What is Religion?

by Bertrand Comparet

Of the many voices competing for the nation's attention, very few dare tell a really substantial part of the truth in the fields of politics or economics; and those few who do are subjected to the most evil and vicious smear campaign imaginable. Even in the field of religion, very few dare tell all the truth; and those few are called "bigots". Not very many have the courage to face such a campaign of abuse, so many who know the truth are silent. Naturally, nothing like this could escape the foreknowledge of God: it is one of the signs of the Time of the End. So God prophesied, in Amos 5:13, that "The prudent shall keep silence in that time, for it is an evil time."

Therefore, only a small portion of the people have the opportunity, today, to hear the full truth in any of these vitally important fields – which today are becoming literally "matters of life or death." Instead, they hear the constant repetition of propaganda aimed to influence public action or inaction in a way to serve the interests of those who control the media of public information. Particularly unfortunate is the fact that most people do not get to hear the word of God on these matters – matters which God considered important enough to give us specific warnings about. But again, this was foretold by God Himself, also through the Prophet Amos: "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land: not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord." (Amos 8: 11)

Since these are days of terrible and increasing danger, and never were God's words more needed than today, many people wonder why God would permit any Interference with the teaching of His word: why isn't it made available to all? Why isn't it dinned into everyone's ears, the way this condition is not the cause of our trouble, it is the result. We are reaping what we have sown. Time was when the full truth could be spoken or printed in this country: some people would bitterly disagree with you, of course – but they could not Silence you. Then we allowed our enemies to teach us that to oppose them was "controversy", and that was always vaguely bad. In some undefined way – though, by some unexplained magic, their opposition to you was not controversy, it was just a liberal recognition of other points of view (theirs only, of course).

We have come to regard expressing the truth as bad taste – since the truth always offends those who are engaged in some evil activity. This is especially true of the word of God, which always offends all evil people. Therefore, we have allowed ourselves to be taught that the word of God must not be used, even His name must not be mentioned, in our schools or our public institutions because it offends those who hate Him. In other words this famine of hearing the word of God has come upon us, not as our misfortune, but because we have acquiesced in it, even supported the politicians who have pushed it the hardest. It is our sin. When we had the truth, we allowed it to be suppressed. The consequence is God's judgment: as He says In Hosea 4:6, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." As a consequence, our forgotten children have died in the jungle-swamps of the South Pacific and the freezing mud of Korea, in the scorching deserts of North Africa and the bomb-shattered cities of Europe – and for what? To create the hell on earth which faces us today.

Perhaps a few people are disturbed because we dare mention what some would call "political" truths, as well as "religious", on this program: for they have been taught you should never mix the two. You see, there are some people who wouldn't worship your God if they knew you weren't a left-wing, New Deal Democrat: and there are others who wouldn't listen to the truth on Political matters if they knew you didn't belong to their church. They think that God is a politician who must hide His principles in order to get more votes. But God has never worried whether the majority would follow Him: if they would not, that was their own tragic loss; but the truth was never compromised.

In speaking to you on economic" and "political", as well as "religious" matters, we are just following in the footsteps of the prophets. God spoke through them on all these subjects. Economic principles determine whether we shall have prosperity or poverty, and God wants us to be prosperous; Political principles determine whether we shall have freedom or slavery, and God wants us to be free; therefore, He has instructed us on these matters, in the Bible. He must speak the word of God: and if any are offended, we can't help it: The truth compromised would no longer be truth.

I want to review in a general way the subjects discussed in the Bible, and note into which class each falls – "economic", "political", or "religious" – all in the same book. On the authority of that book, the Bible, this program takes its stand, and we will not deviate there from. Now let's see what authority we have for this broad coverage.

Let's start with Moses. The Book of Genesis introduces us to our God, and to that extent it is religious. But it also contains God's promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, ancestors of the Anglo-Saxon race, that these people would become great nations, a blessing to all the earth; that they shall control the great gateways of the earth; that other nations shall bow down before us; that we shall be blessed with all good things, or as we say today, "have" nations. These promises are economic and political. Exodus gives the religious ordinances of the Passover, the Ark and the Tabernacle, the priesthood and the sacrifices, the altar and the holy days. It also gives the Ten Commandments, of which only the first 4 are religious; the other 6 are social and political.

The next book, Leviticus Partly religious, dealing with offerings and sacrifices, consecration of priests, and the great feasts and holy days; but It also contains the agricultural laws and the dietary laws, the rules for healing the sick, and the great economic and social laws of the Year of Rest and release of debts every 7th year, and the restoration of the poor to their lost homesteads every 50th year – and these are definitely economic and political.

The Book of Numbers gives the laws of conscription, military training and war, which are surely political, as well as religious. Moses last book, Deuteronomy, reviews the Ten Commandments and the holy days; but it also gives the organization of the nation, the dietary and agricultural laws, the economic laws and the laws of warfare, which are surely social and political. Moses wrote under direct inspiration FROM God; he Intermixed what some call “religious" (because it pertains to the forms and ceremonies with which we like to dress up our expression of our relation to our God), with the rules governing all the practical aspects of our civilization, all the rules governing man’s relation to his fellowman, both as an individual and as organized society. And remember that Moses wrote this at the dictation of God the "economic" and "Political" rules ARE STATED UPON THE SAME AUTHORITY AS "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me," or "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image" – the direct commandment of God.

The prophet ISAIAH wrote some of the grandest religious statements and prophecies ever expressed by man. But also he gave many political explanations and prophecies to the people, some of which applied to his own times, and some of which are clearly directed to our own day. He warned the people that they had not kept the nation pure, that they had allowed alien elements to rise to power in their capital city of Jerusalem, saying, "For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah Is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of His glory. THE SHOW OF THEIR COUNTENANCE DOTH WITNESS AGAINST THEM: AND THEY DECLARE THEIR SIN AS SODOM, THEY HIDE IT NOT. Woe unto their soul for they have rewarded evil unto themselves For this cause, he warned them, God would judge them: their enemies would invade and conquer the land; no alliance with other nations could save them. This warning of existing political evil in their government, and its penalty of military invasion and defeat, surely deals with so-called Political subjects.

Don't tell me, "You must separate politics and religion, economics and religion.” God does not separate or distinguish between them: He separates right and wrong, good and evil; what is right and good, in economics and Politics He commands by His religion, as part of it.

No prophet in the Bible wrote entirely for his own days: part of his message was a warning to us who live in the 20th century, As Paul reminds us in I Corinthians 10:11,"They are written for our admonition, upon whom the End of the Age is come." This is especially true of Isaiah. In his 8th chapter, he gives us the clearest warning against our wicked folly in joining the United Nations. God warned us in clear and strong language: Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all Ye of far countries: gird yourselves and ye shall be broken in pieces; TAKE COUNSEL TOGETHER, AND IT SHALL COME TO NAUGHT: SPEAK THE WORD, AND IT, SHALL NOT STAND. FOR THE LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, “SAY YE NOT A CONFEDERACY" to all them to whom this people shall say a confederacy, neither fear ye their fear, not be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread. And HE shall be for a sanctuary." (8:9-14)

We have been warned not to associate ourselves with these pagan and Christ-hating nations, for those who do join this association shall be broken in pieces. And isn't this a perfect picture of the utter futility of this pagan organization: "Take counsel together, and it shall come to naught; speak the word, and it shall not stand." Just 17 words perfectly sum up 20 years of effort to govern the earth by the power of Satan, in an organization where the name of Jesus Christ cannot be mentioned. How could we claim to be speaking the word of God, the true religion. If we failed to bring you this warning, spoken by God to His prophet Isaiah – a warning essential to our very survival in the near future?