Is Catholicism a Cult?

Contents:

1. Rome embraces Islam
2. What is anathema?
3. Transubstantiation
4. Confessing your sins to a priest for salvation
5. Purgatory
6. Mariology or Mariolatry?
7. Is the Pope really infallible on matters of morals and spirituality?
8. Salvation according to Roman Catholicism
9. Is Catholicism a Cult?
10. The shocking truth about the pope and the great Catholic cover-up

The genesis of Roman Catholicism.

Is Catholicism a Cult? Even a cursory reading of the New Testament reveals the fact that Roman Catholicism not only does not have its origin in the teachings of Scripture but contradicts it.

Scripture has no mention of infant baptism, the papacy, the worship of Mary, her immaculate conception, perpetual virginity, assumption to heaven, or title of co-redemtrix sitting at the right hand of Jesus. There is no mention of transubstantiation, petitioning the dead on behalf of the living, confession of sin to a priest, purgatory, indulgences, or the equal authority of church tradition and Scripture and much more! So, the claim that Catholicism began in the first century with the Apostle Peter as the first pope is clearly a deliberate fabrication.

How could Rome be the place where the church began when Christianity was outlawed by the Roman Empire for the first 300 years of its existence? Far from being the birth-place of the church, Rome was doing everything in its power to try and stop Christianity from spreading, including feeding the Christians to the lions! The Bible says the church began in Jerusalem in A.D. 30 at Pentecost in Acts chapter two.

There is all the common sense proof you will ever need to settle the argument on Roman Catholicism’s deception known as “Apostolic succession.”  It was A.D. 325 when Constantine called the Council of Nicea. That was the beginning of the Roman Empire’s first step to becoming the Holy Roman Empire we know as Roman Catholicism today. Contrary to popular opinion, Catholicism is not a sect of Christianity but a cleverly disguised counterfeit. In 2 Cor. 11:12-15, speaking of false teachers and false apostles, Paul says,

But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

It is important to know that all of God’s laws are perfect just as He Himself is perfect. The laws of physics, mathematics, the law of gravity, the laws of chemistry etc. Everything God created when He created it was perfect. Consider the atomic structure of every element in the Periodic Table; each is perfect to the atom.

God’s commands and God’s theology is no less precise. The Bible teaches that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, through Christ alone, plus nothing. Our good works are the result of our salvation, never the cause of it. How exacting is God?

• He tells Adam and Eve not to take one bite.
• Cain brings an offering from his garden, Able brings a blood sacrifice. One is accepted, one is rejected.
• In Noah’s flood, God kills everyone on earth except one family (He warned our first parents that sin results in death).
• In Exodus, the Israelites are instructed to put the blood of a lamb on their doorpost. If you do, the Angel of Death passes over you, if you don’t the first-born of that family will die.
• In Leviticus, if the priest does not wash after the sacrifice, the penalty is death.
• In 2nd Sam.,6, Uzzah is struck dead for touching the Ark. Only the Levites were allowed to touch it.
• Peter says to Jesus, “This shall never happen to you” (speaking of His crucifixion). One wrong sentence and Jesus says, “Get behind Me Satan!”

Do you get the impression that it’s a big mistake to contradict God because He means what He says and says what He means?

In the book of Galatians, God says, in the context of salvation, if you add anything to grace, it is a false gospel, a false Jesus, and those who teach it are damned forever!

Imagine for a moment that I started a church, and our doctrinal statement contained the following articles:

1. We are the only church that has the truth and there is salvation in no other.

2. You are incapable of interpreting the Bible yourself. Only I and those whom I appoint can correctly interpret the Bible for you. Therefore, you should not read the Bible and you must not question our authority or our interpretations of it.

3. As the head of the church, when I speak on matters of faith and morals I am incapable of deceiving or being deceived. I am immune from error. I am the vicar of Christ on earth.

4. Only I and those I appoint have the authority to forgive sin.

5. My mother was born without sin, she lived a perfectly sinless life, She is the Queen of Heaven and is Co-Redemtrix along with Christ.

6. You must go to my mother to get to Jesus.

7. I can pray over a piece of bread and a glass of wine and as a result, it turns into the actual (literal) body and blood of Jesus Christ!

8. The death of Jesus on the cross was not sufficient to pay for your sin. You must first go the place of fire for an indeterminate amount of time for further purification. And then you must go to a treasure-chest where all of the good deeds done by all the saints who have gone before you will be the final merit you need before you can enter heaven.

9. Our church tradition has equal or more authority than Scripture.

10. If you do not agree with these tenets and every one of the more than 125 other articles of faith (that read like complex and difficult to understand legal documents) we have the authority and the power to condemn your soul to eternal damnation, and we will!

If I started a church like that every cult watcher in the world would condemn it and rightly so. This is just a small sample of the literally hundreds of heretical doctrines held by Roman Catholicism.

While on the surface, asking if Catholicism is a cult may be insulting to a Roman Catholic, I suggest you continue reading before writing me off as a Catholic basher, or deciding to label me “unloving.” 

On the contrary, it’s because of my love that I am asking Catholics to examine these doctrines for themselves. If these things are true and correct, I would be unloving if I didn’t tell you since these matters concern your eternal destiny. In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul asked, “Have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth? “

You can be wrong about a lot of things, but if you are wrong about who Jesus is, and how to be saved, according to the Bible, you are wrong enough to be separated from God forever! 

I am not a Catholic, I am not a Protestant, I am not a Calvinist and I am not an Arminian—I am a Christian—I’m following Christ. I’m not protesting anything except ignorance and sin!

Here is a shocking example of what Rome believes and teaches…

 1. Rome Embraces Islam

On page 223 item # 841 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church Second Edition revised in accordance with the official Latin text promulgated by Pope John Paul II we discover the following incredible statement. It’s under the sub-title, The church’s relationship with the Muslims. I quote,

“The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place among whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day.”

So, according to the official Catechism of the Catholic Church, Muslims are not only included in the plan of salvation but are, “In the FIRST PLACE…together with us (Roman Catholics) they adore the one, merciful God…”

In other words, the God of Roman Catholicism is the same God the Muslims “adore.” And this by virtue of the fact that they, “… hold the faith of Abraham?” Indeed!

First of all, the Bible teaches that it is only by faith in Jesus Christ as God the son that one is saved (John 3:16, 8:24, 14:6, Acts 4:12, Phil. 2:10-11, 1 John 2:23-24, 2 John 9).

Secondly, the God that Abraham believed in is known as the God of Israel—the father of the LORD Jesus Christ; the second person of the holy trinity. Also known as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Allah is definitely not the God is Israel.

In the third place, Muslims do not “adore” Allah. This idea is nowhere found in Islam. Muslims fear Allah they do not “adore” God. They have no assurance of acceptance by him unless they murder an “infidel.”

1. Were you aware that this is the official position of the Vatican?
2. Do you think that Muslims would agree with this position?
3. Do you as a Roman Catholic worship the god of the Koran known as Allah?
4. Are you aware of what the Koran says concerning anyone who believes that Jesus is the son of God?
5. Do you for one moment understand the implications of this position in light of the teachings of Jesus?
6. Are you also aware of what the official position of the Vatican is concerning anyone who disagrees with its official Cannons and Decrees (such as this one)? If not, see point #2 in this article entitled, “What is anathema?”

Keep reading and you will discover how far from reality Catholic dogma really is from the teachings of Jesus and the God of the Bible. This is only the tip of the iceberg!

In John 10:30 Jesus said,

“I and the father are one.”

The Pharisees knew exactly what He meant and wanted to stone Him for claiming to be God! Jesus did not deny this claim, nor did He correct them for misunderstanding His meaning. In Islam, there are 99 names for God and “Jesus” in not one of them.

In Islam, teaching, believing, or even saying that Jesus is the son of God is blasphemy. Yet the deity of Christ is the essential teaching of Christianity. In John 8:24, Jesus said,

“Unless you believe that I Am you will die in your sin.”

I Am, is the name that God revealed of Himself when speaking to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3:15.

And what is the punishment for blasphemy in Islam? Death by beheading! Their position is if you believe in the deity of Christ you are damned as a polytheist.

In Islam, there is no God but Allah and Jesus was only a man. Islam teaches that Jesus did not die on the cross but ascended into heaven without dying at all. But Jesus said that dying on the cross was the very purpose for which He came to earth! His sacrifice paid for the sin of the world. That is how God can forgive sinners without compromising His justice! His death purchased our salvation!

Tawhid and Shirk

In order to understand Islam, you need to know that from childhood, Muslim children are taught the doctrines of Tawhid and Shirk. These are two of the most essential doctrines in Islam.

Tawhid represents the strictest form of Unitarian monotheism. It is the absolute oneness of God. Tawhid is an absolute commandment in Islam. Tawhid greatest the greatest commandment and Shirk is the greatest sin.

Shirk is the sin of polytheism. It refers to serving anything other than Allah. Muslims are taught that Shirk is worse than murder, rape, child abuse, or incest. They are taught that believing doctrines such as the deity of Christ and the Trinity are the most heinous of all crimes.

Christ’s teaching on the Trinity, the incarnation, and His atoning death on the cross are dogmatically labeled as “gross blasphemies” in Islam. Muslim children are told that Christian’s are pagan idol worshipers.

Many have been told that the doctrine of Christ dying on the cross for sin is as archaic and pagan as a human sacrifice to some “volcano god.” We are accused of believing in a god who is a child abuser, and the God of the Bible has been called a “Bloodthirsty vampire.” That is about as far away from John 3:16 as you can get!

I ask you again, do you believe that this doctrine of Catholics worshiping the same God the Muslims do is correct?

Are you aware that Romes position is, if you do not agree with their cannons and decrees they curse your soul to hell? And I’ve had Catholics tell me I am unloving for saying theses things! This actually is very much like Islam. Rome damns all heretics to hell!

2. What is Anathema? Can They Really Do That?

One of the most outrageous, arrogant and frankly, blasphemous doctrines held by Roman Catholicism is the idea that they (The Roman Catholic Hierarchy) actually have the authority and the power to curse your soul to the everlasting flames of hell if you do not agree with and obey every jot and tittle of their more than 100 cannons and decrees.

Many of these cannons and decrees contradict each other, and most of them read like extremely complex legal documents. They are very difficult to understand! Incidentally, not one of these cannons and decrees is found in the Bible.

Before I show you what those cannons and decrees are, I would like to address the issue of just exactly who has jurisdiction to cast your soul into hell. Does man, any man have that authority? Here is what the Lord Jesus Christ had to say about it in Matthew 10:28-29:

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Jesus is saying that man can only kill your body but there is nothing more he can do to you after that. God alone, who is perfectly just and holy has the authority to cast someone into hell. Yet Roman Catholicism says that they have the authority to pronounce you “anathema” no less than 100 times in its Cannons and Decrees.

So, what does anathema mean? The Greek word anathema is used only 5 times from Genesis to Revelation and the Apostle Paul was the only writer to use it. These 5 are the only anathemas that apply to us today. They are found in Romans 9:3; 1 Cor. 12:3; 1 Cor.16:22; Gal. 1:8 and Gal. 1:9.

The first time the word is used we discover Paul’s willingness to exchange his own soul (be damned) if it would mean salvation for the Jews. He was willing to be eternally condemned or cursed if it would mean salvation for Israel:

 “For I could wish that I myself were cursed (anathema) and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race (Rom 9:3).”

The next instance states that no one who is speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit can say Jesus be cursed (anathema):

“Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 12:3)”

The third time anathema is invoked is found in 1 Cor. 16:22, where we read,

“If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema.”

Paul is simply stating what God has been saying all along in the scriptures, that Jesus is the way to eternal life. That is God’s call, not man’s.

The last two times the word is used is in Gal. 1:8-9, where Paul teaches that those who preach a false gospel are anathema. The word is used twice in this passage:

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!”

These five anathemas taken from the Bible provide the definitive teaching on what this word means and under what circumstances it applies. The principles of damnation are the same yesterday and today.

The last three instances were associated with not loving the Lord Jesus Christ and the eternally fatal mistake of preaching a false gospel. Not in any of the 5 instances where this word is used does Paul claim that He has the authority to actually cast someone into hell.

Speaking theologically, knowing the Word of God as he does, he knows that if you preach a false Gospel, or you do not love Jesus, God Himself will pronounce the sentence.

Please do not accept any patronizing nonsense from some article on the World Wide Web that claims this word means that they simply excommunicate you from the church.  Here is the official position defining the term as used by Rome,

 “The 1914 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia has an article called ‘Anathema.’ It describes an anathema that the Fourth Council of Toledo (633 A.D.) said that any person who disagreed with a decision that the Council had made was to be ‘stricken’ with an anathema that included being ‘damned at the coming of the Lord.’ Another anathema formula (which is described in the same article) declares that the anathematized person (or people) are ‘condemned to eternal fire with Satan and his angels.’”

“Pope Innocent III ruled from 1198 to 1216. He anathematized Mark Ward of Anweiler. The statement of anathematization began with these words: ‘We excommunicate, anathematize, curse and damn him.’”(Paul Johnson, “A History of Christianity,” page 199.)

 

“The Council of Trent hurled 125 anathemas at anybody who disagreed with even one small point of the doctrines defined by it.” You can read some of them at the link below.

https://www.biblebc.com/Roman%20Catholicism/summary_of_trent.htm

Lest you think that this is no longer the official position of Roman Catholicism based on some article on the world-wide-web, here is the truth from the pope himself,

 “When Pope John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Council (1962), he made a Declaration of Faith. He said that he accepted everything declared by the Council of Trent. He specifically said that he anathematized everything that contradicted it.” You can read his statement at the following link.

https://www.angelfire.com/ky/dodone/J23.html

“I have a video of the life of John Hus. He was a Catholic priest who believed the Bible and was burned for “heresy” in the 15th century. Before he was burned, his priestly garments were torn off of him, one piece at a time. With each piece that was torn off, a solemn curse was pronounced over him. Then a miter like a bishop’s miter was put on his head. It was painted with hellfire and demons. Then he was burned at the stake. The Catholic Church did everything it could to try to consign Hus to hell.”

“The martyrdom of John Hus is described in detail at the following link.  Note that seven bishops were involved in a ritual to degrade him and curse him. In the end, they specifically tried to consign him to hell. They said, ‘We commit your soul to the devil.’” https://www.johnhus.org/martyrdom/index.html

“No other group—not even Satanists try to consign people to hell. Only the Catholic Church does that. And it is done at the highest level—popes, cardinals, and bishops. Some Satanists and voodoo practitioners try to persuade people to make pacts with the devil. If the people decide to make a pact with the devil, it is voluntary. It is their decision—not something forced on them by other people.”

“Only the Catholic Church tries to damn people to hell. Hus’ case makes their intention obvious. So does the statement by Pope Innocent III about Markward of Anweiler. These were not ‘medicinal penalties.’ These were attempts to damn people to hell.”

“Do people really want to be a member of a church that, for centuries, have tried to damn people to hell? A church whose leaders signed a document in 1962 saying that they were in agreement with the anathemas of the Council of Trent?” ¹

Mary Ann Collins https://www.catholicconcerns.com/

3. The Doctrine of Transubstantiation

Now let’s look at some of these cannons and decrees. The first is the doctrine of  Transubstantiation. The word literally means:

1. Conversion of one substance into another.
2. In Roman Catholicism, the doctrine holding that the bread and wine of the Eucharist are literally transformed into the body and blood of Jesus.

“When Europe was electrified by the eloquent preaching of the sixteenth century Reformation, the Roman Catholic hierarchy gathered together. Her theologians worked for three decades on the preparation of a statement of faith concerning transubstantiation. This document remains, to this day, the standard of Catholic doctrine.” Keith Green – Salvation According to Rome. ²

As the Second Vatican Council commenced in 1963, Pope John XXIII declared,

 “I do accept entirely all that has been decided and declared at the Council of Trent”.

What did the Council of Trent decide and declare?

This is from the Council of Trent: Thirteenth Session, Cannons of the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist

Canon 1: “If any one shall deny that the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore entire Christ, are truly, really, and substantially contained in the sacrament of the most Holy Eucharist; and shall say that He is only in it as a sign, or in a figure, let him be accursed!”

Canon 11: “If any one shall say that the substance of the bread and wine remains in the sacrament of the most Holy Eucharist, together with the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ … let him be accursed!”

Canon III: “If any one shall say that Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is not to be adored in the holy sacrament of the Eucharist, even with the open worship of Latria, and therefore not to be venerated with any peculiar festal celebrity, nor to be solemnly carried about in processions according to the praiseworthy and universal rites and customs of the Holy Church, and that He is not to be publicly set before the people to be adored, and that His adorers are idolaters—let him be accursed!”

Far from being a “Catholic Basher”, this document is bashing me for having a difference of opinion on the doctrine of Transubstantiation.

I realize this may be a bit hard to believe but this decree states (on pain of eternal damnation) that if you even say the words (let alone actually believe it) that the literal wafer of bread (made from wheat) and the cup of wine (pressed from grapes) used in the Catholic liturgy does not, after the priest says the blessing over it, actually become the literal, physical body, blood and soul of Jesus Christ, but rather only a symbol of Christ, they have the authority, the power and the will to place a curse you which will ensure that your soul is damned to hell forever!

And this from an institution who claims that the Pope speaks without error and is incapable of deceiving or being deceived on matters of faith and morals?

1. Do you believe in Transubstantiation?
2. Would you dare to question this doctrine?
3. Didn’t the Apostle Paul commend the Berean’s for examining the scriptures to see if what they the Apostles were teaching was correct?
4. Is that what Jesus said about communion to His disciples when He first instituted it in the upper room?
5. Does this sound reasonable, and rational to you?
6. Do these Popes, Bishops, and Cardinals who damn you to hell if you even question this doctrine appear to you to be gracious, merciful, tolerant, loving and most importantly, true and correct on this doctrine?
7. Do you believe you are damned if you disagree with this bizarre teaching?
8. Do you believe that if the elements of the Eucharist were examined by the FBI crime laboratory before and after the priest says the blessing over it, that they would conclude that what was once bread and wine had somehow miraculously turned into human flesh and blood?
9. Do you think anyone has ever done that before?

I know someone who did. It was the late Dr. Walter Martin author of the book, Kingdom of the Cults. The report came back that the elements were bread and wine. What would you expect it to say?

From The What and Why of Catholicism with the Imprimatur of the late Cardinal Spellman:

“The Sacrifice of the Mass forms a pivot upon which all else turns. If it is what Catholics believe it is, then here is the greatest external manifestation of the love of God for man and the most magnificent testimonial to the validity of Catholicism; but if it be false, it is the worse farce and blasphemy ever perpetrated upon God or man, and the Catholic faith collapses into nothingness.”

4. The decree of confessing your sins to a priest is necessary for salvation

From the  Council of Trent: Fourteenth session, Cannons Concerning The Most Holy Sacrament of Penance Canon VI

“If any one denieth, either that sacramental confession was instituted, or is necessary to salvation, of divine right; or saith, that the manner of confessing secretly to a priest alone, which the Church hath ever observed from the beginning, and doth observe, is alien from the institution and command of Christ, and is a human invention; let him be anathema.”

If you do not believe that sacramentally (a holy act instituted by Christ imparting grace to the soul) confessing your sins to a Catholic Priest alone is necessary for salvation, or, if you deny this is a divine institution and merely the doctrine of men, and not of God, then Roman Catholicism pronounces you anathema!

Do you honestly believe that a Catholic priest alone has the power to forgive your sins? Do you realize the implications of this doctrine? Rome holds your salvation in the palm of their hands! Do you believe that? If you don’t, Roman Catholicism pronounces you damned forever!

Who is bashing who? This all seems a bit harsh to me. Especially in light of the fact that in the last ten years in the U.S. alone, more than 1,500 Catholic priests have been charged with sexually abusing children and there has been no word of eternally condemning them to hell. Now here is an anathema I can believe in. In Luke 12:4-5 Jesus said,

 “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.”

Nowhere in scripture are we told to confess our sins to any man (a sinner himself) to receive forgiveness and salvation. In 1 John 1:6-9 the Bible says,

“If we say that we have fellowship with Him and {yet} walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Clearly, the context in 1 John is telling us to confess our sins to the faithful and righteous One-Jesus Christ!

5. The official Decree on Purgatory

“Whereas the Catholic Church, instructed by the Holy Ghost, has, from the sacred writings and the ancient tradition of the Fathers, taught, in sacred councils, and very recently in this ecumenical Synod, that there is a Purgatory, and that the souls there detained are helped by the suffrages of the faithful, [Page 233] but principally by the acceptable sacrifice of the altar; the holy Synod enjoins on bishops that they diligently endeavor that the sound doctrine concerning Purgatory, transmitted by the holy Fathers and sacred councils, be believed, maintained, taught, and every where proclaimed by the faithful of Christ.”

For those who claim they don’t teach purgatory anymore. Here is what Rome says,

“But let the more difficult and subtle questions, and which tend not to edification, and from which for the most part there is no increase of piety, be excluded from popular discourses before the uneducated multitude. In like manner, such things as are uncertain, or which labour under an appearance of error, let them not allow to be made public and treated of. While those things which tend to a certain kind of curiosity or superstition, or which savour of filthy lucre, let them prohibit as scandals and stumbling-blocks of the faithful.”

Here is what the Word of God says in Hebrews 10:11-18,

“And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, and upon their mind I will write them,” {He then says} “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer {any} offering for sin.”

When Jesus died on the cross for the sin of the world he said,

“It is finished.”

That literally means, “paid in full.” Once the sacrifice is dead the price of redemption (the penalty for sin) has been paid in full. Romans 3:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.”  When Jesus breathed His last, the Bible says, that the veil that separated the Holy place from the most holy place (the Holy of Holies) in the Temple was torn from top to the bottom. This means that the place that was once reserved for the high priest to make atonement for the people, and then only once a year was now open to everyone.  We can all approach the throne of God with confidence!  We no longer need a priest, we no longer need to bring animal sacrifices, Jesus is the Lamb of God.

The Council of Trent and its cannons on justification, Canon 30:

“If any one saith, that, after the grace of Justification has been received, to every penitent sinner the guilt is remitted, and the debt of eternal punishment is blotted out in such wise, that there remains not any debt of temporal punishment to be discharged either in this world, or in the next in Purgatory, before the entrance to the kingdom of heaven can be opened (to him); let him be anathema.”

What?! 1 John 1:9 says,

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

How about this from Ps 103:12,

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

And this from Heb 10:10-14,

“By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”

This is from the man Rome claims to be the first pope, 1 Peter 3:18,

“For Christ also died for sins once for all, {the} just for {the} unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.”

Let’s be honest. If your doctor, lawyer, stockbroker, banker, pharmacist, auto repairman etc., were as far off in their fields as Rome is on spiritual and eternal matters, would you continue to employ their services, or would you find some who knew what they were doing?

Speaking the truth in love, the doctrine of purgatory was the greatest fundraiser in history. It is also the most damnable heresy ever presented to the mind of man. Jesus paid it all. There is no debt left outstanding except for us to love one another!

Would you like to know where Rome claims they get the doctrine of purgatory from? It’s found in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15. This is how it reads,

“Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is {to be} revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.”

This verse is talking about the day of judgment when what you did in life on earth will be tested to find out what if any rewards you will receive in eternity. This has absolutely nothing to do with purifying your soul so you can get into heaven.

6. Mariology or Mariolatry?

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.'”

Mariology is the legitimate study of Mary. Mariolatry is the illegitimate and idolatrous practice of worshiping Mary. Does Roman Catholicism really teach that Mary is to be worshipped? Keep reading!

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica vol. 15 pg. 459 during the first centuries of the church there was no emphasis of Mary whatsoever. It was not until A.D. 600 that Rome instituted prayer to Mary. Praying the rosary began in 1090. Furthermore, it was not until 1547 that the doctrine of “Immaculate conception” was introduced and Mary was alleged to be born without sin.

The first thing I would ask you to consider is this, is it Biblical to pray to anyone other than God? There are over 500 references to prayer in the Bible and there is not one example of God’s people praying to anyone or anything other than God Himself. When Jesus taught the disciples to pray in Matthew 6:6-9, He said,

“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you. “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. “Therefore do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him. “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.’”

Yet, contrary to the clear teaching of Jesus to “pray to your father in heaven and not to use vain repetitions as the Gentiles (pagans) do”, Catholics are taught to pray the rosary which is a repetition containing 10 “Hail Mary’s” to one “Our father!”

In 1854 Pope Pius ix declared:

 “Since she has been appointed by God to be the queen of Heaven and earth … and even stands at the right hand of her only begotten Son, she presents our petitions in a most efficacious manner. What she asks she obtains.”

First of all, nowhere in scripture are we told that Mary has been declared the “Queen of heaven”, and nowhere are we told that she presents our petitions to Jesus. The implications of the words, “She presents our petitions to her only begotten son are obvious, Pope Pius ix is instructing us to pray to Mary!

Notice the phrase, “Queen of heaven.”  That phrase is found 5 times in the Bible.

Also note the phrase, “Only begotten son?” The term “only begotten” means totally unique. It is used only six times in the Bible and all six references are to Jesus as the “Only-begotten Son of God,” never the only begotten son of Mary. Jesus was fully God and fully man. Mary was the mother of the baby Jesus— the son of man, not Jesus the Son of God! Jesus existed eternally before Mary was born. Nowhere in scripture will you find Mary referred to as the Mother of God. And Jesus is never quoted in the bible calling Mary His mother.  The reason for that is so no-one would be confused on this issue. But the Pope informs us that, “What she asks she obtains!”

Our prayers are answered when we ask according to God’s will not Mary’s will.  In order to actually hear and comprehend the prayers of millions of people simultaneously, one would need the attribute of omniscience. Mary was a human being. She is not now, nor has she ever been, nor will she ever be omniscient.

The Bible says God and God alone is the sovereign and supreme commander of the universe. In I John 5:14 the Bible says,

 “And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”

In Biblical theology, idolatry is spiritual adultery, its rival worship. Idolatry is blasphemy, an abomination to the one true living God. Mary is a human being. Yes, she was highly favored by God, yes, she was chosen for a high calling, yes, she is blessed and highly favored but that is where it ends. John the Baptist was highly favored too! John was chosen to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord! In Matt 11:11 Jesus said of John,

“Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen {anyone} greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Both John and Mary were human beings—that is where it ends. Neither of them was sinless, which means both of the needed the salvation Jesus provided on the cross just like everybody else!

There are many Catholic’s who claim they do not worship Mary, and that may be true for some individual Catholics, but that is not the official position of the organization they enable to continue by supporting it. Pope Leo the 13th declared:

“That because people are fearful of the justice of God, an advocate is needed where none will be refused: ‘Mary is such a one, Mary worthy of all praise, she is powerful, Mother of the all-powerful God … All that is ours we should entrust to her.”

Is Mary worthy of all praise? Mary is powerful, the Mother of the all-powerful God? All that is ours we should entrust to Mary? Does that include my salvation? In 1 Timothy 2:5-6 the Bible emphatically states:

 “For there is one God, {and} one mediator also between God and men, {the} man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony {borne} at the proper time.”

Let’s ask Mary and see what she says in Luke 1:46-49,

And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name.

In the official Catechism of the Catholic Church, promulgated (which means to put a law into effect by publishing it) by the Vatican, on page 253 it says,

 “The Church’s devotion to the blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship.”

If you look up the word devotion it refers to religious worship and the word intrinsic is defined as absolutely essential or necessary. There you have it. Do we have need of any more witnesses? This is the official position of Rome on the idolatrous worship of Mary. That is blasphemy! In Luke 4:8 the Word of God says,

And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.'”

The word translated “only” is “monos” in Strong’s Hebrew/Greek means sole, single, only, alone, exclusive.  The Bible could not be any clearer on this issue. No-one is to be worshipped but God alone. In Exodus chapter 20, God gave us the Ten Commandments. The first and second are absolute,

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before Me.” You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing loving-kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

According to Dave Hunt, “The most authoritative book on Catholicism’s ‘Virgin Mary,’ is Cardinal; and Saint Alphonsus de Liguori’s book entitled, The Glories of Mary, This book is a virtual encyclopedia of what Catholics have said about Mary through the centuries.” Here are some excerpts,

“Sinners receive pardon by … Mary alone. He falls and is lost who has not recourse to Mary. Mary is called … the gate of heaven because no one can enter that blessed kingdom without passing through her.”

Apparently, Jesus did not get the memo. In John 14:6 He said,

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

But according to Rome,

“The way of salvation is open to none otherwise than through Mary. The salvation of all depends on their being favored and protected by Mary. He who is protected by Mary will be saved; he who is not will be lost … our salvation depends on thee … God will not save us without the intercession of Mary.”

Now Mary, not Jesus is our savior! You will search the Bible in vain to find anyone in Heaven interceding for you other than the Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Rom 8:26,

 “And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but-the Spirit intercedes for {us) With groanings too deep for words.”

In 1993, at World Youth Day in Denver Colorado, Pope John Paul II celebrated the sacrifice of the mass before 375,000 people. Listen to the words of the world’s foremost leading authority on Roman Catholic doctrine had to say about Mary,

“With my heart full of praise for the queen of Heaven, the sign of hope and the source of comfort on our pilgrimage of faith to the heavenly Jerusalem, I greet all of you who are present at this solemn liturgy … This liturgy presents you, Mary, as the woman clothed with the sun …. 0 woman clothed with the sun, the youth of the world greet you with so much love … In Mary the final victory of life over death is already a reality … help us to increase in holiness by conquering sin.”

Is this not worshiping Mary? In Isa. 42:8 the Bible says:

 “I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images.”

The Pope said Mary is the sign of our hope? In John 8:12 Jesus said,

 “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Mary, is the source of comfort on our pilgrimage of faith to the heavenly Jerusalem?  In Matt 11:28-29 Jesus said,

 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.”

The Pope said,

“… the youth of the world greet you (Mary) with so much love? Is the greatest commandment in the Bible to love Mary with all your heart?

Jesus said,

“if you love father or mother more than Me you are not worthy of Me!”

Pope John Paul said,

“Mary is the final victory of life over death and is already a reality!”

In Revelation 1:17-18, Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God said,

“And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.'”

And in John 11:25 we read,

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies.'”

Then the Pope, the man who Rome claims to speak without error on matters of spirituality and morality prays to Mary and says,

 “…help us to increase in holiness by conquering sin.”

I’m sorry but that can never happen. Matthew 1:21 says,

“And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.”

And in Col. 2:13-15 13 the Bible says it is Jesus who delivers us from sin,

“And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through HIM.”

Do you know what “Immaculate Conception” really means?

As a child, I was taught the doctrine of Immaculate Conception. Many if not most Catholics today would be hard pressed to explain what this means. The official position of Rome says that Immaculate Conception means that Mary was born without sin! How would they know that? Where is that found in the Bible?

There is only one person in all of history who was born without sin and that person is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.  More than 700 years before the son of man was born Isaiah 7:14 tells us,

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

And two chapters later we learn that this person born of a virgin pre-existed because this baby was God in human flesh!

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

In John 1:29 and 1:36, Jesus is called the Lamb of God. In 1 Peter 1:18-19 we read,

“Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, {the blood} of Christ.”

This speaks of the sinless lamb of God Jesus Christ. Christ and Christ alone was born without sin. Romans 3:23 is absolute,

“… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

This includes Mary. Listen to what Mary says about herself in Luke 1:46-48,

 And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.”

The Greek word translated “savior” in English is # 4990 in Strong’s concordance. It’s the word soter (so-tare). It literally means a deliverer, i.e. God or Christ. It is derived from the word sozo (sode’-zo); which means to save. The question is, what does Mary need to be saved from? In Matthew 1:21 we are told what Jesus came to earth for,

 “And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.”

Rome bases the doctrine of Immaculate Conception on this phrase taken completely out of context,

“…behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.”

It’s not, “… call me to get blessed, it’s “call me blessed.” Look again in context,

 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.

Far from referring to herself as, “… the Queen of Heaven and the immaculately conceived Mother of God”, Mary refers to herself as a “bond-slave.” The word in Greek is (doo’-lay); a female slave. Here is what Rome teaches about the encounter between Mary and when the angel Gabriel revealed God’s plan to Mary,

#973 By pronouncing her “Flat” and giving her consent to the incarnation, Mary was already collaborating with the whole work her son was to accomplish.” “Flat” is an authoritative command or decree given by one in authority.  Since when are female bondslaves in authority?

Luke 1:26-34,

“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, “Hall, favored one! The Lord is with you. But she was greatly troubled at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God …. And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

This falls short of Mary making an authoritative “Flat” on the redemption of man. The text says Mary was “greatly troubled.” and “afraid.” She kept pondering in her heart what this might mean. She had no idea what was going on here!

So, Mary referred to God as her Savior and to herself as a bondslave! This is a far cry from, “Alas, by the virtue of the authority vested in me as the sinless Mother of God, the co-redemtrix of the universe, and the Queen of Heaven so let it be written, so let it be done according to my will!”

Continuing on, the Catholic Catechism instructs all Catholics to remove their hats, bow and kiss the feet of Mary’s statue!

Deut. 5:7-9 is clear,

“You shall have no other gods before Me. ‘You shall not make for yourself any carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God.”

From Genesis to Revelation the prophets, the Apostles, and the angels refused to worship anyone but God alone. Listen to the man Rome claims to be the first pope from Acts 10:25-26,

“And when it came about that Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter raised him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am Just a man.””

 Questions to ask a Catholic regarding Mary:

•  The Rosary teaches Catholic’s to pray 5 “Hail Mary’s” to one “Our father.” Is Mary 5 times more worthy than God is?

7. Is the pope really infallible on matters of faith and morals as the Vatican dogmatically claims?

My motive in writing this is love for God’s truth and love for God’s people.  Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” Paul asked: “Have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?”

This chapter is about the man that Rome calls “The Holy Father,” “the Supreme Pontiff,” and the “Vicar of Christ.” The phrase “Holy Father” is found only once in the Bible and it is in the prayer of Jesus in John 17. Jesus lifted His eyes to Heaven and said, “… Holy Father…” How a mere man can accept a title which the Lord Jesus Christ gave to God alone is a frightening concept.

The pope is also called “Pontiff.” This word goes all the way back to Constantine in the 4^th century. “Pontiff” is a former title of the pagan high priest at Rome, later used of popes and occasionally of other bishops, and now confined exclusively to the pope. Constantine was not only emperor of Rome but also the head of the pagan priesthood. He was known as “Pontifex Maximus.”

The pope is also referred to as the “Vicar of Christ.” Vicar literally means a substitute or the person who acts in the place of another. Interestingly the Greek equivalent to Vicar is anti. So in the language that the New Testament was written in, the Pope would be called the anti-Christ.

Now, according to Roman Catholic dogma when the pope speaks on matters of faith and morals he is incapable of error, his decrees are infallible. In other words, he is incapable of deceiving or being deceived and is immune from error.

The pope also has authority over 3250 bishops. According to the Catholic Catechism the bishops also,

 “… are assured freedom from error provided they are in union with the bishop of Rome … this includes not only revealed truths, but on any teaching, even historical facts, principles of philosophy, or norms of the natural law that are in any way connected with divine revelation.”

Vatican 11’s “Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation” approved by the council and signed by the pope on Nov. 18, 1965 States:

 “The duty of interpreting God’s word … has been entrusted exclusively to the teaching office of the church. This teaching office is exercised by the pope and the bishops … for all interpretation of scripture.”

One of the reasons this is such an outrageous claim is this. First of all, the Bible itself says, in 2 Pet. 1:19-21,

“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

Secondly, it is common knowledge that Catholic seminaries put little or no emphasis on the study of hermeneutics (the art and science of biblical interpretation) nor on learning Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek (the original languages of the Old and New Testaments)! The emphasis is on studying Roman Catholic doctrine and its history! How can men who have little or no knowledge of the literal, grammatical or historical context of the Bible teach the Bible? This is exactly what Jesus was referring to in Matt. 15:7-9 when he said this to the Pharisees,

“You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. ‘But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.'”

In the book, “Dogmatic Theology for the Laity,” we read:

 “The teaching office of the church is more important than the Bible; only an infallible church can interpret the true meaning of sacred scripture; no one can do this for himself.”

Here again, this is completely contrary to what God’s Word says. In Acts 17:1 we read this,

“Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, (to see) whether these things were so.”

The Apostles commended a group of people known as the Berean’s for checking out what they (the Apostles) were teaching by the scriptures! Yet the Roman Catholic position tells us that we (the laity) are incapable of interpreting the Bible for ourselves and therefore should not attempt to.

In Psalm 1 we read,

 “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night.”

Josh 1:8 says,

 “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”

And in 2 Tim. 2:15 the Apostle Paul in writing to Timothy who was taught the scriptures as a child was admonished to…

“Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly interpreting the word of truth. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

In Matt 4:4 the Lord Jesus Christ said,

“It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

It was Martin Luther who stated,

 “The simplest layman armed with scripture is greater than the mightiest pope without it.”

Are the popes infallible in matters of morals?

The historical record is a matter of fact. As I studied the history of the Catholic Church I assure you I was not on a witch hunt, I honestly had no idea what I would find, what I did find shocked me. Are you familiar with “The inquisition?” The dictionary defined it this way:

 “A court appointed by the Roman Catholic Church to discover heresy, and to punish heretics.”

To punish heretics is putting it mildly. The inquisition lasted for 300 years. It extended throughout Europe, Africa, and the Americas. The violence was so brutal that even Catholic historians had to admit that many of the popes were guilty of the worst kind of atrocities.

Professor Dollinger, a Roman Catholic Church historian, and professor at Munich wrote a book entitled, “The Pope and the Council” published in the late 19th century,

“…the initiation and the carrying out of this new principle (speaking of the inquisition), must be ascribed to the popes alone … it was the popes who compelled the bishops and the priests to condemn the heterodox to torture, confiscation of their goods, imprisonment and death.”

From 1200 to 1500 the long series of Papal ordinances on the Inquisition, ever-increasing in severity and cruelty … runs on without a break… by the absolute dictation of the popes, and the notion of their infallibility. The inquisition contradicted the simplest principles of Christian Justice and would have been rejected with universal horror by the first-century church.”

“Jesuit priest Peter de Rosa in his book ‘Vicars of Christ,’ documented the fact that many of the popes down throughout history engaged in wide-spread corruption including murder, rape, and extortion on a grand scale.”

DeRosa went on to say that Pope John Paul II,

 “…knows the church was responsible for persecuting the Jews, for the inquisition, for slaughtering heretics, and for reintroducing torture into Europe as part of the judicial process. But he has to be careful. The doctrines responsible for those terrible things still underpin his positions.”

I only quoted the Catholic historians. The Protestant’s revealed the details of the torture far too gruesome to go into detail here. Early Protestant creeds unanimously referred to the pope as the Antichrist not only because of Rome’s heresies, but, because the blatant immorality of pope after pope was common knowledge.

My point in telling you all this is to remind you that Catholic doctrine teaches that the popes speak without error on matters of morals. And that these men who were responsible for the some of the worst atrocities in the history of the human race are to this day referred to in Roman Catholic circles “Vicars of Christ,” and successors to the Apostles.

Dave Hunt writes:

“Even if the popes had all been paragons of virtue, it would still be a mockery to claim that they represent an unbroken chain of “apostolic success on” back to Peter. It was long the custom for the popes to be voted in by the populace of Rome, which had its own selfish reasons ‘date over another. Such a vote could hardly be called “apostolic succession.”

“Some popes were deposed by angry mobs protesting their unbearable evil. Others were installed and or deposed by kings and emperors. Political expediency along with the wealth and influence of the candidate as often as not determined who would be pope. “Apostolic succession indeed!”

Rome vs. Jerusalem

In Genesis God promises a blessing to those who bless Israel and a curse to those who curse Israel.

To this day, almost 50 years after the UN recognized Israel as a sovereign nation, in one of the greatest fulfillment’s of Biblical prophecy ever; the Vatican has never conceded Israel’s right to exist and wants Jerusalem to be, not under Jewish hands, but under international control.”

Ironic in light of the fact that it was part of God’s covenant to give the land to them it to them in the first place. More frightening is that fact that, Pope John Paul II is without question the worlds foremost proponent of the unprecedented move to unite all religions.

On Oct, 27th 1987 in a meeting at Assisi, representatives of almost every major religion in the world gathered at the pope’s invitation for a “Day of prayer for peace.” In his opening remarks, the pope declared to the world: “the challenge of peace, as it is presently posed to every human conscience, transcends religious differences.”

That comment from a man who supposedly is incapable of making an error when it comes to matters of spirituality apparently missed the fact that in Matt. 10:34 Jesus said,

 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. “For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. “He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it. He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

While it is true that Jesus prayed for unity in John 17, He never meant unity at the cost of truth.  When Pope John Paul II went to Calcutta and New Deli India he said he had,

“…come to learn of the great spiritual heritage of India.”

The great spiritual heritage of India? I have been to India and I can tell you first hand that the great spiritual heritage of Hinduism has left India one of the poorest, most pitiful, and spiritually bankrupt countries on the face of the earth!

Hindu priests are slaughtering Christians by the thousands in northern India. To the Hindu, Jesus Christ is a minor god among of their 330 million others. Yet the pope told the Hindus that we are all filled with the same Holy Spirit!

And what of Islam? The pope told the Muslim world that we are all worshipping the same god! Yet to the Muslim, there is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet, God cannot beget, and Jesus did not die on the cross for our sins!

The Bible says love, your enemies, and the Koran says the surest way to paradise is to kill an infidel! i.e. a Jew or a Christian! This is the man who is infallible on matters of faith and morals?

According to the official Catholic Catechism:

 “An obedient adherence must be given to their definitions of faith.”

According to the second Vatican council, the bishops,

 “…have by divine institution taken the place of the apostles… and whoever listens to them is listening to Christ and whoever despises them despises Christ and Him who sent Christ.”

So, what the Vatican is saying is, if you disagree with a Bishop of the Roman Catholic church you disagree with God Himself! Have you ever heard of Bishop Bernard Law? Literally, thousands of articles have appeared in newspapers all across the United States. This is NOT an isolated incident. Sexually abusing children has been an epidemic in the Roman Catholic for centuries! In the last 10 years alone more than 1,500 Roman Catholic priests have been charged with sexually abusing young men and boys. This is just one example of the thousands that are typical of the Catholic church. It is also common knowledge to those who are interested in this kind of thing, that Catholic seminaries are filled with homosexuals.

In 2 Cor 12:12 the Bible tells us the qualifications of a true apostle…

 “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles.”

The Apostles were men that were hand-picked by the Lord Jesus Christ and were empowered to raise the dead, heal disease, and cast out demons. In 2 Cor 11:3-15 the Bible says,

“But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity (of devotion) to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear (this) beautifully.”

In closing:  Does the pope speak infallibly? A thousand times, no! Christ alone is perfect, Christ alone is infallible! Ultimately, the Roman Catholic Church claims that salvation is exclusive to those who submit to the authority of the pope. In 1302 in his papal bull “Unam Sanctam” Pope Boniface the VIII infallibly declared:

“Extra ecclesiam nulla salus” (outside the church there is no salvation!)

Some 1300 years before the pope made his infallible decree the Spirit of God said:

 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.”

One of the pre-eminent cries in the church today is for unity. That was the same thing the Roman Catholic Church used in its attempt to stop the Reformation headed by Martin Luther. As if genuine Christian faith is synonymous with believing anything. When Jesus said:  “You will know them by their fruit,”  that fruit includes sound doctrine.

8. Salvation According to Rome

This is the most important section in this article. Here is where we will discuss the doctrine of redemption/salvation. If you were asked to sum up the Bible in one word it’s the word redemption. In a sentence (From Genesis to Revelation) the Bible explains, illustrates, and proves that Jesus Christ, the sinless Lamb of God redeemed the world from sin by dying on the cross and on the third day raised Himself from the dead.

 Redemption means to pay the price to buy a slave and then set him free. In this case, all men were born enslaved (and deceived) by sin, and Jesus paid the price to set us free from the guilt, the power and the condemnation of sin. Matthew 1:21 says,

“And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.”

The name Jesus (YSHUA in Hebrew) literally means, “God is salvation.” The God of our salvation has gone to great lengths to help man understand His plan of redemption. He desperately wants us to have a rock solid understanding of exactly how He can legally forgive a sinner without compromising His justice. You can be wrong about a lot of things but if you are wrong about God’s plan of redemption, you are wrong enough to spend eternity in hell. This is the one doctrine that the enemy of your soul does not want you to understand. So, it’s not surprising why there are so many religions, cults etc.

The plan was devised before man was even created. The first lesson on redemption begins in the beginning of Genesis 3. That is when Adam and Eve committed the first sin. Before sin entered the world, our first parents lived in nothing more than their birthday suits! They were perfectly innocent. There was nothing to be ashamed of. It was not until sin entered the world that shame followed. So, after eating the forbidden fruit, they were naked and ashamed. So they tried to cover their shame with fig leaves. This was the first attempt by man to cover or atone for his own sin. What did God do? He replaced the fig leaves (they would not have lasted very long anyway) with a plan of His own. God covered their shame by providing an animal skin. That means an animal was killed and blood was shed. Adam and Eve must have horrified! They had never seen bloodshed or death before. God told Adam and Eve if they sinned they would die. Death is the result of sin, all men have sinned and that is why all men die.

God repeats the lesson in Genesis 4 when the Bible turns into a murder mystery-Cain killed his brother Able. Each of the brothers brought a sacrifice to God. Cain brought some produce from his garden (which represented the work of his own hands). Able brought a blood sacrifice. God rejected Cain’s sacrifice but Abel’s was accepted. In Lev. 17:11 God makes it abundantly clear when he said,

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.”

The sacrificial system ordained by God and instituted by Moses and his brother Aaron went on for 1500 years. This system provided us with a literal, historical, and theological context, so when John the Baptist saw Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” Jesus dying on the cross as a sacrifice for sin would make sense! That is why we don’t need the sacrificial system any longer. When Jesus died on the cross He said, “It is finished.” That phrase literally meant, “Paid in full.” There is nothing you can add and nothing you can subtract from the sacrifice of Jesus. In Heb. 10:10 and many other places the Bible makes it abundantly clear,

“By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

The word sanctified literally means: 1) to render or acknowledge, or to be venerable or to hallow 2) to separate from profane things and to dedicate to God a) to consecrate things to God b) to dedicate people to God 3) to purify a) to cleanse externally b) to purify by expiation: to free from the guilt of sin c) to purify internally by a renewing of the soul.

The word translated, “once” is ephapax (ef-ap’-ax); in Greek. It means; upon one occasion (only): once (for all).

In the Old Testament sacrificial system, the priest would offer a lamb without spot or blemish. No lame or blind animals could be used. God is trying to tell us something-He can only accept a perfect sacrifice. The whole thing was a huge object lesson which pointed us to Jesus. Jesus was born without sin. He lived a perfectly sinless life. He was the Lamb of God without spot or blemish. Take a
look at 1 Pet 1:17-21,

“And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay {upon earth} knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, {the blood} of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”

The only way a savior can save you (since the penalty for sin is death) is if he is perfectly sinless and dies for you! That is what Jesus did for us! That was the whole point of the Temple and the sacrificial system-to point us to Christ! Here is what the Bible says about salvation in John 3:16,

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

In Romans 10:9-10 we read,

“… that if you confess with your mouth Jesus {as} Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

In Eph. 2:4-9,

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly {places}  in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.”

Then in Romans  3:19-20 the Word says,

“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law {comes} the knowledge of sin. But now apart from the Law {the} righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even {the} righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. {This was} to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, {I say,} of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Then in Mark 2:5,

“And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.”

And in Acts 26:14-18,

“And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ “And I said, ‘Who art Thou, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. ‘But arise, and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; delivering you from the {Jewish} people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'”

There are dozens more just like the verses above that clearly state, we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, through Christ alone, plus, nothing! Our good works are the result of our salvation never the cause of it. It couldn’t be any other way.  Because we are tainted by sin, even on our best days whatever good deeds we may do is tainted by self-righteousness and pride. Only God is perfectly pure.

Isaiah 64:6 says,

“For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”

Salvation according to Rome

The Bible says that the Gospel is simple. But Rome makes it a very complicated issue. I will attempt to simplify it by giving you the basics according to Rome:

1. Infant Baptism.

2. Confess sins to a priest.

3. Do penance.

4. Agree with every word and obey the hundreds of Cannons and Decree’s of the church or be anathema (damned).

5. Go to Catholic Mass regularly.

6. Purgatory for hundreds, thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years. The implication is clear—Christs’ death on the cross was insufficient to pay for your sins.

7. Receive your final merits at the Treasury of the Communion of the Saints.

Dr. C.D. Cole nails it,

“Romanism is a complicated system of salvation by works. It offers salvation on the installment plan, then sees to it that the poor sinner is always behind in his payments, so that when he dies there is a large unpaid balance, and he must continue his payments by suffering in purgatory, or until the debt is paid by the prayers, alms, and sufferings of his living relatives and friends. The whole system and plan calls for merit and money from the cradle to the grave and even beyond. Surely the wisdom that drew such a plan of salvation is not from above.”

9. Is Catholicism a cult?

Imagine for a moment that I started a church, and our doctrinal statement contained the following articles:

1. We are the only church that has the truth and there is salvation in no other.

2. You are incapable of interpreting the Bible yourself. Only I and those whom I appoint can correctly interpret the Bible for you. Therefore, you should not read the Bible and you must not question our authority or our interpretations.

3. As the head of the church, when I speak on matters of faith and morals I am incapable of deceiving or being deceived. I am immune from error. I am the vicar of Christ on earth.

4. Only I and those I appoint have the authority to forgive sin.

5. My mother was born without sin, she lived a perfectly sinless life, She is the Queen of Heaven and is Co-Redemtrix along with Christ.

6. You must go to my mother to get to Jesus.

7. I can pray over a piece of bread and a glass of wine and as a result, it turns into the actual (literal) body of blood of Jesus Christ!

8. The death of Jesus on the cross was not sufficient to pay for your sin. You must first go the place of fire for an indeterminate amount of time for further purification. And then you must go to a treasure-chest where all of the good deeds done by all the saints who have gone before you will be the final merit you need before you can enter heaven.

9. Our church tradition has equal or more authority than Scripture.

10. If you do not agree with these tenets and every one of the more than 125 other articles of faith (that read like complex and difficult to understand legal documents) we have the authority and the power to condemn your soul to eternal damnation.

If I started a church like that every cult watcher in the world would condemn it and rightly so. This is just a small sample of the literally hundreds of heretical doctrines held by Roman Catholicism.

The one thing that all cults have in common is that they deny the deity of Christ and His all-sufficient sacrifice to pay for sin once and for all. 

But you say, “the Catholics don’t do that!” Ah, but they do. The Jesus that died on the cross according to Rome was not sufficient to pay for sin.

Purgatory and the Treasury of the Communion of the Saints are necessary for salvation. That my friend is a different Jesus. Paying lip service to His deity and then denying His atoning sacrifice is not the Jesus of the Bible!

Listen to Paul’s frightful warning in 2 Cor. 11:3-4,

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted — you may well put up with it!

10. The shocking truth about the pope and the great Catholic cover-up

It is a matter of record that former Pope Benedict (formerly Cardinal) systematically covered up thousands of Catholic child abuse cases. He will live in the Vatican after he resigns, providing him immunity from all attempts to prosecute him.

“The Pope played a leading role in a systematic cover-up of child sex abuse by Roman Catholic priests. This is well documented and common knowledge to those who follow this ongoing abomination. This was also reported in a shocking documentary produced by the BBC. This was also widely reported in newspapers across the US.

“In 2001, while he was a cardinal, he issued a secret Vatican edict to Catholic bishops all over the world, instructing them to put the Church’s interests ahead of child safety.

Article from The London Evening Standard  30 September 2006

“The monies that have been paid to victims of literally thousands of former sexually abused children by Catholic priests worldwide has been estimated to be as high as 3 billion dollars.

Part of the reason for this phenomena among Roman Catholic priests is it’s clearly unbiblical teaching that priests are forbidden to marry.  It is common knowledge that Roman Catholic seminaries are hotbeds of homosexuality.

This article is only the tip of the iceberg concerning the problems of the Roman Catholic version of the true church.  We have not discussed the torture and violence that characterized the Spanish Inquisition, or the Crusades which lasted for nearly 300 years.

In Mark 9:42, Jesus said,

“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.

Yes. Roman Catholicism is the worlds largest cult.

See this website for documentation on these horrific crimes and cover-up by the Vatican:  https://www.vaticancrimes.us/

Further Reading:

• Tim Keller promotes Catholic mystic, rejects Genesis 1 as literal truth
• Rick Warren: Protestants, Catholics must unite to defend life, sex, marriage – ‘we’re on the same team’
• Rick Warren publicly called to repentance for statements about uniting with Catholics
• The Wisdom of Rick Warren: Purpose Driven Catholics
• Pope to Copeland: Catholics and Charismatics must spiritually unite
• Pope Francis Says: “We Cannot Be Christians Without the [Roman Catholic] Church”
• Kirk Cameron, former evangelical pastor-turned-Catholic take to TBN to make case for Santa Claus
• The Pope’s different version of salvation
• Addressing Concerns Over ‘Son of God’
• Christians Mystically Encountering God
• Alleviating the Protestant Inferiority Complex
• Nicky Gumbel to Alpha Course Attendees: “Go Back to Your Catholic Parish”
• Baptists Embrace Roman Catholic Tradition of Pet Blessing Ceremonies
• Tim Keller and the Problems with Ignatius of Loyola

On Salvation

• Saving Faith: How Does Rome Define It?
• Roman Catholic Salvation and Justification
• Salvation and the Sacraments
• Summary of the Process of Salvation in Roman Catholicism
• The Roman Catholic View on Justification

On the Eucharist

• John 6 and Transubstantiation
• John 6:53, Unless You Eat My Flesh
• Communion: Spiritual Fellowship with the Lord, and the Roman Catholic Mass

 

On Mary

• What the Roman Catholic Church Teaches About Mary
• The Immaculate Conception: Is there a Biblical basis?
• Summary of Roman Catholic Teachings on Mary
• Did Mary Have Other Children?
• The Assumption of Mary
• The Biblical Mary and Tradition
• The Immaculate Conception

On Scripture

• Does the Bible Teach Sola Scriptura?
• Sola Scriptura and the Church Fathers
• The Old Testament Canon and the Apocrypha
• The Apocrypha: Is It Scripture?

On Purgatory

• Purgatory: Purifying Fire or Fatal Fable?
• 1 Corinthians 3 and Purgatory
• Purgatory and 1 Cor. 3:15

On the Sacraments

• Penance and Confession
• Indulgences
• Penance
• Salvation and the Sacraments

On the Papacy

• Documentation of the Patristic Exegesis of the Rock of Matthew 16:18
• The Papacy and the Doctrine of Development
• Papal Claims of Apostolic Succession
• Is Peter the Rock on which the Church Is Built?
• The Rise of the Papacy

General Resources

• The Roman Catholic Church Hasn’t Changed Its Condemnation of the Gospel
• What Was the first/original church? Is the original/first church the true church?”
• Hard Questions to Ask Good Catholics
• Catholic Traditions
• Preparing for Eternity
• The Empty Hand of Faith
• The Real Issue About Roman Catholicism
• RC Sproul: The Roman Catholic Church Anathematized the Gospel
• Is the Reformation Over?