Whore of Babylon ?

[Symux]

I believe the whore is Science.

Science as a religion might seem odd, but people look to it faithfully for wisdom, and medical miracles. Eve took a bite of the apple hoping to gain knowledge and wisdom. God forbade it, but the desire for wisdom and knowledge overpowered their willpower.

Today we still strive for Godly knowledge. Science is constantly trying to disprove the existence of God, and to perform miracles that make people all that much more thankful for it. Look at how many of us donate to medical research. We put our faith in science. The more man turns to science for answers, the less he needs God.

Satan still holds out that apple of knowledge, and we greedily feed of it.

So, my argument is that the whore is Science, and the thirst for acquiring God’s knowledge for ourselves.

( Please don’t post about the whore being the RC, as that will get this thread deleted … and worse… )

 

[FightingFat]

I believe the whore is Science.

I don’t think the RCC, or more specifically, Pope John Paul II in his encyclical Fides et Ratio, would agree with you:

1. Finally, I cannot fail to address a word to scientists, whose research offers an ever greater knowledge of the universe as a whole and of the incredibly rich array of its component parts, animate and inanimate, with their complex atomic and molecular structures. So far has science come, especially in this century, that its achievements never cease to amaze us. In expressing my admiration and in offering encouragement to these brave pioneers of scientific research, to whom humanity owes so much of its current development, I would urge them to continue their efforts without ever abandoning the sapiential horizon within which scientific and technological achievements are wedded to the philosophical and ethical values which are the distinctive and indelible mark of the human person. Scientists are well aware that “the search for truth, even when it concerns a finite reality of the world or of man, is never-ending, but always points beyond to something higher than the immediate object of study, to the questions which give access to Mystery”.

( Please don’t post about the whore being the RC, as that will get this thread deleted … and worse… )

I don’t think many of us Roman Catholics would tell you that!

 

[Harri_Laaksonen]

So, my argument is that the whore is Science, and the thirst for acquiring God’s knowledge for ourselves.

)

So therefore, Ignorance is God’s will

I think not.

 

[PoliSciProf]

I believe the whore is Science.

Science as a religion might seem odd, but people look to it faithfully for wisdom, and medical miracles.

Science can devolve into scientism, an ideology or religion if you like. However, science as a method of inquiry into the physical world can just as easily lead one to appreciate of the beauty, power and majesty of the Divine. If we were not meant to gain knowledge of the world (which was proclaimed good as God created it) should we then have never learned about making fire, agriculture, antibiotics, etc., etc. Do you really believe that these things need to be renounced? I think your reading of Genesis is highly over-simplified. As an earlier poster put it, ignorance is not God’s will.

 

[Symux]

I believe many of you felt I was angered, or against science. No, my education would show just the opposite. However my point to this post was that people are starting to look to science for the answers. It is how people are perceiving it that is wrong, and can lead many away from God.

Science has become a God. When one can’t conceive, they tend not to pray anymore. Instead they go to the Dr and get medical assistance. Sure they may pray that this works, but their real faith is in the ability of the Doctors. When a family member is ill, they plead with the Dr. to do something. It wasn’t all that long ago that people would instead go to their local church and ask for prayers.

Science exists merely to discover new things. By this statement, it is in the nature of a scientist to seek different answers and another understanding. They cannot accept the facts as presented in the Bible, and must continually work at either improving existing knowledge or discrediting it.

In the case of the Bible, it would be much easier to arrive at theories to discredit it. You have seen this many times in history, as it is not in the nature of science to believe in an all powerful being who creates things from nothingness. That isn’t logical, and therefore another reason must be found.

The goal of Satan is to turn people away from God. Self reliance is one of his biggest tools. A rich man will rely on the power of his finances over that of God, and fails to depend solely on him.

Through science, man has duplicated this very motivation that leads people away from God. The first instance we have seen any such hint of this happened in the Garden of Eden. The whore was around for all ages. Science leads all the way back to the Garden of Eden. I know of no other religion that does so.

 

[cpayne]

Maybe a good step to take would be to ask: In the Scriptures, especially prophetic scriptures, what is the image of the prostitute or adulteress usually used for? Is it not usually used for God’s people who have turned away from and rejected Him?—apostate Israel, in other words. And riding the terrible beast: apostate Israel in league with the Roman Empire, which would soon destroy the Temple and disperse all the Jews into the nations of the world. In other words, the harlot is cast down, as is also prophesied.

IMHO, of course.

 

[ricmat]

I believe the whore is Science.

Science as a religion might seem odd, but people look to it faithfully for wisdom, and medical miracles. Eve took a bite of the apple hoping to gain knowledge and wisdom. God forbade it, but the desire for wisdom and knowledge overpowered their willpower.

Today we still strive for Godly knowledge. Science is constantly trying to disprove the existence of God, and to perform miracles that make people all that much more thankful for it. Look at how many of us donate to medical research. We put our faith in science. The more man turns to science for answers, the less he needs God.

Satan still holds out that apple of knowledge, and we greedily feed of it.

So, my argument is that the whore is Science, and the thirst for acquiring God’s knowledge for ourselves.

( Please don’t post about the whore being the RC, as that will get this thread deleted … and worse… )

Symux, I agree with you at some level, although I’d say that it is the misuse of science, rather than science itself that is the issue.

And the PRIDE that science seems to instill in its most vocal advocates that is a problem.

I’m not at home now, and don’t have my references available, but Wisdom chapter 13 sheds some light on this. And my Navarre Bible, commentary on Genesis chapter 11(?) when discussing the tower of Babel, (as I recall) it mentions the Pride of mankind in attempting to reach heaven without God, etc. etc. When I read that commentary, the science posts here at CAF immediately came to mind. I’ll try to post this later in the week when I get home.

One only need look at the evolution threads, and the Pride of professed Catholic scientists to see that when pushed into a corner, the Truth of Darwin or Truth of Science is of more importance than the Truth of God, which says meek is good and Pride is bad.

PS here is a good, readable essay on the general subject of science and religion that was posted in another thread.

 

[Andruschak]

Given that much of Revelations is…um…obscure…that Whore of Babylon could mean just about anything. And, over the last 2,000 years, has been. Various generations and writers have put their spin on it.

For a modest example…mine…

In 2008, it could stand for the widespread practice of adultry and fornication in the world. Sex between consenting adults, widespread approval of masturbation, legalized prostitution in many Countries, and widespread prostitution even if it is not. Pornography everywhere under “freedom of speech”. Gay marriage and adoption.

Approval of Gay marriage may well be the “Mark Of The Beast”.

And so on.

 

[mark_a]

I don’t know about the whore, but didn’t Ted Kazinski believe that technology was the anti-Christ?

 

[CatsAndDogs]

Whore of Babylon?

Where is Babylon?

South of Baghdad about 55 miles.

Why do so many people spell “where” with an “o” when it’s in the proximity of the word “Babylon”?

…and why “of” instead of “is”?

Some mysteries are just TOO deep to have answers, I suppose.

:shamrock2:

 

[rwoehmke]

In the case of the Bible, it would be much easier to arrive at theories to discredit it. You have seen this many times in history, as it is not in the nature of science to believe in an all powerful being who creates things from nothingness.

It is not science that is the problem, but certain individual scientists. Let us not make the mistake of mixing up the individual with the discipline itself.

 

[Andruschak]

Some mysteries are just TOO deep to have answers, I suppose.

:shamrock2:

Well, well, well…:coffeeread:

 

[Symux]

In 2008, it could stand for the widespread practice of adultry and fornication in the world. Sex between consenting adults, widespread approval of masturbation, legalized prostitution in many Countries, and widespread prostitution even if it is not. Pornography everywhere under “freedom of speech”. Gay marriage and adoption.

Approval of Gay marriage may well be the “Mark Of The Beast”.

And so on.

The world certainly is different than it was 20 years ago. That too is another good take on the whore, and is quite fitting.

 

[trdchubi]

Just a thought on Revelation 17

1"Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.

2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the WINE of her adulteries."

What affects inflation rates throughout the world? Can we say the rise and fall of energy can drastically affect this? Will OIL prices affect world economy?

How come all governments of the world is remote on the idea of promoting the use of renewable source of energy?

Can we say that most of the countries of the world are addicted to oil?

Where do we get most of our oil now?

3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a DESERT. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.

Can we say that we are getting most of our energy source from the desert place literally? Can we say that the Wine of the Harlot (OIL) is being used to defy everything that was said about Jesus in the Bible. Can we say that the rise of the whore’s religion is now being felt throughout the world?

4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.

Do we see that this city in the desert is presently embellish with Gold, precious stones and pearls right now?

5 This title was written on her forehead:
MYSTERY
BABYLON THE GREAT
THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

Where is Babylon anyways? Is it in a tropical country?

6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

How many times do we hear of Christian martyrs dying under terrorism? How free are the Christians, in proclaiming the Good news of our Lord Jesus Christ in these desert places? How many have died because they were harassed, sanctioned, threatened by the authorities and people because its against their desert law? How about the desert people who came to know the Lord Jesus who were killed and cast out by their own people because they embraced Christianity?

How about Oil Money being used to fund the destruction of the Jewish and Christian faith?

The rest of revelation 17 tells this whore is a city in a desert. Can we safely say that the revelation 17 says who is the whore literaly?

 

[Symux]

Just a thought on Revelation 17

I am stunned in reading this, as it isn’t something I had even considered. It makes so much sense, and relates so well with revelations.

Thank-you for your insight into this.