By Robert Anthony
July 30, 2024
Was it really so shocking, the opening ceremony of the Olympics this year in France?
If we stop for a moment and consider. How many of the European nations still have state-created and state-run Christianity?
It basically goes without saying that throughout much of European history over the past 1500 years, the Roman Catholic church dominated state-run religion. Of course, over the more recent history, for the past 400+ years Europe at large has been distancing themselves from the Roman See. And yet even still nearly every European nation has some form of state-sponsored Christianity, fully-functioning even today.
It's really simple math, placing politics and politicians to rule over any sort of relationship with God, or religion, the state is predetermining a corrupted and defiled sort of spirituality lacking truth, faith and love – and that’s at best. At worst a state-run religion is going devolve into something much more akin to a cult, dictating to the people what it is to walk with God and yet, by in large, without God – as corrupted and broken elites try to play the middle-man-broker between the people and their God. (Which is really the trouble with all religion, men stepping into the middle of a man’s relationship with his God but I will write about this more later.)
The people of Europe have been warring against this state-religious establishment for centuries! for over 1500 years! And while it has in fact gotten much better... (I can’t imagine the European people going along with another Inquisition!?) State-religion is never going to bring the freedom that the Spirit of God gives us that we might know our God, uniquely.
I have many European friends, from all over Europe, not one nation is really free from this terrible idea, some nations have less pressure on them to contribute to these state-run-religions than others but this remains a massive problem all throughout Europe and beyond.
I think our founding fathers were ingenious to decide on allowing religious freedom! Remember, the majority of our founding fathers were staunch Christians and yet they still voted against a state-made/state-run religion... Geniuses!
This separation of Church-State concept was beyond ingenious. They knew to not necessarily keep the church out of the state… because we can see God’s principles all throughout our founding documents, all throughout our education system (remember Harvard, Princeton, Yale, etc. were all Christian Universities! And Seminaries!!), etc… but these founding fathers knew they Must keep the state out of the affairs of the Church! Think about that. The Separation of the Church/State was all about Protecting the CHURCH from the state!! God's principals were already very much alive and well within all our nations foundations.
Europe did not follow America’s lead, freeing it's people, not for the past 300+ years.
Why are European populations collapsing? Why is Europe trying this experiment abolishing their borders, reckless immigration and these other radical social experiments!? Simple. They are in crisis with an aging and collapsing population (here is a great article wherein we dive deep into population collapse) – and they simply don’t know what else to do.
God is the God of Life! He isn’t just an ominous power or disinterested and far-removed Creator, living out there somewhere in the cosmos… He is our Father, our Good and Loving and Caring Father, and He is the Father of Life!! Rejecting the Father of Life, what will become of our nations and their families!? Study the collapse of every empire-society throughout history and what becomes very clear is that as they rejected the fundamentals, the very building blocks of life, the whole of their empire rapidly collapsed!
And so they rush, headlong into madness!? transhumanism, genetic-engineering, designer-babies, computer-AI-human integration, LGBTQ-agenda, men growing babies in artificial wombs and worse! (Here is our series about Transhumanism in the Bible. Must Read!) Europe seems to be doubling down on this madness! Rather than repenting, admitting to themselves they actually need God, they are doubling and tripling down with this utter hysteria!? ready now to play God is ways the world hasn’t seen since before the flood! Now they will create their own life? Growing populations at their whim?
If the people of Europe don’t hurry up and fall to their knees in repentance, crying out to their Father for salvation, I’m very afraid the very worst is before us in Europe and France very-well seems to be one of those key nation’s leading the charge, against Reason, against Life and against God.
But to give Europe and the people of Europe some grace and mercy. Europe has had more trouble with false religion, in the name of God, than perhaps anywhere on earth. Period.
I hope I have done a good job differentiating a relationship with God in distinction from religion. I am not promoting the newest religious fade or Messiah-like leader, quite the contrary, I am promoting the whole of Europe to find God -and the way of God has always been found, uniquely, individually, a man or a woman giving themselves over by faith into a relationship, coming to know the God of heaven and earth, who is Our Father, uniquely.
But to call God our Father, isn't perfect. The word, Abba, in the Bible does not best translate to Father but rather Dad or Daddy, like the way a child would call out to their father, they would never say, “Father!” That would seem odd and out of place. My 8-month old’s first word, much to my reward, was, “Dadda!” God wants us to know Him the same way a child comes to know his Dadda - and His Word is crystal clear on the subject. The truth of what God actually gave us is so much better than anything religion has taught us… and this gift from God was never to be controlled or dominated or dictated by someone else.
Men can inspire us to God, and God bless them if they do! but dominating or ruling over someone’s will, trampling their God-given right to choose was never the example God gave us. Not ever. And Europe as a whole will continue to rebel as long as their leaders push a state-political and religious agenda on their people. The salvation of Europe comes thru their freedom - the freedom for them to walk with their God and Father, to come to know Dad, who is in heaven (but who also comes to live in our hearts.)
Personally, I am not upset with Europe. I will admit, I’m at times upset with false religious leaders, I’m at times upset with politicians and world-rulers who are often messing things up for us regular-folk (as they continually refuse to humble themselves and turn to God for guidance) but I’m not upset with people of Europe at large. In fact, if God would open the doors I would personally go to Europe and preach His gospel, the real gospel, to them! I would tell them – God and His Son always wanted to set you free! Anyone who presents God with their own controls and dominance, can not actually know God.
While the Olympic ceremonies grieved me, I have come to expect these things from this lost and dying world. I pray for a new and living movement of the Spirit of God in Europe! Something with the Power of God’s New Life that genuinely Saves, Restores and Makes All Things New!!
And then, finally, Europe will be free...
Yes, why are we surprised when wicked men act wickedly? It is only by God‘s great grace and the outpouring of His Spirit that men’s hearts will be changed. The pushback against this darkness is important, perhaps the surprise is that they are so blatant and so in our faces. The one good thing is that they are overplaying their hand, and it causes the people of God to rise, to pray and to fight for our families and our nation. May we see a powerful move of God that ironically is inspired by the darkness of this world.
I feel your heart, Brother Robert! Your grief for this lost world is deeply sincere. It’s no wonder the world finds itself in such a state as it continues to turn away from God.