CATHOLIC CHURCH

The entire system of Roman Catholicism is false from its first letter to its last syllable. Its name is unknown in the Bible. It makes human tradition equal to divine Revelation. It teaches the infallibility of the Pope. It attaches to a mere man the title of “holy father” applied by Jesus Christ only to God, when addressing His Father in heaven. (Jn 17:11).

The following is a list of twenty two passages which condemn various teachings and practices of the Catholic Church.

1. Ex. 20:4 5 (Images)

2. Ezek 18:20 (Original sin)

3. Matt 20:20 28 (Hierarchy)

4. Matt 23:5 6 (Clerical dress)

5. Matt 23:9 ("Father")

6. Matt 26:28 (Withholding cup)

7. Matt 28:19 (Infant baptism)

8. Mk 7:8, 13 (Tradition)

9. Lk 11:27 28 (Adoration of Mary)

10. Lk 16:26 (Purgatory)

11. Lk 22:24 27 (Primacy of Peter)

12. Rom 6:4 (Pouring)

13. 1 Cor 1:2 ("Saints")

14. Gal 4:9 11 (Special days)

15. 2 Thes 2:4 (Pope has place of God)

16. 1 Tim 2:5 (Many Mediators)

17. 1 Tim 3:2 (Unmarried bishops)

18. 1 Tim 4:3 (Forbid marriage)

19. 2 Tim 3:16-17 (Many authorities)

20. Heb 8:12 (Indulgence)

21. Jas 5:16 (Confess to priest)

22. 1 Pet 2:5, 9 ("Priesthood")

It has always opposed through all the centuries the private interpretation of the scriptures.

It has combined itself with civil governments for power and seeks to dominate and control all the governments of the earth.

Its officials – all of them – from the Pope down – are unknown to the word of God.

The teaching of the New Testament will make Christians, members of the church of our Lord, the church of Christ!

It takes something else, expressed by a completely different vocabulary to produce Roman Catholics!

No one doctrine peculiar to the Church of Rome can be found in the Bible!

A Catholic says: "Which planet are you from? There are 1 Billion Catholic Christians worldwide as of 2003! ~ all Continents! all Countries! (just as Jesus said that His Church will go to the ends of the earth! Also, when Christ said that the mustard seed will grow into a big tree where birds will nests ~ that's the Catholic Church indeed!"

A scriptural response: Jesus said in Matt 7:13-14, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are MANY WHO GO IN BY IT. (Catholics and those in Denominations). Because NARROW IS THE GATE and DIFFICULT IS THE WAY WHICH LEADS TO LIFE, and there are FEW WHO FIND IT. (Those who have OBEYED the Gospel)." A Catholic CANNOT be a Christian, because they have NOT obeyed the gospel. The gospel is God's POWER to salvation (Rom 1:16) and NOT the Catholic Church as you have been DUPED into believing. Catholics CLAIM that they love God, but they do NOT do what He says!!!

It is simply amazing that the Catholic Church claims that the Church was built on Peter and they get this ABSURD notion from ONE spurious passage that does NOT even teach anything remotely that the church was built on Peter. The passage in question TEACHES that the church was built on the CONFESSION that Peter made that JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD. Catholics teach a LIE that the church is built on Peter and that is NOT even remotely the case at all!!! Jesus is the HEAD of the church and NOT Peter. (Col 1:18). The gates of Hades (Hell) did NOT prevail against Jesus from building His church BECAUSE He ROSE FROM THE DEAD!!! Jesus IS with us until the end of time because the Holy Spirit has ALREADY given us ALL THINGS that pertain to LIFE and GODLINESS. (See 2 Pet 1:3).

Catholic officials would like everyone to believe that the Catholic Church has UNITY, whereas those who hold to the Bible alone, have utter division.

The TRUTH of the matter is that the Catholic Church is the mother of division. Every major division that is in Christianity originated with and came out of the Catholic Church. Approximately 1050 A.D., the Catholic Church split and there was the great schism between the West and the East. A few hundred years later, there was a split and the Anglican Church was started. It CLAIMED to honor many of the very same bishops and trace its lineage back to the apostles over much the same route. A division occurred in Catholicism when the Lutheran Church broke away; it was another branch or division within Catholicism. The bulk of Protestant denominations today are branches and sects of groups which originally broke away from the Roman Catholic Church. The DISRESPECT that the Catholic Church has toward the Bible is the PRIME CAUSE of division in the Religious world. Such charges lead men away from the Bible and cause them to distrust it as the only rule of faith. Holding to the Bible alone does NOT cause division, but to the contrary, is the only true means of unity.

The solution for overcoming division among us is to reject all the unscriptural practices which have been introduced by men and go back to the Bible. We must completely denounce all the creeds, catechisms, decrees, doctrines, and traditions of men and fully return to the WRITTEN word of Christ, the New Testament. This is the ONLY WAY to please God and to be UNITED in His name.

What was the Foundation? The Church Built on Whom?

Who is the Head? Is the Pope the Head of the Church?

Is the idea of rank and position of one above another consistent with Christ's teaching? Was Peter the First Pope?

* Peter never designated himself as a pope, but as "a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:1) and a "fellow-elder" (1 Pet 5:1). When he used the term "chief shepherd" (1 Pet 5:4), he did not refer to himself, but Christ. Peter probably wrote his letter about 62-63 A.D. * In Acts 8:14 it is said: "Now when the apostles that were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John." If the apostles had recognized Peter as pope, why did they send? * At the Council of Jerusalem, the final decision was pronounced by James and not Peter, thus denying the papal authority supposedly belonging to Peter. (Acts 15:13,19). * Paul corrected Peter for teaching falsely (Gal 2:11). Is this infallibility ? * Peter was married (Mk 1:30 and Lk 4:38). Popes are not allowed to marry. * In his Roman letter, Paul (about 60 A.D.) honors over two dozen Christians mentioning their names, but Peter (whom some suppose was there as pope) is not even mentioned. (See Rom 16). * Study Acts 10:24-26 to see if Peter conducted himself in a manner befitting a pope.

Was Peter Ever in Rome?

Because of the doctrine of the primacy to the Bishop of Rome -- exalting him above the Bishops of Constantinople, Jerusalem, Antioch, etc. - the Catholic church is obligated to prove that Peter was in Rome. Please see again the discussion under Was Peter the First Pope? It cannot be proven conclusively that Peter was ever in the city of Rome. But, even if he did go there, there is no evidence that he was there for twenty-five years (as the Catholic Church asserts) or that he was there in the capacity of pope. Gibbon's statements above are assertions. Did he (Peter) transfer his alleged See to Rome? Evidence? Does Peter support this claim? If so, where? Did his successors support it? While there is some possibility that he may have been there, he would not have been there as the pope. Do Protestant commentators confirm this? Do they believe in the pope?

Are the Popes Peter's Successors?

Gibbons says, "The church did not die with Peter. It was destined to continue to the end of time; consequently, whatever official prerogatives were conferred on Peter were not to cease at his death, but were to be handed down to his successors from generation to generation. The church is in all ages as much in need of a Supreme Ruler as it was in the days of the Apostles" (Gibbons, p.89). These are bold assertions. Who said that Peter had to have someone to succeed him? Where did this idea originate? The Bible? No -- it came from the minds of men. There is not a shred of evidence to support this alleged claim -- a clear example of Catholic dogma. The apostles were eye-witnesses of the risen Christ. See Acts 1:22, 2 Pet 1:16, Acts 10:41 and Acts 26:16-17. As a witness can testify only to what he has seen, it follows that there were no successors to the apostles. Even if Peter had been the first pope, and even if he had spent 25 years in Rome as pope (neither of which is true), there is still nothing to support the doctrine of apostolic succession except the bold claims of the Roman Catholic hierarchy.

Are Popes Infallible?

Although the Bible knows nothing of this Roman Catholic assumption, history is replete with examples to the contrary. *Most reliable sources list 196 popes since Boniface III (606 A.D.) the first one yet. **There was a period of 70 years when no one ruled as pope. **"At one stage, from 1044 to 1046, there were three very unworthy men each claiming to be the pontiff. They were Benedict IX, Sylvester III, and Gregory VI." **There have been no less than 29 controversies among them as to whom was pope. **In the 9th century, Pope Joan, a woman disguised as a man, rules for two and one-half years. *Popes have actually endorsed error. **Calixtus tuaght the Patripassion heresy. Liberius supported the Arian heresy. **Zozimus defended Pelagianism, but his predecessor, Innocent I, had condemned it as heresy. **Honorius was condemned as a heretic by the 6th Ecumenical Council in 681 by Leo II. **Sixtus V translation of the Latin Vulgate in 1590 had over 2,000 errors in it - after he had pronounced it true and authentic. *Popes have condemned scientific knowledge as heresy. **Galileo was condemned to silence for putting forth his Copernican theory of the sun as the center of our solar system. In 1704, this was called heresy by the pope. Today, it is unquestionably accepted by scientists. Infallibility? *Some of the world's most depraved and immoral creatures were popes. **Their names and the extent of their crimes are too numerous to mention. Any church history will give the sordid details. **In 1873, an American Bishop by the name of Purcell stated in public debate: "Some of the bad popes of Rome are expiating their sins in the penal fires of hell." **Is this infallibility? Can an immoral person be expected to render infallible decisions in religious matters? If he is immoral and pretends to be religious, he is hypocritical. If he is hypocritical, how could his judgment be reliable? Are Popes Equal to God?

To assert a thing is NOT to prove it. What is its Source of Authority? Is the Bible the Only Source of Authority?

This statement is taken from an address by the cardinals of the church to Pope Pius III, which is preserved in the National Library of Paris, Vol. 2; pages 650, 651. Quote: "The Bible is the book which more than any other thing has raised against us the tumults and tempests by which we have almost perished. In fact, if one compares the teachings of the Bible with what takes place in our churches, he will soon find discord, and will realize that our teachings are often different from the Bible, and often still, contrary to it".

Need more be said? One wonders what Jesus would ask of them if He were on earth again -- perhaps something along the same line as the question He put to the Pharisees about following the "traditions of men" and ignoring the Bible. Objection: Sometimes people will say that they realize the history of Catholicism has been very bad, but that things are different today. Are they? Have the designs and purposes of Catholicism been changed? Has the pope renounced his infallibility? Do they still practice the doctrines and laws herein described? Do they follow the Bible as their source of authority? Except for the fact that her armies were destroyed and her earthly territory reduced to a few acres of land, what has been altered? She still has command of vast financial resources. She still makes every claim she has ever made. Her aims are still the same -- complete and utter control of the religious and secular lives of men.

As regards her foundation, her head, and her source of authority, it appears that the Roman Catholic church seeks by her claims to justify the existence of a church that they wish they could say Christ built but which is so unlike what Jesus described in the Bible as His church.

Steps of departure in a century by century analysis -- stretching across a span of history from 120 A.D., when the use of Holy Water was introduced, to the crowning moment in 1870 A.D. when the pope was declared infallible. The dates of different practices vary with scholars inasmuch as it is often difficult to set a specific time regarding when the practice was fully accepted. Sometimes the practice was sanctioned long before it was widely practiced -- when papal decrees were made in advance of public approval. However, it is believed that most of the dates are in general agreement with the historical records.

BY THE YEAR A.D.

The cycle is complete. With an infallible pope -- there are no further changes required. The Roman Catholic system has annexed into its power structure the means of altering anything it deems necessary. What could have prevented it? A right attitude toward the Word of God could have stopped it. A very revealing study is the comparison of attitudes toward the Bible among the religious leaders and how it relates to the falling away. Consider the three-way comparison in the following chart. It should explain why there was a falling away from the second century on - and why the Reformation started. Attitudes Toward the Bible -- The Word of God FIRST CENTURY * "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11). * As eloquent preacher named Apollos was "taught the way of the Lord more perfectly" by Aquila and Priscilla. He accepted it (Acts 18:24-28). * Irenaeus said of Polycarp: "I remember ... how he recited the sayings of Christ and the miracles he wrought; how he received his teachings from eye-witnesses who had seen the Word of Life, agreeing in every way with the Scriptures." * Papias wrote a book in which he made it a point of enquire of the Elders the exact words of Jesus.

SECOND CENTURY TO MIDDLE AGES * Irenacus (130-200 A.D.) appealed to the "tradition" of established churches to find the true doctrine. * Thomas Aquinas organized the mass of traditions in the Catholic Church in 13th century. Today, it is accepted by Catholics as of equal authority with the Bible. * Hildebrand ordered Bohemians not to read the Bible. * Gregory IX forbade laymen the possessing the Bible. * Paul IV prohibited the possession of the Bible. * The Jesuits induced Clement XI to condemn the reading of the Bible by the laity. * Leo XII, Pius VIII, Gregory XVI, and Pius IX all condemned Bible societies. PRE-REFORMATION ERA * Albigenses -- 12th century A.D.--made great use of the Scriptures. * Waldenses -- 12th century A.D. -- taught the Bible as the sole rule of belief and life. * John Wyclif -- 14th century A.D. -- advocated the people's right to read the Bible. * John Huss -- 14th century A.D. -- exalted the Scriptures above the dogmas and ordinances of the church. * Anabaptists -- Middle Ages--devoted to the Scriptures. * Erasmus -- 16th century A.D. -- tried to get men to return to the Scriptures. * Wm. Tyndale said to a Catholic priest, "If God spare my life, ere many years, I will cause a boy that driveth the plough share to know more Scripture than thou dost." * The Reformation owed its being to the direct contact of the mind with the Scriptures".