RE: Addressing some misconceptions and issues surrounding Christianity and spirituality
Paganism is the same as New Age. It's as old as Satan in the Garden of Eden. There's no such thing as cosmic consciousness. It's just a variation of the lie that you can be like God.
The pope covers up pedophilia because he's not a Christian. He serves Satan. Either directly or indirectly. Catholics aren't Christians. We're saved by faith alone in Christ alone guided by the Bible alone. We're not saved by infant baptism, good works, and obedience to church rules. The pope has no authority to interpret scripture. Nor can the pope damn anyone to hell. Or declare someone a saint and tell God what their job in heaven will be. The pope is the leader of the largest cult in the history of the world.
I believe that the Mark of the Beast involves denying Christ. A simple microchip or tattoo wouldn't be enough to send you to hell for all eternity.
If you haven't repented of your sins, accepted what Jesus did on the cross to pay for those sins, and accepted Jesus as your Lord then it doesn't matter what your spiritual beliefs are.
This is one parable that few understand today. Back in Jesus' time the family holding the wedding would provide guests with a wedding robe. All they had to do was show up and accept a robe from the host and they were good. So the man who showed up not wearing wedding clothes is easily understood as a man who rejected salvation by faith in Jesus.
(Matthew 22:10-14 NIV) So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. {11} "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. {12} 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. {13} "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' {14} "For many are invited, but few are chosen."
Causes of increases in suicide - There's a natural hopelessness when you're not connected to God. There's a God shaped hole in our hearts that only He can fill. Also, sexual sin leads to despair. The more sex partners you have the less likelier you are to ever bond with someone for a lifetime. Cohabiting is a disaster. The average cohabiting couple lasts three years but 60% of first marriages last a lifetime. Families are more mobile and smaller today. I have an aunt living in California and first cousins there that I've never met. My dad is 85. He grew up with 10 aunts and uncles. He probably had 40 first cousins. Family get togethers in the summer for him resembled family reunions. If you grow up with first cousins they become like brothers and sisters to you. My dad had more close connections with more family members than I ever had.