Gramp King was still living with us when I graduated from St. Michael's High School in 1949 and would stay with us until his death on Christmas Day 1958. Even though I had to give up my bedroom upstairs so Gramp could have a room of his own, and share the larger bedroom with my brother Frank, I never regretted doing so. Gramp was the kindest man who cared deeply for all of us. Although he was a Methodist, he helped his grandchildren learn their Catholic Catechism. He treated my mother as his little girl every day and couldn't do enough for her, and my dad and he became best friends!

Ma had plenty of love for all her family and was a great friend to many people. She baked for them, helped clean their houses (those who were elderly) and finally developed a small business selling her baked goods and eggs and doing housecleaning for pay.

I had thought about becoming a priest since the age of ten so during my senior year of High School with my pastor's approval, I applied for admission to St Charles' College in Catonsville, Maryland. I was accepted and began the two-year program leading to an Associate Degree in Classical Languages in 1949.

I was very homesick the first ten months there - five-hundred-miles from home and able to go home at Christmas and then not until June for the summer. Because I couldn't stand to wear starch stiff shirts, my mom bought two aluminum laundry cases. One was always in the mail with my week's laundry in it. Back it would come with the laundry, newspaper clippings and some goodies!

After I graduated from St. Charles I wanted to return to St. Mary's on Paca Street, Baltimore, Maryland to earn my Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy. But my Bishop wanted to send me to Montreal, Canada to the Grand Seminary where I'd have to study Algebra, chemistry, and all my other subjects in French. Though I had taken French courses in high school and college I was not fluent enough in speech or reading to do Academic work other than French, in French.

I vacillated all summer of 1951 and on the day before I was to leave for Montreal I decided I had to finish my Bachelor's degree at our University near my home where I could study in English. Through a friendship with our State Representative, my dad got me accepted and registered in two days and I began my studies as a History Major also seeking teacher certification.

I started dating, continued in the Grange serving as Master, and with my Gramp's help and the last of my savings I bought a horse so I could ride with my buddy, Dave. My first girlfriend's parents who lived next to us let me use their barn and pasture for free and I worked part-time to support my horse and for spending money. My dad loved to ride and after getting over the fact that I had emptied my account to buy her, rode the horse as much as I did! I had an earned scholarship, lived at home, and had no car of my own, so my college expenses were not great.

But I could not settle down. I wanted to be a teaching priest. I had dated several girls but I felt that I was deserting God by not going on in Seminary. So, in the fall of 1953, after graduating from the University I entered the postulancy of the Holy Cross Fathers at Stonehill College while taking all the philosophy courses required in a single year instead of two because I already had my Bachelor's Degree.

My sister Dolores was now in Nursing School, Frank was in High School and Celeste in Elementary.

I studied hard and earned all A's and a couple of B's at Stonehill but I was not happy. I missed my social life and my girlfriends. But I had determined to stay until my confessor told me to leave. In March of 1954 we had a long conference. The bottom line was that he told me to go home and get married!

I was an emotional wreck. The very trying time of discernment had taken its toll - at five foot nine inches tall I weighed about one hundred twenty five pounds.

At twenty-one years old when I came out, my mother was there to support me. I was so broken that I remember sitting on her lap, hugging her, and crying uncontrollably. She just rocked me as she had when I was a small child. She never gave up on me.

Bernard J. Fleury, B.A. History and Classical Languages, Ed.D. Philosophy, Government, and Administration, is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Educational Administration. His administrativeteaching career spans more than five decades and three United States and Caribbean Colleges. Dr. Fleury's lifelong interest in history from the perspective of the people who lived it, is evident in Chaps. VIII & IX of A Bee in His Bonnet (website greatgeneration.net) that is his grandfather Frank King's Great Generation story as he recorded it, and told it to his daughter and grandchildren.

Omaha, Nebraska is home to the NCAA College World Series, and is a great place for kids and adults alike. If you are planning on visiting for the College World Series, but would like to get out and enjoy some of Omaha's finer spots, here are a few.

1. The Henry Doorly Zoo - one of the largest zoos in the country, is easily a day's worth of fun. It boasts an indoor rain forest, a desert dome that is one of the largest of its kind, a narrow Gage steam engine, a world class aquarium with an underwater tunnel, and the newest addition is a butterfly house with over 1500 butterflies.

2. The Durham Western Heritage Museum - This museum displays the rich history of Omaha, with an extensive exhibit of trains, and a partial display of Byron Reed's massive coin collection.3. Lewis and Clark Landing - with great restaurants, visitors can enjoy a leisure walk along Omaha's expanding waterfront development.

4. Mahoney State ParkAir and Space Museum - just a short 20 minute drive to the west of Omaha, beautiful views abound, and the air and space museum boasts one of the most educational experiences for kids.

5. Joslyn Art Museum - One of the nicest art museums in the Midwest. Saturday mornings before 1200pm, admission is free. Large collection of regular exhibits, and a traveling exhibit that changes monthly.These are some of the most popular things to do in Omaha any time of year, but out-of-towners will enjoy them no matter what the weather. Enjoy the ball park and getting to know the great city of Omaha.

The antichrist is directly associated with another important entity in Revelation chapter 17. This entity is described in the Apostle John's vision of a harlot woman in Revelation 171-9. John sees a harlot sitting on many waters. A chaste and righteous woman or bride often depicts God's faithful peoplechurch in Scripture (2nd Corinthians 112; Revelation 197-9). However, an impure, harlot woman often depicts God's professed peoplechurch when they are unfaithful, disobedient and compromising with sin and the world (Jeremiah 31,8; Ezekiel 1626-39; James 44-5). Revelation 1715 also tells us that the waters on which the harlot sits represents multitudes, peoples, nations and tongues. Therefore, we have a picture of an unfaithful, disobedient church who presides over multitudes of people throughout many nations and languages.

Revelation 172 states that this harlotunfaithful church has committed fornication with kings of the earth in the past. So, this unfaithful church has had influence over, and dealings and compromises with, many nations and their leaders; moreover, she will also be associated with the antichrist-beast in earth's final days, because we're told that she is sitting on the antichrist-beast as he carries her (Revelation 173,7). This harlotunfaithful church has also been unfaithful to Jesus, her espoused Husband (2nd Corinthians 112), because she is accused of committing fornication.

Revelation 174-5 pictures her in the attire of a harlot and declares that she is guilty of abominations. It states that she has the name Babylon on her forehead, and calls her the mother of harlots. Then, Revelation 176 adds that she is guilty of being drunk with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And, Revelation 177-9 explains that the seven heads of the beast that carries her represent seven mountainshills on which the harlot sits (The RSV, KJV, NKJV and NASB translations say mountains, whereas the NIV, NLT, NEB and Amplified translations say hills).

Who does this harlotunfaithful church represent Revelation 171-9 provided us with several clear and specific clues to help us answer this question. This unfaithful church has presided over multitudes in many nations and tongueslanguages, committed fornication by being unfaithful to Jesus in her compromises and dealings with kingsnations, committed abominations, called Babylon, shed the blood of Jesus' martyrs, and is located in a region or city that sits upon seven mountains or hills.

There is only one church that fulfills this description. The Roman Catholic Church has a billion members spanning every nation and most languages. The Roman Catholic Church in the Middle Ages was in league with kingsnations forcing its church mandates upon people throughout Europe at the threat of excommunication, imprisonment and death; thus constituting the most egregious infidelity to Jesus. And, when it comes to speaking, practicing and teaching abominations, just read the following quotes from various official sources in the Catholic Church.

The Pope is of so great authority and power that he can modify, explain, or interpret even divine law. The pope can modify divine law, since his power is not of man, but of God, and he acts a vicegerent of God upon earth Lucius Ferraris, Prompta Bibliotheca, art. Papa, II, Vol. VI, p. 29.

''I have repeatedly offered $1,000 to anyone who can prove to me from the Bible alone that I am bound to keep Sunday holy. There is no such law in the Bible. It is a law of the holy Catholic Church alone. The Bible says 'Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.' The Catholic Church says, No. By my divine power I abolish the Sabbath day and command you to keep holy the first day of the week. And lo! The entire civilized world bows down in reverent obedience to the command of the Holy Catholic Church. Priest Thomas Enright, C.S.S.R., February 18, 1884, Printed in the American Sentinel, a New York Roman Catholic journal in June 1893, p. 173.

'Deny the authority of the Church and you have no adequate or reasonable explanation or justification for the substitution of Sunday for Saturday in the Third - Protestant Fourth - Commandment of God... The Church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact.'' (Catholic Record, September 1, 1923).

The leader of the Catholic church is defined by the faith as the Vicar of Jesus Christ (and is accepted as such by believers). The Pope is considered the man on earth who takes the place of the Second Person of the omnipotent God of the Trinity. John Paul II, Crossing The Threshold Of Hope, p. 3, 1994

Pope Nicholas I declared that the appellation of God had been confirmed by Constantine on the Pope, who being God, cannot be judged by man. (Labb IX Dist. 96 Can 7 Satis Evidentur Decret Gratian Primer Para)

Pope Nicholas said of himself I am in all and above all, so that God Himself and I, the vicar of God, hath both one consistory, and I am able to do almost all that God can do...wherefore, if those things that I do be said not to be done of man, but of God, what do you make of me but God Again, if prelates of the Church be called of Constantine for gods, I then being above all prelates, seem by this reason to be above all gods. Wherefore, no marvel, if it be in my power to dispense with all things, yea with the precepts of Christ. (Decret. par. Distinct 96 ch. 7 edit. Lugo 1661)

Pope Innocent III (1198-1216) wrote We may according to the fullness of our power, dispose of the law and dispense above the law. Those whom the Pope of Rome doth separate, it is not a man that separates them but God. For the Pope holdeth place on earth, not simply of a man but of the true God. (1 Book of Gregory 9 Decret. c.3)

The title Lord God the Pope - these words appeared in the Canon Law of Rome. To believe that our Lord God the Pope has not the power to decree as he is decreed, is to be deemed heretical. (The Gloss extravagances of Pope John XXII Cum. Inter, tit XIV Ad Callem Sexti Decretalium, Paris, 1685)

Heretics (those who are not members of the Catholic Church or who do not hold to Catholic doctrine) worship a God who is a liar, and a Christ who is a liar. St. Augustine, (quoted in Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graca, by Fr. J. P. Migne, Paris 1866, 42207).

The above quotes speak for themselves and require no further comments regarding their constituting abominations. However, carrying on, Revelation 17 also said that Babylon is written on this unfaithful church's forehead. Keeping this in mind, it is significant that the Apostle Peter identifies his writing location as having been Babylon in 1st Peter 513, and he states that Mark is with him as well. Why is this significant Because nearly all theologians agree that the book of 1st Peter is written from Rome while Peter was in prison there. Additionally, while the Apostle Paul was imprisoned in Rome, he stated that Mark was also with him there (Colossians 410). Therefore, we know that Mark was in Rome at this time, and Peter said that Mark was also with him, which provides more evidence that Peter wrote 1st Peter from Rome; moreover, he was already referring to the city of Rome as Babylon. Thus, the Roman Catholic Church's headquarters in RomeBabylon also fulfills the Babylon clue.

The mother of harlots clue also is fulfilled by the Roman Catholic Church. Roman Catholicism is the first organized Christian Church from which all other Christian denominations came from, who in many cases have adopted her unbiblical teachings and abominable doctrines and practices. How have they done so Consider the following. Many Protestant leaders today refer to the pope as a great man of God and as the holy father, although they are fully aware of the past history of the papacy, which I will expand upon shortly, and are also aware that Jesus commanded that we are not to give any man the religious title of father (Matthew 238-10).

Furthermore, many of today's Protestant and Evangelical churches have adopted the same greedy, selfish, lavish, materialistic, money-focused religion that characterized the Roman Catholic Church of the Middle Ages. The Catholic Church poured its great wealth into huge, expensive, ornate cathedrals to pamper itself, and numerous Protestant and Evangelical churches throughout America are also pampering themselves by pouring their great wealth into expensive, luxurious, colossal mega churches costing multiplied millions of dollars, while millions of children worldwide die from starvation annually.

Protestant churches also continue teaching the Roman Catholic Church's sadistic hell doctrine, which was used so effectively by the Catholic Church to scare its parishioners into buying indulgences for their sins, so they wouldn't have to go to such a place of horrific torment throughout the endless ages of eternity; Protestants now continue to embrace this unjust and sadistic teaching, which I prove to be unbiblical in my article titled Hell on my website address listed at the end of this article, and in the process Protestants also slander the gracious, loving and just God of Christianity.

Protestant churches also continue trampling upon the fourth commandment of the Ten Commandments as the Catholic Church had done, and in the process pay homage to the Catholic Church and its unbiblical Sunday commandment, instead of honoring and obeying the commandment that memorializes God as Creator, the fourth commandment. In my article titled Sabbath on this website, I present an overwhelming amount of biblical evidence that proves there is no biblical authority or precedent whatsoever for honoring the first day of the week, Sunday, instead of the seventh-day Sabbath commanded by God in the Ten Commandments. Please read the following quotes from sources of authority within the Catholic Church regarding this issue, and notice their mockery of Protestants for following the Catholic Church's practice of honoring Sunday instead of the Bible Sabbath of the fourth commandment.

The observance of Sunday by the Protestants is homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the [Catholic] Church. Monsignor Louis Segur, 'Plain Talk about the Protestantism of Today', p. 213.

The Sabbath was Saturday, not Sunday. The Church altered the observance of the Sabbath to the observance of Sunday. Protestants must be rather puzzled by the keeping of Sunday when God distinctly said, 'Keep holy the Sabbath Day.' The word Sunday does not come anywhere in the Bible, so, without knowing it they are obeying the authority of the Catholic Church. Canon Cafferata, The Catechism Explained, p. 89.

''Reason and sense demand the acceptance of one or the other of these alternatives either Protestantism and the keeping holy of Saturday, or Catholicity and the keeping holy of Sunday. Compromise is impossible.'' John Cardinal Gibbons, The Catholic Mirror, December 23, 1893.

They [the Protestants] deem it their duty to keep the Sunday holy. Why Because the Catholic Church tells them to do so. They have no other reason....The observance of Sunday thus comes to be an ecclesiastical law entirely distinct from the Divine law of Sabbath observance..The author of the Sunday Law...is the Catholic Church. (Walter Drum, Catholic priest, Ecclesiastical Review, February, 1914)

Protestants...accept Sunday rather than Saturday as the day for public worship after the Catholic Church made the change. But the Protestant mind does not seem to realize that in observing the Sunday, in keeping Christmas and Easter, they are accepting the authority of the spokesman for the church--the Pope. (Our Sunday Visitor, February 5, 1950.)

My brethren, look about the various wrangling sects and denominations. Show me one that claims or possesses the power to make laws binding on the conscience. There is but one on the face of the earth-the Catholic Church-that has the power to make laws binding upon the conscience, binding before God, binding upon the pain of hellfire. Take for instance, the day we celebrate-Sunday. What right have the Protestant churches to observe that day None whatsoever. You say it is to obey the commandment, 'Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.' But Sunday is not the Sabbath according to the Bible and the record of time. Everyone knows that Sunday is the first day of the week, while Saturday is the seventh, and the Sabbath, the day consecrated as a day of rest. It is so recognized in all civilized nations. It was the Holy Catholic Church that changed the day of rest from Saturday to Sunday, the first day of the week. And has not only compelled all to keep Sunday, but at the council of Laodicea, A.D. 364, anathemized those who kept the Sabbath and urged all persons to labor on the seventh day under penalty of anathema. Which church does the whole civilized world obey Protestants call us every horrible name they can think of-anti-Christ, the scarlet-colored beast, Babylon, etc., and at the same time profess great reverence for the Bible, and yet by their solemn act of keeping Sunday, they acknowledge the power of the Catholic Church. (Industrial American, Harlan Iowa; a published lecture by T. Enright, December 19, 1889)

But since Saturday, not Sunday, is specified in the Bible, isn't it curious that non-Catholics who profess to take their religion directly from the Bible and not the Church, observe Sunday instead of Saturday Yes, of course, it is inconsistent; but this change was made about fifteen centuries before Protestantism was born, and by that time the custom was universally observed. They have continued the custom, even though it rests upon the authority of the Catholic Church and not upon an explicit text in the Bible. That observance remains as a reminder of the Mother Church from which the non-Catholic sects broke away - like a boy running away from home but still carrying in his pocket a picture of his mother or a lock of her hair. Faith of Millions, pp. 400 and 401, by the Reverend John A. O'Brien, PH.D., Copyright 1938, published by Our Sunday Visitor, Huntington Indiana. (Emphasis supplied)

Once again, the above quotes speak for themselves, and no further comment is needed. However, there is another similarity between the Roman Catholic Church and her Protestant daughters. The Catholic Church has practiced abominations such as making, revering and bowing to religious statuescarved images for many centuries, in defiance of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 204-5); nonetheless, modern Protestant churches also have their own abominable practices. They too have now begun to build religious statues to revere men, such as the Billy Graham statue. And, they are ordaining homosexual priests and ministers, performing homosexual weddings, teaching evolution instead of creation in their seminaries, and electing teachers of false gods to head their Christian religion departments, such as was recently done in Minnesota when a Hindu theologian was promoted to chairman of the religion department at Saint Olaf College, which is a Lutheran college.

The harlot of Revelation 17 does indeed have harlot daughters. And, it is just about time for true biblical Christians to give the call, come out of her my people, as is proclaimed in Revelation 181-4. This text states that Babylon is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison or cage for every unclean and hated bird. It said that she committed fornication with the kings of the earth, and that earth's merchants became rich through her abundant luxuries. It concludes by telling God's people to come out of her, so that they don't share in her sins and receive her plagues, probably the seven plagues mentioned in Revelation 16.

How does Revelation 181-4 apply to the Catholic Church and contemporary Protestant churches The day is soon coming, if not already come, when not only the Catholic Church, but also her Protestant daughters, will by and large have completely fallen through their compromises, sins and abominable practices and teachings mentioned earlier. Instead of the Holy Spirit, they will be filled with demonic, foul spirits. Instead of being the house of God, they will be prisons or cages filled with detestable birds. The pure, white dove and the noble eagle that have been symbols associated with God's people in the past, will no longer be associated with these organized churches in the last days, but rather detestable birds, perhaps vultures and the like.

As this passage in Revelation states, they have committed fornication with the world, its systems, practices and governments. As stated, the world's merchants have become rich through doing business with them and providing them with their abundant luxuries that fill their cathedrals and mega churches. It's interesting that the first century Christian Church was poor financially, but rich spiritually. It had no financial assets, but it had rich spiritual assets. Today's Christian churches to a large extent are rich financially, with expensive, beautiful buildings and first class, state of the art everything. They have huge financial assets, but they are approaching spiritual bankruptcy. Their focus is on the things of this world money, fancy buildings and seeker sensitive programming to attract crowds; this instead of being focused on mimicking Jesus, walking as He walked and supplying the needs of the poor, homeless and starving through humble, unselfish ministry. They indeed have become some of the world's best customers with all of their wealth, assets, investments and luxuries. They have pampered and ministered onto themselves instead of onto the least of these, as Jesus encouraged us to do.

For all of these reasons, God's message to His true followers in the last days is to come out of Babylon, to come out of these worldly, compromising, sin-filled and abomination-teaching and practicing organized churches (Revelation 184).

There are still two more identifying clues regarding the harlot in Revelation 17, which I've assumed to be the Roman Catholic Church. But, does the Catholic Church also fulfill these final two identifying characteristics Revelation 176 says that this harlot is drunk with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. Does the Roman Catholic Church fit this description Has it been guilty of shedding the blood of Christians

According to John Dowling's book, History of Romanism, pages 541-542, an estimated 50 million innocents were put to death during the centuries surrounding the Inquisition of the Roman Catholic Church. Charles K Moore's book, The Roman Catholic Religion viewed in the light of Prophecy and History, page 60, also estimates the number of martyred souls by the Catholic Church to be about 50 million during this time period. The same number is arrived at by John B Wilder on page 87 of his book, the Shadow of Rome. Other estimates, however, are even higher. In his book, Plea for the West, pages 130-131, Lyman Beecher places the number of martyrs resulting from the Roman Church's persecutions at about 68 million. And, W.C. Brownlee's work, Letters in the Roman Catholic Controversy, pages 347-348, also places the number at 68 million. On page 170 of Bunch Taylor's book, The Book of Daniel, the number of those martyred by the Roman Catholic Church is said to be somewhere between 50 and 150 million. And, additional historical sources could be cited as well. For now, however, it suffices to say, that the Roman Catholic Church unquestionably has fulfilled the drunk with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus clue in Revelation 176.

Why did the Roman Church put so many millions to death What was their supposed crime The charge brought against them by the papacy was heresy. As you read the following quotes from authoritative Catholic sources regarding heresy and heretics, you will probably be alarmed, disgusted and even frightened.

There are many unquestionable cases of Protestants punished as heretics in nearly all the lands where Roman Catholics have had power, right down to the French Revolution [of 1798].Catholic author G.G. Coulton, in The Death-Penalty for Heresy, Medieval Studies, No. 18, pp. 62, 1924 edition.

All sects of heretics are condemned and various punishments are appointed for them and their accomplices. Pope Alexander IV, The American Textbook of Popery, p 135 (quoting from the Directory for the Inquisitors).

When confronted with heresy, she (Catholic Church) does not content herself with persuasion, arguments of an intellectual and moral order appear to her insufficient, and she has recourse to force, to corporal punishment, to torture.The Rector of the Catholic Institute of Paris, H.M.A. Baudrillart, quoted in The Catholic Church, The Renassance, and Protestantism,p 182-183.

Also, we decree and declare that all of the aforesaid persons have been and are schismatics and heretics, And that as such they are assuredly to be punished with suitable penalties over and above the penalties imposed at the aforesaid council of Ferrara, together with all their supporters and abettors, of whatever ecclesiastical or secular status, condition or rank they may be, even cardinals, patriarchs, archbishops, bishops or abbots or those of any other dignity, so that they may receive their deserts with the aforesaid Korah, Dathan and Abiram... Pope Eugenius IV, in Decree of the Council of Florence Against the Synod at Basel, Council of Florence, Session 7, on September 4, 1439.

A heretic merits the pains of fire....By the Gospel, the canons, civil law, and custom, heretics must be burned. The American Textbook of Popery, p 164 (quoting from the Directory for the Inquisitors).

almost infinite numbers were either burned or otherwise killed,...heretics were often burned by the Catholic Church Jesuit Robert Bellarmine, in Disputationes de Controversiis, Tom. II, Lib. III, cap. XXII, 1628 edition.

All defense is denied to heretics. The American Textbook of Popery, p153 (quoting from the Directory for the Inquisitors).

Heresy consists in a stubborn denial of truths which have been defined and proposed by the Church as divinely revealed doctrines. Any baptized person who...obstinately denies or doubts any of the truths proposed for belief by divine and Catholic faith, is a heretic. Canon 1324-1325 of the 1917 Code of Canon Law.

He is a heretic who deviates from any article of faith. The American Textbook of Popery, p 143, (quoting from the Directory for the Inquisitors).

He is a heretic who does not believe what the Roman Hierarchy teaches. The American Textbook of Popery, p 164 (quoting from the Directory for the Inquisitors).

Whoever 'obstinately' denies these (Catholic) truths, the doctrinal commentary of Pope John Paul II says, falls under the censure of heresy. Our Sunday Visitor, Analysis, July 19, 1998.

The shocking quotes above require us to ask some questions. Were the papal persecutions of the Middle Ages an aberration, an exception to the rule done by only one or two popes No! They were the rule, done by many popes over several centuries. Did the papacy stop the persecutions on its own because it was convicted of its wrongdoing No! It lost its power because French armed forces forcibly deposed and imprisoned the pope about the end of the 18th century. The demise of papal power and its accompanying persecutions was not by choice of the papacy. Finally, has the modern papacy changed its doctrinal stances, or has it changed its stances on heresy and the issue of papal authority to act as God on earth No! In fact, did you notice that the last Catholic quote regarding heresy that I listed was made by Pope John Paul II as recently as 1998 As I mentioned, the modern papacy has not renounced any of its doctrines regarding heresy and papal authority, which created the mindset and potential; moreover, the reality of killing those who did not submit to its doctrines and authority. With this mindset still present, you can see how the contemporary papacy could work hand in hand with the antichrist-beast, implementing a modern-day death decree against supposed heretics; that is, of course, assuming that the antichrist first acknowledges and exalts the papacy in some manner, such as in the scenario I present in my article titled, The End Of The World, which is posted on my website listed at the end of this article.

The final clue concerning the harlot was that she would be located in a region or city that sits upon seven mountains or hills. Does this apply to the Roman Catholic Church To begin with, we know that the papal headquarters is located in Rome, Italy. The online Wikipedia encyclopedia states that the seven hills of Rome do indeed form the geographical heart of Rome. These seven hills are listed as Aventine Hill, Caelian Hill, Capitoline Hill, Esquiline Hill, Palatine Hill, Quirinal Hill and Viminal Hill. The Basic Everyday Encyclopedia, page 451, also states that Rome was built on seven hills. And, Compton's Pictured Encyclopedia, 1948, page 144, says, and I quote, the City of Seven Hills....the Capitoline, Palatine, Aventine, Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, and Caelian hills....the seat of the papacy, the head of the great Roman Catholic Church. Even a contemporary article in the Travel section of the Los Angeles Times dated May, 30, 2008, is titled Exploring Rome's Famous Seven Hills. So, yes, we can confidently say that the Roman Catholic Church certainly fulfills this final identifying characteristic of the harlot in Revelation 17, thus leaving no doubt that it is the fulfilled reality of the harlot symbol in this chapter.

For an in-depth study of the prophecies of the book of Revelation, including the antichrist and the mark of the beast, as well as a detailed presentation of earth's final climactic days, read The End Of The World. I encourage you to also read other interesting and provocative articles at httpgodormen.com.

Mastering your life.

All that is necessary for gaining wealth is mastering a few simple basic concepts in financial and motivational management. Sounds easy huh It's no big deal, just like that, just follow a few simple rules and wallah, success. I want to let you in on a little secret . . . are you ready Here it comes . . . It's all hogwash, that's right, it doesn't work. How many self-help books, courses, seminars, conferences and retreats do you think goes on every year here in the United States It's a huge market. Americans as a society, spend, billions every year seeking an illusion, a dream they never achieve. Why Why doesn't self-help courses work Why do you keep on hearing how it's your fault and you have no one to blame but yourself. All the self-help books in the world are not going to make you rich. Yeah I know the sepal, just follow these simple instructions and you will be a new person What make you think you will change now when you haven't in the past. What is different

I think it's interesting how every self-help guru who has a book or course has hit rock bottom and had an epiphany. It's the same way at church, I mean, you can't have had a spiritual experience without first having to crawl out of the gutter. I've heard stories that would make a oilfield worker cry. Why do you have fall in the pit before you can see the light

Self-help courses don't work.

Look, if self-help courses worked, there wouldn't be a need for psychiatrist, I mean just read the book and you would be all better. How many self-help courses do you think are laying around gathering dust  And the purchasers are not one bit a better person or any richer. So then what do you do You want to be a better person . . . right You want wealth, better relationships and health . . . right How about if I came over and broke your leg, would that get you motivated I mean if you need a traumatic experience to get you to change, I could come over and knock out a few teeth an kick your dog too. See, that way you could tell everyone how you got beat up and while you were lying on the floor starring at the ceiling, it all came to you. Sorry, that wouldn't work either. It wouldn't work because no matter how hard I tried to knock some sense into you, it would only make you bleed and nothing more.

We are what we are and that's a fact. We are a combination of all the junk we have been exposed to all our lives. Those times when you're momma got mad at you and called you a little punk or the kid next door said you were stupid Or you lost a game to your sister and she made you feel one inch tall with her jeering How about the thousands of people you saw get killed . . on TV and movies And the news, now that's a depressing thought, it seem like no one can get along. Oh, how about dear old mom and dad, fifty percent of marriages break up or they cheat on each other. Sex in the workplace is running ramped and every time you go for a ride you fear road rage. But that's ok, your supposed to overlook all that and be calm and collected while you work on them goals. That's what they say, don't they Tune out the world and turn in success. There's so much background noise in the world you can't think anymore. On top of everything else, you worry about your credit score and saving enough to go on vacation. Everyone's bidding for your attention, advertisements on the TV, magazines, news papers, billboards, and on and on and on.

So here you are, feeling all dejected and betrayed. You're a full grown man or woman and you'd like to play again. You'd like to kick up your heels and run in the park or skip across the mall. But you can't, can you After all, what would people think Would they think you were . . crazy No, you're stuck in who you are and a world that expects you to be no more than that. People don't want you to excel because then they would have to do more. Ever wonder why poor people don't like rich people Because they're not rich they're poor. They make up excuses like, well he had to screw lots of people to get rich. I would never do that or he's the bosses pet, that's why he got the promotion. Give me a break, there's not enough excuses in the world to cover up who and what you are.

Do you have to be a graduate of some preppy, upper class school to succeed Well, the richest man in the world today was a college drop out but then, he happened to be in the right place at the right time. Don't get me wrong higher education is very important in todays world. Higher education not only teaches you a skill but it also teaches discipline. It teaches you how to put things in order. By far, more college graduates succeed than those who never went. Why College teaches you to be a realist and how to face the world. It teach you how to be a competitive opponent and devise strategies for success. But what if you can't go to college but you still want to be successful . . . in something! That, my friend is why we are here. That's why you are still looking at what I have to say. Because you are wondering how I am going to get you out of all this. How am I going to make it better for you If you are better, better then what And, what the heck, why should you be better in the first place Who or what are you going to better yourself for, your family, friends sweetheart, coworkers, church family who Is it worth it the price you will have to pay

Can you pay the price

The fact is, everyone has to pay a price for success and oftentimes the price is more than a person can pay. Now I'm not talking just making money but rather developing into a well rounded person in general. A balanced person who is equal in all five, Spiritual, Family, Finance, Physical, Mental, essential areas of life. This entails rebirth into a whole new person. Well how are you going to do that Rebirth, how can a person be reborn Yes indeed, that's the big question, isn't it

Some choose higher education to accomplish their dreams and that's great, but they still have to be boldly motivated and recognize an opportunity when it presents itself or even they will surly fail. Each step along your journey will transform you little by little until the super achiever that has been hiding inside you burst out. Oh, you don't want to be a super achiever That's ok, but you will change into a better, more confident, upright, honorable, relaxed person that knows where you are going and how you are going to get there. There will be no question in your mind of what you want and how you are going to get it. You will challenge yourself with all the possibilities for accomplishment and success which abounds in our affluent society. You will be the powerful driving force that speeds you down the superhighway of success. You will not fear a speeding ticket because you are on the Autobahn and you are driving a Lamborghini. You're doing one hundred eighty miles per hour and the landscape is only a blur but you keep the peddle down and focus on the roadway. You have tuned out the engine noise, road signs and trees as they flash by and all at once . . . you are at peace. Your mind has become quite and your only objective is to finish the journey.

Ready for the journey

What is your journey going to be like Will you stay on the same road you are on or will you turn onto the Autobahn Think of the excitement, the challenge the pure adrenalin rush that comes with success after success after success. Like winning the Olympics and everyone's cheering and standing up in your honor. Little pieces of paper are flying in the air and the band is playing, and you are the center of attention; trophy in hand, waving to the crowd. The world sees you different now. They see the winner that you are; a champion of the game, a warrior who fought a good battle and won. You have earned the right to be free of the challenge that you once had. Isn't that what you seek . . . really Don't you want to be free from all the things that have kept you in bondage for all these years.

When I am riding with my wife as she drives down the Interstate, I look out at the fields and forest. I see the farm houses along the way with their weather worn barns in the background. I wonder about the people there, who are they, how did they get there and how long have they been there What kind of families are they Do they spend holidays together Do they get up early and milk the cows, or feed the stock How pleasant it all looks as we pass by. How do you view the world as you pass by Is it threating or peaceful

Perhaps you are like so many other people that give very little thought to the personal aspects of freedom. Up to this point, you may have been so wrapped up in personal responsibilities and working so hard for someone else that you never took the time to really think about it. Maybe you didn't even realize you were in bondage at all. Is it possible that just maybe you have always had this little dream that has nagged at the back of your mind for years. You've always want to be a . . . what Movie star, astronaut, fireman, doctor, teacher, caption of your own business. . . what Maybe you have always wanted to kick back on a warm beach in Malibu and let the world pass by. The thing is, why aren't you doing it right now What the heck, what makes you any different than anyone else You can walk, talk, have two arms, can see, you have all the same attributes as anyone else, why aren't you on that beach What is holding you back

It's your choice.

Ahhhh, I see, it's all about choices. Sooo, even though you want to be on that beach, you choose not to be, is that right I don't mean to be rude, but why It just doesn't seem right. Oh I see, cost to much huh Won't ever have enough money to live in Malibu, right Well I guess you're right, if you believe you can't do it, well you're right . . . it won't ever happen.

How many people go through life with the outlook that they can't achieve financial success. They don't even think about it, it is just a given. The fact is the road you travel is narrow and the one you choose, you will be stuck on for a lifetime.

Once four of us boys were in the desert in a Jeep. We came upon a drop off of about eighty feet. We couldn't stand it, we just had to go down. I drove up to the edge and the two front wheels dropped over. I got out, cold feet, couldn't do it. My buddy decided he would drive the Jeep over, so he jumped in. Three of us got hold of the back of the Jeep and lifted it up so it would continue over the edge. Over it went, one of the guys jumped in with the driver and away they went. Soon they were at the bottom and the dust was settling. We slid down the hill and all at once it hit me; how was we going to get back up This, my friend, was a bad choice, we knew where we were in the desert but we were trapped. It was hot and our water had fallen over on the trip down the hill. On top of that we were in a military bombing range so no one would be coming around to find us.

I took the wheel and in time found a very narrow passage out. But we could of perished there. Isn't that the way life is. Make a wrong decision and right away you are in trouble. The thing is, you have to make sure you are on the right road, once you get on, there is no turning back until you feel the effect of its' results, and by then, maybe it will be to late. Every decision has a consequence. Some are quick while some are long lasting; many effect others around you but all have an end result. Your choice to make a change in your life will have a lifelong affect on you and everyone around. Chances are, your actions will carry over for generations to come.

It's time to map out your destiny. It's time to get on the stick and do something about making your dreams come true. We'll see what happens next time.

For most people, the pressure to conform begins before we're even born. Once the ultrasound images come through, our rooms, toys, and footy pajamas become gender-themed. In elementary school, we are systematically ranked in terms of name-brand vs. generic binders and snack items. In high school, we carefully engineer our clothes and backpacks to achieve that effortlessly cool look. Let's not even get started on what we do in college.

Despite its being so normal a part of everyday life, there's something inherently creepy about group thinking. Whether you're Borg, a Stepford wife, or just a nervous freshman, everyone needs an occasional reminder of why not to run with the pack. To call in the really big guns, here are three classic literary scenarios that might help you wave your freak flag high.

Scenario One Colonial Africa. The landscape is wild, the natives are unfamiliar, and the Europeans are doing their best to screw it up. Enter Mr. Kurtz of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. A British ivory trader living deep in the Congolese wilderness, Kurtz is a charismatic, intelligent type-A kind of guy. Who also happens to be a psychopath. Living out a unique twist on the Into the Wild, Kurtz forsakes European civilization, amasses a private army of indigenous and European minions, and goes on a murderous rampage.

By the time our narrator, Charlie Marlow, tracks him down, Kurtz is decorating his private jungle fortress with impaled heads. What's worse, despite the fact that Charlie a) goes after Kurtz knowing what he's capable of, and b) witnesses Kurtz's insanity firsthand, his experience leaves us wondering whether or not he has also succumbed to Kurtz's influence. Although Heart of Darkness gives us an interesting look at the power of one person's persuasion, there's also something to be said for the sweeping momentum of mob rule. Which brings us to our second literary classic.

Scenario Two Colonial America. The continent is enormous, the colonies are tiny, and the pioneers are so uptight that the Church of England doesn't want them. Add a reverend's daughter girl and a mysterious illness to the mix and you've got Arthur Miller's The Crucible, a play about the Salem witch trials. Beginning with one angry girl's accusations of witchcraft, the story snowballs as the entire village turns against itself in an eat-or-be-eaten fight to the death.

In the end, the victors are either accusers or (false) confessors, whereas those who try to keep their noses clean are summarily executed. What makes this scarier than Kurtz's private army is the fact that a witch hunt doesn't require a mastermind; combine ten parts society and one part fear and you've got yourself a recipe for disaster. Of course, the mob mentality formula works in the absence of civilization, too. Just check out our third literary classic.

Scenario Three The Desert Island. The island is small, the wee tykes are even smaller, and their chances of being found are slim to none. When you combine all the worst parts of Heart of Darkness and The Crucible, the resulting tale of horror can only be William Golding's Lord of the Flies, a story about a schoolyard that is accidentally relocated to an island in the middle of the Pacific. The boys polarize around the two strongest personalities, but being that they probably still used nightlights in their former life, they're not exactly immune to good ol' fashioned mass hysteria, either.

By the time the boys have painted their faces, ritualistically slaughtered wild boars, and waged war on each other, you begin to wonder if youthful innocence is a contradiction in terms. The story ends with the boys being discovered by civilized, adult men in the midst of a civilized, adult world war. You know, just in case you felt happy for a second there.

Wed together, these three stories warn us against the corrupting influence of both influential leaders and mindless mobs, social constructs and wild savagery, respected adults and smelly pre-teens, hysterical girls and barbarous boys. In short, trust no one but yourself.

Which is kind of the point.

Shmoop is an online study guide for Lord of the Flies, Crucible and many more. Its content is written by Ph.D. and Masters students from top universities, like Stanford, Berkeley, Harvard, and Yale who have also taught at the high school and college levels. Teachers and students should feel confident to cite Shmoop.