Sounds like what is going on today, a lot of funny business with religions a long time ago and today for sure too!

 

[From the descendants of Alexander's officers]

there sprang a sinful offshoot, Antiochus Epiphanes,

son of King Antiochus, once a hostage at Rome.

He became king in the year one hundred and thirty seven

of the kingdom of the Greeks.

In those days there appeared in Israel

men who were breakers of the law,

and they seduced many people, saying:

"Let us go and make an alliance with the Gentiles all around us;

since we separated from them, many evils have come upon us."

The proposal was agreeable;

some from among the people promptly went to the king,

and he authorized them to introduce the way of living

of the Gentiles.

Thereupon they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem

according to the Gentile custom.

They covered over the mark of their circumcision

and abandoned the holy covenant;

they allied themselves with the Gentiles

and sold themselves to wrongdoing.

Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people,

each abandoning his particular customs.

All the Gentiles conformed to the command of the king,

and many children of Israel were in favor of his religion;

they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath.

On the fifteenth day of the month Chislev,

in the year one hundred and forty-five,

the king erected the horrible abomination

upon the altar of burnt offerings

and in the surrounding cities of Judah they built pagan altars.

They also burned incense at the doors of the houses and in the streets.

Any scrolls of the law which they found they tore up and burnt.

Whoever was found with a scroll of the covenant,

and whoever observed the law,

was condemned to death by royal decree.

But many in Israel were determined

and resolved in their hearts not to eat anything unclean;

they preferred to die rather than to be defiled with unclean food

or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die.

Terrible affliction was upon Israel.

~1 Maccabees 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63

The Bible verse above sounds like what is going on today, a lot of funny business with religions a long time ago and today for sure too! It is sad we see so much violence today even related to religions and God. So much, hate, lawlessness, sin, violence, greed, and wickedness back then and today. It is all so sad. This reading from Maccabees is alarming and a wake up call. We see a lot of funny business with religions today. A lot of people making a lot of money off of God, religion, customs, cultures, etc. Plus there is still so much evil within many who say they are a religion. Marrying many spouses, making women submissive, following rituals by humans and not God. Even we see pedophilia, greed, corruption, and so much evil by some.  St. Teresa de Avila pointed out a lot of that back in her times around 1550 AD with the Catholic church, so much evil among priests and the religious order. She was active during the Counter-Reformation, Teresa became the central figure of a movement of spiritual and monastic renewal, reforming the Carmelite Orders of both women and men. Today we see so many using the Bible, God, Religions, Jesus to become millionaires and billionaires. A lot of religions do a lot of evil things! We see this around the world. Even using a religion to drive an economy and power.  They have turned the Christian faith into a money making factory with all their shows, books, and charming TV broadcasts, using so many attractive words and charm. Humans really do not need a mediator to talk to God, to commune with Him. We can do that directly without a church.  While some churches offer peace, community, and sound teaching, many today are all about making a lot of money. Charging $25 per person for a Spaghetti night, or $50 for a Men's Retreat, etc. It is all about making a lot of money. Even some use religion to infiltrate and do evil. Some hate and hate, think they are the only one's who are right, yet do so much evil, killing so many in the name of God, like they are God. How sad. Yes, we see a lot breaking laws today, sinning, killing, acting out and being violent. Mistreating women, children, gay people, and seniors. I do not think God would approve of any of this. He is the just judge, not us. We should not be all about making money on God's great name and religion, we should not work as a religion to do evil and hurt other human beings who do not agree with another faith or religion. Today we see so many slaves for Satan out there. They have become slaves for Satan, caring more about money, power, domination, power and then using it to hurt other children of God. We are all children of God, all of us! We really are all one people on this Earth as it says above in this Bible verse!