The prophet's dictionary guide to the supernatural

a lifetime position served originally in connection with river god worship. The pontifex is believed to have begun in ancient Numa before 500 B.C. The institution was founded upon papal authority where the college of bishops assumed complete religious and moral authority over their citizenry. The organization propagated a male superiority based on its spiritual leaders’ inherited fatherhood status from the god of their religion. The patriarchal mind set placed the clergy in the stead of human males embodied by the god and the co-patriarch of the worshippers. This ancient institution, along with many others, flourished in Jesus’ time. Its insistence upon its clergy being addressed as father is what He meant when He admonished us not to (religiously) call any man our father, because the true Father of all things was His Father, Creator God. It was this religion that He was refuting and not the term of respect and endearment one shows his or her natural father. Matthew 23:9. 1030. Pontifex Maximus—The high priest of the pontifex college. Institution dates back to before 500 B.C. Hence the basis for Christ’s words in Matthew 23:9. 1031. Pontiff—Presiding priests officiating within a pontifical college (college of popes). Pertains to papacy. 1032. Pornography—Writing or visual materials designed to arouse sexual excitement. In the Bible the word for pornography is tied to idolatry and adultery. Outside of being linked to the temple prostitute, pornography is defined as the writings and/or visual aids of a harlot or prostitute. The idea behind pornography is to induce viewers and onlookers to mimic the portrayal of public sexual acts. Historically, performing as official representatives of the gods they supposedly emulated, priestly couples sanctified to the temple for this express purpose, lead their congregants in the mass worship of their fertility deity to picture for them what their gods were doing in the heavens, or wherever they may have been. Israel’s incident with the golden calf (Exodus 32:4) that resulted in their fornication is one such example. Another is the crisis at Baal of Peor (Numbers 25:1–3) where they repeated their offense against Jehovah. The rite included drunkenness by alcohol or drugs to facilitate the orgy. To stimulate the perverse ritual en masse, obscene images and acts were exhibited as lewd devices to inspire the lust that led to the surrender of the worshipper to the supposed will of the god or goddess.