Roman Catholicism
Founder: Emperor Constantine

Overview:
The Roman Catholic church, headquartered in Rome, Italy, has its own powerful City-State, the Vatican. The Roman Catholic church unofficially came into being in 312 A.D., at the time of the so-called "miraculous conversion" to Christianity of the Roman Emperor Constantine but he still worshipped the sun god. Although Christianity was not made the official religion of the Roman Empire until the edicts of Theodosius I in 380 and 381 A.D., Constantine, from 312 A.D. until his death in 337, was engaged in the process of simultaneously building pagan temples and Christian churches, and was slowly turning over the reins of his pagan priesthood to the Bishop of Rome. However, the family of Constantine did not give up the last vestige of his priesthood until after the disintegration of the Roman Empire – that being the title the emperors bore as heads of the pagan priesthood – Pontifex Maximus – a title which the popes would inherit. The popes also inherited Constantine's titles as the self-appointed civil head of the church – Summus Pontifex (Vicar of Christ and Bishop of Bishops).

Prior to the time of Constantine's "conversion," Christians were persecuted not so much for their profession of faith in Christ, but because they would not include pagan deities in their faith as well. Then, with Constantine's emphasis on making his new-found Christianity palatable to the heathen in the Empire, the "Christianization" of these pagan deities was facilitated. For example, pagan rituals and idols gradually took on Christian meanings and names and were incorporated into "Christian" worship (e.g., "saints" replaced the cult of pagan gods in both worship and as patrons of cities; mother/son statues were renamed Mary and Jesus; etc.), and pagan holidays were reclassified as Christian holy days (e.g., the Roman Lupercalia and the feast of purification of Isis became the Feast of the Nativity; the Saturnalia celebrations were replaced by Christmas celebrations; an ancient festival of the dead was replaced by All Souls Day, rededicated to Christian heroes [now Halloween]; etc.). A transition had occurred – instead of being persecuted for failure to worship pagan deities, Christians who did not agree with the particular orthodoxy backed by the Emperor were now persecuted in the name of Christ! "Christianized" Rome had become the legitimate successor of pagan Rome! This is the sad origin of the Roman Catholic Church as it compromised from the very beginning with paganism and in doing so became a cult serving the creature (Mary) more than the creator (Jesus).

When Rome went from being pagan to Christian under Constantine, they had to find a replacement for the great mother of paganism. It was not until the time of Constantine that anyone began to look at Mary as a goddess. Since Mary was the mother of Jesus Christ, she was the most logical person to replace the pagan mother goddess. The pagans could continue their prayers and devotion to the mother goddess, only they would call her Mary. The pagans worshipped the mother as much or more than her son and this is exactly what the Roman Catholicism does. True Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ is to be worshipped – not his mother. The fact remains that Jesus never hinted at the idea of Mary worship nor did any of the apostles.  Worshipping the mother goddess along with her child took place centuries before Jesus Christ was ever born in many different parts of the world. In 431 A.D. Mary worship became an official doctrine of the church in at the Council of Ephesus.

Since the formation of the Roman Empire, the Roman emperors (including Constantine) held the office of Pontifex Maximus (Supreme Priest) and were worshipped by the pagans as gods. Emperor Gratian in 376 A.D. refused the title of Pontifex Maximus, and from then on it was bestowed upon the bishop of Rome. From hereon, the bishop of Rome was to be the Supreme Priest to the pagans and the head of the Christian church; the streams of paganism and Christianity flowed together under the leadership of Pontifex Maximus, ultimately to be called the Pope. The question remains, how can a man at the same time be the Pontifex Maximus which was the head of the pagan mysteries and the head of the church? Although the Roman Catholic church claims that Peter was the first Pope, it is strange that we never read any such claim by Peter. The fact that Jesus never instituted the office of Pope in his church during his earthly ministry plainly shows that the Pope is neither Bishop of bishops nor the successor of the apostle Peter.

One issue that is very damaging to idea of a Pope is the fact that some of the popes were so depraved, even people who professed no religion at all were ashamed of them. Looking into the history of the papacy, it is easy to see that not all popes were holy men. Accusations against them included but were not limited to blasphemy, simony (the buying and selling of the papal office), perjury, murder, adultery, intercourse with virgins and nuns, incest, sodomy, bestiality, robbery, idolatry, magic, infidelity, and gross and unnatural immorality. Historians, even Roman Catholic historians will even attest to the fact there have been many sinful popes. Therefore, if popes are supposed to be the "representatives of Christ" here on earth and they are living an immoral lifestyle, should their commands still be obeyed if they are living in sin? No, it would be hypocritical for them to make rulings and decrees, and yet this is exactly what has been done by the popes. Jesus never said, "do as I say, not as I do". On the contrary, Jesus Christ led a holy life and we should follow His example. Here are a few examples:

• Pope Sergius III obtained the papal office by murder. He lived openly with a woman who bore him several illegitimate children. His reign began a period known as "the rule of the harlots".

• Pope John XII was an immoral man and whose palace was likened to a brothel. The bishop of Cremona, Luitprand said, "No honest lady dared to show herself in public, for Pope John had no respect either for single girls, married women, or widows – they were sure to be defiled by him, even on the tombs of the holy apostles, Peter and Paul."

• Pope Boniface VIII maintained his position through lavish distribution of stolen money. He was quoted saying, "to enjoy oneself and lie carnally with women or with boys is no more a sin than rubbing one's hands together."

• Pope John XXII was said to have seduced and violated three hundred nuns. He must have had a strong and insatiable libido for he kept a harem of no less than two hundred girls. He was called "the most depraved criminal who ever sat on the papal throne." A Vatican record says this about him, "His lordship, Pope John, committed perversity with the wife of his brother, incest with holy nuns, intercourse with virgins, adultery with the married, and all sorts of sex crimes... wholly given to sleep and other carnal desires, totally adverse to the life and teaching of Christ... he was publicly called the Devil incarnate."

• Pope Pius II was said to have been the father of many illegitimate children. He spoke openly of the methods he used to seduce women and he encouraged young men to also seduce women and even offered to instruct them in methods of self-indulgence.

• Pope Sixtus IV financed his wars by selling church offices to the highest bidders. He used the papacy to enrich himself and his family, for no less than eight cardinals were his nephews, some being given the position of cardinal even as a boy.

• Pope Alexander VI won the election of the papacy by bribery. He lived with a woman with whom he had a daughter; whom afterward he committed incest with and produced five children. He also lived in public incest with his two sisters. He conducted a sex orgy in the Vatican in which he had a banquet featuring fifty nude girls who danced and serviced the guests – and even offered prizes to the man who could engage in sexual intercourse the most times.

Martin Luther himself also witnessed that Rome with its popes was anything but a holy city. He was quoted as saying, "No one can imagine what sins and infamous actions are committed in Rome, they must be seen and heard to be believed." It has been said, "If there be a hell, Rome is built over it." Having shown just a few examples of the corruption and wickedness that has existed in the lives of the popes; this evidence seriously undermines the belief of "apostolic succession," the claim that the Roman Catholic church is the one "true" church supposedly claiming to trace a line of pope back to Peter, since Peter himself stressed the importance of holiness. It is important to note that pagan popes can be traced back to Babylon but no Christian popes existed until Constantine in 312 A.D. declared himself to be Pope.

The popes were not the only ones that struggled with sexual misconduct; the clergy were just as guilty. When the doctrine of celibacy began to be taught, many clergy were married men. An edict was established in 315 A.D. that forbade a priest to remarry if his wife were to die. In 386 A.D. another edict came into being, allowing priests to be married but forbidding them to have sexual intercourse with their wives. Although this edict was in effect, a large number of clergy openly took wives and fathered children. Some monasteries and nunneries were known in history to be so bad that they actually had a worse reputation than the brothels. The violations by priests were so bad at one point that even female animals were not allowed on monastery property! Priests were urged to be chaste, and if they failed, at least be careful. With this man-made tradition imposed upon them, it made an already difficult job of the confessional even more difficult. The confessional was where sins had to be confessed specifically and in detail so that the priest could render judgment and offer forgiveness of sins. It is not hard to see that the outcome of girls and women and even boys confessing their moral weaknesses and desires to unmarried priests could readily result in widespread abuse. The Roman Catholic church has been lately rocked by one scandal after another of sexual abuse by priests.

The doctrine of a celibate priesthood that has done more damage than good since its inception. At the beginning of creation, God did not want Adam to be alone and created Eve for him. According to the Bible, it was God's design for a husband and wife to become one flesh and to cleave to each other, and yet the Roman Catholic church says otherwise. They have another man-made doctrine condemning priests to celibacy, something which God never intended. Bishops (i.e. pastors, priests) according the Bible are supposed the husband of one wife (I Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6), Roman Catholicism adds to the Bible by placing an undue burden upon the clergy by forbidding them to marry (I Timothy 4:1-3), the Bible calls this a "doctrine of devils!" It is important to note that the priests of pagan Rome were also required to be celibate, and this tradition dates back all the way to Babylon and Semiramis several thousand years before. Even the idea of confessing to a priest came from Babylon. It is from recorded Babylonian confessions that historians have been able to come up with conclusions about the Babylonian concepts of right and wrong. The priests of pagan Rome were called "fathers," but Jesus said to call no man "father." (Matthew 23:9-12) From what source did the Roman Catholic custom of calling a priest by this title come from, Jesus or the pagans? Jesus spoke against flattering titles to his disciples, he wanted them to treat each other equally. Jesus meant for God the Father to receive all glory, not men. It is plain to see that the majority of the traditions of the Roman Catholic church are man-made and of pagan origins. An intellectually honest search will show the pagan roots of the Roman Catholic church.

The cardinals were the chief clergy in pagan Rome and the word in Latin means "hinge," hence they were pivotal serving as the priests of Janus who was the pagan god of doors and hinges. He was known as the "opener and shutter," and we can understand that better by the words of Jesus in Revelation 3:7-8. Jesus was the true opener, Janus was a counterfeit. These pagan priests wore the color red because it symbolized fire, they were the keepers of the sacred fire and accordingly were known as the "Flamens." All throughout the Bible, the color red is associated with sin. (Isaiah 1:18; Ezekiel 23:14-15; Revelation 17:4) With some knowledge of history, it is easy to see the merge of Babylonian paganism and Christianity and how they became one.

Roman Catholics who read the Bible will soon discover that many Catholic teachings and practices are specifically forbidden by Jesus Christ Himself. Worship is vain when it is based upon the commandments of men rather than the Word of God. Valid tradition is based upon Scripture and confirms it. Vain tradition is based upon man's teachings and violates it. In Roman Catholicism, tradition is consistently elevated above the Scripture. The result is vain worship, and no matter how sincere, it makes the commandment of God of no effect – a very serious matter.

The last few popes have expanded the ecumenical (worldwide) emphasis in the Roman Catholic Church to unprecedented heights. All unity purchased at the expense of doctrinal purity is satanic and deceptive. II Corinthians 6:14-18; Ephesians 5:11; II Timothy 3:1-17, 4:1-8. All who join hands in ecumenical fellowship with those who preach a false Gospel are under God's curse. (Galatians 1:6-10)

People do not realize that counterfeit religions, like counterfeit money, must resemble the genuine in order to deceive those who lack spiritual discernment or those who have not had the opportunity or taken the time to carefully compare all the major tenets of Roman Catholicism with the truth of God's Word. Only when one compares men's words with Scripture will it become obvious that Roman Catholicism is a carefully crafted counterfeit, not the pure, genuine, Biblical faith.

Jesus Christ plainly taught that Mary was on the same plane with all other Christians who would do the will of God. In Mark 3:31-35 we read:

"There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother. "

Do not avoid the truth here on the authority of Jesus Christ, "Whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother." And when one heard Jesus and cried out, "Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked, "Jesus answered, "Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it." (Luke 11:27-28) There is no hint in the Bible that New Testament Christians ever regarded Mary as more than a good woman. She had no authority among the apostles. No one was taught to pray to her, to do her homage, to adore her, or to partake of the unscriptural worship which Catholics do, but call it by other names.

To deny that Roman Catholicism is a cult is to repudiate the reformation and mock the millions of martyrs who died at Rome's hands. The "Christ" of Roman Catholicism is just as false as its "Mary." Remember that a cult according to the Word of God is any group of people that worship anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ, and believe anything contrary to His word as recorded in the Bible.  Roman Catholicism is not truly Christian, but is in fact an offshoot of Christianity and the largest and oldest "Christian" cult in the world. In addition, the display of adoration, the gaudy parade of a mere man as if he were a god, the pandering to idolatrous worship through bowing down and kissing his ring, the insistence that he be addressed as "His Holiness the Pope" or "Father" of all Christians cannot but confirm to any Christian that the Roman Catholic church is a cult.

The Scriptures use terms such as "apostasy," "false teacher," "false prophet," "error," "seducer," "heretic," and "doctrines of devils" to describe impure doctrine. The Roman Catholic Church meets every Bible criteria for apostasy, which is a turning away from and rejection of the truth. Its gospel is false, and thus is cursed of God (Galatians 1:8). It has exalted its own man-made traditions to the level of Holy Scripture, and thus worships God in vain (Matthew 15:1-9). Its leaders are false prophets; its dogmas are doctrines of devils; its Papacy is antichrist. What does God say regarding an apostate entity? Does He say we should find positive ways to see that entity? Does He say we should try to find common ground through which we can share and discuss the gospel in love and understanding? No, God says, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues!" (Revelation 18:4). We know that the Roman Catholic church has become an expert in taking various ideas or traditions and mixing them together into its system of religion.

The Roman Catholic church always has been and continues to be a false church. The Biblical doctrines it professes to believe and teach are perverted by doctrine based upon tradition that contradicts the Bible, God's infallible Word. Error is never more deceptive than when it is presented with a mask of truth. The leaders of the Catholic Church have always fit the description of the false teachers who God warned in advance would come on the scene in the last days, deceiving many with their counterfeit words - as described in II Peter 2:1-3, 18, 19.

It is essential to understand that two basic false teachings of Roman Catholicism (even apart from its many other errors), clearly classify it as a false cult rather than a true church. These two basic errors are:

1. Roman Catholicism, although teaching that the Bible is the Word of God, adds the spurious apocryphal books to the Scriptures, and also elevates church tradition and the edicts of popes and councils (the words of men), to the same or an even greater level of authority than the Word of God. This amounts to adding to the Word of God, thereby placing Roman Catholicism under God's curse. (Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18-19)
    

2. Roman Catholicism, although teaching that faith in Jesus Christ is necessary for salvation, actually denies the truth of the Gospel by adding sacraments, good works, and purgatory as additional requirements for forgiveness of sin and for eternal life. This amounts to the preaching of a false Gospel which places the Roman Catholic Church under God's curse. (Galatians 1:6-10)

Thus, by Scriptural standards, the Roman Catholic Church is a false church and a cult that can only expect God's judgment, not a true church that can claim God's blessing. No amount of outward change should be permitted to obscure this fact. Roman Catholicism is nothing more than Babylonian paganism that has been whitewashed and made to appear Christian.

Cult Beliefs:

• They believe purgatory is a place where a person is purified of sins – even popes supposedly go there. The Bible says, when a person dies their eternal home is sealed – heaven or hell – there is no place in between like purgatory. (Hebrews 9:27) The word "purgatory" and its concept is not found in the Bible.

• They believe in worshipping images of Mary, crucifix, saints, angels, etc. The Bibles speaks out against this. (Exodus 20:4-5)

• They believe in repetitious prayer to Mary, saints and angels. The complete Rosary involves repeating the Hail Mary 53 times, the Lord's prayer 6 times, 5 Mysteries, 5 Meditations on the Mysteries, 5 Glory Be's, and the Apostles' Creed. The Rosary did not come into general use until after the beginning of the thirteenth century, and not officially sanctioned until after the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century. The concept of praying to Mary, saints, and angels is not found in the Bible; on the contrary, we are directed to pray to our Father. (Matthew 6:9-13) In the Rosary, Mary is prayed to almost 9 times  for every prayer directed to God. The Bible speaks out very clearly against praying in vain repetitions as the heathens do.
   

  1. In "The Holy Father's Prayer for the Marian Year [1987]," John Paul II asks Mary to do what only God can do – comfort, guide, strengthen, and protect "the whole of humanity ..." His prayer ends: "Sustain us, O Virgin Mary, on our journey of faith and obtain for us the grace of eternal salvation." (4/97, Berean Call).

  2. In preparing for an expected earthquake in December, 1990, in the Saint Louis area, parishioners at St. Agatha RC church turned to St. Agatha, "the patron saint of protection from the devastation of volcanoes, earthquakes, fire, and all kinds of violence." The church reported in the St. Louis Southwest City Journal of 10/21/90 that a novena was to be held, including a recitation of the rosary, a prayer to St. Agatha, and a closing benediction. (Reported in the November/December 1990, Foundation.)

  3. A Roman Catholic ritual for selling a home: Put a statue of St. Joseph in a bottle or mason jar and bury it in the front yard (head first), thereby guaranteeing a quick sale of the home. After the sale, the seller is to dig up St. Joseph, put him in a prominent place in the new residence, and pray to him (Mother Angelica, EWTN Catholic TV, 10/95).

  Take note in the following two prayers how Mary is magnified above Jesus...

  • Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Why is Mary being prayed to this way, is she God? The Bible never directs us to pray to Mary.

  • “Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy! Our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping, in this valley of tears. Turn, then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.” Roman Catholicism should be renamed "Mary Worship", because that is really what it is; it places her on a high pedestal, equal with God. Mary was the mother of Jesus, nothing more, and she is not the advocate as mentioned in the Bible. (I John 2:1)
     

• They forbid their priests marry, when God specifically set up marriage for all, even priests. (I Timothy 3:2) To impose the burden of celibacy upon a priest is to put a man-made burden that is not necessary on them and not mandated by God, it is a clear case of putting human tradition ahead of the Bible. Many Roman Catholics believe that Peter was not married, the Bible says otherwise. (Matthew 8:14-15; Mark 1:30-31; Luke 4:38-39) It is interesting to note that priests of pagan Rome were also made to take a vow of celibacy as were the priests of Babylon.

• They believe one way of attaining salvation from the punishment of one's sins is through indulgences, which can be purchased with money or through acts of penitence, acts of charity, or other pietistic means. The idea of indulgences is based on good works meriting God's grace. Since they believe Christ's sacrifice was insufficient for the full payment of the penalty of sin, acts of piety and gifts to the Roman Catholic church may be used as partial payment for one's sins. The adequacy of an indulgence depends upon the merit attributed to it by the Roman Catholic church. The Bible says we are saved by faith and nothing else! Once you die, it's judgment time! (Ephesians 2:8-9, Hebrews 9:27)

• They believe in confessing one's sins to a priest. Jesus is the only mediator we need; we do not need the pope, priests, Mary or the saints. (Matthew 6:9, 12; I John 1:9, 2:1; I Timothy 2:5)

• They believe it is necessary for salvation to partake in the Sacrament of the Eucharist (communion). They believe they actually eat and drink the body and blood of Christ through a process called transubstantiation, whereby a priest prays over the wafer and wine and it is supernaturally turned into Christ's body. They will quote scripture (John 6:53-58; Matthew 26:26-28) out of context to support their viewpoint.  Jesus was alive when the last supper took place and by interpreting this scripture literally instead of figuratively (symbolizing his body and blood), it creates numerous problems. Jesus referred to himself as a "door," "vine," and "rock" and these descriptions are recognized as figurative. (John 10:9, 15:5; I Corinthians 10:4) Therefore Jesus is crucified afresh everyday by priests all over the world, who are putting him to open shame. The Bible says that Jesus was physically offered up once (died for our sins), never to be repeated again.  (Hebrews 9:1-28, 10:12-18) He sits on the right hand of God and does not reappear in the Mass as a mass of blood and flesh. It is very important to note that Jesus told us to take the bread (which symbolized his body) and wine (which symbolized his blood); but he did so while he was here on earth and alive. Roman Catholicism makes Jesus and his disciples into cannibals, because he and his disciples were eating his body that was alive. (I Corinthians 11:23-26)

• They believe there are oral traditions and teachings by Jesus that are not mentioned in the Bible; furthermore, the Roman Catholic religion has somehow been able to get this spoken word from somewhere, we're just not told how it was done. This means whoever sits on the papal chair in Rome is considered more authoritative than the Bible itself. (Matthew 15:3,6-7; Mark 7:5-9,13) The cry of the Reformation was sola scriptura – the insistence that the Bible alone is the ultimate authority for all believers. The Holy Spirit's enlightenment is a safeguard against religious tyranny.

• They believe that Mary never had anymore children after giving birth to Jesus and that she remained a perpetual virgin until she died. Why are we to believe that Joseph and Mary never had sexual intercourse? What husband and wife live and die together without consummating their marriage? These are speculative questions, but is is obvious Mary could not have remained a virgin if she had other children as recorded in the Bible. (Matthew 13:55-56; Mark 6:3).

• They believe that the church is founded upon the apostle Peter, that he was the first pope. The true Church of Jesus Christ was not founded upon Peter, but upon Peter's confession of Christ's deity as recorded in Matthew 16:16: "...Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." The Bible says that Jesus is the foundation of the church. (Matthew 21:42; I Corinthians 3:11) Peter was not the first pope, nor is there any Biblical justification whatever for such an office. Peter's own inspired testimony as to his position and ministry is given in I Peter 5:1-4. He then identifies himself in II Peter 1:1 as "a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ...." Peter was a man like you and me. When Cornelius tried to worship Peter, Peter responded, "Stand up; I myself also am a man." (Acts 10:25-26). The pope needs to remember this when men are bowing to him and kissing his hand like he is worthy of worship. Furthermore, history confirms the fact that there were no popes in the early church, not even in the Roman Catholic church during the first centuries of its existence.

• They believe the pope is the Holy Father, a title only given to God.  The pope is a man who takes upon himself honor which belongs to no human being. Even the very name by which he allows himself to be called (Holy Father) is highly presumptuous and blasphemous. (John 17:11)

• They pray to and worship Mary – an 1854 papal decree (Pope Pius IX) on the Immaculate Conception of Mary that has never been revoked, states, "Let all the children of the Catholic Church ... continue to venerate, invoke, and pray to the most blessed Virgin Mary, mother of God, conceived without original sin." Praying to Mary is something that is not spoken of in the Bible and would make her an equal with God, thus she has become a deity to Roman Catholics. Mary, according to the Roman Catholics has become the queen of heaven. When the queen of heaven is referred to in the Bible, she is spoken of negatively. (Jeremiah 7:17-19) Mary needed a savior as much as anyone else and acknowledged this in Luke 1:47.

• They believe that Mary is a co-redeemer with Jesus. In 1923, Pope Pius XI sanctioned Pope Benedict XV's (1914-1922) pronouncement that Mary suffered with Christ, and that with Him, she redeemed the human race. Pope Pius XI officially designated Mary the "Queen of Heaven" and "Queen of the World." The Bible specifically states that Jesus is the only way to get to heaven. Nowhere in the Bible does it state that Mary is a co-redeemer. (John 14:6) God speaks out very clearly against the "Queen of Heaven". (Jeremiah 7:17-19)

• They believe a baby can be "born again" through baptism by sprinkling, furthermore, they believe that baptism is necessary for salvation. The issue of infant baptism is not mentioned in the Bible, nor does it mention anything about babies and salvation. We are all born with sin and that alone disqualifies us from getting to heaven. (Romans 3:23) The act of baptism in the Bible does not guarantee you a place in heaven or make you born again, rather it is an outward act of obedience to God after you have been saved.

• They believe that Jesus merely made the way open for salvation. In order  to enter into that salvation, one must live in obedience to the authority of the papacy. In addition, Jesus' provision for salvation not being complete, the Roman Catholic church offers other means to assure one's salvation. The Roman Catholic church says it alone can grant this essential blessing for full salvation. This supersedes the Bible in which God guarantees our salvation. (John 10:27-29; Romans 10:9-17) Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you a mechanic.

• They believe that we are saved in part by good works and that good works are necessary for salvation. The Bible says we are saved by grace through faith, not works. Good works come as a result of being saved. (Romans 3:24-28; Ephesians 2:8-9)

• They believe there are different levels of sin; mortal (deadly) sins in which you are in danger of losing your salvation and venial (minor) sins which are not as serious. Mankind has placed different distinctions on sin (i.e. someone caught lying is not punished as severely as a person who is a murderer). However, in God's eyes, sin is sin, there is no distinction. (Romans 3:23)

Roman Catholicism makes salvation a long, complicated process with no assurance of eternal life and forgiveness of all sin. Baptism, Mass, Confession, prayers to Mary and the Saints, good works, and purgatory are all added to faith in Christ. By contrast, the Bible teaches salvation by faith in Jesus Christ alone. Bible salvation is God's free gift to any sinner who believes that Christ died for their sins and rose again for their defense. Bible salvation gives immediate assurance of eternal life. No church ever saved anyone, but Christ can and will save everyone who will come and trust Him as their Saviour. Membership or faith in a church does not secure salvation for anyone, but trust Christ and Him alone and you will be saved for all eternity! Would you like to be saved?

Further information can be found in the following books:

50 Years in the "Church" of Rome by Charles Chiniquy
Answers to my Catholic Friends by Thomas Heinze
The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop
Understanding Roman Catholicism by Rick Jones

 

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