Ralph Reed, the executive director of the Christian Coalition, has endorsed a recently released book by John Wheeler, Jr., Earths Two-Minute Warning, that contains passages that disparage Catholicism; Wheeler was the editor of all Christian Coalition publications for five years.
Wheeler’s book, published by The Leader Company, offers a possible scenario of the end of time. Imbued with a frenzied millennium spirit, Wheeler writes that “The identification of the Pope with the Antichrist has been a recurring theme for Protestants since the Reformation.”
As for Wheeler himself, he says, “Certainly there are many sincere and genuine Christians within the Roman Catholic ranks–although some Catholic doctrines clearly are irreconcilable with Biblical truth–and it would be grossly wrong to mislabel all Catholics as willful followers of the Antichrist.” Which is also to say that it is not wrong to label many Catholics this way.
Wheeler also warns that “there is some legitimate cause for concern that the Vatican may one day run amok,” suggesting that the Pope as Antichrist may be at hand. Indeed, he argues that “This Antichrist’s ascendancy will be promoted by a blessing from a corrupt Pope–an apostate, Satanically empowered successor to John Paul II.”
Ralph Reed is quoted as saying that this book “is a compelling look at the controversial subject of the end times … an important contribution to this vital discussion.”
Catholic League president William Donohue offered the following comment:
“Earth’s Two-Minute Warning shows the darker side of Protestantism. A polemic representative of a medieval mind, Wheeler seeks justification for his cause by repeating old canards about Catholicism. The apocalyptic impulse that drives this book appeals to prurient and insecure needs. By advancing the premise that the Catholic Church is the Antichrist, Wheeler resurrects a legacy that deserves to be buried once and for all.
“While it would be unfair to hold Reed responsible for everything Wheeler has written in this book, it is distressing to learn that he has leant his name to this sensationalism. Reed owes Catholics an explanation for his endorsement.”
