All Souls' Day
November 2, 2024
A TRADITIONAL celebration intended to honor the spirits of dead ancestors has its roots in Canaanite and Amorite veneration of the Rephaim—the spirits of the giants destroyed in the Flood.
We discuss All Souls’ Day, a practice justified in Roman Catholicism by prayers for the dead mentioned in 2 Maccabees 12:42–46. However, this was not standard doctrine among Jews, and 2 Maccabees, although important for the history recorded, is not considered canon by Protestant Christians.
For Catholic and Orthodox Christians, however, the ancient tradition of praying for ancestors to help them escape purgatory was coupled with offering ceremonial food and drink on All Souls’ Day. Some scholars believe this practice originated with the veneration of ancestral dead among the Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians, which can be traced back to the kispum rites of the Amorites.
In the Middle East, there are reports that Iran is planning an imminent missile and drone attack on Israel in response to last week’s Israeli attack on Iran’s anti-aircraft defenses and a key port. Apparently, Israel inflicted more damage than the ayatollahs wanted to admit.
With the election next Tuesday, we also talk about expectations that things will go “kinetic” if the results aren’t what some hope, noting that businesses and government buildings in Washington, D.C. are boarding up windows in advance of Election Day. One pollster reports that 60% of respondents claim to know a Trump supporter who will refuse to accept the results if Harris is declared the winner. Frankly, we think this is another example of the Iron Law of Projection, which states that liberals always accuse others of what they themselves are doing.
We also discuss Tucker Carlson’s claim that he was attacked in bed by an unseen force about 18 months ago. The media’s reaction to this demonic encounter is one of the reasons people who have experienced such things are reluctant to talk about them, even with their pastor or priest.
