The Pagan Origin of the "Cross"

The history of the cross, and its worship and use as a religious symbol by pagan nations long before the time of Christ, shows us plainly that it is not a symbol that Christians should attach any reverence toward.
Says Unger's Bible Dictionary:
"That the cross was widely known in pre-Christian times as an emblem has been clearly shown by independent investigators. Indeed. it was a well-known HEATHEN SIGN. The vestments of the priests of HORUS. the Egyptian god of light. are marked +. At Thebes. in the tombs of the kings. royal cows are represented plowing a calf playing in front. Each animal has an + marked in several places on it. Rassam found buildings at Nineveh marked with the Maltese cross. Osiris, as well as Jupiter Ammon, had for a monogram an +. The cross is found marked on Phonecian monuments at an early date" (p.227).

In his fascinating historical book The Two Babylons, Alexander Hislop tells us a great deal about the history of the "cross." Notice what he says about this ancient object of worship:
"There is yet one more symbol of the Romish worship to be noticed, and that is the sign of the cross. In the Papal system, as is well known, the sign of the CROSS and the image of the CROSS are all in all. No prayer can be said, no worship engaged in, no step almost can be taken, without the frequent use of the sign of the cross. The cross is looked upon as the GRAND CHARM, as the GREAT REFUGE in every season of danger, in every hour of temptation as the infallible preservation from all the powers of darkness. The cross is adored with all the homage due ONLY TO THE MOST HIGH; and for any to call it, in the hearing of a genuine Romanist, by the Scriptural term 'the accursed tree' is a mortal offence. To say that such superstitious feeling for the sign of the cross. such worship as Rome pays to a WOODEN or a metal CROSS, ever grew out of a saying of Paul, 'God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ' --that is, in the doctrine of Christ crucified -- is a mere absurdity, a shallow subterfuge and pretence. The magic virtues attributed to the so-called sign of the cross, the worship bestowed on it, never came from such a source. THE SAME SIGN OF THE CROSS that Rome now worships was used in the BABYLONIAN MYSTERIES, was applied by PAGANISM to the same magic purposes was honored with the same honors. THAT WHICH IS NOW CALLED THE CHRISTIAN CROSS WAS ORIGINALLY NO CHRISTIAN EMBLEM AT ALL" (The Two Babylons, p.197).
Notice! The cross that is so adored by Joseph Tkach, and others, dates back to ancient pagan worship --the "mystery religions" stemming out of ancient BABYLON! Thus Joseph Tkach is once again retracing his steps and going BACK TO BABYLON in his worship system of the doctrines of the Worldwide Church of God!
As David Whitaker points out in his article, "The Mark of the Beast and the Christian. Cross," the pagan/so-called Christian "cross" is a perversion of the mystic "Tau," the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The "Christian" cross has no direct connection with the "Tau," which was in the form of a capital "T" in English, but puts the cross-beam down the stem of the letter, as a small "t" shape. The Jews refer to it as cherev, or the "sword." It is a ancient pagan phallic symbol of the male penis, a symbol of pagan sex worship and the abominable rites of Baalism and the pagan temple prostitution carried out in worship of Astarte ("Easter") !
The major "crosses" of history, such as the Latin, Greek, and Maltese crosses, all have the cross-bar in the middle or upper part of the upright pole. The archaeologist Layard found the Maltese cross as a sacred symbol in ancient Nineveh of the Assyrians, close kin to the Babylonians (see Gen.l0:8-12). Layard identified the cross symbol he found with the sun, thus showing it was a sign of SUN WORSHIP!
The pagan cross was worn suspended from the necklaces of the Vestal virgins of Pagan Rome, even as Roman Catholic nuns wear it now, seemingly in imitation of their predecessors. The pagan Egyptians did the very same thing. Wilkinson, who studied the ancient Egyptians and nations of Africa, found that the people of many tribes "frequently had a small cross suspended to a necklace, or to the collar of their dress. . . showing that it was already in use as EARLY AS THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY BEFORE THE CHRISTIAN ERA"

What Must We Remember?
In the first and second commandments, Almighty God commands, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee ANY GRAVEN IMAGE, or any LIKENESS OF ANY THING that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not BOW DOWN thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me . . ." (Exodus 20:3-5).
Notice! God condemns the creation of any "graven image" of "anything" as an item of WORSHIP! To use the cross, therefore, as an item of worship, to loving finger it, hold it, to use it in worship, to spend time thinking of it INSTEAD OF JESUS CHRIST OR GOD ALMIGHTY HIMSELF, is an act of blatant IDOLATRY and a clear breaking of the commandments of GOD!
Rather than remember a lifeless object like the "cross," which has no power at all to deliver anybody from anything, but is an act of IDOLATRY, God tells us in His Word the things we should REALLY "remember," and keep in our minds!
Notice! God says,
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of THEM when thou sit test in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a SIGN upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates" (Deu 6:4-9).
God commands us to "REMEMBER all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a WHORING: that ye REMEMBER, and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God" (Numbers 15:39-40).
Instead of "remember the cross," which is a form of idolatry, God commands us to "REMEMBER ALL THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD"! God also commands us to remember how He delivered our ancestors out of Egypt, the first Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, and how He intervened and rescued and provided for our forefathers in the wilderness (Exodus Exo 13:3; Deu 5:15; 7:18; 8:2).
God warns us not to forget these things -- they are crucial to our salvation and overcoming!

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

WALKING THE PATH OF CHRIST JESUS AND KEEPING FOCUSED ON GOD’S TEN COMMMANDMENTS EACH AND EVERYDAY, FOR TODAY HAS IT’S OWN PROBLEMS TO WORRY ABOUT. WHEN YOU PRAY ALWAYS GIVE HIGH PRAISE TO GOD ALMIGHTY IN HIS SON JESUS NAME! SHARE FELLOWSHIP WITH YOUR BROTHERN IN THE WORD OF GOD ALMIGHTY, THE TRUTH, THE LIGHT AND TRUE SALVATION.

The Ten Commandments

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

3. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

5. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

6. Thou shalt not kill.

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

8. Thou shalt not steal.

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

WHAT IS THE RAPTURE?

PEOPLE ARE FOOLISHLY FOLLOWING THE JESUITS AND THE BELIEF "JOHN NELSON DARBY" A 19th-CENTURY THEOLOGIAN, AND NOT THE WORDS WRITTEN IN THE HOLY BIBLE: JESUS SAID FOR HIS BELIEVERS NOT TO BE DECEIVED!!!

GUESS WHAT? MANY ARE DECEIVED!!!

One Taken, One Left

Do you get the phrase "left behind" from: "So shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left" (Matthew 24:39-40)?

If so, note that there Jesus is referring to the same "coming of the Son of man" as when he says "immediately after the tribulation of those days... they shall see the Son of man coming" (Matthew 24:29-30). Jesus isn't teaching a 3rd coming. Note that he is speaking to the same believers, the same "ye," in Matthew 24:15 that he is speaking to in Matthew 24:42.

In the pre-trib view, how will "one taken, one left" be a secret pre-trib rapture and not an event at the revelation of Jesus, when "even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed... Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left" (Luke 17:30, 36)?

I believe that the ones "taken" at the 2nd coming are unbelievers who are killed, just as Noah's flood "took" evil men away (Matthew 24:39-40), and that the carcasses of the ones "taken" are eaten by eagles and other birds (Luke 17:36-37, Job 39:30, Matthew 24:28, Revelation 19:21).

I believe the ones "left" at the 2nd coming (Matthew 24:40, Zechariah 14:16) will be survivors of the heathen nations that came against Jerusalem, who will be forced to worship Jesus in the millennium (Zechariah 14:16-18), and whom we will rule "with a rod of iron" during that time (Revelation 2:26-29, 5:9-10, 20:4). They will be the ones who will populate the millennium.

The ones "gathered together" at Jesus' 2nd coming are his elect (2 Thessalonians 2:1, Matthew 24:31). So I believe Christians won't be the ones "taken" or the ones "left," but the ones "gathered together."

No Unbelievers Left?

"It shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles" (Zechariah 14:16-19). Would Christians refuse to come up to worship Christ? Would Christians be referred to as heathen? Will Christ be smiting Christians with drought and plague?

"I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel" (Psalm 2:8-9). Will Christ be dashing Christians in pieces with a rod of iron?

"Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. All the earth shall worship thee" (Psalm 66:3-4). Would Christians be referred to as Christ's enemies?

REVELATION 19:21

Revelation 19:21 says "the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse." I believe this refers to the remnant of the "armies, gathered together to make war against him" (Revelation 19:19), and not to every last unbeliever on the earth.

Note that at the 2nd coming, it doesn't say that every unbeliever on the earth will be in the armies gathered around Jerusalem, for there will be men and women all around the world "left" alive in bed and working in the field and grinding at the mill who aren't taken to where the birds will eat the carcasses of the ones taken (Luke 17:36-37; Matthew 24:28; Job 39:30; Revelation 19:21). I believe they are "every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem" (Zechariah 14:16).

JEREMIAH 25:33

Note that in the context of Jeremiah 25:33, the Lord refers to "the sword which I will send" to desolate ancient Israel and "all the inhabitants of the earth" (Jeremiah 25:16-29) through "Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon" (Jeremiah 25:9), "the oppressor" that would make them all desolate (Jeremiah 25:38). So it's possible that Jeremiah 25:33 may refer to what happened in ancient times.

Even if we required that Jeremiah 25:33 also picture the 2nd coming, note that the Hebrew word (erets) translated as "earth" in Jeremiah 25:33 is translated as "land" in Jeremiah 25:9, 11, 12, 13, 20, 38. So it's possible that Jeremiah 25:33 could refer to the entire land (erets) of Israel where the armies of the earth will be slain by the Lord at the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:21).

Note that at the 2nd coming there will be men and women all around the world "left" alive in bed and working in the field and grinding at the mill who aren't taken to where the birds will eat the carcasses of the ones taken (Luke 17:36-37; Matthew 24:28; Job 39:30; Revelation 19:21). I believe they are "every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem" (Zechariah 14:16).

ALL DESTROYED AS IN FLOOD?

Note that in Luke 17 and Matthew 24, the parallel point between the 2nd coming on the one hand and Noah's flood and Sodom's destruction on the other, can't be the destruction of all the wicked, but rather their obliviousness to the disaster that was about to come upon them, for unlike the flood, which "took them ALL away" (Matthew 24:39), at the 2nd coming not all will be taken away, but "one shall be taken, and the other left" (Matthew 24:40).


ALL MARK-TAKERS DESTROYED?

I agree one cannot take the mark and ever be saved (Revelation 14:9-10), but is there a verse which requires that all those who take the mark be slain at the 2nd coming?

DESCENDANTS?

Note that it doesn't say their descendants, but "every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem" (Zechariah 14:16), that is, every heathen survivor of the 2nd coming: "the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles" (Zechariah 14:18). Note that verses 16-18 neither say or any way require verse 16 to be an entirely-saved generation or verses 17-18 to be ONLY successive generations.

WILL PEOPLE REALLY BE FORCED TO WORSHIP JESUS IN THE MILLENIUM?

"It shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles" (Zechariah 14:16-19).

"Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. All the earth shall worship thee" (Psalm 66:3-4).

"I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little" (Psalm 2:8-12).

"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear" (Isaiah 45:22-23).

"God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11).

CAN WE FORCE PEOPLE TO WORSHIP TODAY?

I believe that church rulers do have the power to expel evildoers from the assembly: "Put away from among yourselves that wicked person" (1 Corinthians 5:13). But is there a verse which says they should kill them?

I believe that only political rulers have received power from God to execute evildoers, "for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil" (Romans 13:4); "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers" (1 Peter 2:13-14).

I don't believe that any political ruler who executes evildoers according to Romans 13:4 is necessarily an antichrist, for John defines an antichrist as one who "denieth that Jesus is the Christ" (1 John 2:22) and "denieth the Father and the Son" (1 John 2:22) and "confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh" (1 John 4:3; 2 John 1:7).

I don't believe that Titus 1:16 refers to antichrists but to hypocrites. I don't believe that any political ruler who executes evildoers according to Romans 13:4 is necessarily "abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate" (Titus 1:16).

I believe Romans 13:4 applies to any government that punishes those who are evildoers in the sight of God.

I believe we should obey any government as long as our obedience to it would not cause us to disobey God himself.

God himself will pour out his wrath on those who refuse to worship him and who worship the Antichrist: "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name" (Revelation 14:9-11).

CHRISTIANS SHOULD ALWAYS BE PREPARED

" Christians Have To Watch and "Be On Guard " ?

Be careful not to do your "acts of righteousness" before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. (Mat 6:1)

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. (Mat 7:15)

Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues." (Mat 10:17)

"Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." (Mat 16:6)

Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you." (Mat 24:4)

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. (Mat 24:42)

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak. (Mat 26:41)

"Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod." (Mark 8:15)

As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law ...." (Mark 12:38)

Jesus said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you." (Mark 13:5)

You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. (Mark 13:9)

So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. (Mark 13:23)

Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. (Mark 13:33)

Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back -- whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. (Mark 13:35)

What I say to you, I say to everyone: "Watch!" (Mark 13:37)

Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12:15)

So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. (Luke 17:3)

He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them." (Luke 21:8)

Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. (Luke 21:34)

Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:36)

Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. (Acts 20:28)

So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. (Acts 20:31)

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. (Rom 12:17)

I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. (Rom 16:17)

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. (1 Cor 3:10)

Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. (1 Cor 8:9)

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! (1 Cor 10:12)

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. (1 Cor 16:13)

If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (Gal 5:15)

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. (Gal 6:1)

Be very careful, then, how you live -- not as unwise but as wise," (Eph 5:15)

Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. (Phil 3:2)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:6,7)

Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Tim 4:16)

Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, (1 Tim 6:20)

Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you -- guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. (2 Tim 1:14)

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage -- with great patience and careful instruction. (2 Tim 4:2)

You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message. (2 Tim 4:15)

This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. (Titus 3:8)

We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. (Heb 2:1)

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. (Heb 4:1)

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Heb 13:17)

Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. (2 Pet 3:17)

Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. (2 John 1:8)

"PLAYING GOD" Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

The world's largest and highest-energy laser was certified to operate by the U.S. Department of Energy on March 27, 2009. In 2010, NIF will focus the intense energy of 192 giant laser beams on a BB-sized target filled with hydrogen fuel — fusing, or igniting, the hydrogen atoms' nuclei in the world's first controlled thermonuclear reaction. This is the same fusion energy process that makes stars shine and provides the life-giving energy of the sun.

SIGN OF THE TIMES WE LIVE IN

More Americans say they have no religion

By RACHEL ZOLL, AP Religion Writer Rachel Zoll, Ap Religion Writer – Mon Mar 9, 12:14 am ET

A wide-ranging study on American religious life found that the Roman Catholic population has been shifting out o of the Northeast to the Southwest, the percentage of Christians in the nation has declined and more people say they have no religion at all.

Fifteen percent of respondents said they had no religion, an increase from 14.2 percent in 2001 and 8.2 percent in 1990, according to the American Religious Identification Survey.

Northern New England surpassed the Pacific Northwest as the least religious region, with Vermont reporting the highest share of those claiming no religion, at 34 percent. Still, the study found that the numbers of Americans with no religion rose in every state.

"No other religious bloc has kept such a pace in every state," the study's authors said.

In the Northeast, self-identified Catholics made up 36 percent of adults last year, down from 43 percent in 1990. At the same time, however, Catholics grew to about one-third of the adult population in California and Texas, and one-quarter of Floridians, largely due to Latino immigration, according to the research.

Nationally, Catholics remain the largest religious group, with 57 million people saying they belong to the church. The tradition gained 11 million followers since 1990, but its share of the population fell by about a percentage point to 25 percent.

Christians who aren't Catholic also are a declining segment of the country.

In 2008, Christians comprised 76 percent of U.S. adults, compared to about 77 percent in 2001 and about 86 percent in 1990. Researchers said the dwindling ranks of mainline Protestants, including Methodists, Lutherans and Episcopalians, largely explains the shift. Over the last seven years, mainline Protestants dropped from just over 17 percent to 12.9 percent of the population.

The report from The Program on Public Values at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., surveyed 54,461 adults in English or Spanish from February through November of last year. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 0.5 percentage points. The findings are part of a series of studies on American religion by the program that will later look more closely at reasons behind the trends.

The current survey, being released Monday, found traditional organized religion playing less of a role in many lives. Thirty percent of married couples did not have a religious wedding ceremony and 27 percent of respondents said they did not want a religious funeral.

About 12 percent of Americans believe in a higher power but not the personal God at the core of monotheistic faiths. And, since 1990, a slightly greater share of respondents — 1.2 percent — said they were part of new religious movements, including Scientology, Wicca and Santeria.

The study also found signs of a growing influence of churches that either don't belong to a denomination or play down their membership in a religious group.

Respondents who called themselves "non-denominational Christian" grew from 0.1 percent in 1990 to 3.5 percent last year. Congregations that most often use the term are megachurches considered "seeker sensitive." They use rock style music and less structured prayer to attract people who don't usually attend church.

Researchers also found a small increase in those who prefer being called evangelical or born-again, rather than claim membership in a denomination.

Evangelical or born-again Americans make up 34 percent of all American adults and 45 percent of all Christians and Catholics, the study found. Researchers found that 18 percent of Catholics consider themselves born-again or evangelical, and nearly 39 percent of mainline Protestants prefer those labels. Many mainline Protestant groups are riven by conflict over how they should interpret what the Bible says about gay relationships, salvation and other issues.

The percentage of Pentecostals remained mostly steady since 1990 at 3.5 percent, a surprising finding considering the dramatic spread of the tradition worldwide. Pentecostals are known for a spirited form of Christianity that includes speaking in tongues and a belief in modern-day miracles.

Mormon numbers also held steady over the period at 1.4 percent of the population, while the number of Jews who described themselves as religiously observant continued to drop, from 1.8 percent in 1990 to 1.2 percent, or 2.7 million people, last year. Researchers plan a broader survey on people who consider themselves culturally Jewish but aren't religious.

The study found that the percentage of Americans who identified themselves as Muslim grew to 0.6 percent of the population, while growth in Eastern religions such as Buddhism slightly slowed.

Survey results: http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/

YOUNG MOTHER DECEIVED BY FALSE TEACHINGS

Md. mom pleads guilty in cult starvation death



Associated Press Writer – Tue Mar 31, 12:48 am ET

BALTIMORE – A former religious cult member pleaded guilty Monday to starving her 1-year-old son to death after making an unusual deal with prosecutors: If the child is resurrected, her plea will be withdrawn. Ria Ramkissoon, 22, also agreed to testify against four other members of the now-defunct religious group known as 1 Mind Ministries. All four are charged with first-degree murder in the death of Javon Thompson.

According to a statement of facts, the cult members stopped feeding the boy when he refused to say "Amen" after a meal. After Javon died, Ramkissoon sat next to his decomposing body and prayed for his resurrection.

Ramkissoon's attorney, Steven D. Silverman, said Ramkissoon believes the resurrection will occur. She agreed to plead guilty only after prosecutors said they would drop the charges if the child comes back to life, Silverman said.

"This is something that she absolutely insisted upon, and this is indicative of the fact that she is still brainwashed, still a victim of this cult," he said. "Until she's deprogrammed, she's not going to think any differently."

Baltimore Circuit Judge Timothy J. Doory assured Ramkissoon that the plea would indeed be withdrawn if the child is resurrected.

Ramkissoon pleaded guilty to one count of child abuse resulting in death. She will remain in custody until she testifies against her co-defendants and will receive a suspended 20-year sentence and serve five years probation. Sentencing was scheduled for Aug. 11. By then, Ramkissoon would have spent about a year behind bars.

As part of her probation, Ramkissoon must submit to treatment, including sessions with an expert on cult behavior.

The maximum sentence for child abuse resulting in death is 30 years, and defendants typically receive between 12 and 20 years, according to Maryland sentencing guidelines.

Ramkissoon will fare much better under the plea deal than if she had pursued an insanity defense, Silverman said. A court psychiatrist found that she was both competent to stand trial and could have been held criminally responsible for Javon's death because she knew the difference between right and wrong.

Silverman could have challenged that finding, and he said prosecutors told him they wouldn't have stood in his way. In a letter to Silverman that outlined the terms of the plea deal, prosecutors said the finding of criminal responsibility was "somewhat surprising."

If Ramkissoon had been found not criminally responsible in court, she would have been committed indefinitely to a state mental hospital. By pleading guilty, she will serve little jail time and still get the treatment she needs, Silverman said.

Ramkissoon's mother and stepfather and Javon's paternal grandmother wept in court as prosecutors described the boy's death. The petite Ramkissoon, a native of Trinidad, was calm, answering the judge's questions in a barely audible voice.

When asked her address, she gave the location of the city jail. Asked later whether she had any other place she called home, she said, "No."

Ramkissoon's mother, Seeta Khadan-Newton, said the cult manipulated her daughter into disowning her family.

"We are behind her now. We are in the past," Khadan-Newton said.

Geraldine Ridgley, Javon's paternal grandmother, said Ramkissoon deserves a stiffer punishment.

The boy's father, Robert Thompson, was not in court Monday. Ridgley said he was ill. Thompson was in jail when Javon was born.

After the boy died, the cult members left his body inside the apartment where they lived until it began to decompose, according to police documents and the statement of facts. In early 2007, they stuffed the body inside a suitcase and filled it with mothballs and fabric softener sheets to mask the odor.

The cult members relocated to Philadelphia, where they befriended an elderly man and stored the suitcase in a shed behind his home. It remained there for more than a year before police found it, the documents say.

The judge also ordered the four co-defendants to appear before another judge Tuesday to receive a new trial date. Alleged cult leader Queen Antoinette and ex-members Trevia Williams and Marcus A. Cobbs are being held without bail. Steven L. Bynum is free on his own recognizance.