I would like to add some issues that are not mentioned in the Bible as correctly pointed out by the writer in the Southern Free Times Nov 1, yet they are practised by churches, I believe, pretending to follow the Bible.
The writer said these prelates wear dunce’s hats. Actually they have two peaks. This comes from the fish god, Dragon. Thus the two peaks represent the open mouth of the fish as it is pulled from the water. Of course these clergy are educated, but I believe they are dunces to be educated in evil.
The writer also mentioned the golden staff. The clergy excuse this as a symbol of the shepherd’s staff, they being the shepherd to catch any sheep that may stray away from their clutches. However not all such staffs have an innocent curl on the end, some are adorned with a serpent’s head. The magicians in Pharaoh’s court had such rods, Exodus 7:12. The banging of the rod/staff/crosier on the ground is also a pagan idea to get power from below, Isaiah 30:32.
Other pagan rituals are the aligning of the churches facing east to greet the morning sun with early morning service. While not all churches face east, depending on the orientation of the land, when 80 per cent are so arranged, we detect a pattern. So the placing of cemeteries on the west of towns comes from sun worship, as the sun dies in the west. Other pagan rituals are Easter eggs and rabbits as fertility symbols, Christmas festivals to celebrate the rebirth of the Sun after the dark days of winter in the northern hemisphere.
As God placed His memorial of Creation in the Holy Seventh Day Sabbath, advocates of sun worship have placed their worship day on Sunday, for which there is not a single Bible text to support it. Thus by men’s pagan traditions they break God’s Ten Commandments, Matthew 15:6. Christ kept the Seventh Day Sabbath on earth, and His apostles did so after His death and resurrection, Acts 18:4-11, and it will be kept in eternity, Isaiah 66:23.
PS The Seventh Day Sabbath is called the Seal of God in contrast to the mark of the Beast.
Charles Gaitskell
Stanthorpe