Mystery Babylon, As Manifested In Communism, Al Smith, And Mussolini Series

FIFTY-FIVE: THE RISE OF COMMUNISM

Following World War I, the attention of the world is directed to Orthodox/Czarist Russia. It must be noted that the Czar and the Orthodox Church are as united as the Holy Roman Emperor and the Catholic Church. They are a mirror image of what is happening in the other leg of Babylon, Rome.

You remember, I hope, that "orthodoxy," [an ambitiously incorrect title for this group], is nothing more than Catholicism's long lost sister, cut off from Rome's blessing because of her refusal to recognize the Pope. There are some other minor differences, but Rome has a way of conciliating itself with all who will bow the knee to Papa. Sister will not do that, at least not as of this writing, though approaches are being made.

Orthodoxy helps make Russia the mess that it is at the turn of the century. The Czar gets too much credit for this by the incoming communists. Those who begin to plan the overthrow of the Russian monarchy are well aware of the effects of religion on this vast nation, though, and their descendants wage a relentless war against what is thought to be worship of God, while the true worshippers secretly gather in homes and meet God daily!

1870 has already been noted as the year of the temporal losses of Rome, the year of Papal infallibility. It is also the year in which Vladimir Lenin is born.

Lenin, Marx, Engels, Stalin. The founders of Communism are well known. A few further facts might be helpful:

Some of Communism's leaders are trained by the "church." Stalin, for example, studies for a time in the Theological Seminary of Tiflis. Some have gone so far as to say that Communism is a Christian heresy, a spinoff of our own faith. It does indeed have many Christian elements in it. But how would Satan deceive the world if he did not include truth with his errors?

Communism has a decidedly un-Christian side. In fact, one could compare it to the greatest heresy of all, Romanism. Bernard Shaw calls communism the "lay form of Catholicism," which never had its lack of chaplains.

And more. When one compares, piece by piece, the Vatican structure to the Moscow structure (lately defunct), one begins to be suspicious of a single author to both groups' manuals. Consider:

• The extensive use of the color red.

• The presence of a major hierarchy.

• The worship of the top man.

• The priesthood of a select few who run all.

• The blind zeal.

• Attempts at mind control.

• Censorship.

• Unquestioned obedience, loyalty

Blanshard (op. cit.) describes all these items in his book. I would add:

• anti-Semitism,

• anti-everything spiritual that is not proscribed and defined by the hierarchy.

Just before the beginning of the Communist Revolution, the Secretary of State of the Vatican is heard to say:

"The victory of Czarist Russia, to whom France and England have made so many promises, would constitute for the Vatican a disaster greater than the Reformation!" (The Vatican in World Politics, p. 16)

So when Bolshevism -Communism - defeats the Czar and its accompanying Orthodoxy of course, there is for a while great rejoicing in Rome. Kerensky, leader of the short-lived first Communist government, even offers religious liberty. The hopes of the Vatican grow!

Later, things change drastically. The church is thrown out, and Vatican Rome becomes the formidable enemy of Moscow. Something about like repelling like, perhaps.

So now the Vatican is the friend of democracy, and the enemy of the Reds? Even the limited scope of this book has answered that one. Blanshard embellishes the answer:

"The Vatican has always scorned democracy for itself, but it permits its priests to believe in a limited form as long as the power of the Vatican is not affected...the democracy of the US or a dictatorship in Spain is equally acceptable if its attitude toward the Vatican remains positive. Likewise, democracy in Sweden and dictatorship in Poland has been denounced for reasons that negative attitudes toward the Vatican surfaced...The Vatican is on the democratic side only for the duration of the emergency because the Kremlin is on the other side."

Don't you find it interesting that Rome and the Babylonian way continue to prosper in our world, even with all its setbacks, but Communism, that we all feared so much, has practically gone out of business? God, through Daniel, foretold the constant prosperity of a world power. This is no accident. Rome, for over 2000 years, has not been replaced by any attempted world domination. Napoleon, Great Britain, Hitler, Mussolini, Hirohito, the Communists. All dead, gone, or limited. But Rome? One out of every five people on earth gives at least lip service to this terrible beast that Daniel saw taking the reigns from the Grecian period until the end, and that John saw mounted by a lovely lady of the night.