The folks who hated Jesus most, and the ones he leveled his most scathing rebukes at, were the religious leaders of his time and culture.
Followers of Yeshua the Messiah shouldn’t be surprised or discouraged by the ridicule and snarky attacks on us because of our faith, or by the tiresome and faithless virtue‑signaling and false preaching and teaching coming from the poohbahs and “leaders” of organized churchianity.
Just remember what the religious and political leaders of that time and that culture did to our Lord over 2,000 years ago, and to the faithful in subsequent generations.
There’s nothing new under the sun.
This present age is not our friend, but there is a day certain when this present age ends and the suffering Servant becomes a reigning King.
In a recent post, I pointed out that the current Pope was wrong about God not answering prayers from those engaged in war. Today we have another example of the Pontiff making erroneous claims.
On April 16, 2026, during his peace meeting at Saint Joseph’s Cathedral in Bamenda, Cameroon, Pope Leo XIV said the following:
“Jesus told us, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, but woe to those who manipulate religion in the very name of God for their own military, economic, or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.’”
Jesus didn’t say that.
The only part of what the Pope claimed — “Jesus told us…” — that Jesus actually told us is “Blessed are the peacemakers.” The other stuff about “political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth”, was not something Jesus said.
In other words, the Pope is either lying about what our Lord said, intentionally trying to deceive people in order to make a political point, or he simply doesn’t know what Jesus actually said according to the Bible.
On Monday I posed a simple question: What is the point and purpose of the resurrection of Jesus Christ if believers go immediately to heaven when they die?
Now let’s ask a similar question which also deserves a logical, biblical answer: What is the purpose of the so-called “Rapture” if believers who have died are already in heaven shouting, “Hallelujah!”, flying around playing harps, and dancing on streets of gold with previously deceased loved ones?
If your answer is that the soul has to be reunited with the physical body, then I would love to see the plain, definitive scriptural basis for that theory. Plain and definitive proof texts, not theological and logical contortions invented to make the Bible say what you want it to say.
So, here’s a question that deserves serious consideration and a logical, biblical answer: What is the point and purpose of the resurrection of Jesus Christ if believers go immediately to heaven when they die?
Why would “He is risen!” hold any special meaning if the faithful are already dancing and singing, alive and well in heaven from the moment of their own death?
If the immortality of the soul is true, then there is no reason for God to raise Jesus from the dead, because death would hold no power or sting over us. Easter Sunday becomes meaningless if the resurrection isn’t a once‑in‑human‑history, glorious, miraculous event that announces to creation that death does not have the final say.
If all believers are immediately and individually transferred to heaven after they breathe their last breath, then Jesus being made alive again after three days isn’t just ho‑hum—it’s three days of being unnecessarily dead.
Faith isn’t blind. Faith is curious and goes searching with eyes wide open.
Faith doesn’t just meekly accept whatever doctrines of men the bishops, evangelists, or street preachers claim to be the gospel truth. Faith examines each bit, turns it over and over again, and measures it against an informed understanding of Scripture, common sense, and reason.
Faith understands that the whole being we are to love our God with includes our minds as well as our hearts and souls. Faith recognizes that the human mind is designed to be skeptical and to question everything — even long‑held church traditions being spoon‑fed to Sunday congregations and Wednesday Bible study groups by pastors, lay ministers, and priests.
Faith never fears being outside the denominational doctrinal box if that is where the truth is. Faith cares little for titles or academic credentials in the pursuit of understanding God’s grand plan for His creation.
Faith continues, never satisfied with what people say about the Word of God, only with what the Word says about itself and the purposes of our Creator.
Faith is curious. Faith is fearless. The confidence of faith is not in blind acceptance, but in full assurance that there is One who holds all the answers and that our calling is to Him, seeking as we go.
This from EWTN News on Thursday 2/12/26: Pope Leo XIV affirmed Wednesday that sacred Scripture has been entrusted to the Catholic Church — that she preserves and explains it, and supports its purpose of making Christ known to the world.
Pope Leo went even further in his address, stating the following:
He quoted from Pope Benedict XVI’s postsynodal exhortation Verbum Domini. In that document, Pope Benedict affirmed that “the intrinsic link between the word and faith makes clear that authentic biblical hermeneutics can only be had within the faith of the Church, which has its paradigm in Mary’s fiat… the primary setting for scriptural interpretation is the life of the Church.”
Mary drove a Fiat? Kidding.
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38) is Mary’s fiat according to Catholic tradition. However, I don’t see any correlation between Luke 1:38 and the idea of Scripture belonging solely to the Catholic Church.
Although Pope Leo XIV says some helpful things about the inspired nature of the Bible and the importance of Christians studying and meditating on God’s Word, he completely misses the mark by claiming that “…biblical hermeneutics can only be had within the faith of the Church.”
Anyone who knows even a little bit about the Bible and the history of Christianity knows that it was the religious leaders of the time, along with their secular allies, that were responsible for the killing of the prophets, the reformers, and even the Son of God himself, Yeshua our Messiah.
The religious leaders. The wolves in sheep’s clothing. The whited sepulchers. The vipers. The religious leaders.
There is no new thing under the sun. Fallen human nature and the rot of man-made religion hasn’t changed since they murdered the prophets, burned the ‘heretics’, and tortured and crucified our Lord.
That is part of the reason why I do not subscribe to a modern denominational creed of set of doctrines. I don’t think that modern day Evangelicals, or Baptists, or Lutherans, or Catholics are going to burn anyone in the town square – it’s just that I don’t trust organized religion.
I’m non-denominational. I’m a ‘Non’. And there are a lot of others just like me, in fact more and more folks are fleeing traditional ‘churchianity’ every day. Why? More on that in future posts.
Here’s my one and only creed, which I’m happy share with my brothers and sisters in The Fellowship of the Nons:
Creed of the Fellowship of the Nons
Our living God is a loving God and the Bible is His revealed word and will. Our hope and eternal salvation relies entirely on the work of God’s only begotten son, Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life.
A huge part of the purpose and reason for the Bible Rebel blog is stated in our mission:
“To examine and question the assumptions of religious tradition and provide a resource for information and inspiration for people of faith who have become dissatisfied with an increasingly lifeless and empty ‘churchianity’.”
The Pilgrims were predominantly English Separatists, a branch of the Puritan movement within Protestant Christianity.
Separatists believed the Church of England was too corrupt to reform and chose to break away entirely (unlike other Puritans who sought to reform it from within).
Their faith was deeply Protestant, emphasizing personal Bible reading, simple worship without liturgy or ritual, covenant community life, and strong moral discipline.
The Pilgrims were mainly Puritan Separatists — English Protestant Christians who left the Church of England to practice their faith freely.
Here’s a Grok summary of X (Twitter) posts on the topic.
On November 12, 2025, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops approved a pastoral message and video in a 216-5 vote during their Baltimore assembly, criticizing the Trump-Vance administration’s mass deportation efforts and dehumanizing rhetoric. The statement, the first collective rebuke since 2013, addresses restricted pastoral access in detention centers, threats to sacred spaces, and a climate of fear among immigrants, while advocating for comprehensive immigration reform with safe legal pathways. Bishops from diverse backgrounds, including conservatives like Archbishops Alexander Sample and Salvatore J. Cordileone, emphasize human dignity rooted in Catholic teaching and stand in solidarity with immigrants amid escalating enforcement actions.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) overwhelmingly voted to adopt a statement that opposes the indiscriminate mass deportation of immigrants who lack legal status and urged the government to uphold the dignity of migrants. The bishops approved their special message on immigration at the 2025 Fall Plenary Assembly on Nov. 12. The motion passed with support from more than 95% of the American bishops who voted. It received 216 votes in favor, just five against, and only three abstentions. “We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people,” the message emphasized.
Some Pushback
And here is an X post from conservative commentator Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) raising some very interesting points/questions worth considering regarding the USCCB statement and video message.
I don’t recall the bishops making any sort of video like this to condemn the Biden White House for supporting, funding, and facilitating the mass slaughter of children in the womb. I also can’t remember seeing any video with solemn condemnations of the Biden White House and its support for the castration and sexual mutilation of children. That’s in spite of the fact that Biden is actually “Catholic” and he was actively engaged in activities that are explicitly condemned as mortally sinful by the Church. Trump is neither Catholic nor is he doing anything, policy wise, that contradicts Church teaching. Deportations certainly do not. And yet the bishops suddenly find their voice and their courage for this issue. Very strange indeed.
My Take
Finally, a few stats and my brief thoughts on the subject.
During the two terms under the Obama administration, according to ICE and DHS data, from 2009 to 2016 the U.S. conducted roughly 3.06 million formal removals (i.e., deportation orders).
During his first term, according to The Independent, Trump’s administration carried out about 1.2 million “removals” (formal deportation orders) during his first term, and so far in this term, by September 2025, the Trump administration claimed 400,000 deportations since January.
Question: Did the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops denounce Obama’s deportation policies?
Answer: No — the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) did not issue a denunciation of Barack Obama’s deportation policies.
The Bible Rebel blog is a resource for those seeking original and curated content, including news and commentary, covering faith, biblical studies and interpretation, and the intersection of politics, culture, and the Bible.
Curious Fearless Faith
Curious faith asks questions. Fearless faith doesn’t blindly accept the religious status quo.
Is the Kingdom of God now, or future?
If Jesus Christ is God then isn’t Mary the mother of God?
Is the Christian’s destiny to die and ‘go to heaven’ – or to be transformed while alive or raised from death and corruption into the renewed and restored creation?
Our Mission
To monitor current news and events related to faith and culture.
To provide an alternative viewpoint to the world’s pervasive climate of darkness, nihilism, and hopelessness for those seeking truth, light, and purpose.
To examine and question the assumptions of religious tradition and provide a resource for information and inspiration for people of faith who have become dissatisfied with an increasingly lifeless and empty ‘churchianity’.
To present the Biblical truths which reveal God’s nature and purposes and proclaim the lifechanging, world-altering, radical message of Yeshua the Messiah – Jesus Christ, our risen Lord and Savior.
