and apparent pontifications, is a unique ability to uplift and galvanize the German people—to so highly esteem them, and to generate within them the self-esteem that would produce a people whose image reflected the one who had so unalterably changed and transformed them into the awesome enunciation of der Fuhrer himself. They became transfixed and transported into another state of mind and being—from despair and rejection, to an exhilarating euphoria and total acceptance. They could BE ALL THAT THEY COULD BE and then some. Here is no buffoon strutting upon the stage of German dejection cavalierly riveting the German mind and will upon himself—no, no, no!

Here is the uniqueness of Adolf Hitler—one who could so verbalize with utter clarity what the German soul could be in its fullness and creative genius. Neither did his spoken word proclaim his own commitment and genius—it climaxed within the Germany he envisioned in such a rapturous expression and discovery of who they were, and what they could become, with God Almighty vindicating every breath they would take! Hitler injected into nearly every German heart a DIVINE SPARK, which regrettably morphed into an inferno of destruction and death unforeseen in human history—but its initial dissension upon its benefactors was replete with a baptism of power and light utterly transcendent that it captured an entire nation in the heart of Christian Europe. Its pristine message created the IMAGE of DAS VOLK, a people who were destined by the very triumph of their corporate will to be the consummation and commencement of the Kingdom of God—DAS THOUSANDE JAHRE REICH! (The promised millennial reign—one thousand year kingdom)!

But, firstly, the Weimar Republic's failure was predictable. Its liberalism was far too watered down, far too immersed in its diversity and acceptance to galvanize the enthusiasm and concerted consecration of common folk, who longed for a winner, a leader, a "national champion." Democracy, gone awry, alone can produce dictatorship—de facto, or elected! Ultimately, the Left (Weimar or Hollywood)—again by its very nature—simply cannot SUSTAIN the caliber of commitment and vision that can be produced by absolutism and rigid conservatism to which we allude here.

AMERICA'S PATRIOTIC CHURCH

Today a growing number of truly evangelical faithful observe the Christian Right in America, assisted by its current allies among the so-called neocons (i.e., neoconservatives—pragmatic politicos), forging a formidable alliance of convenience that wholly supports the rise of the American New World Order System. Its striking resemblance to Hitler's appeals is frightful! Liberalism may rant and rave about societal freedoms and renounce governmental restrictions—but their voices and challenges are hollow sounding and even adjudged fallacious, when the triumph of his armies have so prevailed upon the Plains of Shinar! Libertarians and Constitutionalists—you do well to listen to this diatribe.

Likewise, the bickering factions within the Democratic Party (hard left-Moveon.orgs. vs. the Clintonians), whose extremities mirror the fratricide of their Weimar counterparts, sadly lack a cohesive strategy aside from a total pullout from the Middle East or its antithesis: All-out War against the infidels! Indeed, you especially do well to listen to this diatribe.

Meanwhile, the flagrant embrace of the war machine by evangelicals continues unabated—witness the bizarre web site @ http://www.forceministries.com and the on-going ascendancy of the American clergy to brandish their description as "Patriotic Pastors" juxtaposed to, I guess, those who are not—to wit:

"Thus, the Ohio Restoration Project (ORP) . . . plan(s) to identify and train 2,000 so-called 'Patriot Pastors' to get out the evangelical vote for the Ohio primary in May 2006.

"The Rev. Russell Johnson, ORP head and senior pastor of Fairfield Christian Church, an evangelical congregation in suburban Columbus, casts the 2006 election as an apocalyptic clash between a virtuous Christianity and the evildoers who oppose Christianity's values.

"This is a battle between the forces of righteousness and the hordes of hell," says Johnson on his church's website. He exhorts evangelical clergy to get off the sidelines and lead America away from secularism and godlessness through the ballot box." (August 23, 2005, Ohio Jewish News.com).

"God and country" rallies are planned throughout the burgeoning rise of the Patriotic Church over the next several years:

"Encourage their church families to participate in Pastor Policy Briefings and regional 'God and Country Rallies' where the issues of the day are underscored and highlighted and the Judeo-Christian ethic is affirmed. Nationally known speakers Franklin Graham, Zell Miller, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell (of Ohio), Bob McEwen, Pastor Lawrence White, Pastor Rod Parsley (Center for Moral Clarity), Ambassador Alan Keyes, Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, Chuck Colson, Pat Robertson and Tony Perkins will be asked to participate." (Abovetopsecret.com ­ Feb. 6, 2005).

This, coupled with Pat Robertson's "assassination remarks" of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (August, 2005), in keeping with his chilling remarks regarding the nuking of our own State Department for its alleged "Anti-Americanism" made in October, 2003, highlights the identification of the Republican Party with the rise of the Patriotic Church and its "Patriotic Pastor" brigades—now galvanizing throughout these United States.

The "moral polarization" of America has created a huge gapping sociopolitical chasm akin to what took place in Germany's Weimar. Black, Hispanic, and other newly-arrived minorities, in the main, are familial stalwarts who, though the Democrat economic agenda meshes well on their behalf, are far more predisposed to the social agenda of the Patriotic Pastors—the "sodomites" who appear ubiquitous amongst the Democrats are shunned by the rank and file Republicans and most assuredly by the Patriotic Church. The vast majority of Germans were repulsed by the excesses of the Cabaret Society—who would lead them out of their debauchery, decadence, and depression?

The masses of Americana are traumatized by the "isms" identified with the Left in America (evolutionism, socialism, communism, anarchism, feminism, even ecumenism—especially, the UN's Millennium World Peace Summit in New York [http://www.cnsnews.com/news/viewstory.asp?Page=%5CForeignBureaus%5Carchive%5C200508%5CFOR20050826c.html], August 28-31, 2005 (now threatened by John Bolton's suggestions)—along with abortion, homosexuality/same sex marriage), even in the worst of economic situations these masses will not embrace "it's the economy stupid" but unwaveringly hold to their traditional values; furthermore, are not more Americans owning their own homes, working, living the dream as never before? The heartlanders and newly-arrived view these "isms" as anti-Christ, anti-God, and anti-American—much to the chagrin of the Democratic mainstream. Yet, the Left in America lumps "all" of faith as "suspect" at best, and at the core of America's demise at worst. Similarities, yes, similarities . . .

ADOLF HITLER—THE GERMAN SOLUTION IS A CHRISTIAN ONE

The tone and substance coming from the mouth of Herr Hitler, although the context is, of course, unique to European Christianity, is eerily compatible to what we are increasingly hearing today from certain political leaders within the American New World Order System. What you are about to read will shock many of you—will utterly cause you to have a spiritual seizure; a revulsion akin to a full-blown, stomach-bending, vomit—but you must come to terms with why this is happening and how religion—the Christian religion—is the most powerful tool that can be utilized in order to capture the "believing" masses and to promote, through "moral covering" and political dedication, an agenda that resounds within the heart of the common man in the context of Western Civilization.

Hitler, like today's champions of Americana, knew that the "believing masses" had been beaten down; had suffered their World War (Viet Nam), had their beloved Germany (America) battered about with moral decline and "radical secularism" that caused the "moral fiber" of the nation to collapse—something had (has) to be done—someone with guts and glory had (has) to arise to capture the imagination of the nation to arise from its depravity and crimes, from its vulnerability (be it from "them socialists" or "terrorists"), from its self-inflicted and debilitating social ills . . . someone is needed to alter our self-perceptions!

The problem was created by the Devil himself—The Cabaret Society of the Weimar Republic (They never represented true Germany!). "We'd been maligned by every creeping thing imaginable upon our streets: Socialists, Communists, radical Unionists, Jews, Secularists, Liberal Theologians, Homosexuals, Raunchy Entertainment, ad nausea—and this upon our wretched economic woes and that 'Paper from Hell' (i.e., the Versailles Treaty)."

Now—the Devil would provide the solution to the aforementioned problem. He would provide the solution through a man, a party, that would reach down to the common man and pull upon his heart strings—upon that which is made to respond to the highest ideals of man: His religious conscience would be the springboard to launch a fully consecrated and absolutely committed people, sold out to the one who could uplift and empower them. Thence, this resolution to Germany's defeat must be ensconced within the language of power and persuasion—it must carry the fervor of the EVANGELIST, the power of the PROPHET, the message of the APOSTLE! Yes, convoluted—but done with such passionate skill, that the unwitting and desperate would believe the LIE. Indeed, a true LIE is so close to reality that its frightening resemblance obscures all semblances to the truth!

Ultimately, a lie told long enough, and amplified to the uttermost, resounds with familiarity—YE SHALL BE AS GODS, KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL! This original deceit confounded our original forebears. This is no ordinary lie—it is THE LIE. Godhood, the ultimate UBERMENSCH, is the final destiny of the German race—of Hitler's "Religion." But first, the people must be prepared, until they realize their supreme destination and status as DAS VOLK!

HITLER—I CAN'T BELIEVE HE SAID IT! (Hitler/Nazi Comments in quotes/bold)


"We demand liberty for all religious denominations in the State, so far as they are not a danger to it and do not militate against the morality and moral sense of the German race. The Party, as such, stands for positive Christianity, but does not bind itself in the matter of creed to any particular confession." (Item 24 of the German Worker's Party "Program" cir. 1920s)

At the earliest formation of the Nazi Party, Hitler expressed his Christian support to the German people and soldiers. In the 1920s, Hitler's German Workers' Party (pre Nazi terminology) adopted a twenty-five-point program with the clear intent to persuade the German people that "positive Christianity" was in full conformity to the "moral" convictions of the Party—i.e., the Party fully embraced the morality of Christianity and that Christianity was viewed as "singular" in the minds of that Party—Catholic and Protestants were considered as the foundation of German Christianity in its fullness and jurisdiction (the Party embraced both as one).


"MY LORD AND SAVIOR . . . IN THE BOUNDLESS LOVE AS A CHRISTIAN . . . HE HAD TO SHED HIS BLOOD UPON THE CROSS. My feelings as a Christian point me to my Lord and Savior as a fighter. It points me to the man who once in loneliness, surrounded only by a few followers, recognized these Jews for what they were and summoned men to fight against them. This is God's truth! He was greatest not as a sufferer but as a fighter. In boundless love as a Christian and as a man I read through the passage which tells us how the Lord at last rose in His might and seized the scourge to drive out of the Temple the brood of vipers and adders. How terrific was His fight for the world against the Jewish poison. Today, after two thousand years, with deepest emotion I recognize more profoundly than ever before in the fact that it was for this that He had to shed His blood upon the Cross. As a Christian I have no duty to allow myself to be cheated, but I have the duty to be a fighter for truth and justice....

"And if there is anything which could demonstrate that we are acting rightly it is the distress that daily grows. For as a Christian I have also a duty to my own people.

"When I go out in the morning and see these men standing in their queues and look into their pinched faces, then I believe I would be no Christian, but a very devil, if I felt no pity for them, if I did not, as did our Lord two thousand years ago, turn against those by whom today this poor people is plundered and exploited."

[Note, "Brood of vipers" appears in Matt. 3:7 & 12:34. John 2:15 depicts Jesus driving out the moneychangers (adders) from the temple.] Adolf Hitler, in his speech on 12 April 1922.


"We were convinced that the people needs and requires this faith. We have therefore undertaken the fight against the atheistic movement, and that not merely with a few theoretical declarations: we have stamped it out." ­Adolf Hitler, in a speech in Berlin on 24 October 1933.

Indeed, Hitler's speeches and proclamations, even more clearly, reveal his faith and feelings toward a Christianized Germany. Nazism presents an embarrassment to Christianity and demonstrates the danger of blending "faith with politics." Do you find it "spiritually disconcerting" to discover the depth of Hitler's hermeneutic? How about his exegesis of Matthew 3:7, 12:34 and John 2:15? Hitler's depiction of Jesus as the FIGHTER, not as the sufferer, is a distortion of the Scriptural intent of this reading; however, without knowing the full contextual nature of the Word, one could (as Hitler did) surmise a MILITANT JESUS is in view, and not a suffering Jesus.

It has been said, "The Bible can be read to say anything!" Examples abound: "Judas hung himself . . . go thou and do likewise!" This classic piece of cut and paste, though stupid, is precisely what many so-called expositors do with the Word of God—Hitler was no exception. But, the shedding of the blood of Jesus as the ultimate payment for "truth and justice and the German way" is frightening and turns true Christianity on its head! Note that Hitler claims to be a Christian and, as such, he has a duty to his own people—he too, like Jesus, must be a fighter for truth and justice—he must rid the Temple of the moneychangers, of the abominable Jews who harass his people, like Jesus did. The German people, according to Hitler, were being "plundered and exploited" and he would be NO CHRISTIAN if he didn't do something about it. Hitler's identification as a Christian was one of activism—not in name only! In this artful persuasion he under girded the German people in their predisposition to anti-Semitism, the full spiritual justification for their participation in the "Final Solution."

In sum: Hitler showed his disdain for atheism, and pagan cults, and revealed the strength of his Christian feelings—make no doubt about that. Likewise, his was no meaningless and superficial theology—it was clearly demarcated and set forth in all its hideous implications with righteous gusto.

CHURCH UNITY—HITLER WAS A FIRM BELIEVER IN IT


"It will at any rate be my supreme task to see to it that in the newly awakened NSDAP, the adherents of both Confessions can live peacefully together side by side in order that they may take their stand in the common fight against the power, which is the mortal foe of any true Christianity."—Adolf Hitler, in an article headed "A New Beginning," 26 Feb. 1925


"This is for us a ground for satisfaction, since we desire that the fight in the religious camps should come to an end... all political action in the parties will be forbidden to priests for all time, happy because we know what is wanted by millions who long to see in the priest only the comforter of their souls and not the representative of their political convictions."—Adolf Hitler, in a speech to the men of the SA at Dortmund, 9 July 1933, on the day after the signing of the Concordat (Agreement with the Roman Catholic Church, the Papacy).

The unity of the Church is a recurrent message delivered by Hitler. His object, of course, was "against the power"—i.e., the international Jewish conspiracy against the Church, and, of course, the German people and the world in general. The technique of solidifying the churches into the "Hammer of God" was a strategy that appealed to the vast majority of German Christians. That he would see in them such an instrument of righteous indignation was commending—both to them as the object of his insight, and to himself for his discernment of such.

It is my firm conviction that this is precisely what is happening in America today. The appeal to the Christian religion in the battle "against evil" within the West is NOT an historic first! Don't be so quick to terminate this reading—let me explain. Who are those who most clearly understand the language of THE AXIS OF EVIL? Who are those who clearly grasp the "spiritual reality" behind Islamic terrorism? The current President is no fool in appealing to the most religious in leading his charge against the forces of evil that assail the current drama. The appeal to religious unity in the face of extremity is manifested in Islamic Jihad—Holy War. But, this appeal is far more sinister and powerful when placed in the hands of a "Christian President" about to inspire the faithful—far more potent is its impress. There is a righteous finality connected with it—a more sure word—an unseen and unmistaken cause behind this necessary action whose appeal is Ultimate and Conclusive. God, and God alone, is my judge—and you are "either for us or against us"—there is no compromise, there is no wavering between two opinions—LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT—OUR CAUSE IS JUST!




Doug is a member of the "Last Days Network" . . . a group of evangelical pundits providing news and analysis on Religion in Politics. "Applied Biblical prophecy," apostasy and deception, the impact of the New American World System, and the influences of the Religious Right and Left upon American culture, are topics discuss by the group. He is an educator/administrator based in Northern California. The remainder of this article and many others can be fully viewed/graphics/links, etec. @ The Tribulation Network




Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Impact of the French Revolution on 18th Century Europe and Relevance to Contemporary Christianity


INTRODUCTION

Events of 1789 formed the catalyst that exploded the powder keg of accumulated grievances in France. Indeed "the French Revolution began when Louis XVI called the States-General to provide money for his bankrupt government" (The World Book Encyclopedia, Vol.7, 1991, p.450). The outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789 produced intense hostility to Christianity because "the Roman church was identified by the people with the earlier government of France and suffered greatly" (Harman and Renwick, 1999, p.170). Lefebvre (1947) observed that in a total population of probably twenty three million, there were certainly not more than one hundred thousand priests, monks and nuns, and four hundred thousand nobles. The rest constituted the Third Estate. This secular event shows the contemporary Church the peril that awaits a nation that rejects God. The point of the observation is that although the French Revolution negatively affected Christianity, the attempt at deChristianization was unable to blot the 'faith of our fathers living still'.

RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND TO THE CONFLICT

According to Noll (2000), "a number of long-festering conditions had prepared the way for this attack on Christianity" (p.247). Paradoxically, some of these were of Christian origin. Centuries earlier, Augustine had declared that man should not have dominion over man, for he is a rational creature made in the image of God. Bellarmine, the Jesuit Cardinal opined that it depended on the consent of the people whether kings, consuls or other magistrates were to be established in authority over them. He further observed that the people should change a kingdom into an aristocracy if there was legitimate cause. Latourette (1953) therefore referred to the French Revolution as "a secularized version of the heavenly city as perceived by Christians" (p.1007).

Before the outbreak of the revolution in France, bad economic, political, social and legal conditions, the successful example of the English Revolution of 1689 and the American Revolution of 1776 were fused by the development of an ideology that rationalized the right of popular revolution against Louis XVI. This ideology was the result of the teachings of the philosophes. While Rousseau and Montesquieu provided the political atmosphere for revolution, Voltaire criticized the church. Cairns (1981) admitted that there were grounds for criticism of the Roman Catholic Church in France. It owned much land and was as responsible as the secular state in the dealings with the people. The public resented various tithes imposed by the church, rigorous repression of religious dissenters, and the non-productive monkish orders. Nichols (1932) suspected that "the greatest cause of the hostility of the church was its enormous wealth and the selfish use made of it" (p.96) since the masses were ruined by cruel taxation at the expense of higher clergy who were generally lazy, luxurious and immoral.

If the 17th century was the age of orthodoxy, the eighteenth was the age of nationalism, a result of cold orthodoxy and scientific developments. The deadly result was that "revelation tended to take the back seat to reason and knowledge gained by sense perception" (Vos, 1960, p.99). When scientists investigated the form of the universe, they formed the idea of a clockwise universe - God's world was seen as gigantic, well-ordained giant clock.

IMPLICATIONS FOR 18TH CENTURY EUROPE

The French Revolution is viewed as a turning point because it was seen as an important stage in a succession of movements that later spread across the globe to ultimately affect the life of mankind.

It is observed that the effects were especially serious for Christianity since they brought actions which struck at the privileges and status of the Roman Catholic Church. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen on August 26 1789 held that "the source of all sovereignty is located in the nation; no body, no individual can exercise authority which does not emanate from it expressly" (Noll, 2000, p.247). The peasants were relieved of a burden which had taken about a twentieth of their produce when tithes were abolished. Consequently, the church was deprived of one of its chief sources of revenue. Church land, which comprised about a fifth of the area of France was confiscated and became the property of the state. In July 1790, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy was enacted by the National Assembly. Among other things, bishops were to be elected by the voters who chose the civil officials and the pope was merely to be notified of their choice. Payment of the clergy by the state was no blessing in disguise since the former was to take an oath of allegiance to the latter. [It must be observed that Spener criticized caesaropapism (doctrine of state control over the church) in his significant publication way back in 1675]. The pope's power was reduced to that of stating the dogma of the Roman Catholic Church. Indeed "churchmen felt this new act meant secularization of the church and they were violently opposed to it" (Cairns, 1981, p.390).

Unlike the situation in the United States, separation of church and state by the French Revolution and later in the Soviet Union and its sphere of influence was an attempt to totally exterminate the church and to replace it with nationalism. The Roman Catholic Church and the French state were completely separated during the reign of terror of 1793 and 1794 when so many were executed for counter revolutionary activities.

The programme of deChristianization gained momentum when the convention decreed that a commune had the right to renounce the Catholic form of worship. The calendar adopted on October 3 1793 made every tenth day rather than Sunday a day of rest. On November 7, 1793, the Archbishop of Paris appeared before the Convention and "solemnly resigned his Episcopal functions" (Encyclopaedia Britiannica, vol.15, 1989, p.498). A certain Mademoiselle Maillard, an opera dancer, wearing the three colours of the new republic on November 10, 1793 was enthroned as the goddess of Reason upon the high altar of Notre Dame, the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Paris, and there she received the homage of the revolutionists. Notre Dame was rechristened the Temple of Reason. Another step adopted by the Convention was the ordering of churches and parsonages to be used as school houses and poor houses thus effectively preventing public and official worship. The Feasts of Reason both at Paris and elsewhere soon "degenerated into mere orgies, disreputable women playing the part of goddesses and enacting bacchanals in the churches" (Martin, 1877, p.552). The precarious situation during the Reign of Terror forced many Christians to renounce their trust in God. Assessing the situation, Kuiper (1964) pointed out that "it is not possible to say how many Protestants as well as Catholics renounced their faith at this time, but the number was large" (p.310). Although the Convention passed a decree reaffirming the principle of the freedom of worship, the Directory and its regime were basically anti-Christian. The interests of Christianity and European civilization were no longer regarded as two expressions of the same reality. In other words, there was a signal of the demise of Christendom.

Kings initially viewed themselves as God's representatives on earth and considered all disobedience and rebellion to be sinful. A dangerous feeling of infallibility, considerable serenity and moderation therefore gained control of monarchs. The French Revolution completely repudiated this divine right of kings and "asserted the doctrine that the right to rule came from the people" (The World Book Encyclopedia, vol.5, 1971, p.199). Although Napoleon eventually recognized the Roman Catholic religion as the religion of the great majority of French citizens, he did not make it the established religion. The clergy were to be paid by the state but the property taken from the Roman Church in 1790 was not to be returned to it. In fact, Latourette (1953) observed with brutal truth that Napoleon "regarded the church as an institution which must be recognized and used for his purposes" (p.1011).

The French Revolution and Napoleon brought grave embarrassment to missions. The direct result was a sharp decline of the faith in some geographic frontiers. Few missionaries were sent from Europe and it was difficult to render aid to those already in the field. The Society of Foreign Missions of Paris was compelled to seek headquarters outside of France. The Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith, the bureau through which the Papacy supervised missions abroad, was driven out of Rome. This led to a marked falling off in numbers and morale of the Roman Catholic community in India. Adverse domestic conditions coupled with the handicaps in Europe threatened the extinction of the church in China. The occupation of Spain by Napoleonic armies and the attack on Portugal greatly affected missions in Latin America. Conditions in Russia were also adverse. Parishes lost the right of electing their clergy, a privilege enjoyed since the era of Peter the Great. In a brilliant summary, Noll (2000) commented that "turmoil from the French Revolution and then the wave of national liberation movements fostered by Napoleon further diminished European concern for cross-cultural Christian expansion" (p.274). The revolution greatly affected Lutherans in the German states. War and suffering revealed that skepticism and infidelity were not sufficient to meet the needs of the human spirit and multitudes turned again to religious faith. The old Holy Roman Empire was dissolved in 1806, stimulating the strengthening of independent states like Austria and Prussia. Later in the century, this contributed to the unification of the German people under the leadership of Prussia. Calvinism in Europe also felt the shock of the French Revolution. Skepticism had already weakened this group in France, Switzerland, the German states and the Low Countries. According to Baker (1959), the "political conditions that continued through the Congress of Vienna in 1815 brought disorganization and uncertainty to continental Calvinism" (p.321).

Beyond the dark clouds were shades of silver lining, which several scholars tend to overlook. Perhaps a positive view was that "society was being directed toward the good of the whole community instead of toward the benefit of a tiny elite of kings, nobles and bishops" (Noll, 2000, p.248). Grievous as were the losses suffered by Christianity, "there was ample evidence that the faith was by no means moribund" (Latourette, 1953, p.1012). Indications of vitality (old and new) were evident. These could be found among the Roman Catholics of the eastern churches and in Protestantism. If anything, "secularization of the west was not going to blot out the faith" (Noll, 2000, p.260). Liberal, sectarian and traditionalist responses to the marginalization of European Christendom all had notable vigor though at varying degrees. European thought was skillfully sifted in a new world in order to preserve an intellectually vigorous Christian faith. Groups like the Oxford Movement applied lessons of the early church of the perils of the present. In his stimulating Church History lectures at West Africa Theological Seminary, Lagos, Nigeria, Dr. William Faupel observed that secularization is not inherently evil and argued that there must be a positive interaction, that is, taking the gospel in the mindset of the people.

RELEVANCE TO CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIANITY

Many biblical scholars agreed that the punctuation of papal power in France was a fulfillment of prophecies of Daniel 7 and Revelation 13, which they believed predicted the demise of Roman Catholicism. In this light, Faupel (1996) observed that "the French Revolution became the Rosetta Stone by which all scriptural prophecy could be correlated with the events of human history" (p.92). The lessons for contemporary Christianity are significant.

Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is indeed a reproach to any people. Even today, the Wesleys are credited with saving England from a bloody, political revolution such as befell France. While the common people were as oppressed and deprived as the French, the English people could cope with their oppression because of their faith in God and their adherence to Christian principles. The English revival caused the people to look to God for hope whereas the French had only politicians and atheistic philosophers. The lesson is that God can avert destruction in a nation that acknowledges Him as Saviour. The situation in Sierra Leone in May 2000 is a case in point. God miraculously saved the nation at a time when destruction loomed large. The nation responded to the call to shout 'Jesus' at 5:00 p.m. on Monday May 9 2000. God honoured this demonstration of faith and reliance on Him as the only hope. The peaceful elections in May 2002 and August/September 2007 could also be attributed to the redeeming work of God in a land where He is exalted. In like manner, Horton (1993) firmly believed that "God brought about a peaceful change in the protestant land of England, in contrast to the turmoil of the Roman Catholic France" (p.72).

Secondly, the church in any nation should not fraternize with the state to oppress masses since the latter could rebel with frenzied violence. In France, the revolutionists demonstrated that "they could break down barriers if they were driven to desperation" (Rowe, 1931, p.420). Furthermore, ideas that glorify man and sentence God to temporary or permanent exile could be dangerous to any nation. The French Revolution shocked Europe and awakened people to the power of ideas and forces that had become part of western culture. For many, "those ideas and forces connoted the disruptions and destruction that could be expected from unrestrained rationalism" (Manschreck, 1974, 298).

From the study, the researcher realizes that pagan religions and ideas could penetrate areas once dominated by Christianity as a result of the state of the church. During his lectures, Dr. Faupel lamented that an impending doom could await the church in North America because of inherent weakness including racist Christian policies. As Rodney observed (1972), "racism...[was] a set of generalizations and assumptions, which had no scientific bias, but...rationalized in every sphere from theology to biology" (p.99). Contemporary Christianity should realize that it should not be the cold impotent ash (like the church in France before the revolution) but a vibrant church fulfilling the Great Commission. Sumrall (1980) caustically dismissed refusal to spread the gospel as "reckless spiritual homicide" (p.8). The contemporary church must be willing to sacrifice like Christ and the saints of old if the earth should be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea. Houghton (1980) hoped that the contemporary church would be mindful of the fact that "when the church goes astray, denying Him who had bought His people with His precious blood, the Lord [sends] trials and afflictions to correct His unfaithful children" (p.34).

CONCLUSION

The above notwithstanding, the blood of a martyr is seed for the church. After the French Revolution, Christianity, probably to the dismay of the revolutionaries, did not die. Truth (Jesus) was in the grave for three days but eventually resurrected. Persecution, in the history of Christianity, could be regarded as a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block. Fire did not beget cold and impotent ash. After the French Revolution, the church became much more involved in speaking on relevant issues of the day. Christianity was viewed from a different perspective. Evangelism was given a thoughtful consideration. In spite of all the negative effects of the French Revolution, the brand of Christianity that emerged transformed itself by positively interacting with the philosophical mindset of the day.

LIST OF REFERENCES

Baker, Robert A. 1959. A survey of Christian history. Nashville: Broadman Press.

Cairns, Earle E. 1981. Christianity through the centuries: a history of the Christian Church. 2nd ed.

Grand Rapids, Michigan: The Zondervan Corporation.

The Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1989 ed., s.v. "French Revolution".

Faupel, William. 1996. The everlasting gospel: the significance of eschatology in the development of Pentecostal thought. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.

Harman, A.M. and A.M. Renwick. 1999. The story of the church. 3rd ed. Leicester: Varsity Press.

Horton, Beka. 1993. 1980. Sketches from church history. Pennsylvania: The Banner of Truth.

Kuiper, B.K. 1964. The church in history. Michigan: The National Union of Christian Schools.

Latourette, Kenneth S. 1953. A history of Christianity. New York: Harper and Row Publishers.

Lefebvre, George. 1947. The coming of the French Revolution. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

Lewis, C.S. 1970. God in the dock: essays on theology and ethics. Michigan: William E. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Manschreck, Clyde L. 1974. A history of Christianity in the world: from persecution to uncertainty.

New York: Prentice Hall.

Martin, Henri. 1877. A popular history of France from the first revolution to the present time, Vol.1.

Philadelphia: The Westminster Press.

Noll, Mark A. 2000. Turning points: decisive moments in the history of Christianity. 2nd ed.

Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic.

Rodney, Walter. 1972. How Europe underdeveloped Africa. London: Bogle L'Ouverture Publications.

Rowe, Henri K. 1931. History of the Christian people. New York: The Macmillan Company.

Sumrall, Lester. 1980. Where was God when pagan religions began? Indiana: LeSEA Publishing Co.

Vos, Howard F. 1960. Highlights of church history. Nebraska: Back to the Bible Publishers.

The World Book Encyclopaedia, 1971 ed., s.v. "Divine rights of kings".

The World Bank Encyclopaedia, 1971 e.d., s.v. "French Revolution".




AUTHOR SIGNATURE

Oliver L.T. Harding, who obtained his GCE O & A Levels from the Sierra Leone Grammar School and the Albert Academy respectively, is currently Senior & Acting Librarian of Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. He is a part time lecturer at the Institute of Library, Information & Communication Studies (INSLICS), Fourah Bay College and the Extension Programme at the Evangelical College of Theology (T.E.C.T) at Hall Street, Brookfields; Vice President of the Sierra Leone Association of Archivists, Librarians & Information Scientists (SLAALIS); a member of the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) and an associate of the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (CILIP). His certificates, secular and sacred, include: a certificate and diploma from the Freetown Bible Training Centre; an upper second class B.A. Hons. Degree in Modern History (F.B.C.); a post-graduate diploma from the Institute of Library Studies (INSLIBS, F.B.C) a masters degree from the Institute of Library, Information & Communication Studies (INSLICS, F.B.C.) and a masters degree in Biblical Studies from West Africa Theological Seminary, affiliate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he won the prize for academic excellence as the Best Graduating Student in 2005. Oliver, a writer, musician and theologian, is married (to Francess) with two children (Olivia & Francis).

Email: oltharding@yahoo.com

Mobile: 232-2233-460-330