REPORT FROM THE NETHERLANDS
By Willem Oving
This letter is the first report I have had on the conditions in the Netherlands given by a Bible believer. I have not edited the letter so as to assure you of the unaltered content of the material.
Subj: Report from the Netherlands
Date: 97-12-03 21:36:48 EST
From: oving@pi.net (oving)
To: SteveVanN@AOL.COM (SteveVanN@aol.com)
Dear Steve,
I have some signs from the Netherlands, that shows us that we are in the last days, before the coming of Christ.
Sign 1:
The traditional christian believe is not more in the hearts of the most protestants en catholics in the Netherlands conlusion of the investigation "God in the Netherlands 1966-1996.
From 15,5 million Dutch people are 7.285.000 (47 percent) belonging to a church. In the last 30 years have left average 100.000 Dutch people the church.
At the moment every sunday 2 million people go to church.
Holland counts 3.255.000 catholics. 57 Percent of them never reads the Bible, 32 procent sees the Bible as the Word of God 75 Percent says never has experienced God or a higher power.
From the 2.170.000 Reformed 36 percent reads more or less often the Bible. 62 Percent sees the Bible as the Word of God. Reformd people marry less in church (68 Percent) than catholics (91 percent) and re-reformed (94 percent).
Half of 1.240.000 re-reformed reads often in the Bible 77 Percent of them sees the Bible as the Word of God.
Re-reformed go the most to church en are doing the most "work-for-free".
(ANP)
Sign 2:
More and more rituals in and out the church
With Christmas, baptism and marriage people come in great numbers to church. The rituals on "church"- and remember days score very good. The "festival-church" is coming up, statement by prof. Post, Highcounceler Liturgyknowness at the Catholic University Brabant. The hunger for ritual outside the church is even growing fast.
Prof. Post said this during a studyday at the Theological faculty in Groningen. The rituals by dying, dead, funeral and memorising inside and outside the church has a great popularity. The dead of princes Diana and Meindert Tjoelker (a man beaten to death by 4 people in Leeuwarden) examples of that. The chain of youngster on the Rondweg in Leeuwarden on the day of the funeral of Meindert Tjoelker was such a ritual, the daily things were put aside. Marses, wakes, defending holy places, putting down of flowerrs, burning of candles are, by Post, forms of memorising, grief and protest. It is not going superb, but round death, people try to link religious communication by doing rituals with a personal, unique standard.
Nederlands Dagblad, 1997
Sign 3:
I did give the paper-resources away to a relative. But the story is this: there are some "frontmen" in some churches, and they did have a conference. One frontman made this statement: "I am not so sure that God created all things in 6 days" Later in another paper one other frontman said alsmost the same.
This sign shows that real followers of Christ gets very minor. Like the days of Elia. To the assembly of Philadelphia:
"I know thy works: behold, i have set before thee an opened door, which no one can shut, because thou hast a little power, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name". (vs 8 from Revelations 3)
"Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee out of the hour of trial, which is about to come upon the whole habitable world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. I come quickly: HOLD FAST WHAT THOU HAST, that NO ONE THAKE THY CROWN. He that overcomes, him will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more at all out, and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven, from my God, and my new name" (vs.from Revelations 3).
It more and more and goes to the end of this earth.
I hope and pray that many sinners will repent soon, because there is no much time left.
The last month have i been looking around in Moslim newsgroups. I am shocked of all the accusations to the Bible, Christians and the name of God. Thanks to your book (i downloaded it) and lots of other resources on the net and resources in lots of books outside it, and most of all the Truth written in the Bible, i thought that i had a strong case in defending the unchanged book the Bible, beloved by believers and hated by the others.
I did not get much "evidence" in reaction to the statement that i made: the Bible is unaltered. All i got was words, words, words by Moslims, quoting Moslims Scholars and people like Amhed Deedat. No claytablet, papyrus document or even a "unique"-"unchanged"-exemplar of the the bible "not-contradictioned to Quran".
My question to you: am i right?
So far i did only found evidence that makes the Bible more solid and solid. When i say such to a reasonable, rational Moslim, o if i was in front of him, he would beaten me up. Denying of the truth leads to hate someone. That is wat i have experienced.
Second question: have you a "list" of all the old documents, claytablets and stuff? I am very interested now.
To one Moslim i said that trying to use the name of God of the Jews and Christians is almost like plagiat, like stealing "trademarks" or copy while there is copyright on it. I said that the name of allah is the name of an idol not of "the God". Such rational things did he not accept.
And again, there is much evidence for the fact that allah is the name of an idol and/or it is a false copy of the God of Israel. And still he did not came up with historical evidence. I think there is none, am i right?
I am sorry that i did react so late, but i think that you have lots of other business than letters from me.
I pray that trough the power of God, you may reach the hearts of the Moslims. Because they are in deep darkness. And God also wants them to go to heaven, as all the repenting sinners. There will be joy in heaven for one repenting sinner (luke 15)
Greetings in Christ,
Willem Oving
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