Difference Between Catholic and Christian
Christianity is a religion based on the basic premises relating to Jesus of Nazareth who is considered the Son of God. Catholicism is one of the several denominations of the main Christian faith and has the largest followers among all the Christian sub-faiths of Lutheranism, Protestantism etc.
Catholics believe in the seven sacraments (holy moments) but other Christian denominations do not recognize all the sacraments. The seven Sacraments for Catholics are Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Ordination, Reconciliation/Confession and Anointing of the Sick.
Catholics also assert that Saint Mary, Mother of Jesus was the greatest saint and did not sin but other Christians like Protestants do respect Mary as Jesus’ mother but believe that she sinned like anyone else. While Catholics believe Mary’s resurrected body went to heaven immediately, other Christians believe that the body was buried.
Also, Catholics, unlike other Christians, believe in a spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church. He is known as the Pope and regarded as the direct descendant of Saint Peter the Apostle. Catholics believe that Jesus had asked St Peter to build the Basilica in Rome. You are necessarily a Christian if you are a Catholic but you may not be a Catholic if you are a Christian as you may believe in a different Christian denomination.
Unlike other Christians, Catholics also believe in a spiritual and literal interpretation of the Bible. Catholics also believe in typology which accepts events in the Old Testament as allegories for events that follow in the New Testament. Catholics, unlike other Christians, are more strict about following the Scriptures word for word and are not very open to interpretations unless given by bishops. Moreover, Catholics believe that the end of the world as given in the Book of Revelations is not a metaphoric description but will actually take place in the future. Roman Catholics also believe in the process of confessions to a priest while other Christians believe in an inner dialogue with Jesus.
However, all Catholics, like other Christians believe that Jesus is the savior of humanity and he died on the cross to atone for the sins of all humanity. Catholics and all other Christians believe in the Holy Trinity of the son, the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Catholics also believe that Man retained some goodness even after the Fall in the Garden of Eden but most of other Christian sub-faiths teach that Man fell into complete depravity after the Fall.
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Your description of Catholics as biblical literalists is all wrong. As is its interpretation by bishops…In Catholicism Scripture is coupled with the living Tradition of the church, which reflects the living presence of the Holy Spirit in the community, and together they form the revelatioon of Jesus that is interpreted by the teachers, whether it is the Pope or all the bishops of the world in concert. Catholics use the hostprical critical method to interpret scriptures, along with a spiritual understanding of the Word as we have seen it lived in the community for more than 2,000 years.
We also DO NOT believe that the Book of Revelation is a blueprint for how the world will actually end, but is an inspired book from the end of the first century that articulates truths about Christian hope and the basic Christian belief that Jesus will return and God’s kingdom will come in fullness at the end of time…far from a literal read of that last book of the Bible.
I like your objectiveness. it provides me with more facts that we are indeed in a spiritual war. our great depression is our lives. we, humans, have been provided with everything needed to survive. ALL THROUGHOUT HISTORY. we can adapt to the changes always. so what compels us to even continue living if we who are religious knows the world will eventually change, for better (hopefully, scientific break-through) or worse (death, disease, eradication). to me, all religions are the same. they are all based off the idea that believing in something unbelievable will create hope. hope that a miracle (something unbelievable) will happen. people are waiting for god (the symbol of hope) to return. yet that means inviting death into our lives (the return of god is inevitable end according to the bible). thus, i return to my point about our lives being our great depression. we have always had it all right in front of us. we must now learn to thrust that WE, MAN, is actually in control of what happens in ones lives. you can not gain peace with others until you are at peace with yourself. sin is what keeps us from being at peace with ourselves. the power of forgiveness seems infinite. so the ultimate cure for depression would be to find a religion and learn to believe in faith. faith in yourself, faith in man, faith in faith in faith..etc. I feel the end is nigh, but it is avoidable if we just throw away mans ego for just a few weeks to talk about how easy it is to help all countries of the world in need while maintaining our egotistical ideals (mans image of oneself). We need a world nation. One love. We need to get humanity on the same page before our subconscious actions carry out what we believe is going to happen, the end. it is man who decides when he dies (the only factual way to never die is to become a legend). Every action in the universe has an equal and opposite reaction. Our virtues decide if the action was intended to be good, our morals is what decodes the reaction, our philosophy is what allows us to analyze, and it is US; our brain, our psychology; that ultimately chooses the correct answer.
http://youtu.be/O0NentNBRlQ
Brandon, if man is the only thing to count on in this life, that is sad. so your saying man made the earth, man makes the sun shine and the rain from the sky fall. man made the trees and the animals and all food on this earth. This is whats wrong with America today, people have turned away from God, but believe it or not , that is also in the Bible, Maybe you could take some time and attend a few church meetings, a good Baptist church, or a church of God, some where and get you a king james version of the Bible, the only one that counts, and give it a listen and read the book of revelations , then maybe some other books like genesis, and so on, written hundreds of years ago and stuff happening today that was prophesized long ago, jesus died on the cross to forgive us of our sins, all you have to do is believe . st. john chapter3 . read Matthews, all about what Jesus did for us mankind. well, could go on all day, but just know theres more out there than just this old world my brother, and if you found Jesus, you will know this to be true also. Jesus loves you and I do too. Have a blessed day.
We have been provided… what? What did thd catholic religion give you? Because I don’t think my family gotvthe sme things provided. or is it just knowledg? If thats the case, is that possibly wy therecare so many branches of Christians and Catholicics? Why isn’t there just one religion? Why so many? What if you don’t believd in any version. Are they going to stay here continuing on as if noghing happened. Or does it depend on whose end of days happens first? Whats up with Jehovas? The mormon are not going to heaven in your rekigion right? If so I wil hop on that team, mormons just seem greedy. What if my native beliefs don’t believe i will go to hell, is it still ok to be my friend. How dd protestants start te kkk movement? Are baptiste like protestants? Is god white? Or tan or black. Does it matter. Why does religion seem so favorably for men? Sorry, but christians and catholic religion’s are really confusing. How did all the other chrstans reigions form, or why.
I was Catholic turned Christian, I get a glimpse of both. I think it depends on the CULTURE of the Church. Just like in the Christian church I’m at, if you will look at my documents, I still remain a Roman Catholic, but I am now committed to a local christian church. We both believe in Jesus don’t we? So I think there’s nothing to argue about. Besides, relationship with God is far more important than religion.
Hi
Ive been a catholic since 44 yrs (i was baptised at birth) and since a few weeks, ive turned into a christian meaning that now I have a relationship with GOD which i did not have before. I read my bible (which ive never done before), I give grace and worship the father, the son and the holi spirit. I talked to Jesus a lot, i dont pray idols any more. Now that im re-born, i can tell you my experience, i know now that Jesus is always by my side, i have nothing to worry about. I feel that ive changed now, im another person, i see people, things and life differently. Whatever your problems in life, follow his path, believe in him, trust him, love him and you will be saved.
corinne
“I am a Catholic who turned Christian”…that’s an OxyMoron. Catholics and Protestants (for example) alike are ALL professing alliance with Christianity- belief in Christ as our God. The Dogma and doctrine may be different, but we “Christians” believe Jesus is Lord.
I’m a Roman Catholic who had a personal encounter with Christ. If you’re into labels, then call me a “Born-again” Catholic. THROUGH my Catholic faith and life, I became personally aware of Him- not just a church-goer. He “rescued the children of the Godly” when He came to me. My parents had given over their life to Christ 40 odd years ago and prayed for my conversion experience.
It happened- just like you read in Isaiah, when He (God) came to Moses, like in Acts…I experience signs and wonders in the privacy of my home and my community for 45 days straight.
Let’s not war over semantics. Lets instead spend our time on our knees praying for the conversion of those here in this world of ours- we may see some amazing things in our lifetime due to the power of intercession/ worship/ praise/prayer.
Many blessing and His peace,
LT
so awesome to read your comment, that is so cool, theres nothing more than hearing from the Lord and knowing we have a real relationship with Him 🙂
Hello Corinne, thanks for sharing your story; it was nice to read. Catholic vs. Christian is a complex issue, and difficult to study and research. Glad to hear your personal account. Best
The Bible plainly states there is only one way to get to Heaven, and that is in ST. JOHN chapter3. follow Gods law which is The Word ,Bible. KJV. Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. also ST.JOHN capter 14 is good too. God bless.
The thing is, Christianity is not just a religion! It is a relationship with a loving God…. The only God. Christians believe that the only way to get to heaven is by trusting in Jesus and believing he died for us. Christians believe that God loves us soooo much, if possible, He would send his son to die an even greater punishment just for you, or me.
So true, when I was reading the article I had thought a HS kid did this lol
What I have observed as a born again Christian St John 3v3-7 the only kind to get into Heaven Jesus said . Is that Catholics never say they are Christians but say ,
“I am Catholic,” when asked if they are a Christian .
I studied Roman Catholicism years before I became a Christian, it was to hard to understand and I was agood student at school. It is only for intellectuals not the illiterate making it a works and rituals religion,.
Chrisitanity is by faith in all ther holy scriptures and is a reletionship with Christ like a marriage.
Catholicism is only religion not relationship which we all must have toenter Heaven.
Check out websites the difference between Catholics and Christians .
Catholics depend a lot on whata man says not what God says in the Bible
this is what i have to say to everyone…. Catholicism is the one true and should be the only christian religion. When Jesus died he left the church to St. Peter. St. Peter then went forth doing what Christ told him, and formed the Catholic Church. Making Catholicism the ONE TRUE RELIGION OF JESUS. Everything was fine for about 1500 years, then people got greedy, and didn’t like what the church said, so they broke off and formed their own religions. But, remember I said that Catholicism in the ONE TRUE RELIGION OF JESUS, because it was started by him and the apostle he left in charge, ok, so by breaking off from Catholicism you are defying Jesus and his religion, which means you are defying GOD himself. Now, im not saying you bad people or anything, but if you knew your history and knew how it was started, you would know, that it was by selfish greedy sinful people that wanted to “cut corners” on their way to heaven. so you should be really proud that you follow such a religion. Sure us Catholics do things that are a little different, but in all actuality, its you religion that weird for not following the precepts that Jesus laid for his church, again the ONE TRUE RELIGION OF JESUS, Catholicism. and if you have a problem with what i have said, take it up with me personally because I will defend it
email- pacman2695@gmail.com
No friend you are so far left your mind isn’t even on the ground. Time is short friend get to the right get on your knees and pray . Satan’s telling you that things are gray friend there black and white.I will pray for you. The pope is evil he is not holly and his father is Satan.
Well, Peter was the first Pope, and he was commissioned by Christ himself, so you are saying that Jesus himself is Satanic?
Hey,
In both 1st and 2nd Peter he refers to himself simply and only as a servant of Jesus Christ, he never calls himself pope and makes no mention of any ecclesiastical structure you are espousing.
Jesus and the disciples never calls him a Pope, Latin for “papa or father” Jesus said “Call NO MAN Father” . Nor does anyone else for that matter. To do so would be to disobey Jesus Christ.
Peter was an important bishop, a leader and founder of the early Christian Church, this is undisputed.
But Jesus died for your sins, was buried and rose again. Jesus only can be your Lord and only Savior to purge away your sins and then you became his child. “To many as received him (Jesus), to them he gave power to become the Sons of God” 1 John 1:12
Rather than debate about the Catholic Church, read the Gospel of John it is incredible the truth of knowing Jesus can bring to someone personally. Ask and pray to God for wisdom.
Thanks,
Andrew.
No. What he is saying that different religions have gone astray and changed over time… The pope was bad.
No mate. Catholics are a bunch of losers. Popes, bishops and preiests have huge gay orgies. Become a christian.
Ps. I hope satan possess’ you for being an arrogant mofo
HAHA, if this is what runs through your mind, you’re the one going to hell.
@ChristianboySorry, but you don’t choose who goes to Heaven or Hell, God does. Never go that far to say that, because there are so many Catholics out there and I am sure that you are the one that has sinned. I don’t understand why you would say that to people you don’t even know. You all believe in one God, so why would you wish Satan will posess some of those people? You should actually feel really sorry for what you said. And learn how to spell before you tell Satan to possess people.
Thank u for blessing us Catholics, Christianboy. As our Lord said ” Blessed are you when people speak evil of you falsely because of me.” (Matt 5). You have just calumniated the Pope bishops and priests with your ” gay orgies” comment. Didn’t you ever read “You shall not bear false witness?”
Christianboy is not bearing false witness, it’s the truth. And as far as I know, there are many bunch of maniac priest who can’t help themselves to fuck poor “little ladies”. You want a proof? ASK Vatican!
Christianboy.. You ain’t no Christian with comments like this. True Christians have regard for all believers.
I am Catholic and Christian, as the term Catholic should specify without having to be redundant. When Catholics are asked if we are Christian, we answer that we are Catholic not because we want to imply that we are not Christian, but because we want to be clear as to the denomination of Christianity that we practice. Catholism has a deeply personal relationship with Christ. We are not just intellects. We respect the prayers and traditions that have been passed down from Christ to St. Paul and on to our current Pope. However, I hugely disagree that the Protestants were “greedy” and wanted to take “short cuts” on religion. If you REALLY study your history, the Catholic Church was greedy and selling short cuts/indulgences to heaven at the time of the Reformation. The Catholic Church had absolute power at the time and “absolute power corrupts absolutly.” The leaders of our Church were not making good decisions at the time. You have only to go to Rome and see the extreme wealth and excessiveness that was gathered during this time period. It is true that the Catholic Church was the first Christian church. For me it is the only Church. However, I do not begrudge others to make that choice for themselves. With so many similarities between the churches it seems ridiculous to sling stones at each other. It also seems rather un-Christlike. Let’s leave the judging to Judgement Day.
Thank-you for your honesty I’m glad to see that there is others here who understand that it is not the specific church that you attend that makes you a christian or not but rather that it is what you believe. I’m sure that if you look at the history of any denomination you could find reason to ridicule it, after all it is people who attend these churches and it is people who make mistakes.
where in the holy bible does it say that?
Where in the ho;y bible does it say that the catholic region is the true religion?
hey in any part of the bible says that, don’t be confuse THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD AND JESUS NEVER SAID “WORSHIP SAINTS “. OR CAN YOU TELL ME IN WHICH PART OF THE BIBLE SAYS TO WORSHIP AND BELIEVE IN SAINTS. THE ONLY RELIGION THE JESUS TALKED WAS ABOUT THE CHRISTIANITY HE NEVER MENTIONED CATHOLICS.
Where does it say that Catholics WORSHIP saints? Please don’t regurgitate that nonsense. It makes you look foolish. We are all praying to the same God (Catholics and Protestants) only the catholics do it accurately.
Beckerp, Jesus asked the disciples: “Who do you think I am?” The disciples were “guessing” different names, such as John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” Jesus repeated the question a second time “who do men say that I am? Peter answered: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for FLESH AND BLOOD has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” And also I say to you that you are Peter, and on this “rock I will build My church….
Jesus was revealing that Peter heard this by the Spirit Of God, and His Church will be built on THAT: His church will be of the Spirit, his church is not of this kingdom (earth or man). In the book of John Jesus explains that everything He does and says is because God, the Father, speaks by way of the Holy Spirit, to Him…and now to US. His Word is Spirit and it is Truth!! Hallelujah!!! The Church is the body of believers and Jesus is the Head. I see people only by the Spirit now. Jesus did not look at Peter but acknowledged the Spirit that spoke the Truth. The “works” all ended when Jesus said “It is finished.” The curtain was rent in two, when Jesus died. We were “covered” by his blood. God is no longer behind the veil, or curtain. He is in us. We are “of Him, through Him, and to Him.”
Before Jesus, it was the natural; now we live by the spirit, in Faith.
I am also a christian now after being catholic for so many years. this is so true, the only way to enter GOD’S kingdom is to repent,ask for forgiveness and to ask HIM to come into your heart and change you. Also comes from having a relationship with Him. Catholics believe that you can make it to heaven on your own as long as you keep the ten commandments and be a good person. This is false teaching. I pray that GOD opens the eyes of everyone that are following a religion, to get close to Him, being a Christian is not a religion its a relationship.
About what you all have said about Catholicism only being a religion and not a relationship: That is not true at all. I am Catholic and definitely have a relationship with Christ. God is the center of my life and when I pray, I pray with reverence but I talk to God like I would my mother or a friend. My faith is definitely a religion AND a relationship. I have just as much a relationship with God as any protestant does.
I was catholic– my children went to catholic schools–I started reading the Bible & studing it. When I was a child & found a bible in my grandmother house I opened it & she told me not to that it was bad luck. Then I started reading it when I grew up & went to a Bible Study group & I fell in love with my Lord & was born again. My children are all born again & faithfully read & study the word & so do my grandchildren. I think reading the word of our lord & living our lives for him is whats important.
good for you.., Thats so awesome, Its great to hear you speak of the Kingdom by being saved and not just following the commands. This is known to you now because the Holy Spirits gives you what you seek. You were hungry for the word and he opened your eyes to understand. He loves you and so proud of you!!!
I hesitate to consider catholicism true christianity in that it readily goes against some of the tenets taught in the Bible. Praying to Mary when Jesus cleary said no man goes to the father but by me, Jesus is the one and only mediator between man and God ( I’m paraphrasing bible verses). Knowing the Bible says this they pray to a myriad of saints. Their preists hear their confessions and give penences for them to perform. Where to start with this, the Bible says because of Jesus you are now free to go to God with your confessions, what He chooses to do about your sin is His business. Preists do not have the authority to hand out penents, works, that’s telling your parishoners that they have to work to obsolve their sin. Only God’s grace can absolve sin. Salvation comes freely from God, it is a gift given freely to those who love him, not a prize for your good works. When you take communion you cannot perform making the blood turn into real blood or the bread turn into His real flesh. If that were so, surely they’d have cannibalized Him away by now. Mary was a very very blessed woman indeed! To be chosen to bring the saviour of the world into the world. But she had more children after Jesus, read about his siblings in the Bible. She did not remain a virgin her whole life, it’s in the Bible, go look. So no she did not ascend to heaven in any other way than any christian woman would.
Emily,
All that you said does not eliminate a Catholic from being a Christian.. Is just makes us different in some of our beliefs and how we believe in the extra things besides the basic teachings of salvation that we are saved by grace through Jesus Christ alone- which Catholics do believe.. We believe that a personal relationship with Christ is of the most importance, but we also believe in being connected to our Church and sharing our sins, sacraments, and etc with the body of believers.. If you think that doing that and having some beliefs that are different from yours disqualifies a Catholic for eternal life, then you have fallen into the sin of judging another ones soul, and only God can do that. God is a just God and a God of love, and He knows those who are His and loves those who believe in His Son for salvation.. If someone believes in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and for salvation, none of us have the authority or the right to pass judgment on them for their differences.. “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged.” If would be acceptable to judge for the sake of helping another if they have the wrong idea of salvation or sin. But not when some of their other beliefs are different from yours? That is called being prejudice and is wrong. Romans chapter 14 holds us accountable to this…
Peace and Christ love be with you..
Cathy….you said it best when you said Catholics also believe in “extra things.”
The last page of the Bible is clear; read the last chapter of Revelation,
Chapter 22: 18-19. While you may not add to the physical Book itself,
you are adding, “extra things”, nonetheless.
We pray to God through Jesus Christ, as the Book clearly states. We confess our
sins to Christ, as the Book clearly states – not to man in robes in a box. While sharing
is nice, the Bible calls for none of this. It is the Book that matters, God’s Word, not what a Catholic priest says. I was in the Catholic church for awhile in my youth. But once I read what HE says, I got the whole truth. Catholic isn’t wrong or bad, but as you yourself stated, Catholics believe in “extra things” man-made things, priest-controlled things. The Pope is a man with some power, but hardly the representation of Jesus Christ or His Father. We can go directly to God through His Son for every and anything, including and especially confession. And the Book is clear on end times, too…the things in Revelation will come to pass….a final way in Megiddo (Israel), an antichrist rising to power for seven years, with three and one half of those years showing peace as he promises…THEN, he’ll enter the rebuilt temple on the mount and claim himself God. THEN people will know….the Bible calls this the abomination and it certainly is. When the great war spins out of control and Israel is about to be wiped out, only God ends it….supernaturally He will end this great war. Prior to all of this happening, God will rapture his church (believers) from Earth, to be “caught up in the air” – so Christians will have disappeared and this antichrist will explain it away as some nuclear (most likely) occurance. The Bible is very clear if you allow it to be…I know being a Catholic is believing in and accepting Jesus Christ for who He says is and that’s the path to salvation. But Catholics also believe in “good works” and no work will ever be good enough to gain entrance to Heaven…only Christ, with His gift of salvation given to those who confess their sins to Him and accept Him into their life and heart, can grant salvation and that salvation, according to the Bible, can never be lost….Catholics believe it can. THAT’S the biggest difference…besides the praying to the Vigin Mary who, well, you might as well be praying to me. ONLY CHRIST will hear prayer on behalf of the father and only the FATHER can be prayed to only through Christ. That’s in the book…I believe that over anything else any church or any man on earth tells me.
Sher,
the Anti-Christ I believe will try to explain away the rapture by a fake UFO/Alien invasion. Aliens are not visiting the Earth but are actually fallen angels (demons from Hell). This the great deception planned by Satan himself to cause all (that are left after the rapture) to worship the Anti-Christ.The Rapture of the Church (or the removal of the Holy Spirit as a restrainer of lawlessness is lifted)ushering in the Anti-Christ. All this New Age religion mumbo jumbo has been on the increase over the years with beliefs steeped in an Alien creator (they vary but all basically believe this). Have you noticed an increase in Alien propaganda i.e. movies, commercials, religions, music and music videos all point to a worldwide preparation for such an event.
Satan has had thousands of years to prepare for the moment of the Rapture and with Bible prophesies unflolding before our very eyes there exists the technologies that will be used as his tool. The Illuminati controls Hollywood, the music industry, the bankin industry and Governments, do some research it will blow your mind. There are some websites and youtube videos on this subject (view with discernment but most are credible) some of the websites to steer away from speak of new age movement. Some interesting organizations, people and technology to look into all involve the evil guidence of Satan include the Illuminati, Freemasons, CFR (Council of Foriegn Relations) The Bilderburgs these to name a few all want a New World Order and a one World currency (setting the stage of Anti-Christ, of course they won’t tell you that). Technology includes H.A.A.R.P., Blue Beam project, Chemtrails, and R.F.I.D. implantable microchips, these are used by OUR Government. FEMA camps (or future concentration camps), the Gerogria Guidestones are some others to check out. These end-time Bible prophicies are being fulfilled right now and if you factor in with all that’s happening with the Middle East, Israel, Earthquakes, famine etc. you will see how all that I mentioned above are just pieces to the puzzle that is almost finished. I hope you will check these subjects out it can be frightning but interesting stuff. I’m Catholic but also a Christian, just remember to use discernment so that God can allow you to see the truths. It’s an exciting time we live in knowing that the return of Jesus Christ is so near! Take care and God Bless. Brad
I am agree with you man.
Sher,
My reply was totally off subject just thought you might find what I’ve been researching interesting over the past few months. Explaining away the Rapture as a Nuclear event just doesn’t seem to me as a possibility since they would have to launch a nuclear attack that would have to coincide with the Rapture killing millions of people.
P.S. Hal Lindsey has a weekly program that deals with events involving Israel, the Rapture and Bible prophesy his website has his program along with a Christian television network. It’s called the Hal Linsey Report. Take care and God Bless, Brad
you write awesome!!! You put it all in words wonderfully. Its so simple, the bible says it over and over, the only way to the Kingdom is through Jesus Christ. The bible can not and will not lie. the problems is they dont have the Holy Spirit, and without it, God wont lift the veil so that they can truely understand what the bible says. Also,,, the 2 that went from Cath. to Christian said, they finally read the bible,,,,, Do catholics not read the bible or what?
Learn how to spell priest and let me just tell you that our lord Jesus Christ also gave the apostles permission to hear the peoples sins and free them from sin, any sin kept will not be forgiven. DO YOU GET IT KNOW. the priest are apostles…..
Dear Paula,
“our lord Jesus Christ also gave the apostles permission to hear the peoples sins and free them from sin, any sin kept will not be forgiven. DO YOU GET IT KNOW. the priest are apostles…..”
The scriptures say that we should confess our sins to one another yes! But we do not have the right to tell someone that they are forgiven. Only God has the right to do that! For example, The priest will tell you to say 10 hail marys then you will be forgiven e.t.c That is absolute nonsense! Saying hail mary will certainly NOT save you.
Also the baptism business. The bible says that we should be emerged into water not have a trickle on our heads! I do not understand why catholics believe that one can be saved through baptism, absolute rubbish!
I also do not understands why catholics pray to Mary, she cannot hear you as she is dead. She was a very blessed woman when on earth for being chosen to give birth to out saviour, but she had other children just like any other woman would.
Catholism confuses me
Being “saved” is not one moment in time. Being saved is a daily process. I have been saved, I am being saved, and I will be saved.
You’re 100% right that the priest does NOT have the right to forgive sins. And you’re mistaken that the priest says “If you do 10 Hail Marys you’ll be forgiven”. The Bible DOES say:
John 20:22 – the Lord “breathes” on the apostles, and then gives them the power to forgive and retain sins. The only other moment in Scripture where God breathes on man is in Gen. 2:7, when the Lord “breathes” divine life into man. When this happens, a significant transformation takes place.
John 20:23 – Jesus says, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” In order for the apostles to exercise this gift of forgiving sins, the penitents must orally confess their sins to them because the apostles are not mind readers. The text makes this very clear.
As for Baptism, I agree that your King James version says immersion’s the only way to go. But if you go and study the translations themselves, you’ll see that the verb tenses for “baptizo” don’t ALL mean immersion. Some do, but some don’t.
Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16 -John the Baptist prophesied that Jesus will baptize (“baptisei”) with the Holy Spirit and fire. In this case, “baptisei” refers to a “pouring” out over the head. This is confirmed by Matt. 3:16 where the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus’ head like a dove and Acts 2:3-4 where the Holy Spirit descended upon Mary and the apostles’ heads in the form of tongues of fire. In each case, in fulfilling John the Baptist’s prophecy, the Lord baptized (“baptizo”) in the form of pouring out His Spirit upon the head, not immersing the person.
To prove that “baptizo” doesn’t always mean immerse even:
Mark 7:3 – the Pharisees do not eat unless they wash (“baptizo” ) their hands. This demonstrates that “baptizo” does not always mean immersion. It can mean pouring water over something (in this case, over their hands).
Acts 16:33 – the baptism of the jailer and his household appears to be in the house, so immersion is not possible.
You can read about this at http://www.scripturecatholic.com/baptism.html
– Paul
If you want others to respect your religion, you have first to have respect on other’s religion. We all have the same God, we all just differ in some beliefs and way of worshiping God.
Sarah,
I am a Catholic teenager. Here is hopefully a good explanation of the things you don’t understand. First of all,the water in Baptism is SYMBOLISM. The water itself does not necessarily save you, it’s the love for Christ that you are showing by being “washed clean” i.e the water. Also, confession. Of course we believe that having a conversation with God is what saves you. But Christ also speaks throgh the priest, making it a holy sacrament that we believe in. Lastly, Mary. Yes, we honor Mary. She is the one mortal who never ever sinned. That’s why she is the one who bore Jesus. Also, you sound extremely ignorant when you say that she can not hear us because she is dead. Is Jesus dead? In a sense, yes, but he is reborn, and can most defininitly hear us when we pray. So why should Mary not hear us? She is Jesus’s mother; the most holy person after Jesus. The love Jesus had for his mother is uncomparaable. Don’t you think he would’ve saved her, and brought her to live in Heaven with him? Well, I do. We pray to her to intercede to God. She brings our pray requests directly to God.
I hope you understand the Catholic faith better, and God Bless,
Lizzie <3<3<3
I’m sorry but where did you get that Mary never sinned? It is made very clear in the bible that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). If you would like to explain to me how this part of the bible was wrong and actually reads “for most have sinned” then please explain it to me. Next when Jesus ascended into heaven he told us that he was sending another, the holy spirit, the same holy spirit that filled the disciples. Paul never prayed to Mary our Peter and neither did any of the other early church leaders. They prayed to God! A third point John 3:16 states “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son so that who ever should believe in him would not perish but have everlasting life” Do you see how much God loves me! Me the sinner! His son died so that I could be with him. Same goes for you and everyone else in this world. Gods love for us is far beyond what we can imagine he wants us there just as much as he wants Marry there. That was Jesus’ purpose on the world, to save all of us and bring us to heaven, not just Marry. The trick is we have to accept his offer
Hi Emily,
I know this is an old thread, but I thought I’d respond anyway. You’ve been taught some pretty common misconceptions about the Church, and I thought I’d take a minute to clear it up a little bit. Catholics do not (or at least SHOULD not, according to the teachings of the Church) pray to anyone but God. What we CAN do and DO do is ask the saints for their intercession in our prayers to God. All Christians, if I’m not mistaken, believe that even after someone goes to Heaven, that they’re still a part of the Body of Christ. No one would hesitate to ask someone on earth that’s part of the Body of Christ to pray for them – if your mother is sick, don’t you ask your friends for prayers for her? Why should those requests stop after someone is passed, and is right there in Heaven with God already. Shouldn’t their prayers mean MORE? So no, we don’t pray to Mary, but we request that she pray on our behalf. In fact, most of my praying is praying directly to God with a little bit of a “Mother Mary, please intercede on my behalf to your Son, that through your example I may draw closer to him.” That’s enough for now. I could touch on all of your points AND give you scriptural backups, but that would make this comment too long! Here’s a website to check out your other points: http://www.scripturecatholic.com/
Merry Christmas Everyone…
First, let me say that I love you all, and I hope we can all join in heaven, praising God for eternity.
I personally just attended a Christian church service in NYC, and listened to a beautiful sermon about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I’m now at home, relaxing and watching on TV a religious ceremony of the Catholic Church. It’s quite different. I always knew it was, and wondered why, so I googled it and found hundreds of sites depicting the differences, but fond this site and ultimately have to agree with Emily. As the Catholic service is still in progress, waving around smoke and TV announcers describing what is happening, I first have to admit it is a spectacular spectacle. Very convincing. I actually almost cried at moments during the amazing hymns from the choir! It was gorgeous.
I would have paid to watch that whole service. Really, I would have. Infact, it should be a Broadway show. Now, I don’t mean to offend anyone, though I am sure I just did. The previous sentence I just said was to make a point. My point being, it’s one of the best shows on earth. It truly is. In addition, it is soooooooooooooo close to the teachings of Jesus. Christians and Catholics are very similar, but not the same. So can be said of Muslims who believe almost in the same things, accept that Jesus is the Son of God. Catholics of course do, and so do Christians. Catholics and Christians believe that the only way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ. Catholics for the most part, also believe in the Trinity (The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost). The specific and distinct difference in which Emily was stating previously lies within the saints.
To me, if I have a problem with someone, I go directly to that individual to state my issues. If I need to say something to someone, I go directly to that person. Paul made very good points, but I would like to see some Biblical Scripture from the New American Standard, or better yet, the King James Version that the only way of us sub-humans approaching God or Jesus is through ‘Saints’. Let me be clear, I am not mocking the Catholic Church, or any of the Catholic Saints. I am rather contributing to this conversation with fellow believers. The two religions are so amazingly close. It’s mind-boggling. However, why the separations? (Yes, there is a separation between the two: and the believers in both religions). Getting back to Emily’s post, her distinction in what Christianity and Catholicism differ is right on. Christians pray directly to the Lord Jesus Christ…. and God. There is no mediation as stated in Paul’s response. I find myself confused in why someone would approach another human being or in this case a dead human being (now viewed as a Saint to Catholics) and pray to he and or she, so that they may present their prayer to the Lord? I ask this in all honesty, and humility, as I am wondering in what art of the Bible (again, through a specific translation as close to the original version as possible and that being the King James version or New American Standard) does it say for humans (Christians) to pray to another dead human (Saint for Catholics) in order to communicate, or request a prayer and or forgiveness to God?
The other thing is that God sent his son Jesus Christ to this earth, so that we humans could be born again and have direct communication with him. Paul’s recent comment stated on this, and my response would be that asking another human to pray for another human is the very thing of community, and the power of prayer and joining arms with fellows within the Church. I would never think about asking my dead grandmother, or mother or friend (now spirits) for prayer and for them to pass along my prayer request to God. Mary was human, just as was every other disciple and prophet. Made from flesh and bones, and 61.8 percent water. Jesus was made from flesh and bones and was 61.8 percent water as well. His sprit, however, was a direct descended of God. They were the same. Yes, Catholics believe the same thing, but Mary was in no way shape or form more holy than I, Paul and or Emily! We are all humans! The only human that was different (spiritually) was the Lord Jesus Christ. His direct message was for us to be in communication with the Lord our God. His God, His Father. Him. Jesus. All the same. (hard for a non-believer to grasp a hold of no doubt!). Also, we do not believe in working for our forgiveness and salvation!
It’s through the Lord Jesus Christ that we approach, and God his Father, our Father….for Prayer, and basic everyday conversation! Emily stated all the correct things. Jesus couldn’t stand the spectacle of “Religion”. Honoring and worshiping God is as simple as it is with a ‘thought’ and speaking directly to God and Jesus while working, or driving to work, or while eating a dinner, or sitting in the bath tub relaxing. It’s a relationship…plain and simple. It’s not a religion. It’s a relationship. How much easier, simple, precise, amazing, could that be? We as a society today should be so welcoming to such an idea! It’s so easy to be Christian and believe in Jesus Christ, and to worship and praise and speak to ONLY Jesus and our Father God! That’s it! As humans, however, it is tooooo simple…. it couldn’t be that easy. Right? We must do “Religious” acts for an hour in order to get God’s attention and to be able to worship and praise him. God sent his son Jesus Christ to earth in order for us to not go through all of that, so we could have direct communication and praise and worship through him!
As Cathy’s statement said to Emily’s “Do not judge”, oh but this is not Judging sweetheart. This is not a judgment at all. I’m human, I do not judge, and yes you are correct Cathy, only God can judge. My speech is not judgmental, though could be interpreted at judgmental. I am rather pointing out differences, that we ALL have been talking about, and trying to harmonize our religions and guide one another through the incredible small hole that is to Jesus Christ and his Father, our Father in Heaven our God so we could and can all meet together and worship our King and Savior for eternity.
Praise the Lord Jesus Christ….And Merry Christmas to everyone, and happy early new year!
(I won’t be bookmarking this site, and I will forget about this site in less that 8 hours. So any response will go unheard of from me, but I hope anyone in the future that sees this very conversation will somehow benefit from it all) Amen!
-Tsu
Tsu,
Right here is the beginning of my issue with your statement: “…I would like to see some Biblical Scripture from the New American Standard, or better yet, the King James Version that the only way of us sub-humans approaching God or Jesus is through ‘Saints’.”
NOWHERE did I say that the ONLY way of us approaching God or Jesus is via intercession. In fact, I said the opposite – I pray to God and to His Son and to the Holy Spirit (we are EXTREMELY Trinitarian – every prayer starts and ends off “In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”). I’ll explain intercession again:
Have you ever prayed for someone else? Let’s suppose that I write on Facebook “Grandpa’s having surgery today… I hope he’s okay!” Is it uncommon to see someone write, or to write ourselves, “I’ll be praying for him and for you!” or something like that? Praying for each other is a COMMON THING to do! No one’s surprised when we pray for each other, or if I ask you to pray for me, or for something that’s going on. People do it all the time. Why should I STOP asking someone for prayers just because they’re not inhabiting their earthly body anymore. If someone’s in Heaven, why SHOULDN’T I as them to pray for me? I’m not praying TO them – I’m asking them to pray on my behalf. Again, I’ll say something like “Heavenly Father, I ask that you watch over my grandfather during his surgery today. Grandma, please intercede on my behalf and pray for Grandpa as well.” I’m not praying TO Grandma, I’m asking her to pray WITH me.
Anyway, that wasn’t your point, I don’t think. You think we’re putting on a spectacle when we perform the Mass. If you legitimately want to learn (and Proverbs 18:15 says you should!) you should read The Lamb’s Supper by Dr. Scott Hahn (http://www.amazon.com/Lambs-Supper-Mass-Heaven-Earth/dp/0385496591). He was a protestant theologian who studied Revelation for years. When he went to a Catholic Mass after studying Revelation for so long, he realized the parallels and converted. The Mass is EXTREMELY Biblical, and we believe that it IS what Christ ordained for His people. I agree we don’t have everything perfectly, and I think all denominations have room to grow, but I do believe we hold the physical presence of Jesus in our religion, where other denominations don’t.
Lastly, I’ll say to the people who say “show me in the Bible where it says this or that” – I can show you a BASIS for a lot of what’s going on, but Sola Scriptura isn’t really legitimate. Here’s some examples from http://www.scripturecatholic.com/scripture_alone.html
Gen. to Rev. – Scripture never says that Scripture is the sole infallible authority for God’s Word. Scripture also mandates the use of tradition. This fact alone disproves sola Scriptura.
Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15 – those that preached the Gospel to all creation but did not write the Gospel were not less obedient to Jesus, or their teachings less important.
Matt. 28:20 – “observe ALL I have commanded,” but, as we see in John 20:30; 21:25, not ALL Jesus taught is in Scripture. So there must be things outside of Scripture that we must observe. This disproves “Bible alone” theology.
Mark 16:15 – Jesus commands the apostles to “preach,” not write, and only three apostles wrote. The others who did not write were not less faithful to Jesus, because Jesus gave them no directive to write. There is no evidence in the Bible or elsewhere that Jesus intended the Bible to be sole authority of the Christian faith.
The last thing that I’ll say is that the Catholic Church is the last acceptable prejudice in this world. Protestants hear something false about the Catholic faith, and believe it without researching or looking into anything. I’ll gladly answer more questions, but LOOK for your answers first on http://www.scripturecatholic.com/ and only AFTER that will I answer anything else.
There are 33,000 Christian denominations in the world. Only 1 has been around since the beginning of Jesus’s ministry.
Paul,
I have researched even more than you think about…. Now considering Mary… This is what I researched and found..
Now we want to consider Mary – this is the third fatal flaw in Catholicism. Pope Pius IX in 1854 dogmatised the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. Now you will have heard of that, but probably, like most people, you will have misunderstood it, because it’s not talking at all about the virgin birth. The Immaculate Conception has nothing to do with the virgin birth. The Immaculate Conception teaches that Mary was conceived without sin: Mary was conceived without sin, and did not sin, therefore, in her life. Now that is in complete contradistinction to the word of God. We know from Luke chapter 1, after the Lord Jesus was born, that in her Magnificat in verses 46 and 47 Mary actually rejoiced in God her Saviour. She needed a Saviour and she brought an offering for sin to the temple. She needed a Saviour because she was as a sinner, the Scriptures teach. In 1854, not before it mind you, but then, Pius said she had no sin. Now that creates a problem, because in Romans 3:23 Paul says: ‘All have sinned and come short of the glory of God’, there is no difference. This doctrine of the Immaculate Conception raised in the minds and hearts of many Catholics another question, because Romans 6:23 teaches that the wages of sin is death. So if Mary was not a sinner, did she or did she not die?
Well, if she died, did she decay? Or did she not die at all? So many Catholics wanted an answer that in 1950, not an awfully long time ago, Pope Pius XII dogmatised the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary. What is that? It states that God took her up, she didn’t die, she was assumed into heaven without dying – and this ‘Mary-olatry’, this Marian doctrine of the Catholic Church, is divine law. You can’t say: ‘Well, I’ll believe the Christ bit and not the Mary bit’, because Catholic doctrine denounces upon you an anathema if you do not accept this teaching of Mary. In 1917 in Fatima, Mary was meant to have appeared, and she said to those people who were following her: ‘My immaculate heart will bring you to God’. Believe it or not people are still claiming to hear and to see Mary. In part of Belfast this very year there was a magazine going round showing all the apparitions, visions and sightings and hearings of Mary in our own day and age.
Now friends, you can see the important place that Mary has within Catholicism – she has been crowned Queen of Heaven by the Triune Godhead. Incidentally, Jeremiah 7 talks about a Queen of Heaven too, in paganism in Israel‘s day. But Mary has been exalted to this point of almost, I would say, actual deity, as a co-redemptrix in our salvation, as a co-mediator with God. Here she is in a picture with all the angels of heaven worshipping, venerating and adoring her. She is seen as the mediator of all grace. There is actually a picture of God judging Christ, a bit like the one above, in the Baltimore Catechism: the blood of Christ is shown flowing out of His side into the hands of Mary, and flowing out of the hands of Mary upon the little children that are Catholic, confirmed and baptised and so on. She is seen as the dispenser of all grace, the mediator of all grace. The Son of God, it is taught, cannot disobey her. So if you want anything, don’t go to Christ first, go to Mary and you’ll get what you’re looking for.
Now all this, I would vouch to say, makes salvation very complicated – and one thing it certainly does is it makes it less accessible. Christ has paved the way, Hebrews tells us, to come straight into the presence of God by His own blood. First Timothy 2:5 says that ‘there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus’. Mary doesn’t figure at all in the equation. Yet, not only is there the worship of Mary, but there is the veneration of saints and of angels, of images and of objects. In my travels I came across obvious ones such as the bones of saints and so on, and there was one travelling around here not so long ago around Ireland. Here are two extraordinary images that I found: this is actually a piece of toast, a piece of toast! On this piece of toast, if you can see it, is meant to be the face of the baby Jesus – now you can see a face. The second is an underpass in Chicago, I believe – and this is a stain, a damp stain upon the wall. People have seen – they claim – the Virgin Mary in this stain on the wall, and they are venerating it, they’re worshipping it!
Now what does the second commandment teach? Exodus 20:4-5: ‘Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me’. That’s the second commandment – you say: ‘Well, do the Catholics not have the commandments?’. Yes, they have the commandments, but spot the difference – can you? The second commandment about bowing down to images is not there. They have omitted the second commandment. Oh, yes they still have ten if you count them, but do you know what they do? They break the tenth commandment into two: ‘You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife. You shall not covet anything else that belongs to your neighbour’. They make ten, nine and ten, in order to omit two because it doesn’t fit in with their tradition. Now if that’s not changing the word of God according to human tradition, I ask you: what is?
Now, we will come to the roman Catholics way of salvation,
They do believe that we’re born in sin: you’re born in sin, and because you’re born in sin there is a problem. The benefits of Christ’s death to all infants that are born can only be imparted in grace through infant baptism. That’s why it’s so important that Roman Catholic babies are baptised just after they’re born, because baptism (according to Roman Catholic dogma) cleanses and removes original sin. It actively infuses grace within the life of that soul, that child. It brings them into a state of grace, or you could put it: they are justified by the act of baptism. That’s what they actually claim, that this is initial justification. Incidentally there are 6 million Roman Catholic babies baptised every year, and round about 2 million adults a year.
Now the problem is, you’re still a sinner. This initial grace of infant baptism won’t do if you continue to sin – and we all continue to sin, so more is needed, there’s more work to be done. So you need to preserve that grace within you, effectively if you want to get to heaven you need to increase that grace. So they claim that Christ initiated seven sacraments in order to preserve and increase grace. What are those seven sacraments? Well, you can see the list of them: baptism that we’ve mentioned; reconciliation which is just penance, trying to atone for your sins in confession to a priest; Holy Eucharist, the Mass; confirmation; matrimony, marriage; holy orders; and the anointing of the sick or the last rites. All of these things throughout your life will keep you in a state of grace, and effectively increase grace. But the problem is, if you’re like every other human being on the face of the earth, you continue to sin. Because you continue to sin you will need what is called, in our diagram, number 3: re-justification. Even if you keep all these sacraments, and you fail in some way, you will need re-justification to replace that grace. You might commit a mortal sin, I could go down them, but those are the more serious sins, and they kill the life of grace, they kill it dead so that you would go straight to hell if you died after committing a mortal sin. Then there are venial sins, which are lesser sins, they just weaken the life of grace in you – but nevertheless, after committing mortal and venial sins you need re-justification and that comes through penance, through confession to a priest. Penance, mortification, all sorts of acts, confessing to a priest ought to atone – if it’s done enough and sincerely – to some extent for your sins.
The problem is we’re all sinning so much, as we have always done, that we continue to sin. All these sins, both mortal and venial, accrue to us a temporal punishment that will come one day in the form of purgatory – what an awful doctrine that is. Really Roman Catholic salvation ends on the note that the condition of your soul at the moment of your death will determine where your eternal destination will be. It is a continuation of this ‘works’ gospel from birth to death, and still at the end of it all you’re not guaranteed. Purgatory especially teaches that Christ’s death on the cross wasn’t complete or wasn’t enough to take us to heaven, to save us completely. Added to that blasphemy is the fact that it teaches that we can actually atone and pay for our own sins. Whereas what do the Scriptures teach? Ephesians 2:8-9: ‘For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast’. Romans 3:28: ‘Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law’. Romans 5:1: ‘Therefore being justified by faith’, not by works, not by sacraments, but by faith, ‘we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ’. In Galatians 2:21 Paul says: ‘I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law’, sacraments or rules, ‘then Christ is dead in vain’. What did He die for? The fact that He died is enough, the hymn says: ‘It is enough that Jesus died, and that He died for me’.
You see, the Roman Catholic doctrine perverts the very word of grace, grace is merited, it’s earned. But the very word ‘grace’ as it is defined in the Bible means ‘unmerited favour’! It is a gift that you cannot earn, that is what free grace is – free! Yet Rome puts a price on it.
Hi Tsu:
We have a wonderful picture presented to us the the Transfiguration of Jesus on Mt Tabor recorded in the three synoptic gospels. There the three disciples – Peter, John and James – witness the Glory of Christ. The Holy Spirit descends as a cloud about them, and the voice of the Father is heard: “This is my Beloved Son.” And Moses (by this time dead about 1500 years) and Elijah (assumed bodily into heaven some centuries before) also appear with Christ and converse about His divine mission.
In some ways the Transfiguration reflects the Catholic aproach. we catholics are aware not only of the Church on earth (represented by Peter John and James) but also of the Church in heaven (represented by Moses and Elijah). But these are not two seperate churches – one of the living and one of the dead – but one single church alive in Christ both on earth and in heaven. This communion of saints form the one Body of Christ and when we on earth converse or pray to our brethren already in heaven we are being church in a fuller way, experiencing not only its horizontal extention on earth, but its vertical extension connecting heaven and earth.
Uniting and permeating the Church is the Blessed Trinity itself – Father Son and Holy Spirit. Our communion as Church is a particiaption in the communion of the three Divine Persons. So the picture is not that we pray thru the saints to get to Jesus. Rather all the followers of Christ both living and dead are gathered around the master, all the members of His Body both on earth and in heaven are united in Him and sharing the spiritual gifts we have received from Him with one another.
Consider this: the saints in heaven, after living a life of struggle and pain and sometimes of martyrdom for the Name of Jesus, now enjoy the greatest of comforts: the unending and direct vision of God’s Glory. Having fought the good fight of faith they have received the crown of victory from our Savior’s own nail-pierced hand. What kind of Christians would they be if they should bask in this glory and forget their still-struggling brothers and sisters on earth? Will they not instead pray for us that we may come to the same comfort that they now experience? These good and faithful servants now share in their Master’s joy – and pray that we too may be good and faithful and come to the same joy ourselves.
Paul J
Paul,
What a beautiful description you gave of our communion with the saints in heaven and the chruch as a whole in one body in Christ! So true and so right.. I love the last part of about what kind of Christians would they be if they forgot about their struggling brothers and sisters here.. I appreciate it all the more!
God bless, Cathy
Wow I could not have said any of it better myself!!!!!!………..I will also pray to….GOD……that HE will open your eyes. Christianity is NOT a religion its a RELATIONSHIP with HIM. JESUS died so that we could go straight to HIM and not through anyone else. When someone else prays WITH you for something, this is good. GOD says where two or more gather in my name, so the prayer is going straight to HIM not a saint THEN to HIM!
The first thing I want us to consider is the objection that is often given: that the Roman Catholic Church or system could be classed as ‘the’ Christian church. That’s often why it’s not included in assessments of cults and false religions, because it is the ‘catholic’ church, as many people call it. ‘Catholic’ simply means ‘universal’, and at a casual glance of Christian history, and even secular history, you could argue that there have been no interruptions or interjections in the Catholic Church, or breakaways, or sects, or schisms from the apostles. That’s what many people argue.
Church History
Now, I want to consider first of all: is that the case historically? I’m going to give you a brief résumé of church history, not in any depth I hasten to add, a very simplistic summary – but just to give you an understanding of where the Roman Catholic Church came from, how we have got to where we are today regarding the Roman Catholic Church, and indeed what is classed as ‘Protestantism’.
First of all, after the New Testament was written, or at least around the time it was written, you have the ApostolicChurch from the early 30s AD to 100AD. That was a time characterised particularly by the persecution of Nero and Domitian. Several of the New Testament epistles were written in reaction to that. It was also a time that was characterised by the expansion of the early church, particularly the missionary journeys and escapades of Paul and Barnabas around the known European world. Between the 40s to the mid-90s of this period most, if not all, of the New Testament was written. This period that we could class as the ApostolicEarlyChurch ends about the year 100AD with the death of the apostle John, the writer of 1, 2 and 3 John, the Gospel of John and the book of the Revelation.
When we exit the year 100AD we come to a time that could be classed as the PersecutedChurch, from the year 100 through to 313AD. That was a particular period characterised again by Roman persecution, but it was a more planned and orchestrated persecution. Within the church it was also a time characterised by heresies and divisive issues, particularly that of when Easter should be celebrated and so on. In 311AD an Emperor called Galerius issued an edict called the ‘Edict of Toleration’, and this is when Rome‘s treatment changed in regard to the Christian church of the day. This Edict of Toleration said that Christians should be tolerated, they should be allowed to worship in the Roman Empire. Then in 313AD the Emperor Constantine, you will be familiar with his name at least, issued another edict: the ‘Edict of Milan’. This granted Christians not only toleration, but total freedom.
That’s very important, because it paved the way for what became known later on as the unification between the church and state. After the year 313 right through to about 590AD, the organised church changed from what up to then had been the ‘Catholic Church’, the universal New Testament church with each bishop and each overseeing elder in that church equal to one another. It now changed to become the ‘Roman Catholic Church’ with a Roman bishop who was first among equals, among all the bishops in that particular early church.
It was characterised by the Bishop of Rome who claimed that his church in particular was founded by the apostle Peter and the apostle Paul. The Bishop of Rome claimed that Peter was the first bishop of Rome. In fact he went further to say that Christ appointed Peter as His vicar on earth, and the word ‘vicar’ simply means ‘His representative on earth’. Therefore all the succeeding bishops of Rome inherited the vicarship of Christ – that’s what’s called ‘apostolic succession’. Because Peter, they claim, was the first bishop of Rome, every succeeding bishop of Rome has that same blessing of the vicarship of Christ, representing Christ on earth.
Now I know that that is a very swift and simplistic summary of history, but if I could sum it up even more simplistically just to say this: for the first three centuries of the church Christians, largely speaking, took the Bible as their only standard of rule, belief and practice. Then all of a sudden in the fourth century AD, Constantine begins to favour Christianity – he was not converted to Christianity, as is commonly said, he began to favour it. Then in 324AD he made it the official religion of the Roman Empire. Now you may say: ‘What’s the significance of that?’. Well, practically this meant that the thousands of non-Christians who came into the Empire – whether they followed false gods or worshipped idols – because they came into an Empire where the religion was Christianity, to take advantage in the Empire they ‘converted’ to Christianity. Now it wasn’t a true conversion in the New Testament sense, it was a conversion to gain advantage. With them came their pagan gods, their pagan beliefs, and we begin to see entering into this particular church: priests, rituals, images and so on. I believe that many of them can be traced back to ancient Babylon right at the tower of Babel. As we go into the book of Revelation, particularly in chapter 17, you see that these same characteristics of pagan Babylon will be chiefly found in the religious system, and I believe Rome will be at the head of it at the end of time. If you want to read more about that, I would advise you to get ‘The Two Babylons’ by Alexander Hislop. It’s not in the top ten list of modern Christian books to read today, but it’s one of the most vital ones. You get it, and you’ll see how Babylon can be found in Rome, and will be found in this ecumenical church that will be around at the end of time.
With all this infiltration of paganism into the church, we get this state church from about 313 to 590AD. Many of the views that we recognise as being ‘Roman Catholic’ were formed, maybe not dogmatically but at least in embryo, during that particular church period. The years that followed were the years of the dark days of Christianity, the MediaevalChurch from 590 to 1517AD. Although during that time, as you read church history, there were small groups of true Bible-believing Christians, the church to a large extent was semi-pagan in its belief right throughout the time of the Middle Ages to what is now known as the ReformationChurch.
Now we ask the question, and this will lead us on to our study: what happened? We’ve come from the beginning, the ApostolicChurch, through to the PersecutedChurch. We then see the StateChurch with these influences of church and state together, and paganism coming in from the immigration of people with false religions joining, for advantage, the church of Jesus Christ. We then come to the dark times of the Middle Ages – but what happened in the year 1517 through to 1648AD to change the scene of Christendom? Very simply put, what happened was a rediscovery of the teachings of the Bible. Men again started to read and study the word of God. When they read the word of God they began to see that the word of God was not in parallel with, but was in contrast to what was in the church. So they began to protest against the false beliefs that were in the MediaevalChurch, they protested and because of that they were called ‘Protestants’. Now it doesn’t have the meaning that people have taken for it today in Ulster, so don’t you define it like that. The historical meaning was: men who believed the Bible, who were true Christians and stood up for those beliefs, and that was the beginning of the Reformation.
But chiefly this is what I want you to note made the difference: when they rediscovered the truths of the Bible, the great conflict of the Reformation, and the conflict thereafter has been the conflict between the Scriptures and tradition – the Holy Scriptures and what the church of Rome calls ‘holy tradition’. Now many people hail Vatican II in 1965 as a real change in Roman doctrine, but it was not. There were some changes in Vatican II which we’ll highlight later on, but effectively their doctrine stayed the same, particularly in relation to tradition. Read this quote with me, it says: ‘Consequently it is not from sacred Scripture alone that the Church draws her certainty about everything which has been revealed. Therefore both sacred tradition and sacred scripture are to be accepted and venerated with the same sense of devotion and reverence…It is clear therefore that sacred scripture and the teaching authority of the church, in accord to God’s most wise design, are so linked and joined together that one cannot stand without the other’. Another quotation from the Catholic catechism: ‘Tradition transmits in its entirety the Word of God which has been entrusted to the apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit. It transmits it to the successors of the apostles’.
Now what is all this is saying? Well, simply this: the Roman Catholic Church does not see the Bible as the only word of God, but the word of God is also – apparently, they claim – transmitted through Peter, then his successors the bishops and popes of Rome, and the successors of the apostles in tradition, which is as valid as the word of God and must be held up as the word of God. They actually say, in our last quotation: ‘The one cannot stand without the other’.
Roman Catholics say that tradition is found in the Bible, and they are right. Tradition is spoken of positively in the Bible, in fact I’ll give you a reference, 2 Thessalonians 3:6, listen to what Paul says: ‘Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us’. We read of it in 2 Thessalonians 2:15, 1 Corinthians 11:2 and other verses where Paul mentions ‘tradition’. But what I want you to see is that Vatican II, as we looked at it, said this: ‘One cannot stand without the other’ – Scriptures cannot stand without tradition, and vice versa. Now if the Roman Catholic Church claim that the Bible is the word of God, and today they do claim it – although, down through the centuries, they tried to destroy it in the mother tongue of the people – yet today they do claim that, equal to tradition, it is the word of God. If their tradition contradicts the word of God, what do they do? What can they do, because they have said that one can only stand with the other. So therefore, in consequence, it must mean that one must agree with the other.
Let me turn your attention to Mark chapter 7 for a moment, for this is so important because here the Lord Jesus speaks on the subject of tradition. In Mark 7:8-9, speaking of the Pharisees and their external worship without the heart, He says: ‘For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own traditions’. ‘Ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own traditions’ – now He said the same or similar things in Matthew 15. In Colossians 2 and verse 8 Paul says these words: ‘Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ’.
God bless”…
Let me make this simple post regarding prayers, to saints, or to Mary, the mother of God (His Son, Jesus Christ) that these prayers are request for intercession. If you had someone that you truely respected, and you needed to make a request, It would be only human in nature to make that request through someone that would be most likely to have that request granted. It tends to humanize the action, and that’s really what this is all about, making your communications with your Saviour, Jesus Christ, and His Father, God, as well as that last and third part of the Holy Trinity, The Holy Spirit, just a little easier for us mere mortals to accomplish. Didn’t you go thru your mother when you need the keys form your father? If you truly believed your mother to have been a person deserving of being with God in Heaven, You’d still consider her good favor in seeking intecession in your request to God. It’s the human approach, and whereas you “should feel comfortable” talking directly with God, it would only be human to seek a little help or favor in getting your request there on a silver platter if you thought it might help. That would be the underlying reason why Catholics seek the intercession of the Saints, and the Holiest of those Saints being the Mother of Christ, Mary.
No where in scripture does it say that saints or Mary will intercede for us! It clearly states that the holy spirit will intercede on our behalf! Since when did mary take the place of the holy spirit?
Hi Sarah:
Try Revelation 6:9-11 to see how the saints in heaven pray to God and have an awareness of and maybe even a concern for what their fellow Christians still on earth are going through.
PaulJ
6:9-11 What does the opening of the fifth seal here signify?
This signifies the multitude of saints who will be martyred during the tribulation (CP Mt 24:9; Rev 7:9-14; 17:6). They were beheaded for their witness to Christ (CP Rev 13:7-8, 15-17; 14:13; 15:2-4; 20:4). These are not the church saints as so many Christians believe. The church and the Old Testament saints were raptured to heaven, which God had predestined before these things – the things which must be hereafter – began in Rev 4 (CP 4:1). The tribulation saints’ cry for God to avenge their blood in Rev 6:10 is for the vindication of God’s justice, not for personal vengeance. It is a prayer that the wicked who have rejected God and killed His saints, will receive divine justice (CP Ro 12:19 with Rev 18:1-2, 5, 7, 15-16, 20; 19:2).
It should be noted here that the only ones who will be saved during the tribulation are those who have never had an adequate opportunity to receive the knowledge of the truth or to hear and understand the gospel while the church is on earth – before it is raptured to heaven (CP 2Th 2:7-12). This teaches us that salvation will no longer be available to those who have already heard the gospel and rejected it, once the church is taken out of the way. This includes members of our immediate family and other relatives and friends whom we dearly love, as well as professing Christians not truly committed to Christ, and others who are backslidden. Show them all this scripture and explain what it means, so that they may be won to Christ. There is no time to lose – the rapture could happen at any moment; there are no prophecies yet to be fulfilled for the rapture to happen (CP Php 3:20-21; Tit 2:13).
Just to clarify things a bit…think on this. When you are sick or need prayers, do you call your family and friends to pray for you? Catholics do not “pray” to Mary and the Saints the way you are implying. We do pray to them the same way you call your family and friends. When we pray to Mary and the Saints we are asking them to be a part of our prayer circle and pray on our behalf to God. Yours is a common misconception, please stop making assumptions/judgements on something that you don’t fully understand. I hope this has clarified it for you. God bless!
Actually you are more likely to find denominations such as Baptists follow the Bible word for word much moreso than Catholics.
Sure….. One. Word. At. A. Time….
And taking them from different books to rearrange into new explanations of the pastor’s personal choosing….
catholic is u belife in more than one god and cristian is u belife in one god
are you trying to be funny?
We, Catholics, do not believe in more than one God, we believe in only one God.
“Stop judging by external standards and judge by true standards”, John 7:24… The context of this whole chapter gives much insight to the verse above, if only we read it with an open heart and do not rely on our own understanding.. There are evils in all the denominations Catholics, Baptists, etc, but that does not make one or all of them wrong or 100% right.. What is right or wrong is what is in a persons heart and that is how God judges a person.. Personally I think it more wise to keep the tongue from speaking rash judgement on others than to assume them wrong, especially in a dialogue such as this. For it is better to remain silent, than to sin with the tongue. We are to judge known sin for the sake of the sinners soul out of love.. Judging another of a Christian religion is far to thin of a line to cross in accusing and there are many who are puffed up with “their own knowledge” and how they perceive things and cannot be deemed as correct.. Jesus said, “let the wheats and tares remain together and when I come the angels will separate the good from the bad.” He has told us how to handle such a situation within the church, because it is a subject of the heart rather than a known and public sin like murder.. The Catholic churches teachings are not something you can read in a small amount of time and make a rash judgement, but you must study the teachings in light of the scripture in a historical text, along with a mentor of the faith.. After reading and studying their teachings for years from the whole context of scripture and historical point of view, they in my opinion have a more correct teaching than all Protestants.. And it is all lies from the Protestants when they say that Mary is worshipped along with the saints.. (Although, there are some in the Catholic church that go too far with this) Honor has been lost in our day and age.. People are proud and puffed up today, especially in America, and cannot lower themselves in this way like they did in the ancient of times.. It is no sin to honor a person of great virtue, and we should when they are an example of Godliness and faith to us. And amen, worship is for God alone! But honor today is viewed as lowering and among the Protestants a sin???
The saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover”, is true.. You must study something in depth before we can make a true judgment – or I should say a correct opinion…
Gods will be done..
God bless..
Sher,
Let me guess – your Baptist or something close to it.. You know we all believe what we really want to believe in the end.. Either truth or whatever suits our conscience. And if Gods word is your truth than the doctrine that you profess as true of not losing your salvation is not in Gods word.. No harm, but if you know your bible “really” well, then you would know that Catholics are more biblical than Protestants..
And for anyone else who wishes to condemn the Catholic church – you need to study your bible front to back and then go to the RCIA classes and judge it then.. We are Christians and very biblical at that..
Faith without works is dead Sher and the bible says.. So if we have a true genuine faith in Christ, then do the works by the power of the Holy Spirit that God has prepared for us to do as the bible says.. The fruits of the Spirit and walking in faith and doing what is right.. Of course going to church and visiting the sick is not going to get you to heaven, the church will tell you that.. And Protestants do no different than Catholics with the church going and etc. Because good works without faith is useless also..
God bless and Gods will be done..
In my lifetime I have realized that the Catholic church remains silent to those who oppose its teachings, simply because until we are truly saved and on that narrow path we will not understand the faith in Jesus Christ that really saves us and I have seen the mercy and grace in how they deal with this.. They do not wish to condemn but to save.. They seek to bring people to God, but they know that God is the one that draws then in to His Son.. Blessed be God forever!
Sher,
Sorry for all the responses, but I missed the extra things you commented on.. The church has not added anything to the bible (I am sure), but have only passed down traditions like the Lords supper and etc that the Lord commanded us to, and some of these “extra things” are not in the bible but can only be known by the passing down of tradition since the beginning of the church and its history.. Jesus himself practiced Jewish tradition that was not in the scripture within his family. But never did he allow mans tradition to over rule the commandments of God, as the Pharisees did. That is how we have tradition within the church and our families, like holiday tradition. The advent wreath is a wonderful and very enriching in faith tradition for families to celebrate Christ coming in their homes, and it is not in the bible, but very glorious to God. Not everything we do has to be written down in a book, but can be passed down from generation to generation.. This is tradition..
These traditions are meant to enrich the faith family, not over ride the commandments of God. And anything that brings praise and glory to God and peace to His people through Him according to His will is not wrong..
TO EVERYONE
Colossians 2:16-17
16) Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17) These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
Paul told the Colossians not to let others criticize their diets or their religious ceremonies. Instead of outward observations, believers should focus on faith in Christ alone. Our worship, traditions and ceremonies can help bring us closer to God but we should never criticize fellow believers whose ceremonies differ from ours. More important than how we worship is that we worship Christ. Don’t let anyone judge you. You are responsible to Christ.
John 3:16
16) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
If you believe that, then that is all that matters.
God bless you,
Jin-A
Wow,
I am very fortunate to be Catholic!! We seem to be very popular. It’s funny because all you other “Christians” came originally from the Catholic religion. Your originators didn’t want to stick with the original rules so they made up their own, i.e.; get married, etc. You even started your own Bibles, so who knows what truth’s are in them. But you just keep on telling us Catholics why we are wrong, and quoting YOUR Bible, word for word. You see you miss the point when you do all of this, the bible is a living document, it can change in meaning everytime it is read. I can feel the Holy Spirit in my heart and I know what is right and wrong. I have Spiritual Directors helping me to get to heaven.
I have the opportunity to sit face to face with one of God’s Apostles, tell him everything that I have done (and this is not easy) that may keep me from Gods graces and have him pray to God for me right there on the spot. I need all the help I can get to have my sins resolved and be in Gods good graces. Just for the record, Priests don’t always obsolve you of your sins, you sometimes have to make corrections in your life. BTW-Mary is not just a human woman that gave birth to Jesus, I would think that God would have been a bit more particular in his choice for the mother of his only Son.There really is no point of going on and on over this because we truly DO NOT believe in the same things. Got Mary? I will ask our Blessed Virgin Mary to pray for you.
ok everyone, we are GETTING WAY OUT OF LINE…. WE ALL LOVE JESUS WITH OUR HEARTS AND SOULS RIGHT? RIGHT? O.K. THEN, CHILL……………
I AM A CRADLE CATHOLIC. BUT I REBELLED AGAINST IT IN MY YOUNGER YEARS. THEN AT 18 YEARS OLD I HAD THE ”HOLY SPIRIT LAYING OF HANDS” EXPERIENCE, BY OTHER CATHOLICS. THEN GOD WAS REAL TO ME. BEFORE THAT, I BELIEVED… BUT WHAT I WAS MISSING WAS THE RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR BROTHER AND LORD, JESUS.
NOW, AT 48 I AM A DEFENDER OF THE FAITH. I HAVE HEARD JUST ABOUT EVERY MISCONCEPTION GIVEN ABOUT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND HOW THE CHURCH IS THIS AND THE POPE IS THAT. FOLKS , WE ARE ALL BELIEVERS IN CHRIST? WE ALL BELIEVE IN THE TRINITY? WE ALL WANT SALVATION? WE ALL BELIEVE IN FINAL JUDGEMENT? THEN WE ARE ALL CHRISTIANS, PERIOD. BUT THERE ARE ONLY TWO KINDS OF CHRISTIANS… CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANT. BUT WE ARE ALL CHRISTIANS…
CATHOLIC MEANS UNIVERSAL IN GREEK. EVIDENCE THAT JOHN THE APOSTLE USED IT IN A SERMON SHOWS THE TERM UNIVERSAL OR CATHOLIC CHURCH WAS USED. BY THE
100 AD’S THE TERM UNIVERSAL CHURCH WAS BECOMING COMMON. THE APOSTLES HAD PLANTED THE SEEDS OF THE CHURCH AND ALL IT’S BELIEFS TO THE EARLY BELIEVERS BY SPOKEN WORD AND EPISTLES. (CHECK OUT– ”THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS”) JESUS TOLD PETER THAT THE PILLAR AND FOUNDATION OF TRUTH IS THE CHURCH(1 TIM 3:15) AND THE CHURCH BLOSSOMED FOR 1500 YEARS… SO IF TRUTH IS FROM THE CHURCH BECAUSE JESUS SAID IT WAS, THEN WHY ARE THERE NOW 40,000 DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS AROUND THE WORLD SINCE MARTIN LUTHER ?
BECAUSE WHEN YOU DISOBEY THE AUTHORITY OF” THE ROCK” (MATT 16:18) AND BREAK AWAY FROM THE CHURCH THEN YOU WILL INTERPRET THE BIBLE BY AND FOR YOURSELF. REMEMBER EPH 4 ONE BODY, ONE SPIRIT, CALLED TO ONE HOPE?. THE EARLY CHURCH WAS KEPT TOGETHER BY AN AUTHORITATIVE BODY OF BELIEVERS. THE BIBLE WAS NOT GIVEN TO US BY THE BISHOPS UNTIL THE 4-5 TH CENTURY. SO WHAT DID WE DO TILL THEN????/ WELL WE HAD BISHOPS, DEACONS, AND PREBSYTERS TO SHEPERD THE SHEEP. WE TOOK BREAD AND WINE ON THE LORDS DAY (SUNDAY), WE CONFESSED OUR SERIOUS SINS TO THE PRIESTHOOD. WE BUILT CHURCHES, , WE SPREAD THE GOSPEL TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, BAPTISING IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT…ALL COMMANDED BY JESUS TO HIS 12 APOSTLES. AND THEN WE TURNED THE MOST POWERFUL EMPIRE , THE ROMAN EMPIRE, WITH ITS WORLDLY GLORY INTO THE CENTER OF CHRISTIANDOM. YES THAT SOUNDS UNCOMFORTABLE TO SOME PROTESTANTS, BUT ITS TRUE, BECAUSE PETER ESTABLISHED ROME AS HIS HOME BASE. HE WAS LEAD THERE BY THE HOLY SPIRIT TO TURN BABYLON INTO THE NEW JERUSELEM. EVENTUALLY TRANSFORMING THE WORLD FROM THERE. ALL IN GODS DESIGN. WE GIVE GLORY TO GOD.
REMEMBER WHEN YOU ASK SOMEONE TO PRAY FOR YOU , THEY ARE INTERCEDING. THE CHURCH FOLLOWS THE SCRIPTURE 1 TIM 2:1–”I URGE THAT PETITIONS, PRAYERS, INTERSESSIONS…BE OFFERED FOR ALL MEN.”” WHEN WE DIE ARE WE NOT WITNESSES IN HEAVEN AND REJOICE WHEN ON EARTH A SOUL IS SAVED? YES.HEB.12:1
DID JESUS LEAVE HIS PRIESTHOOD TO THE APOSTLES IN CHARGE ? YES. DID THEY LAY HANDS ON OTHERS LIKE MATHIAS TO BECOME SUCCESSORS TO THEM? YES.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANS LOVE THE LORD JESUS VERY STRONGLY. AND THEY STUDY THE BIBLE MORE THAN MOST CATHOLICS. BUT THIS HAS BEEN MY OBSERVATION FROM KNOWING MANY OF THEM BEING MY REAL FRIENDS.——- THEY TEND TO NOT KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH RIGHT AFTER JESUS. I BET IF THEY RESEARCHED IT THEY WILL BE ROMAN, BECAUSE IT WILL THEN MAKE SENSE. MAYBE.
I SEE THEY TEND TO SMALL CHURCHES… THIS CAN LEAD TO MISINTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE WHICH RESULTS IN SOMEBODY THEN STARTING ANOTHER CHURCH DOWN THE ROAD, AND ANOTHER… YOU CAN BECOME A PASTOR WITH JUST A BUSINESS LICENSE.
JESUS PROMISED A CHURCH, BUT JESUS NEVER PROMISED A BIBLE. HE NEVER WROTE, NOR DID MOST OF THE APOSTLES. THE GOSPEL WAS BY MOUTH AND MIRACLES. AND WHEN THE APOSTLES WERE ALMOST GONE THEY DECIDED TO WRITE DOWN THIS STUFF. AND, THERE WAS ALOT THAT JESUS SAID AND DID THAT DID NOT GET WRITTEN OF.
SO IT WAS UP TO THOSE THAT WERE LEFT — TO LEAD AND PASS ON THE TRADITIONS THAT WERE TAUGHT.. THEY HAD THE APOSTLIC TRADITIONS TAUGHT TO THEM BY THOSE THAT HAD WALKED WITH JESUS. WHEN THESE SHEPARDS, OR BISHOPS,DEACONS AND PRIESTS PASSED ON WHAT THEY LEARNED IT WAS CALLED TRADITION. AND SO ON AND SO ON.. GROWING IN DEPTH AND LENGTH AND KNOWLEDGE (EPH 4).
. BIBLE CHRISTIANS HAVE THE FAITH BUT NOT THE FULLNESS OF THE FAITH. EVERYTHING THAT PROTESTANTS BELIEVE CAME FROM THE ORIGINAL FAITH OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. BUT, THEN IT GETS TURNED , TWISTED,DISECTED… AND UP UNTIL 1930 ALL PROTESTANT DENOMINATIONS BELIEVED AGAINST CONTRACEPTION. THEN THE ANGLICAN CHURCH DECIDED TO ABOLISH THAT, SOON ALL PROTESTANT GROUPS FOLLOWED. THE PRESYBETARIAN CHURCH EVEN ALLOWS ABORTION!!!!!!!!!! BUT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH FOLLOWS THE SCRIPTURES . WE SAY NO WAY! THE TRUTH DOES’NT FADE WITH THE WIND. THE PILLAR AND FOUNDATION OF TRUTH IS THE CHURCH AND THE GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT, ,AND HE WILL BE WITH US ALWAYS. THATS WHAT JESUS SAYS IN THE BIBLE.
IF BIBLE CHRISTIANS–THOSE THAT SAY ”I BELONG TO A BIBLE BASED CHURCH” REALLY STUDY , THEN THEY WOULD SEE THAT THE FIRST CHURCH (CATHOLIC) IS NOT BIBLE BASED. IT IS CHRIST BASED. CHRIST GAVE THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM TO US. WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST, THE CHURCH… AND OUT OF THE CHURCH CAME THE BIBLE. TO SUPPORT WHAT THE CHURCH HAS ALWAYS TAUGHT—–WHAT JESUS TAUGHT. THE BIBLE IS FOR KNOWLEDGE AND PROFIT BUT NOT NECESSARY. THE JEWS LOOKED TO MOSES FOR INTERPRETATION OF WHAT GOD SAID. THE CHURCH LOOKS TO THE TEACHING AUTHORITY AND THE POPE TO INTERPRET WHAT SCRIPTURE TEACHES. THE TRUTH IS ONLY ON WAY , NOT OPEN FOR SOLO INTERPRETERS. THE CHURCH IS VERY JEWISH AND THE BIBLE IS VERY JEWISH.
WE MUST CONTINUE ON THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST AS A UNITED BODY OF BELIEVERS ,BELIEVING IN THE SAME DOCTRINES. OR, DO WE JUST TRY TO MAKE SENSE OF A TRUTH TILL ITS COMFORTABLE AND UPDATED TO CONFORM WITH THE WORLD. I HAVE A BOOK CALLED ”WHAT DOES SCRIPTURE SAY?” IF ANYONE WANTS A COPY I WILL SEND ONE FREE. OH BOY, DID I JUST SAY THAT? OH WELL BRING IT ON.
.
Sir, on behalf of catholics everywhere, thank you for knowing your facts and defending our great religion.
What I don’t understand is why do other Christians call us Catholics “UNBELIEVERS”?
although we believe in the same God? Let me have your opinion.
Mary is the earthly mother of Jesus not “heavenly” mother. You call her a virgin? How come the Bible mentioned the earthly siblings of Jesus. If Mary is the Queen of Heaven, then His brothers and sisters were also the Princesses and Princes of Heaven.
One thing you can not change is what others believe. (John 3:16) If you want to run around and shout or if you want to wave smoke, whatever you do and however you do it, just find Jesus and believe that there is no other way to heaven. Do not judge, there is only one. One thing that I would hate, when you get face to face with God and he does not know you and can not find your name in the Book Of Life.
What if you’ve never been taught about Jesus and I had no idea Jesus ever lived? And when did the line start? Could people who lived before Christ get to heaven? How about the people who lived at the same time? Jesus was not able to reach every human on earth while he was here and teachings were a complete mystery to the majority of the world for the next thousand years or so… give or take a few hundred years. So, when does the line to heaven start? Was everybody living outside of Jesus’ reach doomed to not reach the pearly gates? That would make him a failure. Since we are ALL god’s children (and that means everbody) how could it be posible that not everyone gets a chance at heaven? That doesn’t seem too fair to me.
HELLO MATTHEW, THE LINE STARTED WITH JESUS. UNTIL THEN NO ONE COULD ENTER. ABRAHAM AND MOSES AND ELIJAH ALL HAD TO WAIT FOR JESUS TO OPEN THE GATES OF HEAVEN. AND IT HAPPENS THROUGH BAPTISM WHICH WASHES AWAY THE ORIGINAL SIN.
I WILL CHECK ON THE OTHER QUESTION YOU ASKED ABOUT ….THATS A TOUGH ONE,AND I WONDER ABOUT IT TOO. BUT I HAVE HEARD THE THE ANSWER , JUST CANT REMEMBER NOW…LATER
The people who lived before JESUS time GOD has forgiven and accepted. They did not have the laws written in their hearts and minds. GOD is a merciful and just GOD .I can’t imagine HIM punishing them for something they had no way of knowing. I am sure it also depends on what was in their hearts for GOD knows the desires of everyones heart and he deals with us fairly.
Catholics are not Christians. It’s sad to know that so many whom I know will not know the joy of life everlasting in heaven unless they are born again. I used to be a catholic and I am so glad that I was saved from a religion of deceit and idolatry. Believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior is not just something you say it is a life changing experience…. there are so many verses in God’s Word that warn of following deceivers, false doctrine. The catholic church is one of the greatest deceivers. It was born from paganism and some christian doctrine thrown in to deceive. I pray for the lost souls in that religion every day.
You’re GROSSLY misinformed. You can say you used to be Catholic, but you’ve obviously made no attempt to understand anything about Catholicism, and that’s what’s sad. You probably told someone you were Catholic once, and they invited you to a youth group where they polluted your mind about what Catholicism is, and you’ve never looked into any of their claims. It was born from paganism? I’m sorry, but Catholicism was born from CHRIST. Catholicism is the ORIGINAL CHRISTIAN FAITH. It is the ONLY Church that can historically trace its roots back to Christ. Look at the succession of the Popes. The first one is Peter, the rock on whom the Church is built. In the year 67A.D., St. Linus became Pope, directly after St. Peter. And then St. Cletus, and then St. Clement. There has always been a Pope for the past 2000 years. Whatever “born again” denomination you are a part of hasn’t been around for that long, and MOST of the 33,000+ protestant splinters that each of you call your Church don’t have ANYONE that’s a true theologian or can even understand Greek or Latin to look at original translations of the Bible. We read the Bible in its original form, with all its books in tact. In the 1500s, Luther decided to take out 7 books, particularly some books that have clear verses that speak against some of his teachings. Do some research, historical and theological, before you tell me that I’m not a Christian, and that I’m not a follower of Christ. I can’t believe how ignorant you are to even THINK about telling me that I’m not a true Christian. Shame on you.
I highly doubt that you read the bible in its original form, because chances are, you do not speak Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, and most people don’t. If you are going to be criticizing how much they know on their religion, use correct facts on how much you know on yours.
I’m a Ph.D. in Catholic theology. I have studied all of those languages, with the addition of Latin. Most people don’t, I agree. Some people do.
with all do respect abigail, all your doing is looking for something to criticize instead providing any facts or opinions. So now we all know how one sided and naive your mind is.
I agree with you. I believe that you had a different feeling of happiness after receiving Jesus as your savior and claiming Christianity. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is so amazing. It changes your whole life, The spirit also opens your eyes(lifts the veil) to the truth,,, the wordOthers changing the bible or adding “extra things” to their belief,,,will not have the Holy Spirit, therefore not able to see the truth. I know this because I am filled, Ill never forget the day, the time, the feeling !!! EVER. God will not lift the veil to those who are not truely saved and seeking. (oh to any who just dont understand the bible, or take it wrong,,,, it means open your eyes!!! lol.
Amen. I agree Totally with everything you have just said.
FYI, catholicism was started by St. Peter- who JESUS HIMSELF left in charge, ok… so you better rethink your ideals, and get them right. K, Thank You
You really have to know more about Catholic Religion. I really don’t expect that someone with a religion like yours will judge and call the Catholic Church deceivers and born from paganism. If you really have faith in God, you will follow his teachings. What you have said or done is not in the Bible or does not belong to his teachings. Is that what are taught to you by your churches? Do not condemn us, we have true faith in God and we are not bad or evil as you were thinking.
I believe you are misinformed on some of your ideals.
Yeah in a nutshell..
This article means well, but to be accurate, there is no difference between Catholicism and Christianity, because Catholicism is a branch of Christianity, making Christianity a more general name for the branches that share a large common ground. However, there is a difference between Catholicism and Protestantism (another branch of Christianity) and there are smaller forms of Protestantism, based off of the teachings of others, like Lutheran and Wesleyan.
To clarify, Catholicism is not a branch of Christianity. Catholicism is the original Christianity – the trunk of the tree, while all other forms of Christianity are the branches. Everything split off from Catholicism.
You people who are condemning Catholicism are blinded through and through.. YOU ARE THE ONES ON THE WRONG SIDE AND ARE HEADED DOWN THE ROAD TO PERDITION. You dont know your history and the history that you peer into is Protestant bias and is not the full truth. In all reality the protestant doctrines of today are antichrist. If you read your scriptures and see how the blessed apostles and saints spoke of the ones who were causing divisions and why then you could see. It is very close to the same thing that protestants do today. Boasting of their salvation while they continue in sin! Shame on you! And by doing this you are a stumbling block to others causing them to go down the same road of error.. All the while while you all continue to separate from one another and have over 30,000 different denominations! Do you think that is a REG flag? We either have a lack of intelligence today or people are more evil today than ever by wanting to see salvation this way. If you truly knew they way of salvation you would not boast, but rather realize that you need Jesus EVERY SINGLE DAY TO DEFEAT SIN IN YOUR LIFE AND BE FORGIVEN, so that you can enter the kingdom of heaven because of YOUR FAITH IN HIS DEATH AND RESSURECTION AND THE POWER OF HIS GRACE TO HELP YOU, NOT LEAVE YOU IN YOUR SIN. Sin causes problems and injures ourselves and other, why would God want problems for you and certainly want you to keep on sinning if He came to give us life and abundantly! To give us a free ticket out of hell and while we refuse to follow and obey the law of love and growth in holiness that he taught us? But even then in the time that the scriptures were written there were those who were always trying to get by with their sinning and making excuses for being sinful. Just as protestants do today. What was the law and OT written for? To be wriiten off? By no means! As saint Paul says. But Protestants do JUST THAT! Jesus said that he did not come to abolish the law but fulfill it. And through Him and His power by the grace of God given to those who truly want to be holy as He is, he has given us the law of love and the power to fulfill it. We could never do this on our own, we needed God and His Spirit to live in us bringing us into the image of Christ by our willingness and desire to want it. This is the grace of God that saves us. Mere belief in Christ without doing what He says does not save. Only faith in the grace that changes us and causes us to be transformed into the likeness of Christ throughout our life is what saves us.. Then we will see Him in all His glory when He comes again and we will be glorified with Him and be complete.
Prayer for unity and fellowship with one another is what is important. But it cannot happen when the truth is hidden and grace is covered up by sinful desires. And this I pray for us all to be one..
God bless us!
To clarify my tone on protestants on the last post I posted.. My negative reaction is toward the Protestants who continuously condemn Catholics and think our religion of some kind of evil.. Who think our doctrines of evil while they make their own doctrines also in error. My negativity is not directed toward Protestants overall, just the ones who wish to throw stones in the name of love.. I have several friends who are Protestant and they do not condemn my faith. but consider us one in Christ because we all believe in Him for our life here and eternal. I mean we worship the Lord Jesus Christ every Sunday as you do, and we love Him and BELIEVE in him and put our faith in Him and His grace… I mean are we missing something here?? Isnt that what it takes for one of your people to be saved?? So why are we being condemned because we believe other things of the spiritual realm different than you?
And by the way most of the post on here are based on ideals, your own ideas, not facts and history. There is another red flag for protestants. You speak of something within your own ideas, not from a historical point of view and staying in context with scripture. It takes years of studying the scriptures and the catechism and faith in God and His truth to come to a conclusion about all this.. Until you have done that you should not try to teach so that you will not be judged as scripture says. This is only logical to do and most wise!
If purgatory (“second chance”) is a belief in the catholic faith……and if it is believed that people have another chance once they die to “get right w/ the Lord” …… then why are we even aiming to lead a holy and blameless life NOW? Why don’t we just wait until we die and go to purgatory and then accept receive our salvation?
thanks
Hi JS,
I’m not really sure that this is the place for that sort of thing, but I’ll answer your question anyway. Not EVERYONE gets to go to Purgatory. We can’t judge anyone, but if I had to guess, I’d think that Hitler probably didn’t get his second chance.
Think of Heaven as a clean room – no sin is allowed. Purgatory is like the room before the clean room, where you have to scrub your hands, and put on a face mask. Some people aren’t even allowed in the building near the clean room.
I hope this helps!
– Paul
You are extremely misunderstood as to the definition of Purgatory. Purgatory is not a place of second chances, and you are not proving yourself. Purgatory is a place of punishment, you can consider it a lighter version of hell. Some people on earth did things and must go through a purification process to get to heaven. The prayers people say for you ultimately help you get to heaven faster.So go ahead and have a shitty life on earth, but dont depend on purgatory because, odds are you will end up going straight to hell. Furthermore, you are a great example of taking the true Catholic (Christian) teachings and changing them to fit what you decide you want, instead of what God and the Church say. Therefore, you are wrong and what ever religion you believe in is wrong.
Thank you Beckerp! I am glad I know a Catholic who sees purgatory as the Church truly teaches it.. Very true, we cant lead a life of selfishness, do and get all we want here and expect to get right in purgatory.. I actually had one family member tell me that it was a “get out of jail free card”. Truly, this is not a holy way of thinking…
To the moderators:
May I respectfully ask why my last comments are still in moderation after so long?
Not sure why, but I can only assume that it may be my conflict toward the Protestants that I pointed out as their judgments toward Catholics as wrong and condemning, and that they should consider that they are possibly in error, as they have been allowed to post such comments toward Catholics.
I hope we have fair scales here on the post.. That is the weighing of both sides fairly..
Respectfully,
Cathy
Why are we doing all this fighting????!?!?! is this seriously what we thing God wanted? to fight over which religion is better???? lol!!! Im a christian (non-den) and regardless of how many catholics or christians that come here (both are very popular) Its all about LOVE. stop argueing about which religion is better because regardless of what your saying and what you believe this has became the ultimate argrument that doesnt have a place here. We all suppose to shine for this world and I could only imagin someone of a different religion coming in here and seeing how we argue with each other over things that arent so serious (thats right, I said it NOT SO SERIOUS). Its not serious or worth the agrueming because theres nothing that can change our minds about what the other believes.JESUS IS LORD!!! PERIOD!!!!! and he was all about loving each other just as he loved us. If you guys cant agree then pray that God shows us all the truth himself. we can agree on that cant we??? Happy Resurrection Day to you all. He Lives and Reigns forever and ever!!! I love you guys.
Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” luke 5:31-32
i find it so awesome that theres currently an ad for tyler, the creators goblin album on this page
Roman Catholicism is better then christianly in every single way. If you do not agree, you are wrong . Period .
To PG Im not saying either is better or not, but your comment in general,, makes me feel you are not biblical in anyway as you have just put everyone down who doesnt feel as you do,, so I think you might need a bit of self checking. good luck to u
Islam is the best
So I hope to pass away the myths of the world
=)
You know what i belive… That God is love, and that’s it, nothing with father of Jesus or anything like that… Religion how ever, has nothing to do with God, its to do with mankind… there isn’t anypeace in the world becuase of it and money… and many people say that if God were true there wouldnt be wars or anything thing bad and evil in the world. But thanks to hate, there isn’t. If we let god in our heart…LOVE… im sure that we will all, indeed, find that peace and happiness.
How can you pay for your sin? Then no rich people will never go to Hell. What about poor people?
Are they all going to Hell? That’s what I don’t understand in Catholic, How can you pay for your sin.
Then why Jejus came to earth and died for us, if you can pay for your sin then there’s no reason for Jejus to shed his blood. Can you please explain this to me, so I can understand?
Thank You
We are called to follow in Christ’s footsteps and carry our crosses for God. To repent and change ourselves to be more Christ-like and by his grace be saved.
Wow.. after reading these comments, I’m sure God is looking down and laughing at all of us. It’s not about religion, it’s about falling in love with Jesus, not something to believe in, or something that you have to do before you get into heaven, but it’s about building a relationship, repentance, forgiveness, and love. There is no love in here.. Isn’t the greatest commandment of all time “Love your neighbor as yourself”? No matter what we say we are, the difference between christians and catholics, we are not children of God when we are hating on each other in here. One love, one God.
Peace, Love, Rock n Soul.
I’m no religious expert by any means; but I do know one thing, God is the only one who can judge the living and the dead. So just be happy that you found God and pray for those you think are misguided.
Hi Cathy and to whom this may concern
I have seen here and elsewhere, that there are great misunderstandings and assumptions made between catholics and protestants. After studying church history for the past two years, I have come to see great divisions within protestism. I learned where the reformer’s got their ideas and where it has left them.
I am thankful that there is alot of information both on and off line for christians to learn more about each other. I must admitt that at first, I thought I knew much about the Catholic Church.
After studing both Catholic and Protestant theology, I discovered I was wrong in many of my assumtions and ideas about the Catholic Church. I was indoctinated inaccuratley to be against Cathoicism.
I am currently Baptist in theology and considering going to R.C.I.A. It stands for: The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (often abbreviated RCIA) is the process through which interested adults and older children are gradually introduced to the Roman Catholic faith and way of life.
I had to humble myself and be open to the fact that some off what I was taught could be wrong and spend alot of time investigating and learning Catholic history and teachings , even though at first they did not make scence to me.I found many Catholic sites online helful to me.
I thank God almighty for those Catholic appolgetics sites and I thank Jesus Christ for revealing himself to me about 27 years ago.
Grace and peace to everyone!
Said well May
God knows your heart. calm your mind and see with your heart. Its not about the best fighter, its about bringing heaven to earth.
As long as we love the Lord Jesus and believe in Him and do what He says, I dont see what it matters whether your Catholic or Protestant. If you have truly given yourself to Him your going to do His will and avoid the useless corruption in both religions anyway and set your heart on His wisdom.
I have a hard time believing that when we face Him on our accountable day that He is going to say, “Get away from me because your Catholic/Protestant”. Rather it will be because of what He said we did and did not to others is what matters.
God bless!
Hi Kennrirah,
Sorry I did not even see you were speaking to me, I just commented anyway regarding the debate on these religions.
I agree with you and what you said. It is all about Jesus anyway wherever we are and how we can worship Him within our own personality and heart. I used to be Baptist too. And converted 17 years ago. I love the Catholic mass and that is where I feel I am at home with the Lord. But either way, I know I would know Jesus either way, whether I was Baptist or Catholic.
Lords peace to you!
I like your website. I am not a catholic. I am currently attending a Free Methodist church, though, I am also a prespryterian, Baptist, Lutheran and non-denominational. It is clear that Satan uses denominations more than God does. It is because of our sin that we even have different denominations.
You are correct in saying a big difference between protestant and catholic religion is Mary mother of Jesus ” Luke:42 And she spoke out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.” However unlike you say Catholic is not the only denomination to take the bible literally and spiritually. I am so happy that I found you, a brother in Christ Jesus. A month ago when I was walking in town sharing Jesus with people I met a catholic; he said he did not believe the bible and did not believe in Jesus. It broke my heart. That man had Catholics yet was not a Christian, which literally means follower of Christ.
I had a debate with another brother in Jesus. He said Catholics were not Christians, because they pray to Mary, and they confess their sins to priests. I tried to explain to him that the prayers to Mary was the equivalent of asking another brother to pray for him, however the theory behind the prayer to Mary was that Mary is closer to Jesus than we are. It is biblical to confess your sin publically. Again thank you for explaining how Catholic is indeed Christianity.
After viewing your video I have one verse for you to meditate on. It is Mathew 16:11. The teachers and leader of that day knew more about the scripture than any modern Christian could ever hope to know. If you hold to your teachings about Catholic being the only way to know Jesus then you MUST also hold to the Old Testament too. By this I mean you need to be from the line of Abraham to be saved. But obviously this is not the case said by Saint John in Acts. Also why did Jesus mention Seven Churches in Revelation if Catholic is the one and only church. I hope you do not harden your heart to my words. The most important thing to remember is to love your brothers as Jesus loves you. If your heart has been washed clean with the Holy Spirit by Jesus and his blood you will know this to be true. It is Satan who tells you that Protestants are not saved. It is Satan that told my brother in Jesus that Catholics are not saved. I believe all 66 books of the bible and count denominations including Catholic, as nothing! Jesus will save me if I trust in him and obey his commandments. I do not need man to confirm that.
I pray that you accept my words as I have accepted yours. Please pray for the persecuted church that die for Christ and the gospel every day.
With Love,
Keith Knutzen
I have read some of the comments and it really gave me a headache. I am Catholic by do consider myself Catholic. I believe in having a relationship with Jesus and I do believe that jesus is the way the god. It makes me sad to hear how in over 2000 years all we can do is pick on the differences and not how we are alike. We as Catholics are evil and so different and are not Christians yet, when there is a moment that need is a need to show numbers and stregth then all is forgiven. It is so sad, I learn about man every single day and read the bible more and more and say amen lord forgive us all for being so dumb.
For me….Living under god given grace by putting unconditional faith in jesus… Above our 5 senses and egoistic earthly reason. For me is akin to seeing a new colour… You experience truth beyond a doubt and can,t fully explain it to someone else.
I think…Its meant to be that way as I believe that faith above reason in christ is proof that you are letting go of pride in ones own judgement. Once grace is gifted to you .”.all i can say is that what is based on the human ego or should i say our immersion in this matrix illusion becomes more evident. You can see differences better….
Im not raised catholic…. but reading St John of the cross. Dark night of the soul makes sense and helps me understand my current condition. Pilgrims progress. Thomas merton may also be good reads mysticism… christian..experience tells a story for me .
Faith above reason … Jives for me. But im a work in progress and no expert.
In jesus name i pray we may all find the path to him.
the world is not going to end just the bad people r going to be evicted.
revelation is a secret treasure only to be reveild to gods people who have true holy spirit.
I truly felt sad about these…
Why are people debating about the Bible and teachings?
One cannot judge the other for it is only God who can judge.
Like take this for example,
Not all pastors and priests goes to heaven.
Always remember that we have a seed of sin and we are having a non-holy body that will be renewed in the day the Lord comes. God sent His Son Jesus Christ to died for our sins, yes we are renewed, but we are still having sicknesses, deaths, and such which is a product of sin (Adam and Eve was supposed to be healthy all throughout but sinned and thus God punished them). One cannot tell even to himself that he is 100% holy in God’s eyes.
My point only is that, please no more fighting between beliefs (satan’s true intention). God does not want us to fight but focus on Him. Always remember, Love God and love one another for the rest will follow if you have love.
May God touch our hearts everyday
God bless us all.
I love you all who loves God and loves those who love Him.
Also,
Religious leaders are like lawyers, they will always defend their state.
But it is God who will judge on who is true among the lawyers as well as who among his people are true.
Just be faithful to God, hate sin as much as possible for it is inevitable for we are still on this world. But be sure to have the love God wants us to have.
another point,
Our generation has many teachers already,
If we are on the Evangelical/Protestant Christian side, we have Evangelical/Protestant Christian theology.
If we are on the Roman Catholic side, we have Roman Catholic theology.
(I know little about titles but I don’t care much about the titles, God won’t look on titles of this world anyway)
Whatever things we are taught we followed it. Its alright, but remember the story of the Pharisees? They are too focused on the facts about Moses’ laws revealed to him by God that they were rebuked by Jesus when he came for the first time. Jesus is not against the law of Moses but he wants to break those who are TOO FOCUSED on the Facts of History rather than Focusing on God, where the pharisees got lost in to. I believe and always will that both sides stated on this blog need not to fight on this matter.
Always remember we gain wisdom, but too much wisdom and says your the right one will cause pride. Humble yourselves, for not everything you see is the same as how God sees. Jesus will return soon, question is, are you truly focused on Him and be able to meet Him on that day? Or would rather continue debating that you are the true religion and wait for Jesus Himself to tell you or worse, neglect you on the day He returns.
Hello everyone.
It doesn’t matter whom I let read my statement. All that matters is that I hope you as a group or individual will try to understand what it is I have to say. I am confirmed as a catholic, but most of my families, including myself, consider being Christian-Catholics. I actually got beat up in the past and scowled at for announcing myself as this. People say/said that I could only be “one or the other.” But that’s the thing with me: I can’t be “one or the other” because I believe that both Christians & Catholics are the same in one way that most people in their faith are not realizing as the Golden Fact: We believe in One God, and Jesus Christ our Savior. It hits me very painfully whenever I go to a church that shows its seemingly-separation (*****Catholic Church/***Christian Church). And it hits me painfully to read all of these comments bickering at one another like who’s right and who’s wrong.
What really lit my fire to write this statement was because of a recent relationship break-up with my girlfriend. She is Christian and I am Christian-Catholic. When we went to go meet her grandparents, it didn’t go as expected. Her grandmother, all she heard was “Catholic.” And for being “a Catholic,” she referred to me as a “non-believer.” A month later, my girlfriend broke up with me. She couldn’t hear my words- trying to keep her with me. Apparently it was because of her grandmother wanting “something certain” in her grandchild’s man that I didn’t have, or that I wasn’t: A Christian… I view religion/belief/relationship to be like ethnicities. No one is the same based on their race. For someone (Her GM) to reject me in their life because of who I am, I see that in a way being racist & disrespectful. And I’m still fighting to keep her with me, even though she said she was done. But deep down, I know she’s not. Her GM, I respect her for her deep belief in God, but she has tainted my love’s mind.
If you can understand where I’m trying to lead this, it doesn’t matter if you are Christian or Catholic/Catholic or Christian. We are brothers & sisters serving The Lord Jesus Christ. And please just have that respect for who people are and what they believe in. I feel like I’m the only one, the only Christian-Catholic, who’s trying to explain my deep opinion. And I become the black sheep in the eyes of both sides. I am a believer in God-In Jesus Christ the Lord my Savior. But my heart has been severely broken because of the separation the two relg./bel./relt. of the outside world have with each other, and because of a woman who rejects me for being Christian-Catholic, “a non-believer.”
Tears are burning inside me because of the skepticism & rejections of what I was/ I am viewed as and who I lost because of it. God gives us obstacles in life; I know. What they are; I don’t know. But being a Christian-Catholic is where I feel I’m being the true believer in Christ because I’m not wasting my time bickering with others about what-is-what. I’m staying on my path serving and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ…My Savior.
I deeply apologize if my statement had any offense to anybody. I’m just one who speaks his Heart in all sincerity.
– GLP
“To thy self be true.”
-GLP
Whatever makes you happy,
Whatever makes you feel right,
Whatever gets you through the night 🙂
All I ask is for everyone to love one another and accept one another 😀
Folks there is only one church and one faith. The church is the grand old church which belongs to God–his bride. The church that is going to heaven. In every denomination there are born again believers. We just operate in different buildings is all. But unless we believe like John the Baptist, meaning, Christ came to pay our sin debt, and we accept him into our heart when he gives us the invitation we will not enter into the kingdom of God. And the kingdom is in our heart, spoken of by the writer Luke. When Christ comes in to our soul, it is then hid away in Christ and cannot sin ever again because it is born of God, and the seed, which is Christ remains in us and cannot sin. But our flesh will. The only sin that will keep anyone out of heaven is the sin of unbelief, blashphemy against the Holy Spirit. You can say no to God, no to christ, but when the spirit shows you that you are lost and in need of Christ and you say no to him, then you turned away salvation and that is the sin of unbelief that will send you to hell. We will sin in the flesh till we die. That’s why Paul said to keep it under subjection so you won’t make unbelivers wonder if you’re saved and on your way to heaven. This plan of salvation is so simple a child can understand. God made it that way. It’s people who complicate it and try to add and take away from the real meaning.
No one knows the complete truth because people lie and will continue. When the truth comes out no one will be ready for it………because no one knows it.
All in all. Whatever you believe in. Think of it this way. Cristian, Catholic etc. At the end it is GOD himself who will be there waiting for us. Not the church. Not the pope. God himself. I may not know much about Cristianity or Catholisism. What I do know is God will be there when my time comes.
I am a chistian but really none of.you have a right to judge a nyones religion true ly I believe the only way to be saved is to believe christ died on the cross for our sins and then ross again and to believe he was the son of god. And I think we all belirvr that right
Carlisha,
I totally agree with you, and no matter what religion we are, throwing out nasty comments(as Many ppl have done on here), does not show christianity. I too, stand up for my faith but it really doesnt hurt to let others “win” sometimes (or at least let them “think” they did.
God knows where our hearts are, so we don`t have to prove anything to anyone else because HE should be the only one that matters.
GOD bless you all 🙂
The heart of your writing whilst sounding agreeable in the beginning, did not really settle properly with me after some time. Someplace throughout the paragraphs you managed to make me a believer but only for a very short while. I however have got a problem with your jumps in logic and you might do well to help fill in all those breaks. In the event you actually can accomplish that, I could surely end up being fascinated.
I’ve sat here for an hour reading various interpretations and beliefs but remain speechless.
I respect and pray for all because arguing and all shows interest in the subject. In the end
the only thing that matters is Jesus is Christ and our Savior for all that believe. AMEN!
I am a catholic and respects other religion. We have one bible and it is the WORD OF GOD. To others who are like horses……please lang have RESPECT FOR OTHERS.
Dear Lizzie,
How can you believe that Mary or any other saints can be a mediator between you and God. Because there is only one mediator between you and God, ie. Jesus Christ. It is clearly written in the bible,
read 1 Timothy 2 : 5 ” for there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.”
There is no one on this earth that has not sinned, this also includes Mary, all the saints, the priests, and anyone whom you can think about. No one is perfect in God’s sight. Because through one man sin entered into this world, and because of sin ,death entered this world.
(Rom 5: 12) When God made man and woman, he made them in his image, ie: his own character. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (Galations 5: 22-23) Everything was so perfect in the garden. They were walking and talking with god almost everyday. Until Satan came and destroyed that relationship. And sin entered this world. And because of the sin of one man, death spread through all mankind.
Read Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. God send his son so that man can again have a direct and a perfect relationship with him. And Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the father except through him. (John 14: 6). Now how can one think that if they pray to Mary or any other saints, they are actually getting to the Father. When it is already mentioned in the bible that only Jesus is the mediator between God and man. So if you have sinned and want to confess your sins, do it directly to God, and he wants that. You don’t need to go to a priest or pope…. To confess your sins. God wants to hear it from you directly, not through any man or any mediator.
God established the New Testament churches to be a vital part of the life of the believer therefore, it is important for Christians to have a proper understanding about what a true New Testament church is and what is its function. Most Christians learned what they believe about the church from the practices and teachings of the churches they attended.
Many of the practices of churches today come from a mixture of the Bible and their traditions. What they believe has been passed down through time and developed over their history. Infant baptism is a good example. You do not find the practice of infant baptism in the Bible. Yet, Catholics and many Protestant denominations practice infant baptism. Why? In their past some of their church leaders established it based on their misunderstanding of Bible passages such as Acts 16:33. In Acts 16:33, the verse says the jailer (who had received Christ) was baptized, “he and all his, straightway.” They incorrectly concluded that this meant adults and children alike, or all his household including children. Acts 16:33 does not say infants were baptized. In truth we do not even know if the jailer had children.
Biblically then, is it proper to teach infant baptism using this verse? Do we find other places in the Bible that says infants were baptized? The answer is no as there is no reference in the Bible of infants being baptized. It is incorrect to practice infant baptism based on assumptions that are not supported by Scripture. These churches further their error by believing the church is the means of salvation and one must be a member of their church to be saved. Baptism to them is a sacrament, which places them in the church and therefore is necessary for salvation. They falsely conclude that baptizing an infant puts it under the protection of the church and assures that the infant will go to heaven. Their doctrine is based on a clear misinterpretation of Scripture and upon falsely applied logic. Today these denominations do not even question such teaching! Their “church fathers” established the practice as doctrine . . . so today it is accepted without question. Therefore, their “church fathers” are their authority for what they believe and practice, and not the Bible.
The Bible is the Sole Authority for the Faith and Practice
of a True New Testament Church
What does God say, in the Bible, about His Word being the sole authority for the faith and practice of the New Testament church? There are two scriptures in the New Testament which affirm that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant word of God.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:20-21).
In all matters of faith and practice the New Testament church has but one authority and that authority is the Bible, the very word of God. The Bible is free from error, this doctrine is called, “verbal plenary inspiration” meaning, every word God used was inspired of Him and is without error (2 Timothy 3:16). Some might conclude that since we do not have the original copies of the Books of the Bible that this makes today’s Bible suspect. Nothing can be further from the truth. Note that God says He preserves His Word: “For verily, I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18). God not only gave us His Word He promised to preserve it for all eternity. God absolutely keeps His Word and we have His complete Word today. His Word is preserved in the Traditional Text (Byzantine or Majority Text) as represented by the “Textus Receptus” and translated into our King James Bible.
Note the warning to those who would attempt to add or subtract from the Bible.
“For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19).
The Bible says it is the Source of Salvation Pointing to Jesus.
“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39).
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).
“. . .and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you
wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15).
The Bible instructs believers and sets the model for the New Testament church.
“These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:14-15).
“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:1-4).
In order for a church to call itself a church in the true Biblical sense it must base its faith and practice solely on God’s Word, the Bible. No mortal man founded the New Testament church; it was Christ who instituted the church.
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).
Christ says He built His church and Ephesians 5:25 clearly states that Jesus died for the local church, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25)”
Although a church is organized and administered by an assembly of believers , the church is not their possession. Believers established a church based on Christ’s instruction. It is Christ who owns the church and is the Head of the church. “. . . he hath purchased with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28).
God cannot bless error or be party to false teaching. A church that is based on false doctrine is not a biblical church and God will have no part in it. Paul, in Galatians 1:7-9, twice says that anyone who would pervert the Gospel, “let him be accursed.” No man, or congregation that claims to be a church of God, has the right to change anything God has said for any reason. A biblical church is one in whom Christ is the Head, and follows the Word of God. If a church does not follow the Bible, then it is not a church that belongs to God, because in refusing to obey the scriptures they separate themselves from God.
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said He would build His church. How then did Christ proceed in establishing His church? He began to instruct His disciples and entrusted them with carrying out His instructions. The New Testament is clear that they followed His instructions to the letter. Christ has not changed His instructions to His church. The way He left it is the way He intended it to remain. Any man, church or denomination who establishes a church on any other basis is not a biblical church. If a church allows traditions or the opinions of men to establish its doctrine and practice it is in grave error and is not establishing a true New Testament church. Jesus said, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 3:10-11). A church that is established that does not follow the New Testament example does not have God’s approval, blessing, or presence.
If there is a “universal” church then why didn’t God give clear instructions as to its government. In the Bible, God always gave some degree of organization to everything he created. There is no reference or even a hint of an organization of a “universal” church. God clearly did not establish a hierarchical system of government collectively over the all churches (plural). Each church rules itself following the New Testament example and principles. God in Revelation 2:6, 15, said he “hated” the Nicolaitans who sought to set up a hierarchy to rule over the people. It would be against God’s very nature to sanction human government over a universal church. This would violate the autonomy of the local assembly of believers which He clearly established and said He hated (Rev. 2:5, 15). It met together, had pastors (bishops), it took the Lord’s Supper, it baptized new converts into its assembly, it supported missions, administered and edified the members of the church. A so called “universal” or “invisible” church can do none of these things.
Another important truth in the New Testament is the early churches did not have a pope or any central leader over all the assemblies. Popery is foreign to God’s word. None of the Apostles claimed that distinction and no early assembly recognized any authority outside its congregation. Even when the dispute arose at Antioch, this church sent Paul, Barnabas, and certain men of that assembly to Jerusalem to see their counsel. The result was that the those at Jerusalem made a recommendation to their sister congregation at Antioch. (Acts 15:1-31)
The New Testament church is made up of individual born-again believers who can go directly to God in prayer without the intercession any man. Christ is our only Intercessor and is our High Priest.
In 1 Tim. 2:1, Paul instructs individuals to pray, and describes various subjects of prayer. In Verse 5, he states, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). There is both private (Matt. 6:6) and public prayer (Acts 4:24-31).
Hebrews 4:14-16, states that Christ is our High Priest who personally knows our every need and emotion. We are to boldly go to the throne of Grace (God the Father), to find help in time of need. In the Jesus’ model prayer, Luke 11:1-4, Christ instructed us to pray to the Father. All prayer in the Bible is addressed to God the Father. When we pray to God the Father we are praying through Jesus Christ and being led by the Holy Spirit. We address our prayer to the Father because He is the Head of the Trinity.
Nowhere in Scripture are we instructed to pray to a “saint”, Mary, or anyone else but God the Father. Christ is our sole Intercessor, no other exists. We are to confess our sins directly to God and personally ask Him for forgiveness (1 John 1:9).
In the Old Testament the priests offered sacrifices and interceded for the Children of Israel. Everything they did was a picture of the coming Messiah and Intercessor Christ Jesus. After Christ had come believers no longer needed the picture or symbol, we have the reality of Christ as our personal Intercessor. Every believer is a priest in that he can boldly go to the throne of grace. (See Heb. 4:16) God says:
“You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. . . But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” (1 Pet. 2:5,9).
The Holy Spirit’s ministry is lead us in our prayers to the Lord. “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Eph. 6:18).
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 20).
Every believer has the Holy Spirit, who leads him and enables him to know the things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:1-16 tells us we can know nothing of God apart from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:26 tells us that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. The Holy Spirit himself makes intercession for us for things we do not know how to express. You may not know exactly how to pray or what to pray for, yet the Holy Spirit knows and intercedes for us. Note the phrase, “groanings which cannot be uttered.” This groaning is not verbal prayer (speaking in tongues), it is not our own prayer; this is the interceding of the Holy Spirit that goes on without our knowledge. We are told this (in Rom. 8:26) to help us understand that we are to pray as best we can and the Holy Spirit, who knows our hearts, will intercede for our inadequacies. Even our prayers are purified and corrected by the Spirit. This has nothing to do with ecstatic speech or the false teaching and practice of praying in the spirit being practiced today. The Bible knows nothing of praying without understanding what we are praying. We pray the best we can with our understanding and the Spirit intercedes.
Wow, this thread and these arguments is why people hate Christianity. Thank God that we are forgiven, and thank God that He is so powerful that He can save someone who rightfully hates us, the blasphemous Christians that we are. We are sinners, but God is not. When you become a Christian of any kind, you are choosing to follow Christ (literally-look at the definition). You are not choosing–you should not be choosing–to devote yourself to people. People will sin and fail you, but God is righteous, just and honest. He sure must love us to forgive all our bickering and bantering.
John 13:35 (NASB95)
35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Here is my two cents. I was born into a Methodist family. My parents converted to Catholicism when I was around 9 years of age. I was the only sibling to attend a catholic school. I was treated horribly. Some of the nuns actually enjoyed being brutal, today they would be behind bars. There was deception concerning book purchases for summer reading…..to be tested the following school year…never happened. As a young adult I never attended “church “. This catholic church even posted how much money each member donated. How nice of them. Someone in the parking lot one sunday backed into my dad’s car but never left a note. The drivers door had to be repaired and painted. I was never accepted as a ” true catholic ” by most of my school mates. On the playground the girls and boys were separated, how strange. If you got caught near the “line” as a boy, you got knocked to the ground and kicked with army boots from sista leonard. What a bitch! Church was even more weird, graven images, incense and latin ? Give me a break. Know one carried a Bible ? Confession was to a guy behind the screen, only he had access to God. Four years was enough and I went back to public school, now trying to catch up with my protestant friends. Do you know that my parents weren’t considered married and to get remarried in a catholic church………………the list of weirdnest is way to long….after I married I became ” born again ” ended up in a Baptist Church. I must say that is where I was able to study the bible and piece things together, however since then I have divorced and remarried and no longer attend a ” church of religion for several reasons. I believe that if it isn’t in the bible it ain’t so…. the pagan rituals of easter and christmas, attending church on the first day of the week….I believe that the ” Great Whore” in Revelations is the Catholic Church….that the 7 churches that won’t enter into Heaven must being doing something wrong…..no man has the authority to change what God says……the pope is not the “vicar in Christ ” ( thats beyond arrogance )… Christ arose before sunset on the weekly Sabbath not sunday and He was not born in the winter. God never told us to observe and partake in pagan rituals but churches do! I think it is a perversion by the devil himself. That he controls the earth and has had his hand in Christianity since the beginning…..Really folks a tree with baby Jesus under it next to a train, snowman and reindeer and above the manger is an ornament of Elvis and Jeff Gordon. That this santa claus knows all and its all about him ! Easter, eggs, candy….a giant Easter Bunny that performs magic all over the world…and to have a “sunrise” service facing the eastern sky just as the druids did, really because I can find none of this in God’s Word. Here’s something else to think about, Separation of Church and State, why do government workers all get xmas and easter as paid “holidays” You notice they aren’t called Holy Days….you can make up your own mind….here’s something to think about……Adam and Eve, Eve had twins, Cain and Able. Was she impregnated by two different semen…Adams and satans…it is possible…Cain ( evil) kills Able ( goodness) ..when God calls on Cain about his evilness, where does Cain go ? The Bible says, he went off to live with the “others”. They must have accepted ” evil” in their society. If Adam was created in God’s image then the others weren’t, right? Well are they still among us? Remember the problem that arose on the Ark while Noah was drunk, was it homosexuality or was this ” person” didling Noahs’ wife. Either way, God marked him between ” the eyes”…..Isn’t it also strange that the word “jew” isn’t in the Old Testament. I believe that Jesus was a Nazerine of the Hebrew faith not “jewess”. I”m not sure that todays Jews know who they are genetically but I bet that they all are not ” God’s Chosen “. When it comes to our faith in God’s Word we better question authority real good because our ” lives” depend on it.
Shame on those that persecute and lay blame on those that follow Christ! This is exactly what Evil does day and night before our Holy Lord! Never the less, there are Wolves in sheeps clothing that are in every denomination. Pray that we are given the Wisdom to know when to stay away or depart from such acts. None of us are perfect and sometimes we fall into a trap and it’s always easier to accuse a group as a whole. Surely Jesus was very disturbed by the Actions and non Actions of the Pharisee’s and Sadducee’s and the use of their positions for personal gain, selfishness and Hypocrisy. However there are also many good people in all parts. What matters most is that we are all saved through Faith by the Grace of our Holy G-D, the Father ( Only shall we call him Father and him alone) through Jesus Christ our only Precious, Exalted and Revered Savior! Holy…Holy…Holy is he deserving to be Praised and Worshiped forever and ever! Instead of slandering each other, we should be encouraging one another to minister to the poor in Spirit, feed the hungry, comfort those who are sick, visit the orphanage, always show kindness to others, give when it is asked of you. Remember that Jesus said if we truly love him with all of our Heart, Mind, Body and Soul and if we Love our Neighbor as we Love ourselves, then all of the other Commandments will be upheld!
It is a good article, but it is not all Christian who believe in Holy Trinity.
All the haters here would be cute if religion itself wasn’t such a hackjob and responsible (along with economics) for a majority of the wars since pre-history. It was created by Man to help control his fellow Man. Humans are spiritual by nature, not necessarily religious… Break free from the rigidly structured system which seeks to tell you what to do or how to behave — you already know in your heart these things, so go do some good for everyone from your family to your neighbor, your community to the societies of the world. Be intolerant, and you fail at one of the most important things in life. And for those that are gonna hate on me, I do believe in a higher power that created life (albiet billions of years ago), but I believe in evolution and scientific, rational thought as well. Everything is interconnected.
Oh, and Catholics ARE Christian, just a sect thereof. Protestanism just has MORE splinter groups from the original break-off so it’s confusing for most folks (generally intolerant, again) who think they are “Christian” and Catholics are not.
Best wishes to you all!
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES ABOUT MARY
Again for your reviewing, these doctrines are taken directly from my Catechism book.
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION: Catholics say that Mary was preserved from all stain of original sin from the first instant of her conception. (Catechism 490-492).
Just a note, the Immaculate Conception should not be confused with the Virginity of Mary or the Virgin birth of Jesus.
The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception teaches that the Virgin Mary was born without original sin. She was a virgin when she conceived Christ, impregnated through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Presently, there are said to be apparitions (appearances) of Mary.
In 1854, four years before the apparitions of Mary at Lourdes, Pope Pius IX defined the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception which stated that “the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of Original Sin.” The Bible teaches that only Jesus Christ, the last Adam, was born without original sin, and all other men and women are born into original sin, inherited from Adam (Romans 5:12).
ALL-HOLY : Catholics say that Mary, “was All-Holy,” lived a perfectly sinless life. (Catechism 411, 493)
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”.
Revelation 15:4 “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? For thou only art holy”.
Romans 3:10 “There is none righteous, no, not one”.
Jesus is the only person who is referred to in Scripture as sinless.
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin..”
In contrast, Mary said that God is her Savior. (Luke 1:47) If God was her Savior, then Mary was not sinless. Sinless people do not need a Savior.
In the Book of Revelation, when they were searching for someone who was worthy to break the seals and open the scroll, the only person who was found to be worthy was Jesus. Nobody else in Heaven or on earth (including Mary) was worthy to open the scroll or even look inside it. (Revelation 5:1-5)
PERPETUAL VIRGINITY: Catholics say that Mary was a virgin before, during and after the birth of Christ. (Catechism 496-511)
Furthermore, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that Mary was a virgin during her entire lifetime. Yet Matthew, a Jew writing to Jews, calls Jesus “her firstborn son” (Matthew 1:25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.), an expression used by Jews only if other children were born after the first one; otherwise, “only son” would have been used. Scholars believe Matthew wrote his gospel about 35 years after the birth of Christ and he evidently knew that Mary had children after Jesus was born.
The Bible specifically says that Jesus had brothers and Matthew even tells us their names: “Isn’t Mary known to be his mother, and James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas his brothers? Aren’t his sisters our neighbors?” (Matthew 13:55-56).
Matthew 1:24-25 says, “Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.” “Till” (until) means that after that point, Joseph did “know” (have sexual relations with) Mary.
Other Scripture verses which specifically refer to Jesus’ brothers are: Matthew 12:46 46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.
John 2:12; 12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.
MOTHER OF GOD: Catholics say that Mary because she is the mother of Jesus, and Jesus is God, therefore Mary is the Mother of God. (Catechism 963, 971, 2677).
The Incarnation means that Jesus was both fully God and fully man. Mary was only the mother of Jesus as man, and not the mother of Jesus as God. According to the Bible, the world was created through Jesus. This was long before Mary was born.
Colossians 1:16-17 says, “For by him [Jesus] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things [including Mary] were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things [including Mary] , and by him all things consist”.
John 8:58 says, “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am.” Jesus existed before Abraham was born. That means that He also existed before Mary was born.
Acts 1:13-14 gives a picture of a group of people praying together. “And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Phillip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.” Mary is mentioned as one of them, but nothing indicates any special prominence.
Mary was probably in the Upper Room when the tongues of fire fell upon the 120 disciples. However, she is never mentioned again in the Book of Acts, which is our only historical record of how the Church was born. She is also not specifically identified in the epistles. Paul did send greetings to “Mary”, but that was a common name. (In the Gospels and in the Book of Acts, she is referred to as “Mary the mother of Jesus” to distinguish her from other women named Mary.)
It is notable that John, who took Mary into his home after Jesus was crucified, does not mention her in his epistles, and he only mentions her on two occasions in his Gospel (the wedding at Cana and the crucifixion of Jesus). John mentions Mary Magdalene more than he mentions Jesus’ mother.
ASSUMPTION: – Catholics say that Mary at the end of her life, Mary was taken up (“assumed”) body and soul into Heaven. (Catechism 966, 974)
The Assumption is a doctrine that teaches that the Blessed Virgin Mary had been taken up, body and soul, into heaven. This process is called “translation” in the Bible and there are two notable examples in the scripture, Enoch (Hebrews 11:5) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:11).
At the Council of Chalcedon in A.D. 451, when bishops from throughout the Mediterranean met in Constantinople, Emperor Marcian asked the Patriarch of Jerusalem to bring the relics of Mary to Constantinople to be enshrined in the capitol. The patriarch explained to the emperor that there were no relics of Mary in Jerusalem, that “Mary had died in the presence of the apostles; but her tomb, when opened later . . . was found empty and so the apostles concluded that the body was taken up into heaven.”.
There is no biblical reference to the assumption of Mary. The Gospel of John was written around 90 A.D., which is more than 100 years after Mary was born. If Mary had been supernaturally assumed into Heaven, wouldn’t John (the disciple that Mary lived with) have mentioned it.
The Assumption of Mary was officially declared to be a dogma of the Roman Catholic faith in 1950. So prior to 1950, if you were a Catholic you did not believe this doctrine. It being declared a dogma means that every Roman Catholic is required to believe this doctrine without questioning it. However, as we will see, the teaching of the Assumption originated with heretical writings, which were officially condemned by the early Church.
In 495 A.D., Pope Gelasius issued a decree, which rejected this teaching as heresy and its proponents as heretics. In the sixth century, Pope Hormisdas also condemned as heretics those authors who taught the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary. The early Church clearly considered the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary to be a heresy worthy of condemnation. In that era we had popes declaring the assumption to be a heresy. Then in 1950, Pope Pius XII, another pope, declared it to be official Roman Catholic doctrine??
CO-MEDIATOR: Catholics say that Mary is the Co-Mediator to whom we can entrust all our cares and petitions. (Catechism 968-970, 2677)
For me, the most disturbing doctrine affords the Blessed Virgin Mary a position as co-mediatrix with Jesus Christ. In the words of Pope John Paul II: “In union with Christ and in submission to him, she collaborated in obtaining the grace of salvation for all humanity…In God’s plan, Mary is the ‘woman, the New Eve, united to the New Adam in restoring humanity to its original dignity. Her cooperation with her Son continues for all time in the universal motherhood, which she enjoys in the order of grace. Trusting in this maternal cooperation, let us turn to Mary, imploring her help in all our needs.” (end quote).
There is no scriptural basis for placing Mary in a position as co-mediatrix for the church on earth. Christ’s words were also very clear on this point: “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
The doctrine of Mary as co-mediatrix has never been declared by any pope while speaking “ex cathedra,” or under the cloak of infallibility. There is currently some pressure within Catholicism for the Holy See to issue such a statement. However, the outcry from Protestantism would shake the foundations of Christianity around the globe, and would be tantamount to the Vatican launching a missile strike against the Ecumenical (Christian unity) movement.
There is only one mediator and that is Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 says, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus: Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”
If Jesus is constantly interceding for us and He is able to save us “to the uttermost,” (utterly, completely) then He doesn’t need Mary’s help. If we can approach God with “boldness” and “confidence” because of our faith in Jesus, then we don’t need Mary’s help either.
QUEEN OF HEAVEN: Catholics say that God has exalted Mary in heavenly glory as Queen of Heaven and earth. (Catechism 966) She is to be praised with special devotion. (Catechism 971, 2675)
Psalm 148:13 says, “Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.” This makes it quite clear that only God’s name (not Mary’s) is to be exalted. When people tried to give Mary special honor and pre-eminence because she was His mother, Jesus corrected them.
In chapters four and five of the Book of Revelation, we are given a quite detailed picture of Heaven. God is seated on the throne, surrounded by 24 elders and four living creatures. The Lamb (Jesus) is standing in the center of the throne. Thousands upon thousands of angels circle the throne, singing God’s praises. And Mary is not in the picture at all.
How did modern Catholic doctrine about Mary wander so far away from the teachings of the Bible and the Early Fathers? Two reasons are the importance given to Church tradition and the doctrine of papal infallibility.
On May 13, 1981, a man shot Pope John Paul II. As the ambulance carried him to the hospital, the Pope kept praying, “Mary, my mother! Mary, my mother!” One year later, the Pope made a pilgrimage to Fatima to thank Our Lady of Fatima for saving his life and to consecrate the entire human race to her.
There is a video called Catholicism: Crisis of Faith that shows the Pope kissing the feet of a statue of Mary.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7116805989986440367
If you watch the video, you will see the Pope bow in front of a painting of Mary and cover the area with incense. You will see a million pilgrims walking in a procession, following a statue of Our Lady of Fatima and singing songs in her honor. You will see several million people in a procession following a painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe. You will see people weeping and raising their arms towards Mary. You will see the largest assembly of bishops and cardinals since the Second Vatican Council, gathered together to join Pope John Paul II in solemnly consecrating the entire world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Millions of pilgrims go to the shrines, which honor apparitions of Mary. Every year fifteen to twenty million pilgrims go to Guadalupe in Mexico, five and a half million go to Lourdes in France, five million go to Czestochowa (Jasna Gora) in Poland, and four and a half million go to Fatima in Portugal. Special dates draw huge crowds.
Right here in the United States there are reports of Mary apparitions. Just outside the small town of Champion, Wisconsin, Adele Brise was visited three times in October 1859 by the vision of a woman in white. In the third vision, as Brise carried grain to a mill, the woman identified herself… According to accounts, the vision stated: “I am the queen of heaven”.
Affirmation of this apparition by the Church of Rome, is clear evidence that they are doing work that is not of our Father in Heaven, and that is not of Christ. Clearly the church is attempting to leverage the legend of some unknown entity, a vision of something or someone who is not Mary the mother of Christ, and to use this vision and legend to continue to mislead and fool its followers. This is in reality demonic activity.
In fact, according to reports, the apparition reportedly identified itself as the “queen of heaven”. Unfortunately, many who aspire to believe in Christ are misled into believing that the “queen of heaven” is Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus. The Word of God tells us that the queen of heaven is NOT, in fact, Mary the mother of Jesus, but rather some “other god” that was inappropriately the object of worship.
We look to Jeremiah 44 for the truth:
15 Then all the men who knew that their wives had made offerings to other gods, and all the women who stood by, a great assembly, all the people who lived in Pathros in the land of Egypt, answered Jeremiah:
16 “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you. 17 But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster. 18 But since we left off making offerings to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.” 19 And the women said “When we made offerings to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, was it without our husbands’ approval that we made cakes for her bearing her image and poured out drink offerings to her?”
20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, men and women, all the people who had given him this answer: 21 “As for the offerings that you offered in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your officials, and the people of the land, did not the Lord remember them? Did it not come into his mind?
22 The Lord could no longer bear your evil deeds and the abominations that you committed. Therefore your land has become (a desolation and a waste and a curse, without inhabitant, as it is this day. 23 It is because you made offerings and because you sinned against the Lord and did not obey the voice of the Lord or walk in his law and in
his statutes and in his testimonies that this disaster has happened to you, as at this day.”
The Scripture says that people rejected the Word of God in favor of their own god whom they worshipped, a god called the queen of heaven.
God punished them for worshipping a god known as the queen of heaven! Surely the church of Rome is aware of this, yet it “affirms” this unknown apparition, opening the door to allow the “queen of heaven” to be worshipped by the modern day members of catholic church.
just a few simple points. The “until” in Matthew does not necessarily mean that Joseph and Mary had sexual relations after the birth of Jesus. For example Paul speaks of Christ reigning “until” all his enemies are under his feet. Shall Christ cease to reign after that? Of course not! He shall reign forever and ever!
The brothers of Jesus. The Greek word is adelphoi which could mean brothers but can also mean cousin or other close relation. For example, Abraham refers to Lot as his brother though they were in fact uncle and nephew. Two of the four “brothers” of Jesus are referred to as sons of another woman in Matthew. So at least these two were cousins.
Excellent response! You need Sacred Tradition as a lens to Sacred Scripture
Catholics are the original bible Christians
I. The Uniqueness of Mary as the Mother of God
Gen. 3:15 – we see from the very beginning that God gives Mary a unique role in salvation history. God says “I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed.” This refers to Jesus (the “emnity”) and Mary (the “woman”). The phrase “her seed” (spermatos) is not seen elsewhere in Scripture.
Gen 3:15 / Rev. 12:1 – the Scriptures begin and end with the woman battling satan. This points to the power of the woman with the seed and teaches us that Jesus and Mary are the new Adam and the new Eve.
John 2:4, 19:26 – Jesus calls Mary “woman” as she is called in Gen. 3:15. Just as Eve was the mother of the old creation, Mary is the mother of the new creation. This woman’s seed will crush the serpent’s skull.
Isaiah 7:14; Matt. 1:23 – a virgin (the Greek word used is “parthenos”) will bear a Son named Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” John 1:14 – God in flesh dwelt among us. Mary is the Virgin Mother of God.
Matt. 2:11 – Luke emphasizes Jesus is with Mary His Mother, and the magi fall down before both of them, worshiping Jesus.
Luke 1:35 – the child will be called holy, the Son of God. Mary is the Mother of the Son of God, or the Mother of God (the “Theotokos”).
Luke 1:28 – “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” These are the words spoken by God and delivered to us by the angel Gabriel (who is a messenger of God). Thus, when Catholics recite this verse while praying the Rosary, they are uttering the words of God.
Luke 1:28 – also, the phrase “full of grace” is translated from the Greek word “kecharitomene.” This is a unique title given to Mary, and suggests a perfection of grace from a past event. Mary is not just “highly favored.” She has been perfected in grace by God. “Full of grace” is only used to describe one other person – Jesus Christ in John 1:14.
Luke 1:38 – Mary’s fiat is “let it be done to me according to thy word.” Mary is the perfect model of faith in God, and is worthy of our veneration.
Luke 1:42 – “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.” The phrase “blessed are you among women” really means “you are most blessed of all women.” A circumlocution is used because there is no superlative in the Greek language. Note also that Elizabeth praises Mary first, and then Jesus. This is hyperdulia (but not latria which is worship owed to God alone). We too can go through Mary to praise Jesus. Finally, Catholics repeat these divinely inspired words of Elizabeth in the Rosary.
Luke 1:43 – Elizabeth’s use of “Mother of my Lord” (in Hebrew, Elizabeth used “Adonai” which means Lord God) is the equivalent of “Holy Mary, Mother of God” which Catholics pray in the Rosary. The formula is simple: Jesus is a divine person, and this person is God. Mary is Jesus’ Mother, so Mary is the mother of God (Mary is not just the Mother of Jesus’ human nature – mothers are mothers of persons, not natures).
Luke 1:44 – Mary’s voice causes John the Baptist to leap for joy in Elizabeth’s womb. Luke is teaching us that Mary is our powerful intercessor.
Luke 1:46 – Mary claims that her soul magnifies the Lord. This is a bold statement from a young Jewish girl from Nazareth. Her statement is a strong testimony to her uniqueness. Mary, as our Mother and intercessor, also magnifies our prayers.
Luke 1:48 – Mary prophesies that all generations shall call her blessed, as Catholics do in the “Hail Mary” prayer. What Protestant churches have existed in all generations (none), and how many of them call Mary blessed with special prayers and devotions?
Gal. 4:4 – God sent His Son, born of a woman, to redeem us. Mary is the woman with the redeemer. By calling Mary co-redemptrix, we are simply calling Mary “the woman with the redeemer.” This is because “co” is from the Latin word “cum” which means “with.” Therefore, “co-redemptrix” means “woman with the redeemer.” Mary had a unique but subordinate role to Jesus in salvation.
Eph. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:2 – the word “saints” (in Hebrew “qaddiysh”) means “holy” ones. So Mary is called Holy, the greatest Saint of all.
Luke 2:35 – Simeon prophesies that a sword would also pierce Mary’s soul. Mary thus plays a very important role in our redemption. While Jesus’ suffering was all that we needed for redemption, God desired Mary to participate on a subordinate level in her Son’s suffering, just as he allows us to participate through our own sufferings.
Luke 2:19,51 – Mary kept in mind all these things as she pondered them in her heart. Catholics remember this by devoting themselves to Mary’s Immaculate Heart and all the treasures and wisdom and knowledge contained therein.
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II. Mary – the Immaculate Ark of the New Covenant
Exodus 25:11-21 – the ark of the Old Covenant was made of the purest gold for God’s Word. Mary is the ark of the New Covenant and is the purest vessel for the Word of God made flesh.
2 Sam. 6:7 – the Ark is so holy and pure that when Uzzah touched it, the Lord slew him. This shows us that the Ark is undefiled. Mary the Ark of the New Covenant is even more immaculate and undefiled, spared by God from original sin so that she could bear His eternal Word in her womb.
1 Chron. 13:9-10 – this is another account of Uzzah and the Ark. For God to dwell within Mary the Ark, Mary had to be conceived without sin. For Protestants to argue otherwise would be to say that God would let the finger of Satan touch His Son made flesh. This is incomprehensible.
1 Chron. 15 and 16 – these verses show the awesome reverence the Jews had for the Ark – veneration, vestments, songs, harps, lyres, cymbals, trumpets.
Luke 1:39 / 2 Sam. 6:2 – Luke’s conspicuous comparison’s between Mary and the Ark described by Samuel underscores the reality of Mary as the undefiled and immaculate Ark of the New Covenant. In these verses, Mary (the Ark) arose and went / David arose and went to the Ark. There is a clear parallel between the Ark of the Old and the Ark of the New Covenant.
Luke 1:41 / 2 Sam. 6:16 – John the Baptist / King David leap for joy before Mary / Ark. So should we leap for joy before Mary the immaculate Ark of the Word made flesh.
Luke 1:43 / 2 Sam. 6:9 – How can the Mother / Ark of the Lord come to me? It is a holy privilege. Our Mother wants to come to us and lead us to Jesus.
Luke 1:56 / 2 Sam. 6:11 and 1 Chron. 13:14 – Mary / the Ark remained in the house for about three months.
Rev 11:19 – at this point in history, the Ark of the Old Covenant was not seen for six centuries (see 2 Macc. 2:7), and now it is finally seen in heaven. The Jewish people would have been absolutely amazed at this. However, John immediately passes over this fact and describes the “woman” clothed with the sun in Rev. 12:1. John is emphasizing that Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant and who, like the Old ark, is now worthy of veneration and praise. Also remember that Rev. 11:19 and Rev. 12:1 are tied together because there was no chapter and verse at the time these texts were written.
Rev 12:1 – the “woman” that John is describing is Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, so Mary, with the moon under her feet, reflects the glory of the Sun of Justice, Jesus Christ.
Rev. 12:17 – this verse tells us that Mary’s offspring are those who keep God’s commandments and bear testimony to Jesus. This demonstrates, as Catholics have always believed, that Mary is the Mother of all Christians.
Rev. 12:2 – Some Protestants argue that, because the woman had birth pangs, she was a woman with sin. However, Revelation is apocalyptic literature unique to the 1st century. It contains varied symbolism and multiple meanings of the woman (Mary, the Church and Israel). The birth pangs describe both the birth of the Church and Mary’s offspring being formed in Christ. Mary had no birth pangs in delivering her only Son Jesus.
Isaiah 66:7 – for example, we see Isaiah prophesying that before she (Mary) was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she was delivered of a son (Jesus). This is a Marian prophecy of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
Gal 4:19 – Paul also describes his pain as birth pangs in forming the disciples in Christ. Birth pangs describe formation in Christ.
Rom. 8:22 – also, Paul says the whole creation has been groaning in travail before the coming of Christ. We are all undergoing birth pangs because we are being reborn into Jesus Christ.
Jer. 13:21 – Jeremiah describes the birth pangs of Israel, like a woman in travail. Birth pangs are usually used metaphorically in the Scriptures.
Hos. 13:12-13 – Ephraim is also described as travailing in childbirth for his sins. Again, birth pangs are used metaphorically.
Micah 4:9-10 – Micah also describes Jerusalem as being seized by birth pangs like a woman in travail.
Rev. 12:13-16 – in these verses, we see that the devil still seeks to destroy the woman even after the Savior is born. This proves Mary is a danger to satan, even after the birth of Christ. This is because God has given her the power to intercede for us, and we should invoke her assistance in our spiritual lives.
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III. Mary is our Mother and Queen of the New Davidic Kingdom
John 19:26 – Jesus makes Mary the Mother of us all as He dies on the Cross by saying “behold your mother.” Jesus did not say “John, behold your mother” because he gave Mary to all of us, his beloved disciples. All the words that Jesus spoke on Cross had a divine purpose. Jesus was not just telling John to take care of his mother.
Rev. 12:17 – this verse proves the meaning of John 19:26. The “woman’s” (Mary’s) offspring are those who follow Jesus. She is our Mother and we are her offspring in Jesus Christ. The master plan of God’s covenant love for us is family. But we cannot be a complete family with the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Christ without the Motherhood of Mary.
John 2:3 – this is a very signifcant verse in Scripture. As our mother, Mary tells all of us to do whatever Jesus tells us. Further, Mary’s intercession at the marriage feast in Cana triggers Jesus’ ministry and a foreshadowing of the Eucharistic celebration of the Lamb. This celebration unites all believers into one famiy through the marriage of divinity and humanity.
John 2:7 – Jesus allows His mother to intercede for the people on His behalf, and responds to His mother’s request by ordering the servants to fill the jars with water.
Psalm 45:9 – the psalmist teaches that the Queen stands at the right hand of God. The role of the Queen is important in God’s kingdom. Mary the Queen of heaven is at the right hand of the Son of God.
1 Kings 2:17, 20 – in the Old Testament Davidic kingdom, the King does not refuse his mother. Jesus is the new Davidic King, and He does not refuse the requests of his mother Mary, the Queen.
1 Kings 2:18 – in the Old Testament Davidic kingdom, the Queen intercedes on behalf of the King’s followers. She is the Queen Mother (or “Gebirah”). Mary is our eternal Gebirah.
1 Kings 2:19 – in the Old Testament Davidic kingdom the King bows down to his mother and she sits at his right hand. We, as children of the New Covenant, should imitate our King and pay the same homage to Mary our Mother. By honoring Mary, we honor our King, Jesus Christ.
1 Kings 15:13 – the Queen Mother is a powerful position in Israel’s royal monarchy. Here the Queen is removed from office. But now, the Davidic kingdom is perfected by Jesus, and our Mother Mary is forever at His right hand.
2 Chron. 22:10 – here Queen Mother Athalia destroys the royal family of Judah after she sees her son, King Ahaziah, dead. The Queen mother plays a significant role in the kingdom.
Neh. 2:6 – the Queen Mother sits beside the King. She is the primary intercessor before the King.
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IV. Mary is Ever Virgin
Exodus 13:2,12 – Jesus is sometimes referred to as the “first-born” son of Mary. But “first-born” is a common Jewish expression meaning the first child to open the womb. It has nothing to do the mother having future children.
Exodus 34:20 – under the Mosaic law, the “first-born” son had to be sanctified. “First-born” status does not require a “second” born.
Ezek. 44:2 – Ezekiel prophesies that no man shall pass through the gate by which the Lord entered the world. This is a prophecy of Mary’s perpetual virginity. Mary remained a virgin before, during and after the birth of Jesus.
Mark 6:3 – Jesus was always referred to as “the” son of Mary, not “a” son of Mary. Also “brothers” could have theoretically been Joseph’s children from a former marriage that was dissolved by death. However, it is most likely, perhaps most certainly, that Joseph was a virgin, just as were Jesus and Mary. As such, they embodied the true Holy Family, fully consecrated to God.
Luke 1:31,34 – the angel tells Mary that you “will” conceive (using the future tense). Mary responds by saying, “How shall this be?” Mary’s response demonstrates that she had taken a vow of lifelong virginity by having no intention to have relations with a man. If Mary did not take such a vow of lifelong virginity, her question would make no sense at all (for we can assume she knew how a child is conceived). She was a consecrated Temple virgin as was an acceptable custom of the times.
Luke 2:41-51 – in searching for Jesus and finding Him in the temple, there is never any mention of other siblings.
John 7:3-4; Mark 3:21 – we see that younger “brothers” were advising Jesus. But this would have been extremely disrespectful for devout Jews if these were Jesus’ biological brothers.
John 19:26-27 – it would have been unthinkable for Jesus to commit the care of his mother to a friend if he had brothers.
John 19:25 – the following verses prove that James and Joseph are Jesus’ cousins and not his brothers: Mary the wife of Clopas is the sister of the Virgin Mary.
Matt. 27:61, 28:1 – Matthew even refers to Mary the wife of Clopas as “the other Mary.”
Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:47 – Mary the wife of Clopas is the mother of James and Joseph.
Mark 6:3 – James and Joseph are called the “brothers” of Jesus. So James and Joseph are Jesus’ cousins.
Matt. 10:3 – James is also called the son of “Alpheus.” This does not disprove that James is the son of Clopas. The name Alpheus may be Aramaic for Clopas, or James took a Greek name like Saul (Paul), or Mary remarried a man named Alpheus.
Rosary
The Roman Catholic Church teaches their members to pray the ‘rosary’ and other repetitive prayers. Take a look at the following quote about Roman Catholic prayer:
“The word Rosary means ‘Crown of Roses’. Our Lady has revealed to several people that each time they say a Hail Mary they are giving her a beautiful rose and that each complete Rosary makes her a crown of roses …. In every apparition, the heavenly Mother has invited us to say the Rosary.” (A Catholic Website)
So how important is the Rosary to Catholics? Catholicism states the Rosary is the epitome of the whole gospel.
The Following Is The Position Of Vatican Council II On The Rosary:
” ‘The contemplative life of religious would be incomplete if it were not directed in filial love towards her who is the Mother of the Church and of consecrated souls. This love for the Virgin will be manifested with the celebration of her feasts and, in particular, with daily prayer in her honor, especially the Rosary. The daily recitation of the Rosary is a centuries-old tradition for religious, and so it is not out of place to recall the suitability, beauty and efficacy of this prayer, which proposes for our meditation the mysteries of the Lord’s life’ ” (Vatican Council II, Vol. 2, p.251.)
“While respecting the freedom of the children of God, the Church has always proposed certain practices of piety to the faithful with particular solicitude and insistence. Among these should be mentioned the recitation of the Rosary: ‘We now desire, as a continuation of the thought of our predecessors, to recommend strongly the recitation of the family Rosary…
There is no doubt that … the Rosary should be considered as one of the best and most efficacious prayers in common that the Christian family is invited to recite. We like to think, and sincerely hope, that when the family gathering becomes a time of prayer the Rosary is a frequent and favored manner of praying’. In this way, authentic devotion to Mary, which finds expression in sincere love and generous imitation of the Blessed Virgin’s interior spiritual attitude, constitutes a special instrument for nourishing loving communion in the family and for developing conjugal and family spirituality. For she who is the Mother of Christ and of the Church is in a special way the Mother of Christian families, of domestic Churches” (ibid., pp. 865, 866).
To reiterate what you just read, Vatican Council II says:
Your contemplative religious life is incomplete without a love for Mary. This love for Mary is especially manifested, by praying the Rosary. The Rosary is suitable, beautiful and efficacious, according to present-day Catholicism (p.251)!
An example of a “practice of piety” is the Rosary. This means all Catholics show their “authentic devotion to Mary” by reciting the Rosary. Also, the Rosary is supposed to be “one of the best and most efficacious prayers” (pp.865,866).
The Hail Mary: “Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen”
The above Hail Mary is repeated over and over by Catholics. But what does Jesus say about these repetitive prayers? … Matthew 6:7 ‘But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.’ … Vain repetitive prayers are vain and useless.
The Rosary prayer is not “the epitome of the Gospel” as claimed by present-day Catholicism, but in fact, a prayer that exchanges Jesus for Mary by calling her our life, sweetness, hope and most gracious advocate, and exalting her to an idolatrous position as “Queen of Heaven”. These facts make this prayer a spiritual contaminant and hindrance to the extension of the kingdom and the truth of the Gospel.
I am stating that the rosary is never mentioned in the bible, so it is a false teaching the Church should avoid. You cannot pray to Mary, but only to the Father in the name of Jesus ( see John 16:23-24 ). Search the scriptures, and you will see praying the rosary is never mentioned (Acts 17:11 ).
Mary allegedly appeared to three children at Fatima, north of Lisbon, Portugal, in 1917, identifying herself as “Our Lady of the Rosary” and giving the following promises to those who will faithfully recite the Rosary.
1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces.
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against Hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5. The soul, which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God and become worthy of eternal life.
7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death, they shall participate in the merits of the saints in Paradise.
9. I shall deliver from Purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire Celestial Court during their life and at the hour of death.
14. All who recite the Rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only Son, Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.
Even when I was a Catholic I did not pray the rosary. Mary is sleeping in her grave. She did not say any of these things about the rosary. They are contrary to God’s Word. The “Mary” here sounds like someone who wants us to hold her in the same esteem as the Father and the Son while the Mary in the Bible called herself, a lowly maid and acknowledged God as her Savior. These promises of the rosary are all the false teachings of the Catholic Church.
According to Jesus, Scripture is the plumb line for measuring everything else. He judged religious traditions by comparing them to Scripture. When religious traditions contradicted Scripture, he condemned them. This shows clearly that nothing is equal in authority to Scripture. The Bible stands alone as the standard by which all other things are to be judged.
WOW,WE HAVE A LOT OF PROTESTANTS HERE WE SEE….I ONCE ASKED A YOUNG ADULT IF HE WAS CATHOLIC OR PROTESTANT. HE SAID ”CHRISTIAN”.IF ONLY IT WERE SO SIMPLE…
HE HAD NO IDEA OF THE HISTORY OF THE LAST 2000 YEARS. PROBABLY HIS PASTOR DIDNT EITHER.
PROTESTANTISM IS LIKE A REBELLIOUS TEENAGER TELLING HIS PARENTS THEY ARE OLD AND TIRED AND DONT KNOW ANYTHING. THEN HE PACKS UP HIS BED AND TENT AND LANTERN AND BOOKS , WATER AND BREAD AND MOVES TO THE BACK YARD TO LIVE. BUT– EVERYTHING THAT HE HAS TO LIVE WITH IS FROM HIS PARENTS HOUSE.
WE HAVE FROM THE CATHOLIC CHURCH —THE TRINITY, THE BIBLE, THE EUCHARIST, AND 1.1 BILLION MEMBERS —-INCLUDING THE HOLY PRIESTHOOD (GIVEN BY JESUS TO MANKIND FOR THE FEEDING OF OUR SOULS).
OUR BISHOPS ,PRIESTS, AND DEACONS ABSOLVE OUR SINS, BAPTISE OUR PEOPLE, CELEBRATE THE LORDS SUPPER. EACH PRIEST HAS BEEN ORDAINED BY A BISHOP WHO, WAS ORDAINED BY A BISHOP, WHO WAS ORDAINED BY A BISHOP –ALL THE WAY BACK TO ST. PETER… CAN ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION IN THE HISTORY OF MAN CLAIM AN UNBROKEN CHAIN OF COMMAND SUCH AS THAT????
ANYBODY CAN USE SCRIPTURE TO ARGUE HIS POINT AND THATS THE PROBLEM. THATS WHY JESUS TOLD PETER HE WAS THE ONE IN CHARGE, AND WHATEVER HIS BOUND ON EARTH WAS BOUND IN HEAVEN- WHATEVER HE LOOSED ON EARTH WAS LOOSED IN HEAVEN. AND THE THE GATES OF HELL WOULD NOT PREVAIL. AND THAT HE WAS WITH US ALWAYS. SO IF YOU GO IT ALONE AND INTERPRET AS YOU LIKE TO FIT YOUR SELF, IT’S NOT WHAT IS INTENDED.
TOO MANY WANT THE EASY LOAD. NOT THE YOKE. NOT THE CROSS TO CARRY.
Ester,
Where does it say that the Rosary is the epitome of the gospel?
You state you did not pray the rosary as a Catholic- I’m sorry for your loss.
LT
Hmmm…who is The Woman of Revelation that crushes the serpents head?
In the Davidic kingdom does not the Mother of The King hold the 2nd highest rank in Royal title ‘The Grand Lady’ ?
Who is The Ark of The New Covenant?
Who said ‘do all He tells you’ Probably the best advice ever given to mankind.
This woman is really special and loved by Jesus. I strive to love all that Jesus loves.
I love You Blessed Virgin Mary Our Mother!
TO ESTER… DO YOU DO WHAT THE NEW TESTAMENT TELLS YOU TO DO? DO YOU CALL MARY ”BLESSED” LK. 1:48.??? DO YOU CALL MARY YOUR ”MOTHER” JN. 19:26-27??? THATS WHAT CATHOLICS DO—SHE IS OUR BLESSED MOTHER…HONOR HER LIKE THE 4TH COMMANDMENT COMMANDS.
EVEN LUTHER, CALVIN, AND ZWINGLI INSISTED ON HONORING MARY AS THE MOTHER OF GOD AND EVER VIRGIN. IF A PERSON DENIES THAT MARY IS THE MOTHER OF GOD, HE IS DENYING THE INCARNATION (THE JOINING OF CHRISTS DIVINE AND HUMAN NATURES)…
WHEN YOU SAID MARY IS IN HER GRAVE, WHERE???? ALL THE APOSTLES WERE BURIED UNDER A CHURCH ALTAR SOMEWHERE, BECAUSE THEY WERE HELD IN GREAT LOVE AND IMPORTANCE.
BUT– WHEN THEY WENT TO GATHER MARYS BODY IT WAS GONE. SHE TOO WAS MUCH LOVED AND HELD IN IMPORTANCE AS JESUS’ MOTHER. WHY WASNT SHE BURIED AS A HERO TOO? THE EARLY CHURCH SAYS SHE WAS TAKEN UP. THEN IN REV.12:1 THERE SHE IS WITH A CROWN, 1 KGS2:19-20. ON HER THRONE… 2 KGS 2:11 LIKE ELIJAH ON A CHARIOT…
MANY SIGNS AND WONDERS HAPPENED BY JESUS AND AFTER JESUS THAT ARE NOT WRITTEN DOWN (BY HAND) JN.21:25
IF IT ‘S NOT IN THE BIBLE THEN IT IS BY SACRED
TRADITION(MOUTH)2 THES. 2:15… AND SUPPORTED BY THE CHURCH, WHICH IS THE PILLAR AND FOUNDATION OF TRUTH 1TIM.3:15…
SO THIS TRADITION ABOUT MARY HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE THE BEGINNING…CHECK OUT THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS AND WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT HER AND EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE FAITH.
IT SOUNDS WAY MORE CATHOLIC THAN IT DOES PROTESTANT.
DO YOU KNOW THE CHURCH HISTORY OF THE ROSARY OR JUST WHAT ANTI-CATHOLICS SAY?
THE ROSARY ONLY LEADS US TO JESUS. NOTHING MORE… REMEMBER HOW MARY ASKS JESUS A FAVOR AT THE WEDDING AT CANA? HE WASNT READY BUT BECAUSE HIS MOTHER ASKED HE CHANGED WATER INTO WINE.
WE DONT WORSHIP HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE LOVE AND HONOR OUR BLESSED MOTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS, HAVE A NICE DAY.
I always giggle when protestants try to tell Catholics what they believe.Here is an idea -instead of telling us what you think we believe, why not just refer to authentic Catholic teaching ?You can enter a query at The Vatican website or just have a look in The Catechism of The Catholic Church-it is drenched in Sacred Scripture and you might just learn something.
God Bless
Mater ter Admirabilis!
@Mark..
WOW…! That’s quite impressive! Thank you!
I hope they will understand..and embrace the explanation which started the debate long long time ago..
I struggled the same questions from other Christian’s denominations, which almost got me, but it was long time ago and it’s over.
There are so many symbols in Catholic which they can’t accept since they only see what they want to see..
For example, they would see we are sinner since we are praying in front of the statues (=idols).
Check this out.. how about the flags? Those are idols..the real idols?
When we respect a flag.. actually who are we respect to?
(We are actually singing a national anthem for it too)
When we put our parents/kids pictures on our table..who do we love actually? The picture? Or the person?
Those are symbols.. which reflect something else deeper than what you see with your eyes..
Anyway, the truth will coming really soon.. Jesus on His way for sure.. and I am glad to see Him smiling back at me!
What I would do is to prepare myself to be true with all my weaknesses in front of Him..
God bless all of you, brothers and sisters..