rbrent,
I read some of this book and found this statement particularly interesting:
"And thirdly, there is the Intellectual, which was just the reason of man endeavoring to shake off the trammels of Roman authority, and go forth and expatiate in the fields of free inquiry. It did right to assert this freedom, but, unhappily, it altogether ignored the existence of the spiritual faculty in man, by which the things of the spiritual world are to be apprehended, and by which the intellect itself has often to be controlled. Nevertheless, this movement, of which Peter Abelard was the pioneer, went on deepening and widening its current century after century, till at last it grew to be strong enough to change the face of kingdoms, and to threaten the existence not only of the Roman Church, but of Christianity itself."
Since conservative Protestant and Baptist views had such a stronghold in 19th century American religious thought, we Americans may not fully understand that what we call "modernism" has deep roots in European anti-Catholic intellectualism and infidelism. This philosophy has now virtually conquered Catholicism and the old line Protestant denominations - as well as the Jewish religion - and has made vast inroads among the Baptists. Now we - I mean America - is seeking to foist this infidelism/modernism on the whole Muslim world.
I think this is working towards the fulfillment of John's prophecy of the whore of Babylon - false relgion that is - who ultimately will be hated and discarded by the kings of the world who have used her for their political gain. But thank God he has, and will, preserve a remnant of faithful Baptist people who will never bow the knee either to skepticism or religionism.
Mark Osgatharp
