Preface

Seeing the European constellation which is intertwined with religion and politics with a world-wide significance, I feel the urgency of writing this. I am now convinced that we are concerned with the most current themes. Something more timely cannot be transmitted. This book may be unique in certain regards. To search things most profoundly one has to find critical historical facts and lay them open. The development of Christianity must be reviewed from its very beginning.

I esteem that the moment has come for the truth to be made available to the broad public. My aim was to write in a simple way so that everyone can understand wherever on earth they may live, purposely not using theological or philosophical vocabulary.

Since this book will be published in different languages and countries, the following remarks should be made: All the religions and faiths are respected although I am of different opinion. It is commonly understood that we need to respect the dignity of every human being, even in case their faith and their practice might be strange or peculiar to us. If over 800 million Hindus believe the cow to be holy, then one has to just respect it. If the practising Hindu gentlemen put the ashes of the holy cow-dung on their forehead, no one can prevent them. If the Sikh-religion demands one to take off the shoes and wash the feet before entering the Golden Temple in Amritsar, then one has to do it, if one likes to go in. Whether in Islamic sanctuaries or temples of other religion one has to comply with their rules and regulations. This I have seen on many of the missionary journeys which have taken me to over a hundred countries.

Everywhere I went, I found open doors. I spoke at interdenominational conferences and in various churches as guest-speaker. Also in the Roman Catholic church in South Africa where I preached, the proceedings took their regular course. I fundamentally respect everyone because everyone has the right to decide for himself and to believe and to do as he likes.

A few times, I watched in St. Peter’s Cathedral in the Vatican as people from all over the world kissed in their soul agony the foot of the St. Peter’s-statue in vain. There and at other places, I have seen much more. Often I had very deep compassion because I feel very much for the human race. In this book, I have dealt with both the things which are right and which are wrong from the Scriptural point of view. A mature reader should be able to judge the contents for himself.

Because of necessity, I had to deal primarily with the Roman Catholic institution in the light of God’s holy Word and confront the same with the Holy Scriptures. Only in the light of divine revelation, we can see the truth and thereby obtain the possibility to recognise the deception and to know the error.

The claim of the Roman Catholic Church that salvation is only by her was more or less adopted by the other Christian confessions. All try to bring salvation in their own way, and that simply is not possible. But a church which refers to Christ and especially to Peter and the apostles must be ready to be checked whether its claims are right or not.

May all the readers be blessed of the Lord God Almighty.