Are catholics Christian?

[homwardbound]

I agree. How dare "man" even try to convince God that they can create him better. what a joke.

now I see your post, and let us all be careful in our responses about what flesh does do or not do. For we are all called by
God to be born again in God's Spirit. And this is done by the resurrected Christ if we believe by the cross and being Baptized we are dead to flesh and made alive in God's Spirit by God
Just read Romans 6 carefully trusting God to reveal this truth to you
Thanks to all that read this here and receive this from God through Christ

 

[AlayaRose]

thats not the post I was referring to. see below.
This is what I am working on....
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[TD="width: 66"] Poster
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[TD="width: 66"] Date
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Prophecy 1 Daniel 2:31-45​

Metal man with a Head of Gold, Chest of Silver, Thighs of Brass, Feet of Iron and Clay, Toes of Iron and Clay and The Rock that destroys the Metal man.
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[TD="width: 324"]

HISTORY​

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[TD="width: 102"] Scripture


Daniel
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 66"] P-1-A
[/TD]
[TD="width: 66"] 605 BC
[/TD]
[TD="width: 348"] Head of Gold – Babylon
King Neb-u-chad-nez-zar is told his Kingdom of Babylon is the Head of Gold.
[/TD]
[TD="width: 324"] [FONT=&quot]You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of Heaven has given you a kingdom and a throne. You have not achieved this preeminence according to personal prowess or talents. The God of Heaven has given you dominion, power, might and glory. He has placed mankind, the beasts of the field and the birds of the air under your control. Wherever they live, He has made you ruler over them all. Your kingdom is represented by the head of gold.[/FONT]
[/TD]
[TD="width: 102"] 2:32,37,38
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 66"] P-1-B
[/TD]
[TD="width: 66"] 538 BC
[/TD]
[TD="width: 348"] Chest of Silver – Medo-Persia

[/TD]
[TD="width: 324"] The Medo-Persian overtook the Babylon Empire
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[TD="width: 102"] 2:32,39
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[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 66"] P-1-C
[/TD]
[TD="width: 66"] 331 BC
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[TD="width: 348"] Thighs of Brass – Grecia

[/TD]
[TD="width: 324"] The Grecian Empire overtook the Medo-Persian Empire. Known as the Bronze Age.
[/TD]
[TD="width: 102"] 2:32,39
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 66"] P-1-D
[/TD]
[TD="width: 66"] 168 BC
[/TD]
[TD="width: 348"] Legs of Iron – Rome

[/TD]
[TD="width: 324"] The Roman Empire overtook the Grecian Empire. Known as the Iron Age
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[TD="width: 102"] 2:33,40
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 66"] P-1-E
[/TD]
[TD="width: 66"] 476 AD
To
Present Date
[/TD]
[TD="width: 348"] Feet of Iron and Clay– Many Kingdoms

[/TD]
[TD="width: 324"] The nations that occupied Europe and Northern Africa overtook the Roman Empire. Currently there are 217 nations.
[/TD]
[TD="width: 102"] 2:33,41
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 66"] P-1-F
[/TD]
[TD="width: 66"] In the Making
[/TD]
[TD="width: 348"] Toes of Iron and Clay – Ten Kingdoms
Earths final Government. Lucifer will divide the world into ten sectors and appoint a king for each sector during the last year of the Great Tribulations. Approximately 297 days.
[/TD]
[TD="width: 324"] [FONT=&quot]The Club of Rome had its beginnings in April of 1968, when leaders from ten different countries gathered in Rome. The organization claims to have the solutions for world peace and prosperity[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Club in Rome has been charged with the task of overseeing the regionalization and unification of the entire world. The Club’s findings and recommendations are published from time to time in special, highly confidential reports, which are sent to the power-elite to be implemented. On 17 September 1973 the Club released one such report, entitled Regionalized and Adaptive Model of the Global World System. The document reveals that the Club has divided the world into ten political economic regions, which it refers to as kingdoms.[/FONT]
Kingdom 1: Canada and the United states
Kingdom 2: European Union-Western Europe
Kingdom 3: Japan
Kingdom 4: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Israel and Pacific Islands
Kingdom 5: Eastern Europe
Kingdom 6: Latin America, Mexico, Central and South America
Kingdom 7: North Africa and the Middle East
Kingdom 8: Central Africa
Kingdom 9: South and Southeast Asia
Kingdom 10: Central Asia

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[TD="width: 102"] 2:41,42,43
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[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 66"] P-1-G
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[TD="width: 66"] Future
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[TD="width: 348"] Rock that destroys the metal man – Jesus
The God of Heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to another people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
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[TD="width: 324"]
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[TD="width: 102"] 2:34,35,44,45
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PHROPHECY 2 Dan 7:1-28​

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History​

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[TD="width: 102"] Scripture

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 66"] P-2-A
[/TD]
[TD="width: 66"]
[/TD]
[TD="width: 348"] A LION that stood on two feet like a man given the heart like a man rises from the sea. This lion becomes vain, arrogant and self-important like a man- only to be brought down by divine decree.
[/TD]
[TD="width: 324"] [FONT=&quot]The first beast (Babylon) looked like a lion, but it had powerful wings like an eagle which allowed it to swiftly catch and devour its prey. As I watched, the lion’s wings were torn off and it could no longer fly and conquer its neighbors. The lion then focused on fortifying his kingdom. He paid no attention to warnings about arrogance and self-sufficiency. Over time, the lion became pompous and disgusting in God’s sight even though Nebuchadnezzar finally recognized the sovereign authority of the Most High God.[/FONT]
[/TD]
[TD="width: 102"] Dan. 7: 4
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 66"] P-2-B
[/TD]
[TD="width: 66"]
[/TD]
[TD="width: 348"] A BEAR with three ribs in its mouth and one shoulder higher than the other.
[/TD]
[TD="width: 324"] The Persian side of the Medo-Persian empire rose higher and dominated the Medo side. King Cyrus II invaded Babylonia in June of 539 BC and captured its capital, Babylon then devoured Libya, Egypt.
[/TD]
[TD="width: 102"] Dan. 7: 5
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 66"] P-2-C
[/TD]
[TD="width: 66"] 336 BC
[/TD]
[TD="width: 348"] A LEOPARD with four heads rises from the sea.
[/TD]
[TD="width: 324"] (King Alexander the Great 336 BC – 323 BC) Greece conquered the Persian empire in a mere ten years. He died at a very early age and his empire was divided among four generals.
[/TD]
[TD="width: 102"] Dan. 7: 6
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 66"] P-2-D
[/TD]
[TD="width: 66"] 168 BC
[/TD]
[TD="width: 348"] A MONSTER BEAST with ten horns rises from the sea.
[/TD]
[TD="width: 324"] Rome (Caesar Augustus) rose to power in 168 BC when it overthrew the Grecian empire.
[/TD]
[TD="width: 102"] Daniel 7: 7
Luke 2:1
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 66"] P-2-E
[/TD]
[TD="width: 66"] AD 476
[/TD]
[TD="width: 348"] A LITTLE HORN grows out of the Monster Beast; it uproots three of the original ten horns. (10+1-3=8 horns)
[/TD]
[TD="width: 324"] Rome fell when it was sacked and burned in AD 476. The Roman Catholic Church played a key role in uprooting three of the ten tribal nations that overthrew the civil authority of the Roman empire. The Ostrogoths, Heruli and Vandals were uprooted because of a religious dispute.
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[TD="width: 102"] Dan. 7:8
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[/TR]
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[TD="width: 66"] P-2-F
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[TD="width: 66"]
[/TD]
[TD="width: 348"] THE LITTLE HORN POWER AND THE EXALTATION OF JESUS. The eighth horn dominates the remaining seven original horns, speaks boastfully and persecutes the saints for a time, times and half a time. (1260 years) At the end of the 1260 years, a meeting is called and conducted in Heaven. The thrones are arranged and the ancient of days (the Father) takes his seat and issues a restraining order against the Little Horn. Court is seated and the books are opened.
[/TD]
[TD="width: 324"] The Roman Catholic Church began to exercise civil power over the seven remaining kingdoms in AD 538. Justinian I became ruler of what remained of the Roman empire in AD 527. Europe and Northern Africa splintered into tribal nations and the city of Rome. Western civilization had been fragmented by religion, ethnicity, culture, and language. Justinian created a law in AD 533; everyone under the jurisdiction of the Roman empire is required to be a Christian. He gave authority to the head of the Christian Church at Rome to determine who was a Christian. He was unable to enforce the law until AD 538. This enormous power soon became abused and the Saints were persecuted until the pope was arrested on February 20, 1798 during the French Revolution. On March 7, 1798 the Roman Republic was established and the Church lost its power.
[FONT=&quot]“The court was seated, and the books were opened.”[/FONT]
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[TD="width: 102"] Dan. 7: 9, 10
[/TD]
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[TD="width: 66"] P-2-G
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[TD="width: 66"] In The Making
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[TD="width: 348"] LITTLE HORN RETURNS TO POWER and speaks boastfully. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws:

[/TD]
[TD="width: 324"] In 321 A.D. Constantine declared all Christian shall hold Sundays holy
[FONT=&quot]Stephen Keenan- A Doctrinal Catechism Third Edition "Question: Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept? "Answer: Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her-she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Catholic Press said, "Sunday is a Catholic institution, and its claims to observation can be defended only on Catholic principles . . . From beginning to end of Scripture there is not a single passage that warrants the transfer of week public worship from the last day of the week to the first."- CATHOLIC PRESS, (Sydney, Australia), Aug. 25, 1900.[/FONT]
The Vatican regained it church and state power when the Vatican became a Sovereign independent State in the world. The sovereign independent State of Vatican City was signed into existence July 1929 Signed by Premier Mussolini and Cardinal Gasparri.
[FONT=&quot]The Club of Rome had its beginnings in April of 1968, when leaders from ten different countries gathered in Rome. The organization claims to have the solutions for world peace and prosperity.[/FONT]
The UNITED RELIGIONS INITIVE was sign on June 26, 2000. This means the Vatican has become a One World Order Church and it has Global Moral Authority over all Christian organizations. All Christian Churches have membership with the Vatican.
[FONT=&quot]Sunday Sabbath keeping churches were given power to lobby law on march 7, 2006 by GW. Bush. United States President.[/FONT]
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[TD="width: 102"] 7: 11-12
7:25
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[TR]
[TD="width: 66"] P-2-H
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[TD="width: 66"] Future
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[TD="width: 348"] THE BEAST is burned in the fire.
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[TD="width: 324"]
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[letti]

I would say that many catholic people love Christ truly without realizing its customs have a pagan and ungodly basis to them.Some are stiff necked to see the worship of saints and idols as bad because of being raised this way.All I can say is what I have read in the bible denouncing a very many of the customs with worship this religion has.

 

[AgeofKnowledge]

Good post except for your sweeping condemnation that any Christian nor Christian organization which doesn't possess/apply a perfect exegesis of the Bible is not Christian and that your misunderstandings of Catholic doctrine can be the basis for the judgments you levy against them.

Of course the Bible says to worship God in spirit and in truth in John 4:24 and it also establishes localized churches for people to do that in verses like Hebrews 10:25 and provides a structure and accountability toward that goal in manifold scriptures in the New Testament.

And Catholic doctrines fails to align with a Biblical exegesis on important points. The most egregious example is that they fail to recognize the important difference between working for salvation and working from salvation. We do not work in order to obtain salvation; we work because we have already been given it. God works salvation in us by His justification, and we work out our salvation through sanctification by His grace (Phil. 2:12-13).

But the Catholic understanding of salvation does not logically eliminate forensic justification, it just obscures it. By failing to make a clear distinction between forensic (legal) justification and practical (applicational) sanctification, Catholic belief blurs the truth that the only necessary action required of us for justification is faith. Perhaps this is why hundreds of thousands of Catholics have come to personally know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and savior outside of the Catholic Church. In fact, this may be why Catholicism has not produced any of the great evangelists and has not widely circulated an outline of the process of salvation.

I agree that the New Testament teaching against the concept of salvation by works is starkly opposed to the Catholic doctrine that salvation can be merited. In order to counter this, Roman Catholic scholars have made an artificial distinction between keeping the works of the law (which they admit is not a condition for salvation) and the performance of works (which they insist is a condition for salvation). Nevertheless, Paul's statements against works for salvation cannot be limited only to works of the [Mosaic] law (such as circumcision). They extend equally to all kinds of meritorious good works. Every good work, in one way or another is in accordance with God's law, for no work is good unless it fulfills God's standard of goodness (His law).

By insisting that the achievement of works is not a condition for obtaining justification (initial righteousness) but only for obtaining sanctification (progressive righteousness), Catholics do not avoid the charge of error. The claim that sanctification is by works resembles the falsehood Paul addressed in the book of Galatians.

But it is also in Galatians (and other places) where we find that your sweeping condemnation of every Christian church in the world past, present, and future that has failed to perfectly align with all Biblical doctrine to be a false assertion made by you.

The Galatians were already justified (or to use Catholic terminology they had already received initial justification). They were "brethren"; were "in Christ"; hence, they would not be in danger of falling from grace unless they were already within it. They were secure in their justification (initial righteousness) but were in danger of losing their sanctification (progressive righteousness not to be confused with their salvation 2 Tim. 2:13).

The true believers of the biblical era were unfaithful at times. They were untrue to one or more of God's commandments and scriptural doctrine. Their churches were also. Not a single early Christian church adhered perfectly to Christian doctrine and each had various teachings that failed and/or ran counter to a true exegesis of the teachings of Christ and the apostles. Much of the New Testament is dedicated to correcting this problem. Yet nevertheless they were genuine Christian churches and most of the people in them (though not all) genuine Christians.

If I were to accept your view, I'd have to toss out all of the localized early churches in the Bible. I'd also have to toss out all those millions of small house churches in which Christians came to a saving belief in Christ behind the bamboo and iron curtains in the 20th century as false. They had so little access to scripture. Many of them simply heard the name Jesus from a widely circulated verse such as John 3:16 and prayed to Christ telling Him they believed in Him as God then setting their course to follow him as best they knew how.

Entire underground churches formed in this way some with only a page or two from one of the four gospels. Their "theology" was often not a perfect Biblical exegesis as a result. According to your assertions that "Christianity is properly defined by certain doctrines that are revealed in the Bible" (which I agree with) and "someone who is a true Christian will believe these things and not violate them" (which simply isn't always true) they are all false churches full of false Christians even though they actually are not in reality. In reality, their names are written in the lambs book of life and the localized churches they belong to part of the body of Christ.

Where you're falling down is the point at which you falsely assert that any Christian must believe a perfect exegesis on every point of Biblical doctrine and follow it perfectly or they cannot be a true Christian and likewise for every Christian church. You have misapplied the qualifications for disqualification which you use in the most liberal of manners.

But you are also projecting things at Catholics they aren't doing and then proceeding from your false judgment to condemn them. Catholics serve God not the pantheons of pagan gods that existed in the ancient world and you obviously don't understand a great deal of Catholic doctrine to make many of the statements you are making regarding them.

You need to spend some time in the Catholic Encyclopedia and actually learn it rather than project your own misunderstandings at them as the basis for your false condemnations against them.

And there are concrete reasons why Mormonism is pure heresy but Catholicism is not. You need to learn what and why.

Christianity is properly defined by certain doctrines that are revealed in the Bible. It is not defined by simply saying that as long as you believe in Jesus, you're a Christian. Mormons believe in Jesus, but their Jesus is a brother of the devil in the pre-existence. The Jesus of the Jehovah's Witnesses is Michael the Archangel. So, just saying you believe in Jesus doesn't make you a Christian. This is why the Bible tells us who Jesus really is, God in flesh, creator of the universe. Likewise, there are essential doctrines, and if any of those essential doctrines are violated, then a church would only appear to be Christian but not really be Christian. What are those doctrines? The Bible tells us. Let's take a look.

• There is only one God and you are to serve no other gods (Exodus 20:3; Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8).
• Jesus is both God and man (John 1:1,14; 8:24; Col. 2:9; 1 John 4:1-4).
• Jesus rose from the dead physically (John 2:19-21; 1 Cor. 15:14).
• Salvation is by grace through faith (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:8-9; Gal. 3:1-2; 5:1-4).
• The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus according to the scriptures (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Gal. 1:8-9).
• God is a Trinity (Matt. 28:19; 1 Cor. 12:4-6; 2 Cor. 13:14).
• Jesus was born of the virgin Mary (Matt. 1:25).

So, someone who is a true Christian will believe these things and not violate them. Roman Catholicism violates two of them (#1 and #4). First of all, by its practice of promoting Mary (and the Saints) to the level of God-like capabilities, they break the commandment to have no other gods before the true and living God. In Roman Catholicism, they say that Mary is the mediatrix (Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 969); Mary made atonement for the sins of man (Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, page 213); Mary is the subject of preaching and worship (Vatican Council II, p. 420); etc.
Also, Catholicism violates the biblical doctrine of salvation by grace through faith alone. Paul the apostle, for example, tells us in Romans 4:5, "But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness." But Roman Catholicism denies that and says, "...so that all men may attain salvation through faith, Baptism and the observance of the Commandments," (CCC, par 2068). Also, consider this:
"If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious is justified; in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be anathema" (Council of Trent, Canons on Justification, Canon 9).
So, even though Roman Catholicism claims to be Christian and that it is the one true church, it violates the essentials of the Christian faith. It goes beyond what is written in God's word (1 Cor. 4:6). It denies the sole and true sovereignty of the living God by promoting prayer to and the worship of Mary. Also, it denies justification by faith alone in Christ alone. It is not a Christian church.

 

[letti]

I have only a multitude of reasons that I come to my conclusion it is up to the good LORD ALMIGHTY to dish out judgment on any given religion or GODLY institution.I will not argue my points.I have a right to view this as I choose.As I stated what I believe according to scripture.

 

[AgeofKnowledge]

No the pictures do not speak for "itself." You're simply projecting your made up false interpretation of what's occurring in the form of a false assertion onto them as if it were true. In other words, knowingly or unknowingly, you are lying.

I have a picture of a family member here. If I bow my head in front of the picture and pray to God asking Him to protect and bless my family member does that equate to me worshipping my family member as an idol in the place of God? Of course not.

Though Catholics devote a great deal of their religious life to the worship of God through prayer, Catholics are not instructed to worship Mary or the Saints. They are instructed to worship God and Him alone. Despite Mary holding an exalted but not deified position in Catholic theology (e.g. she is able to approach the Son with requests and petitions), Catholic theology is perfectly clear that she is not to be worshipped and furthermore that only the triune God can be worshipped.

Since that is explicit Catholic doctrine, not to be confused with your own misunderstanding and false assertions to the contrary, please provide empirical evidence from Catholic doctrine that Catholics are instructed to worship Mary.

You may have known none, I hope the pictures speaks for itself. Does the statue in the pictures depicts mary...If yes...they worship mary...What is idolatry and an Idolater???Based from catechism 969
It seems that Mary shared the divinity of God...First they shared it..then they form her disciples...then the statue to depicts/represent Mary...(Idolatry hidden in catechism)I think blackson did a good job discussing this.Intelligent Catholics like the one who made the catechism...How can they worship idols, if they think Mary shared the divinity of God...a statue of a woman is good, but a calf is too obvious.I am not against any Catholics, I am against Idolatry...
Act 19:26 Moreover yesee and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, thisPaul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods,which are made with hands:

 

[letti]

NO disrespect my brother.I guess I just dont get all the hail mary stuff to pardon my sins and other rituals I am not understanding.

 

[AgeofKnowledge]

AlayaRose; I've seen many different, varying, and conflicting eschatological charts and hypothesis from a wide range of Protestants, Catholics, and cults. Have you ever seen the Catholic scholarly response to your own?

 

[letti]

Well I dont belong to certain lets say sect cult or label I just BELIEVE in GOD CHRIST THE TRINITY if you will.SO I go according to scripture and if a man or woman for that matter can correct my mistaken beliefs in GOD than I am willing be corrected.

 

[adventbeliever]

I agree that there are sincere Christians within the Catholic Church
but the papal system is not of Christ. For one thing, the pope
claims to have pre-eminence in the church contrary to what the
Scriptures teach. Speaking of Christ, the Holy Spirit says,

"And He is the Head of the body, the church; who is the beginning,
the first-born from the dead, that in all things He might have the
pre-eminence." Col.1:18.

This seeking for pre-eminence--spirit of domination--as far as the Christian
Church is concerned, began to manifest itself with Diotrephes within the
Apostolic Church as the following passage of Scripture clearly shows:

--Domineering Diotrephes and His Evil Deeds, vv.9-11.--

"I wrote unto the church, but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the
pre-eminence, among them, receiveth us not." 3 John 9

This apostasy within the Early Church developed into the full-fledged papal
system which resulted in almost thirteen centirues of spiritual darkness.

And now this apostasy is with us today within the professed church of
Christ, even the church that professes to be proclaiming the third angel's
message:

"The high-handed power that has been developed, as though position has
made men gods, makes me afraid and ought to cause fear. It is a curse
wherever and by whomsoever it is exercised. This lording it over God's
heritage will create such a disgust of man's jurisdiction that a state of
insubordination will result... The spirit of domination is extending to the
presidents of our conferences... Rule, rule, has been their course of
aciton... Humanity is hailed as God." Testimonies to Ministers,360,361,
363.

The same apostasy was developed within the Jewish church:

"At the time of the first advent of Christ to our world, the men who
composed the Sanhedrin exercised their authority in controlling men
according to their will. Thus the souls whom Christ had given His life
to free from the bondage of Satan were brought under bondage to
him in another form." Idem, 361.

This spirit of domination manifests itself in the church in this way:

"Men have taken unfair advantage of those whom they supposed
to be under their jurisdiction. They were determined to bring the
individuals to their terms. They would rule or ruin. There will be no
material change until there is a decided movement to bring in a
different order of things." Idem, 360.

This is the reason why the Lord called for an entirely new
organization between 1888 and 1901. At the 1901 General
Conference some steps were taken to reform but it didn't
last. At the 1903 General Conference again God was put
aside and the leaders reverted back to the devisings of men.

So when light foes forth to lighten the earth, instead of coming
up to the help of the Lord, these men will want to bind about His
work to meet their narrow ideas. Let me tell you that the Lord will
work in this last work in a manner very much out of the common
order of things, and in a way that will be contrary to any human
planning. See Testimonies to Ministers, 300.

ab

 

[letti]

It is the rituals that contradict GODS word that,I dont understand.

 

[letti]

So I am sorry,we should not argue over this it is just my belief that rituals that are not even based on scripture will pardon my sins.

 

[adventbeliever]

In addition to the papal system not being of Christ,
the Gospel of salvation through faith in the merits
of Christ alone has been perverted. Instead it is taught
that one can gain Heaven or earn the approval of God
through the merits of his own good works. Hence the
Virgin Mary is said to have a bank of merits including all
those who have been declared "saints". The sinner is
exhorted to pray to the virgin Mary and to these saints
since they can plead their own merits in behalf of the
sinner! But the merits of Jesus alone can avail with God
and unless the sinner looks to Jesus and accepts His
divine merits which it is his privilege to claim, he cannot
be saved.

Instead of directing the eyes of the people to Jesus and
to His merits alone, they are directed to trust in the
so-called merits of the creature. This is an abomination to God
as though the merits of Christ's sacrifice were not sufficient to
plead before the Father in their behalf in order to receive all the
blessings of the Covenant of Grace.

Oh how we need the eyesalve that we may discern with
astonishment the utter worthlessness of creature merit
to earn the wages of eternal life!

This is what the Reformers of the sixteenth century discovered
from studying the Scriptures and when they did they cast
themselves wholly upon the merits of Jesus.

One of them wrote, "Lord, we had devised for ourselves many
useless follies, but You have placed Your Word before me like
a torch, and You have touched my heart, that I may hold in
abomination all other merits save those of Jesus."--Martyn,
Vol.3, ch.13. (The Great Controversy, 221, first parg.

ab

 

[lcerveny]

It's not about being judgmental. I was raised Catholic and they did not teach me about Jesus. I learned more about Mary. I learned more about rosary beads, ect.... I am not saying that they are not Christians but I am saying that they don't seem to teach that salvation is through Jesus. They (Catholics) have too many man made rules. They turn people away from the church. I am much more comfortable in a bible based church.

 

[adventbeliever]

Last Easter I ran into an old lady that had just walked out of
a catholic service. I struck a conversation with her and was
able to ask her about her salvation. She told me that she was
saved through the merits of Jesus. I asked her, Why then do you
believe in praying to Mary and to the saints and why these
were said to have earned their salvation through the merits of
their own good works, and why is it that catholics are taught
to believe that their good works act a part in the salvation of
the soul or in merit. Her quick reply was that we needed all the
merits we could find whether the merits of Jesus or our own!

The truh is that the merits of the blood of Christ are sufficient to
present to the Father in our behalf, the merits of the blood that
is of value beyond estimate. Unless we daily come to God just as
we are, sinful, helpless, dependent, trusting wholly in the merits
of Christ for our acceptance with God and for the gift of the Holy
Spirit, the gift that brings all other blessings in its train, we cannot
be saved.

ab

 

[onlinebuddy]

Catholicism was made so that the pagan worshipers of different nations could better learn how to worship and sort of be "tricked" into Christianity. If you think about famous polytheistic religions like Egypt, Greece, Rome, Inca/Aztec, Irish,Norse,ect. then you see the resemblance between them that they have One major God they pray to and then a bunch of minor ones. Well what they did was teach them that God is the one true God, he rules over EVERYTHING and everyone including the saints, but you can pray to the saints because those saints are powerful too. Not as powerful as God, but it's okay to pray to them.

Alot of times they "replaced" minigods with Saints and angels, giving them special prayers to pray. Like Gabriel is prayed to for protection against evil. Mary is prayed to for protection over children, St. Anthony for lost items,St. Gerard for motherhood; to St. Peregine for Cancer victims; and to St.Dyphna for those with mental or nervous disorders, or epilepsy. Plenty of pagan religions do the same thing.

As a young boy, I had a prayer booklet with prayers to Mary in various forms (Perpetual Succor, Lady of Fatima, etc). Then there were prayers to various saints who specialized in various fields. This booklet was my prized possession. Whenever I was in need, or felt insecure, I would open my prayer booklet and pray.

When I studied the Bible, I found out that there was no such thing as a canonized saint in the Bible (obviously). Furthermore, I found out that disciples or believers who were alive were referred to as "saints." I also was convinced that when I have Jesus, the High Priest who can understand our weaknesses (because he has lived on earth like us) and who has finished the work of redemption for those who believe, I needed no other. Through my efforts in obeying of the Word of God, I had established a personal relationship with THE MEDIATOR himself, and therefore I needed no other.

 

[marrion]

Jandian to be a christian is to be like Christ.we can be like Christ by repenting of our sins,undergoing baptism in Jesus name and finaly receiving the baptism of the Holy ghost.we then have Christ living on the inside of us which empowers us to deny ourselves(lust of the flesh,lust of the eyes and pride of life) and take up our cross daily and follow him.Our specific function in the body of Christ is then revealed to us as we walk with Jesus.Also the holy spirit in us enables us to feed off of the word of God and accept his new testament commands without denying anything or finding loopholes for sin.Our desire will be to obey the commands and be led by the spirit living on the inside of us.

 

[AgeofKnowledge]

And yes praying to humans whom the Catholic Church has exalted (e.g. Mary and the saints) to intercede with God for their petitions is something the Catholic church teaches and us evangelical Protestants are in stark disagreement with them over this practice of theirs.

However, that does not equate to Catholics worship Mary and the Saints as idols serving them in the place of God as some have erroneously falsely asserted in this thread. That is an outright false assertion. Though Catholic theology varies somewhat between Catholic churches and catechisms used in specific nations: NO Catholic Church's theology teaches that behavior. In fact, just the opposite is true.

 

[marrion]

The church was not built on Peter.it was built on the REVELATION OF WHO JESUS CHRIST IS.GOD VEILED IN THE FLESH RECONCILING HIMSELF TO THE WORLD.Thats why Jesus was so excited that this was revealed to peter by the father.shortly after this peter gets a sharp rebuke from Jesus for trying to prevent him from going to jerusalem to die for the sins of the world.Peter also denies Christ three times.There is only one ROCK worthy for us to build on and that is JESUS CHRIST not Peter.Peter had to wait until the day of pentecost to be filled with the holy ghost before he could be brave enough to carry out the great commission and although he was one of the greatest apostles he himslef knew that Jesus was God veiled in the flesh and that this was the ROCK Jesus was refferring to.praise God and to God be the glory

 

[letti]

Then I must be the one person lost what does confession equate does the priest pardon the sins and whats the hail mary about?