Pastor Pitstop is unusually upset. He found there is money to be made by reviving the old lie that it is The Roman Catholic Church that’s described in the Book of Revelation as “The Mother of Harlots”. His thoughts on the subject:
Dear Catholic Fundamentalism:
You people who love The Catholic Church have been leading people astray! The Book of Revelation uses the phrase, “Mother of harlots”. I think that phase refers to the Catholic Church. For a small fee, I will write a letter to help Catholics understand how bad their Church is.
Sincerely,
Pastor Travis Pitstop
Our response:
Dear Pastor Pitstop:
Thank you for your suggestion. The Catholic Fundamentalism editorial board has taken it under advisement. A question, dear Pastor: If the Catholic Church is the mother of harlots, then don’t the harlots have to be those who came from her?
Wouldn’t you agree, dear Pastor, that the denominations and schisms that come from The Catholic Church, but which deny many pro-life Catholic teachings, are, in fact, the “harlots” to which the passage refers?
Aren’t the schisms and denominations that now embrace birth control and abortion actually the ones who are prostituting Christian teachings to get money from their dying congregations? Aren’t they really the “harlots”? Is their loving Mother to be blamed because they chose to sin?
Sincerely, Catholic Fundamentalism
This reply came back quickly:
Dear Catholic Fundamentalism:
That is the most disgusting thing I ever heard. It is awful to say that the daughters of Mother Church are “harlots”. What you are saying, for instance, is that my denomination, The Padded-Pew Perkmistianists, is a daughter of The Church who has gone astray. You are saying that my denomination is a harlot, in some sort of depraved, theological form. I resent it.
When you turn things around like that, and make people feel badly about themselves and their beliefs, you cause even more negative feelings about The Catholic Church.
Sincerely, Pastor Travis Pitstop
We made prompt reply:
Dear Pastor Pitstop: It was, after all, you who used the phase, “Mother of harlots” to refer to the Catholic Church. We are simply suggesting that you are using that to gain money from those whom you keep confused.
If the passage fits at all, we all know that “The Mother”, whom you say is the Catholic Church, desperately tried to keep her daughters from straying. She still keeps candles lit so they may find their way back. Can she, who remains perfectly obedient to all the commandments of Jesus, be blamed because her daughters have become harlots, whoring after strange gods?
It would seem, dear Pastor Pitstop, that the phrase in the Book of Revelation is accurate, appropriate, and refers to the splintered schisms that have abandoned good and chosen sin to the degree that they tolerate both fornication and abortion. Can the word “harlot” refer to anyone but these wayward and rebellious children?
It appears, Pastor, that you have been hoist with your own petard.
Sincerely, Catholic Fundamentalism
